Before Zhennan Pass, Bibi Dong AppearsAt dawn.
A somber atmosphere hung over Zhennan Pass.
The nearly 300,000 troops of the Martial Soul Empire stood in formation, their fighting spirit high, their armor and weapons reflecting a cold gleam in the sunlight.
"Your Highness, the Martial Soul Empire has mobilized all its forces. If we are defeated today, the Heaven Dou Empire will lose its last line of defense, and the empire's destruction will be imminent. At that time, Your Highness and your sect will have nowhere to go. In today's battle, we must unite all our forces and we must not fail."
Standing atop the majestic Zhennan Pass, overlooking the military might of the Martial Soul Empire, Marshal Ge Long's face showed surprise. Then, he looked at the young, handsome man before him and said coldly.
The man in front of him was none other than the current Regent, Prince Tang San of the Blue Sky Kingdom.
Since Tang San took power, he has been constantly eliminating dissidents, wanting to completely control the Heaven Dou Empire.
Several major elemental academies and many nobles within the empire adopted a confrontational stance, enraging Tang San and leading to a bloodbath in the capital. As a result, Tang San's control over the Heaven Dou Empire was unprecedentedly strong, but the purge of opposing forces never ceased.
However, with a formidable enemy at hand, this is absolutely not the time to attack our own people!
Tang San did not get angry when he heard Marshal Golong's blunt words.
With his hands behind his back, he carefully examined the army of the Spirit Empire, his eyes flashing with purple light, as if trying to discern something from their ranks.
With a full 300,000 elite troops, plus the laborers transporting supplies and equipment, the total number of troops in the Martial Soul Empire's army is probably no less than one million!
The Martial Soul Empire has come with its entire nation!
After a moment, he slowly replied:
"Marshal Goron is overthinking it. I have never laid a hand on my own people. I am entrusted by the only bloodline of the Empire, Empress Xueke, to govern the Empire. This is perfectly legitimate!"
"However, some people within the empire have been misled by the Spirit Hall and launched a rebellion, attempting to overthrow the imperial government. They are a group of traitors! If the Spirit Hall takes advantage of this opportunity to seize Zhennan Pass, even a thousand deaths would not be enough to atone for their sins!"
Immediately, he slowly turned around, coldly looking at the Imperial Marshal he had no choice but to rely on, and said in a low voice:
"Marshal Goron, don't let those guys mislead you. You are the Imperial Marshal, bearing the responsibilities of the Empire. If you become like them, who will Empress Xueke rely on?"
Marshal Goron was startled and quickly knelt on one knee, saying with some fear:
"Your subject dares not!"
When Tang San stared at him with cold eyes, Marshal Ge Long felt as if he were seeing a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. The chilling killing intent made his hands and feet go cold.
He found it hard to believe. Although Lan Haowang was quite strong, he was still a Soul Douluo-level expert. How could he have such an absurd feeling?
Tang San helped Ge Long up with both hands. If the soldiers of the Heaven Dou Empire hadn't only recognized Ge Long, he would have replaced him with one of his own. Only by replacing him with his own people could the Heaven Dou Empire unite its efforts and possibly withstand the attack of the Spirit Empire, ultimately defeating the evil Spirit Hall.
In the original work, the original God Realm Council, including the two God Kings and three committee members, eventually became the property of the Tang family.
The God of Destruction Tang Wulin, the God of Life Gu Yuena, and the Sea God Tang San who occupies the position of the Asura God, with the strength of the God of Kindness Lieyan and the God of Evil Ji Dong, are simply not enough to threaten Tang San's power.
Even the later Dragon God became a member of the Tang family.
"Marshal Goron, don't overthink it. You are a pillar of the empire, and we still need to rely on you in this battle."
Tang San smiled gently, his words like a spring breeze. Even Marshal Ge Long was somewhat dazed, as if only by listening to King Lan Hao could the Heaven Dou Empire be saved.
"Your Highness, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"
Goron did not stand up, but knelt on one knee and said solemnly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ge Long leaned on his sword and stepped back, beginning to inspect the defenses of Zhennan Pass.
"Xiao San, the Spirit Empire is coming with great force, and it seems like they want to win this battle in one fell swoop. Although we have the advantage of terrain and have gathered all the top forces of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Spirit Empire's current strength is not enough to break through Zhennan Pass. But I still have a vague sense of unease."
Seeing Ge Long leave, Yu Xiaogang frowned and reminded him.
As Yu Xiaogang spoke, Tang Xiao, the sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, and four elders at the Title Douluo level all looked at Tang San. Even the Seventh Elder, who had fallen from the Title Douluo realm, and Tang Hao, who had lost an arm and a leg, stood aside, having been summoned to deal with this war.
