So, the Sun Moon Empire's target wasn't the Dou Ling Empire, but the Tian Hun Empire!
As the meeting reconvened, Chen Junting also learned the details of the "Sun Moon Poisoning Case" from the Dou Ling Empire's side.
When he learned that the two Sun Moon Empire envoys had drunk fine wine produced in the Tian Hun Empire, Chen Junting immediately understood. It was as if he had seen through a fog and grasped their true objective.
But was this pretext normal?
Of course, it wasn't!
Poisoning Sun Moon Empire envoys with wine produced in the Tian Hun Empire.
That was an absolute joke.
But the key point was that if the Sun Moon Empire wanted to seize on this to launch a war, it was as good a pretext as any.
The Sun Moon Empire's ambitions were now laid bare.
And because of this...
"Shameless!"
An angry roar echoed through the meeting room!
Hearing this, Chen Junting, who stood behind Ning Bowen, seemed to lower his eyes, but his gaze was fixed on the Tian Hun Emperor, whose face was flushed with anger.
"The Sun Moon Empire has the heart of a wolf! Beneath that facade of peace lies the ambition to strike against us all along! They deserve to be destroyed!"
The Tian Hun Emperor didn't mention condemning the Sun Moon Empire for the act itself, because he was also an emperor and well-versed in such tactics. He knew that the moment the Sun Moon Empire envoys died after drinking wine from his country, he had already given them the perfect excuse.
It's like getting mud in your pants—even if it isn't shit, it might as well be.
Furthermore, this incident happening in the Dou Ling Empire served another purpose: it was a form of open conspiracy aimed at the Dou Ling Empire.
"With this incident, Our Dou Ling may not be able to participate in the war."
Xue Feng's shocking words left everyone in the room dumbfounded.
Even Chen Junting turned to look at him.
"Xue Feng, what in the world are you talking about!?"
The Tian Hun Emperor, who was still in the middle of his impassioned condemnation, nearly twisted his waist. He locked his furious gaze on Xue Feng. Even Xu Jiawei, who had been watching the drama unfold, couldn't help but sit up straight, his expression grave.
This was no laughing matter.
"Dou Ling Emperor, you should know that a monarch's word is his bond."
This was undoubtedly a reminder to Xue Feng: you just signed an alliance with us last night. Are you going to go back on your word now?
"This is truly a helpless move on My part," Xue Feng sighed with feigned regret. "If my Dou Ling Empire were to send troops, wouldn't that just give the Sun Moon Empire the excuse that it was Dou Ling who poisoned their envoys?"
"Don't forget that the Sun Moon Empire poisoned Dou Ling's late Emperor, your brother," Xu Jiawei said, the corner of his mouth twitching. He quickly spoke up to remind him before the Tian Hun Emperor could say anything.
Who would have thought that Xue Feng would simply wave his hand, his tone low.
"Alleged, alleged..."
Tian Hun Emperor: ...
Alleged, my ass!!!
At this, everyone's mouth twitched.
Xu Jiawei's face also darkened at this moment.
Alleged!?
Then why were you so certain last night?!
And the moment something happens, it immediately becomes "alleged"!?
This new Dou Ling Emperor... certainly knows how to be "adaptable."
Chen Junting glanced toward Xue Feng, suddenly finding his thick skin quite interesting. Looking at Xue Feng's expression of helplessness and regret, he thought to himself: As far as he's concerned, is this incident more of a blessing or a curse?
It was probably a blessing.
"Then how do you intend to fulfill the alliance?"
The Tian Hun Emperor's tone was stiff, even displeased.
"Or are you withdrawing?"
In an instant, all eyes in the meeting room fell upon Xue Feng, awaiting his reply.
"Of course, we will not withdraw."
A smile played in Xue Feng's eyes. His tone was meant to be reassuring, but in reality, he was like a cunning fox.
"The Sun Moon Empire's ambitions are clear for all to see; we must strike them together. But due to last night's incident, it is impossible for Our Dou Ling Empire to participate openly."
Hearing this, the Tian Hun Emperor's expression eased slightly. Xu Jiawei, however, remained unmoved, wanting to see what this new emperor was really getting at.
"If not openly, then secretly," the Tian Hun Emperor said, looking at Xue Feng in a deep voice. "Tell us, how exactly do you plan to fulfill our alliance in secret?"
"All we can do is provide logistical support."
Xue Feng then began to speak at length, circling around one main point: the Dou Ling Empire would not send troops, but they would help with everything else, contributing to the effort to eliminate the Sun Moon Empire.
After listening, the Tian Hun Emperor, though solemn-faced, still nodded in agreement. "Acceptable. But the agreed-upon division of interests must be renegotiated."
