High-altitude reconnaissance Soul Tools were blocked by a stronger interference field, and integrated Soul Tool arrays were destroyed first by precise long-range artillery fire.
Under the sudden assaults of the Molten Fire Knights and terrifying anti-air firepower from the ground, the floating battleships fell like targets.
In terms of high-end combat power, the Sun and Moon Empire was plunged into despair.
Leaving aside powerhouses like Jingliu and Dan Heng, the battle formation alone of those five hundred Molten Fire Knights was enough to deter any opponent at the Titled Douluo level.
The Starry Sky Douluo, Ye Yulin, attempted to intervene but was forced back by a single spear thrust from Dan Heng. Feeling the power contained within the spearhead, a power far beyond his comprehension, he could only retreat in defeat.
The army collapsed like a falling mountain.
Led by Lu Jingming, the forces of the Star Luo Empire advanced triumphantly, not only recovering all lost territory but also counter-attacking directly into the Ming Dou Mountain Range, thoroughly driving the Sun and Moon Empire's army out of this former strategic stronghold.
Victorious reports flew back like snowflakes to the rear of the Star Luo Empire.
All of a sudden, the name Lu Jingming resonated throughout the entire Star Luo Empire.
From the imperial court to the marketplace, from Soul Masters to commoners, everyone was singing his praises.
It was he who stepped forward in the empire's direst hour, he who defeated the arrogant invaders with lightning speed, and he who protected the empire's territory and the people's safety.
He became the undisputed hero of the Star Luo Empire.
In this, the propaganda machine controlled by the Star Luo Royal Family, especially Princess Xu Jiujiu, played a vital role.
She spared no effort in shaping Lu Jingming into a savior-like figure; every victory was greatly publicized, and every achievement was tinged with a mythical color.
She knew deeply that to smoothly transfer the imperial authority to Lu Jingming, public opinion guidance was paramount.
The clever people of the empire had long seen the direction of the wind.
The Royal Family was the first, and unreservedly, to side with Lu Jingming. Representatives of old powers who had the ability and ambition to resist or cause trouble had already been purged following the demise of the White Tiger lineage.
What remained were either discerning individuals who recognized the current situation or mediocre people powerless to resist.
Under the dual influence of military victory and public opinion manipulation, Lu Jingming's authority was established at an astonishing speed.
In just half a month, he not only gained complete control over all military power in the Star Luo Empire, but his prestige and influence also surpassed that of the old-guard nobles and military leaders, making him the de facto uncrowned king of the Star Luo Empire.
All this seemed to be a case of times making the hero, of Lu Jingming being entrusted with a mission and turning the tide in a crisis.
But only the handful of people standing at the pinnacle of power knew clearly that this was merely the unseen chess master, after a long period of careful planning and patient waiting, finally smilingly dropping the long-prepared piece, completing the final takeover of the "chessboard" that was the Star Luo Empire.
The old era crashed down amidst the smoke and blood of the Ming Dou Mountain Range.
And the new era belonging to Lu Jingming and Abyss City was slowly drawing its curtain, accompanied by thunderous victory songs and the cheers of the populace.
Sun and Moon Empire, New Mingdu, Imperial Palace.
A low-pressure atmosphere permeated the magnificent and cold palace.
Attendants knelt trembling on the floor, not daring to take a deep breath.
"Clang—!"
A crisp, harsh shattering sound broke the dead silence.
Emperor Xu Tianran's face was distorted as he violently smashed the priceless imperial tea cup in his hand to the floor, sending fragments and scalding tea flying.
"Trash, a bunch of trash!!"
His chest heaved violently, his roar echoing through the empty hall.
"The Ming Dou Mountain Range, my Ming Dou Mountain Range, was actually taken back by those stray dogs?! And my Soul Master Legions, my floating battleships, are they made of paper?!"
He had just received an urgent front-line report: led by the man named Lu Jingming, the Star Luo Empire had not only withstood the assault but had also counter-attacked with overwhelming force, retaking the strategic Ming Dou Mountain Range he had worked so hard to occupy. The dispatched army suffered heavy losses and was forced into a full-scale retreat.
The previous pride and ambition from their unbroken string of victories were ruthlessly shattered by reality, turning into overwhelming fury and a sense of being utterly fooled.
He felt like a giant furiously throwing a punch, only to strike a bottomless abyss, not only failing to cause a ripple but having his strength swallowed by the icy waters.
"Abyss City... a fine Abyss City."
Xu Tianran ground his teeth, his eyes flashing with malice and dread.
