"Suppress!"
On the other side, Bai Sheng maneuvered the Sky Star Furnace, aiming the opening right at Qiu Yu. With a wave of his right hand, the Sky Star Furnace suppressed him from above!
Dong—
With a muffled thud, the furnace opening sank into the earth.
With another wave of his arm, the Sky Star Furnace flipped back over.
Seeing this, Qiu Yu, who had been trapped inside, tried to struggle free. But before he could make a move, the Sky Star Furnace suddenly erupted with brilliant soul light, and the furnace lid directly sealed shut from above.
Clang—
In an instant, the interior of the furnace plunged into darkness.
Qiu Yu lunged upward, only to crash hard against the furnace lid.
In the outside world, looking at Qiu Yu suppressed within the Sky Star Furnace, Bai Sheng didn't give him the slightest chance to react. The soul power of a Super Douluo surged violently into the furnace, igniting the soul flames within.
At the same time, Buzz—
The Sky Star Furnace suddenly enlarged, carrying a majestic and overwhelming aura as it smashed laterally down toward the rations in the valley that had yet to be burned!
Boom—
With an explosion, a raging mountain fire instantly erupted. And this single strike also left Qiu Yu, trapped inside the furnace, completely dazed and dizzy.
Seeing this scene, Dai Hao immediately gave the order.
"The rations are destroyed! Prepare to retreat!"
Their purpose in raiding the camp was to burn the rations. Since that goal had been achieved, there was no need to stay any longer.
Even though there were no longer any powerhouses in the valley, and the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Group along with the remaining Sun Moon Empire's soul engineer groups and troops were lambs to the slaughter, there was no need to continue the massacre.
Because the previous explosions had definitely attracted the attention of the Sun Moon Army; if they stayed any longer, reinforcements would absolutely arrive. If they were too late, they might not be able to leave.
Just then, a sudden commotion came from behind them.
An army approached from the north, flying a large banner bearing the character "Luo" (罗).
This army before them was none other than Luo Fen and Luo Yuan, who had come to reinforce the valley. Seeing the flames reaching for the sky within the valley, they immediately projected their voices across the entire area.
"We are Luo Fen and Luo Yuan, ordered to reinforce you! The Marshal's command: Xu Tianyuan, Xu Tianya, and Qiu Yu are to serve as the rearguard! The Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Group and the remaining soldiers are to evacuate! Abandon all rations and head straight for the frontlines!"
The blood-stained soldiers, who were originally exhausted and on the verge of collapse, were suddenly overjoyed the moment they saw the reinforcements.
But when they heard what the reinforcements were actually saying, despair washed over them, and their newly boosted morale instantly deflated.
Xu Tianyuan, Xu Tianya, and Qiu Yu? Two dead and one suppressed—who was left to serve as the rearguard?
At this moment, having heard the voices of those who came to rescue the valley, Bai Sheng activated his Sky Star Furnace and violently pulled his arm back!
The Sky Star Furnace moved as effortlessly as an extension of his arm, sweeping out horizontally.
As for Qiu Yu inside... How could Bai Sheng, who was already prepared, let what had happened before happen again?
At this moment, starlight surged, seemingly blessing the Sky Star Furnace. However, this time, it was merely a casual strike from Bai Sheng.
He had already seen that the strongest of the two reinforcements was only at the eighty-fifth level. They were merely two Class 8 Soul Engineers; even with an army, how could they possibly contend against a Titled Douluo?
Thus, outside the valley, Luo Fen and Luo Yuan, who were leading the army, felt a sudden sense of dread when they received no response.
But before they could even give an order, they saw a "meteor" falling from the sky, crashing straight toward them!
A terrifying fluctuation of soul power ravaged the entire area at that moment.
Seeing this, the two turned pale with fright!
"Defend! Full defense!"
Almost simultaneously, layers of defensive shields were propped up by them.
But mere Class 8 defensive soul tools, even if there were many, how could they possibly block a strike from a Super Douluo like Bai Sheng?
It was almost like Mars colliding with Earth...
Boom—
The ground caved in, and flesh and blood flew. With just this one strike, the soul tool shields shattered. The Luo Fen and Luo Yuan brothers didn't even have time to employ any other measures before they died under the Sky Star Furnace.
When Dai Hao saw that the reinforcements sent by the Sun Moon Army were just this, he immediately changed his original mind and launched an extermination-style offensive against the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Group and the remaining soldiers.
Under the combined assault of four Titled Douluo—even though three of them were injured—it was still not something the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Group could withstand. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, they were all buried here.
This battle ended with Dai Hao leading the complete annihilation of the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Group, slaying one Class 9 Soul Engineer commander of the Sun Moon Empire, three Class 8 Soul Engineer commanders, and burning all the rations to ashes.
It could be called a complete and utter victory!
