Soldiers slightly farther away, struck head-on by the invisible shockwave, had their bodies torn and flung like rag dolls, their internal organs pulverized into bloody foam by the shock within.
Many more were riddled by the rapidly following rain of high-velocity metal fragments and shattered rocks, or buried alive by collapsing mountainsides and fortresses.
The military camp and the sturdy defensive line, which had been orderly moments before, instantly became a ruin filled with the fire of hell, death, and despair.
Severed limbs and broken weapons lay mixed on the scorched earth. The wails and screams of the survivors sounded incredibly weak and desperate amid the roaring echoes of the explosions.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, burnt flesh, and the unique odor of ozone resulting from soul tool energy overload, which was nauseating.
White Tiger Duke Dai Hao, the pillar of the empire renowned for his bravery and tenacity, rushed out of the command tent the moment the first explosion sounded.
When he witnessed the devastation, which was like a divine punishment, the pupils of this nine-ring Titled Douluo contracted sharply. For the first time, his face showed unconcealed shock and fury.
"Enemy attack! Highest alert! Soul Tool Defense Array, maximum power activation!"
He roared himself hoarse, but his voice was almost drowned out by the continuous explosions.
However, in the face of the absolute power of the Grade 9 fixed soul tool artillery shells, the hastily activated local soul tool shields were like soap bubbles in the sun, shattering instantly.
He could only watch helplessly as the iron defense line he had personally forged, and the loyal subordinates he treated like his own flesh and blood, were annihilated in the tidal wave of destruction.
"Rescue! Quick, save the people! All those who can still move, prioritize aiding the wounded! Abandon the frontline positions, and retreat in an orderly fashion to the second line of defense!"
Dai Hao's eyes were bloodshot. He forced down the profound pain and surging fury in his heart, trying to restore order amid the chaos.
His towering figure stood firm amid the flames and smoke, continuously releasing powerful soul power to defend against splashing debris and dragging buried soldiers out of the ruins.
But the power of an individual seemed so insignificant before this kind of might of heaven and earth.
This sudden, devastating strike not only utterly destroyed the Bright Dou Mountain Range defense line, but the terrifying energy it released even triggered a violent earthquake that affected hundreds of miles, as if the entire continent was trembling because of it.
It also declared, in the bloodiest possible way, to the entire Douluo Continent—All-out war has begun.
After completing the initial strategic strike, Ju Zi's orders were issued again.
The massive Soul Tool Master army, like an efficient war machine, began to advance, quickly occupying and clearing the remaining resistance in the Bright Dou Mountain Range to establish a forward operating base.
They encountered almost no decent resistance; the backbone of the Northwest Group Army had been completely broken in the preceding barrage.
However, Ju Zi's instructions did not stop.
She did not commit all her forces to a frontal assault on the Star Luo Empire.
Under her command, the huge Mecha Corps, the main fleet of floating battleships, and the Anti-Matter Corps began to quietly pivot, bypassing the heavily defended western border of the Star Luo Empire and heading toward the North Sea.
Their next target was to cross the sea and directly attack the Star Luo Empire's ally—the Heaven Soul Empire.
This maneuver of splitting forces and attacking across the sea would undoubtedly completely disrupt the defensive arrangements of the original three Douluo Empires.
Yet, Ju Zi, as the Commander-in-Chief of the three armies, remained in the Bright Dou Mountain Range, which had just been baptized by blood and fire.
She was well aware of her position.
Although she held the title of Commander-in-Chief, the most core and powerful forces—the Anti-Matter Corps and most of the troops enhanced with the techniques of the Lord of Annihilation—did not truly pledge allegiance to her, but to Celenova and Phantylia, who were hidden behind the scenes.
She was more like a puppet pushed to the forefront, a symbol to convey instructions.
In the face of absolute superiority in power, the Sun Moon Empire no longer needed the ingenious strategies she was once famous for.
She chose to stay, not to command the overall situation, but for an obsession buried deep in her heart for years—Revenge.
The original driving force behind her willingness to infiltrate the Sun Moon Empire under Lu Jingming's arrangement, to approach Xu Tianran, to rise through the military ranks, and eventually sit in this position, was to settle the blood debt with the enemy who caused the ruin of her family—White Tiger Duke Dai Hao.
Now, the war had erupted in the most brutal way right before his eyes. His army suffered heavy losses, and his defense line disintegrated.
But this was still far from enough.
Ju Zi wanted to personally watch this once-unyielding Duke walk toward his doom and personally end this long-standing entanglement of grievances.