"They were indeed deeply hidden. I've long known they weren't simple, but I never expected... them to be this powerful."
He had always kept his vigilance against Abyss City at the highest level, yet the technical and military strength they displayed this time still exceeded his estimate.
The weapons that completely crushed their Soul Tool technology, and the Molten Fire Knight Corps whose members could contend with Titled Douluo, made his heart pound with fear.
Just then, a calm and aged voice sounded from the side:
"Your Majesty, there is no need to be angry. Hasn't all of this been within our expectations?"
The speaker was Kong Deming, the doyen of the Sun and Moon Empire's Soul Tool world.
He maintained his usual composure, as if the front-line defeat had nothing to do with him.
He gently stroked the Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier in his hand and slowly said, "Since Abyss City chose to act at this time, they must have been completely prepared. Our previous success might have been within their calculations all along, using our hands to eliminate the disobedient old powers within Star Luo."
He looked up at the still-furious Xu Tianran, his tone steady:
"Getting angry now is futile. The urgent priority is to quickly concentrate our forces, taking advantage of Abyss City's main strength seemingly being focused on the Star Luo direction, to attack and capture the already weakened Heaven Dou Empire and Dou Ling Empire. As long as we take these two nations, we will still possess the majority of the continent's territory, providing ample strategic depth and resources."
Kong Deming paused, a deep glint flashing in his eyes:
"As for the Star Luo Empire, that toughest nut to crack... since Abyss City has stepped onto the stage, it is only natural that the two Great Annihilation Monarchs should deal with them."
His words somewhat dampened the rage in Xu Tianran's heart.
Xu Tianran took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He knew Kong Deming was right.
The alliance with the Great Annihilation Monarchs was always like sleeping with a tiger. Now that Abyss City, an even more uncontrollable variable, had emerged, letting those two "Monarchs" deal with them was undoubtedly the choice most beneficial to the empire at present.
He looked at the composed Kong Deming, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.
He knew Kong Deming had his own thoughts and schemes, but that didn't matter. As long as Kong Deming could still be used by him now, everything else would be settled after he completed his hegemony and unified the Douluo Continent.
And Kong Deming also knew what Xu Tianran was thinking. He had indeed made comprehensive preparations.
He had sent Xu Tianzhen into Abyss City and was fully aware of Zhang Lexuan's identity.
Regardless of whether the Sun and Moon Empire ultimately prevailed or if Abyss City had the last laugh, the bloodline of the Sun and Moon Imperial Family was ensured a continuation.
Therefore, Kong Deming had nothing to worry about. However, compared to Abyss City, he undoubtedly hoped that Xu Tianran would succeed, as that would be the best outcome for the Sun and Moon Imperial lineage.
"Teacher's words... are very true."
Xu Tianran was silent for a moment, finally suppressing all emotions and regaining the composure of an emperor, though his gaze was colder than ever.
"Issue my decree. Order the front-line forces to abandon the entanglement with Star Luo and focus all efforts on attacking the Heaven Dou Empire's capital. I want to see the flag of the Heaven Dou Empire completely erased from the continent within three months."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Kong Deming bowed slightly, a subtle arc tracing his lips.
The Imperial Palace of New Mingdu returned to a surface calm, but the undercurrent had already shifted direction.
The focus of the war moved from the Star Luo Empire to the tottering Heaven Dou and Dou Ling Empires.
The God Realm.
This sacred place, which should have been eternally peaceful and overseen all realms, had completely devolved into a battlefield of chaos and destruction.
The firmament was shattered, and the laws wailed.
The once magnificent temples were reduced to ruins, and rivers flowing with divine energy were evaporated by raging power.
As far as the eye could see, there were only rampant energy storms, cracking spatial rifts, and terrifying, crisscrossing attacks capable of easily tearing apart stars.
At the core of the battlefield, several figures radiating supreme divine might were furiously clashing.
Tang San, wrapped in blood-red divine light and wielding the Asura Devil Sword, had a ferocious face and eyes burning with the flames of almost insane hatred. Every move was aimed at the crimson figure constantly scattering the fires of destruction across the battlefield—Ma Hongjun.
The former brother, now the Herrscher of Flame, Ma Hongjun's pair of fiery wings, formed from pure destructive energy, stirred up world-scorching heatwaves with every flap, scorching and warping the very space of the God Realm.
Not far away, the Gold Dragon King, covered in dark-golden scales and exuding infinite brutality and weight, roared as he tangled with the Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction.
