From that moment on, he developed strong confidence in himself and had a more realistic vision of the future. He believed that as long as he continued to work hard, he would indeed gain extraordinary abilities, just as the mysterious old man who taught him had said.
The women, languid and listless, lay sprawled on the carpet, their beautiful eyes filled with affection as Aurelian Dragon strode out, full of vigor. They all felt a deep love and reverence for this extraordinary man. In this era of constant war, all those in power treated the lives of others like dirt, and women, being in a vulnerable position, held an even lower status. Those who cared for them were few and far between. This general from Faston, however, revealed something different in every word and action, some even bordering on heresy.
Little did she know that the man before her was merely acting on impulse, driven by his lustful nature. For him, pleasure was paramount, and all beautiful women were worthy of his attention.
As Aurelian Dragon stepped out of the tent, he was immediately enveloped by the slightly cool morning breeze. He tilted his head back and took a comfortable breath of the fresh air, feeling extremely refreshed. Thinking of the admiration and adoration the women inside the tent had shown him, he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased with himself. He had done such a favor so well; he was being generous with other people's money and getting a benefit in return. He hoped to encounter more such situations in the future.
Just as he was about to take two steps, a beautiful figure came into his view, and Aurelian Dragon stopped in his tracks.
Valeria Immortalis sat alone on a large rock, leaning against a big tree, her head slightly lowered, her beautiful eyes gently closed, her hands clasped around her knees, her delicate chin resting on her raised knees. Tears were faintly visible on her pretty face, and her slender body appeared so fragile and helpless in the morning breeze.
Aurelian Dragon felt a pang of pity and went over to gently drape her coat over her shoulders, asking softly, "Are you still thinking about your sister?"
Valeria Immortalis's long eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her clear eyes. Upon seeing Aurelian Dragon's face right in front of her, she blushed and shrank back slightly.
Seeing the redness in Valeria Immortalis's eyes, Aurelian Dragon asked with a mixture of pity and affection, "Didn't you sleep at all last night?"
Valeria Immortalis nodded slightly, her bright eyes following Aurelian Dragon as he sat down beside her. Her jade-like face flushed red, like the morning glow on the horizon, making her even more beautiful.
Valeria Immortalis lightly bit her cherry lips with her pearly white teeth and said softly, "How can anyone sleep with all this noise?"
Aurelian Dragon gave an awkward smile. Even with his thick skin, he couldn't help but blush slightly in front of such a beautiful and refined young woman. He quickly changed the subject and asked, "Do you still want to join the army?"
Valeria Immortalis nodded without hesitation, looking at him with a determined gaze, and said, "I must kill Brother Bu to avenge my sister!"
Aurelian Dragon sighed and said, "Miss Valeria Immortalis, you have no martial arts training and are a woman. How can the Fast Army accept you?"
Valeria Immortalis slowly lowered her head, and after a long while, she raised it again and said, "If...if...I..." She stopped, stuck out her rosy little tongue and licked her cherry lips, her face flushed red.
Captivated by her beauty and puzzled by her sudden change, Aurelian Dragon stared intently at Valeria Immortalis's pretty face. This action made Valeria Immortalis's face flush even more, her small cherry lips trembled a few times, and she looked away, seemingly unable to bear his direct gaze.
She gasped for breath and said hastily, "If I give myself to you, will you let General Feifeng take me under her wing?" As soon as she finished speaking, her pretty face turned as red as the morning glow.
"What?" Aurelian Dragon's body trembled violently.
Valeria Immortalis spoke quickly and softly, but the sharp-eared Aurelian Dragon heard her clearly and was immediately speechless. Valeria Immortalis's bright eyes bravely gazed at Aurelian Dragon's face, as if she would immediately throw herself into his arms if he agreed.
Aurelian Dragon felt a severe headache coming on. He coughed a few times, clearing his dry throat. To be honest, Valeria Immortalis's suggestion was incredibly tempting. Faced with such a beautiful young woman, Aurelian Dragon's resistance was practically zero. But thinking of her tragically murdered sister, Aurelian Dragon forced back the words that were about to spill from his mouth. He shouldn't take advantage of her vulnerability and try to possess Valeria Immortalis. Aurelian Dragon later wondered about this himself; it didn't seem like his true nature. He shouldn't have refused.
