Douluo: Purple Brilliance Shines, Sun, Moon, Mountains and Rivers Are Forever

Chapter 128 Military Conference, Mountain King of Mingdou Mountains (4K)

As Di Qiu'er infused her soul power into the phoenix hairpin, the Huan Di Phoenix Feather seemed to come alive and leaped with joy.

A phantom image of a little phoenix emerged from the phoenix hairpin, circling above her head. Fiery feathers fell in a flurry, and its melodious cry drew the attention of everyone.

Thousands of crimson-gold feathers materialized from the void and spun rapidly around Di Qiu'er.

The clanging of metal was as dense as rain. The streamlined armor fit her shoulders, neck, and waist precisely, with the pattern of a golden phoenix on the breastplate and the scales on the battle skirt overlapping in layers.

The moment the Golden Flame Phoenix Feather Armor was fully equipped, the Golden Dragon Spear pierced through the air and landed in his hand.

Di Qiu'er gracefully danced with seventeen spear flowers, the spear tip pointing diagonally at the ground, creating a shimmering golden halo, the air currents stirred by the sharpness lifting her high-tied long hair.

She looked down at her magnificent armor, overjoyed, and holding the golden dragon spear, she turned to face Xu Tianze, standing gracefully.

"How's it going? Does it look good?"

"Perfect!"

[Huo Yuhao, Shrek Academy, I wonder if seeing this Golden Flame Phoenix Feather Armor will remind you of a certain deceased friend?]
-
Star Luo Empire, Yuming City, White Tiger Marshal's Mansion.

boom--

Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. "Is the news true? You should know that falsifying military intelligence is a capital offense!"

"Reporting to the Marshal, it is absolutely true! We have discovered a rare metal vein in the Mingdou Mountains. The metal produced is mainly Yanyang Iron, and the reserves are quite large."

Flame Iron is a special metal that can withstand extremely high temperatures. It is widely used in the production of Soul Tools due to its excellent strength and toughness.

Due to its unique geographical location and strategic position, the Mingdou Mountains have been a battleground for the military strategists of the Sun and Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire since ancient times.

Not to mention, the Mingdou Mountains themselves are a treasure trove, rich in mineral resources, producing more than ten kinds of rare minerals.

In the struggle for control of the Mingdou Mountains, the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire have fought hundreds or even thousands of times every year.

In addition, the Mingdou Mountains have complex geology and are rugged and difficult to traverse, making it difficult to mobilize manpower and resources. Therefore, although both sides know that there are rich mineral resources here, neither side can really mine the rare metals hidden in the mountains on a large scale.

After calming himself down slightly, Dai Hao led him to the military deployment map of the Mingdou Mountains in the adjacent conference room.

"Where is that mineral vein located? Point it out on the map."

The man searched the defense map for a while and quickly pointed out a general location with certainty.

"Are you sure you're here?"

"That's right, and according to our preliminary survey, the vein's direction is roughly like this."

As he spoke, he used his finger to sketch a rough outline of the mineral vein on the deployment map, which made Dai Hao's heart sink. He remained silent as he looked at it.

Good news! A vein of rare metals has been discovered, and the yield is quite substantial.

The bad news is that seven or eight out of ten of them were located within the territory of the Sun Moon Empire, and were discovered by the enemy.

"I will report this matter to His Majesty. You must not act rashly, and you must not leak this information. All those who know about this must keep silent; those who violate this rule will be punished according to military law!"

"Yes, Marshal's order!"

"Go down."

"Subordinates retire."

Dai Hao stared at the military deployment map in front of him for a long time.

He had a premonition that the small-scale operations of the past might really be coming to an end. With the current tense situation on the mainland, this mine was very likely to be the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The Star Luo Emperor's vigorous development of soul tools is not inherently problematic. However, the problem lies in the fact that the original Douluo Continent does not produce the rare metals needed to make soul tools, and the vast majority of them rely on the Sun Moon Empire for export or smuggling.

If Shrek Academy hadn't fallen out with the Sun Moon Empire, and the border situation between the Sun Moon and Star Luo Empires hadn't become so tense, he was fully confident he could persuade the Star Luo Emperor to continue postponing the development of the mines on the Mingdou Mountains—it would just cost a little more money.

But what about now? Martial law is in effect at the border between the two countries. Legitimate import channels are gone, and smuggling channels are also strictly controlled. Even with money, you can't buy rare metals.

Without the input of rare metals, if the Star Luo Emperor wants to continue to promote the national policy of vigorously developing soul tools, he will inevitably have to consume the Star Luo Empire's own reserves.

If relations with the Sun Moon Empire cannot be eased for a long time, in order to prevent the resources from being depleted, the Star Luo Emperor will eventually turn his attention to the existing mineral veins that have been surveyed in the Mingdou Mountains.

