"Captain!"
Seeing Lu Xingling arrive, all the members of the Seventy-Two Squad present rose to their feet.
Who would have thought that the captain of the Seventy-Two Squad would be a young and beautiful woman?
"This Demon Tide is indeed not to be underestimated, so we must make full preparations in advance and meet the challenge in our best state."
Although Lu Xingling was exceptionally beautiful, having been in the Town Boundary Army for a long time,
she had developed a heroic and spirited temperament, lacking the delicate softness of ordinary women.
Her voice was clear and decisive.
"Understood."
The Blind Old Cultivator and the One-Armed Cultivator responded.
However, they all knew in their hearts that this trip might be a one-way journey.
Just then, a somewhat harsh voice suddenly rang out.
"Captain Lu, still trying to boost morale here? Are you still unwilling to face this cold reality?"
"This Demon Tide is unprecedented. Your Seventy-Two Squad might very well go and never return, with the entire squad wiped out."
As the voice approached, several figures arrived.
The leader was a burly man in battle armor with a thick beard.
His aura was formidable, having reached the Soul Transformation realm.
He was Hou Gu, the vice-captain of the Ninth Squad.
"Whether we return or not, what does it have to do with you?"
Lu Xingling's pretty face was cold as she looked at Hou Gu.
Hou Gu's gaze lingered on Lu Xingling, particularly on her slender waist and smooth, flexible long legs.
Perhaps due to long-term training, Lu Xingling's figure was tight and well-proportioned, without any excess fat.
"Peerless Grade..."
Hou Gu secretly praised her in his heart.
In the Town Boundary Army, female Cultivators were not numerous to begin with.
Women with Lu Xingling's exceptional beauty and figure were even rarer.
Noticing Hou Gu's gaze, Lu Xingling's expression turned even colder.
Hou Gu chuckled, "Nothing, I just think it would be too much of a waste if a beauty like Captain Lu were to die in the jaws of Undead Fiends."
"It's none of your business. If you have nothing else, please leave. We still need to prepare for battle."
Lu Xingling's character was straightforward; she didn't beat around the bush and was too lazy to feign cordiality with Hou Gu.
"Sigh, honestly, why deceive yourselves?"
"To put it bluntly, your Seventy-Two Squad is essentially a cannon fodder team."
"This Demon Tide, you are destined to be at the forefront as cannon fodder. It will be difficult to survive."
Hou Gu shook his head and sighed, seemingly with a hint of regret.
Although his words were harsh, many members of the Seventy-Two Squad present had darkened expressions and couldn't utter a word of rebuttal.
Because it was the truth.
One must know that during their peak, their squad was also a top ten ace team.
Their formation numbered over one hundred thousand people.
But later, due to some events,
their squad suffered heavy losses and disintegrated.
Now, their members are less than ten thousand, and most are injured, old, weak, and sick.
Their ranking also dropped from a top ten ace team to the current seventy-second cannon fodder team.
"And what does that have to do with you? Do you need to concern yourself?"
Lu Xingling's eyes still held a cold indifference.
She was not swayed by Hou Gu's harsh words.
"Heh heh, nothing, after all, your father and I were acquainted."
"Although he is dead, you are his daughter, so I should look after you."
"How about this: as long as you are willing to submit to me, I will request the superiors to merge your Seventy-Two Squad into my Ninth Squad."
"That way, everyone in your squad will have a chance to survive. How about it?"
Hou Gu said, a discomforting smile on his face.
Especially his gaze towards Lu Xingling, which held an undisguised fervor.
"Dream on!"
Lu Xingling bit her pearly teeth, her eyes filled with deep disgust.
Bringing up her deceased father was her heartache, a wound she didn't want to reopen.
Yet, this Hou Gu was so despicable, deliberately tearing open her wound to provoke her.
Seeing Lu Xingling's attitude, the smile on Hou Gu's face slowly receded, and a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes.
"Lu Xingling, I've shown you goodwill time and again, yet you refuse so stubbornly!"