With the addition of the Golden Iron Triangle, the Heaven Dou Empire also has six Title Douluo-level combatants.
"I feel the same way, about mistresses."
Tang Xiao stepped forward, his face grave, and said:
"These past few days, I and several elders have been raiding the Spirit Empire's military camp at night, but we were stopped by those people from the Spirit Empire. But what's very strange is that in these battles, they have been holding nothing back, trying their best to keep us here, without caring about their own consumption at all."
"Our several night raids not only failed to achieve any results, but everyone was also exhausted. Today's battle has added another variable."
"All these anomalies tell us that the Spirit Empire's attack is extraordinary and will be more ferocious than ever before!"
Hearing the reminder from his two elders, Tang San did not turn around, but instead stared blankly at the army of the Spirit Empire.
He could vaguely guess the reason why the Spirit Empire was launching this risky attack.
The beast tide has begun, and the Spirit Empire must choose between continuing its attack on the Heaven Dou Empire and retreating to defend the Star Dou Great Forest. This risky attack is the Spirit Empire's last attempt before leaving.
If this attack fails, the Martial Soul Empire's army will retreat, and it will be difficult to launch an attack like today for many years.
At that time, the Heaven Dou Empire, having recuperated for many years, will regain the ability and opportunity to fight the Spirit Empire. If he can seize this opportunity, he might just be able to overthrow the evil force of the Spirit Empire! Capture Dai Yao, find Xiao Wu again...
However, all of this is predicated on his successful repelling of the Spirit Empire's attack today.
"Teacher, what other trump cards do you think the other side is hiding?"
Tang San said slowly.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Yu Xiaogang pondered for a moment, then said firmly:
"Judging from the current situation, the Spirit Empire needs to deploy one or two Title Douluos in the direction of the Star Luo Empire; in Spirit City, because of the struggle between the Papal Palace and the Hall of Offerings, Bibi Dong will not dare to leave easily, and she should also have one or two Title Douluos by her side."
"In the past few years, the number of Title Douluos in the Papal Palace has been increasing, with at least twelve Title Douluos existing."
"Therefore, there should be at least eight Title Douluos in front of Zhennan Pass. But for just eight Title Douluos to suppress five Your Majestys who possess the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul is nothing short of a pipe dream. Therefore, I deduce that there should be ten Title Douluos in front of Zhennan Pass."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, clearly agreeing with Yu Xiaogang's deduction.
Even Tang San couldn't find any fault with Yu Xiaogang.
He truly deserves the title of the legendary master Yu Xiaogang, a man of wisdom.
"What the teacher said is absolutely right, just as I thought, but I still have one concern."
Tang San slowly exhaled, then turned his head to look at the mountains to the west, as if he had crossed endless mountains and rivers and seen the distant sea. A cold light shot out from his eyes.
Everyone was somewhat puzzled. Yu Xiaogang paused for a moment, then immediately understood Tang San's concerns and said uncertainly:
"Mistress, you're not talking about Hanhai City, are you?"
Suddenly, everyone remembered that there were two enormous creatures hidden in Hanhai City.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, once the second strongest sect in the world, and the rising star, the Green Lotus School. Both are extremely powerful, with Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, Poison Douluo, Ning Fengzhi, the number one support-type Soul Master in the world, and Yang Wudi, who is comparable to a Title Douluo.
The strength of their advanced Soul Masters was no weaker than that of their Heaven Dou Empire.
Once China joins one side, the situation on the mainland will be completely transformed.
More importantly, there is a taboo within the Qinglian Sect that no one wants to mention—Dai Yao.
He suddenly appeared in Heaven Dou City not long ago, and even the combined efforts of several Title Douluos failed to subdue him. Although he was still only at the Soul Douluo level, his terrifying strength was such that even Tang Xiao, who was at level ninety-six, had to be on high alert.
Not only Dai Yao, but also the women around him, instilled deep fear in them.
That terrifying potential is comparable only to Tang Sanfang. In a few years, when Dai Yao and his women have all reached the Title Douluo realm, how will they cope when five or six top Title Douluos attack simultaneously?
Although Hanhai City claims to be absolutely neutral, is there any neutrality in this world?
Now that the Spirit Empire is powerful, the neutrality of Hanhai City is tantamount to condoning its actions and siding with it. Not to mention, there are irreconcilable grudges between Dai Yao and them!
The thought sent chills down everyone's spines!
If Hanhai City were to make a move, they would not be dealing with ten Title Douluos, but rather the combined strength of nearly twenty Title Douluos!
"Everyone need not worry. Although I am worried about Hanhai City, I am not worried that Hanhai City will send people to Zhennan Pass. Although Dai Yao is domineering and unscrupulous, he is always a man of his word and will not break his promise to send people from Hanhai City."
