Douluo 2: This Dragon God has too much martial virtue

Chapter 607 City of Sin (Part 2)

Xue Lingxun's vague "concubine selection" order was like opening Pandora's box. Those girls who weren't chosen, instead of returning home, became playthings for the rebel officers and soldiers, whose military discipline had completely collapsed. However, these corrupted soldiers weren't satisfied with this. Having tasted the sweetness of power, they continued to use the banner of "selecting concubines for the prince" to unscrupulously satisfy their own selfish desires within the controlled area, forcibly abducting women and committing all manner of evil, turning the area into a desperate purgatory.

At the same time, a bigger storm is brewing in the homeland of the Douling Empire.

Ever since the Douling Emperor announced his abdication and the news of his merger with the Tianhun Empire to form the Tiandou Empire spread, the nation was in uproar, with various voices emerging one after another. Although the Douling Imperial Family maintained strict control over their direct territories, a few of the royal branches that had separated in the early years still held considerable power.

Almost all direct descendants of the royal family were "invited" to Tiandou City, which caused panic in the Douling area for a while, and some ambitious royal branches and local tyrants were ready to make a move.

Soon, two members of the royal family in the north who held military power took the lead in the rebellion. They raised the banner of "supporting the king", claiming to rescue the imprisoned emperor and restore the orthodoxy of Douling, and each led their army to launch a rebellion.

The Douling Empire's internal forces, already depleted by the merger, encountered little resistance as these two rebel armies advanced directly into the empire's former capital, Lingdou City. One of the rebel factions was particularly ill-disciplined, committing murder, looting, and other atrocities along the way, seeking to strengthen themselves solely through plunder and slaughter. Their path was marked by widespread suffering and devastation.

When the news reached the border town occupied by Xu Sanshi and Xue Lingxun, their senior officers not only did not show much anger, but were ready to make moves. Some even expressed regret in private that if they had known this would happen, they should have let go earlier and burned, killed and looted like the other rebel group. Maybe they would have been strong enough by now to fight for Lingdou City.

Xue Lingxun frowned in displeasure at such remarks. Having been raised in the royal family, she instinctively repulsed such blatant violence. But she didn't reprimand them, for she had no better way to boost morale and strength.

After all, she and Xu Sanshi were only Soul Emperors. There were Soul Masters stronger than them in the army, such as some Soul Sages or even Soul Douluo-level generals. The reason why these people still obeyed orders was more because of their mother-son status and righteousness.

Although Xu Sanshi can improve his combat effectiveness by temporarily awakening his bloodline, it cannot last long. He is even less able to suppress the entire army with absolute force and make everyone obey him.

At this moment, there are powerful enemies outside, internal discipline is corrupt, and their own strength is insufficient... Xu Sanshi and Xue Lingxun are in an unprecedented dilemma. The army under their command may backfire on themselves at any time due to greater temptation or fear.

Xue Lingxun looked out the window at the chaotic city and the generals with flickering eyes, and a huge sense of powerlessness surged in her heart. Perhaps her husband was right, and restoring the country was far more cruel than she had imagined.

Upon hearing that the two northern imperial rebel factions were not only fighting among themselves but also plundering and burning their way towards Lingdou City, Xue Lingxun was instantly filled with anxiety and anger. She believed the empire was in dire straits. Although she believed that the Tianhun Empire's traitors had usurped the throne, and that the Douling Imperial Family should be united against them, these branches of the imperial family, instead of working together to restore the country, were instead killing each other for power. This was simply heinous.

"Those two guys probably don't have any strong people around them," Xue Lingxun anxiously judged with a hint of the inherent arrogance of the royal family. "If we carry out a decapitation operation and kill them all, all problems will be solved!"

The more she spoke, the more feasible it seemed to her, and her tone became excited: "The empire is in danger, and they are actually rising up for power at this time. They are short-sighted and definitely not wise rulers!" She completely regarded herself and her son as the only orthodoxy and hope of the Douling Empire, but she chose to ignore a fatal fact - the army under her command was currently doing the same thing in this small border town, burning, killing, looting, and even robbing women. The corruption of military discipline was no different from that of the two northern rebels. Her anger was more due to the fact that the other party challenged the orthodox status she recognized.