Thus, everyone was able to catch their breath and began to clean up the battlefield. Dai Hao himself dragged his exhausted body over to a rock and sat down, deciding to take a short rest before heading to the main battlefield.
Because he knew that Ye Yulin giving up the rations and aiming to rescue the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Group and the other troops meant he was preparing to launch a decisive battle. The Ming Dou Mountains had likely already become a battlefield.
However...
Dai Hao slightly raised his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in his gaze as he quietly watched the fire consume the granaries and rations hoarded in the valley.
This fire had burned the rations to a crisp. In this decisive battle, they didn't even need to win. As long as they could withstand the Sun Moon's offensive, that would be victory!
Furthermore...
"It's about time."
Dai Hao roughly calculated the days; it had been almost twenty-plus days since then.
According to the decision they had made back then, the news of Ming Du's fall should be reaching the Sun Moon Army just about now. When that time came, it would be the true moment for their Star Luo Army to counterattack.
"Marshal Dai."
Just then, Bai Sheng suddenly walked up to Dai Hao with a beaming smile. Seeing this, Dai Hao wanted to stand up, but he had barely left the rock when Bai Sheng gently pressed him back down with a slight raise of his hand.
"Eh, there's no need to stand."
Saying this, he raised his right hand. The Sky Star Furnace was seen spinning nimbly in his palm.
The next second, the Sky Star Furnace suddenly enlarged!
The moment the furnace lid opened, a figure tumbled out—it was none other than the battered and sorry-looking Qiu Yu.
However, the moment he rolled out, he scrambled to his feet, surging his soul power in an attempt to resist.
Yet Bai Sheng merely raised a finger, and the Sky Star Furnace above rained down rays of starlight, pressing down on Qiu Yu. Even so, Qiu Yu wasn't forced to his knees; his bones were quite tough.
Seeing this, Dai Yaoheng, who was standing to the side, angrily shouted.
"A defeated general, and you still won't kneel!"
"Defeat is defeat, death is death! How could I kneel!"
Facing the deaths of all his colleagues and subordinates, Qiu Yu was already in a state of extreme fury, his eyes blood-red.
Finally, he cursed viciously and hurled insults.
"Dai Hao! You Star Luo dog who forgot his ancestors and lineage deserves to die!"
"Impudent! How dare you be so disrespectful!"
Seeing him insult his father like this, Dai Yaoheng was enraged!
He then delivered a kick straight to the back of Qiu Yu's knees.
This caused Qiu Yu, who was already struggling under the oppressive weight of the Sky Star Furnace, to fall to the ground. The injuries covering his body made him suffer even more agonizing pain.
But this scene did not elicit any pity from the others.
Even though he was a powerhouse who shouldn't normally suffer such humiliation.
Dai Hao looked coldly at Qiu Yu; that curse just now had truly struck a nerve.
Looking at this defeated general, Dai Hao turned his gaze to Bai Sheng. "Your Eminence, please cripple him completely. As for his life... it might still be of some use."
Bai Sheng nodded slightly. "Agreed."
...
Meanwhile, in Ming Du.
"The time has come."
Gu Tianchen walked into the room. He first glanced at the imprisoned Sun Moon court officials, then turned his gaze to Chen Junting, who was sitting calmly to the side and still had the mind to drink tea.
"It's been over twenty days, right."
He slowly put down his teacup. This caused the still-busy Sun Moon officials to raise their heads with a glimmer of hope. However, what they met was Chen Junting's faintly smiling gaze, which carried a profound and meaningful undertone.
In an instant, cold sweat broke out profusely on these officials, and they hurriedly lowered their heads again.
"Yes, we shouldn't imprison the entire city of Ming Du any longer."
Chen Junting slowly stood up. His aura seemed to unconsciously leak out; the pressure of a level 95 Super Douluo, even if only a wisp was revealed, bent the waists of all the officials.
Once it was fully retracted...
"Old Gu, tell everyone to get ready to head back. Also..."
Chen Junting paused, walking over to Meng Hongchen's side.
As if he had prepared it in advance, he placed a pen and a piece of paper in front of Meng Hongchen, his tone rather gentle as he said, "Come, Empress of the Sun Moon Empire, help us write a letter. As for the content, just write the truth. For example, that we attacked the Sun Moon Imperial Palace, killed Xu Tianran, and imprisoned all of you..."
Meng Hongchen remained silent, simply taking the items and starting to write.
Facing all this, all the officials lowered their heads. Only Xiao Hongchen glared angrily at Chen Junting, completely disregarding the massive gap in their strength. Instead, his glare made Chen Junting feel a bit awkward, as if he had done something inappropriate to Meng Hongchen.
"This should be good."
He took the letter from Meng Hongchen's hands and scanned it.
"Well written."
Chen Junting offered a casual compliment, then left a parting remark, "I wish you a safe delivery of your imperial prince, and I hope your dreams come true."
