The cracks on the soul-guided shield spread across the entire barrier at an inconceivable speed. In an instant, the colossal, multicolored bowl of light transformed into a fragile work of art, spider-webbed with emerald-green fractures and teetering on the edge of collapse.
Then...
"BOOM—!!!!!"
The shield shattered completely. It dissolved into billions of energy fragments burning with five-colored flames, erupting outward in every direction. The emerald energy torrent, now unobstructed and having lost less than thirty percent of its potency, surged forward with peerless destructive momentum. It drove straight in, slamming ruthlessly into the Mingdu defensive lines.
In that instant, true doomsday arrived.
A small, emerald-green mushroom cloud rose slowly. Following it was a terrifying roar that shook the heavens and earth, loud enough to rupture eardrums. With the center of the explosion as the origin, a white, spherical shockwave expanded outward at supersonic speeds.
Wherever the shockwave passed, every skyscraper, every exquisite building, and every fortified soul-guided facility was instantly blown away like sandcastles, dismantled and ground into basic powder.
The earth wailed. An unprecedented earthquake, comparable to a magnitude twelve event, swept through the entire city. The ground surged violently like waves; countless bottomless fissures tore through the streets, swallowing buildings and lives alike.
Innumerable soul engineers didn't even have time to scream before they were instantaneously vaporized amidst the light, heat, and devastating shockwave. The Aegis System, which the Sun Moon Empire had spent countless resources and wealth to build, was paralyzed in a single strike.
The emerald pillar of light that pierced heaven and earth was like a spear of judgment cast down by a deity. The moment it shattered the Aegis System, it also utterly crushed the last shred of luck and pride in the hearts of everyone in New Mingdu.
The devastating shockwave had not yet fully settled, and the rising emerald mushroom cloud, carrying the scent of death, remained the sole protagonist of the sky. But the real war had only just begun.
"Aegis System... paralyzed."
"Energy supply to Sectors A through G has been cut. Ninety-three percent of the defense matrix has been destroyed..."
"Large-scale enemy airborne units detected, penetrating from the city's airspace."
Deep within the underground command center of New Mingdu, ear-piercing alarms and the panicked shouts of soul engineers tangled into a mess.
The commander, Lin Gong, sat slumped on the floor. His eyes were vacant as he stared at the main screen showing the erased Aegis System and the red alarm points flickering wildly like static. He merely murmured unconsciously:
"It's over... everything is over..."
The life's work of his mentor, Kong Deming—the absolute defense that was the pride of the Sun Moon Empire—had failed to last even three seconds against a true power that transcended the era.
The moment the city's defense system fell into paralysis, hundreds of silver-white figures burning with crimson flames whistled down from the torn clouds like a meteor shower falling from the heavens.
The Molten Knight Squad.
"All units, eliminate targets according to the pre-set plan."
Firefly's emotionless voice, synthesized through her mecha, rang out in the communication channels of all the knights.
"Copy that."
A unified response.
One Molten Knight adjusted the thrusters on his back and landed precisely next to a giant soul-guided main cannon with a caliber exceeding five meters that had not yet been destroyed. The automated defense system on the turret activated instantly, firing several thick soul-guided rays at him.
The knight did not dodge, allowing the rays—hot enough to melt steel—to slam into his silver-white mecha, only stirring up layers of energy ripples. He raised his flaming right arm, spread his fingers, and pressed them hard against the complex energy core of the main cannon.
"Sizzle—!!!"
The crimson flames acted like living vipers, surging wildly along the patterns of the energy core, eroding and dismantling its precise internal structure. In a mere two seconds.
"BOOM!!!"
With a dull explosion, the massive turret weighing hundreds of tons burst from within, turning into a pile of flaming scrap metal.
The same scene played out in every corner of the city. Those large-scale defensive soul tools that once struck terror into the hearts of enemies were as fragile as children's toys before the Molten Knights—war machines born specifically for destruction. Their mission was to thoroughly pluck the claws and fangs of the Sun Moon Empire, clearing all obstacles for the subsequent entry of the main army.
