Don't Forget the Fortunate General

Boom—!

Lu Chen snapped his eyes open, and the very air in the meditation chamber seemed to thicken and churn, stirred by the turmoil of his thoughts.

Deep within his eyes, faint lightning flickered in the left, while a green wind-whorl spun in the right—a sight brimming with the uncanny!

Four hundred and fifty-five years of lifespan, consumed entirely!

In exchange came a breakthrough in talisman artistry, and a brand-new trump card whose power far surpassed the Sun Flame Talisman.

Gritting his teeth against the searing pain of his soul being torn apart, Lu Chen seized the Golden Bristle Jade Brush from the table, dipped it in Earthfire Cinnabar, and, riding the lingering surge of insight, dashed across talisman paper with furious strokes.

This time, he was no longer drawing a mere Sun Flame Talisman.

His brush moved with savage speed like thunderbolts and lightning, then turned light and airy as a breeze brushing willow branches.

The crimson cinnabar lines wove and coiled across the paper, finally forming a brand-new runic structure ten times more complex than the Sun Flame Talisman!

The left half of the rune was galloping thunder; the right half, spinning gale-force winds.

Two utterly different forces were perfectly linked and balanced by a mysterious central axis, creating a strange configuration brimming with a destructive beauty.

Humm—!

The moment the final stroke landed, the entire talisman paper levitated on its own, stirred by no wind!

Green and red light interwove upon it, and a sharp, explosive aura—one that could pierce through anything—burst outward!

Within the meditation chamber, a sudden gale sprang up, scattering brushes, ink, and paper across the table.

"Such formidable power!"

Lu Chen stared at this new talisman, an unprecedented light blazing in his eyes.

This Yellow-rank mid-grade Wind Thunder Spell-Breaking Talisman—its might was likely enough to pose a lethal threat to an ordinary Ranked Demon!

Yet, just as he rejoiced in gaining another trump card...

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

A frantic, heavy bell tolled without warning from the highest point of the Demon Suppression Division—the Warning Bell Tower—booming through the air!

One toll!

Two tolls!

Three tolls!

A full nine tolls!

Nine tolls—the death knell!

This was the highest-level alarm of the Demon Suppression Division, signaling a catastrophe vast enough to threaten the safety of all Nanling Prefecture City, about to descend!

Lu Chen's expression shifted instantly.

He stowed the talisman without a moment's hesitation, and with a flicker of his form, he shot out of the meditation chamber.

By now, the entire Demon Suppression Division had erupted into chaos.

Countless Imperial Guards and Warriors rushed out of their barracks, faces stamped with shock and bewilderment.

"What's going on? Why are they ringing the nine-toll death knell?"

"Has the sky fallen?!"

"Quick! To the Council Hall! The Captain is summoning all officers above Deputy Commander for a meeting!"

Lu Chen moved against the panicked tide, his form ghostlike as he sped toward the Council Hall.

When he arrived, the hall was already packed.

Captain Li Deyang, clad in full battle gear, stood with a face as heavy as water before the massive sand-table model of Nanling Prefecture City's defenses. His sharp eyes reflected the ominous, slowly spreading blood-red sky outside the window.

Deputy Commander Liu and the other high-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard Camp stood solemn, hands on their sword hilts, braced for battle.

Lu Chen took his place at the back of the crowd. He had just come from the direction of the Warning Bell Tower, and his brand-new Deputy Commander uniform still felt unfamiliar.

He lowered his eyelids, suppressed his aura to the utmost, and quietly observed the expression of every person present.

"Everyone's here."

Captain Li spoke slowly, his voice low but striking like a heavy hammer against every heart.

He raised a finger and pointed to a section on the sand-table in the western part of the city.

"One hour ago, the 'Anmin Ward' area west of the city was suddenly shrouded in a blood mist without any warning. A quarter of an hour ago, the blood mist expanded threefold, completely swallowing Flowing Cloud Lane in Anmin Ward and half of the Golden Water Channel."

"The first three reconnaissance squads—fifteen men—sent to investigate lost all contact the moment they stepped into the blood mist. Not even a single scream was heard."

At these words, a wave of sharp intakes of breath swept through the Council Hall.

"Blood mist?" frowned a veteran Deputy Commander with long service. "Is it some kind of large-scale miasma-type demon art?"

"Unclear." Captain Li shook his head, his expression growing even darker. "But according to reports from the outer observation posts, countless indistinct figures are moving within the mist, and... the sounds of flesh being chewed and bones being crushed can be heard."

Flesh being chewed!

Those two words sent a chill racing from the soles of every battle-hardened Imperial Guard's feet straight to the crowns of their heads.

"Even worse," Captain Li's voice dropped lower, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, "just now, three civilians who barely escaped from the edge of the Blood Mist shriveled up before everyone's eyes and turned into... Blood Slaves that only attack the living!"

Blood Slaves!

That term made everyone, including Deputy Commander Liu, their faces change drastically!

"It's the Blood Demon Cult's sorcerers!" Deputy Commander Liu exclaimed in shock. "How dare they cause such a commotion inside Nanling Prefecture City?!"

"It's too late to talk about that now." Captain Li's gaze slowly swept over everyone present. "This Blood Mist spreads extremely fast and has the ability to corrupt the living, turning them into its own kind. If we can't find and destroy its core source before nightfall, and let it develop unchecked..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood the unspoken meaning.

The entire Nanling Prefecture would become a meat grinder, a living hell on earth!

"Pass my order!" Captain Li's voice suddenly rose, filled with an unyielding, iron-blooded killing intent. "The Imperial Guard Camp, full deployment! Center on Anmin Ward, set up three defensive lines, hold fast, and absolutely do not allow a single Blood Slave to break out of the Blood Mist's range!"

"All commanders, each lead a squad responsible for clearing the scattered Blood Slaves that rush out of the Blood Mist!"

"Liu Quan!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Deputy Commander Liu stepped forward and bowed to receive the order.

"You will lead your elite troops as a reserve force, ready to support any defensive line at a moment's notice!"

"Understood!"

One command after another was issued methodically, and the tense atmosphere in the Council Hall was replaced by a solemn, battle-ready spirit.

But just as Captain Li was about to adjourn the meeting, an untimely voice rang out abruptly.

"Captain, it seems you've... forgotten a newly appointed deputy commander."

Everyone turned to look. A tall, thin young commander with a sinister face was slowly stepping out from the ranks.

This man was named Chen Ying, a collateral descendant of the Chen clan of Nanling Prefecture. Young as he was, he already held the rank of commander and had always looked down on his colleagues of humble origins.

At this moment, his sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on Lu Chen, who stood at the back of the crowd, carrying undisguised mockery and provocation.

"Deputy Commander Lu is the Fortunate General our Demon Suppression Division hasn't seen in a century, a prodigy who awakened an ancient bloodline. Now that Nanling Prefecture faces this great calamity, it's the perfect time for Deputy Commander Lu to show his skills and share the Division's burden. For the Captain to only let him sit in and listen—isn't that a waste of talent?"