Bang—Bang—
In the high-altitude battlefield above the Ming Dou Mountains, two streaks of light—one dark green, one dark red—collided like shooting stars. The sheer might of their clash, with only a fraction affecting the ground below, caused the mountain peaks to tremble endlessly. It looked as though they could collapse or crumble at any moment.
This kind of battle had been going on for an unknown number of hours. However, for two Limit Douluos, the endurance provided by their soul cores meant they rarely had to worry about exhausting their soul power.
"'Zhongli Wu,' you must pay with your life for the disciples of my sect!"
The moment they separated, Du Busi roared boldly.
The next second, he took massive strides forward. His entire being was like a meteorite plummeting from space, charging straight toward "Zhongli Wu."
If "Zhongli Wu" resembled an evil demon from a sea of blood at this moment, then Du Busi was like a dark green demonic sun, radiating a domineering, tyrannical, and eerily berserk aura.
But in the next instant, Du Busi's entire body erupted with brilliant golden light. The moment he activated his Flawless Golden Body, his figure instantly pivoted. With a sideways turn, his originally short stature actually began to grow larger. Simultaneously, his right foot stomped heavily onto the void. Accompanied by a deafening boom, the air beneath his feet shattered layer by layer, radiating outward from the point of impact!
Every muscle in Du Busi's body completely tensed in a split second, and the intense golden light seemed to converge on his right elbow. As the heel of his right foot lifted, supporting himself entirely on his toes, the pant legs over his calves instantly burst apart, revealing leg muscles that were even more solid than granite. Then, an unadorned elbow strike—like a falling meteor—slammed viciously toward "Zhongli Wu."
Wherever it passed, the air twisted and became illusory; even space itself was directly torn open, making it impossible for an ordinary person to clearly see the true trajectory of the elbow strike. The terrifying airflow stimulated the air, causing a series of sharp whistles and sonic booms.
He did not use a soul skill, nor did he need to. Under the state of the Flawless Golden Body, this strike was the perfect fusion of his essence, energy, and spirit. It seemed like the simplest physical attack, yet it incorporated his entire imposing aura into his elbow. Its power even surpassed a Titled Douluo's ninth soul skill.
"You've said that more than once." A cold sneer curled up at the corner of "Zhongli Wu's" mouth. "An unfulfilled threat is just a joke. Bring it on!"
Swinging his demonic scythe, it was as if he drained all the air and the sea of blood around him. With a single slash of the scythe, the area it traversed was reduced to a vacuum. Dark energy surged forth, resembling a black ribbon slashing across the daytime sky, as if night were descending once more.
Boom—
"Zhongli Wu's" demonic scythe and Du Busi's elbow violently collided, sending terrifying shockwaves splashing out in all directions. Surprisingly, the scythe was actually knocked upward by the elbow strike, causing "Zhongli Wu's" body to spin half a circle as he staggered backward several steps.
Even though "Zhongli Wu" was forced back, his hand movements didn't stop. A sweeping horizontal slash of the scythe knocked away Du Busi's incoming fist. Then, his body suddenly twisted, spinning the scythe around and drawing his body back like a fully drawn bow. Generating even more ferocious momentum, a second slash immediately followed, cleaving down toward Du Busi.
Unrestrained black light and violent golden light scattered in all directions, and muffled booms echoed from high above, resounding across the entire battlefield of the Ming Dou Mountains. However, this time, the noise didn't distract anyone.
Because ever since last night, the decisive battle had already begun.
Amidst the countless roar of artillery fire, the entire Ming Dou Mountain range had devolved into a meat grinder; dizziness and ringing in the ears had practically become the norm.
But with their lives hanging by a thread, who had the luxury to care about discomfort?
On the frontal battlefield, the war continued to erupt!
"Second Northwest Army Corps, hear my order! Advance on Shangxian Ridge!"
At the command, the Second Northwest Army Corps immediately set out under the cover of the Star Luo Army's soul tool artillery positions. Led by their commanding general, they launched an assault toward Shangxian Ridge, intent on seizing the strategic point.
Above the mountain range, densely packed soul tool beams rained down like a swarm of locusts, blanketing the Second Northwest Army Corps. But before the attacks could land, the Star Luo Army's soul tool positions launched a counterattack, unleashing an even more ferocious barrage of firepower. This caused the Sun Moon troops stationed at Shangxian Ridge—who lacked the main Sun Moon army—to not dare attack rashly. They could only strictly order their soldiers to hold the defensive line.
Numerous soul tool rays crackled like a downpour, all striking against the defensive soul tool shields raised by the Sun Moon Army.
Bang, bang, bang—
As time dragged on, quite a few breaches were punched through.
Many Sun Moon soldiers sheltering behind the soul tool shields were struck by the rays, crying out in agony as they fell. The less fortunate were directly pierced through fatal points like their heads or hearts.
"Ahhh..."
