Douluo 2: This Dragon God has too much martial virtue

Chapter 546 Sweating profusely, aren't you?
"So what's the situation now?" Xu Jiawei suppressed his anger and tried his best to remain calm.

The actions of the Sun Moon Empire were far too ruthless, actually using level nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells to deal with ordinary soldiers, which is extremely rare in the entire history of war on the continent!
While level-nine soul tools pose a certain threat to Title Douluos, their effectiveness depends on the strength of the Title Douluo. However, in terms of destructive power, even a Title Douluo is far inferior to a level-nine fixed-position soul-guided cannonball. A Title Douluo can indeed cause large-scale damage, but this requires time to accumulate, whereas a level-nine fixed-position soul-guided cannonball can inflict devastating damage instantly; this efficiency is truly terrifying.

The Prime Minister cautiously replied, "The Northwest Army Group has urgently requested reinforcements from the capital, and we must also seek support from the other two great empires. The Western Army Group has adjusted its defensive deployment and expanded its defensive range to guard against the Sun and Moon Empire's mass-destructive soul-guided weapons. The most urgent task at present is to order the military headquarters to immediately issue instructions requiring the Northwest Army Group to hold off the enemy at all costs and buy time for reinforcements from the rear."

The Minister of Military Affairs added, "The Northwest Army Group has been operating in the western frontier for many years, and its city defenses and troop deployments are far superior to those of inland cities. If this defensive line is breached again, the enemy will surely advance unimpeded. The military headquarters' reinforcements will take at least half a month to arrive, but I have already dispatched several elite Soul Master legions to provide support."

Xu Jiawei nodded slightly, his expression softening. This was indeed the best arrangement they could make at the moment. Once the reinforcements from the Heavenly Soul and Douling Empires arrived, the Star Luo Empire, with its profound resources, might be able to withstand the Sun Moon Empire's offensive. After all, in his view, among the original three kingdoms of the Douluo Continent, the Star Luo Empire was the most powerful, possessing the largest number of Soul Masters on the entire continent. Ten Soul Master legions meant tens of thousands of Soul Masters—a force not to be underestimated.

However, for some reason, Xu Jiawei felt that something was wrong, as if some key factor had been overlooked.

Just then, Xu Jiujiu suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! Yun'er is still in Yuming City!"

Only now did the siblings remember that their youngest sister, Xu Yun, had recently volunteered to join the army to serve her country. Xu Jiujiu, unable to resist her sister's repeated pleas, had assigned her to the reserve corps. In her view, as long as she didn't go to the front lines, Xu Yun would naturally return after experiencing military life to the fullest. However, Xu Yun thoroughly enjoyed military life and remained there for months without any intention of returning. Considering the reserve corps was generally safe, Xu Jiujiu didn't think much of it.

But now Yuming City could fall at any moment, and Xu Yun, as the beloved little princess of the royal family, has almost zero practical experience. How should she deal with danger?

Xu Jiawei's expression changed drastically, and he said sternly, "Send someone to bring her back immediately!" In that instant, he suddenly realized the key point that had been overlooked—the Northwest Army Group's western border was clearly equipped with a defensive soul-guided array provided by the Heavenly Soul Empire, which was said to be able to intercept level nine fixed-position soul-guided shells, but why did it not play its due role?
"Furthermore, where exactly did the Heavenly Soul Empire's reinforcements go? Immediately dispatch elite scouts to thoroughly investigate this matter and demand an explanation from the Heavenly Soul Empire!"

The worst-case scenario was that the Heavenly Soul Empire's reinforcements would retreat at the last minute, a thought that made Xu Jiawei's chest tighten. When the Heavenly Soul Empire faced the beast tide, he had unhesitatingly sent his elite troops to support them; now, if they truly dared to break their alliance…

"Your Majesty," the Prime Minister hurriedly offered advice, "the failure of the Heavenly Soul Empire's Soul Guidance Array may have other hidden reasons. The most urgent task is to take a two-pronged approach: on the one hand, to receive the little princess, and on the other hand, to send an envoy to the Heavenly Soul Empire to find out the truth."

Xu Jiujiu volunteered, "Brother, let me go to the Heavenly Soul Empire as an envoy this time! I think they understand the principle of mutual dependence between the three kingdoms of the original Douluo Kingdom. It would not benefit them to betray us."

Xu Jiawei's gaze darkened, and he shook his head, saying, "No, you go to the front lines. Duke Baihu's whereabouts are still unknown, and the hundreds of thousands of troops are leaderless. Only if you go can I feel at ease. Remember, once you get to the front lines, first gather up Baihu's old troops..." if there were any more.

However, the Sun Moon Empire's army did not seem to be in a hurry to launch an attack. Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and they remained inactive. All the border reconnaissance forces dispatched by the Star Luo Empire were completely blocked by the Sun Moon Empire's high-altitude detection soul tools and soul master legions.