She remained in the Bright Dou Mountain Range, permeated with the smell of gunpowder and death, like the most patient hunter, waiting for the moment to deliver the final blow to her prey.
The news of the war's outbreak, like a bloody plague, spread at the fastest possible speed to every corner of the Douluo Continent.
When the detailed battle report, stating that the Bright Dou Mountain Range had been leveled into scorched earth by the Grade 9 fixed soul tool artillery shells and the Northwest Group Army was almost completely annihilated, was urgently delivered to the Star Luo Imperial Palace, the heart of the entire empire was shrouded in a heavy gloom.
In the opulent and oppressive palace, Star Luo Emperor Xu Jiawei sat opposite his sister, Princess Xu Jiujiu.
The battle report, stained with invisible blood, was spread out on the table between them. Every word on it was shocking.
Xu Jiawei sighed long and hard. His handsome face was etched with fatigue and a subtle sense of relief: "It has begun."
The original three Douluo Empires had long prepared for this inevitable war, engaging in years of military buildup and joint efforts.
But he, or rather everyone, had not anticipated that the Sun Moon Empire's opening would be so violent, so regardless of cost, directly leveling the entire Bright Dou Mountain Range defense line with strategic-grade weapons.
This was no longer an ordinary conquest of cities and territories, but an overwhelming crush fueled by the will for annihilation.
He rubbed his tightly furrowed brow, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes:
"Pass down the order. Let 'those people'... all the generals and nobles who might oppose our next decision, especially those deeply involved with the White Tiger lineage, be dispatched to the front lines for support."
This order was utterly cold-blooded.
Xu Jiawei knew very well that the Star Crown Sect had made its final choice—to side with Sea Abyss City, which was destined to usher in a new era, and to stand behind Lu Jingming.
Therefore, what he had to do now was to clear the obstacles for Lu Jingming to smoothly take over a "clean" Star Luo Empire in the future.
The Star Luo Empire was originally founded by the White Tiger Dai family.
Even though the Star Crown lineage had replaced them in holding imperial power for many years, the Dai family's influence in the military, among the nobility, and even among the populace remained deeply rooted, like another pillar of the empire.
To hand over the reins of the Star Luo Empire completely to Lu Jingming without intense internal turmoil, the White Tiger lineage and its affiliated forces were the biggest obstacles that had to be removed.
This deployment order, seemingly to support the front lines, was actually a political purge—killing with a borrowed knife to clean house.
"Royal Brother, you don't need to worry too much."
Xu Jiujiu's voice was gentle yet firm. She rose and walked to Xu Jiawei's side, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, soothing his emotions.
There was no fear of war on her face, but rather a look of anticipation for new beginnings.
"A new era is bound to come. While this war is tragic, only by breaking this old and corrupt cage can the tens of millions of people of the Star Luo Empire have a better life in the future."
As she spoke, her other hand unconsciously and maternally stroked her still-flat abdomen.
There, a brand-new life was quietly being conceived—the crystallization of her bloodline and Lu Jingming's.
The existence of this child was the greatest guarantee for the future of the Star Crown lineage.
Her connection with Lu Jingming had long surpassed a simple political alliance.
He had shown them a cosmic blueprint far vaster and more exciting than this Douluo Continent—endless stars, distinct civilizations, and even the existence of parallel worlds.
All of this had shattered their former worldview, making them deeply realize how narrow it was to cling to the imperial power of one empire.
"No construction without destruction," Xu Jiujiu whispered, looking out the palace window, as if she could already see the new life emerging after the baptism of war.
"The name of the Star Luo Empire might become history after this war, but our people will embrace a truly powerful protector and move towards a broader world."
Xu Jiawei nodded. His sister's words dispelled the last trace of hesitation in his heart.
Compared to being the emperor of an old empire destined for extinction, becoming one of the founders of a new era was undoubtedly the wiser choice.
The collapse of the empire was a foregone conclusion; what they had to do was ensure that upon these ruins, the glory belonging to Sea Abyss City, and also to their Star Crown lineage, would be established.
The news of the war, like a clap of thunder, also shook the capital of the Heaven Soul Empire.
Upon receiving the urgent military report from the front line, Princess Wei Na's pretty face immediately turned pale.
The instant evaporation of the Bright Dou Mountain Range defense line and the heavy losses of the Northwest Group Army all indicated that the ferocity of the Sun Moon Empire's onslaught far exceeded any previous conflict.
"We cannot sit and wait for death."
