Chapter 571: Chapter 571: The Tian Xing Knights – Part 1
Among the three battlefronts on the Douluo Continent, the first to fall was Ye Xishui's coastal battlefield.
The reason was simple—Du Busi's explosive power was simply overwhelming. With his golden-tier second awakening and the "exploding ring" technique taught by Ye Wen, the attack unleashed in that instant had reached the limits of quasi-divine power, comparable even to a divine official's strength.
However, Ye Xishui did not perish as a result. She narrowly escaped with her life.
Her second martial soul, the Blood Soul Puppet, being an equipment-type martial soul, shielded her from the brunt of the attack at the last moment. Though the entire martial soul shattered into pieces, leaving her severely wounded, she managed to escape with her life intact.
Though Du Busi in his super-enhanced state was formidable, he was still only a Level 99 unparalleled Douluo, not a true god. Using such techniques placed immense strain on his body, threatening to tear it apart at any moment.
But having his martial soul obliterated in one blow left Ye Xishui dispirited. Ignoring everything else, she hastily used her first martial soul, the Radiant Phoenix, to flee back to the Sun Moon Empire.
Long Xiaoyao, facing Xiao Ding, initially held his ground since Xiao Ding couldn't gain an advantage using his ultimate darkness. However, Long Xiaoyao's concern for Ye Xishui's condition gave Xiao Ding an opening. Only when both sides were utterly exhausted did Long Xiaoyao finally manage to escape.
Even so, Long Xiaoyao sustained severe injuries. But upon learning that Ye Xishui had survived, this devoted admirer finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed into unconsciousness.
Thus, the Tian Hun Empire achieved complete victory on both battlefronts.
Without the support of two unparalleled Douluos, the Sun Moon Empire could no longer hold onto the territories they had occupied in the Dou Ling Empire and was forced to retreat along their original route.
With the fall of the Dou Ling Empire, the Douluo Continent returned to a tripartite balance resembling the situation from four thousand years ago. However, the name of the Tian Dou Empire would no longer appear on this land.
Although the royal family of the Tian Hun Empire possessed the Snow Lotus martial soul, it was entirely unrelated to the Swan martial soul of the Snow (Xue) family, the original imperial family of the Tian Dou Empire.
Several days passed, and the Star Luo frontlines continued to see intense fighting. However, with Xuan Zi now equipped with Level 9 soul bottles for recovery, the two sides were locked in a fierce stalemate.
Inside the Star Luo Imperial Palace—
The Star Luo Emperor frowned deeply as he studied the battle reports in his hands. Though the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire were currently trading blows evenly, anyone who had fought in wars knew that this conflict was akin to a money-shredding machine.
"This cannot continue.
From the start of the war until now, the Tian Hun side has profited immensely, while our Star Luo Empire has been steadily depleting. If this trend continues, the Star Luo Empire will inevitably decline."
Turning to Xu Jiujjiu, the emperor asked gravely, "Jiujjiu, can you persuade someone from the Tian Xing side to send a Limit Douluo to support us?"
Compared to years ago, Xu Jiujjiu had grown increasingly composed and exuded a noble demeanor. After a brief silence, she softly replied, "It should be possible, but don't count on troops from the Tian Hun Empire. They are currently busy assimilating the remaining territories of the fallen Dou Ling Empire and have no spare manpower to send here."
Though her answer wasn't definitive, it was honest and reasonable. The Star Luo Emperor nodded in acknowledgment but pressed further, his voice heavy with concern.
"Then I leave this task to you, Jiujjiu. Every additional minute this war drags on means the loss of countless soldiers."
Xu Jiujjiu nodded silently, summoning her winged soul-guided armor. In a flash of silver light, she took off toward Tian Xing Academy.
As she flew through the sky, Xu Jiujjiu's expression grew complex.
Born into royalty, Xu Jiujjiu naturally bore no ill feelings toward her family's privileges. However, viewing the Sun Moon Empire as an enemy, she realized how selfish and reckless they were to launch such a large-scale war driven solely by greed for more land and power. Countless families had been destroyed in the process—it was truly reprehensible and insane.
And this was merely a microcosm of history.
If things continued like this, the Douluo Continent would never know peace, and humanity would be trapped in an endless cycle of war.
"Master was right—the continent truly needs only one voice."
Meanwhile, the Tian Hun Emperor was still basking in the joy of territorial expansion. Upon hearing that Xiao Ding had gone to support the Star Luo front, he became utterly distraught.
"What?!" The Tian Hun Emperor's voice cracked under the weight of disbelief.
"You're telling me Lord Tian Ding has gone to the Star Luo Empire?! Then what about our Tian Hun Empire?!"
The messenger, unaccustomed to seeing his superior in such a state, trembled nervously as he wiped away cold sweat. Stammering, he replied, "M-My Lord, Lord Tian Ding said he is not the Tian Hun Empire's Limit Douluo—he is the Douluo Continent's Tian Ding Douluo. Wherever he is needed, he must go."
By the end of his explanation, the messenger had collapsed to his knees, pleading, "Your Majesty, there was nothing I could do to stop Lord Tian Ding from leaving. Please… forgive me."
The Tian Hun Emperor's expression shifted between anger and frustration. However, bolstered by Ye Wen's support, he had become far more restrained compared to his former self. Maintaining a stern face, he asked, "I understand. You may leave.
But ensure that the officials reclaiming the lost lands of Dou Ling remain vigilant. Any developments must be reported immediately. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me for being merciless."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The messenger, overwhelmed by the situation, hastily nodded and left, unwilling to linger a moment longer.
The vast palace fell silent once more, and the Tian Hun Emperor's expression continued to shift. There was no helping it—the pressure from a Limit Douluo was immense.
However, thinking of the protection offered by the nation's guardian sect, the Body Sect, and the neutral stance of Ye Wen, the Tian Hun Emperor gradually calmed down.
After all, the Tian Hun Empire was far removed from the Sun Moon Empire, with the Star Luo Empire serving as a buffer. As long as they maintained vigilance at sea and guarded against decapitation strikes, their vast empire wouldn't easily collapse.
Besides, the Tian Hun Empire was far from being as thoroughly rotten as the Dou Ling Empire.
The most pressing matter now was consolidating control over the former territories of the Dou Ling Empire.
Additionally—
The Tian Hun Emperor summoned a servant and instructed him to invite Du Busi to the Tian Hun Imperial Capital. He would serve as both a guardian and a rapid-response force for any emergencies.
The Star Luo frontlines, disrupted by Xiao Ding's intervention, saw the balance of power shattered. The Sun Moon Empire's legions suffered consecutive defeats, relinquishing all the territory they had previously occupied.
After years of careful preparation and the expenditure of vast amounts of strategic resources, the Sun Moon Empire had gained nothing. Inside the Sun Moon Palace, the sound of shattering objects echoed piercingly.
"Damn it! What the hell is going on?! Is the Douluo Continent really so impossible to conquer?!" Xu Tianran cursed furiously.
Below him, the generals of the Sun Moon Empire and Kong Deming, the two Level 10 soul mentors, all wore grim expressions. Faced with this reality, they had nothing to say.
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