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Disregarding the responses from those present, Chen Xuanfeng continued to shamelessly boast, "Restoring our homeland and saving our compatriots is my sole objective now. For this goal, even if I must be reduced to dust or become a demon, I would not hesitate. If my actions have caused any displeasure, all I can offer is my regret. However, I believe that as humans, you should be able to understand my feelings. After all, our blood ties run deep, and our hearts are united. We have relied on the great spirit of mutual support, sharing both honor and shame, to carve our path through hardships and gain the life we have today. Therefore, we should remember..."

Seeing that Chen Xuanfeng was about to continue with his convoluted speech, the "Red Devil" hurriedly interrupted, "Enough, Black Knight. I have no interest in hearing about your background. Just tell us your purpose for coming here. Don't assume that just because you've come this far, you've already won. Even if we two old men were to lose our magic power, we still have means to take you down with us."

"Ah, don't worry, don't worry. My purpose? Well..." Chen Xuanfeng, suddenly interrupted, immediately put on an awkward expression and said, "Actually, you should be able to guess. After our empire fell, we lost the ability to confront the orcs head-on. Even our sole Sacred Ground pales in comparison to the power of the Orc King. Our leadership now believes that the only way to check the orc forces is by using the ultimate power that once annihilated the prime of the Orc Kingdom—the forbidden spell. That's why we went to great lengths to find a forbidden spell caster to seek help. Naturally, we don't plan to use the forbidden spell directly. In fact, just letting the orcs know that we have a forbidden spell caster in our ranks would be as effective as 100,000 troops. More importantly, only such news can inspire our people to rise in rebellion. In other words, we need to invite a master to become our banner of restoration."

"Oh, so you're trying to kidnap us? Is that why you killed all my guards, invaded my Magic Tower, and destroyed all the magical defenses?" the Flame Grand Magister asked through gritted teeth. "And how did you discover our status as forbidden spell casters? This is one of the greatest secrets of the mages' guild."

Chen Xuanfeng shrugged helplessly and replied, "Well, there's no need to concern yourselves with my sources of information. As for my purpose, yes, that's right. Although I would have preferred to invite you respectfully, it's not hard to guess that you would refuse our request to go north to deter the orcs. So, we had no choice but to use a more rude approach, directly forcing you to make a choice through strength."

Suddenly, the Wind Grand Magister, Yodila, interjected, "Do you understand what you're doing? The power of us forbidden spell casters is a deterrent against the elven forces. If we leave, what will happen if the elves launch an offensive?"

"What does it matter? My homeland has already fallen. Since you can turn a blind eye to my country's destruction, what reason do you have to blame me for potentially endangering your homeland?" Chen Xuanfeng replied with a cold smile. "Alright, two masters, the time for explanations is over. Now I want to hear your choice. I need one master to return with me to the Viking Empire. Just one will be enough, and it won't be for too long—about three years should suffice. Your choice: agree, or fight us?"

Silence fell over the hall.

In fact, Chen Xuanfeng's concerns were quite valid. Though the two grand magisters were taken aback by Chen Xuanfeng's sudden attack, they still had several potent trump cards up their sleeves. However, these cards came at an extremely high cost, so they were reluctant to use them without fully understanding the situation. Although Chen Xuanfeng's false narrative had worn down their will to fight to the death, they still refused to simply yield to his demands. After some deliberation, they finally reached a decision.

"Black Knight, I have to admit that you have an unexpected combination of luck and strength that has put you in a favorable position. But don't think you can insult the dignity of the forbidden spell casters. If we choose to resist, you will definitely die!" the Flame Grand Magister shouted loudly.

Chen Xuanfeng sneered, "Perhaps, but I'm sure it won't be easy for the two of you to survive either, right?"

"That's true, but such an outcome is something neither side would want, which is why we propose a duel to settle this," the Wind Grand Magister, Yodila, suddenly said.

"A duel?" Chen Xuanfeng was surprised. "A duel, mage style or warrior style?"

Chen Xuanfeng was naturally shocked by this proposal. Unless absolutely necessary, it would be absurd for a warrior and a mage to duel directly. The outcome would largely depend on the conditions of the venue and the rules, rather than the true strength of the participants. If the distance was great enough, an ordinary mage might have a chance to defeat a swordmaster, but if they were close, a warrior without qi could still slash down a level-ten mage with one strike. On the Mainland, there were generally two sets of dueling rules: the warriors' dueling rules derived from the orcs and the mages' dueling rules derived from the elves. Compared to the bloody and violent orc rules, the elven mages' dueling rules were more like an academic discussion. The two participating mages would each set up their magical systems while trying to counter the opponent's magic until one side was exhausted or out of tricks, at which point the winner would be determined.

However, the two grand magisters proposed a rule that surprised Chen Xuanfeng.

The "Red Devil" said, "There will be no restrictions on whether it's a warrior's or mage's duel. In this hall, the two of us old men will face the three of you young ones. If we lose, one of us will go with you to the Viking Empire for three years. If you lose, you will stay here and become our guardians as compensation for killing hundreds of my guards and destroying the defenses of my Magic Tower. How about that?"