The federal parliament had already viewed footage of the latest battle, and all of the high-ranking officials were stunned by Yali's Archangel's Holy Spirit Dance.

Shrek Academy had once again appeared in everyone's line of sight as a very positive figure.

Their timely arrival had saved the Northern Legion, and it was no exaggeration to say that they were the biggest heroes in this resistance effort outside of the Northern Legion.

Thus, following the arrival of the Central Legion's forces, a representative was immediately sent to visit Tang Wulin.

Currently, Tang Wulin was sitting in the temporary barracks across from a true powerhouse of the military. In the entire Douluo Federation, he was one of very few figures whose status wasn't inferior to Chen Xinjie.

"Greetings, General Yu," Tang Wulin greeted with a smile.

The person seated across from him was an elderly general; this man was Yu Guanzhi, a Limit Douluo and the commander-in-chief of the Central Legion, one of the three most powerful figures in the military.

Even the Central Legion was heavily affected by his family, and he was another vice-hall master of the Battle God Hall.

In the Battle God Hall, his status was second only to Chen Xinjie, and he was equal in standing to Guan Yue. However, in the military, his status was equal to that of Chen Xinjie, and even their level of influence was very comparable.

He was one of the leading representatives of the Eagle Faction and one of the renowned generals of the Eagle Faction.

Yu Guanzhi's appearance was quite plain, notable only for his hooked nose. Despite the fact that he was already over 80 years of age, his eyes were still sharp and bright.

Strictly speaking, he was a generation below Chen Xinjie, but his status wasn't inferior to Chen Xinjie at all. In private, he would even refer to Chen Xinjie as Senior Disciple Brother as Chen Xinjie's father was Yu Guanzhi's teacher.

The power balance in the military was very convoluted and constantly changing, but the Yu Family was the most powerful family in the military; that had remained true for the past 1,000 years.

As such, even Chen Xinjie had to afford Yu Guanzhi a certain level of respect.

Due to the Eternal Heaven incident, Chen Xinjie wasn't assigned to be the commander-in-chief of the northern front. Instead, the duty had fallen to none other than Yu Guanzhi.

It was no exaggeration to say that with Chen Xinjie's abrupt resignation, Yu Guanzhi had become the leading figure in the military.

This was the first time Tang Wulin had met Yu Guanzhi, and it was also the first time Yu Guanzhi had ever seen Tang Wulin up close.

Regardless of what biases he held toward Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect, Yu Guanzhi couldn't help but feel a sense of genuine appreciation toward Tang Wulin.

In the younger generation of the Yu Family or even the entire military, there was no other talent like Tang Wulin.

He was familiar with all of the data regarding Tang Wulin that the military had on file, so he knew that this young man was only in his twenties.

At this age, the vast majority of Soul Masters were still in a development stage, but he was already the leader of two superpower organizations; he was truly a once-in-a-generation talent.

Even more importantly, Tang Wulin had left him with an exceptional first impression.

It was often the case that young people who climbed to the top very early were inevitably arrogant to varying degrees, but he didn't sense that from Tang Wulin at all. All he could sense from Tang Wulin was placid tranquility and restraint. This level of restraint was very rare even among middle-aged Titled Douluos, let alone someone of Tang Wulin's age.

"I've heard much about you from my senior disciple brother. Now that I'm meeting you in person, I can see that even his high praise has failed to do you justice," Yu Guanzhi said with a smile.

"You're far too kind, General Yu," Tang Wulin replied.

Yu Guanzhi continued, "I'm a soldier, so my personality is quite straightforward; forgive me for skipping the pleasantries and cutting straight to the chase. Prior to coming here, I reviewed all of the information that we had on abyssal creatures, including some confidential files from the Blood God Legion detailing their experiences in combating the abyssal plane, so I've developed a rudimentary understanding of these abyssal creatures. According to those files, it seems that the troublesome thing about these abyssal creatures is that they're unkillable. However, you just so happen to possess a divine tool that can overcome this problem, is that correct?"

