Douluo: This Legend of the Dragon King is not quite right

Emperor Xu's orders were clear and swift.

Although he had taken precautions before the war with the Green Skull organization broke out, secretly evacuating most of the civilians in the core area and minimizing casualties, the importance of Sun and Moon City as the core hub of the Eastern Continent was self-evident.

Once this megacity is completely destroyed, nearly 30% of the economy and administrative system of the entire Eastern Continent will be paralyzed, and the resulting refugee crisis and social unrest will be catastrophic.

Under his command, the remaining federal troops, the Soul Masters of the Spirit Pagoda, and the powerful warriors of the War God Temple were quickly organized, like intricate gears starting to mesh again.

Thick, soul-guided shields rose again on the city's outskirts, shimmering with energy.

The damaged soul-guided turrets were urgently repaired or replaced.

The patrol team moved among the ruins, searching for any remaining survivors or new threats.

The entire Sun and Moon City was like a wounded beast, licking its wounds while keeping its nerves on edge, wary of any fangs that might lurk in the darkness.

This state of high tension continued until Lu Jun and his group returned safely.

When Lu Jun stood before Emperor Xu Tian and reported the battle results in a calm and composed tone, the ambitious and talented Speaker narrowed his deep eyes slightly and carefully examined the young man before him.

Lu Jun's report was a perfect template.

Their team patrolled the area as planned, but encountered strong resistance from the elite Green Skull organization. Following the clues, they discovered the core location of the goddess's descent.

To cover their advance, the two Limit Douluos, Enci and Tongyu, resolutely stayed behind to hold off the Green Skull's main force.

They seized the opportunity to rush into the valley, where they discovered that the leader of the Green Skull organization had sacrificed himself to summon the goddess of beauty. Lu Jun and his group discovered this on the way, interrupting the attack and leading to a fierce battle.

They successfully interfered with and prevented the descent of the goddess, and ultimately won a fierce battle against the Green Skull leader and his remaining forces, thus destroying the Green Skull organization.

The logic is clear, the steps are complete, and it even thoughtfully provides a reasonable explanation for Enci and Tongyu's lateness.

However, Emperor Xu's vision was incredibly sharp.

He keenly sensed that the aura emanating from Lu Jun upon his return, and the young people behind him, was completely different from when he left.

It was not just a leap in soul power level, but a calm and restrained sharpness that came after experiencing life and death and washing away all superficiality.

Especially Lu Jun himself, even though he was standing there, he gave people the illusion that he was unfathomable and as if he had merged into the surrounding space.

Xu Tiandi's face remained expressionless, but countless thoughts were churning in his mind.

The energy level that erupted in the valley far exceeded the scope of the so-called Green Skull organization; it was clearly a collision at the god level, or even higher.

And then there's the extreme ice that blankets the entire city, and the unprecedented sublimation that's currently taking place in the Douluo Continent...

Can all of this really be explained by the failure of the goddess of beauty to descend?
Clearly, Lu Jun's excuse was rather perfunctory, and he didn't even bother to fabricate a lie.

However, Emperor Xu did not question it on the spot.

Right now, stabilizing the situation and cleaning up the mess are the top priorities.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Xu Tiandi's voice was unreadable; he simply nodded.

"You are the heroes of this operation, and the Federation will remember your contributions."

"Regarding rewards, they will be distributed according to merit after we return to Douluo Continent." "Especially Lu Jun, you provided crucial intelligence and spearheaded the thwarting of the enemy's plot, your contribution is immense."

Then, Emperor Xu made the following arrangements:
"You should return to your base to rest and recover. The subsequent cleanup and reconstruction work will be handled by the military and municipal departments."

"Ah."

Lu Jun nodded slightly, showing no sign of anything amiss, and led the group away decisively, returning to the hotel where they had been staying.

On the way back, Le Zhengyu finally couldn't hold back any longer, leaned close to Lu Jun, and asked in a low voice:

"Mr. Lu, judging from the Speaker's reaction, it seems... he doesn't intend to make trouble for you? Did you misjudge before?"

Lu Jun glanced at him, a knowing smile curving her lips:

“Le Zhengyu, you are still too young. It’s not that he doesn’t want to, but that he can’t right now, and the time isn’t right yet.”

He patiently explained:
"This is the advantage brought by information asymmetry. You don't understand people like Xu Tiandi. They are used to controlling everything, and anything beyond their control will be regarded as a threat. The reason he is holding back now is simply because of a few points: First, he has just experienced a great battle with the god Niu Tian, ​​and his army is exhausted and needs to catch its breath."

"Secondly, the situation in Sun and Moon City is in dire need of attention, and the internal situation is unstable, so he is unable to attend to everything at once."

"Third, and most importantly, he has too little information about the actual situation in the valley. I sent Enci and Tongyu away, so he couldn't get first-hand information from them."

Lu Jun's tone carried a hint of certainty:
"Once he finishes dealing with the mess at hand, the army has rested and regrouped, and he returns to his stable base on Douluo Continent, he will definitely question Enci and Tongyu in detail, and then combine that with any scattered footage or energy fluctuation data that the soul-guided monitoring might capture..."

"With his intellect and the intelligence network he controls, it would be easy for him to deduce that the anomalies in the valley, the sublimation of the plane, and even the extreme ice that covers the entire city are all inextricably linked to me, Lu Jun."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly:
"Moreover, since I broke through to the Soul Saint realm and decided to stop completely hiding my strength, I haven't made any deliberate effort to conceal myself, leaving behind quite a few clues."

“If he still can’t figure out that the key lies with me at this point, then he’s not worthy of being the speaker.”

Xie Xie, listening from the side, clicked his tongue in amazement and shrank back:
"Tsk, you tacticians are all dirty-minded... Your brains work too fast, just like those legendary old monsters who faked their deaths to set up their schemes."

"There's no battle of wits involved."

Lu Jun shook his head.

"It's simply a matter of how much information they have."

As a time traveler who knows the plot, he has a far greater understanding of Xu Tiandi's personality, behavior, and even his possible bottom line than ordinary people.

Long Chen couldn't help but interject and ask:
"Brother Lu, since you predicted that he would find you, why don't we take advantage of the Federation's current chaos and its weakness to strike first?"

"Could it be... that you still have feelings for the Federation?"

Lu Jun stopped and looked at Long Chen, then at his other companions who also looked puzzled, and said frankly:

"The reason I didn't choose to take advantage of their misfortune was partly due to my absolute confidence in my own abilities. And partly..."

His gaze swept across the city struggling to recover, his voice calm yet carrying an indescribable weight:

"I want to give him, and the Federation, a choice."

"Cooperation or enmity. The path is there; the choice is in his hands."

Lu Jun's tone was soft, yet carried an undeniable air of authority:
"I hope he can make a wise choice for the future of Douluo Continent. But if he insists on going to the opposite side... then I won't be polite." (End of Chapter)