"I'm just feeling a bit sentimental."
The people who had been holding their breath were finally relieved.
Tang San has been Dai Yao's opponent for so long, and despite repeated defeats, his familiarity with Dai Yao is undoubtedly the highest among all. Since Tang San is so confident, everyone doesn't need to worry so much.
Tang San didn't need to look to know everyone's reaction. He sighed softly. Only he knew what he was worried about.
"A million-strong army, three hundred thousand elite troops, and thirty thousand soul masters—truly worthy of the Spirit Hall, its strength far surpasses that of the two great empires. Di Tian, the fate of these two empires, the outcome of my battle against Dai Yao, rests in your hands..."
Tang San stopped looking at the army of the Spirit Empire and gazed in the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Once the beast tide breaks out, the Martial Soul Empire's army will collapse without a fight! At that time, it will be time for their Heavenly Dou Army to counterattack!
······
Thump—thump—thump—
A thunderous drumbeat rang out, and everyone's expression changed drastically. They hurriedly walked to the city wall and looked towards Zhennan Pass.
When they saw the scene before them, their faces turned deathly pale. The resounding drumbeats seemed to strike their hearts with tremendous force.
Outside Zhennan Pass, the once silent and solemn army of the Martial Soul Empire suddenly erupted into a clamor, surging towards Zhennan Pass like boiling water. From the dark mass of troops, three vanguard units emerged, all composed of battle-hardened warriors clad in iron armor and possessing tall, robust physiques.
Two armies, each with more than 10,000 men, were protecting one of the smaller armies, which had only a few thousand men, clearing obstacles in its path.
The soldiers of this unit were extremely strong, like mountains of flesh, carrying battering rams several meters in diameter on their shoulders. They carried them with incredible speed and effort, charging towards the Zhennanguan city gate.
Moreover, these hundreds of people were surrounded by surging spirit rings, making them a team entirely composed of spirit masters.
The person at the very front, with eight shining soul rings around his body, was none other than Hu Yanzhen, the patriarch of the Elephant Armor Sect, one of the three great sects in the world.
This team is naturally the clan army of the Elephant Armor Sect!
Upon seeing the Elephant Armor Sect's troops, everyone at Zhennan Pass felt a chill. The fact that such an elite force was dispatched so immediately on the battlefield made them realize that the Martial Soul Empire's resolve exceeded their expectations.
"Up on the wall! Defend against the enemy!"
Marshal Goron drew his sword and roared.
Nearly ten thousand Tian Dou soldiers stood guard along the city walls, blades in hand, surrounded by piles of oil and rolling stones. Once the enemy reached attack range, Marshal Ge Long would give the order, and the battle would officially begin. Behind them, a defensive line of Tian Dou Imperial Guards stood ready.
If the army of the Spirit Empire scales the city walls, they will be met with an attack from the Heavenly Dou Imperial Guard, an army composed of spirit masters!
Having brought the Imperial Guards to Zhennan Pass, Tang San was at his wit's end and had to risk everything.
Tang San turned around and gave Yu Xiaogang a meaningful glance. Yu Xiaogang instantly understood Tang San's meaning, nodded repeatedly, and quickly went to the back of the city wall, shouting sternly:
"Soul Master Unit, Assemble!"
In the blink of an eye, nearly ten thousand figures rushed over and lined up in front of Yu Xiaogang. However, compared to a real army, they still appeared somewhat disorganized.
These were the true elites of the Heaven Dou Empire, a gathering of all the Soul Masters Tang San could muster. The first thirty or forty were all Soul Douluo-level powerhouses; behind them were three or four hundred Soul Saint-level powerhouses; and the remaining nearly ten thousand were Soul Emperors and below.
These Soul Master units were the trump cards that Tang San had painstakingly assembled to counter the advantage of the Spirit Hall's Soul Masters.
With the advantageous location of Zhennan Pass, which offers a commanding view, they should be able to eliminate the numerical advantage of the Spirit Hall's Soul Masters, right?
Even Tang San himself wasn't sure.
At Zhennan Pass, all was quiet. Everyone stared at the Martial Soul Empire troops slowly advancing below the pass, as if they could feel their own hearts pounding.
Heavy footsteps pounded on the battlefield, stirring up countless clouds of dust. Just as the Elephant Armor Corps was about to enter the attack range of the Heavenly Dou Army, a stunningly beautiful figure in purple slowly appeared from the direction of the Martial Soul Empire, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Bibi Dong, what's she doing here?! Has she abandoned the Spirit Hall?"
Marshal Goron said in shock.
Yu Xiaogang stared intently at the distant figure, his lips moving, his gaze unreadable. Liu Erlong stood to the side, watching Yu Xiaogang's reaction, and could only let out a deep sigh.
