He tried to claim the moral high ground and condemn the other man, hoping to hide the jealousy in his heart.
But no matter how much he cursed or shouted,
he knew.
He had lost.
Lost completely.
He had lost not only in strength and status, but even the dignity of being a man. His counterpart from White World had ground it beneath his heel.
"What a way to waste a good hand."
Someone outside muttered.
The Sky Screen's image shifted.
White World, the frontline camp.
The Star Luo army camp was now utterly different from before.
The flames that had once soared into the sky had gone out, but Dai Mubai's might only burned brighter, like oil poured on a fire.
Tens of thousands of troops stood at attention on the drill ground.
There was no whispering or slacking. Every eye was fixed on the golden-haired youth atop the high platform.
Just moments ago, Dai Mubai had done something that made everyone's hearts pound with fear—and their blood race with excitement.
The supplies seized from Black Wind Valley had not been stored away or sent back to the imperial capital.
Box after box of Gold Soul Coins had been carried straight to the center of the drill ground and opened.
Their dazzling golden light was almost blinding beneath the sun.
Dai Mubai lounged in a tiger-skin chair, idly turning a coin in his hand.
"One hundred and thirty-seven men from the Vanguard Battalion were killed or wounded in the battle at Black Wind Valley."
His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly across the entire drill ground.
"Double compensation for the dead. This money—I... I, the commander, will distribute it right now."
"Every man who made it back alive gets a hundred Gold Soul Coins."
Silence fell over the drill ground.
Then came a wave of thanks that rose like a stormy sea.
In the Star Luo Empire's army, having soldiers' pay siphoned off at every level was the norm. Dai Mubai was the first to put real gold and silver directly into the hands of ordinary soldiers.
But that was not all.
Dai Mubai casually tossed the coin back into the box. It struck the others with a clear clink.
Then he looked at the line of men kneeling below the platform.
They all wore fine armor and had soft, unweathered skin. Clearly, they were pampered noble scions sent to gain military experience.
"But not everyone deserves a reward."
Dai Mubai rose and walked toward the edge of the platform, one step at a time.
"Third Son of the Wang Family, Second Son of the Zhao Family..."
He called them out one by one. Every man whose name he spoke trembled uncontrollably.
"When the enemy appeared at Black Wind Valley, you were supposed to lead your hundred-man units. Instead, you hid behind ordinary soldiers."
"Some of you even turned and ran as soon as the fire started."
Dai Mubai's lips curled, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth. The sight was chilling.
"Under Star Luo law, anyone who flees in the face of the enemy is to be executed."
The noble scions on the ground were terrified out of their wits. One of them cried out for mercy:
"Your Highness! I'm the grandson of Lord Wang!"
"Your Highness, spare me! My father is..."
Whoosh!
A golden flash streaked past.
No one even saw how Dai Mubai had struck.
The heads of the men who had been begging for mercy rolled far across the ground.
Blood gushed out, staining the drill ground red.
Dai Mubai flicked his hand as if brushing away blood that wasn't there, then swept his gaze over the crowd.
"In my army, there are no nobles, only soldiers."
"If you're afraid to die, you can leave now."
"Those who stay—if you dare take even half a step back, this will be your fate."
A deathly silence settled over the camp.
Then an unprecedented killing intent gathered among the troops.
Watching this, the viewers in both the Black and White worlds felt their scalps go numb.
Was this really the boy who was only twelve?
He looked like a battle-hardened commander who had spent years on the battlefield!
The Sky Screen's image moved forward.
Two days later.
The Star Luo army advanced to a fortress along the Heaven Dou defensive line.
Heaven Dou Empire's reinforcements had already arrived on the opposite side.
Their commander was a renowned Heaven Dou general known as the Iron Wall Mad Bear: Zhao Tieshan.
The two armies faced off beneath a sky crowded with banners.
Zhao Tieshan rode a tall steed. His body was as bulky as an iron tower, and the flesh on his face quivered as he sneered.
He looked at the slender golden-haired youth at the front of the Star Luo formation, his eyes full of contempt.
"Is Star Luo out of soldiers?"
"They've sent a little brat who hasn't even grown a hair to his chin to die?"
Zhao Tieshan gathered his Soul Power, his voice rolling like muffled thunder.
"I heard you burned Black Wind Valley. That was only because Ge Long was a useless fool who let his guard down!"
"I'm a level forty-five defensive Battle Soul Ancestor!"
"Kid, if you kneel down right now and kowtow three times, then call me Grandpa, I might leave your corpse in one piece!"
Laughter erupted from the Heaven Dou ranks.
A level forty-five Soul Ancestor.
To a boy of twelve or thirteen, that was an insurmountable mountain.
After all, a genius of that age would be considered exceptional just for reaching level thirty.
Faced with Zhao Tieshan's provocation, Dai Mubai's deputy grew anxious.
"Commander, this man's defenses are extremely strong. Let me lead a squad to..."
Dai Mubai raised a hand, silencing him.
He slowly rode out from the ranks.
There was no anger, no shouting back.
He merely gazed at the burly man before him, his expression as calm as if he were looking at a corpse.
"Level forty-five?"
Dai Mubai gave a faint laugh.
"Perfect. I'll use you to test my blade."
Before his words had even faded—
Roar!
A tiger's roar shook the mountains and forests.
Dai Mubai sprang from his horse. The force of his step was so great that the steed's legs buckled and it dropped to its knees.
Brilliant golden light burst forth in midair.
The White Tiger Martial Soul possessed him!
But the White Tiger phantom surrounding him was nothing like those of the Star Luo Imperial Family.
It was not merely white. It also carried an extreme, resplendent gold.
Its metallic gleam was so sharp that it seemed capable of slicing through the air itself.
Yellow, yellow, purple.
Three optimally matched Soul Rings pulsed beneath his feet.
Though he was only level thirty-seven, the pressure bearing down on them was in no way inferior to that of the level forty-five Soul Ancestor before him!
"You're asking for death!"
Zhao Tieshan was furious.
He had not expected this kid to actually dare charge him alone.
"Fourth Spirit Skill: Immovable as a Mountain!"
All four of Zhao Tieshan's Soul Rings lit up at once, especially the fourth, thousand-year purple Soul Ring, which blazed with light.
A thick, earthen-yellow barrier instantly enveloped his body. His skin turned a rocky gray-brown, making him look like a moving fortress.
He was confident that not even a Soul Elder in the thirties could break his defense—let alone one of the same level from the Power Attack System!
However,
golden light blazed in Dai Mubai's eyes as he hung in midair.
He made no flashy movements.
"First Spirit Skill: White Tiger Protection Barrier?"
No.
In his hands, it was more than just a shield.
The golden barrier clung tightly to his skin, like a layer of gilded armor.
"Second Spirit Skill: White Tiger Intense Light Wave?"
Dai Mubai opened his mouth and exhaled. But what shot out was not a spreading wave of light. It was a condensed golden beam, honed to the utmost, aimed straight at Zhao Tieshan's brow!
Boom!
The beam slammed into Zhao Tieshan's protective barrier, kicking up a cloud of dust.
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