Inside a tent in the Star Luo Empire, a hanging soul guide lamp swayed gently. The mottled shadows it cast onto a bandaged chest intertwined like a shattered spiderweb.
Chen Junting's fingers twitched slightly, and the blood-frost caked on his eyelashes rustled to the ground. As he opened his eyes, the familiar texture of the tent ceiling came into view. Only then did he realize he was lying on a bed, feeling as though he were waking from a long dream.
He felt groggy and thoroughly drained of energy, but the coppery taste of blood creeping up his throat brought back memories of that bloody battle.
Purifying the myriad vengeful spirits had drained him completely, ultimately causing him to faint from sheer exhaustion. Furthermore, the injuries he sustained in the battle prior to that still felt as though residual soul power shockwaves were scorching his meridians.
Just as his thoughts wandered, the crisp clinking of armor scales echoed from outside. The tent flap was thrown open, allowing morning light to spill inside. A familiar figure walked in, bringing with him a wisp of mountain mist. It was Gu Tianchen.
Seeing Chen Junting awake, a genuinely relieved smile appeared on his face. He strode to the bed, removing his shoulder armor. A gruesome scar on his left arm had already scabbed over into a hard crust.
"Looks like you're recovering quite well." With that, he tossed over a green-jade medicine bottle. The chill radiating from the bottle condensed into frost flakes in the early summer air. "I took it from your storage soul tool. It works pretty well, actually."
"And equally expensive," Chen Junting said, catching it. "I'll apply the medicine; give me a hand with the bandages in a moment."
Gu Tianchen pulled up a chair and sat beside Chen Junting. Picking up the bandages, he said, "You were out cold for two days and nights. A lot happened while you were under. Right now, the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire have reached a delicate equilibrium, using the Mingdou Mountain Range as a boundary line. Neither side is making a move."
Hearing this, Chen Junting's hand paused briefly as he applied the medicine. Frowning slightly, he continued his task and voiced his confusion. "Why would both sides suddenly stand down? With Senior Di Tian here, the advantage should be ours."
Once Di Tian made a move, it was a dimensionality-reducing strike; no one in the Sun Moon Empire army currently stationed at the Mingdou Mountain Range could stop him.
"That's exactly the problem."
"What do you mean? Did Senior Di Tian go back?"
Chen Junting turned his body. His previously fractured ribs, having undergone treatment from a healing soul skill, let out a faint, grating crunch.
Gu Tianchen nodded. "Exactly. A lot happened while you were unconscious. But before he left, he had someone pass on an apology to you."
"I don't mind that at all," Chen Junting waved his hand, asking curiously, "But why would he suddenly return to the Great Star Dou Forest?"
"It was 'Zhongli Wu'." Gu Tianchen explained the sequence of events to Chen Junting. "Right when Di Tian was about to attack the Sun Moon army, 'Zhongli Wu' intervened to stop him. Toward the tail end of the battle, 'Zhongli Wu' actually threatened Di Tian openly, saying they had already sent people to the Great Star Dou Forest with ulterior motives. Hearing that, Di Tian's mind instantly went to the safety of the forest. How could he care about anything else? After venting his anger, he rushed back immediately."
Hearing this, Chen Junting was profoundly surprised. His eyes widened as he said in disbelief, "'Zhongli Wu' actually dared to threaten the mighty Beast God? Doesn't he fear death?"
Gu Tianchen spread his hands. "Which is why I said Di Tian vented his anger first." "He naturally paid a price. Di Tian flew into a rage and directly blasted 'Zhongli Wu' with a Dragon God Claw. It hit him dead-on. That power... it was absolutely world-destroying."
"Is he dead?" Looking at Gu Tianchen's expression, a guess formed in Chen Junting's mind. He raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively, "Judging by your face, 'Zhongli Wu' didn't die."
Gu Tianchen nodded, confirming Chen Junting's guess. "That's right. This guy's vitality is incredibly tenacious. Logically speaking, 'Zhongli Wu' wasn't in good shape to begin with. Taking a hit from Di Tian like that would have left even Long Xiaoyao in his prime half-crippled—and if he wasn't at his peak, he would have died on the spot. Yet, 'Zhongli Wu' was back on his feet in less than a few minutes, as if nothing had happened."
Hearing this, Chen Junting couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly. Just what other tricks did this "Zhongli Wu" have up his sleeve to make him this troublesome?
"And after that?" Putting away the porcelain bottle, Chen Junting asked. "What else happened on the battlefield?"
Di Tian was gone, "Zhongli Wu" was at full strength, and the Star Luo army had undoubtedly suffered catastrophic casualties from the rampage of the vengeful spirits. Under those circumstances, the Sun Moon Empire army wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by. They would definitely choose to "kick them while they were down."