Tang San stared intently at Bibi Dong's figure. In his calculations, Bibi Dong couldn't possibly have come to Zhennan Pass; something must have gone wrong. Bibi Dong's presence here meant that the entire main force of the Spirit Empire, or even an enemy several times their size, was gathered here.
A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart.
Will Di Tian's plan still go so smoothly?
Before Zhennan Pass, the army of the Spirit Empire stood silently, gazing at the legendary Pope. Under his imposing and inviolable majesty, a deep sense of reverence arose spontaneously in everyone's hearts. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Bibi Dong glanced at the majestic Zhennan Pass, then gently lowered the scepter in her hand!
"kill!"
A cold word was uttered from Bibi Dong's crimson lips.
In an instant, tens of thousands of people released their soul rings simultaneously, and countless yellow, purple, and black soul rings instantly filled the entire land. A tsunami of soul power rushed madly towards Zhennan Pass!
"Spirit Feather Guards! Attack!"
With a sharp whistle, nine spirit rings soared into the sky, and Spirit Iris Douluo transformed into a giant bird, leading more than five thousand spirit masters as they flew towards the sky, heading straight for Zhennan Pass. Not only that, this army of tens of thousands split into two groups of five thousand, each with their spirit rings flashing and accompanied by soft chimes, as they flew towards the mountains on both sides of Zhennan Pass.
They want to seize the high ground on both sides of Zhennanguan!
The number of avian soul masters in the Martial Soul Empire alone is comparable to the total number of soul masters in the Heaven Dou Empire!
Immediately afterward, the Soul Masters on the ground also sprang into action. Leading over two hundred Soul Douluos, each accompanied by more than a hundred Soul Masters, countless Soul Rings flashed as they raced towards the Zhennan Pass gate!
Like a torrent of colors, it crashed into the city that had stood for tens of thousands of years.
These tens of thousands of Soul Masters actually joined forces with ordinary soldiers to carry out the most dangerous siege mission.
This method of attack is unprecedented! Because no force has ever possessed so many Soul Masters, and no force has ever dared to waste Soul Masters in this way.
Using precious Soul Masters to fill in the gaps is a complete waste!
Nearly 100,000 people rushed to Zhennan Pass, including tens of thousands of Soul Masters. This magnificent scene was dazzling and mesmerizing, yet it also sent chills down one's spine. Even the news of Bibi Dong's appearance was unconsciously ignored, and a deathly silence fell upon the city walls.
Even worse, some of them started to tremble.
"All Soul Masters, awaken your Martial Souls!"
Tang San gazed at the Soul Masters circling in the sky and decisively said.
First, he ordered two thousand men to reinforce the high ground on both sides to ensure that the high ground was not lost. Then, another eight thousand men came to the city wall to attack the Soul Masters of the Martial Soul Empire who occupied the sky while protecting the soldiers of the Heaven Dou Empire who were defending the city.
Nearly ten thousand Soul Masters released their Soul Rings simultaneously, causing Zhennan Pass to shimmer with various colors in an instant.
Countless soul skills rained down on the walls of Zhennan Pass like a storm. The soldiers of the Heaven Dou Empire had never seen so many soul masters before. Despite the assistance of the soul master troops, they were caught off guard and suffered many casualties!
Upon seeing the densely packed flying Soul Masters flying overhead, occupying half of the sky above Zhennan Pass, Hu Yanzhen's face lit up with joy. He then roared, and his seventh Soul Ring shone, transforming into a giant diamond mammoth.
Not only him, but dozens of people behind him also unleashed their Martial Soul True Forms. Under the cover of flying-type Soul Masters, the Elephant Armor Corps suffered virtually no significant damage, their speed increased dramatically, and they crashed headlong into the city gate of Zhennan Pass!
Thump—
With a deafening roar, everyone at Zhennan Pass seemed to feel a violent tremor.
One by one, grappling hooks were thrown onto the city wall and then stretched taut. A chill ran through everyone's hearts, and many people rushed to the city wall, throwing down rolling stones, oil, and other things.
However, under the cover of more than 5,000 flying-type Soul Masters, these attacks were destined to be ineffective!
Without hesitation, Tang San gave the order again:
"Uncle, quick! Get all the Haotian Sect disciples to the city wall as reserves! Marshal Ge Long, have the Imperial Guards move up immediately! Teacher, have all the Tang Sect disciples take the Zhuge Repeating Crossbows to assist with air defense! Also, have them ready to support the city wall at any time!"
"We must withstand the enemy's first wave of attack at all costs!"
"The Spirit Empire has deployed nearly 40,000 Soul Masters without holding back, all of them, aiming to crush us in their first attack. If we can withstand the first wave, their offensive will weaken, and we'll have a chance to turn the tide!" (End of Chapter)