"Military police, drag the wounded soldiers down immediately! And use the corpses of the dead soldiers as barricades, pile them at the very front!"
The commanding general saw that many soldiers showed expressions of reluctance, knowing they were thinking of their camaraderie with their brothers-in-arms. But now was not the time to care about such things! So, he kicked a soldier over.
"Now is not the time for grief!" he roared, before taking the lead to pile a dead soldier's body at the front. Seeing this, the others quickly followed suit.
As subsequent troops moved up to fill the gaps, the Sun Moon Empire's army began their counterattack. "Everyone, prepare high-explosive shells! Fire!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The high-explosive shells tore through the sky, arcing along a parabolic trajectory before raining down on the densely packed troops climbing the ridge.
Boom, boom, boom—
The high-explosive shells detonated, bringing with them terrifying high temperatures. Moreover, their highly flammable nature only amplified the horror. Although many were blocked by the Star Luo Empire's shields, those who were even slightly careless and caught in the blast radius would be consumed; just a single spark landing on them would cause their entire body to erupt in violent flames.
Scenes like this were occurring across every battlefield.
At this very moment, in a depression within the mountain range—
Boom—
Boom—
Boom—
Three deafening roars echoed as three mushroom clouds rose one after another, wiping out every single Star Luo Empire soldier in that mountain depression. The merciless use of Class 9 Fixed Mounted Soul Guided Cannonballs tore gaps in the natural chasm of the Ming Dou Mountains, allowing numerous Sun Moon troops to seize the opportunity to swiftly breach the mountain defense line and pour directly into the Star Luo Empire's territory. In merely a matter of moments, they engaged in a head-on clash with the Star Luo Empire's Seventh and Tenth Northwest Army Corps.
"Charge! Tear them apart!"
"Kill!"
Amidst a hail of exchanging soul tool beams and rays, lower-tier Fixed Mounted Soul Guided Cannonballs also entered the fray. The parabolic trajectory of these cannonballs directly reshaped the relatively flat battlefield. The roaring explosions sent a Star Luo Empire soul master squad and their spirit souls flying, killing many on the spot.
As the two forces closed in on each other, the soul engineers interspersed among them stopped using long-range soul tools like soul rays. They rapidly switched to close-combat soul tools, intending to break through the vanguard. But the moment they made their move, they were intercepted by the Star Luo Empire's soul masters and soul engineers. Thus, the extraordinary fought the extraordinary, while the ordinary fought the ordinary.
Among the regular troops, shield-bearers from both sides endured the residual shockwaves as they closed the distance. The strictly formed arrays marched forward like mobile fortresses, and the moment they collided, shields crashed against shields.
Bang, bang, bang—
Dong, dong, dong—
The soldiers of neither side gave an inch. Using their flesh and blood, they forged an impregnable wall of steel.
"Spearmen, step forward! One, two—THRUST!"
The spearheads flickered with a chilling gleam, thrusting through the narrow gaps between the shields.
Squelch—Squelch—
Blades went in white and came out red! At the forefront of the two armies, blood splattered three feet, and soldiers fell in agony.
"Ah—"
"Ugh..."
Cries of pain and low howls rose up alongside the splattering of flesh and blood. Behind the shields of both armies lay nothing but corpses. As the troops continued to push forward, the fallen bodies were trampled into mounds of pulped flesh.
Seeing the battle at a stalemate, "Whoosh—" suddenly, a massive stone sphere was hurled fiercely by a strength-type soul master, slamming into the Sun Moon Empire's ranks. This single strike shattered the deadlocked and grinding stalemate.
With a "Bang," a large swath of Sun Moon Empire soldiers was sent flying backward. The less fortunate were crushed instantly into meat paste.
"Charge in!" The commanding general roared in excitement at the sight! "Tear the enemy to shreds!"
The densely packed Star Luo soldiers zeroed in on the weak point of the Sun Moon formation and violently charged into their ranks, slaughtering left and right. In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the frontline Sun Moon troops were pierced through by the Star Luo squad, suffering devastating casualties.
This forced the Sun Moon Empire's general to make a painful but necessary decision—he directly severed command from the completely broken frontline troops, ordering the rear guard to plug the gap and abandoning the soldiers at the very front.
"Do not let a single Star Luo soldier breach the formation!"
Right at this moment, the battle cries from the rear swelled intensely! Clearly, the Sun Moon reinforcements for this sector had arrived...
As time passed, the war grew increasingly brutal. Blood flowed enough to float shield racks; severed limbs and shattered arms littered the ground. There were scarcely any intact corpses left; many had been trampled into meat paste and ground into the earth, becoming fertilizer for the soil surrounding the Ming Dou Mountains.
Because the vast majority of the Sun Moon Empire's army had been thrown into the frontal battlefield, they even managed to momentarily overpower the Star Luo Empire.
When battle reports continuously made their way back to the Star Luo camp...
