Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, looking into Xiao Wu's incredibly bright eyes. She remained silent for a while before speaking: "Waiting is fine, but when it really comes time to fight, you'll actually want to slow down."

Xiao Wu looked at her, wanting to say something, but found herself at a loss for words. She paused for a moment, then changed to a more relaxed tone: "Tell me, which line will we be assigned to?"

Zhu Zhuqing put away the last piece of equipment and stood up: "Just wait for orders."

Xiao Wu didn't press the matter further. She stood up, took two steps toward the tent entrance, then turned back and said, "Then I'll go back and prepare. If you have any new updates, remember to let me know."

Zhu Zhuqing neither answered nor refused. When Xiao Wu stepped out of the tent, the sunlight fell directly on her face, slightly dazzling.

She squinted, took a deep breath of the crisp northern air, and felt her heart, which had been waiting for so long, finally begin to beat strongly again.

Meanwhile, on the hillside outside Iron Gate Pass, Yueguan also heard the news.

He was squatting beside a row of newly planted saplings, his palms pressed against the soil that had been repeatedly nourished by soul power, feeling the tiny roots that were extending downwards.

A messenger ran past from the bottom of the slope and shouted, his voice not loud, but the wind carried it precisely to Yueguan's ears.

He straightened up, his gaze falling on the row of slender saplings. The branches trembled slightly in the cold wind, as if anxiously sensing something.

War is about to break out.

The thought slowly sank into his mind, without stirring up any violent waves, but like a stone falling into a deep pool, it spread out fine and lasting ripples on the surface of the water.

He knew that Eva wouldn't let them go to the battlefield; their identities were too special. They also wouldn't be let go, after all, they were still titled Douluo.

Ghost Leopard Douluo stood on the training ground at the edge of the military camp, watching the soldiers who were preparing intensively. His expression was complicated, and he remained silent.

He knew Eva wouldn't kill them, nor would she let them go. He himself couldn't say what would happen to them in the upcoming war.

The ghost remained standing in the shadows, his long black robe almost blending into the twilight, and he said nothing.

As night deepened, the lights on the Iron Gate Pass city wall lit up one after another, clearly outlining the contours of this border fortress.

In the distant camp, soldiers were making their final preparations.

Chapter 560 The War Begins

Wuhun City, the Pope's Palace.

The twilight light streamed through the tall stained-glass window, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the cold white marble floor.

The six-winged angel in the design is bathed in the last rays of the setting sun, its wings gilded with a flowing gold.

Bibidon sat on the papal throne, with several urgent reports that had just been delivered spread out in front of her.

Her face remained calm, showing no extra emotional fluctuations. The flickering candlelight was reflected in her purple eyes, as if nothing could shake her composure at this moment.

She had just received the latest intelligence from the Star Luo Empire, the Haotian Sect, and the Northern Border.

The intelligence arrived from different channels, within half a day of each other, but all converged on her desk that same evening.

Bibi Dong's gaze slowly swept over the intelligence reports, dissecting the intentions behind the words one by one.

A cold smile slowly crept onto her lips, a faint curve that carried a chilling edge, like a blade tempered with ice.

The Star Luo Empire's border garrison is rapidly assembling, several elders of the Haotian Sect have left their posts, and the flow of supplies in the northern border has doubled. All signs point to the same direction: they are preparing for a large-scale offensive.

Bibi Dong gently placed the intelligence in her hand on the table, leaned back in her chair, and narrowed her purple eyes slightly.

"A three-way coalition...does it really think that by joining forces it can shake the foundation of the Spirit Hall?"

Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the empty echo of the hall.

Bibi Dong wasn't worried. In her eyes, those so-called allied forces were nothing more than a hastily assembled rabble.

They each have their own purposes and their own plans. Even if they temporarily unite, they cannot truly work together.

Moreover, her Rakshasa God Trial is nearing its end.

The final threshold between her and her divine status was growing thinner and thinner, and each day brought her closer to the end than the day before.