"This..."
Hearing this, a flicker of hesitation crossed Xue Feng's face.
"Brother Wei is right," Xu Jiawei interjected at this moment. "Since the Dou Ling Empire isn't sending troops and its contribution will be far less than ours, how could it possibly receive a larger share?"
"So be it."
As if persuaded, Xue Feng nodded slightly. This satisfied the Tian Hun Emperor greatly, but Xu Jiawei frowned slightly. It wasn't dissatisfaction with the answer, but a feeling that something was off.
Chen Junting felt the same way.
Xue Feng's response this time didn't fit his impression of him over the past few days. Had he really given in so easily?
But regardless, the Sun Moon Empire had indeed provided a major assist to the Dou Ling Empire this time. Once the war began, of the four great empires—Sun Moon, Tian Hun, Star Luo, and Dou Ling—only the Dou Ling Empire would likely be able to preserve most of its vital forces. And then...
It would be a perfect opportunity for the latecomer to come out on top!
At this thought, a look of understanding flashed in Chen Junting's eyes.
So this was Xue Feng's real plan!
Or perhaps...
There was even more to it?
"Alright."
At this moment, the Tian Hun Emperor suddenly spoke, interrupting Chen Junting's thoughts. He had already ordered the soul tool holographic map from last night to be brought out and placed in the center of the meeting room again.
But this time, it wasn't for dividing interests, but for determining exactly how the Sun Moon Empire would attack the Tian Hun Empire.
"Since the Sun Moon Empire's target is my Tian Hun Empire, unless they pass through the Star Luo Empire or bypass the sea and cross the Dou Ling Empire, their only route of attack is by sea. And my Tian Hun Empire's sea borders are heavily guarded, with our elite forces stationed there, ready for battle. If the Sun Moon Empire dares to invade, we will ensure that none of their people return."
The Tian Hun Emperor spoke with the confidence of a man charting the course of a nation, his tone full of assurance. "I predict that the Sun Moon Empire will attack within three days. As long as my Tian Hun Empire waits at our leisure, we are certain to achieve a great victory."
Everyone was stunned by the Tian Hun Emperor's confidence.
Was he really that sure?
But they had to admit, what the Tian Hun Emperor said made some sense. It was indeed a likely route for the Sun Moon Empire to take.
"Does anyone else have a different view?"
With those words, the meeting room fell silent.
Some were silent, some in agreement, some with a hint of scorn... but no one spoke. Even those who seemed scornful appeared to be doing so deliberately.
However, just then, "I have an objection."
A voice suddenly cut in from the side, instantly drawing the attention of the Tian Hun Emperor and everyone else.
When everyone looked toward the source of the voice, they saw a white-haired youth standing tall and straight as a pine behind Ning Bowen and Ye Xuanji, his eyes sharp as sword light, staring directly at the Tian Hun Emperor.
Obviously, Chen Junting was the one who had spoken.
Aside from Xue Feng, who had heard little of him, everyone else present knew Chen Junting by reputation. His strength and battle record were such that all were convinced of his prowess.
Therefore, his sudden interjection did not draw the displeasure of the others or even the Tian Hun Emperor. In fact, after the Tian Hun Emperor noticed that Ning Bowen, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Ye Xuanji, the Chief Supreme Elder, had no objections, he didn't wait for Chen Junting to speak again, taking the initiative to ask for his opinion.
Even as an emperor, his address to Chen Junting was quite respectful, without a hint of a monarch's arrogance.
"I wonder, what guidance might you have on my assessment?"
The Tian Hun Emperor was courteous, and Chen Junting naturally returned the courtesy, cupping his fists. "I wouldn't call it guidance, but why are you so certain the Sun Moon Empire will launch their assault on the Tian Hun Empire within three days? Why not now, or last night, or even several days ago?"
At this, Chen Junting paused for a moment.
"If it were me, the moment I made such a decision, my armies would already be poised for action. I would calculate the most opportune moment and attack immediately. By the time you could react, I would have already captured several cities."
Hearing this, a glint flashed in Xue Feng's eyes. His earlier scorn was for this very reason.
Since the Sun Moon Empire had long been prepared, how could they possibly attack in such a routine manner? They would have struck early.
But with the mindset of weakening the Tian Hun Empire, and believing that the Tian Hun Empire would not be severely crippled as a result, he had not spoken up to remind them. He never expected that this young man would bring it up.
In that instant, Xue Feng became very interested in Chen Junting.
He glanced to the side, condensed his voice into a thread, and sent it into an ear. "Protector Heavenly Sun, just who is this white-haired youth?"
