Firmament Sword

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, as soon as the two of them were up, someone brought them breakfast. Shortly after, someone else came to inform them that General Cao would be seeing them soon.

Xu Luo and Xu Jie glanced at each other. They said nothing, but they both understood. ’Cao Tianyi is getting impatient!’

After breakfast, the two were escorted to the Central Army Tent. The tent was lined on both sides with generals exuding powerful auras, all of whom watched them with unfriendly eyes.

Staring straight ahead, Xu Luo and Xu Jie walked before the middle-aged man seated in the center and bowed.

”Xu Luo, Xu Jie... Greetings, General Cao!” the two said in unison.

”How dare you! Kneel before the Prince!” a burly, curly-bearded man at their side suddenly roared.

At the same time, several cold snorts echoed through the tent.

The Central Army Tent, filled with the Cao Kingdom’s top generals, was instantly suffused with a killing intent so palpable it felt solid...

An ordinary person would have felt their legs go weak under such immense pressure.

Xu Jie had been fierce since childhood, spending his days forging iron and grinding swords. To him, a shout like that was nothing compared to the sound of a hammer striking red-hot steel. He was completely unfazed.

Meanwhile, Xu Luo cultivated the Shadow Shaking Heart Method. With the Seven-Star Soul guarding his Dantian, not even the aura of a Tier Nine Spirit Beast could suppress him. This paltry killing intent... it couldn’t affect him in the slightest.

Lifting his head, Xu Luo smiled faintly at the seated middle-aged man. ”Oh? Does General Cao perhaps prefer being called Prince Cao?”

THUD!

The same curly-bearded man who had just roared took a heavy step forward, and a formidable aura surged from him, pressing directly toward Xu Luo.

A Great Sword Master!

This curly-bearded man was an expert at the Great Sword Master Realm!

Otherwise, he could never have released an aura of such intensity. This was the true presence of a powerhouse, completely different from a soldier’s killing intent.

Xu Luo’s eyes narrowed slightly as he said coolly, ”Is this... how General Cao treats his guests?”

As he spoke, an incomparably powerful aura erupted from Xu Luo. The inside of the tent felt as though it had been struck by a tornado.

Nearly all the generals, including the curly-bearded Great Sword Master, stumbled backward with looks of pure horror, sent reeling by the force of the aura.

The sturdy Central Army Tent shuddered violently. Its massive, solid-wood crossbeams let out a harsh GROAN, as if the entire structure might collapse at any moment.

Yet Cao Tianyi, seated in the place of honor, remained perfectly still, though his face betrayed a hint of shock. Not even a single strand of his hair was stirred. He watched Xu Luo thoughtfully, his expression an unreadable smile.

Standing beside Xu Luo, Xu Jie was startled by the aura. He was astonished. ’When did Third Brother get this strong? No wonder he’s being so audacious…’

A sudden rush of hurried footsteps sounded from outside the Central Army Tent as countless soldiers rushed over to surround it.

”My Lord, what has happened?” a low voice called from outside.

Xu Luo’s heart skipped a beat. He recognized the voice—it belonged to the man in black who had confronted the white-robed, white-haired man the day before.

”HAHAHAHAHA!” Xu Luo suddenly roared with laughter. Looking at General Cao seated at the head of the tent, he said, ”My father once said that the Cao Kingdom is a tiny, feeble nation…”

Upon hearing Xu Luo’s words, the generals who had just lost their composure all turned to glare at him, their expressions icy and their gazes hostile.

Now, all it would take was a single command from Cao Tianyi, and these battle-hardened generals would undoubtedly attack.

”If it weren’t for the presence of General Cao Tianyi, the Cao Kingdom could be annihilated at any time!” Xu Luo said coolly, ignoring the generals’ glares. ”Because of my father’s admiration for General Cao, I have always held you in high regard. Yet, upon meeting you today…”

”And what of it?” the middle-aged man in the head seat asked with an interested smile.

”Seeing you today, I find the reality doesn’t live up to the reputation…” Xu Luo shook his head, his gaze sweeping across the generals in the Central Army Tent with an expression of pity. ”It seems you’ve all grown so weak that pride is the only thing you have left…”

”You’re courting death!”

”How dare you spout such nonsense, boy?”

”I’ll tear you to shreds!”

”Damn it, you little brat! You’ve got some nerve!”

”...”

The middle-aged man in the head seat suddenly raised a hand, and the tent fell instantly silent.

Though every general wore an indignant expression, not one of them uttered another word.

The tent went from a deafening uproar to absolute silence with a single gesture. This was the epitome of iron discipline.

”All of you, withdraw. And tell Jiang Han everything is fine,” the middle-aged man said coolly.

”My Lord…” the curly-bearded man began, his voice laced with anxiety.

”Heh. Two young men who dare to walk alone into my army of thousands and remain so composed. Do you think I, the Prince Guardian of the Country, lack the courage to meet with the scions of a general by myself?” the middle-aged man said coolly, then waved his hand dismissively. ”That’s enough. The show of force is over. These two young men are truly worthy sons of a military family. Now, all of you, withdraw.”

”Yes, My Lord!”

Seeing their commander so composed, the generals could say no more, even though they still felt uneasy—primarily because they were still reeling from the aura Xu Luo had just unleashed.

As the generals filed out, only the three of them remained in the Central Army Tent.

Cao Tianyi pointed to the wooden stools on either side of him and said with a smile, ”Young Generals, please, sit.”

The two did not stand on ceremony. After thanking him, they took the seats to his left and right.

Cao Tianyi first turned to Xu Jie. ”You are Xu Zhongtian’s son? I have met your father. The Champion Marquis… he was a truly formidable general!”