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In the past, a journey for an army of over ten thousand soldiers from Spirit Hall to Tian Dou Empire's Soul Sea Pass would have taken at least two months. However, with large-scale soul-powered vehicles now available, the trip was completed in just half a month. Marshal Ge Long of the Tian Dou army had been waiting and had already arranged for the Soul Martial Legion to set up camp outside the city.
Three days later, the armies of the New Tian Dou Federation and the Star Luo Empire arrived one after another.
As the host, Marshal Ge Long invited the commanders, deputy generals, and other personnel of the three armies to the City Lord's Mansion in Soul Sea Pass to discuss their strategy.
"How many troops have each of you brought? And do you have enough provisions?" Ge Long inquired.
As the saying goes: "An army marches on its stomach."
This time, the powers of the continent had gathered to face an external enemy, each with their own reasons.
Spirit Hall sought revenge for the local Spirit Halls and related personnel.
The Star Luo Empire aimed to eliminate the traitors of the Star Crown Sect who had shamed the empire.
The Tian Dou Empire was determined to reclaim the cities that had been occupied by the invaders.
The New Tian Dou Federation, although it could have stayed out of the conflict, feared losing the people's support if it remained passive. With the foreign enemy invading the continent, inaction could lead to widespread panic among the citizens.
Moreover, Emperor Xue Beng, being a native of Tian Dou and the younger brother of Emperor Qing He, had both emotional and political reasons to assist. If he failed to act, he would certainly be criticized and risk losing the people's trust.
To demonstrate the New Tian Dou Federation's resolve in resisting foreign enemies, Xue Beng personally led the army as its commander.
"Marshal Ge Long, you needn't worry. The New Tian Dou Federation has ample provisions, and with the soul-powered vehicles for transport, we can sustain a prolonged war for up to three years," Xue Beng declared confidently, surprising those present with his assured demeanor.
However, Tang San knew that the so-called ample provisions of the New Tian Dou Federation were merely the result of increasing the grain tax on the populace, an unsustainable solution.
After all, the New Tian Dou Federation had only been established recently, and Xue Beng's actual control over the federation's power was uncertain.
Though the federation had a decent foundation after the alliance of several smaller nations, enough to rival the current Tian Dou Empire, the leaders of these small nations had their own agendas and were unlikely to fully support Xue Beng.
On the Star Luo side, Zhu Zhuqing stated, "Our army also has sufficient provisions."
Tang San added, "Spirit Hall lacks nothing in terms of provisions and can offer support in this battle."
Marshal Ge Long, though somewhat critical of the "unqualified" Xue Beng, chose to avoid conflict and simply nodded slightly to everyone before asking, "What is the size of the forces each of you has brought?"
Xue Beng responded, "We have twenty thousand troops, all battle-hardened veterans."
Zhu Zhuqing replied, "Eight thousand, but all are spirit masters, each with power surpassing that of a Grand Spirit Master."
Tang San calmly stated, "We have over ten thousand. Besides the two titled Douluo, we have fifty Spirit Douluo, a hundred Spirit Saints, and the remaining ten thousand are all spirit masters."
His words left the room in silence.
Marshal Ge Long had not expected Spirit Hall to possess so many spirit masters. With fifty Spirit Douluo alone, and even two titled Douluo joining the battle, the strength of Spirit Hall was staggering.
Although only two titled Douluo were present, there were more individuals with Douluo-level strength among them. Tang San and the others by his side, while perhaps not as strong as him, were certainly close in power, undoubtedly possessing the strength of titled Douluo.
This realization brought a sigh of relief to Ge Long. After all, the most challenging aspect of dealing with the Sun Moon Empire's forces, aside from their soul tools, was the ten experts at the level of titled Douluo.
"Now, let me tell you about the situation at Xiaohai City."
The city currently occupied by the Sun Moon Empire was called Xiaohai City.
"According to our scouts, the Sun Moon invaders have piled the corpses in Xiaohai City into a small mountain, which they refer to as a 'capital mound' to flaunt their military achievements."
As Ge Long spoke, his voice was filled with rage. "These barbarians! Not only did they massacre the entire city, but they also stacked the bodies to create a capital mound. Such brutality is on par with that of the Fallen!"
The Fallen might kill people, but at most, they would scatter the bodies around, leaving a chaotic mess. The Sun Moon Empire's actions, however, were not only a desecration of life but also an insult to the dignity of the dead. Inhumane!
After calming himself with a deep breath, Ge Long continued, "We've investigated their military strength. They have nearly thirty thousand soldiers, all wearing a form of tight-fitting cloth armor that offers considerable defense. Moreover, each soldier is equipped with a soul tool similar to a crossbow, capable of firing at high speeds, with arrows that explode on impact."
"In addition, they possess soul bombs the size of goose eggs, either dark green or black in color. When thrown, these bombs cause violent explosions with a radius of over six meters. More concerning is the shrapnel; its blast radius exceeds twelve meters. Once it penetrates a body, the victim is either incapacitated or killed outright."
"This is their primary method of attack."
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, recognizing that the attack style of these soul bombs was quite similar to the ones Star Luo Empire had been researching.
"Furthermore, we've discovered ships approaching from the sea," Ning Fengzhi, standing next to Ge Long, said with a serious expression. "Their numbers are still increasing. Bai He scouted the area and spotted a massive ship over five hundred meters long heading towards Xiaohai City. This ship, adorned with palaces and pavilions, clearly signals the arrival of an important figure."
"Moreover, Bai He sensed a soul power so intense it nearly solidified the air. He barely managed to escape after realizing the danger; had he delayed, he might not have made it back..."
Ning Fengzhi didn't finish his sentence, but everyone felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
Soul power so intense it nearly solidified the air?
That must be an unrivaled expert!
"Such a person is beyond our ability to confront," Ning Fengzhi sighed before turning to Tang San. "Can His Highness, the Holy Son, contend with them?"
"If it's just an unrivaled expert, he wouldn't last thirty moves against me." At this moment, Tang San, relying on his formidable spiritual power, had already sensed the spiritual power of the unparalleled Douluo approaching Xiaohai City. Even compared to Bibi Dong, who hadn't yet fully recovered her energy, this Douluo was far weaker.
Moreover, this Douluo's body bore numerous hidden injuries, likely the result of using a secret technique or consuming some rare treasure to force a breakthrough.
It must have been within the past year or two that he broke through, and even now, his body hasn't fully adjusted.
Ning Fengzhi's eyes lit up. "Truly?"
"Of course."
In terms of raw strength, Tang San had already discerned the opponent's condition from a distance, while the other side knew nothing about him. The difference in power was clear.
"When that person arrives, I'll handle them. For now, we must focus on how to retake Xiaohai City."
After a brief pause, Tang San turned to Marshal Ge Long and asked, "Marshal Ge Long, do you have any plans? I'm not particularly skilled at commanding troops."
Seeing Tang San's willingness to defer, Ge Long nodded slightly and said, "The enemy has soul tools, so our traditional battle tactics won't work unless our troops can engage them in close combat. Once we close the distance, their ranged soul tools can't be used on a large scale without risking their own soldiers."
"But—"
The main problem was how to get their forces close enough for hand-to-hand combat.
(End of Chapter)