Chapter 284: Merely Skilled in Spells

In the golden tent of the northern frontier army, the Right Wolf King sat surrounded by tribal leaders, key advisors, and military commanders. Though the table before them was laden with wine and meat, no one touched it. All eyes were focused, waiting.

Although those in the army with divine powers were called “generals,” the relationship was more akin to a partnership. When their help was needed, one must respectfully send someone to invite them, and they might not even agree.

Fortunately, these individuals didn’t require much in terms of provisions and were indeed highly capable. Most of the time, as long as they were asked, they usually respond—though the extent of their efforts varied. Even so, the Right Wolf King was able to remain composed about it.

Today, when the generals decided to confront the spell-wielding Great Yan man to avenge the bear general and General Bolai, the leadership knew about it but didn’t intervene.

Firstly, it was tradition for the northern frontier forces to issue challenges before battle. Secondly, if the generals managed to kill the Great Yan spellcaster, it would be a significant morale boost. However, how the generals conducted their battles was beyond the council’s control.

At most, they could offer some advice and watch from a distance.

It wasn’t long before the sound of galloping hooves broke the tense silence outside the tent.

A young man rushed into the tent. Without preamble, under the watchful and eager eyes of those present, he stammered out, “G-General Wolf has been defeated and slain!”

“What?!”

The tent erupted in shock.

“General Wolf has been defeated?” someone exclaimed.

“Yes!” the messenger replied.

“How did he lose?” asked the burly Right Wolf King. “Wasn’t it said that while the Great Yan man might summon a stone giant, General Wolf had his pack of hundreds of wolves, which could bypass the giant and tear him apart? And didn’t General Wolf possess the ability to move like the wind? How could he have been killed?”

“I don’t know what spell that man used,” the messenger said, trembling. “It was like a gust of wind. General Wolf’s wolf pack all disappeared. Then, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky and killed General Wolf on the spot.”

“This man is that powerful?” The Right Wolf King’s eyes widened in fury.

To the people of the grasslands, wolves were sacred, and General Wolf was an object of admiration for many in the army. Among the generals, he was one of the few capable of communicating effectively with the royal court.

As for the other generals, some seemed entirely incapable of communicating with humans. They preferred solitude, and while they appeared to understand speech, it was as if they didn't.

He had imagined that General Wolf would lose, but for him to be slain outright without even managing to escape was utterly unthinkable.

“This...”

Everyone in the tent was momentarily stunned.

The most trusted military advisor finally spoke after some thought, “This man is formidable, but more importantly, the generals know nothing about him, while he seems to know a great deal about them. The advantage is entirely his.

“Send someone immediately to persuade the other generals not to engage him today. Let them delay the battle and proceed with greater caution. And remember, speak tactfully.”

“General Pyro has already gone out to fight!”

“What?”

“After General Wolf was killed, General Pyro was enraged. Then a Great Yan man came forward to issue another challenge, hurling extremely offensive insults. The generals were infuriated and started competing to respond to the challenge!”

“...”

Everyone in the tent exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to do.

Finally, the advisor who had spoken earlier offered reassurance, “There’s no need to worry. General Pyro is a master of concealment. Even divine immortals descending from the heavens have failed to locate his hiding place. He will be fine.”

Hearing this, the others nodded in agreement, their confidence somewhat restored.

The advisor, seeing the others settle slightly, continued, “Moreover, the analysis from the generals earlier was sound. That man is no immortal. If he can summon giants and command lightning, it stands to reason that he must have weaknesses elsewhere.

“General Wolf’s wolves may have been unable to reach him because he happened to possess a counter to General Wolf’s abilities. General Pyro and General Wolf have always had a good relationship. Now that General Wolf is dead, he will undoubtedly give it his all.

“General Pyro’s flames are visible but intangible, and with the moat outside Yuanzhi City already drained by General Liu’s Water-Splitting Blade, the man will surely be caught off guard. It wouldn’t be surprising if the next report tells us that he has been burned to death.”

