"What a battle-hardened elite force! The Blazing Flame Army truly lives up to its name!"
Chen Zihu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
The garrison left in the Iron Ridge Tribe consisted of about three thousand men, all elite troops from Chen Village, but they were clearly outmatched by their opponents.
Chen Zihu wasn't unwilling to leave more soldiers at the command center, but the recent expansion had been too rapid, and there were simply too many territories to defend.
He was very confident in his own strength and the equipment provided by Chen Mu, so he sent out most of his manpower, leaving only a small number of soldiers in the command center.
" Chen Zihu! I am Mo Xin, the commander of the Third Division of the Blazing Flame Army. If you are willing to surrender, I may spare your life!"
Otherwise, today will be your death day.
Mo Xin shouted loudly, his voice booming like a bell, clearly audible for miles around.
Chen Zihu didn't rush to respond to Mo Xin. He waved his hand, signaling his men to form a defensive formation.
"Activate the Energy Force Field Defense Net."
Around the Chen Village army, there were dozens of Chen Zihu's personal guards, each holding an octagonal disc. Suddenly, bright beams of light rose from these discs, spreading out and eventually extending into a giant fluorescent net that protected everyone in Chen Village.
"If you want to kill me, break my energy field first."
Chen Zihu laughed heartily.
"Fine, I knew you wouldn't admit your mistakes until you're faced with the truth."
Mo Xin raised the large sword in her hand, her imposing aura overwhelming, and charged towards the energy field where Chen Zihu was located.
"Tiger, don't use this energy field carelessly."
Its most important characteristic is that it can absorb energy particles from the outside world to strengthen itself. In other words, the stronger the attack it receives, the stronger its defense becomes.
However, its weakness is also obvious: its defense is relatively weak before it absorbs enough energy at the beginning.
You must be careful when using it. If the opponent uses their full strength from the start, this thing might be useless.
Chen Zihu recalled what Chen Mu had said. Although he appeared calm on the outside, he was extremely nervous inside.
The early arrival of the Blazing Flame Army was indeed something he hadn't anticipated. Even if his men could hold off the Blazing Flame Army, they would certainly suffer heavy casualties.
That's why he decided to use this ' Energy Force Field Defense Net '. It's a one-time Rune Artifacts, extremely rare, and there aren't many in the Rune Research Institute's inventory.
When the Blazing Flame Army broke through the gates of the Iron Ridge Tribe, they clearly used combined attack techniques, which must have taken a toll on the Blazing Flame Army.
Therefore, he felt that the Blazing Flame Army was unlikely to use their combined attack techniques on his energy field again, which presented a good opportunity.
When Mo Xin rushed to the front of the energy field.
Boom! Clang!
As expected, the Blazing Flame Army split into dozens of forces, dispersing their attacks across the energy field.
After launching several attacks, Mo Xin quickly realized something was wrong, because the more he attacked the energy field, the hotter it felt became, without weakening in the slightest.
"Flame-wielding forces, retreat!"
He led the Blazing Flame Army to the rear, where they began to build up their momentum, clearly preparing a powerful combined attack technique.
"It's no use!"
Chen Zihu smiled, but didn't make a big fuss, signaling his men to set up camp and rest.
With the miraculous power of the ' Energy Force Field Defense Net,' it should be able to hold out for two or three hours, by which time the Five Elements Army of Chen Village should have arrived.
The thought of the Five Elements Army finally going to the battlefield made Chen Zihu's heart burn with excitement.
Deep in the Wilderness, in a primeval rocky area.
As darkness fell, Chen Mu had no choice but to find a suitable location to set up camp in order to survive the dangerous night.
After searching for a long time, he found a cave below a stone wall. The cave was large, but there were no monsters inside. He guessed that the owner of the cave was probably already dead.
"Let's rest here tonight. There's a stream over there; we can grill fish later."
Chen Mu looked around the cave and made a suggestion.
"Okay, I'll clean up the cave and start the fire. You go catch some fish!"
Mingye casually replied and turned to look for some more heat-resistant branches nearby.
Chen Mu nodded and ran towards the stream.
"Water element, Summon Lightning!"
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Chen Mu returned leisurely to the cave entrance, carrying a vine with more than a dozen large fish reflecting fluorescent light on it.
By this time, Mingye had already lit the campfire and cleaned the surrounding area thoroughly. She had even managed to cover up the lingering stench of the monsters using some unknown method.
Chen Mu didn't dawdle. He moved a rock and sat down next to the campfire, taking out the seasonings one by one from his storage ring. There was even a small cutting board and a knife specifically for processing ingredients.
He picked up a large fish and placed it on the cutting board. Then, he gently cut open the fish's belly with a knife, removed the internal organs, sprinkled it with seasonings to remove the fishy smell, and set it aside to marinate for a while.
"If you weren't a talisman master, you'd definitely be an excellent cook."
Seeing Chen Mu's serious expression, Mingye laughed.
"To be honest, I quite enjoy cooking; it's like doing research experiments..."
Chen Mu looked up at Mingye's smiling face and smiled back, then picked up another fish and continued processing it.
"The difference between cooking and conducting experiments is that the results of cooking are often quickly reflected in the results. Whether a dish is good or not can be determined within a few hours at most."
But experiments are different; they require constant exploration and reflection, and some may not yield results for several years.
If I could do it all over again, I might choose to be a chef in my next life, but not in this one. There are still so many things I want to accomplish.
Although Chen Mu was meticulous in handling the ingredients, with his refined muscle control, he finished processing more than a dozen large fish in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Then he picked up a branch, skewered the fish on it, and roasted it over the campfire.
"What do you want to accomplish? To become the strongest rune master?"
Mingye asked curiously.
"Hmm... more or less!"
Chen Mu raised his head and looked at the vast starry sky outside the cave, recalling a sentence he had liked very much in his previous life.
"I want this sky to no longer obscure my vision! I want this earth to no longer bury my heart!"
This is a quote from "The Legend of the Legend of Wukong," and it's also the level he wanted to reach in his life.
"I had no choice in my past life, but in this life, I want to take control of my own destiny."
He unconsciously clenched his fists, his eyes becoming incredibly resolute.
Mingye noticed that Chen Mu's mood was off, so she didn't disturb him and waited quietly by his side.
After a while, Chen Mu sprinkled the grilled fish with seasoning and handed it to Mingye.
"For you."
Mingye didn't stand on ceremony, accepted the grilled fish, and happily began to eat.