There was nothing to hide. After all, Chen Junting's deeds had long been widely circulated among the major powers, and many teams who had gone to Ming Du to compete had received his kindness.
So, Xue Feng quickly learned everything from Heavenly Sun Douluo. And with that, his interest grew even more!
Chen Junting, of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect...
Subtly, Xue Feng shifted his gaze to the seat where Ning Bowen was. But just as his eyes met theirs, his gaze intersected with Ye Xuanji's in mid-air.
Facing the gaze of a Limit Douluo, Xue Feng's heart did not falter. Instead, he gave a slight nod and a fitting smile.
When he looked away, he thought to himself:
He remembered that before the Tian Dou Empire split, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had quite a deep relationship with their Xue family...
After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect really had its share of talent.
At that moment, Chen Junting, who was answering the Tian Hun Emperor, did not know that he, and even the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, had just become a target of interest.
However, after Chen Junting finished speaking, the Tian Hun Emperor gave his response. "What you say is indeed reasonable, but..."
He took a token-like soul tool from his storage soul tool and displayed it to everyone. "The reason I made this judgment is that from beginning to end, this soul tool of mine has not sounded an alarm. Unless my Tian Hun Empire's navy was completely wiped out in an instant, they would absolutely have had time to send me a message of the Sun Moon Empire's invasion."
Obviously, as an emperor, the Tian Hun Emperor was not a fool. Even if he couldn't have thought of this himself, the officials of his court could not all be useless.
So, for the concern Chen Junting raised, the Tian Hun Emperor was unconcerned precisely because he was already prepared.
At this moment, Chen Junting's heart stirred, and he looked slightly surprised. "Are you saying the Tian Hun Empire has deployed its navy all along its sea borders?"
"Correct."
The Tian Hun Emperor nodded slightly in confirmation. Saying this, he took out a small soul tool pointer and approached the holographic map.
The pointer swiped across the map of light and shadow!
In an instant, a red line formed of soul power appeared on the map, looking like a barrier. In reality, it was the interconnected Tian Hun Navy, blocking the front of the Tian Hun's seas. As long as one point was attacked, the surrounding naval forces would immediately move out to reinforce the beleaguered fleet.
"I have not only deployed the navy, but I have also stationed the armies ready for war in the west, prepared to move at a moment's notice. If the Sun Moon Empire dares to come, they will meet a head-on counterattack from my Tian Hun Empire!"
Seeing the image on the holographic map, especially the red line drawn by the Tian Hun Emperor, everyone couldn't help but nod.
Indeed, that seemed to be the case.
However, five words popped into Chen Junting's mind:
The Maginot Line.
How similar this deployment was!
After the Tian Hun Emperor finished speaking, he looked back at Chen Junting, only to find that he was now silent.
"Do you have any other thoughts?" The Tian Hun Emperor made a "please" gesture, inviting him to come forward and explain.
Chen Junting exchanged a look with Ning Tian, who had turned her head, then walked up to the holographic map without hesitation. He pointed and drew a line in the air, tracing a route on the map from the Sun Moon Empire to the Extreme North, and then from deep within the Extreme North into the Tian Hun Empire.
"If it were me, I would bypass the Tian Hun Empire's sea territory, enter the Extreme North through the Ice Sea, and then launch a blitzkrieg south against the Tian Hun."
The Tian Hun Emperor's brow furrowed, and his pupils contracted. After a moment of contemplation, he waved his hand. "That should be impossible. The environment of the Extreme North is harsh; it's practically a forbidden land for us. How could the Sun Moon Empire's great army possibly cross it?"
"They don't need a great army."
Who would have thought that as soon as the words left his mouth, he was refuted by Chen Junting. "All that's needed is an elite soul engineer team. Under the protection of their soul tools, that would be enough to cross that stretch of the Extreme North."
"Besides, didn't you just say that many armies have been deployed to the western continental border? How many elite, battle-ready troops could possibly be left in the north? Even if there are, can the Tian Hun's elite forces, caught off guard, truly withstand a sudden assault from the Sun Moon Empire?"
These two questions left the Tian Hun Emperor at a loss for words.
Chen Junting's final sentence was like the last straw that crushed the last bit of luck in the Tian Hun Emperor's heart.
"I've heard the Sun Moon Empire has the 'Guardian Hands,' a Beast King-level Soul Engineer Legion. The Evil Monarch Soul Engineer among them, I believe, specializes in rapid movement and surprise attacks. If it were me, I would use a blitzkrieg to strike directly at the heart of the Tian Hun Empire, severely crippling them first and foremost."
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