Tang Wulin nodded in response. "That's right." 

Yu Guanzhi continued, "In that case, you are integral to our resistance against the abyssal plane. I've viewed the footage of the recently concluded battle, and on behalf of the military, I thank Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect for your timely reinforcement, which has prevented the northern front from collapsing. Both you and that tree of life have played vital roles in holding down the defensive line."

Tang Wulin replied, "As citizens of the Douluo Continent, we've only done what's to be expected of us. The Tang Sect and Shrek Academy will continue to work tirelessly to contribute to this resistance effort to the best of our abilities."

A hint of hesitation appeared in Yu Guanzhi's eyes upon hearing this, and Tang Wulin prompted, "If you have something to say, then please go ahead, General Yu."

Yu Guanzhi nodded in response. "Prior to coming here, I also viewed the records of our last battle against the abyssal plane 6,000 years ago, and that's given me a better idea of just how fearsome these abyssal creatures are. Even though soul technology has made huge strides, and we're fully confident in our ability to stop the abyssal army, we must admit that you and the tree of life are vital to this resistance effort. Hence, as the commander-in-chief of the northern front, I have a request for you."

Tang Wulin prompted, "Go ahead."

Yu Guanzhi didn't hesitate on this occasion. "I hope to be the absolute leader with absolute authority during this battle. Only by following my orders unconditionally will the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy be able to play the biggest role it possibly can in this battle."

Tang Wulin faltered slightly upon hearing this.

It had to be said that Yu Guanzhi was making a very reasonable request. After all, it was very important that there were no conflicting voices among the top brass during battles. Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect were very powerful organizations, but there were only very few people from the two organizations directly participating in this battle.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Tang Wulin replied, "General Yu, while it's true that I can represent Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect, you should be aware that both organizations are quite loose and non-binding in its policies, so it would be unreasonable to expect us to follow orders unconditionally as soldiers would. Having said that, I can assure you that as long as your instructions are reasonable, we'll be sure to execute them with immediate effect."

He clearly couldn't completely agree to Yu Guanzhi's request. After all, what if he instructed those from Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect to rush to their deaths?

Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect had always had a rocky relationship with the Eagle Faction. Even now, Tang Wulin still didn't know how the Spirit Pagoda had obtained those two godslayer missiles, but one thing was for sure: some of the higher-ups of the Eagle Faction had definitely been involved.

Now that the Spirit Pagoda had been crushed by Shrek Academy, there was always the possibility that the Eagle Faction would work with the Spirit Pagoda to try and weaken Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect during this battle.

Yu Guanzhi's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and he was clearly rather displeased with this answer. "In that case, you put me in a rather difficult position, Sect Master Tang. Changes could arise rapidly on a battlefield, and even the slightest hesitation could lead to ruin."

Tang Wulin replied in a calm manner, "Rest assured, General Yu. During the past 20,000 years, Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect have always stood at the very forefront whenever our continent has come under threat."

A meaningful look appeared in Yu Guanzhi's eyes as he said, "That may be true, but Shrek Academy has never sided with the government, so for what reason is it participating in this battle?"

Tang Wulin's eyes lit up with conviction as he replied, "We fight for justice, for fairness, and for the general public. Shrek Academy doesn't belong to anyone, only the people."

"Is that why Shrek Academy seized Eternal Heaven to threaten the federation, thereby swaying the decisions of the federal parliament?" Yu Guanzhi accused in a cold voice.

Tang Wulin's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, General Yu; what is Eternal Heaven?"

A cold smile appeared on Yu Guanzhi's face. "Let's not play dumb here, Sect Master Tang; are you saying that Eternal Heaven isn't in the possession of Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect?" Yu Guanzhi harbored very strong discontent toward the Eternal Heaven incident, and he was also extremely critical of Chen Xinjie for the role he had played in the matter.

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