The generals of the Santirōman army were surprised. Xiao Xun gestured for him to speak, and Sane said, "Since Lord Svein believes himself invincible, could you release my wife and daughter? And free me to act without restraint?"
Xiao Xun said calmly, "I have not restricted your wife and daughter's freedom. Whether they stay or go is entirely up to them. If you wish to take them, simply go to the barbarian king's tent to find them."
"Truly?"
Sane clearly did not believe Xiao Xun's words.
Xiao Xun sneered, his voice filled with grandeur, "Would I be like you, going back on my word?"
This statement made Sane blush furiously, yet he had no way to refute it. He could only lead the barbarian generals out of the tent respectfully.
Seeing Sane and his entourage leave, Xiao Xun looked at Falui.
"None?"
Falui nodded. Xiao Xun's gaze deepened further. "It seems this is Sane's last straw!"
Sane led his remaining troops into the Santirōman army's stronghold, intending to take Madam Mileth and Jessica away. What he did not expect was that Madam Mileth and Jessica refused to leave with him.
Helpless, Sane could only lead his old subordinates back the way they came, fleeing in haste.
"Great King, do you truly trust Zu'an?"
Sibotan was clearly highly suspicious of Zu'an. They had been fleeing for three to five days before reaching this place.
Having waited two days without sight of Zu'an, he couldn't help but harbor doubts.
In fact, it wasn't just Sibotan who lacked faith; even other trusted confidantes had long since lost their courage.
As Xiao Xun had said, their homes had all been lost, so what right did they have to fight?
Sane said solemnly, "Since Zu'an said he would come, he will definitely come! We only need to wait here."
Sibotan sighed listlessly, "What kind of force have they invited this time?"
"The number one elite force in the world – the Black Armored Divine Soldiers!"
"What?"
Sane and Sibotan both looked at Lord Majis, seeing that Lord Majis wore an extremely strange expression, a mixture of surprise and something else.
Seeing that Lord Majis seemed to know quite a bit about the Black Armored Divine Soldiers, Sane asked in surprise, "What? Do you also know of the Black Armored Divine Soldiers, brother?"
Lord Majis smiled, "Since brother-in-law says the Black Armored Divine Soldiers are the number one elite force in the world, how could I not know?"
Sibotan's interest was immediately piqued. "Are the Black Armored Divine Soldiers really that formidable?"
"The Black Armored Divine Soldiers are the elite of Bantuladel. Their king, Augustus, does not eat grains but subsists on live snakes and ferocious beasts. He wears scaled armor that is impervious to swords and spears, and his skills are extremely profound!"
"Then how formidable are the Black Armored Divine Soldiers?"
"This must be traced back to Bantuladel. Bantuladel possesses a type of meteorite that fell from the sky, named 'Celestial Iron.' Using an ancient alchemy technique, it is repeatedly refined and forged into armor.
When worn, this armor is impervious to blades and spears and immune to water and fire. With such equipment, coupled with the naturally fierce and bloodthirsty nature of the Bantuladel people, they are naturally worthy of being called the number one elite force in the world!"
Sane's eyes widened: "They are so powerful!"
Sibotan, with his keen mind, looked at Lord Majis and said, "Brother knows the details quite thoroughly."
Lord Majis smiled faintly, seemingly with no intention of continuing the topic.
That night, the barbarian soldiers tried to make the best of their difficult situation, with thousands of them sleeping on the ground, waiting for Zu'an.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Sane heard the sound of a large army approaching in his sleep. He jolted up, alertly saying, "There's movement!"
Though these barbarian troops were not adept at concentrated combat, their reactions were extremely swift. They scrambled up, finding cover and hiding themselves.
Listening closely, they realized the approaching force came from the direction of Wu. Sane rejoiced, "It must be the Black Armored Divine Soldiers!"
Before long, they could vaguely see a large contingent of troops rapidly approaching their camp.
When the force was about ten paces away, they suddenly heard a voice speaking in the barbarian tongue: "Who is there? Come out quickly! Otherwise, we will not be polite!"
Sane quickly replied in a gruff voice, "I am King Sane! Are you the King of Bantuladel?"