The Star Luo military had repeatedly dispatched powerful individuals to attempt to break through the blockade for reconnaissance. However, under the surveillance of the Sun Moon Empire's densely deployed high-altitude detection soul tools and thermal detection soul tools, any powerful individual who approached would be immediately detected once they entered the warning range, and would then be subjected to fierce soul tool attacks.

The battle reports from the front lines deepened Xu Jiawei's suspicions. What exactly was the Sun Moon Empire plotting? Logically, three days should have been more than enough to consolidate their positions. Since the enemy had launched a war, they should have been fully prepared and launched a full-scale attack. Why were they holding back, instead giving the Star Luo Empire time to mobilize its troops?
This unusual calm intensified Xu Jiawei's unease. On the surface, however, the current situation was actually advantageous to the Star Luo Empire, since every day the enemy was delayed, Star Luo's reinforcements could get closer.

In the past three days, six Soul Master Legions have joined forces with the Northwest Army Group and the Western Army Group, bringing the total to eight legions—almost eighty percent of the Star Luo Empire's elite forces. Even though the First Soul Master Legion suffered some losses in previous battles, its overall combat strength remains considerable. Princess Jiu Jiu has personally arrived at the front lines, meeting with Princess Xu Yun in Yu Ming City, and will lead these six newly arrived Soul Master Legions. This large-scale military deployment fully demonstrates the Star Luo Empire's determination to resist to the death.

What troubled Xu Jiujiu even more was that her beloved younger sister had been severely injured in the military camp, and the culprit was a mysterious young man. According to Xu Yun's description, when she attacked him, the young man reflected her soul skill back at her, directly inflicting serious injuries. If it weren't for the military doctors' best efforts to save her, her life would likely have been in danger.

When Xu Yun inquired about the details, she initially didn't connect the boy with Huo Yuhao. It wasn't until Xu Yun described the characteristics of the boy's companion that she suddenly realized something, a discovery that sank her heart to the bottom.

The genius youth who was taken as a direct disciple by a powerful figure in the Dragon Pavilion had killed Dai Yueheng, who was already a Soul Emperor, five years ago, despite his Soul Venerable cultivation level. What weighed even heavier on her mind was the deep-seated blood feud between Huo Yuhao and the White Tiger Duke's mansion. If it was truly Huo Yuhao who made the move, the forces involved would be enough to put the entire Star Luo royal family in a difficult position. Xu Yun's weak voice drifted over intermittently: "He...he seems to know Dai Luoli, the one who disappeared five years ago...the White Tiger Duke's worthless illegitimate son..."

Xu Jiujiu's heart sank suddenly, a chill creeping up her spine. She could almost picture the scene. Given Xu Yun's arrogant nature, he would undoubtedly have spoken rudely to Huo Yuhao, and most likely even showed contempt for Dai Luoli. Considering the deadly force Huo Yuhao had shown Dai Yueheng back then, Xu Yun's serious injuries were probably a result of Huo Yuhao showing mercy.

Looking at her younger sister's pale face, which still held a hint of resentment, Xu Jiujiu felt a sense of powerlessness. She gently pressed Xu Yun's hand, her voice low and serious: "Yun'er, listen. Neither I nor my brother can afford to offend that person. My brother's cultivation has improved continuously over the years, all thanks to the deal he made with the Dragon Pavilion five years ago."

Huo Yuhao's appearance on the western frontier of the Star Luo Empire was itself an ominous sign. Shortly after his arrival, the empire's pillar, Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger Clan, and his elite White Tiger Guards mysteriously vanished without a trace. The timing of these two events was so coincidental; could it all be merely a coincidence?
Thinking of the deep-seated hatred between Huo Yuhao and Duke Baihu, a chilling feeling gripped her for a long time. In the recent Soul Master Competition, she had witnessed Huo Yuhao effortlessly achieve several feats of defeating seven opponents single-handedly. Given his current status, unfathomable strength, and the Dragon Pavilion behind him, he had every ability and motive to harm Dai Hao!
This thought plunged Xu Jiujiu's heart into despair. Dai Hao, the marshal of the Star Luo Empire, was far more than just a figure of high rank and power. He was the pillar of the empire's northwestern defense, the invincible spirit of a million soldiers, and an indispensable spiritual pillar for the entire Star Luo Empire under the shadow of war! Although some in the court might be wary of his overwhelming achievements, in the face of national crisis, Dai Hao's very existence was a stabilizing force for the army and a cornerstone for national strength.

His disappearance might even mean certain death... Xu Jiujiu dared not even contemplate the consequences. It would not only mean the instantaneous collapse of the strongest defensive force on the front lines, potentially causing the northwest defense line to crumble, but also a devastating blow to the morale and faith of the entire Star Luo Empire.