Although a voice inside her was urging her to agree, Aurelian Dragon subconsciously donned a mask of righteous indignation and rejected such a tempting offer.
"Miss Valeria Immortalis, you shouldn't use yourself as a bargaining chip. Besides, I, Aurelian Dragon, am a man of honor; I am not a petty person who takes advantage of others' misfortunes."
Valeria Immortalis's face showed deep disappointment, but a strange glint flashed in her bright eyes. She stood up with an air of utter shyness, about to leave, when suddenly she cried out in horror, "Orcs!?"
Startled, Aurelian Dragon jumped up, "Where? Where?" Following Valeria Immortalis's slender finger, Aurelian Dragon saw a large group of orcs carrying something strange at the foot of a mountain not far away, walking and stopping as they talked.
※ ※ ※
In the Fast camp, Phoenix Vane, who had spent a sleepless night, received news that the Asso army had formed a battle line outside the camp to challenge them, and immediately ordered his troops to meet the enemy.
With his golden, curly mane resembling a lion's mane, Leth stood tall beneath the fluttering lion banner. Behind him were dozens of fierce and aloof lion generals, and further back was his main lion army. On either side of the main army were Shara Felis's leopard soldiers and Grey Shell's wolf soldiers.
The hundreds of thousands of orcs lined up on the Skywind Plains, each with swords and spears in hand, silently gazed at the Falster army camp in front of them. Apart from the neighing of warhorses, there was not a single human voice on the entire battlefield, but the murderous aura emanating from them made people feel breathless.
Looking at Lion King Lett, who stood tall before the army, all the orcs felt the same way: "What a majestic and powerful king! There is no king on the continent with a more domineering presence than him!"
Indeed, even the leaders of the other three orc races who had been openly and secretly fighting against Lett had to admit that Lett, with his towering stature and sharp eyes, was an invincible warrior. No one in the entire Assau Kingdom could rival him, and his martial prowess was known to all, even astonishing the surrounding neighboring countries.
At this moment, the orcs possessed unwavering confidence that their Lion King would lead them to forever fly the banner of Asur in the skies above the continent. This faith in their king further boosted the orcs' fighting strength, a situation that was certainly not good news for their enemies today, the soldiers of Fast.
In reality, both Bu Ge of the Bear Clan and Hui Bei of the Wolf Clan were filled with mixed feelings of joy and worry. Their initial setback had significantly weakened them, and if Ya Su were to achieve a resounding victory today, the Lion Clan's power would greatly increase, further diminishing their standing within the kingdom. For the Leopard Clan, who had always been the weakest, this wouldn't be good either. Therefore, Shara Felis shared their sentiment, hoping the Lion Clan would fight to the death while he himself would strive to preserve his strength.
Beneath the powerful exterior lay subtle cracks, but Ret, who always revered force, failed to see them, for he was already imagining the sweetness of victory.
"They're here! They're about to move out!"
A slight commotion arose at the front of the lion guards, and the soldiers instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons. All eyes were fixed on Lion King Lett.
Lett's sharp eyes were fixed on the movements of the Fast army camp in the distance. Suddenly, he swung his strong right hand forward with force and shouted, "Charge!"
The powerful sound carried far and wide, and the soldiers of Aso responded with a thunderous roar, beginning to move slowly. Originally in a horizontal line, the central part gradually bulged out, forming a giant arrowhead, which, together with the slightly lagging flanks, formed a triangular wedge formation dominated by the charge. At the very top of the arrowhead was Lion King Let.
As horns blared and war drums beat, the Fast army camp opposite opened its gates and a square formation of heavy infantry marched out. Each of them was clad in heavy armor and carried a chevaux-de-frise. They spread out to the flanks like two dragons emerging from the water, forming a long strip in front of the formation.
