The Art of Chaotic Divinity

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. On the third day, a general finally arrived at the new recruits' camp and summoned Ling Feng and the others to the command tent to meet the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army, Yuan Tiangang.

Judging by the war horns over the past few days, the demon clans of the Nanjiang demon domain had indeed launched frequent assaults on the fortress. No wonder Commander Yuan had been so busy.

At that moment, inside the command tent, over half the generals of the Southern Army had already gathered. The other half were still holding the front line, engaged in battle with the demon clans.

"Commander-in-chief, the situation is not looking good. Besides the Silver Wolf Demon Emperor, two more demon emperors from the Big Eight Demon Emperors of Heavenly Demon City have joined his ranks. The pressure on our Southern Army grows heavier by the day."

A general with thick eyebrows and a fierce scar across his cheek slammed his fist on the table in anger. His right arm was wrapped in bandages, clearly fresh from the battlefield.

"Ah,I really miss the old days of the Big Nine Demon Emperors. Back when the Qiongqi Demon Emperor still kept them in check, our border hadn't seen a large-scale battle for over twenty years."

Beside him stood another general with an eye patch over his left eye. He sighed softly. That eye had been shot out just a few days ago.

"Too bad the Qiongqi Demon Emperor died so suddenly. A peak-level demon emperor, gone just like that. If you ask me, it was most likely the Silver Wolf Demon Emperor who killed him."

"Enough. No matter what's going on within the demon clans, what we have to deal with right now is the fierce assault from three demon emperors."

Yuan Tiangang stared at the map in front of him. His expression was grim as he spoke.

"The Silver Wolf Demon Emperor wants to seize our cities, including Cangyun City and Iron Wolf City. If he succeeds, his territory will link up with the Sky Demon Forest. Once that happens, this entire region surrounding the forest will be completely cut off from our human race."

"What a greedy bunch. The Sky Demon Forest is rich in resources and has always been an important supply point for our Southern Army. What makes them think they can just take it?"

The scar-faced general spoke through clenched teeth.

"That's why this battle must be fought without giving an inch!"

A sharp glint passed through Yuan Tiangang's eyes.

"These demon clans may look fierce, but in truth, they're also afraid the Tiansheng Empire will attack them from the south. As long as we hold our ground, the empire will understand what it means to share lips and teeth. If we fall, they're next!"

"You're right. The elite Black-Armored Cavalry from the empire has already begun arriving. With that unit in the fight, unless all three of those peak-level demon emperors strike at once, they'll never break through our fortress!"

Standing beside Yuan Tiangang was a middle-aged strategist in white robes, holding a feathered fan. His manner marked him clearly as the adviser of the Southern Army.

Just then, a messenger burst into the tent and shouted, "Commander-in-chief, General Weiyuan and his men, including Ling Feng, are waiting outside the camp."

"Mm-hmm." Yuan Tiangang took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said calmly, "Let them in."

The generals in the tent began murmuring among themselves.

"General Weiyuan? Never heard of the guy," the scar-faced general said with a scornful look.

"I think I've heard of him. Isn't he the one who defeated the Eleventh Prince of the Tianyang Empire? That's why the emperor granted him the title of general."

"All of us here fought our way through blood and steel. Some waited ten or even twenty years just to earn a general's title. And this kid gets it just by beating some prince?"

The one-eyed general let out a cold snort. "Fuck, what a lucky brat!"

"Li Qing, you're fucking right! I'm not buying this for a second. What, does he have three heads and six arms? A snot-nosed kid who hasn't seen real battle gets to be a general? And the emperor just hands it out like it's some children's game?"

The scar-faced general cursed under his breath.

"Enough."

Yuan Tiangang slammed his palm on the table. "Wang Meng, since when is it your place to criticize the emperor?"

The scar-faced general's face changed. He quickly bowed his head and said, "Commander-in-chief, I didn't mean it that way. I'm just angry."

"That's enough. All of you, shut your mouths!"

Yuan Tiangang shot a cold glare at Wang Meng and spoke slowly.

"I let that kid hang for a few days for a reason. I've already looked into him."

"He pulled off some impressive feats in the Northwestern Army and showed real ability. But it seems he's one of the Ninth Prince's people. That, we can't ignore."

The faces of everyone in the tent changed slightly.

The Ninth Prince's faction. That identity alone carried plenty of weight.

Yuan Tiangang narrowed his eyes. A flash of calculation passed through his gaze, though no one could guess what was going through his mind.

Unlike the commander-in-chief of the Northwestern Army, the five military regions of the empire each had their own distinct figure at the top. The Northwestern Army's commander was known as the "Fierce Tiger", the most bold and forceful of the five.

Yuan Tiangang, on the other hand, was called the "Silver Fox".

As the name suggested, he was the most cunning and calculating among them.

It was precisely because of this that he had managed to hold the southern border without relying on natural terrain.

Half a year ago, the Ninth Prince had been sent to serve as a military overseer. Even now, he remained on the outskirts of power. That fact alone spoke volumes about the old fox's skill.

The tent flap lifted, and Ling Feng, Li Bufan, and the others entered one by one.

"Haha..."

Before they could even take their places, Yuan Tiangang let out a hearty laugh from the main seat.

"General Ling, Young Master Li, I've heard much about you. Come, take a seat, take a seat."

Yuan Tiangang walked up to them and grabbed Ling Feng with one hand, Li Bufan with the other, personally leading them to a pair of empty seats nearby.

However, the seats were placed at the lowest right corner.

In the empire's customs, the left side was the seat of honor. The lower right corner made their status perfectly clear.

It was an obvious move to keep them far from the center of power.

Ling Feng shrugged. Back in the Northwestern Army, he had already gotten a taste of how the military operated.

To these men who lived by the blade, only strength mattered!

His young face and overly inflated rank were bound to stir resentment.

Still, the actions of this Southern Army commander left Ling Feng with a slightly lower opinion of him.

This person, after all, didn't have the same vision and grace as Han Li, the commander-in-chief of the Northwestern Army.

"Apologies, General Ling. I've been swamped with military affairs lately and haven't had the time to greet you properly."

Yuan Tiangang smiled and said, "I never expected you would choose to join our Southern Army. I am truly pleased!"

"Hehe." Ling Feng narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly. His expression stayed calm as he replied, "Commander-in-chief, you overestimate me."

"No need for modesty, General Ling. To earn the title of general at such a young age, you are the first in the empire."

Yuan Tiangang patted Ling Feng's shoulder and laughed heartily.

"Come now. Let's drink first!"