At the edge of the city, the massive gap exceeding ten kilometers in diameter blasted open by the Star Traveler now served as a sluice gate for the torrent of war. The army of the Star Luo Empire, mixed with the elites of the Fatui, surged like a tide into this once-impregnable city.
"Advance. Fifth Infantry Regiment, occupy the main road of the East Third District. Mecha Company, cover the flanks."
"Fatui Team One, target: Energy Center. Repeat, target: Energy Center. Encountering any resistance, you are authorized to use all means to eliminate it."
On the streets, total war erupted.
A squad of Star Luo Empire soldiers, wielding sci-fi pulse soul-guided rifles and relying on portable energy shields, engaged in a fierce firefight with a Sun Moon Empire soul engineer legion at a street corner.
The Sun Moon soul engineers relied on their familiarity with the street terrain, constantly releasing various soul-guided rays and shells. However, when their attacks hit the portable shields of the Star Luo soldiers, most were absorbed or deflected by a strange layer of blue ripples.
Meanwhile, the blue pulse light bullets fired by the Star Luo soldiers easily penetrated the relatively crude soul power shields of the soul engineers, blowing bloody holes into their bodies.
"Their weapons... our shields can't stop them."
A Rank 5 soul engineer from the Sun Moon Empire screamed in terror. He watched with his own eyes as his companion was hit in the chest by a blue light bullet; the entire chest cavity was blown away.
Morale collapsed in an instant. What drove them to further despair was the sound of heavy footsteps as three pitch-black, menacing Nightguard standard-issue mechas appeared at the end of the street. Small missile pods on their shoulders opened, and dozens of micro-tracking missiles whistled out, completely drowning the area where the soul engineer squad was located in the flames of explosions.
While the war on the ground was in full swing, the slaughter in the shadows was more silent and deadly.
In New Mingdu, within a heavily guarded manor usually reserved for imperial high nobles to discuss state affairs, the last few Titled Douluo loyal to Xu Tianran were gathered. Leading them was the Shadow Douluo, Xue Chen, known for his eerie movement techniques and assassination skills.
"We've lost contact with His Majesty. Communication with the palace has been completely cut off."
"The city defense system is finished. We must carve a path of blood to the palace to protect His Majesty," Xue Chen said with a dark face. His figure flickered in and out of the shadows of the room, filled with agitation.
However, just as he finished speaking, several shrill screams and the explosive sounds of violent soul power collisions erupted from the manor's perimeter.
"Enemy attack."
Xue Chen's heart tightened. His figure instantly merged into the shadows and reappeared above the manor. He saw figures radiating sinister and bloody auras appearing from all directions of the manor at some unknown time. They were slaughtering the manor guards silently, like ghosts.
Of the two leaders, one held a massive blood-colored scythe. Every swing brought forth a nauseating wave of blood-light. Any guard caught by the light was instantly drained of their essence, turning into a withered corpse. The other person's martial soul was a massive Scorpiolion; the scorpion stinger carried toxic and corrosive power. Anything it touched would dissolve into a puddle of pus amidst agonizing wails.
They were the Blood Scythe Douluo and the Scorpiolion Douluo, Zhang Peng, who had recently joined the Wuchang Department.
"It's you, traitors of the Holy Ghost Church."
When Xue Chen saw these two, his eyes nearly split with rage. The Holy Ghost Church had cooperated with the Sun Moon Empire for many years, and he recognized these enshrinements. He emerged from the shadows and pointed at the Blood Scythe Douluo, questioning him furiously:
"Blood Scythe, Zhang Peng! You ungrateful curs! The Empire did not treat you poorly, and His Majesty gave you identities to walk in the sunlight. How dare you betray the Empire, betray His Majesty?!"
Hearing Xue Chen's accusation, the Blood Scythe Douluo stopped his slaughter. He looked up, and his face—usually wearing a bloodthirsty smile—was now filled with disdain and mockery.
"Betrayal?" He laughed weirdly, as if he had heard a massive joke. "Xue Chen, are you confused? We never swore fealty to that crippled emperor of yours. We follow the strong who can bring us power and profit. Before it was the Holy Ghost Church, and now... it is Lord Lu Jingming."