Once the heavy infantry had taken their positions, two squads of archers surged out, spreading out like eagle wings to hold down their own lines. Then, squads of cavalry in gleaming armor and impeccable formations galloped out of the camp, forming well-trained squares. The disciplined appearance of the troops left Asso's soldiers in awe.
Watching the Fast army quickly form a square formation that could both attack and defend, Lett thought to himself, "The Phoenix Legion truly lives up to its reputation! No wonder it was able to dominate for a time."
He urged his jade lion beast to the front of the formation and roared like thunder, "I, the king, request General Phoenix Vane to answer my question!"
The sound reached the Fast's ranks, and as the gate opened, the stunningly beautiful Phoenix Vane, fully armored and wielding a gleaming silver spear, darted out swiftly. Her form-fitting, seven-colored armor perfectly accentuated her exquisite, curvaceous figure. Upon seeing her, Lett was immediately awestruck.
Phoenix Vane looked at Lett with a majestic gaze and asked, "What advice does the Lion King have for me?" His voice was like a silver bell, extremely pleasant to the ear.
Lett cupped his hands and said, "I have long admired the name of General Flying Phoenix of the Phoenix Armor Divine Spear. It is truly an honor to meet you today!" Phoenix Vane smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty flatters me."
Rete was captivated by her smile, which was as beautiful as a hundred flowers in bloom. He paused for a moment before saying, "Such a stunning beauty, I truly do not wish to harm you. How about you come to me, General? I will offer you the title of Queen. What do you say?" As he spoke, his large, round eyes were fixed on Phoenix Vane's high and alluring breasts.
Upon hearing this, Phoenix Vane's jade-like face darkened, and she scolded, "You audacious madman, how dare you utter such nonsense!"
Lete laughed loudly, "If you don't comply, you'll regret it too late." Then, pointing to his massive army behind him, he continued, "I have hundreds of thousands of soldiers under my command, enough to raze you to the ground! I advise you to obediently become my woman, and I guarantee you'll have endless pleasure!"
Phoenix Vane shouted, "Shameless scoundrel, how dare you presume to be the ruler of a nation!"
Enraged, Lett swung his spiked club and charged at Phoenix Vane. Phoenix Vane remained calm, brandishing his Wind-Splitting Spear, the blade flashing as he thrust it towards Lett's face. Initially, Lett, relying on his superhuman strength, swung his 180-pound club relentlessly, intending to knock Phoenix Vane off his horse. However, after a few rounds, he discovered that Phoenix Vane not only easily parried his blows but also gradually gained the upper hand using his superior spearmanship.
Whenever Lett's spiked club swung towards Phoenix Vane's spear, the spear, like a dragon emerging from the sea, aimed at every spot where Lett had to defend, forcing Lett to withdraw and parry. This left him with immense strength but no way to use it, only able to wield his spiked club to deal with the spear shadows that were constantly aimed at his vital points.
With each swing of Phoenix Vane, a fierce wind arose from the spear, causing even the thick-skinned Lett to feel a dull ache. He suddenly realized that Phoenix Vane's Wind-Splitting Spear was an ancient artifact that automatically generated wind magic, something no ordinary person could resist.
※ ※ ※
Aurelian Dragon, who was lying in ambush behind the dense forest with his soldiers, watched as the orcs slowly made their way up the mountain. The leader was a short, fat old man who was holding a strange disc in his hand. He was talking to a beautiful young woman beside him as he looked at it. Several orc generals followed behind them and, following the old man's instructions, would turn around from time to time and shout orders to the orc soldiers.
They gradually approached a spot very close to Aurelian Dragon's ambush location, close enough to hear each other clearly. Suddenly, the short, stout old man shouted excitedly, holding up the disc in his hand, "Right here! Right here!"
The orc general was also very pleased and hurriedly ordered his soldiers to put down the strange iron objects. Under the old man's command, the orc soldiers began to set them up with various iron components. Gradually, the shape of the objects became clear: a very complex control panel at the back, and a large, round iron pipe extending from the center of the front, pointing towards the Fast camp below the mountain.