A standoff? Holding still? That was impossible.
Gu Tianchen cleared his throat and continued, "That's because of Du Busi. The moment Di Tian left, Du Busi arrived at the battlefield. You know he was injured before, but after you gave him that drop of Life Gold, he healed up and rushed over immediately. And after learning the fate of the five Body Sect Elders, Senior Du Busi directly attacked the Sun Moon Empire's army. What's more, he went all out right from the start."
"That does fit his character." Gu Tianchen smiled. "Naturally. And because of that, the Sun Moon Empire's army suffered heavy casualties in a very short time."
"At the final critical moment, 'Zhongli Wu' intervened. Seeing Du Busi's ferocious momentum, he immediately stepped in to stop him. Thus, a fierce clash broke out between these two powerhouses. Senior Du Busi's combat prowess is even greater after breaking through to the Limit Douluo tier, and 'Zhongli Wu' is bizarrely evil in his own right. They fought to a standstill, with soul power spilling everywhere across the battlefield. Neither side's troops dared to get close. But later, for some unknown reason, they stopped. Logically speaking, Senior Du Busi shouldn't have hesitated at all."
Chen Junting listened and nodded. Then, he spoke up somewhat abruptly, "That's not necessarily true. Senior Du Busi isn't just a Titled Douluo who acts on his grudges; he is the Sect Master of the Body Sect. And while the Body Sect and the Tian Hun Empire might not share life and death, they are undoubtedly closely aligned. Under certain circumstances, he would rein in his temper."
"However..." Chen Junting paused briefly and let out a light chuckle. "Senior Du Busi won't just let this go." He tapped his fingers lightly against the bed frame. "So afterward, both armies pulled back and set up camps on opposite sides of the Mingdou Mountain Range to face off?"
Gu Tianchen nodded slightly. "Exactly. Both sides seem to be waiting for something, or perhaps gathering their strength. After all, while this great battle has temporarily paused, no one knows when the next conflict will erupt, and the scale might be even larger."
Chen Junting slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard, his gaze gradually sharpening. "It seems the situation has become more complicated."
Looking at Chen Junting, Gu Tianchen said earnestly, "You're right. But your body is still very weak right now. Focus on healing first. We can slowly figure out a countermeasure for the rest later."
Chen Junting didn't mind. "I'm fine. I've rested for two days and feel much better. Give me a detailed breakdown of both sides' current troop deployments and morale. I want to know what we're working with."
Seeing his firm resolve, Gu Tianchen didn't try to persuade him otherwise and immediately gave him a detailed rundown of the Star Luo Empire's situation.
"After this major battle, the Star Luo Empire has lost a fair chunk of its troops, leaving only sixty to seventy percent of our original numbers. Fortunately, our mainstay—the soul master legions and soul tool legions—remain mostly intact, having only suffered twenty to thirty percent casualties. Although the soldiers went through a brutal fight, their morale is still relatively high, knowing that Beast God Di Tian is our backup and that Senior Du Busi is holding the line. Not to mention, the Mingdou Mountain Range defensive line, which was previously lost to the Sun Moon Empire, is no longer in their hands. However, with so many casualties, replenishing our numbers is difficult, and the pressure on our logistical supply lines is quite heavy."
Chen Junting remained silent, signaling for Gu Tianchen to continue.
Gu Tianchen went on, "The situation on the Sun Moon Empire's side is similar. Their offensive was thwarted, and their losses weren't light either. But the same old saying applies: the Sun Moon Empire has a vast territory, abundant minerals, deep foundational reserves, and a massive population. They should be able to replenish their troops and supplies in a short amount of time. Furthermore, they clearly aren't willing to let it go. Judging by their military deployment on the other side of the Mingdou Mountain Range, they are obviously preparing for their next offensive."
After a moment of contemplation, Chen Junting said, "Both sides testing each other in the shadows is inevitable, but I still hold to my previous view. It's very difficult to make any progress at the Mingdou Mountain Range."
"Moreover..." As he said this, a hint of hesitation flashed in Chen Junting's eyes.
"Moreover what?" Facing Gu Tianchen's probing question, Chen Junting just shook his head. To be honest, he couldn't even be sure of what came after that "moreover." Namely, what exactly was "Zhongli Wu"'s ultimate goal? To help the Sun Moon Empire win?
Seeing Chen Junting fall silent, Gu Tianchen waited patiently. It wasn't until Chen Junting collected his thoughts that he spoke again. "Right, regarding the clash between 'Zhongli Wu' and Senior Du Busi, was there any follow-up action?"