"As for an identity to walk in the sunlight?" The Blood Scythe Douluo's smile became even more sarcastic. "That was nothing more than a dog leash you threw at us. Now that we've found a new, more powerful master, we naturally have to clean up the dogs of the old master. This is our... first certificate of loyalty to our new master."
He licked the fresh blood off his crimson scythe, his eyes exploding with incomparable greed and fanaticism. For those who had defected from the Holy Ghost Church, their status was awkward, and they desperately needed to prove their value and loyalty. These die-hard loyalists of Xu Tianran were the best sacrifices. The more they killed and the more ruthless they were, the more stable their position in the new order would be.
"You... you all..." Xue Chen trembled with rage.
"Why waste words with them? Kill them! Avenge the Sect Master! Avenge the millions of wronged souls of the Heavenly Soul Empire!" A roar filled with hatred came from another direction.
Several figures, like arrows released from a bow, charged into the fray with no regard for their lives. Leading them was Wei Na, her eyes bloodshot. Behind her followed a few surviving elders of the Body Sect, similarly radiating a frenzied killing intent.
If the Blood Scythe Douluo and his group fought for a certificate of loyalty, Wei Na and her people fought purely for vengeance. Their attacks had no form and no defense; it was a style of fighting that traded life for life. One Body Sect elder took a full blow from a Sun Moon Empire Soul Douluo, his chest pierced through, but before he died, he used his hands—transformed into giant palms—to crush the Soul Douluo's head like a walnut.
"Kill! Kill every single piece of Sun Moon Empire trash!"
Wei Na looked at the city being consumed by the flames of war. Seeing those Sun Moon soul engineers dying in agony, she felt no pity; instead, she wept tears of joy.
Father... Mother... can you see this? Citizens of Heavenly Soul, do you see this? We have our revenge... we have our revenge! The Sun Moon Empire... is about to fall.
She hadn't expected this day to come so quickly. Before Lu Jingming's power, the so-called "strength" of the Sun Moon Empire was nothing but a joke.
Under the dual assault of the unprincipled experts from the former Holy Ghost Church and the vengeful lunatics led by Wei Na, the high-level combat forces of the Sun Moon Empire who had hoped to organize a resistance were rapidly pushed back, falling into a desperate state of slaughter.
...
While every corner of the city fell into the chaotic battle of blood and fire, a single path leading to the Imperial Palace appeared strangely calm.
Lu Jingming walked leisurely down the broad Royal Avenue with his hands behind his back, as if taking a post-meal stroll. Behind him followed Zhang Lexuan, whose expression was somewhat complex, along with the Hongchen siblings and their grandfather, the Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen.
Around them, the sounds of killing shook the heavens and the light of explosions lit up the sky from time to time, but not a single stray bullet or enemy could come within a hundred meters of them. In the shadows of the buildings flanking the street, figures of the Fatui would flicker by, or the Black and White Guards of the Wuchang Department would silently deal with any Sun Moon Empire stragglers attempting to charge forward.
They were clearing an absolutely safe red carpet for Lu Jingming leading to the palace.
Jing Hongchen walked at the rear, looking at the city he was supposed to protect now burning under the iron hooves of the enemy, his heart filled with a million emotions.
I never thought... that such a day would truly come. The capital of the Empire, so easily breached.
He recalled the Holy Grail War from not long ago. Old Mingdu had also been destroyed, but that was the result of Xu Tianran inviting wolves into his home and voluntarily abandoning it. But now, it was different. This was true war between nations. This was an enemy striking straight for the throat and invading the Imperial City while the main army of the Sun Moon Empire was still in existence.
Though the fact that Marshal Ju Zi took the main army away is a factor, but...
Jing Hongchen looked with awe at Lu Jingming's back leading the way.
But being able to assemble such a massive, terrifying coalition in such a short time, and tearing open the Aegis System with such lightning force... this is enough to prove that the strength of the various legions of Sea Abyss City far transcends that of the Sun Moon Empire.
Thinking of this, the trace of sadness for the Empire's fall in Jing Hongchen's heart was quickly replaced by a sense of relief.