Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

"Gentlemen, I know what you're all thinking. The Northern Alliance has only been established for a short time, with a weak foundation and shallow roots. To say that they are not afraid at all when facing the regular army of the three legions of the Martial Soul Empire would be a lie."

But I can make this clear: in this battle, we're not just defending the Northern Border; we're making the Spirit Empire shudder at the mere mention of the Northern Border from now on.

She paused, then slowly stood up, supporting herself on the edge of the table. Her deep purple robe shimmered with a cold, eerie light in the candlelight, and her already exquisitely beautiful face now carried a sharp edge that made people afraid to look directly at her.

"Let them come. Let them see just how tough the North's gates are."

There was a silence in the council chamber for about three breaths. General Qin was the first to stand up, followed by Duke Zhao, who pushed back his chair and stood up as well. The other earls exchanged glances and stood up almost simultaneously.

No one shouted slogans, but the same expression appeared on their faces, roughened by war and wind: the kind of unwavering conviction that only those who follow those who can win battles can have.

After the meeting, Eva stood alone by the window of the council chamber.

Outside the window, the northern winds were swirling withered yellow leaves across the city walls.

As dusk approached, the distant outline of the pass appeared particularly somber in the twilight.

Ge Duo remained seated, the herb in her hand now crumpled into a small ball of dark purple crumbs.

"You certainly know how to use my old face as a selling point." Her voice was languid, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Eva did not turn around.

"It's not a signboard, it's a reassurance. Those people are able to sit here not because of their loyalty to me, Eva, but because of their concern for this land in the North."

What they feared was not death, but the inability to defend their fiefdom, their soldiers, and their families.

So I need to let them know that we're not just having one Title Douluo like me holding things up here; there's you, and there's Dugu Bo. Three Title Douluos—one who can refine medicine, one who can use poison, and one who can… keep the two of you in check.”

Ge Duo snorted and casually tossed the crumb into the empty teacup on the table. "When will Dugu Bo arrive?"

“Soon. The place where he's in seclusion isn't far from the Northern Border. I've already sent people to meet him.” Eva turned around, her emerald eyes gleaming in the twilight. “Once he arrives, we won't have to guard him anymore.”

Ge Duo raised an eyebrow slightly. "You want to launch a counterattack?"

Eva smiled faintly, but a chilling glint flashed in her eyes.

“If Bibi Dong thinks that sending three legions north will suppress the northern border, then let her think that way.”

"Wait until her army loses its edge under the city's defenses, wait until we hold off her titled Douluo, wait until Dugu Bo's Azure Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison is scattered down with the north wind..."

She raised her hand, her slender fingers tracing a light line in the air. "The eastern front is empty."

Looking at her composed and calculating demeanor, Ge Duo remained silent for a while before leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs. "Eva, you really have a dirty heart."

"Thank you for the compliment." Eva picked up her teacup, and as the rim touched her lips, her smile deepened.

……

Wuhun City, the Pope's Palace.

When the palace doors were pushed open from the outside, Bibi Dong was standing in front of the huge military map, her back to the doors. She was holding a red flag between her fingers and pressing it towards the northern border.

She didn't turn around.

The footsteps were heavy, each step landing on the smooth, mirror-like white marble floor. The rhythm was not fast, but it carried an undeniable sense of oppression.

He was neither a squire nor a paladin. In the entire Spirit City, there was only one person who dared to walk straight into the Papal Palace without prior notice.

"What brings you here today, Grand Master?" Bibi Dong asked, her voice as calm as if she were discussing the weather.

She pressed the flag she was holding onto the map of the northern defenses before slowly turning around.

Qian Daoliu stood in the center of the hall, his deep blue robe trailing on the ground, his golden hair gleaming coldly in the golden light falling from the dome.

He didn't sit down or make any polite gestures; he simply stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently at Bibi Dong.

“Your Holiness,” Qian Daoliu’s voice was not loud, but each word was clear, “I have come today to ask you something.”