"No." Gu Tianchen keenly caught the emphasis in his tone.
"I don't know," he said, seemingly recalling the events. After a brief pause, he continued, "'Zhongli Wu' is elusive. If it weren't for the fact that Senior Du Busi hasn't made a move, I'd suspect he wasn't even in the Sun Moon army camp anymore."
"Mm." Chen Junting replied softly, his expression unreadable. But the very next moment, he abruptly changed the subject. "Old Gu, get ready to leave."
Gu Tianchen's hands paused as he wrapped the bandages. "We're not staying?"
"No need." Chen Junting let out a sigh. "If we keep fighting here without seeking a breakthrough on other fronts, this will turn into a protracted war of attrition. When the time comes, we'll do what we did in the Tian Hun Empire: leave the medicines behind and let the Star Luo Empire look for opportunities to trip up the Sun Moon Empire. No matter what, we just need to keep their attention focused here."
As for what to do after distracting them? Chen Junting didn't say, and Gu Tianchen didn't ask. Because they both knew the answer without speaking. It was simply to buy time for their next move.
"Alright, I understand." Gu Tianchen slowly stood up. "I'll go inform Yuhao."
With Chen Junting's tacit approval—his head bowed as he continued wrapping his own bandages—Gu Tianchen pushed open the tent flap and strode outside.
...
Inside the Star Luo Empire's command tent, the atmosphere was solemn yet fervent. A massive sand table sat in the center, bristling with flags representing both sides' forces. The topography of the mountains and rivers was clear at a glance. Clad in military attire, Dai Hao stood tall, his sharp gaze fixed on the sand table as he occasionally pointed his command flag at key positions along the Mingdou Mountain Range.
"The Mingdou Mountain Range has treacherous terrain; it is a strategically vital location that any military faction must fight for. Although two days ago we reached an agreement with the Sun Moon Empire to temporarily stand down, their ambitions are vast—and so are ours! They know us, and we know them. A new offensive could launch at any time. Therefore, we must deploy heavy troops to these few areas and fortify our defensive structures."
"In my opinion, we should establish five fortress clusters at these five points to form a mutually supportive pincer formation. Each fortress will be assigned a soul tool legion and a soul master legion. Between these five legions, we will distribute the forces of other legions, effectively linking all five into a continuous front line."
Dai Hao picked up five small flags and stabbed them into five locations on the sand table. "If possible, if Senior Du's lethal poison can cover a depth of three hundred miles, then as long as the Sun Moon Empire's soul engineers dare to..." At these words, a ruthlessness flashed through Dai Hao's eyes.
Du Busi stood with his arms crossed over his chest, nodding slightly. This strategy suited his taste perfectly! No matter what, he was going to make these bastards pay with their lives for the disciples of his Body Sect! A one-for-one exchange? Nowhere near enough! Even ten for one wouldn't be enough! Only a hundred to one would barely be acceptable!
Princess Xu Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire frowned slightly, her beautiful eyes darting across the map. Studying the sand table carefully, she said, "Besides this, we should also consider a strategy of taking the initiative. If we can find an opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the Sun Moon Empire's supply convoys, we could definitely throw their deployments into chaos."
"Of course." Suddenly, a hint of a smile flickered in Xu Jiujiu's eyes. "Though, if the supplies are coming from Ming Du, there's no need to intercept them."
Xuanji Douluo, who had been about to outright reject the proposal, couldn't help but feel curious about Xu Jiujiu's words. Although he didn't really approve of intercepting supply lines—after all, to prevent such tactics, the original Three Great Empires of Douluo used highly confidential transport routes, while the technologically advanced Sun Moon Empire simply avoided fixed routes altogether—if they were going to intercept supplies, why explicitly spare those from Ming Du?
"That's because..." Facing Xuanji Douluo's confusion, a smile tugged at the corner of Xu Jiujiu's lips. She was just about to reveal how, back in the day at Ming Du, Chen Junting had led Dugu Xin and the others to poison all the granaries, when suddenly...
Clack, clack, clack—
Footsteps echoed outside the command tent. A messenger entered and announced, "Report, Commander! Lord Gu Tianchen requests an audience."
"Show him in!"
Gu Tianchen walked into the command tent with a calm demeanor. After bowing to Du Busi and the others, he said, "Senior Du Busi, Commander Dai Hao, Your Highness the Princess—I am here to request to resign from our positions on behalf of the three of us."
At these words, the tent instantly fell dead silent. Everyone's eyes locked onto Gu Tianchen, brimming with confusion. Xu Jiujiu couldn't help but blurt out, "What did you say?"
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