The Martial Emperor with Dragon Blood Chapter 1245 - 1246: The Battle Situation

"What? Are you telling me he managed to defeat you?"

Li Murong appeared taken aback. He cast his piercing gaze toward Ye Mo, and in that split second, Ye Mo felt the very fabric of space beginning to fold in on him, as if the surrounding void were crushing his body.

Ye Mo let out a sharp grunt, instantly surging his Rising Dragon Pillar to counteract the pressure. While a demi-honored warrior is indeed formidable, they are not a true Divine Venerate. Not even a Divine Venerate could suffocate him with nothing more than raw intent.

Despite his efforts, a flicker of pain remained etched on his face.

"Defeating Li Han Guang? How could such a thing be possible?"

"It is utterly preposterous. While Li Han Guang may not be the absolute strongest among our leaders, no one of his generation could hope to best him. He is undeniably the most gifted martial artist within our Spirit Martial Camp."

"He only possesses the strength of the Third Transformation of the Wheel of Reincarnation. He must have resorted to some unscrupulous trickery to overcome Li Han Guang."

The surrounding leaders looked on with ridicule and disdain; to their eyes, even a strong practitioner at the Third Transformation of the Wheel of Reincarnation stood no chance against Li Han Guang. Such an individual was not only worthless but would likely meet an early grave the moment he reached the front lines.

Accustomed to such mockery, Ye Mo merely produced the token and remarked, "The Snow Eagle Token is in my possession. Does anyone here still harbor doubts?"

"This..."

The leaders fell into a stony silence. They refused to believe Li Han Guang had simply handed over his token, and given the man's notorious pride, he would never bow to anyone unless he were genuinely convinced of their superiority.

Yet, they remained baffled; no matter how they rationalized it, they could not fathom how someone at the Third Transformation of the Wheel of Reincarnation could have bested Li Han Guang.

"Enough. Stop this idle bickering. Since he forced my son to surrender the leader’s token, he must possess some extraordinary talent. We now have another leader-level expert who can serve as a general, command our troops, and take the fight to the Wraith Camp."

Li Murong spoke with icy composure.

"Chief Commander Li, I strongly advise against this course of action."

Before Li Murong could continue, a stout leader strode forward. His physique resembled that of Jiumo Dao, but he radiated a far more potent thirst for slaughter.

"Oh?" Li Murong signaled for him to explain.

"Intel indicates that ten exceptional talents have materialized within the Wraith Camp. Five have successfully cleared the advanced Dream-entering Stone assessment, proving they have mastered all seven Wraith Formations. What is worse, amongst them, one has already attained a demi-honored rank. If our own levels do not surpass theirs, attempting to counter those advanced Wraith Formations is tantamount to suicide."

Only seven types of Wraith Formations exist. While the three basic formations are easily countered by any qualified leader, only a handful have managed to master the two intermediate versions.

The two high-grade Wraith Formations, however, remain entirely untouched by our leaders.

If an opponent with a higher cultivation realm deploys these, and you lack the skill to decipher them, death is the only outcome.

The sudden appearance of these ten talents, with five having mastered the full set, exerts immense strain on the Spirit Martial Camp.

"Could these prodigies have been dispatched from the Wraith Land itself?" Li Murong asked, his brow furrowing in concern. "The Wraith Camp previously lacked experts capable of utilizing all seven formations. If their demi-honored fighter turns an advanced Wraith Formation on me, I fear even I would struggle to endure it."

"Chief, in our recent ten confrontations with the Wraith Camp, we have suffered nine defeats. Six of our leaders have perished due to the enemy utilizing experts who have mastered all seven Wraith Formations."

Losing leaders is the cost of war, but nine defeats have shattered the morale of the Spirit Martial Camp.

"In the past, leaders could lead the charge, but these are abnormal times. While Ye Mo defeated Li Han Guang, we have yet to witness the extent of his true capability. Without proof that he surpasses our current leaders, sending him to the front line will only invite disaster. We cannot afford another loss."

His logic was sound; losing six leaders in ten skirmishes had left the troops in a precarious state.

"Qiu Yun, your concerns are valid," Li Murong conceded. "What are your names?"

"Ye Mo."

"Xiao Yue."

The two gave their names.

"Very well. Ye Mo, Xiao Yue, and Li Han Guang—given these unusual circumstances, any of you who can clear the intermediate Dream-entering Stone assessment shall be permitted to command the troops during the challenge."

Ye Mo gathered that they were indeed terrified of these Wraith Formations. Li Murong had clearly relaxed the requirements; it was no longer about passing all at once, as the Ancestor had once demanded, but simply passing to gain a chance at redemption.

"An intermediate Dream-entering Stone? Father, have you truly managed to secure one?" Li Han Guang asked, his voice trembling with excitement.

Lower-level stones could be recovered from fallen enemies, but the intermediate variants were exceptionally rare.

"Indeed. You three can only head to the front after you have passed. Furthermore, for every enemy leader you slay, I will grant you a Book of Soldiers. Kill two, and you shall receive two."

The mere mention of such a treasure ignited a hunger in the eyes of everyone present, and even Li Han Guang caught his breath.

"I will pass the assessment at any cost," Li Han Guang vowed.

"Words mean little. Results are what matter. A previous expert who claimed to have arrived via the pathway from the Lingwu Continent made the same vow, only to nearly perish on the field," Li Murong reminded him coolly.

"What?" Ye Mo asked, his gaze sharpening. "Master Li Murong, of whom do you speak?"

"Feng Chu. He is currently recuperating in the camp," Li Murong sighed.

"The disparity is truly disheartening. Even with talents flowing in from every continent, they fall one by one. And to think, the expert they boast of is purportedly the weakest of those ten," one of the leaders lamented with a heavy sigh.

Upon hearing this, a fierce, cold light burned in Ye Mo’s eyes. He burning with the desire to confront these prodigies from the Wraith Land and see for himself why even someone like Feng Chu had been humbled by their hands.