"Your Highness the Inspector, the Sun Moon's offensive is too fierce! They bombarded the Ming Dou Mountains, causing massive numbers of Sun Moon troops to pour in endlessly. Right now, our frontline sector is on the verge of being torn to shreds," Giant Hammer Douluo urged beside Xu Jiujiu.
Within the current Star Luo camp, aside from Giant Hammer Douluo and Xu Jiujiu's personal bodyguard, Man Yi, there were no longer any Titled Douluo-level powerhouses; they had all been dispatched to the battlefield.
"How much longer can the remaining forces in the frontline sector hold out?" Facing this dire situation, Xu Jiujiu's expression remained unchanged.
"They already..." Giant Hammer Douluo paused, as if realizing something. "They can't hold on anymore; it has been completely torn apart. Your Highness, if this continues, the second-line sector won't last much longer either."
"No matter what, we must hold them off!" Xu Jiujiu's gaze was resolute, her tone absolute. "Their rations have been completely destroyed now. As long as we hold our ground, victory is ours."
At this moment, Xu Jiujiu gazed far into the distance. She seemed to see the warriors of her empire surrounded by the densely packed, endlessly pouring Sun Moon soldiers, falling into a crisis. Thus, at this very moment, she made her decision.
"Elder Giant Hammer! Grandma Man Yi!"
"Here!"
"Here!"
The two stepped forward one after another, standing in front of Xu Jiujiu.
Who could have expected that Xu Jiujiu's next words would be so shocking. "We are abandoning the Star Luo camp. Deploy all the soul master legions, soul engineer legions, and other elite forces remaining in the camp—throw them all in! This time, I will charge the frontlines alongside them! We will break the enemy!"
She was brimming with heroic spirit, truly a woman who was second to none.
"Absolutely not!" ×2
Seeing that their princess intended to do this, the two immediately objected on the spot. But who could have imagined that Xu Jiujiu would suddenly draw the precious sword bestowed upon her by her imperial brother, along with the Marshal's token left behind by Dai Hao.
"Who dares to object!?"
Instantly, Giant Hammer Douluo and Man Yi wore faces of extreme difficulty.
However, at this point, Xu Jiujiu had already shouted, "Deploy the troops!"
In an instant, the remaining legions mobilized and began their march.
Before they had fully stepped into the second-line sector, a golden light ignited on Xu Jiujiu's forehead. Amidst the circling golden radiance, a magnificent Star Crown appeared above her head before descending onto it. As seven soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—materialized, her sixth soul ring flashed. A golden pillar of light, wreathed in specks of starlight, shot into the sky before transforming into starlight that fused into the bodies of everyone present.
Instantly, every soldier was enveloped in a layer of starlight. Even the halo surrounding Xu Jiujiu's body did not dissipate; starlight continued to pour endlessly from her Star Crown. Clearly, this was a collective amplification soul skill.
However, this scene was also the most attention-grabbing. Everyone on the battlefield noticed the starlight. Those in the know recognized at a glance that this was a member of the Star Luo royal family—and the only one it could be was Princess Xu Jiujiu. Those who weren't in the know, upon seeing the large commander's banner raised beside Xu Jiujiu, quickly realized the identity of the newcomer as well.
The Star Luo soldiers who witnessed this scene instantly had their morale surge. As if they had been injected with adrenaline, they fought the enemy with unparalleled valor!
The army led by Xu Jiujiu became a powerful fresh force on the battlefield. Injected into the second-line sector, coupled with the augmentation of Xu Jiujiu's Star Crown Martial Soul, they actually managed to turn the tide for a time, forcing the Sun Moon Empire's army back.
Furthermore, with Xu Jiujiu bringing along two Titled Douluos, they instantly crushed the Sun Moon Empire's frontline. Not only did they recapture the frontline sector in a matter of minutes, but they also forcefully pushed back the endless stream of Sun Moon troops that were pouring into Star Luo territory!
This scene made the Sun Moon Empire's side unable to hold back any longer.
"The time has come. It is time for this old man to take action personally!"
By now, all the Class 9 Soul Engineers and powerhouses that could be dispatched from the Sun Moon camp had been sent out. Although they held the advantage in high-end combat power on the current frontal battlefield, the Star Luo Empire, relying on their martial-soul-focused soul masters wielding soul tools and paired with spirit souls, had actually used two Soul Douluos and one level 91 Titled Douluo to forcefully pin down Jing Hongchen, leaving him unable to advance or retreat for the time being.
As a result, Ye Yulin, the only top-tier powerhouse left to command the Sun Moon camp, immediately got to his feet, resolved to head to the battlefield himself. Originally, he had wanted to wait and see if the Star Luo camp had any more trump cards up their sleeves, choosing to stay behind so he could respond at any moment. But now it seemed, the Star Luo camp was completely empty. Whatever trump cards they had were all laid bare!
Since that was the case, the time had come.
Capture Xu Jiujiu, and then claim victory in the war.
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