Once she completes the divine test and enters that supreme realm, the so-called allied forces, the so-called siege, and the so-called resistance will all be nothing more than a struggle between mortal ants.

Before the gods, no matter how many mortals there are, they are just a group of beings who look up at the sky but can never touch it.

Bibi Dong gently raised her hand, her slender fingertips brushing against the edge of the candle flame. She watched as the flickering flame shrank slightly in the chill of her fingertips before regaining its stability.

She withdrew her hand, her voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable certainty: "Someone come here."

The palace door was pushed open from the outside, and a figure walked in silently, kneeling on one knee.

"Issue the order: all garrison troops on all fronts shall enter a state of highest combat readiness, and complete the reinforcement of all defensive fortifications and the redeployment of troops within three days. In addition, those troops that have been transferred to the second line for rest shall cease their rest immediately."

The figure responded and then silently withdrew.

The palace doors closed behind them, temporarily shutting out the impending storm, leaving only the twilight gradually sinking below the horizon outside the window and the flickering candlelight inside the palace.

Bibi Dong sat alone in the light that was illuminated by both candlelight and the afterglow of the setting sun.

Her gaze fell on the huge continental military map, on the battle lines outlined in vermilion ink.

She looked at the markers indicating the movements of the coalition forces, her cold smile deepening, then leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes again.

……

This is a war that sweeps across the entire Douluo Continent.

From the frozen tundra of the north to the dense forests of the south, from the mountains of the west to the plains of the east, flames of war ignited simultaneously overnight, shattering the last vestiges of peace on this continent.

The anti-spirit alliance launched an attack from three directions simultaneously: the joint advance of the Clear Sky Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect on the western front, the frontal breakthrough of the Star Luo Empire army on the southern front, and the rapid infiltration of the Northern Alliance forces. All three forces launched their attacks on the same day.

However, the actual course of the war far exceeded the initial predictions of the coalition command.

The initial few days of progress went relatively smoothly.

The Martial Soul Empire's defenses did indeed show signs of contraction in the outer areas. The garrison troops originally stationed on the border retreated almost immediately, as if they were unprepared for this sudden full-scale attack.

In the first few days, the vanguard forces of the allied forces even made some considerable progress, capturing several border towns that had been under the long-term control of the Spirit Hall, and their morale was high.

But then, the Spirit Hall launched a counterattack.

The southern line was the first to suffer heavy damage.

After advancing to their designated positions, the vanguard of the Star Luo Empire ran headlong into the second line of defense that the Spirit Hall had already deployed.

That was no ordinary defensive fortification, but an iron wall guarded by several titled Douluo.

The Spirit Hall deployed four Title Douluos to this front line: Serpent Spear Douluo She Long, Porcupine Douluo Ci Xue, Demon Bear Douluo Xue Sha Demon Bear, and another Sea Turtle Douluo who was stationed with the army.

The simultaneous appearance of four Title Douluos on the same battlefront far exceeded the Star Luo Empire's original expectations.

Although the Star Luo Empire's army was large in number and had many low- and mid-level Soul Masters, its numerical advantage was greatly weakened in the face of Title Douluo-level combat power.

Those generals who originally thought they could crush the defenses with their superior numbers learned a hard lesson in the first round of direct confrontation.

Serpent Spear Douluo She Long's spear pierced through the formation like lightning, while Porcupine Douluo Ci Xue's poisonous thorns turned the entire battlefield into a death zone. Demon Bear Douluo Xue Sha Demon Bear was like a mobile fortress, crushing everything that tried to stop him.

Within just two days, the vanguard of the Star Luo Empire was forced to retreat dozens of miles, and the border towns that had been occupied fell back into the hands of the Spirit Hall.

The battle lines not only failed to advance, but actually retreated further than before the war began.

The situation on the western front is slightly better, but only by a small margin.

