Chapter 317: The Whale Devours Star Luo
The news of Star Luo's most terrifying beast tide attack, and the nearly complete annihilation of Star Luo's upper echelons, led by Dai Tianyu, spread across the continent like wildfire after a few days of brewing.
Due to the suddenness of the event, the major forces were caught off guard, and many sent people to Star Luo to investigate the situation. Star Luo was thrown into the greatest turmoil since its founding.
The people within the empire were all on edge, fearing that their towns might suddenly be attacked by the beast tide, just like Star Luo City. The royal families of the various kingdoms and principalities were also deeply worried, as they had already received news that the Tian Dou Empire's army was on its way.
The main force led by Meng Shenji alone numbered over 200,000, not to mention that the Tian Dou kingdoms continued to send reinforcements to Star Luo. As many of Star Luo's forces had been withdrawn to aid the capital, the Tian Dou army faced little resistance.
The Tian Dou army conquered dozens of cities in quick succession, having already penetrated deep into Star Luo's heartland. This was something that previous Tian Dou emperors had never accomplished. The common people, unsure of the reasons, couldn't help but marvel at Xue Qinghe's good fortune, who, shortly after ascending the throne, found such an unprecedented opportunity.
Only a few clear-headed individuals suspected that everything was being orchestrated. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Xue Qinghe to have preemptively stationed so many troops in the Fasno province. How else would Xue Qinghe have known about the beast tide attacking the capital before even many inside Star Luo knew?
Tian Dou Empire, Shrek Academy, Flanders quietly knocked on Dai Mubai's door. After having a night of fun, Dai Mubai was still asleep in the academy's room, catching up on sleep in the afternoon after the Soul Master competition. He had stayed at the academy after the competition and became a teacher, living aimlessly and waiting for his fate to arrive.
"Knock knock... knock."
"Who is it? It's midday, can't people just let me sleep?" Dai Mubai's lazy voice came through the door, causing Flanders to frown. How could his people be so degenerate? Was there some obstacle they couldn't overcome?
"Mubai, it's me."
Upon hearing it was Flanders, a yawn came from inside the room, and after a few seconds, the door opened, revealing Dai Mubai's sleepily disheveled face.
"What's up, Dean?"
"Well, I'm not sure if this news is good or bad for you, but..."
Seeing that Flanders was hesitating to speak, and had a serious expression, Dai Mubai's sleepiness vanished instantly, and he felt a sense of unease in his heart.
"Is it news from Star Luo? Are they sending people to find me?"
After thinking about it, Dai Mubai realized he was approaching adulthood. In his mind, the Star Luo royal family would likely send someone to bring him back.
Flanders paused for a moment, then forced a wry smile.
"They haven't come for you, but it's indeed related to Star Luo."
Now it was Dai Mubai's turn to be stunned. If no one was coming to take him back, then why was the Dean concerned about Star Luo's affairs?
"Then what's happening?"
Dai Mubai stepped aside and let Flanders in, and after he sat down, Dai Mubai asked again about Star Luo.
After some thought, Flanders decided to speak frankly, as this matter was so significant it couldn't be hidden for long.
"The latest rumors circulating are that Star Luo City has been attacked by the largest beast tide in history, and Star Luo Empire has suffered heavy losses. Dai Tianyu, along with the Empress and many of the royal attendants, perished."
"And now, the Emperor of Tian Dou, Xue Qinghe, is sending a large army to attack Star Luo. They have already achieved significant victories, and Star Luo Empire may very well be on the verge of collapse."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Dai Mubai's first reaction was disbelief, but after thinking for a moment, he realized Flanders wouldn't joke about such matters. Moreover, such a major event could be easily verified by asking around; Flanders wouldn't go this far just to mess with him.
After the news was delivered, there was silence in the room. Flanders watched his student with some concern. He wondered whether the news would cause Dai Mubai great sorrow. After all, these were his parents, and he didn't know whether Dai Mubai would be devastated or, with his already despondent mood, collapse further.
Indeed, as Flanders had guessed, Dai Mubai's first reaction was pain. After all, before awakening his martial soul, he had enjoyed a happy time, and he had also felt the love of his parents, Dai Tianyu and Zhu Xianwei.
However, after the pain, it was as if some shackles had been removed from his shoulders. A sense of relief washed over him, and the gloom that had plagued his heart dispersed.
Although he had lost his parents, from another perspective, he no longer had to accept the cruel fate of Star Luo, did he?
"Dean, from now on, I no longer have the title of prince, right?"
"Well, from the looks of it, it's highly likely."
Flanders, seeing how Dai Mubai had so quickly recovered from the pain of losing his parents, and now even looked relieved, couldn't help but sigh at the cruelty of the royal family. He had worried that Dai Mubai would be devastated, but now it seemed his concern was unnecessary.
After the relief, a complex emotion flashed across Dai Mubai's face. After all, this was his homeland, and he had a chance to ascend the throne. Now that the entire empire had collapsed, it made him feel uncertain. This was the complexity of human nature—once the threat of death was gone, people often began to covet things that were not theirs.
"Dean, I... want to return to Star Luo and take a look."
"Mubai, some things can't be undone by one person's will. I didn't bring you this news for that reason."
"I understand, Dean, but I must return and pay my respects to my parents."
"This..."
With Dai Mubai saying this, no matter his true intentions, Flanders couldn't stop him anymore.
"If that's the case, I won't stop you, but remember, don't think about things that aren't practical."
"Thank you, Dean."
Dai Mubai understood that Flanders was only looking out for him, so he wasn't upset. After bidding him farewell, he packed his things and left the academy.
In the next half month, Xue Qinghe sent several more armies into Star Luo, one part to take over the conquered cities, and another to reinforce Meng Shenji, as it was unrealistic to conquer the entire Star Luo with just 200,000 troops, even though the empire was in chaos and without leaders.
If the prominent nobles in Star Luo really intended to raise their own army, they could easily gather tens of thousands of soldiers, which would cause trouble. Therefore, it was crucial to seize control of the entire Star Luo before these people could react.
With reinforcements, Meng Shenji's vanguard force made rapid progress, capturing the decimated Star Luo capital in less than half a month. The surrounding kingdoms and principalities saw that the situation was hopeless and stopped resisting, quickly opening their gates to surrender.
Now, aside from Lingmao City, which was still guarded by Duke Youming, the entire area west of the Xilan River had fallen, all under the control of the Tian Dou army. Facing the tide of fate, Zhu Zhiqing's father's surrender was likely only a matter of time.
All of this was thanks to the soul beasts, which had devoured most of Star Luo's elite forces, allowing the Tian Dou army to advance with ease.
(END CHAPTER)
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