The short, stout old man carefully took out a stone that shimmered with a strange light from a sealed large box and placed it on the control panel. Then, he repeated the process, placing all ten of them on the panel. The orc soldiers began adjusting the direction of the iron pipes, aiming them at the Fast army arrayed on the battlefield. Several orc generals chatted and laughed easily with the old man and the beautiful woman, their expressions extremely pleasant.
Upon seeing this, Aurelian Dragon gave the order, and the Fast army shouted and charged forward, brandishing their weapons.
Aurelian Dragon preferred ambushes like this. He charged to the front of the column, his sword flashing left and right, and in a short time he had already killed several orc soldiers. He felt that his energy was so abundant that he could wield his sword at will.
The orc soldiers, caught in the chaos, had no idea where the enemy had come from, appearing right behind them. Despite their best efforts to resist, they were outnumbered and outgunned. Each of them was being cared for by several Fast soldiers within the encirclement.
Less than a quarter of an hour after the battle began, all the orcs had become victims of the sword and prisoners of war.
Covered in blood, Aurelian Dragon stood before the orc prisoners, sword in hand. He gazed imposingly at the dejected orcs and asked in a deep voice, "What was that thing?"
The orc soldiers stared at him coldly, saying nothing. Aurelian Dragon was enraged, and the surrounding Fast soldiers clamored, some even more eager to rush forward and attack.
Suddenly, a huge orc general grunted and said, "What kind of hero am I, using despicable means to launch a sneak attack? If you're so capable, fight me again. If you win, I'll tell you what you want to know."
"Oh!" Aurelian Dragon glanced at him and said without hesitation, "Chop him up!"
Before anyone could react, a Fast soldier standing behind the orc general swiftly brought his blade down, blood splattering as a large head flew through the air and fell to the ground with a thud. The headless corpse collapsed to the ground. A commotion erupted among the orcs, even the Fast soldier was startled.
"I hate people who lack self-awareness the most!" Aurelian Dragon said coldly. "No matter what, if you fail, you should admit it and not make excuses for it! Since you've become a prisoner, you should have the self-awareness of a prisoner, yet you still dare to say such things! Hmph, I can't stand it!"
"You! Come here!" Aurelian Dragon pointed at an orc general standing next to the slain orc general, his face filled with grief and indignation. "Are you very dissatisfied? Let me tell you, my not fighting him isn't because I'm afraid, but because there's no need! Now I'll give you a chance. Pick up the sword at your feet, and I'll show you my strength!"
The middle-aged orc general said resentfully, "Fine!" He bent down to pick up the longsword that had been thrown to his feet, stood firm, and said sternly, "If I win, you must release my men!"
Aurelian Dragon agreed without hesitation, "However, if you lose, you will have to reveal everything!"
"Can!"
A deep-seated hatred shone in the eyes of the middle-aged orc general as he slowly raised his sword, pointing it diagonally at the Aurelian Dragon standing before him. The trembling tip of the sword emitted wisps of cold air. Although it was merely a starting stance, it already contained a strong killing intent, causing the onlookers to involuntarily take a half-step back.
Aurelian Dragon took a deep breath, channeling his inner energy into his meridians, his true qi flowing freely through his limbs. Feeling his power had greatly increased, he had been eager to know just how much progress he had made, so he seized this opportunity to test his skills. Moreover, he had a deeper purpose: he wanted to give the soldiers of Fast present a clear impression that he possessed genuine talent and was not as incompetent as they had imagined.
Wanting to seize the opportunity to establish his authority, he took a step forward, his eyes gleaming, and shouted with his sword drawn, "Come on!"
The middle-aged orc general roared and charged forward swiftly, sword raised. His first move was a powerful killing blow; the flickering tip of his sword covered Aurelian Dragon's face, seemingly aimed at his brow or his throat.
Aurelian Dragon's eyes shone brightly as he accurately grasped the angle his opponent intended to attack. His divine will locked onto the incoming sword, and he swiftly retreated with his right foot, slightly shifting his body. The sword in his hand moved from bottom to top with lightning speed, striking the weakest point of the orc general's blade.