More importantly, her judgment was gravely flawed. If the two branches of the royal family who dared to rise up in rebellion had the confidence to fight for the throne, how could they not have powerful supporters around them? They were both accompanied by at least one Titled Douluo-level expert. Otherwise, why would they dare to jump out and fight for power at this time?

The two royal families had previously sent letters to Xue Lingxun, not declaring war but rather requesting cooperation. They offered to use the name of the legitimate princess, Xue Lingxun, to rally support for the restoration of the nation, but with one condition: upon successful restoration, the throne must belong to them, not Xu Sanshi, an outsider with Xuanming Sect blood.

In their view, Xu Sanshi's father was the master of the sect, and Xu Sanshi himself was the heir to the sect. If he became emperor, wouldn't the Douling Empire have to change its surname to "Xu" or be controlled by the Xuanming Sect behind the scenes? This was something these royal branches could never accept.

Xue Lingxun naturally rejected these proposals at the time. How could she give up her son's future throne to someone else?

So the other party obviously no longer sought cooperation, but chose direct military action. Xue Lingxun, however, still fantasized about using the unrealistic method of "decapitation operation" to resolve the other party, completely underestimating the opponent's strength and determination.

Her anxiety and anger largely stem from her own lack of strength and embarrassing status. She only has the title of princess, but lacks strong enough military support and widely recognized absolute orthodoxy. After all, everyone knows that when she was young, she ignored the country for love, and now she can't even fully control the army under her command.

With powerful enemies surrounding him from outside and the army's morale unstable from within, the Northern Emperor Xue Lingxun couldn't care about anything else at this moment. In the face of the cruel reality, everything seemed pale and powerless.

Now, her only hope was to quickly complete Xu Sanshi's unfinished martial spirit evolution ritual. If her son's strength could be strengthened by even a little, it would provide him with a little more capital to protect himself in these troubled times, and a glimmer of hope for future restoration.

As for the ritual object...

Xue Lingxun hardened her heart and completely threw aside her previous strict standards.

A group of rebel soldiers, under the guise of a patrol but actually continuing to loot and plunder the surrounding villages, were marching along a clear mountain stream. Suddenly, their eyes were drawn to a figure by the stream.

Her beautiful face seemed otherworldly, her long, strange white hair fading to a mysterious black at the tips, like the fusion of day and night. Most striking were her piercing golden eyes, as if containing molten gold. Their purity held a touch of inhuman distance, while her pair of pitch-black dragon horns only added a touch of uncanny beauty.

All of this madly attracted these soldiers who had long been blinded by desire and violence, making them want to get close to, possess, or even destroy this extraordinary beauty.

Well, liking dragons is human nature. However, a sliver of reason warned them that her attire looked extremely expensive—a finely tailored black dress of exceptional material—and she exuded an aura of formidable power, causing the soldiers to hesitate. They were both captivated by her beauty and instinctively sensed danger. The officer leading the group was a Soul Master, with a cultivation level of approximately Soul Venerable, making him one of the more knowledgeable members of this rabble. He suppressed his inner turmoil, licked his dry lips, and scolded his somewhat timid subordinates behind him: "Ignorant fools! What's the panic? She's just a Soul Master. Judging by her horns, she's definitely in the form of a Martial Soul, though I wonder what kind of rare beast Martial Soul it is. She's certainly quite beautiful!"

In the perception of this Soul Master officer, the other party's soul power fluctuations did not seem strong, and might even be weaker than his own. This discovery instantly dispelled his biggest concern. A female soul master with a low cultivation level and only a special martial soul, wouldn't she be at their mercy?
His explanation immediately dawned on the other soldiers, who all smiled in relief. So it was a spirit possession? Now that the captain had said so, there was nothing to fear.

"Little girl," the officer said, feeling more confident, approaching with a determined smile, "it's so dangerous to be alone in this desolate mountain wilderness. Our princess is currently selecting concubines for his highness. With your beauty and rare martial spirit, you might just be able to soar to fame and become a phoenix!"

