"You are... General Xiao?"
The mysterious person who had come out of the Jia Ma Empire's military camp was instantly struck with shock upon seeing Xiao Lin. Quite clearly, he had not expected Xiao Lin to appear here. However, his expression becoming unsightly was a certainty!
At the same time, he was secretly on guard against Xiao Lin. After all, according to what the Jia Ma Empire's Grand Marshal Mo Ya had said, the opponent was a Nine-Star Dou Ling!
That was already the strongest existence below the rank of Dou Wang.
With his mere Five-Star Dou Ling cultivation, it was absolutely impossible for him to be the opponent's match. So, although he didn't know why Xiao Lin was here, his feet had already silently begun to retreat.
As for this mysterious person's movements, Xiao Lin saw everything, but he didn't make any other move. If he wanted to strike, no matter how many small tricks the opponent played, it would all be useless effort.
"I wonder what this General's name is? I recall never seeing you within the military camp?"
Xiao Lin leaned back against a giant boulder and asked in a relaxed manner.
To be a Five-Star Dou Ling, yet not be present during the earlier discussion in the Marshal's tent, already explained the situation quite well.
"General Xiao has not set foot on the battlefield for a long time, so it is normal that you haven't seen me. I am merely an attendant of the Grand Marshal, I cannot bear the title of General."
The mysterious person struggled to maintain his surface calm.
"Oh? An attendant of the Grand Marshal, is it? However, I see that after you left the camp, you've been heading all the way toward the Chu Yun Empire's base."
"As an attendant of the Grand Marshal, I wonder what your intentions are. Oh, could it be that you are representing the Grand Marshal to deliver a challenge letter to the Chu Yun Empire?"
Xiao Lin's voice, carrying a hint of a smile that wasn't quite a smile, rang in the mysterious person's ears.
This caused his heart to skip a beat, while he also forced a generic, awkward smile.
"Yes, that's right. Aren't General Xiao and General Mu about to lead a squad to rescue General Nalan and the others? So the Grand Marshal thought to have us pin down the Chu Yun Empire from the front to create an opportunity for you all, right?"
The mysterious person said this without a trace of guilt, as if it were originally the case!
"Oh, so that's how it is. I thought the Grand Marshal sent you to deliver intelligence to the Chu Yun Empire!"
The mocking tone in Xiao Lin's voice was no longer hidden in the slightest.
However, as Xiao Lin's words fell, the mysterious person's face suddenly stiffened.
"What are those words, General Xiao? The Grand Marshal has worked diligently for the Empire for so many years, how could he possibly do such a treasonous thing?"
"You must not slander the Grand Marshal! Otherwise, when we return to the Imperial Capital in the future, His Majesty the Emperor will surely issue an imperial decree and give you a severe punishment!"
The mysterious person shouted righteously while trying his best to calm the waves rising in his heart. However, his blustering performance was almost impossible to hide.
Xiao Lin also lost interest in continuing to tease the opponent.
"Mm-hmm, what you said makes a lot of sense. Since that's the case, let me deliver the challenge letter for you, so I can atone for my earlier loose tongue."
Xiao Lin's tone seemed quite sincere.
At the same time, along with his words, he took a step forward. This single step made the mysterious person's heart tremble instantly, and he couldn't help but take another step back.
"No, there's no need, General Xiao. I believe you just made an unintentional mistake. I won't report this to the Grand Marshal. This challenge letter should still be delivered by me personally."
Cold sweat had already begun to seep from the mysterious person's forehead.
"Sigh, could it be that Excellency does not trust me, or are you truly planning to report me to the Grand Marshal?"
Xiao Lin didn't give the mysterious person any chance at all, continuing to press closer to him.
With every step Xiao Lin took, a bit more cold sweat broke out on the mysterious person's back. Unknowingly, the clothes on his entire back had been soaked through with cold sweat.
Seeing that Xiao Lin was only a dozen meters away from him, the mysterious person finally panicked completely.
"Wait, wait, General Xiao! Since you are so inclined, then this challenge letter will be delivered by you!"
While speaking, the mysterious person reached his hand into his robe, making a gesture of pulling out a letter.
Seeing this, Xiao Lin finally stopped his pace. At this moment, the distance between the two sides was less than ten meters!
"Oh, really? That's great then. Please hand the challenge letter to me."
Although those were the words said, Xiao Lin's face always maintained that look of a smile that wasn't quite a smile. In the eyes of the mysterious person, this expression made it feel as if all his small tricks were exposed in the other party's vision.
But at this moment, it was too late for him to think much.
A Five-Star Dou Ling facing a Nine-Star Dou Ling only had one path to death; he had to gamble!
"Fine, General Xiao, catch it!"
As the words fell, the mysterious person quickly pulled his right hand out from his robe and flung something toward Xiao Lin's direction. As for himself, he turned tail and flew toward the rear. If he didn't run now, when would he?
He didn't expect his little trick to stall Xiao Lin for long. Right now, his only path to survival was to rush into the Chu Yun Empire's base as quickly as possible. That way, he could rely on the Chu Yun Empire's power to survive.
When the time came, who lived and who died wouldn't be certain yet!
The thing he had just flung out was not a challenge letter at all. Because that kind of thing didn't exist in the first place!
He was just a tool for delivering messages.
As for what the flung object was? Naturally, it was poison!
How could someone of his status not carry some poisons on them?
Just like now, wasn't the poison being used?
On the other side, in Xiao Lin's eyes, he only saw the mysterious person fling a purple pill toward him.
"Bang"
Immediately after, the purple pill exploded less than a meter away from Xiao Lin, and then a cloud of purple gas swept toward him.
"Poison? Heh, isn't this looking down on me a bit too much?"
Seeing the poison gas approach, Xiao Lin not only didn't have the slightest intention of retreating, but instead revealed a disdainful smile. If he really were just a Nine-Star Dou Ling, perhaps he would have to keep a distance from this poison gas.
But was he?
In the next second, Xiao Lin reached out his right hand toward the poison gas in front of him.
"Starry Grand Seal!"
Accompanied by Xiao Lin's low shout, a giant palm glowing with faint blue starlight suddenly appeared and swatted away the purple poison gas. Of course, besides the poison gas, the one covered by this palm strike was naturally that mysterious person.
"Ah, how, how is it possible? What grade of Dou Technique is this?"
Following the desperate sound cried out by the mysterious person, his entire being was pressed into the ground by Xiao Lin's palm.
Just like that, Xiao Lin killed this Five-Star Dou Ling in a single strike!