Eternal Villain: I can enslave Reality!

After three hours, the barrier still remained consistent. Yan Xu was lying on the mattress, with Lin Mei resting her head on his chest, her breathing slightly heavy.

"You've grown even stronger. At this rate, it won't be long before you're able to accompany me to that place," Lin Mei said, looking towards the sky.

"It's all thanks to the Book of Depravity and your help," Yan Xu replied, wrapping his hands around Lin Mei's waist. "Anyways, we should get going. The Martial Alliance might've already started searching for us."

"Just a little longer. It feels so comfortable." Lin Mei snuggled into Yan Xu's arms.

After staying like that for some time, Lin Mei gave Yan Xu a light peck on his lips before she stood up and started getting dressed.

Yan Xu smiled at the affectionate gesture, feeling a warmth spread throughout his body. Although he was sometimes very stern to Lin Mei, in reality, he had already gotten quite fond of her.

He also stood up and got dressed. After both of them were dressed, he placed his sword back on his back before canceling the barrier.

Lin Mei also used her skill and went invisible so that no one could see her. This wasn't just a means for her to have some privacy, but also a method for her to protect Yan Xu. When no one knew about her existence, she believed she could protect him more effectively.

The two of them went back to the Town.

****

Once Yan Xu returned, he noticed that the Martial Alliance Leader was scolding the guards at the entrance while ordering his men to search.

"There's no need to search. I'm back," Yan Xu lazily said as he appeared next to the General. "I just went out to have some practice."

"I'm so glad you're safe, but these are dangerous times. You should never go anywhere unprotected," the General reminded Yan Xu while keeping his tone respectful. 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝘰𝓋𝘦𝘭.𝑐𝘰𝓂

"I will keep that in mind," Yan Xu nodded, even though he had no intention of following through.

"Anyways, there's some information from the informants. It says that the Invaders have started moving. Their target is this town."

"What are their numbers?" Yan Xu asked, being accompanied inside by the General.

"Top many to count. Their last defeat has rattled them. To erase their embarrassment, they're planning to completely annihilate this town. That's why I was looking for you. I think we should retreat and abandon this town."

The General, although quite compassionate, didn't hesitate even the slightest at the thought of abandoning this town. For him, they couldn't face an entire army. It was no different than sacrificing their people.

Their tactic was to slowly harm the army at different battles. It wasn't just to annihilate the army. The General believed that a strategic guerrilla campaign would inflict significant damage on the opposing army while minimizing casualties on their own side.

"You mean your plan is to run away like a coward?" Yan Xu asked, directing a mocking glance towards the General.

"You!" The General felt his face turn red in anger. "Don't forget who you're talking to! Do you think just because you defeated a few enemies, you can defeat them all?"

" Let me tell you! The small force that attacked this time wasn't even one percent of the Invaders strength! It didn't include any of their powerful warriors. You're looking to die if you want to stay behind! You're a talented person! You don't have to be so stubborn and waste your life!"

The General thought that Yan Xu was just being idealistic because of his young age. He still tried to convince the young man.

Unfortunately, all his words seemingly fell on deaf ears as Yan Xu remained stubborn. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine. You can run and save your life. I'll handle this town.'

The General could only scratch the back of his head. "Urgh, fine!"

He turned and walked away. However, his next action surprised Yan Xu.

"What are you all doing? Start preparing for the upcoming battle! Even if we are to die, we'll make sure to hurt those bastards where it matters the most!"

The General didn't order them to start preparing to leave. Instead, he was preparing for a battle to death.

"It seems he's not the coward I think he was," Yan Xu chuckled. "How surprised do you think he'll be when I kill all the Invaders at that time?"

"They might even start calling you a god." Lin Mei burst into laughter. "Since they can't see me, they'll think it's all done by you as well."

"Don't interfere until I actually need you. This time, I want to test my limits. It's been a long time since I found a challenging opponent like this," Yan Xu smirked as he turned towards his tent.

However as he turned, his shoulders collided with another person who was walking in a different direction.

Yan Xu looked back. "Can't you watch where you're walking?"

However, as he turned around, he was stunned to find that there was no one there.

"Who are you talking about?" Lin Mei asked, seemingly confused.

"The person who bumped into me just now. Where did he go?" Yan Xu asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Lin Mei glanced around, her eyes scanning the area before she shrugged. "No one bumped into you. Do you think I wouldn't notice if someone did? Either you're pulling my leg or you're mistaken."

"Mistaken? Am I really?" Frowning, Yan Xu muttered. It felt so real but he chose to believe Lin Mei. "I suppose."

He stopped thinking about it and went back to his tent. He still had a lot of preparation to do for the upcoming battle. He wanted the world to see his true might in the coming battle.

"Did you sense it?" In the distance, Xu Shan appeared from the shadows, patting his shoulders.

Xun nodded. "It's the Book of Depravity. I can't be wrong about it. No wonder it was so hard to detect."