The two swords clashed, producing only a single "clang!" sound, causing the orc general to momentarily pause.
Just as his sword strike weakened, Aurelian Dragon shouted and slid forward, his sword suddenly increasing in speed as he slashed diagonally at his opponent's chest and shoulder.
The orc general's expression changed slightly. He hadn't expected Aurelian Dragon to be able to increase its speed. He could only inhale and shrink back to avoid the sword. But no sooner had he moved than Aurelian Dragon's sword followed, changing from a slash to a thrust, as swift as lightning, aiming for his throat.
Driven by the sword energy, the air in front of him became heavy and cold. He couldn't help but roar, barely managing to dodge, his sword flailing wildly in his hand, attempting to block the attack from his center.
However, it was too late. Aurelian Dragon deftly flicked his wrist, a flash of cold white light, and the tip of the sword had already slit his throat.
"Clang!" The orc general's eyes widened in fury, a gurgling sound escaping his throat as his sword fell to the ground. He simply couldn't believe he had been defeated by this man so quickly. But after only a moment of standing, he swayed precariously, his face gradually turning pale.
These moves were as fast as lightning; before the onlookers could even see clearly, it was over. Speechless, they watched as the orc's body swayed twice, then with a thud, he collapsed to the ground.
Fast's soldiers cheered, while the orcs turned pale. Fast's commander's own strength had demoralized them. For them, who revered strength, power was everything, and they were speechless.
After a brief interrogation, Aurelian Dragon learned that this thing was called the "Magic Cannon," a magical weapon that Asu had hired from the Celestial Clan to develop over a year. It was powered by magic stones and its power was enough to destroy any living thing. If it were deployed on the battlefield, it would be unstoppable.
Seeing Aurelian Dragon's skeptical look, the short, stout old man who had been watching coldly from the side said proudly, "My products are absolutely genuine."
Aurelian Dragon sized up the old man. "Are you a member of the Celestial Race?"
The old man puffed out his chest and declared, "I am the Ghost Master of the Celestial Mystery Clan." These words caused a stir among the crowd, and even Aurelian Dragon was slightly moved. The Celestial Mystery Clan was renowned on the continent for its expertise in crafting various weapons and mechanisms; almost all divine weapons and powerful artifacts originated from their hands. In this generation, the most famous member of the Celestial Mystery Clan was the Ghost Master. However, he was inherently greedy, and his fee was astronomical. Only the extremely wealthy and powerful, and even nations, could afford to hire him.
However, he was actually tricked by the Lion King of Aso and forced to build the "Magic Cannon" for them. But the person involved would never say such a thing, lest he lose face. But it was precisely because of this that this terrible weapon was not fully developed. Otherwise, the war would have been very different.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Master Ghost looked around smugly. Aurelian Dragon felt a surge of anger; even as a prisoner, he was still so arrogant. But then she thought better of it, put on a smile, clasped her hands in a salute, and said, "So it's Master Ghost! My apologies for my rudeness!"
Master Gui became even more smug and said arrogantly, "No need for formalities."
Aurelian Dragon said, "Could you please explain this thing in detail to clear up my confusion?"
The Ghost Master glared at him. "You have no money to give me, why should I tell you?"
Aurelian Dragon smiled slightly, then suddenly turned to his subordinates and ordered, "Kill all those orcs!" This order caused an uproar among the generals. But military orders are absolute, and although the generals objected, they had no choice but to obey. Aurelian Dragon was extremely satisfied with this feeling of commanding all living beings, of having the power of life and death; he was experiencing the wonderful feeling of holding absolute power for the first time. The women on the side finally witnessed Aurelian Dragon's ruthlessness and couldn't help but feel a mysterious attraction to this heartless yet passionate man.
Terrified by Aurelian Dragon's command, the Ghost Master, seeing him looking at him again, forced himself to remain calm and shouted, "Don't try to scare me with killing!"
Aurelian Dragon said gently, "How could I? And this is…," his gaze falling on the beautiful woman. The composed woman smiled charmingly, "My name is Madam Mulan, and I am the wife of Master Ghost!"