Chapter 514 News

Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow slightly, walked to the throne and sat down, her demeanor as composed as if she were attending a pre-arranged tea party.

"Oh? What could be so important that the High Priest would personally make the trip?"

"The North".

Qian Daoliu uttered these two words, his gaze fixed on Bibi Dong's face, "You are going to wage war against the Northern Border."

It's not a question, it's a statement.

Bibi Dong picked up the teacup on the table beside the throne and took a slow sip. "The Grand Elder's information network is quite impressive. Indeed, the three legions are already on their way."

Qian Daoliu's brows furrowed slowly. "Why attack the Northern Border first?"

"Pick the softest persimmon." Bibi Dong put down her teacup, her tone as calm as if she were saying one plus one equals two. "The Grand Elder surely understands this simple principle?"

Qian Daoliu didn't respond. He was waiting for Bibi Dong to continue. Sure enough, Bibi Dong leaned back on her throne, placed her hands folded on her knees, and began to list the points for him one by one.

"The Anti-Soul Alliance is now roughly divided into three parts."

Bibi Dong raised a finger, its slender, white tip gleaming with a jade-like luster under the golden light streaming down from the dome.

"To the south lies the Star Luo Empire. It is a wealthy and powerful nation with a well-organized army. Dai Tianfeng has managed it for many years, and its border defenses are impregnable. Although the number of Title Douluos is not large, their army is a truly battle-hardened force."

They're not like the Heavenly Dou Empire, all show and no substance, having not fought a major battle in decades. They've been forged through countless small-scale border skirmishes, sword by sword. To fight them, you have to go head-to-head, gnaw at their bones.

She raised her second finger, her tone still unhurried.

"In the central region, there are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the Blue Lightning Overlord School, and the Haotian School. The three major schools are all gathered here, along with other affiliated smaller sects."

There are more than six Title Douluos alone. The number of Soul Douluos and Soul Saints is countless.

Ning Fengzhi, that old fox, set up the allied forces' camp at Falling Eagle Ridge, a strategically advantageous location for both offense and defense, with unobstructed supply lines and mutually reinforcing defenses. This group is even tougher than the Star Luo army; to defeat them would require sacrificing the lives of Title Douluos.

She raised her third finger, and the cold smile on her lips deepened.

"The Northern Territory is different. The Northern Territory only has Eva and the newly joined Godot. They are two Title Douluo, but they do not have the foundation of a sect or the legacy passed down through generations like the three upper sects."

Their army was even less noteworthy: a cobbled-together remnant of the Heavenly Dou forces, a private army assembled by several dukes and earls in the Northern Territory, plus a group of scattered soldiers who had fled to the Northern Territory seeking refuge, terrified by the Spirit Hall. "Grand Elder"

Bibi Dong lowered her hand, leaned forward slightly, and reflected Qian Daoliu's silent face in her purple eyes.

"If you were the commander-in-chief, who would you attack first?"

Qian Daoliu did not answer.

Of course he knew the answer. In military strategy, you pick on the weak. Even a novice military academy student understands this principle; Bibi Dong couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

“Furthermore,” Bibi Dong leaned back on her throne, picked up her teacup, and took another sip, “the High Priest should know the geography of the Northern Territory better than I do. From here…”

She raised her hand, her slender index finger lightly touching the map, landing on the location of the northern border.

"To the south lies the current northern border of the Spirit Empire. To the southeast is Haotian City, the stronghold of the Haotian Sect. To the due south-southwest is the joint venture of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Blue Lightning Tyrant School."

If the northern border is in our hands, the central region will be sandwiched between us. At that point, the three upper sects will be attacked from both sides, and even if Ning Fengzhi is incredibly cunning, he won't be able to conjure a third shield.

Qian Daoliu's gaze fell on the map, looking at the area in the north circled in cinnabar ink, and at the three blue arrows extending from the direction of the Spirit Empire.

He knew, of course, that Bibi Dong was right. From a military perspective, attacking the northern border first was almost an option that required no hesitation.

