Almost simultaneously, the representatives of the Sun-Moon Douluo Empire and the Heavenly Soul Empire, their faces etched with extreme gravity, issued the same orders to their respective subordinates.
In this moment, the powerful figures of the three great empires temporarily cast aside their inherent rivalries, divisions, and calculations.
They were all shocked by the sudden, far-beyond-comprehension disaster and the underlying threat it represented. Instinctively, they chose the most urgent and important strategy: self-preservation and, at all costs, quickly figuring out the true identity of the mysterious enemy.
"Miss Wu Ming, and all the young friends from Shrek."
The Sky Kunpeng Douluo's gaze shifted to Wu Ming and the others, his tone softening slightly, carrying a subtle hint of comfort.
"The remnant aura of destruction here is extremely heavy and the energy is chaotic, which is highly detrimental to your recovery. For the time being, please return with us to Star Luo City to settle. Your safety is of the utmost importance, and we need to question you in more detail about the specific details of the enemy."
He knew clearly that without Shrek Academy as a powerful backer, Wu Ming and the others were now weak and isolated.
But he would absolutely not neglect them in the slightest.
Because the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, Xuan Zi, along with several Sea God Pavilion Elders and a large number of elite inner court disciples, were still alive and currently in Sun-Moon City.
The true core seeds of Shrek Academy had not been severed.
While the three great empires were secretly pleased with the weakening of Shrek Academy's strength, at a time as strange and dangerous as this, a catastrophic upheaval would occur if Shrek Academy were truly uprooted entirely, leading to a complete imbalance of the continental structure.
Wu Ming, Chu Qingtian, and the others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with deep reluctance and grief at leaving this homeland, which was drenched with the blood of their teachers and the glory of their academy.
But they also understood that everything the Sky Kunpeng Douluo said was reasonable.
With hot tears, they took one last, deep look at the endless abyss that symbolized destruction and finality, and nodded heavily.
"Is that true... Shrek City has been annihilated!"
Inside the Star Luo City Imperial Palace, Xu Jiawei received the intelligence transmitted by the Sky Kunpeng Douluo via a special soul tool communicator immediately.
Upon hearing the news that the beast tide had retreated and Shrek City was completely destroyed, the usually composed Emperor actually fumbled and knocked over the glazed teacup on his desk.
The warm tea quickly spread a dark brown stain on the expensive velvet carpet, like the complex and unspeakable emotions currently engulfing him, silently spreading.
The sunlight outside the exquisitely carved window lattice cast a crisscrossing pattern of light and shadow upon his handsome and dignified face, but it could not penetrate the deep, dark pool in his eyes.
In that pool, regret churned, sentiment settled, but more than anything, there was a sense of relief that even he had to admit, a feeling of having a great burden lifted.
As the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiawei perhaps had the most unique and complicated feelings toward Shrek Academy among the rulers of the three empires.
In his early years, he had gone undercover, studying at Shrek Academy as a regular student. In those pure and passionate years, he not only learned profound Soul Master techniques and theoretical knowledge but also imprinted a sincere affection for that academy sanctuary in his heart.
Even after he was crowned and ascended the throne of Star Luo, in the intervals between reviewing memorials, he would occasionally recall the sweat poured onto Shrek's broad training grounds, the shimmering waves on Sea God Lake, and the faces of the classmates who once trained and drank with him.
Yet, this rare friendship had long been repeatedly weighed and tempered throughout his decades of turbulent imperial life, gradually becoming faint and distant.
He knew more clearly than anyone that he was first and foremost the ruler of the Star Luo Empire, shouldering the destiny of billions of subjects, and only second was the former Shrek student who had experienced a period of youth.
The annihilation of Shrek Academy meant the complete breakdown of the balance that had been maintained on the Douluo Continent for thousands of years—the old order had collapsed, and now was the time for a new structure to rise.
And his Star Crown Sect had already connected with Haiyuan City through Xu Jiujiu, preemptively betting on the dark horse, Lu Jingming.
"Your Majesty, Sky Kunpeng Douluo also sent back a message: a small number of Shrek Academy's inner court disciples survived. The Douluo requests instruction on whether they should be brought back to Star Luo City for proper protection?"
The Commander of the Imperial Guard, standing beside him, asked in a low voice, his tone extremely subdued, as if afraid of disturbing the Emperor's thoughts.
"Furthermore, there is still no news from Sun-Moon City... Our spies report that all long-distance communication soul tools within the Sun-Moon Empire's borders appear to have been completely blocked by an immensely powerful force; all signals have been interrupted."
Xu Jiawei nodded slightly, his fingertips lightly tapping the purple sandalwood tabletop, producing a steady tap-tap sound.
The other two great empires might currently be shocked and flustered by the astonishing tragedy in Shrek City and anxious about the complete loss of contact with Sun-Moon City, but he had already learned of the world-shaking truth through Xu Jiujiu's channel.
