Inside the central command tent of the City of the Celestial God, the atmosphere was delicate.
Once the Nascent Soul leaders of the Barbarian God Continent's tribes had filed out, only First Elder Zhong Xuantian, Second Elder Du Yu, Third Elder Shui Tian, and Ji Yuan and Tian Wenjing, seated at the end, remained.
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The tent flap fell shut, cutting off every sound from outside.
Soft white light spilled from the pearl atop the tent, stretching the three elders' shadows across the walls painted with Barbarian God totems and lending the scene an added weight of solemnity and pressure.
First Elder Zhong Xuantian turned, swept his gaze over the two men, then settled it on their faces. "You two have only just arrived. We ought to give you more time to rest and settle in. But the situation is urgent, and there are matters we must discuss sooner rather than later."
He paused, his gaze moving between Ji Yuan and Tian Wenjing as though gauging their reactions, before continuing, "The coming war was what the chiefs were discussing just now.
"The Barbarian God and Desolate Ancient Continents have borne grudges for ages. This northern campaign is no minor skirmish. The Taiyi Immortal Sect is already mustering its forces and will soon strike back. The Second Southern Pass is a vital chokepoint; we cannot afford to lose it."
Ji Yuan and Tian Wenjing both listened with lowered heads, looking suitably respectful.
Zhong Xuantian changed tack. "War is perilous. Nascent Soul Cultivators may be the pillars holding the tide, but even they cannot avoid losses. Since you two have pledged yourselves to the Barbarian God Continent, by rights you should serve as vanguards to prove your loyalty and repay our generous treatment."
He said it mildly, but the meaning