Wei Na composed herself, immediately contacting the protector sect—the Body Sect—through a special channel.
"Hahaha, good! Have those guys who rely on external objects from the Sun Moon Empire finally decided to get serious?"
The crude and unrestrained voice of Du Busi, the Body Sect Master, came through the communication soul tool. There was no trace of fear in his tone.
"Wei Na, girl, don't worry. I understand the principle that the teeth and lips rely on each other. If Star Luo falls, we Heaven Soul will be next."
He waved his large hand, his voice shaking the surroundings:
"All Titled Douluo Elders and elite inner disciples of the Body Sect, assemble immediately. Follow me to the front line and meet the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tool Corps."
At the same time, Wei Na also acted swiftly.
She was not unprepared. With Fei Xiao's help, the Heaven Soul Empire had secretly formed and trained a special Soul Master army—the Azure Hill Army.
This army was well-equipped, and its training methods were distinct from tradition, focusing more on mobility and coordinated combat.
Wei Na personally donned her armor and led this Azure Hill Army, regarded as a trump card, to converge with the Body Sect's powerhouses, preparing to reinforce the precarious Star Luo Empire battle line.
They knew that facing such a ferocious attack from the Sun Moon Empire, the Star Luo Empire alone could never withstand it.
Once the Star Luo Empire completely fell, the Heaven Soul Empire would lose its most important strategic barrier, unable to stand alone. Under a fallen nest, no eggs remain unbroken.
A similar sense of crisis also enveloped the Dou Ling Empire.
Although slightly farther away, the Dou Ling Imperial Family also reacted at the fastest speed. A large army began to mobilize, and supplies and provisions were continuously transported, heading towards the Bright Dou Mountain Range, aiming to form a coalition with the Star Luo and Heaven Soul Empires to jointly resist the Sun Moon Empire.
The prototype of the Three-Nation Alliance rapidly formed under tremendous external pressure.
They deployed troops and mobilized all elites, attempting to use their combined strength to stop the iron hoofs of the Sun Moon Empire outside their borders.
However, all their strategic calculations and troop deployments were based on their understanding of the "past" Sun Moon Empire.
They did not know that the current Sun Moon Empire, supported by the two Lords of Annihilation, had undergone a complete transformation.
The knowledge and technology they had acquired from another world had resulted in a qualitative leap in their military strength, far surpassing the Sun Moon Empire of the past, which still needed to rely on schemes and gradual advancement.
Just as the Three-Nation Alliance focused its attention on the broken border of the Star Luo Empire, preparing for a decisive battle with Ju Zi's Soul Tool Corps occupying the Bright Dou Mountain Range, a deadly surprise attack was quietly approaching from an unexpected direction.
According to the plan Ju Zi had formulated long ago, the split-off fleet, composed of numerous new-type mechas, floating battleships, the Anti-Matter Corps, and Doomsday Beasts, did not participate in the frontal suppression of Star Luo.
They utilized powerful mobility and stealth technology, bypassing all possible reconnaissance routes, and were crossing the vast ocean like a sharp blade hidden within a storm, plunging straight toward the relatively weakly defended coastline of the Heaven Soul Empire.
The ambition of the Sun Moon Empire was never limited to just one Star Luo Empire.
Their goal was to use absolute force to simultaneously tear apart the defenses of the three nations' alliance and decisively secure continental hegemony in one fell swoop.
The true thunderous strike was only just beginning to reveal its terrifying corner.
Meanwhile, Celenova and Phantylia observed this war, which they had personally escalated, from another dimension with indifference, treating it like an interesting experiment.
The seemingly covert troop movements of the Sun Moon Empire, while sufficient to deceive the three great empires whose technology was backward and whose intelligence system remained at the traditional level, were as clear as fish swimming in a clear pool to Sea Abyss City; every action was perfectly visible.
In the Sea of Inner Stars, a massive flow of information surged relentlessly.
Hatsune Miku's spring-green twin tails moved without wind. Her consciousness was connected to the entire Douluo Planet. Mountains, rivers, vegetation, living beings, and even subtle energy fluctuations were converted into raw data and funneled into her core.
Not to mention the World Tree and its network of earth veins, which Lu Jingming had personally planted, and whose roots had quietly spread to every corner of the planet.
The entire planet held almost no secrets for Lu Jingming.
The heading, scale, and even rough combat assessment of the Sun Moon Empire's fleet splitting off to cross the sea were presented to him in the most intuitive way.
However, Sea Abyss City, which knew everything, was uncharacteristically calm at this moment.
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