Sun-Moon City had been captured by the so-called Anti-Matter Legion, and to ensure absolute safety, Lu Jingming had used some incomprehensible spatial technique to safely transport Xu Jiujiu, Ye Guyi, and other weaker individuals back to Haiyuan City.
It was precisely because of this that Xu Jiujiu was able to use the communication soul tool to transmit the first-hand intelligence back to Star Luo, allowing him to gain a glimpse of the truth far ahead of the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires.
Thinking of this, Xu Jiawei couldn't help but marvel once again at the profound foundation of Haiyuan City, which was simply unfathomable.
This ability alone—to ignore distance and arbitrarily open space portals—was enough to make Haiyuan City invincible in any scale of conflict or crisis.
It offered both offense and defense, and this near-zero-risk strategic maneuverability was an absolute advantage that no empire relying on traditional soul tool transport for their massive armies could ever achieve.
It was also why he became increasingly convinced that his initial choice was absolutely correct. Betting the future of the Star Crown Sect on Lu Jingming was perhaps the most farsighted and bold decision he had made since ascending the throne.
"Issue my decree."
Xu Jiawei's voice instantly became cold and authoritative, filled with unyielding decisiveness.
"Immediately mobilize the main forces of the Northern and Eastern Border Army Groups, and furthermore, order the Royal Fifth and Sixth Soul Master Legions to fully assemble and deploy to the border of the Great Star Dou Forest. Construct defensive positions. No one is to cross the border without my personal decree, but if we encounter active attacks from soul beasts, a thunderous counterattack may be initiated."
The Guard Commander's body stiffened, clearly surprised by this large-scale military mobilization order, but he did not question it, immediately bowing to accept the command.
"Understood, your subject will execute it immediately."
Xu Jiawei slowly paced to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed at the magnificent, densely packed city buildings outside the Imperial Palace, his eyes gleaming with profound light.
His mind was clear: there were deep anomalies behind this beast tide.
Although soul beasts were powerful, it went against common sense to suggest they were strong enough to push the millennia-old Shrek Academy, with its immense foundation and countless powerful experts, to complete annihilation—even Super Douluos above rank ninety-five like Yan Shaoxuan failed to escape.
More crucially, this devastating battle provided no substantial benefit to the soul beasts.
According to secret reports from the front lines, the soul beasts of the Great Star Dou Forest also suffered heavy casualties; judging from the remaining wreckage at the scene, the soul beasts lost at least tens of thousands.
Given the cunning and extremely cautious nature of the Beast God Di Tian, it was absolutely impossible for him to commit such a foolish act of "killing one thousand enemies but hurting eight hundred of one's own," which was fundamentally inconsistent with the soul beasts' interests.
The only explanation was that the soul beast race had also been utilized, becoming a pawn in the hands of the mastermind.
And the existence capable of possessing such means, capable of controlling or even forcing Di Tian to launch a beast tide of this magnitude... made him involuntarily recall the chilling name from the information Xu Jiujiu relayed—Annihilation Monarch.
Lu Jingming had not hidden many things from Xu Jiujiu. Although she did not know Lu Jingming's specific plans, she was aware of some information, such as the existence of a second Annihilation Monarch, Phantylia.
After all, she returned to Haiyuan City with Ye Guyi, and she had some knowledge of the speculation regarding Robin and the Black Tower.
But truth is truth, and politics is politics.
Regardless of whether the soul beasts were utilized, the annihilation of Shrek City must be accounted for.
If the three great empires were to remain inactive at this time, it would not only dampen the morale of all Soul Masters on the continent but also make all forces both inside and outside their borders feel that the empires were weak and easily bullied, sweeping away their authority.
Therefore, deploying troops to the border to exert immense pressure on the Great Star Dou Forest was intended to be seen by the soul beasts, and even more so, by the world.
The Star Luo Empire would never stand idly by while the continental order was trampled upon; it had the resolve and the capability to maintain its own authority and stability.
"If necessary..."
Xu Jiawei pondered for a moment, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
"We may consider forming a provisional alliance with the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires to take joint action."
"If the ferocious beasts of the Great Star Dou Forest remain stubborn, refuse communication, and continue to show hostility..."
He paused, his voice deepening.
"The possibility of the three nations joining forces to completely purge the Great Star Dou Forest is not ruled out."
If this statement had been made before, it would have been absolute fantasy.
At that time, the human Soul Master system was completely dependent on hunting soul beasts to acquire soul rings for advancement; soul beasts were the core, indispensable resource on a Soul Master's path to growth.
Even when the Great Star Dou Forest launched beast tides multiple times, the three great empires could, at most, only dispatch troops to support Shrek in resistance. They never considered, nor dared to consider, words like counter-attack or annihilation.
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