The Martial Soul Empire possesses advantages in troop strength, high-end combat power, and logistics.

Taking the North would leave the Central Plains vulnerable to a pincer attack from both north and south. Taking the Central Plains would leave Xingluo an isolated island. This was a flawless strategy, each step landing precisely on the most critical points.

But he did not nod.

“Although the Northern Territory is a remnant of the Heavenly Dou forces,” Qian Daoliu said slowly, his voice as deep as thunder rolling through a valley, “it still has tens of thousands of troops. Eva has integrated the private armies of more than a dozen former Heavenly Dou nobles in the Northern Territory, and together they have at least fifty or sixty thousand men. These are not ants that can be crushed at will.”

"Just a bunch of loose sand."

Bibi Dong put down her teacup, the bottom of which made a very soft, crisp sound as it hit the table.

She raised her eyes, her purple eyes devoid of any extraneous emotion, only a calm, almost cold, certainty.

"The reason why the Northern Territory has been able to hold out until now is not because its army is strong, but because it has Eva. With a Title Douluo sitting in the Northern Territory, the Spirit Hall will have to think twice about the cost if it wants to take a hard line. But on the other hand, as long as we get rid of this Title Douluo, the remaining rabble in the Northern Territory will scatter on their own without even having to fight."

Qian Daoliu was silent for a moment. Then he spoke, his voice not loud, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from his chest.

"Bibi Dong, have you forgotten the relationship between Eva and Qian Renxue?"

Bibi Dong paused slightly as she held the teacup.

Qian Daoliu didn't give her a chance to speak. He took half a step forward, his dark blue robe casting a heavy shadow on the white marble floor.

Those eyes, weathered by time, shone with an astonishing brightness, churning with incredibly complex emotions.

"Eva is Snow White's mother. And Snow White has the blood of a six-winged angel flowing through her veins. Whether you admit it or not, she is a child of the Qian family, Snow's daughter, and your granddaughter."

His voice suddenly rose several decibels, echoing endlessly in the empty papal hall.

"You sent three legions north, and how many Title Douluos did you take with you? Two? Three? Are you trying to wipe out the Northern Territory, or to kill Eva?"

Bibi Dong put down her teacup and slowly stood up. Her purple papal robes trailed on the ground, shimmering with a cold, eerie light in the candlelight.

She looked at Qian Daoliu, at this Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall, her face devoid of any extra expression.

“High Priest,” her voice was calm, as calm as if she were commenting on the weather, “are you teaching me how to fight a war?”

"I am not the Pope," Qian Daoliu's voice deepened, "but I am the patriarch of the Qian family. No matter which side Eva stands on, she is another mother to Bai Xue."

You let me watch helplessly as you sent troops to besiege her, and did nothing at all."

"So what do you plan to do?" Bibi Dong interrupted him, her purple eyes narrowing slightly. "Will you personally go to the Northern Border to invite her back? Or will you send someone from the Hall of Worship to inform her?"

The air in the hall seemed to freeze at that moment. The two people who stood at the pinnacle of power in the Spirit Hall stared at each other across the long table covered with military maps.

Then Qian Daoliu sighed softly.

"I'm not here to argue with you." His voice regained its usual composure, but upon closer listening, a trace of hoarseness lingered at the end.

"I only have one question for you: what exactly do you plan to do with Eva?"

Bibi Dong fell silent. She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her purple pupils.

She was weighing her options.

It's not about weighing whether or not to kill Eva, but about weighing the consequences of turning against Qian Daoliu now.

The influence of the Offering Hall within the Spirit Hall should not be underestimated.

Qian Daoliu himself is a level 99 Limit Douluo and the guardian of the Angel God.

Qian Renxue has just completed the Nine Trials of the Angel and is currently in seclusion, attempting to attain godhood. If she were to completely break ties with Qian Daoliu now, the consequences would be unbearable for her.

Moreover, Eva's life was never a necessity for her.