Ye Lingling seemed to share a telepathic understanding with Ning Rongrong; just by observing her expression, she immediately grasped her meaning.
A cold sneer formed in her heart: You merely consumed the Immortal Herb given by Dugu Feng earlier than I did, which is why your cultivation progressed so rapidly.
I've taken two of them! So what if I'm slightly older? I'll only cultivate faster and faster compared to you!
Neither of them spoke, as if communicating through their eyes alone.
Women's intuition is terrifying—with just a glance, they had already exchanged countless unspoken words.
"Excellent. Rongrong can amplify my abilities by seventy percent, and Lingling, no matter how severe my injuries, you can heal me completely.
With both of you by my side, where in this vast world can't I go? Once we all cultivate to the level of Titled Douluo, the entire world will be ours!"
Dugu Feng held them both in his embrace, utterly delighted.
Both women leaned against Dugu Feng's chest, their eyes meeting briefly before looking away.
Unconsciously, they found themselves drawn to the future he described.
The marching army pressed forward relentlessly. Outside the carriage, an aura of solemnity and killing intent prevailed—clashing weapons, rows of fluttering banners.
Yet inside Dugu Feng's carriage, the scene was entirely different. Thanks to the Shock-Absorption Soul Device, the carriage's vibrations were minimized to almost nothing.
But within, upheavals of another kind unfolded, creating a unique spectacle.
To achieve what Dugu Feng described—healing with the left hand, amplifying with the right, coordinating seamlessly and unifying organically—the three of them embarked on a series of experiments.
At first, Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling were extremely reluctant. However, once Dugu Feng enforced his "house rules," progress proceeded smoothly.
Their experimental synergy grew increasingly refined, and their coordination became more and more proficient.
In Dugu Feng's view, this was genuine cultivation.
He was aiding Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling in their cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, nearly a month passed, and all three had advanced in Soul Power Level.
Dugu Feng reached level 69, Ye Lingling level 67, and Ning Rongrong level 66.
"I have never lied to you!" Dugu Feng stated calmly.
Ye Lingling and Ning Rongrong, reflecting on the absurdity of the past month, set aside their doubts. Could it really be true?
Whether it was true or not, they no longer had time to ponder.
The army had arrived at Tongshui City.
Tongshui City was situated on the northern bank of the Tong River, built along its shores, serving as the foremost front line against the Star Luo Empire.
The Tong River acted as the boundary between the two nations, a massive river flowing from east to west into the Western Sea, dividing the two empires in the central region of the Douluo Continent.
The terrain here was flat, the river broad, surrounded by endless expanses of rainforest.
At the narrowest point of the river, the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire had each constructed fortified cities for defense.
The city on the Heaven Dou side was named Tongshui City, while the one on the Star Luo side was called Nantong Pass.
These two cities, facing each other across the river, formed the first line of defense for both empires.
In truth, the area south of Suotuo City also bordered the Star Luo Empire and, lacking any river barriers, presented another potential route for attack.
However, that region was too close to the Spirit Hall.
For reasons unknown, Qian Renxue had not chosen to attack from there.
Instead, she opted for this offensive path closer to the western part of the continent.
Dugu Feng speculated that Qian Renxue wanted to avoid interference from Bibi Dong.
Upon arriving here, the climate had changed dramatically.
It had shifted to a tropical rainforest climate—hot and humid, with abundant rainfall.
Dugu Feng followed the carriage into Tongshui City.
He was accommodated within Qian Renxue's city lord manor, where he could participate in the military operations at any time.
Upon entering the city, Dugu Feng immediately sensed an extraordinary aura of bloodshed and slaughter.
It made his Asura Domain particularly active.
Although the two cities faced each other across the river, this section of the boundary river was at its narrowest. Along the ten-mile stretch near the cities, multiple sections of the river were less than ten meters wide, allowing armies and Soul Masters from both sides to cross at any time.
The battles were exceptionally brutal.
Small-scale skirmishes broke out intermittently.
Dugu Feng concentrated his Asura Power in his eyes and gazed at the sky.
He felt the sky had turned a dark crimson.
It was the condensation of pure Killing Intent and the stench of blood.
The combined forces gathered by both sides exceeded six million.
All concentrated in this narrow strip of land along the northern and southern banks.
Dugu Feng took a deep breath. It seemed this war would not end anytime soon.
He then turned his gaze south of Tongshui River.
The Star Luo Empire was indeed powerful. He sensed that their number of Soul Masters was no less than that of the Heaven Dou Empire, and their heavy-armored legions were equally massive.
Supplies and equipment were piled up like mountains.
He had always known that as the more dominant nation, the Star Luo Empire could mobilize greater war resources.
Although Qian Renxue had implemented many reforms after ascending the throne, it had been too short a time. The overall strength of Heaven Dou still lagged behind Star Luo.
So how exactly did Qian Renxue plan to defeat the Star Luo Empire?
For now, they could only rely on the Emerald Dragon Snakes.
One Emerald Dragon Snake was in Death Canyon, while the other was coiled around his wrist.
Dugu Feng directly released this Emerald Dragon Snake to survey the entire situation.
As for himself, Dugu Feng continued following Qian Renxue's arrangements and rested for the time being.
The elite troops had marched a long distance and needed at least half a month of rest before they could take action.
One day, while Dugu Feng was cultivating, Dugu Bo brought Dugu Yan to visit him.
They lived nearby. As a Titled Expert serving as a Guest Minister, Dugu Bo had also been accommodated in the vicinity by Qian Renxue.
"Nephew, I brought Yan Yan here to apologize for her impulsiveness last time. Yan Yan—" Dugu Bo said warmly, scolding the Dugu Yan beside him.
"I'm sorry, cousin. I was immature before. Please forgive me!" Dugu Yan bowed her head, her attitude humble.
Dugu Feng was somewhat surprised. Since when did the stubborn Dugu Yan know how to apologize?
Regardless of their intentions, he had no plans to offer Dugu Yan any favors at the moment.
"Second Grandfather, there's no need for such formality. She is my cousin—how could I hold it against her!" Dugu Feng said magnanimously.
Hearing this, Dugu Bo was delighted: "Feng'er, has the clan leader mentioned what we should do next? These past two days, the Qinghe Emperor has taken me to survey the surrounding terrain multiple times, but he hasn't yet asked me to take action!"
Dugu Feng shook his head. "It's not yet time for the decisive battle. Let's follow Brother Xue's plan for now. This war cannot be won quickly!"
He still hadn't figured out Qian Renxue's strategy, so there was no need to rush.
Dugu Bo acknowledged this and felt relieved.
Most importantly, Dugu Feng's attitude remained calm.
He wasn't as difficult to deal with as Dugu Bo had imagined.
Soon, Dugu Bo left reassured, while Dugu Yan went to find Ye Lingling.
Dugu Feng did not interfere with this.
A few more days passed in the blink of an eye, and Dugu Feng sensed the approach of two more Core Pearls.
Zhu Zhuyun.
It instantly became clear that the Star Luo Emperor had arrived.
According to the intelligence gathered over the past few days, after Qian Renxue personally led the expedition, the Star Luo Emperor had similarly refused to be outdone.
This was also a royal expedition—a true clash of monarchs.
And Zhu Zhuyun, as a powerful member of the Zhu Family, had come along as well.
It was time to confront Zhu Zhuyun—at the very least, that extra Core Pearl within her body had to be retrieved.
(End of Chapter)