"Guards! Convene an emergency military meeting. All officers of the fourth rank and above are required to attend!"
-
The Shence Battalion set off, but instead of heading directly to the front lines to join the Imperial Dragon Soul Instructor Corps, they followed Xu Tianyuan to continue inspecting the defenses of the remaining key military towns.

This is a process of mutual understanding.

As a newcomer, Xu Tianze was able to quickly understand the military deployment of the Mingdou Mountains under the personal guidance of Xu Tianyuan.

At the same time, Xu Tianyuan can also deepen his understanding of Xu Tiance and the Shence Camp through daily interactions.

The group arrived at "Ming Pass," where the Imperial Dragon Soul Master Corps was stationed, ten days after they left Yuhu Pass.

The Shence Battalion had just entered the city and hadn't even had a sip of water when they heard the sound of the highest level of alert that echoed throughout the city.

"Brother Tianyuan, what's wrong?"

"It must be the Star Luo Empire that has launched an invasion! Your Highness, please come with me to the headquarters at Ming Pass."

Xu Tianze nodded, turned around and came to Ye Liuyun and Di Qiu'er. "Ayun, I'll go and find out the situation first. I'll leave the Shence Camp to you."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Qiu'er, bring your personal guards and come with me. Remember, no matter what happens, do not have any conflict with the Imperial Dragon Soul Master Corps. Follow my orders."

"Don't worry. Royal Guard, assemble!"

Xu Tianyuan and Xu Tianze arrived at the headquarters as quickly as possible, while Di Qiu'er led her personal guards to stand watch in the courtyard outside the gate.

Upon seeing Xu Tianyuan, the senior officers who had gathered in the headquarters immediately felt reassured.

"This is His Highness the Sixth Prince, who has come to support us with the new Shence Army on His Majesty's orders," Xu Tianyuan introduced succinctly.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately saluted Xu Tianze respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Sixth Prince."

"Gentlemen, there's no need to concern yourselves with these formalities; military matters are of utmost importance."

Xu Tianze nodded to Xu Tianyuan, who understood immediately and sat down to get straight to the point, "Deputy Regiment Commander Jiang Yu, please give a brief overview of the current military situation."

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man wearing glasses immediately stood up from the head seat on the left. "Yes, Commander."

Jiang Yu arrived at the military deployment map and gave everyone a brief and concise briefing on the frontline situation.

According to Jiang Yu, this wasn't the first time a situation like today had occurred. Recently, the Star Luo Empire had frequently sent small groups of troops to harass them, only to withdraw immediately upon contact, without lingering for battle.

After explaining the military situation and the current response plan, Jiang Yu returned to his seat.

Xu Tianyuan's gaze swept over the high-ranking officers present. "Stop hiding your true intentions. What do you think the Star Luo Empire is trying to do? What are its goals?"

"The other side is clearly testing the strength of our defenses. Something is definitely amiss; they are definitely plotting something bigger."

"Nonsense! How could the commander not know something so obvious? The commander wants to know what the so-called conspiracy might be." "How am I supposed to know? I'm not a mind reader."

Upon hearing this, the other senior officers couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle.

Many of the officers present either rose through the ranks based on their abilities and military achievements, or were placed there by members of the royal family in various ways to gain prestige. They are good at fighting hard, but using their brains is not their forte.

Jiang Yu pushed up his glasses. "Could it be related to a batch of smuggled goods we intercepted before? The timeline from when we intercepted the goods to when they started to provoke us repeatedly seems to match up."

"How much were those smuggled goods worth? It's nothing to the entire Western Army Group. Is it really worth all this fuss?"

"But that's the rarest metal that the Star Luo Empire desperately needs."

"That's not really worth it. I think it would be better to just go and rob our Sun Moon Empire's border troops with real swords and spears."

Xu Tianyuan shook his head helplessly and looked at Xu Tianze, "Sixth Prince, what do you think?"

"I think that since we don't know what the Star Luo Empire wants to do, we should do the opposite in everything we do."

"Your Highness, you mean..."

"Since the Star Luo Empire has been probing us repeatedly, we might as well strike hard and break their legs."

The more secrets they harbor, the more assertive we must be, making them back down and cower within their defenses, afraid to venture out.

Xu Tianyuan tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, deep in thought about what Xu Tianze had said.

“Your Highness, what you say makes sense. However, although we have had occasional friction with the Star Luo Empire, we have never had a large-scale armed conflict.”

If what you say is true, and we accidentally hurt the Star Luo Empire, the border situation may change drastically, and our army may officially begin a national war with the Star Luo Empire.

This matter is of great importance, and I cannot make the decision myself. Without His Majesty's decree, I can only try my best to keep the situation under control.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to have a direct conflict with the Star Luo Empire, much less conquer the Mingdou Mountains by force."