Every swing of his colossal dragon body stirred up the laws of nature. Countless gravity waves materialized out of thin air, carrying the authority of the Herrscher, attempting to thoroughly suppress the two God Kings.
And the supreme experts from the Six God Realms also displayed their unique powers:
The Holy Sword of the God King of Light, Chang Gong Wei.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang of the Immortal Emperor, Hai Long.
The Withered Wood Dragon's Roar Zither of the Zither Emperor, Ye Yinzhu.
The Devil God Bow of the Heavenly Emperor, Tian Hen.
The Mad God Armor of the Berserk God, Lei Xiang.
The Netherworld King Sword of the Death God, Ah Dai.
This was an epochal melee that swept across the entire core of the God Realm and affected countless deities.
Hatred, greed, destruction, protection... all kinds of extreme emotions and wills violently collided here, reducing the former order and rules of the God Realm Committee to an absolute joke.
It was precisely in this chaotic vortex, which could make any deity lose their mind, that Tang San, who had been madly focused on hunting down Ma Hongjun, felt a sudden tremor in his heart, which had been consumed by hatred.
It wasn't due to an external attack, but originated from the depths of his divine soul: two imprints of divine consciousness, closely linked to his origin, had sequentially... extinguished in a very short time.
One originated from the life core of the Douluo Continent—the Ancient Golden Tree, where he had placed his hopes and left a fallback plan.
The other caused his mind and spirit to shake violently—it was the divine consciousness clone he had left on his daughter, Tang Wutong.
"How is this possible?!"
A colossal wave surged in Tang San's mind.
The loss of the Ancient Golden Tree's clone could perhaps be explained by an unforeseen change in the lower realm.
But the clone on Xiao Qi... that was the last safeguard he had left at the cost of his origin to protect his daughter.
Unless Xiao Qi herself met with disaster, or... an existence surpassing his imagination forcibly wiped out the clone.
Simultaneously, as his rationality returned, he clearly felt that the power of faith and authority contained within the Sea God position he commanded was... decaying at an extremely slow, yet unbelievably firm and irreversible pace.
The Sea God position was not unique. Theoretically, even if a new Sea God appeared in another plane, it wouldn't shake his position, which was rooted in the Douluo Star and recognized by the God Realm.
Unless... unless a brand new Sea God, one acknowledged by the will of that world, had emerged in the Douluo Continent itself.
This new god was fundamentally shaking and replacing the foundation of his authority as the "Sea God of the Douluo Star."
What in the world... was happening in the lower realm, the Douluo Continent?!
The demise of his divine clones and the decay of the Sea God's authority... this series of bad news was like a massive hammer, fiercely striking Tang San's heart, which had been blinded by hatred, forcing a sliver of clarity from his reckless madness.
And just as this sliver of clarity flashed, perhaps guided by intuition, or perhaps by the subtle pull of destiny, his immensely powerful divine sense pierced the thick barrier between the God Realm and the lower realm, catching a wisp of an extremely faint but soul-shakingly familiar aura—
Xiao Wu!
It was Xiao Wu's aura. Though as faint as a candle in the wind, flickering unsteadily, he would never mistake the bond that originated from his soulmate.
Xiao Wu... is alive?! She's actually on the Douluo Continent?!
This discovery utterly galvanized Tang San.
Hope, even a tiny, slim hope, was enough to temporarily overwhelm the all-consuming fire of hatred.
He was no longer fighting solely for revenge but also for the possibility of what he had lost and found again.
The overwhelming killing intent retreated like a tide, replaced by calculation and forbearance.
Tang San's movements did not pause in the slightest; they became even more furious. The blood-red sword light from the Asura Devil Sword tore through space, forcing Ma Hongjun to retreat repeatedly, flames scattering everywhere.
The ferocity on his face remained, as if he were still the Asura God driven mad by the "death" of his beloved wife.
But deep within his eyes, hidden beneath the divine light, the insane crimson quickly receded, replaced by his inherent shrewdness.
He could not let anyone see that he had sobered up, especially the covetous Six God Kings and the strangely powerful Gold Dragon King and Ma Hongjun.
His divine sense silently spread through the chaotic battle.
He quickly assessed the situation.
The flow of time in the God Realm was different from the lower realm. Not much time had passed here, so the lower realm must have changed drastically.
To simultaneously erase his two divine clones and foster a new Sea God, the lower realm must have undergone an earth-shattering upheaval.
And the appearance of Xiao Wu's aura in the lower realm was full of mystery.