She felt a suffocating sense of powerlessness. What good would pursuing the truth do? Was she going to risk angering Huo Yuhao and the Dragon Pavilion, bringing annihilation upon the royal family and even the entire empire? But if she let it go and watched Dai Hao, the true backbone of the empire, disappear without a trace, what would the Star Luo Empire rely on to withstand the iron torrent of the Sun Moon Empire?
The reinforcements from the Douling Empire have already entered the Xingluo Kingdom's territory and are now advancing towards the front lines in two columns, joining the reinforcements already assembled in Xingluo itself. On the surface, the battle situation seems to be stabilizing. If, in a maximum of ten more days, all the armies are fully assembled, the Sun Moon Empire will face unprecedented resistance if it attempts to launch another offensive.

Xu Jiujiu's heart remained heavy, without a trace of relief. While the Douling Empire's army was undoubtedly a powerful ally, their deep penetration into the heart of Xingluo, with their forces poised to strike at the front lines, was itself a tremendous pressure. Furthermore, the coordination and combat effectiveness of the various reinforcements hastily assembled by Xingluo itself, still needing time to gel, were even more uncertain.

What made her even more uneasy was the sense of urgency regarding time. Ten days seemed sufficient to complete the assembly, but it also meant that the Sun Moon Empire still had a full ten-day window of opportunity. Given the terrifying mobility and destructive power of the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Master Legion, ten days was more than enough time for them to accomplish a great deal.

A heavy shadow hung over the entire Star Luo Empire army. Every day, the soldiers awaited the outbreak of war in a state of high tension. The army of the Sun Moon Empire was slow to appear, but the invisible pressure never dissipated. This agonizing uncertainty kept everyone's nerves taut like a bowstring. They were on guard day and night, their eyes constantly scanning the distant horizon, every rustle of wind causing their hearts to tighten. A tremendous mental burden weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, and a suffocating oppression permeated the silent military camp.

Then there's Huo Yuhao, a young man from Xingluo who has a blood feud with the White Tiger Duke. If he were to disregard national interests and forcefully intervene in the war at this time, it would only allow the covetous Sun Moon Empire to reap the benefits.

Huo Yuhao is already dangerous enough, but the more deadly blade comes from a former ally—the Heavenly Soul Empire!
That defensive soul-guided array, capable of withstanding level-nine fixed-position soul-guided cannonballs, was a crucial support from the Heavenly Soul Empire to the Star Luo Empire! But just before the Sun Moon Empire launched its devastating attack, the Heavenly Soul Empire's soul-guided troops openly dismantled all the defensive foundations in broad daylight, right in front of the Star Luo garrison! They didn't even bother to conceal it; the army swaggered back to the Heavenly Soul homeland from the north.

Xu Jiujiu's knuckles turned white as she gripped the military report. A fatal detail pierced her mind like a poisonous thorn. That massive defensive array covering the entire Western Frontier, to be completely dismantled in just a few hours, was something no ordinary Soul Master could accomplish! Only a Level 9 Soul Master who had an intimate understanding of the core array of a Level 9 Soul Guidance Technique could dismantle it so precisely and swiftly.

"Dragon Pavilion!" She ground out the name, which carried a chilling wind, between her teeth. Of the three kingdoms that once belonged to the Douluo Continent, only Dragon City in the northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire could afford to support a level nine Soul Master! Those transcendent old monsters, whom even the Heavenly Soul royal family struggled to control, were now appearing on the border of Star Luo. This was no simple withdrawal; it was Dragon Pavilion's decisive strike against the Star Luo Empire!

A more terrifying truth shattered her understanding: five years ago, during the Continental Soul Master Tournament, the Star Luo royal family's elders had vaguely sensed that the Dragon Pavilion had deployed at least two Limit Douluos. For Huo Yuhao, the Dragon Pavilion was willing to go to such lengths? They clearly knew the Sun Moon Empire was eyeing them covetously, clearly understood what the collapse of the Western Frontier defenses meant! Yet those monsters standing at the pinnacle of the continent would rather let the Sun Moon Empire devour Star Luo than allow Huo Yuhao to settle his personal grudge with the White Tiger Duke!

"Madman..." Xu Jiujiu heard the sound of his teeth chattering. The Dragon Pavilion was trampling the balance of the entire continent underfoot, using the survival of the entire Star Luo Empire as a sacrifice, just to satisfy the hatred that a young man had suppressed for many years!

Twin martial souls, the ultimate martial soul appearing in one person at the same time... She should have realized it sooner. The Dragon Pavilion has never cared about worldly imperial power. Although those strong people are polite on the surface and no one can find fault with them, they actually stand above the rise and fall of the empire. Huo Yuhao is definitely the future leader chosen by the Dragon Pavilion! Those old monsters are not indulging in personal grudges, but using the Star Luo Empire to hone the skills of their new master.

　Oh no! I've already written Long Xiaoyao's dream girl, and some idiot is saying I like the simp Long Xiaoyao, and they're unhappy I didn't kill him off. I took a closer look, and it said my reading time was 6 minutes. I jumped straight to the comments section of chapter 372, then went to the book review section to give it a low score. I won't say what the reasons are, I'll just bury it.

　　(End of this chapter)