The three elders watched helplessly as Xu Mingxi directed the blood-red soul ring toward the Star Crown, while the 190,000-year-old soul skull of the Moon-Worshipping Wolf King sank into his head.
After the initial shock, a slight worry crept into his heart. With two powerful energies attacking him simultaneously, shouldn't Mingxi be able to withstand it?
As Xu Mingxi absorbed the soul ring and soul bone, the war between the three empires in the outside world had already begun. The armies of the Orlan Empire and the Otto Empire gathered and launched an attack from the central region of the Sun-Moon Empire, attempting to seize Mingdu directly and completely defeat the Sun-Moon Empire.
In the Sun-Moon Empire, Xu Zilong personally led a team and invoked the title of the Silver Sun and Moon bloodline, rallying the power of the entire empire. He was determined to destroy the Orlan and Otto Empires and unify the Sun-Moon Continent.
At this moment, inside the Orlan Empire's tent, Lance held the intelligence report about the Sun-Moon Empire's army that had been sent back by spies. His face was so grim it looked like water could drip from it.
He said he couldn't win, but he still had to fight hard. Why couldn't he enjoy a few more days of pleasure? Now, he was about to become a king of a fallen nation.
Lance recalled his luxurious life in the palace and even thought about going home, but when he looked at the soldiers below, he knew that was impossible.
The arrow was already nocked on the string and had to be released. If they withdrew now, they would be handing victory directly to the Sun-Moon Empire, and their beautiful lives would end even sooner.
After all, no one would take them back. Lance looked at the old man sitting next to him—this was the only Titled Douluo in the Orlan Empire, Lance.
It was impossible for the old man, who had devoted his entire life to the Orlan Empire, to sit by and watch him flee in fear. As an emperor, it was better to die than to bow his head.
"Elders, ministers, do you have any brilliant strategies that could help us defeat the Sun-Moon Empire?"
The soldiers seated below looked at each other, and no one spoke first. Perhaps they, too, understood the vast gap between the Orlan and Sun-Moon Empires and couldn't think of any way to bridge it.
Finally, an old veteran couldn't bear the stares of the others. He thought for a moment and tried to speak.
"Your Majesty, this war was proposed by the Otto Empire. I wonder what solutions they have. Perhaps we could ask for their advice."
…
The entire room fell silent. It wasn't that the old minister was useless—he had fought for many years and had a high level of military literacy. However, the power gap was simply too large. No matter how many plans he made, they would eventually be crushed by the enemy's soul-guiding troops.
Lance, who had his eyes closed as if in deep sleep, suddenly opened them. His cloudy gaze swept across the ministers present and finally settled on the anxious His Majesty Lance. His heart grew even heavier.
Seeing the old man awaken, Lance clung to him like a drowning man to a straw and hurriedly asked if there was any way to defeat the Sun-Moon Empire.
"I have my own way. I possess a powerful soul guide passed down from my ancestors. As long as you hold on, I will surely bring you victory."
"His Majesty is invincible!"
"Then allow me to offer congratulations in advance to His Majesty."
"I say that as long as His Majesty is here, our Orlan Empire will never fall."
The tent suddenly became lively. Amid the clinking of glasses, His Majesty even felt a bit dazed, as if he had returned to his luxurious and magnificent palace.
After the crowd dispersed and the generals returned to their posts, Lance looked at the elder of the Lance clan, wanting to speak but hesitating. In the end, he couldn't hold back.
"Elder, do you really have a powerful soul guide passed down by our ancestors? Why have I never heard of it?"
"Yes, of course. It's a weapon that can only be used by us Titled Douluos."
Lance glanced at him indifferently and nodded heavily. He suddenly felt a pang of sorrow that the Orlan Empire had an emperor like this.
The people in the tent were still asking if there was a backup plan. If not, they had to create one. Didn't they see that the soldiers' morale was nearly broken?
He sighed and walked out, ready to face the coming battle—or death.
Lance truly had no powerful soul guide that could turn the tide, but if he hadn't said that, there might not even be a battle. Everyone feared the Sun-Moon Empire like it was a tiger, and they were even considering asking the Otto Empire for strategy, which was utterly laughable.
On the other side, Tobo of the Otto Empire, who had just been promoted, sat next to His Majesty Tony. Toth, the titled elder of the Otto royal family, glanced at him but ultimately said nothing. He closed his eyes and sat quietly beside him.
"Come on, comrades! Our Otto Empire will win this war. Once we defeat the Sun-Moon Empire and take over the Orlan Empire, the entire Sun-Moon Continent will be ours!"
"We must rely on the strength of the General."
"Yes, General, you are the backbone of our Otto Empire."
"The General will surely lead us to victory."
Tony sat limply to the side, sipping the wine from his glass. He was an utterly unqualified king who couldn't lead his people to build a stronger Otto Empire.
He was only good at one thing—thinking clearly. He enjoyed life, but he understood the power gap between the Otto Empire and the Sun-Moon Empire.
The gap wasn't just in the number of powerhouses, but also in soul guide technology. It was questionable whether Tobo could even defeat Xu Zilong, let alone hold him back.
The gap between the troops was even greater. The soul guides equipped by the soldiers on both sides weren't on the same level. How could they possibly win?
Why couldn't they admit the disparity? Tony downed another sip of wine. Since he couldn't change anything, he might as well sink into confusion and go down with the Otto Empire.
The commotion in the tent had nothing to do with Tony. He left the tent alone with a jug of wine in hand, and no one paid him any mind. Everyone was busy flattering Tobo, the current leader of the Otto Empire.
He walked into the night, watching the tiny lights illuminating the army. He was momentarily distracted and almost stumbled. At that moment, someone suddenly supported him from behind.
"Your Majesty, please be careful. It just rained, and the road is muddy. It's better to return to the tent and rest."
The drunken Tony squinted and finally saw the figure clearly. Wasn't this his old uncle who had long since been removed from the center of power?
"Uncle, you're the one who went to Orlan to deliver the letter earlier."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I truly had no choice. Tobo controls the government, and I had to obey him."
"It's alright. Now that things have come to this, I don't blame you. I only blame Tobo for being arrogant and ignorant of the consequences."
His Majesty Tony staggered away, leaving his old uncle alone, staring at his back and sighing.
Yes, it was all Tobo's fault. I hope His Majesty will forgive me in the end.