The underlying meaning in his words went unnoticed by the others. However, Meng Hongchen suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with surprise.
But Chen Junting paid no more attention to this. Obtaining this letter meant that the business here was concluded.
After walking out of the room, Gu Tianchen had already gathered everyone.
Over the past twenty-plus days, the others hadn't just been sitting around idly; they had been constantly plundering the essence of the Sun Moon Empire. Recalling their previous looting sprees, they could only grab whatever they could get their hands on, always aiming for the good and powerful items.
But this time, it was different!
With over twenty days of ample time, it was enough for them to thoroughly ransack the Mingde Hall and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
In their eyes, whether it was useful or not, they would pack it up and take it back first. This not only filled up their own storage soul tools to the brim, but they even had to use storage soul tools scavenged from the students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy or from Mingde Hall to hold it all.
"Looks like everyone has harvested quite a bounty."
Chen Junting said with a smile, looking at the group.
"The harvest is indeed not bad." Wu Feng patted her chest, feeling quite proud. "You could say we've completely emptied out all the data from Mingde Hall."
Wu Feng's words made Zhang Lexuan deeply nod in agreement.
"These materials can significantly enhance the foundation of the academy's Soul Engineering Department. Who knows, in the future, we might even be able to overtake the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy on the curve."
As the next Master of the Sea God Pavilion appointed by Elder Mu, Zhang Lexuan naturally upheld the concept of dual development for both the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Engineering Department. She wanted to make Shrek Academy the number one academy on the continent with no shortcomings, completely shedding the label of just being a "Soul Master" academy.
Therefore, the development of the Martial Soul Department must remain unchanged, maintaining its previous momentum; the Soul Engineering Department, on the other hand, needed to be developed with increased vigor, using the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy as the benchmark. And the materials obtained this time were the most powerful capital to help them overtake on the curve!
"This plundering spree can be said to have caused a significant regression for the Sun Moon Empire," Ning Tian chimed in at this moment.
She added at the end, "Of course, in terms of soul tool technology."
With the soul tool technology data emptied out, it meant that the Sun Moon Empire's efforts in soul tool research had all been in vain.
After all, the volume of soul tool technology research was massive, and it was impossible for the human brain to remember it all. So even if the researchers who studied these technologies were still alive, it would be extremely difficult for them to replicate the data. If emptying it out wasn't causing a regression, what was?
"Actually, it's the same for them politically." Chen Junting replied, and then said, "Since everyone has reaped a good harvest, it's about time we head home."
"Likewise, it's about time this war came to an end as well."
As soon as these words were spoken, it instantly resonated with everyone.
"Let's head back then!"
"That's right, we can't wait any longer."
"..."
Clearly, everyone was unable to hold back their eagerness.
"Alright."
After responding, Chen Junting handed the letter written by Meng Hongchen to Gu Tianchen, saying, "Old rules, you make the trip."
Gu Tianchen took the letter, seemingly already used to this.
"Give it to who?"
"Jing Hongchen."
Suddenly, Gu Tianchen raised his head with a dumbfounded expression.
"You're asking me to deliver it!? Aren't you afraid I'll lose my life?"
You have to know, the main issue wasn't Jing Hongchen, but rather that Jing Hongchen was currently at the battlefield in the Ming Dou Mountains. By the time he got there, the war would likely have already begun. Asking him to hand it to Jing Hongchen...
Wasn't that just throwing himself into danger?
Who would have thought that Chen Junting just patted him on the shoulder.
"I believe in you."
Believe in me my ass! Screw you! I don't buy your bullshit!
Gu Tianchen snatched the letter and said grumpily:
"Fine! I'm leaving."
Chen Junting waved his hand at him, offering a blessing:
"Old Gu, safe travels."
(T/N: The Chinese phrase used here, '一路走好', is typically a condolence phrase for the dead lmao).
However, the response he got was a stumbling figure from behind, a raised middle finger, and a silhouette that vanished in an instant.
As Gu Tianchen left, Chen Junting turned back around.
"Alright, let's pull out too."
With a wave of his hand, a giant Seven Kill Sword floated in mid-air.
After Chen Junting leaped onto it, the others quickly followed suit; even Di Tian and Xiong Jun stepped onto the blade.
The next second, the Seven Kill Sword sped off toward the north!
The moment they flew away from Ming Du, the plants and vines that had engulfed the entire city instantly retracted. The massive Demon Eye Tree that stood on the plains outside Ming Du also transformed into a human figure, leapt into the air, and chased after the giant sword speeding to the north.
About half an hour later, Ming Du, which had originally been pitch-black, became brightly lit.
Shouts, wails... the myriad of human conditions was vividly displayed in Ming Du at this very moment.
In their eyes, those terrifying demons were finally gone! Ming Du was thoroughly liberated!
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