The western front, jointly advanced by the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, also encountered strong resistance from the Spirit Hall. However, the elite disciples and elders of the three sects managed to hold off the Title Douluo sent by the Spirit Hall by relying on the foundation of their sects.

An elder of the Haotian Sect, a titled Douluo-level figure, clashed head-on with Tuoba hope, the Holy Dragon Douluo of the Spirit Hall. The two sides fought fiercely in a valley for a whole day, and in the end, both suffered losses and retreated.

Led by Yu Yuanzhen, the elite disciples of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan engaged in a head-on battle with Mad Lion Douluo of the Spirit Hall. Although they failed to gain an overwhelming advantage, they were not defeated like the ones on the southern front.

But the generals of the three alliances all knew that this was only a temporary stalemate and far from being a victory.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the temporary council hall of the Three Sects Alliance was as heavy as the oppressive calm before a storm.

On the military map spread out on the long table, the areas that were originally marked as "under control" in vermilion ink have now been largely crossed out.

Red arrows pointed simultaneously from three directions into the heart of the Spirit Hall, but each arrow was cut off, bent, or even reversed at a considerable distance from its target.

Ning Fengzhi sat to one side of the main seat, his moon-white robe gleaming warmly in the candlelight.

He held a cup of tea in his hand, but the tea had gone cold. The rim of the cup touched his lips several times, but he didn't actually drink it.

His brows were slightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on the latest battle report in front of him, which he did not look away from.

Yu Yuanzhen sat opposite him, arms crossed, his face solemn. His large, rough hands rested on the table, his knuckles slightly white from the pressure. "Underestimated."

Tang Xiao's voice came from the other end of the long table, deep and steady: "You underestimated the strength of the Spirit Hall."

Ning Fengzhi finally put down the cup of tea, which had completely gone cold, and looked up:

"We previously thought that after the great victory in the Northern Territory, the Spirit Hall would be on the defensive for at least a period of time."

But we overlooked one thing: the North won because Eva seized the opportunity presented by Bibi Dong's underestimation of her opponent. Bibi Dong won't make the same mistake again.

The generals in the council chamber exchanged glances. One of them sighed softly, "After the great victory in the North, we were indeed... a little too optimistic."

“It’s not optimism, it’s a misjudgment.” Yu Yuanzhen’s voice carried an undeniable certainty.

"We thought the number of Title Douluos in the Spirit Hall was limited, and that the three captured Title Douluos had already damaged their foundation."

But the truth is, the Spirit Hall dispatched several Title Douluos to the front line of the battlefield.

Including those active on other fronts, their total number of available Title Douluos far exceeds our estimates.

“The situation is even more serious on the southern front,” a general responsible for liaising with the Star Luo Empire interjected.

"The Star Luo Empire already had a small number of Title Douluos, and when faced with the Spirit Hall's cluster of Title Douluos, their defenses were almost being crushed unilaterally."

Dai Tianfeng has sent three urgent requests for reinforcements. If they don't receive reinforcements, the situation on the southern front may completely collapse within half a month.

Ning Fengzhi remained silent for a moment. He did not immediately respond to the general's words. His gaze fell on the vermilion line on the map that represented the southern war zone, watching it being pushed back little by little by the enemy's blue arrows.

“Reply to the Star Luo Empire.” He raised his head, his voice regaining its usual calm.

"Tell them that we cannot spare any more Title Douluos to support the western front for the time being."

"Tell them to consolidate their defenses and adopt a defensive strategy, rather than attempting a direct confrontation with the Spirit Hall's group of Title Douluos on the main battlefield."

"What about the North?" someone asked. "The pace of advance there seems to have slowed down a bit as well."

Ning Fengzhi tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "The Northern Border..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: the situation in the North was beyond his control.

In the south, the situation in the Star Luo Empire was far worse than the Three Sect Alliance had imagined.

Dai Tianfeng stood in the command post at the front line of the Star Luo Empire, holding the urgent battle report that had just been delivered to him.