After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

"General Dian, you mustn't be rude!"

Chen Futu gestured for Dian Wei to step back, and the latter glared angrily at Xu Mao with his tiger-like eyes, then held his breath and retreated to the side.

At this moment, many soldiers from Longguan also gathered around to watch the battle.

They had all heard of the Crown Prince's glorious achievements, and the Northern Frontier was precisely a place where martial prowess spoke volumes. Even someone as noble as the Crown Prince needed to have the means to command respect. So, to see for themselves whether those legendary achievements were true or not, they had to witness them firsthand.

Xu Mao stared intently at Chen Futu with sharp eyes, his aged hand reaching for the sword at his waist. "Young Master, do you know the consequences of defeat in this battle? If you step back now and let General Dian fight in your place, you still have a chance."

[Host detected facing a pre-heavenly expert, posing a life-threatening danger]

[1. Choose to let Dian Wei defeat Xu Mao, reward: 3,000 White Horse Cavalry, commander Zhao Yun, and peak Innate rank.]

[2. Choose to take action personally to uphold the dignity of the Crown Prince, and you will be rewarded with two Innate Peak Experience Cards, valid for 24 hours.]

The system's selection came late.

Upon hearing about the reward, Chen Futu cursed, "Did you dare to be any later? I've already drawn my sword, and you're telling me the reward is Zhao Yun?"

Please refrain from verbally abusing the system.

"So what if I curse you! Tell me, should I curse you or not? If I sheath my sword and let Dian Wei come out now, what would I become? How would I ever be able to stand in the Northern Frontier!"

Please make a choice as soon as possible.

"Do I still have a choice? Choose option two!"

Chen Futu gritted his teeth and made his choice, his heart bleeding.

I wonder if the option to play Zhao Yun will be available again in the future!

[Rewards have been issued; the host can withdraw the cultivation time card at any time.]

Seeing Chen Futu's drastic change in expression, Xu Mao, who was opposite him, thought he was afraid and sneered, "If the young master is afraid, he can always find someone else. I will not laugh at the young master."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding soldiers looked on with strange expressions, wanting to laugh but daring not to.

It is said that this prince pretended to be very brave on the surface, but when it came to the real situation, he became cowardly. If it were General Zhang, he would not have shown the slightest bit of fear.

"Could it be that the battle records are all just rumors?"

"It's not that bad. In my opinion, it was all caused by General Qin and others, and then they put the blame on the Crown Prince to make it easier for him to rule the northern frontier."

The whispers of the soldiers reached Chen Futu's ears, and Chen Futu laughed in anger. It turned out that in the eyes of the soldiers, he was such a weak person.

"General, although I am young, I am still quite strong. Why don't you give it a try?"

"In that case, I shall begin."

The city gate was silent, and a murderous aura began to rage.

Chen Futu immediately invoked the system, "Use the Innate Peak Experience Card!"

[Use successful. Host's cultivation level has been temporarily boosted to the peak of the Innate Realm.]

Ding dong!

The two swords clashed, sparks flying.

Chen Futu took Xu Mao's blade head-on, remaining completely unmoved amidst the raging power.

Xu Mao was dumbfounded. Although he had used only half of his strength in that strike, it was enough to repel a fifth-rank cultivator!

The surrounding soldiers were all dumbfounded, and even Dian Wei looked surprised.

Taking advantage of Xu Mao's dazed state, Chen Futu pursed his lips and launched a preemptive attack, "General, this junior is about to unleash my power!"

This battle took everyone by surprise.

Chen Futu was very strong, stronger than anyone expected, but he didn't defeat Xu Mao; instead, he held back his strength.

Xu Mao's face turned red from the suppression. No matter how he attacked, it was useless. This seemingly refined prince always managed to keep him in check!

What embarrassed him most was that the prince, who could have easily defeated him, spared his dignity.

On the contrary, he intended from the beginning to defeat the Crown Prince and humiliate him.

In comparison, this old general seemed petty and narrow-minded, making him wish he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

In the blink of an eye, another dozen or so moves had passed.