The others in the tent mulled this over and found it reasonable. With no better options, they had no choice but to wait anxiously. To calm their nerves, they raised their cups to drink.

But just as the cups were lifted, the sound of galloping hooves rang out again, growing louder as it approached.

Galloping within the camp meant an urgent report.

“Swish!”

The tent flap was lifted once more.

The first cavalryman, who had likely only just made it halfway back to the front lines, was overtaken by another young, sturdy cavalryman. After a quick salute, the newcomer’s eyes widened as he delivered the news, “General Pyro has fallen to that man!”

“How is this possible? Tell me now!”

“General Pyro summoned flames like a river, encircling the man, but he blew a great wind to extinguish the fire. Then, he summoned a dragon of flame, and somehow, he discovered General Pyro’s exact location. The fiery dragon rushed straight at him and burned him to death on the spot!”

“General Pyro was burned to death?”

“We couldn’t see clearly from a distance, but we saw the man send a cat to drag General Pyro away!”

“Then he’s likely dead. But how could General Pyro, a master of flames, be burned to death?”

“We don’t know...”

A hint of panic spread among the people in the golden tent. They quickly asked, “Are there any other generals in the fight?”

“It seems General Walnut has gone out to battle.”

“This...”

The group was momentarily frustrated and at a loss for words.

They had hoped to advise the generals to act more cautiously, but the temperament of the northern frontier people was vastly different from that of the Great Yan. Even among themselves, they often acted impulsively. Only after the emergence of Chen Ziyi over a decade ago did their temperament gain a measure of steadiness through repeated defeats in duels.

Yet, even now, they were prone to being provoked by sharp-tongued challengers into rash action. If humans were like this, how much more so were the savage and arrogant demons in their ranks?

“Don’t worry too much,” said one tribal leader, trying to calm the group. “General Walnut originally cultivated on our grasslands. Whenever he goes into battle, he only sends walnuts that transform into hornets to fight while he stays behind. Even if the battle is lost, he remains unharmed.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“Besides, General Walnut’s abilities are unpredictable. I doubt that man could be prepared for them,” another leader added.

“Let’s hope so.”

The group could only nod in agreement.

Feeling their mouths dry, they raised their cups again, just as another cavalryman came galloping up.

“That man used some kind of spell—General Walnut’s walnuts all bloomed into flowers and fell to the ground… and General Walnut… General Walnut withered completely and died in the camp!”

“Clang...”

The cup fell to the ground.

Fortunately, it was made of silver, not porcelain, so it didn’t shatter. Instead, it rolled across the floor, spilling wine everywhere.

“Are… Are there any more generals going out to fight him?”

“General Mud couldn’t withstand the insults and has gone to battle!”

“Quickly! Inform all the generals! Persuade them to cease fighting for now and postpone until tomorrow!” The Right Wolf King practically leapt to his feet. “If anyone dares to hurl insults again, shoot them dead on the spot!”

“Yes!”

The messenger quickly took his orders and turned to leave, but as he lifted the tent flap, he collided head-on with someone rushing in.

The newcomer wasted no time, immediately announcing, “General Mud went to fight the man, but he has been defeated and killed!”

“General Mud couldn’t have lost! He can turn the grasslands into a swamp and swallow people whole—how could he be defeated?” The Right Wolf King’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Isn't General Mud impervious to blades and weapons, invulnerable to water and fire, capable of splitting into multiple parts or merging into one, and even able to vanish by burrowing underground? Even if defeated, how could he possibly fail to escape?” a tribal leader asked, equally incredulous.

“General Mud did indeed turn the grassland into a swamp,” the cavalryman explained, “but that man somehow walked across it as if on solid ground! General Mud tried to engulf him by lifting the earth itself, but the ground was turned into walls! When General Mud finally engaged him in combat, it only took a few strikes before his body dried up, crumbled to pieces, and never reformed.”

