Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
After guiding the new generation of Tian Dou Royal Academy's team members on their cultivation paths, Tang San and his companions bid farewell to Qin Ming and went to visit the three school commissioners. Over the past five years, these three had made significant progress, especially Meng Shenji, whose soul power had reached level 89, just one step away from becoming a Titled Douluo. He estimated that within seven or eight years, he could break through to level 90.
Before leaving, Tang San planted a Blue Silver Emperor Queen in the heart of the Tian Dou Royal Academy and then departed with his companions, ready to gather and celebrate.
However, three days later, two unexpected pieces of news shattered the continent's peace.
First: The Haotian School had announced its return in a high-profile manner!
According to the reports from "Martial Spirit News" and "Tian Dou News," the Haotian School's patriarch, Tang Chen, had returned to the sect!
Who was Tang Chen?
The younger generation didn't know, and even the youth knew little, but the older generation still remembered—he was a peerless Douluo with soul power at level 99!
Tang San knew even more. He was aware that Tang Chen had returned to the Haotian School long ago but had not recovered due to an illness, so the Haotian School had remained dormant.
Now that the Haotian School had announced its return, was it because Tang Chen had recovered? It seemed that the disciples of the Haotian School had found some miraculous medicine that allowed Tang Chen to heal from his injuries.
The second piece of news was far less pleasant—
The Star Crown Sect had discovered a new continent! This should have been good news, but there was one major problem: the newcomers were here to invade, led by none other than Xu Xing, who piloted the mighty Hao Hai Sky Boat! He had become a traitor to the Douluo Continent!
After Xu Xing discovered the new continent and began exploring it, he was detected and captured by the native forces of the Sun-Moon Continent.
To Xu Xing's surprise, the Sun-Moon Continent had already been unified and had made significant advancements in soul tool technology. Their high-level soul masters were on par with those of the Douluo Continent. The royal family possessed one peerless Douluo, eleven Titled Douluo above level 95, four of whom had reached level 98, and nearly fifty Titled Douluo below level 95.
The Emperor of the Sun-Moon Empire was particularly formidable, wielding twin martial souls: the Purple Destruction Sky Dragon and the Sun-Moon Dual Wheels. His strength had reached the level of a Soul Douluo.
The moment Xu Xing saw this man, named Xu Huang, he realized they were alike.
With so many transmigrators on the Douluo Continent, how could there not be any on the Sun-Moon Continent?
He had been careless...
Xu Xing immediately submitted to Xu Huang and offered the Hao Hai Sky Boat along with the sea charts he had recorded during his journey.
This saved the Sun-Moon Empire considerable effort in exploring sea routes—after all, the ocean was filled with countless sea spirit beasts, including thousands of hundred-thousand-year-old ones. Without proper routes or developing warships capable of ignoring these creatures, exploring the seas would only cost lives.
After unifying the Sun-Moon Continent, Xu Huang had already planned to explore overseas continents.
It wasn't that this transmigrator had a strong desire for the Douluo Continent, but rather that after the empire was unified, with no external enemies, internal strife began among the various noble families and royal factions.
He wanted to govern, but his orders were often distorted or ignored, and corruption was rampant, making it impossible to eradicate.
Though he had unified the continent, he had not unified the people's hearts.
Reforming the system and changing the structure would not happen overnight, even with a peerless Douluo and three Titled Douluo at level 98 by his side.
It would take time...
So, he had no choice but to find a way to shift the conflict outward.
Perhaps it was fate that brought Xu Xing from another continent, carrying with him an ancient soul tool said to be obtained from the Golden Ancient Tree: the Hao Hai Sky Boat.
This gift provided the Sun-Moon Empire with fresh insights into soul tool research, leading to significant advancements.
Although Xu Xing and his team understood little of the Hao Hai Sky Boat's functions, the Sun-Moon Empire had many soul tool experts. Within just a year, they had deciphered 70% of its capabilities. The remaining 30% required more information, and it might take centuries to fully decode...
This newfound knowledge ignited the Sun-Moon Empire's desire for the Douluo Continent.
After all, according to Xu Xing's descriptions, the Douluo Continent had yet to be unified, with three major powers and numerous kingdoms and duchies within the so-called Tian Dou Empire.
Clearly, it was a relatively backward continent, yet one rich in ancient civilization relics... a veritable treasure trove!
Naturally, this was an opportunity to be exploited!
As for the natives of the Douluo Continent?
If they don't comply, kill them!
Weakness is the greatest sin!
Thus, when they reached a coastal city at the border of the Tian Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, the Sun-Moon Empire's commander ordered an immediate bombardment of the harbor with soul-guided missiles, sinking hundreds of fishing boats and drowning thousands of fishermen.
This brutal show of force naturally alarmed the local Spirit Hall branch and the city's lord. They hurriedly mobilized their forces to the coastline, ready to repel the invaders.
But what greeted them was a second round of soul-guided missile bombardment.
The Spirit Hall branch master, the city lord, and nearly all of the city's defenders were killed. Fewer than ten thousand residents were captured, and those who hadn't fled in time or surrendered were slaughtered.
The Sun-Moon Empire intended to establish a stronghold here, expecting a steady influx of soldiers and citizens from the empire, so they didn't need too many of the local populace—at least not in the beginning...
...
"They're demons!"
Yu Tianheng and his companions were shaken and outraged as they read the news in the "Martial Spirit News." "To commit such a large-scale massacre! This is undoubtedly a provocation against the entire Douluo Continent!"
The Sun-Moon Continent?
The Sun-Moon Empire?
This grudge is now set in stone.
Tang San felt a heavy weight in his heart as he said, "It seems our gathering must end early. The Spirit Hall, no, the entire continent, is facing an unprecedented challenge..."
"I never intended to involve myself in the continent's conflicts, but now that it's upon us, I can't turn a blind eye."
With the gathering cut short, Tang San and his companions rushed back to Spirit City.
That afternoon, Bibi Dong used a soul-guided communication device to hold a video conference with the Emperor of Star Luo, the Emperor of Qing He, the leaders of the Upper Three Sects, the Lower Four Sects, and the new Tian Dou Federation's Emperor.
The Emperor of the new Tian Dou Federation was none other than Xue Beng.
He had been propped up as the new emperor by a group of nobles. Abandoning his status as a prince, he severed ties with Xue Qinghe and eagerly joined the new Tian Dou Federation.
Xue Qinghe, considering their "brotherly bond," chose not to hunt him down. In reality, he planned to eventually conquer the new Tian Dou Federation and then eliminate Xue Ye's last remaining bloodline in a legitimate manner.
The plan to smear Xue Xing and Xue Beng by associating them with Poison Douluo in the "poisoning" of Emperor Xue Ye was abandoned by Xue Qinghe, given Tang San and Dugu Bo's close relationship.
But no one could have anticipated this—
The Star Crown Sect secretly explored a new continent, betrayed the homeland, and brought in foreign invaders who had seized a coastal city within the Tian Dou Empire...
(End of Chapter)