I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 637 Your Eminence, Shaman! Please Wait! (Please Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Tickets)

Li Chen casually picked up a feather headdress and put it on his head. Holding a totem staff, he imitated the strange rhythm that communicated with the spirits of heaven and earth, following a rain-praying ritual depicted on the scroll, and began to chant a series of obscure syllables in a low voice.

In an instant, the once clear sky began to gather dark clouds at a visible speed, a biting wind howled, the air was filled with heavy humidity, and even tiny ice crystals began to fall!
An aura of pressure originating from the ancient spirit of nature enveloped the surroundings.

Feng Shuo, standing to the side, was dumbfounded, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground. It took him a long while to react before he knelt down with a thud, showering him with flattery: "My lord! You are truly a god descended from heaven! A master of both literature and martial arts, you have unified the martial world! No, you have unified the entire realm! Even the barbarian barbarians' evil sorcery, you can master it with a single glance, surpassing even their ancestors! My admiration for you is as boundless as a surging river."

Li Chen waited until he finished flattering him before saying, "Your words are good. Get up."

The next day, it was Li Chen's turn to lead the team out of the pass for patrol.

He rode his warhorse, leading a troop of cavalry, routinely patrolling the area dozens of miles outside Hantie Pass, while fiddling with some wizarding implements in his hand.

When they reached a secluded snow-covered valley, Li Chen's keen senses suddenly stirred, and he raised his hand to signal the group to stop.

"Something's up." He listened intently, and in the distance, he could vaguely hear intense fluctuations of spiritual energy, the sounds of clashing weapons, and the mournful roars of beasts. A faint smell of blood also wafted through the air.

Li Chen's gaze sharpened slightly, and he waved his hand, saying, "Let's go, let's go take a look!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley not far from Li Chen's team, a fierce battle was taking place.

A few days ago, in order to get rid of this "troublesome" Sergei, Tuoba Zhen assigned him to lead the 10,000-strong cavalry unit to "explore the terrain and draw detailed maps in certain areas of the border." He called it an "important mission," but in reality, the missions were all insignificant areas far from the main battlefield.

Sergei was ambitious to begin with, so how could he not see that Tuoba really thought he was in the way and wanted to get rid of him?

He was resentful and unwilling to be marginalized.

So he did as he pleased and took out a map to "study it in depth".

He pointed to the location of Hantie Pass on the map and began to explain his "ingenious plan" to several experienced veteran generals under his command: "Gentlemen, please look! Although Hantie Pass is not the front line, the garrison here is relatively weak, and it is located at a strategic transportation hub!"
If our army can launch a surprise attack from here, tearing open a gap, we can then advance unimpeded and penetrate deep into the heart of Tian Ce's northern border! This will undoubtedly cause widespread chaos within Tian Ce's army, creating an excellent opportunity for our main force! This is a risky tactic, a strategy to achieve victory through surprise!

An experienced old centurion with a scarred face couldn't help but cautiously remind him, "Young master... uh, general, Han Tie Pass is strategically important, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and its supply lines are long..."
Even if we manage to break through, our army will be isolated and deep in enemy territory, and our supplies and provisions will be extremely difficult to maintain. We risk total annihilation. Perhaps we should reconsider, or perhaps report this to the Great Khan.”

"Insolence!" Sergei was furious upon hearing this, feeling his authority challenged. He rebuked, "What do you know? Warfare is based on deception! How can we be bound by conventional wisdom? Reporting everything will only delay our chances of victory! My mind is made up, say no more! Immediately assemble the troops and come with me to survey the terrain outside Han Tie Pass!"

He completely ignored all advice and went his own way, personally leading a vanguard of a thousand men to rashly venture into the area near Hantie Pass.

Then, in order to find a suitable route of attack, he brought two shamans and his personal guard of more than twenty people to the site for reconnaissance.

As a result, before the terrain could be fully explored, they unexpectedly disturbed a huge ice rhinoceros that was sleeping in the area!

This giant rhinoceros is comparable in strength to a mid-stage Heavenly Abyss Realm cultivator of the human race. It has thick skin and flesh, and immense strength. When it goes berserk, it charges around recklessly and is not something that ordinary armies can easily deal with.

Sergei's troops were caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties in an instant.

He himself was so frightened that his face turned pale. His so-called "military strategy" and "cultivation" seemed pale and powerless in the face of real danger. He could only command his men to form a battle formation and fight and retreat in a sorry state.

However, they were forced into a narrow, dead-end corner of a valley by the giant rhinoceros, and their situation became extremely precarious. The deafening shouts of battle, roars of beasts, and screams of agony came from there.

Seeing the horrific scene in the valley, one of Li Chen's personal guard captains whispered for instructions, "Sir, what should we do? Should we go around it, or..."

These soldiers were all veterans who had followed Li Chen from the Han Tie Guan military camp. Although they did not know Li Chen's true identity, they had long been impressed by his methods and demeanor and were extremely loyal. Since they called Feng Shuo "Master", they naturally followed suit.

Li Chen's gaze swept over the disheveled young noble general below, who was being driven to the brink of despair by the giant rhinoceros. He then looked at the strange shamanic implements in his hands, and a playful smile suddenly appeared on his lips as a brilliant idea popped into his mind.

Li Chen said in a low voice, "The person on the other side looks like a young general from the Great Luo Dynasty who has fallen on hard times. I have a good idea that might yield some unexpected gains."

As he spoke, he quickly took out the colorful paints and skillfully painted several grotesque patterns full of primitive and mysterious meaning on his face.

He then donned a large, dark cloak adorned with feathers, concealing his face and head deep within the shadow of the hood.

In an instant, his entire demeanor changed drastically, transforming him from a composed military officer into a shaman exuding an ancient and eerie aura.

Meanwhile, in a dead end of the valley, Sergei's last personal guard was also knocked away by the raging ice rhinoceros, suffering broken bones and dying instantly.

The two accompanying shamans had already died from the backlash when they tried to use spells to stop the giant rhinoceros.

Sergei himself was also wounded several times, his armor was torn, and his magnificent military uniform was stained with blood. He leaned against the rock, watching the giant rhinoceros approach step by step, panting heavily, his eyes filled with despair and resentment.

Am I really going to die here before I've even accomplished anything?!

At this critical moment!
"Om-!"

A deep, obscure, yet powerful ancient incantation suddenly rang out!

Immediately afterwards, a wild, desolate, and chilling natural spiritual pressure suddenly descended!

A figure appeared like a ghost between Sergei and the giant rhinoceros. He was wearing a mysterious cloak, his face was painted with strange paint, and he held a totem staff wrapped with feathers and beast teeth. Who else could it be but Li Chen?
The disguised mysterious shaman Li Chen slammed his totem staff heavily on the ground, chanting even more rapid and profound syllables.

In an instant, the ground trembled slightly, and several thick ice spikes suddenly pierced out of the snow beneath the giant rhinoceros's feet!

Although it failed to seriously injure the tough-skinned giant rhinoceros, it successfully hindered its charge and made it feel the indescribable dangerous aura emanating from this "little guy".

A hint of surprise and uncertainty flashed in the crimson eyes of the giant rhinoceros. It growled a few times, weighed its options for a moment, and then slowly retreated. Finally, it turned around unwillingly and disappeared into the depths of the valley with heavy, rumbling steps.

Sergei, who had narrowly escaped death, was stunned, his heart filled with gratitude for his survival and boundless thanks to the mysterious shaman before him.

He endured the excruciating pain, struggled to his feet, and urgently called out to the departing figure, "Honorable Shaman! Please wait! Thank you for saving my life!"

(End of this chapter)