Anyone with discerning eyes can see that His Highness the Crown Prince has been hiding his true abilities all along. He possesses strength surpassing that of the old general and is undoubtedly a peerless prodigy!

As for this battle...

Several of Xu Mao's confidants were too embarrassed to watch.

The crown prince was holding back all along; his sword strikes appeared powerful and heavy, but he always deliberately restrained his strength at the last moment.

"Okay, that's it."

Xu Mao abruptly sheathed his sword.

Chen Futu's strike nearly severed his head, but fortunately, he managed to retract his attack at the last moment, preventing a fatal mistake.

"General, are you alright?"

Chen Futu stepped forward and asked eagerly.

Xu Mao opened his mouth, looked at the honest-looking prince before him, and finally gave a bitter smile and knelt on one knee, "This humble general is ashamed."

"What are you doing, General? Please rise!"

Chen Futu helped the man up.

Xu Mao's white beard trembled wildly in the wind as he exclaimed, "Your Highness is a dragon among men; I am truly impressed."

"General, you are too kind. I am no match for you, relying only on my courage and bravery."

Defeating the enemy is not the key; subduing them is.

Today, Chen Futu is gentle and kind, and his every word and action exudes personal charm, making people feel as if they are bathed in a spring breeze.

Xu Mao paused for a few seconds, then grabbed Chen Futu's arm and laughed loudly, "Young Master, quickly come with me to the interior to talk."

He has now changed his opinion of Chen Futu. The Crown Prince is no less capable than Zhang Shouren in any way. He was rash and should not have held a prejudice against the Crown Prince. After the death of the Prince of Zhenbei, the Crown Prince seems to have no intention of enduring any longer, which is excellent!

After the old man and the young man left, Dian Wei called out to a group of generals, "They've finished their fight, let's have one too."

"Heh, you're just a lowly captain of the personal guard, where do you get the nerve to talk back to us?"

"That's right, don't let your big size fool you, you're probably a complete idiot."

Dian Wei grinned sheepishly, "I'm a fool? Then let this fool teach you a lesson! Come at me all at once!"

A fight broke out on the city gate, with screams like pigs being slaughtered. A group of people were being hung up and beaten by Dian Wei, and then one by one they were being rubbed into the ground.

Dian Wei was only trying to protect his lord. No one had the right to question their lord; this was just a small punishment!

Inside the council hall, Chen Futu was somewhat flattered by the tea personally served by Xu Mao.

Xu Mao held an extraordinary position in the northern frontier, almost second only to the Prince of Zhenbei. Even Zhang Shouren had to respectfully address him as "Old General" and treat him with the courtesy due to a junior.

Xu Mao said in a deep voice, "I already know the purpose of the Crown Prince's visit. The court is ruthless and heartless, and is plotting to harm the Crown Prince. The Northern Frontier is destined to be at odds with them. Under such circumstances, General Zhang accepted the court's decree, which I am very dissatisfied with."

"So, what the old general means is?"

"Your Highness, rest assured. I will personally go to Zhang Shouren's place and persuade him to serve you. If he refuses, I will personally execute him!"

"Absolutely not!"

Chen Futu was taken aback and quickly tried to stop him.

Just kidding, Zhang Shouren was a cunning and venomous snake. Xu Mao went there, how could he possibly come back alive!

"I am deeply grateful for the kindness of the Prince of Zhenbei. Although he is gone now, you are the legitimate heir, and it is right for you to take over the Northern Frontier. I have made up my mind, so please do not try to stop me."

Xu Mao turned out to be a stubborn mule, and Chen Futu felt a headache coming on.

Seeing that he was about to leave, he could only summon Dian Wei and order him to take the Po Lu personal guards to escort Xu Mao to Tianyun City.

"General Dian, please remember to protect the old general's safety at all costs!"

"Your Highness, rest assured, Dian Wei will bring the old general back safely."

And so, Dian Wei led his personal guards to accompany Xu Mao.

Watching them disappear into the distance, Chen Futu felt an inexplicable anxiety, as if something big was about to happen.