I have heard that a group of bandits, known as the Hand of Death, lurks in the Mingdou Mountains, specializing in intercepting and killing merchants traveling between the two countries.

The leader was a malevolent spirit master who committed arson, murder, robbery, and all sorts of atrocities.

Xu Tianyuan nodded. "That's true. But not long ago, I received news that this band of bandits had been wiped out by the Shrek Surveillance Team."

"Who said that? I don't believe it. Make him produce the evidence."

"This..." The officers looked at each other, completely baffled, not knowing what Xu Tianze meant by this.

"What seems harmless is often the most deadly. The Hand of Death has indeed suffered heavy damage, but it has not been completely eliminated and is still lingering in the Mingdou Mountains."

The Star Luo Empire's military provided assistance and support to the Shrek Academy's oversight team, but the Hand of Death, in a deliberate act of retaliation, launched a large-scale attack on Star Luo Empire patrols within the Mingdou Mountains.

Having spent so much time with Xu Tianze, Xu Tianyuan immediately understood and guessed his intentions.

"Your Highness, are you thinking... isn't this a bit too risky?"

"Why did the Hand of Death remain until the Shrek Academy's oversight team intervened?"
Isn't it because they are too cunning? Whenever one side sends out a large army to suppress the bandits, those cunning bastards run to the other side?
Now, I declare that these lunatics have gone completely insane and only want revenge on the culprits who brought them to this state!

"Is it possible?"

“That's fine! I wonder if Commander Xu still remembers what you said when we first met?”

Xu Tianyuan naturally remembered that Xu Tianze could appear and disappear mysteriously in the heart of the rebel army's territory, so the vast and complex Mingdou Mountains must have been his comfort zone.

No, it's actually the controlled territory!

"Alright! I will send someone to help you familiarize yourselves with the terrain of the Mingdou Mountains as soon as possible."

"I will personally report to my father, the Emperor, to inform him of the military situation at the front!"

Most of the officers present were completely confused, but even so, out of basic military discipline, they remained silent about the content of today's military meeting.
-
The meeting was not yet over, and Xu Tianyuan still needed to understand the situation of Mingguan during his absence.

Therefore, Xu Tianze took the lead and withdrew from the headquarters.

Di Qiu'er immediately ran to him, "How is it?"

"Let's talk about it when we get back."

"Uh-huh."

As soon as they returned to their temporary base, Xu Tianze pulled aside a group of senior officers from the Shence Battalion for a small meeting to explain his upcoming action plan.

Inside the small room, the bigwigs of the Shence Camp gathered together—

Commander-in-Chief Xu Tianze, Left Deputy Commander Ye Yulin, Right Deputy Commander Ye Liuyun, Central Deputy Commander Qi Kai, Bodyguard Captain Di Qiu'er, and Special Forces Captain Li Tao.

"Gentlemen, actual combat is the fastest way for our army to grow. You are all veterans who have followed me, and even if you leave me, I believe you can stand on your own."

Last time, we routed Duke Wei Lin's rebel army; this time, we will surely deliver a crushing blow to the Star Luo Empire!

"Your Highness, please give the order. What do you want us to do?"

Xu Tianze took out a map of the Mingdou Mountains and placed three small flags at three different locations on the map.

"Ayun, Qikai, I want you to each lead your troops to these two places."

I will also lead my troops to the location of the central flag, to coordinate and support you from the center.

This time, we will use the guise of bandits and outlaws to secretly attack and harass the Star Luo Empire's outposts and patrol teams.

These three locations were carefully selected by me; their terrain is extremely complex, making them ideal for concealment and ambush. Our three armies can then form a pincer movement, supporting and watching over each other.

Furthermore, if the Star Luo Empire dares to send powerful warriors to pursue you, it will also facilitate your retreat into the Sun Moon Empire's sphere of influence. The Imperial Dragon Soul Mentor Corps will also be on standby to join the battlefield at any time.

In other words, from now on, we'll be the mountain kings of the Mingdou Mountains.

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

"Li Tao, the special operations team will be temporarily integrated into A Yun's command and will be under A Yun's command and control."

"Yes."

"Brothers, it must be tough lying in wait in the mountains, but we are soldiers, and we must endure what ordinary people cannot endure and do what ordinary people cannot do."

Besides breaking into smaller groups to launch attacks and harass the enemy, I also need you to conduct in-depth research into the topography, geology, mineral veins, and hydrology of the Mingdou Mountains—the more detailed the better.

"Your Highness, do you have something on your mind again?"

At such times, based on Ye Liuyun's understanding of Xu Tianze, he would never let his brothers waste their efforts; it was absolutely impossible for him not to cause trouble!

The more detailed the exploration, the better. If you didn't know better, you'd really think that the Mingdou Mountains were Xu Tianze's own backyard.

Xu Tianze responded with a wicked smile, his meaning unspoken.

(End of this chapter)