Initially, he had paid Tang Wulin no heed, but that had gradually changed as he discovered that Tang Wulin was developing rapidly out of his control.

Now, this young man who was only in his twenties was superior to him in both power and status. All of these changes seemed to have taken place in a very short time, and Qiangu Dongfeng was finding it very difficult to accept this.

If he were given another chance, he would ensure that Tang Wulin was killed at all costs.

Without a leader and a Divine Blacksmith in the form of Tang Wulin, there was no way that Shrek Academy would've risen up again so quickly.

Tang Wulin returned to his barracks near the secondary tree of life, which was a very plain and simple metal cabin. Even Tang Wulin's cabin was only slightly more spacious than the other ones, housing a large table that discussions could be held around.

Currently, all of the higher-ups of the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy were gathered here.

"Looks like the Spirit Pagoda is determined to try more funny business; we should've taken out the Qiangu Family when we had the chance. Without the Qiangu Family, there's no way the Spirit Pagoda would've dared to do this," Cao Dezhi said in a cold voice.

Tang Wulin sighed, "Our hands were tied at the time. Under the current circumstances, we have to prioritize the defense of the continent first. However, we do need to be on our guard in case they try to disrupt us during the battle. Seeing as the ground units have been split up, what we have to be most cautious of is that they may not reinforce us when needed. Aside from that, I don't think there's too much we need to be wary of. After all, both divisions are attacking the same target, and they wouldn't dare to do anything too out of line given the gravity of the situation."

Yali nodded in agreement. "While that may be true, the preventive measures that we've taken are still warranted. Our sole mission is to protect Wulin during the battle, right? We just have to make sure we can do that. As long as all of us constantly remain by Wulin's side, they won't be able to do anything to us."

Right at this moment, a voice that was very familiar to Tang Wulin rang out outside. "Report!"

"Report!" 

"Come in," Tang Wulin prompted.

A dashing female soldier strode in from outside; it was none other than Long Yuxue, whom Tang Wulin hadn't seen for quite a long time.

The two had separated once Long Yuxue and the others had returned to the Blood God Legion, and Tang Wulin was quite surprised to see her here now.

Long Yuxue extended a military salute, then said, "The Blood Dragon Squad has come to make a report. We were ordered by our commander to come and assist you."

She was speaking in a very official manner, but her eyes were brimming with excitement and were locked firmly on Tang Wulin's face.

Tang Wulin was also very happy to see her. He had traveled to the Blood God Legion during the most difficult period of his life, and it was with the assistance of these friends that he had gradually rediscovered himself.

The bond that he shared with those comrades were deep-rooted, so Tang Wulin was naturally ecstatic to see her.

"Take a seat, Yuxue. Did Wuyue and the others come as well?" Tang Wulin asked with a smile.

Long Yuxue nodded in response. "The Blood Dragon Squad is here in full." 

"That's great! We were just having a meeting; why don't you join us?"

Thus, Long Yuxue sat down at the end of the table, but her gaze remained firmly fixed on Tang Wulin; none of the Limit Douluos present were able to attract any attention from her.

Tang Wulin continued, "During the attack that is to be initiated tomorrow, everyone from Shrek Academy will remain by my side. Senior Cao, Senior Zang, I'll have to ask you to lead the Tang Sect's battle squad. Regardless of what happens, we'll implement our original plan and constantly keep in touch."

Cao Dezhi nodded in response.

On a battlefield of this scale, all they could do was react to the unfolding situation.

The battle squad was one of the Tang Sect's secret weapons. It was only comprised of 2,000 members, but all of them were elite members of the Tang Sect.

In the wake of the Shrek City bombing, the Tang Sect had suffered heavy losses, but this battle squad had been training in secret outside of the Tang Sect the entire time, and it could be said that they were the most important core force of the Tang Sect. The fact that they had been deployed here to face the abyssal plane was a clear testament to just how seriously the Tang Sect was taking this battle.

"Yuxue, you'll be responsible for facilitating communication so that we can contact the Central Legion at any time."

"Yes!" Long Yuxue rose to her feet again as she gave a respectful response.

Tang Wulin smiled, and said, "Sit down. This isn't the military; we don't have that many rules here."

Long Yuxue smiled and sat back down, and her eyes were glowing as she continued to appraise Tang Wulin.

Not long ago, he had served as a soldier under her! When they had first met, all she had felt was that he was very good-looking, yet after just a few years, he was already standing at the pinnacle of the Soul Master world. After viewing the footage of Tang Wulin crushing Qiangu Dongfeng, Long Yuxue had been excited beyond belief!

As a soldier who had lived her entire life in the military, she revered power above all else, and in her eyes, Tang Wulin was perfect. Thus, even though Jiang Wuyue was also very exceptional, she simply couldn't bring herself to let go of Tang Wulin.

She understood that as time passed, Tang Wulin was only getting further and further away from her, but she still couldn't help but love him. This was a type of feeling that was very difficult to put into words.

After discussing some more details, the meeting was concluded.

As everyone was going back to rest, Tang Wulin asked Long Yeyue to stay behind after a brief hesitation.

"Elder Long, I'll invite Elder Chen to stay over here with us. The secondary tree of life has absorbed an enormous amount of energy, and its rich aura will be beneficial to him as well," Tang Wulin suggested in a low voice.

Long Yeyue was silent for a moment before nodding in response. "Alright, but don't tell him I know about this."

"Alright." Tang Wulin was quite amused, but he maintained a perfectly serious facade.

Only following Long Yeyue's departure did Tang Wulin allow himself a quick chuckle. Hopefully, Elder Long and Elder Chen would mend their relationship over the course of this battle.

Thus, he and Long Yuxue were the only ones left in the room. "Do you have any instructions for me, General Tang?"

Tang Wulin smiled, and said, "Just refer to me by my name; I've abandoned my post as major general long ago."

Long Yuxue also smiled, and said, "You seem to have lost weight."

Tang Wulin lowered his head to look at himself. "I don't think so. It's probably just your imagination."

Long Yuxue took a meaningful glance at him. "Perhaps. How have you been lately?"

Tang Wulin replied, "I was doing great until these abyssal creatures showed up. This situation is different from the abyssal tides in the past, and truth be told, I think the military is being too optimistic. This is an unmissable opportunity for both the abyssal plane and the Holy Spirit Cult, so they'll be sure to do everything in their power to devour our plane. Currently, we're still not even sure how much of their forces have descended upon our plane."

Long Yuxue suddenly said, "You have too much on your shoulders; you need to give yourself some time to rest."

Tang Wulin smiled, and replied, "Not at all! I don't feel tired in the slightest. Perhaps this is what a sense of achievement feels like. I'm fine; you don't have to worry about me."

Long Yuxue sighed, "No, you're not fine. We've been friends for so long; do you think I can't tell? Whenever you think no one's looking, your eyes are always so empty and dejected. You seem to have sealed off your own heart to avoid experiencing further pain. Is this really good for you? Do you even know what true happiness is anymore? Perhaps if you allow yourself to open up a little, the world will also open up to you in kind."

Tang Wulin shuddered slightly upon hearing this. He didn't think that Long Yuxue would be this perceptive. Indeed, he had already sealed off his own heart.

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