"If you don't leave, I'll call the disciplinary team directly," Lu Xingling said coldly.
In the Town Boundary Army, there were strict regulations against internal conflict.
If one were to act within the Three Emperors Barrier, the consequences would be severe, with the disciplinary team stepping in to punish them.
"Hmph, you don't know a good intention when you see one."
Hou Gu snorted coldly.
Just as he was about to leave,
suddenly, there was a commotion from afar, with dense sounds of tearing through the air.
And soldiers of the Town Boundary Army were shouting,
"The Prodigies who came for training have arrived! They will enter their respective assigned teams!"
"Oh, they're already here?"
Hou Gu smiled slightly.
Although for most teams, these training Prodigies were like burdens,
given the ranking of their Ninth Squad,
those assigned to their team should be Prodigies of extraordinary status and immense strength.
These Prodigies were not burdens.
They could even be a powerful asset!
"I wonder which Immortal Descendants and Emperor Clan elites will join my Ninth Squad?" Hou Gu chuckled.
Upon hearing this, many members of the Seventy-Two Squad sighed inwardly.
Comparing people could be infuriating; the disparity between teams was like heaven and earth.
The Ninth Squad was already an ace unit; if powerful Prodigies joined them now, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.
And their Seventy-Two Squad?
Which Prodigy would be willing to be a fool and join them?
Even if a Prodigy joined, they would likely be mere small fry, a weak bunch.
At this moment, a figure walked with the gait of a Dragon and a tiger in the Void Realm.
A hazy Qi surrounded him, making him indistinct.
But he gave off the impression of a young Divine Venerable stepping forward.
That oppressive feeling made Lu Xingling feel a tightness in her chest.
"That is, the young king of the Xiahou Emperor Clan, Xiahou Divine Treasure!"
"Is he Central Saint, one of the five Prodigy kings of the East, West, South, North, and Center?"
"Indeed, his aura is extraordinary, worthy of being a young king of an Emperor Clan!"
The arrival of Xiahou Divine Treasure caused a great stir in this area.
After all, Xiahou Divine Treasure's name was quite resounding.
"Where is the Ninth Squad?"
Xiahou Divine Treasure inquired.
Upon hearing this, Hou Gu's face lit up with surprise, and he called out, "Young Master Xiahou, I am Hou Gu, the vice-captain of the Ninth Squad."
"Good then, I will join your team for training," Xiahou Divine Treasure said.
"With Young Master Xiahou joining us, it's truly like adding wings to a tiger for my Ninth Squad."
The joy on Hou Gu's face was irrepressible.
His eyes held a triumphant and boastful look as he glanced at Lu Xingling, challenging her.
"Captain Lu, how about it? I asked you to join, but you refused. Do you regret it now?"
Hou Gu laughed heartily.
You refused me!
You pretended to be reserved!
Now you can't keep up the act, can you?
Lu Xingling clenched her delicate fists.
She had no regrets, nor had her composure broken.
Because she had known all along that no powerful Prodigy would be assigned to her cannon fodder team.
Even if there were, they would likely be small fry, just a burden.
When there was no hope to begin with, how could there be disappointment?
Lu Xingling's beautiful face showed resolve, and her delicate eyebrows raised slightly as she said,
"I, Lu Xingling, never regret anything."
"Our team relies not on heaven, nor on earth, but solely on our own strength!"
"If we die in battle, that is our fate, but it is also our glory, for we die for the sentient beings of the Boundary Sea!"
"I imagine a coward like you would never understand the meaning of that!"
Lu Xingling's words were deafening, seemingly echoing throughout the military camp.
Numerous gazes were cast upon them.
"Lu Xingling, you..."
Feeling the scrutiny of so many eyes, Hou Gu lost face.
He had intended to make Lu Xingling lose her composure, but it seemed he was the one about to lose his.
Just then, a voice carrying a hint of approval suddenly came from afar.
"Well said."
Upon hearing this, Hou Gu's temper flared even more, and he instinctively snapped,
"Who is it? Who dares to speak nonsense!"