"I have no interest in becoming a dead bird. But if you continue to call me 'little' and 'girl'," Mu Xing paused slightly, with undercurrents surging in his golden eyes, "I can no longer guarantee your safety."

Before he finished speaking, a terrifying pressure flashed by, making all the soldiers lose the ability to stand in an instant.

I lied to you. You'll die the moment you open your mouth.

Roar--!
Ouch——!
The soul beast lurking in the mountains and forests appeared like a ghost, and its sharp claws and fangs mercilessly tore at the soldiers.

Instantly, shrill screams rang out. Blood splattered, staining the grass and the clear water beside the stream red. The soldiers, so arrogant just moments ago, were now being easily slaughtered like grass, without even a chance to resist.

Mu Xing seemed to be oblivious to the bloody massacre behind her. She stretched out her slender fingers and gently touched the stream in front of her that was gradually stained with blood.

Di Tian appeared silently beside Mu Xing. She tilted her head and looked at his face, which was extremely cold but also had a strange beauty. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she said with a hint of teasing, "What did I say before? If they dare to take advantage of the Pavilion Master's maid today, they will dare to force the Pavilion Master to marry them tomorrow."

She paused, her eyes sweeping over the officer who was being torn apart and tortured by a leopard-like soul beast, but who hadn't died yet because his soul master's physique was stronger than that of an ordinary person, and continued, "If you hadn't shown up just now, if they had seen you, maybe..."

"You don't dare to open your mouth?"

"No," Mu Xing stood up and glanced at him, a malicious yet knowing smile on his lips. "With your looks, they'll accept you as well."

She looked at Di Tian's expression, which had instantly turned extremely ugly, and added slowly, "Don't underestimate human sexual preferences and limits."

After hearing this, Di Tian felt an indescribable irritation and nausea. He glanced at the smoky and foul-smelling town in the distance, and a violent desire for destruction surged in his heart.

"Ahh." He uttered short, impatient syllables, his tone filled with undisguised murderous intent. "Can I breathe fire on the city? Anyway, the resentment formed by those dead people must be quite great. Wouldn't it be better to let the angels come to redeem them when the time comes?"

"Don't let Alex hear you say this, otherwise he will definitely scold us and say we are a perfect match. You know, that's not a good thing." Mu Xing obviously remembered Alex's ridicule when she proposed to transform 100,000 rebels into undead.

Then she looked towards the nearby city, brimming with violence, selfishness, and despair. A flash of reminiscence and coldness flashed in her eyes, and she sighed softly, "Once the city of slaughter, the inheritance site of the Shura God, the bloody training ground for selecting successors, and the final paradise for the fallen."

With just a few words, she described the legendary trial ground founded by the first Shura God. Its atmosphere of chaos and sin was very similar to the small town before her.

Then, her tone suddenly turned cold, with undisguised sarcasm and a hint of regret, "It's a pity that it was ruined by Tang San."

Upon hearing this, Di Tian raised an eyebrow in surprise. One of the divine positions Tang San inherited came from the God of Asura. He destroyed the inheritance site of the god he inherited, yet that first God of Asura... could still pass on the divine position to him?
"Sunk costs shouldn't be involved in major decisions. That's what he taught me. As for why he chose Tang San, I think he was just too lazy to wait for a more suitable successor."

The motive behind Tang San's behavior was clear at a glance. "He probably just didn't want others to obtain the 'God of Killing Domain'."

Regarding this point, the law enforcement gods headed by the God of Death also asked Tang San this question: why did they destroy the Shura's inheritance place? What did the newly appointed Tang San say at that time?

"The City of Killing, this dark, evil, and terrifying world should not have existed. No matter who left it behind, it is better for the darkest side of this world to disappear." The tone seemed compassionate but was actually condescending.

"He thought that if he blew up the prison, the crime would no longer exist and he could just fool others, but he even fooled himself." Compared with the spontaneously formed, chaotic and disorderly "City of Sin" in front of him, the City of Killing must be more law-abiding, right?

"You see, evil just changes its place and form and continues to grow and spread, right?"

　I've combined the two chapters because I was too busy today, meow °(°°)°

　　(End of this chapter)