After a long pause without a response, the same voice finally spoke again, "Sane, come quickly to see our King!"
Sane and his men exchanged glances, all astonished at how overbearing the King of Bantuladel was.
Sibotan was enraged, "This is outrageous! How dare this fellow treat the Great King like this!"
As he was about to step out to argue, Sane stopped him, "Wait!"
Sibotan looked at Sane, only to hear Sane say with a deep expression, "We brothers are in a sorry state. What right do we have to argue with him? Never mind, I will go meet this King of Bantuladel!"
With that, he rose and said loudly, "I am Sane!"
He then strode towards the approaching party.
As Sibotan and the other barbarian generals were about to follow, they heard the previous voice again, "No one but Sane is allowed near!"
As the voice spoke, a series of metallic clangs were heard, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees. The sharp killing intent pressed down, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Sibotan and the others were not ordinary fighters, but facing the oppressive aura of the Black Armored Divine Soldiers, their fighting spirit waned considerably. Their instincts told them that if they dared to defy the will of these soldiers, they would face an attack they could not possibly withstand.
Sibotan and the rest of the barbarian generals, with remarkable tacit understanding, slowly sat down, a shadow of gloom falling over their faces.
Sane clearly felt the change in the atmosphere and frowned slightly. He then laughed heartily, "We are all brothers. Why the tension?"
This casual and forthright demeanor instantly raised the temperature of the air a few degrees. The Black Armored Divine Soldiers sheathed their weapons, and the imposing figure leading them sized up Sane before saying, "I presume you are the barbarian king?"
Sane nodded. The man respectfully said, "I am Shang Ji! My King wishes to see the barbarian king, please come this way!"
Under Shang Ji's guidance, Sane passed through a dense forest and came face to face with Augustus, the King of Bantuladel.
The man was extremely tall, though not particularly robust. His skin was dark, appearing solid and sturdy, but upon closer inspection, it was scaled, which was extremely peculiar. His eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, and Sane felt extremely uneasy under this gaze, as if he were not a guest but prey.
Zu'an coughed twice and said, "Your Majesty, this is the formidable figure of the barbarian lands that I have mentioned to you many times – King Sane!"
Augustus nodded, but appeared to have little interest, asking indifferently, "Your Boluo Legion has fallen?"
Sane was surprised that this king showed him so little respect, delivering such a blow upon their first meeting. However, the facts were as they were, and he had no way to refute them. He could only reply blandly, "This king fell into Svein's treacherous plot and did indeed lose the Boluo Legion."
Augustus let out a cold laugh, "Lost is lost. You were simply outmatched!"
These words were even more blunt, causing Sane great embarrassment. He glared at Zu'an.
Zu'an, however, seemed not to notice, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed up at the sky shrouded by the forest.
Augustus continued, "Your homeland is lost, and you have nothing left to rely on. How then will you oppose the Santirōman army?"
Sane sneered, with a hint of pride, "I, Sane, possessed nothing from the start. I became the ruler of the barbarian lands with these two hands! If I could achieve something from nothing before, why not today?"
Augustus, whether due to his words or the commanding presence he exuded while looking down upon the world, stared at him, as if trying to see into his very soul through his skin.
Sane remained unmoving, standing proudly and meeting his gaze.
Gradually, Augustus's withered face seemed to thaw like spring snow. He let out a hearty laugh, clapping his hands repeatedly and exclaiming, "Good! Good! Good! Truly a dominant figure of a region! Today, I shall help you reclaim the barbarian lands!"
Sane, infected by his smile, also laughed, "With Your Majesty's support, Sane will surely sweep away the Santirōman army!"
Only now did Zu'an clap his hands and say, "If you two can join forces, you will surely break the Santirōman army."
Thereupon, Augustus ordered Sane's subordinates to be invited over. A grand banquet was prepared, and while enjoying the food and drink, they discussed their strategies.
After Augustus and Sane joined forces, they did not linger there for long after breakfast. This was because they received news that the Santirōman army was advancing towards Bantuladel.
This location was not suitable for large-scale combat with the Santirōman army.
Augustus led Sane and his group further onward, until they reached Taohuatan.