“...” The entire tent fell into stunned silence, faces pale with shock and fear.

Fortunately, none of them were average Joes, so they weren’t paralyzed by fear. Some simply sat in place, contemplating strategies, while others leaned in close to discuss ideas with those around them.

“How could so many of our generals fail to take him down? Just who is this man?”

“It seems we’ll need to summon the remaining generals, discuss the situation thoroughly, and devise a strategy to defeat him! We absolutely cannot continue these one-on-one battles.”

“Perhaps General Thunder could strike him from afar with lightning, catching him off guard. That might be enough to kill him...”

“General Thunder does have the greatest skill and may be able to fight him.”

“But General Thunder rarely makes a move.”

“We must proceed with caution.”

As they spoke, a sudden loud rumble echoed from the distance.

“Rumble...”

The sound rolled across the landscape, long and continuous. Everyone’s conversation abruptly stopped as they turned to look outside.

Not long after, another loud rumble followed.

“Rumble...”

This time, it was even louder than the first. The sound persisted, reverberating from the distance.

Everyone in the tent exchanged uneasy glances, their anxiety growing.

“Two consecutive thunderbolts—this must be General Thunder battling that man,” the advisor said, his eyes wide as he tried to maintain his composure. “General Thunder’s abilities are unmatched; he truly has the power to fight him.”

The others nodded in reluctant agreement. For now, it seemed to be good news.

Earlier reports from the cavalrymen mentioned that most of the fallen generals barely lasted more than one exchange against the man. Some had even died after a single clash.

Hearing two thunderclaps at least suggested that General Thunder had managed to engage him properly. Moreover, the escalating intensity of the thunderbolts—each one louder and more powerful than the last—offered a sliver of reassurance to those in the tent.

But as they waited, a third thunderclap never came. Before long, the sound of galloping hooves approached again.

Everyone’s hearts seemed to leap into their throats.

With a

whoosh

, the tent flap was thrown open.

“The challenger raised a shield to hurl insults at us, and we failed to stop him. General Thunder was furious and insisted on going into battle!”

The messenger’s eyes were wide with fear as he continued, “The two met on the battlefield, and General Thunder unleashed dozens of thunderbolts simultaneously. But the man was completely unharmed. Then he retaliated with his own lightning—dozens of strikes, nearly all purple-red. General Thunder was killed on the spot!”

“...”

The tent fell into absolute silence. Was this man… a divine immortal?

***

Outside Yuanzhi City, a cavalryman rode back toward the walls, carrying a shield pierced by several arrows.

“Sir, those demons were scared off by your power! They said it got dark and that they would fight tomorrow, but they didn't dare come back!” The cavalryman was brimming with excitement, and after speaking, he couldn't help but praise, “Sir, you truly have divine skills!”

“It’s all thanks to you,” Song You said, glancing at the cavalryman's shield. “You put your life on the line.”

“Oh, it's nothing!” The cavalryman shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m often called to issue challenges. Besides being good with words, I’m also pretty good at dodging arrows!”

“Then let’s return to the city.”

The Daoist smiled gently at him before turning to head back. It had indeed grown dark.

Clang, clang, clang...

The sound of the gong echoed behind them, adding to the atmosphere of the battlefield.

Lady Calico lowered her head, picking up the small flag from the ground. She took small steps to follow at his side, occasionally glancing up at him with a look full of confusion.

The Daoist, seeming to know what she was thinking, answered her honestly, “I know many things, but most are only at the beginner level. Few can be considered expert skills. I just have good talent and higher cultivation. Those northern frontier demons rely more on their cultivation than on refined magical techniques, which made it easier for me to deal with them.”

“I wasn’t deceiving you, Lady Calico.”

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Lady Calico’s eyes flickered as she held the flag in her mouth. Unable to speak, she simply looked away and followed him toward the city gate.

With a loud rumble, the city gate swung open. Inside stood a line of soldiers, silent, all eyes trained on them.