"Oh!" Aurelian Dragon's gaze, which had been lingering over her alluring and sexy body, grew hot.
Sensing Aurelian Dragon's ill-intentioned look, Master Ghost suddenly changed his mind and said, "Considering your eagerness to learn, I'll tell you!"
Upon hearing this, Aurelian Dragon withdrew her lecherous gaze and said with a smile to Master Ghost, "Then thank you very much!"
So the generals followed the Ghost Master, listening to him explain the "Magic Cannon." It took a full half hour for the Ghost Master to finish, and everyone had to admire his ingenuity and skill. During this time, Lady Mulan's alluring eyes remained fixed on Aurelian Dragon, as if she had a particular interest in him.
While everyone was gathered around the cannon discussing it, Master Ghost suddenly pulled Aurelian Dragon aside and handed him a few small items. "These are little trinkets I made myself. General, take them and play with them!" he said. Then he whispered, "General, may I leave now?"
Aurelian Dragon knew that everything belonging to the Ghost Master was worth a fortune, so she unceremoniously stuffed it into her bosom and then greedily said, "What else is more precious? Bring it out too."
Master Gui said with a bitter face, "Where would I get so many treasures?"
Aurelian Dragon gave a sinister smile: "Then, leave your wife behind, and you can go."
"You lecherous man!" Lady Mulan's voice suddenly rang out from the side. Aurelian Dragon was startled and turned around to see Lady Mulan standing behind him with a smile. Meanwhile, the soldiers were all gathered around the "Magic Cannon" and discussing amongst themselves, so no one noticed what was happening here.
Sensing the flirtatious look in Lady Magnolia's eyes, Aurelian Dragon returned the flirtatious gaze.
Sensing something was amiss, the Ghost Master quickly grabbed Aurelian Dragon's hand, surrendering, "Alright, I'll give you this too, just let my husband and me leave." Aurelian Dragon looked at it and saw it was a scroll of silk. He was about to refuse when he saw surprise flash in Madam Mulan's eyes, so he quickly changed his mind, "Alright, but tell me what this is?"
Master Ghost said with a pained expression, "This is the 'Dragon Heart Sutra'." Aurelian Dragon felt his heart pounding. What he held in his hand was actually the legendary "Dragon Heart Sutra." It was said that whoever obtained the "Dragon Heart Sutra" could achieve immortality. He had always thought it was just a myth, but he never expected such a book to actually exist. Without saying a word, he waved for the couple to leave.
As Lady Mulan left, she gave Aurelian Dragon several alluring glances before grabbing Master Ghost and disappearing like the wind, leaving Aurelian Dragon to admire her agility. He let out a long laugh and said, "Master Ghost, Lady Mulan, we'll meet again!" His voice carried clearly to their ears on the morning breeze.
Hearing this, Master Gui's heart skipped a beat. He said viciously, "I won't see him, you wretched bastard, I hope I never see him again." His mutterings were overheard by Madam Mulian, who smiled charmingly and said, "I think this boy is no ordinary person. We will surely meet again someday." As she spoke, she chuckled softly.
Master Ghost said with displeasure, "Have you taken a liking to him?" Lady Mulan didn't answer, only let out a coquettish laugh. Master Ghost also felt that Aurelian Dragon was different from anyone he had seen before, and he had an ominous premonition that they would meet again. Unexpectedly, his premonition came true three years later, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Lady Mulan suddenly remembered something and said with displeasure, "Why did you give him the book?"
Master Gui chuckled, "That lousy book, I couldn't open it no matter what I tried. It's useless to that kid!"
Lady Mulan chuckled, "You old devil!" Then, the two of them burst into laughter.
As Aurelian Dragon watched them disappear from sight, he lowered his head to examine the book in his hands. However, he couldn't open it for a long time. He cursed inwardly, "That old man, trying to fool me with this lousy book! If I ever run into him again, I'll chop him down with my sword!" Just as he was at his wit's end, he suddenly heard a scream. Aurelian Dragon quickly stuffed the book into his robes and hurried to the noisy area.