However, right at this moment, Clang—
A resonant sword cry suddenly pierced the heavens. At the exact same time, a powerful soul pressure surged from behind Jialuo Pass, radiating across ten thousand miles and bearing down upon the Sun Moon army.
Ding—
It seemed like a soft chime, yet it rang out clearly beside everyone's ears. Above the silver moon, the sunlight gradually faded. Specks of starlight dotted the vast sky, as if the galaxy had transformed into a sword dragon.
Shing—
A crisp sound, like both a dragon's roar and a sword's cry. Above the nine heavens, a majestic giant dragon of starlight poked its head out from the clouds and dove straight toward that silver pillar of light. All over its body, patches of dragon scales were clearly visible. However, anyone with the cultivation of a Title Douluo could see it clearly: those weren't dragon scales at all. They were starlight longswords.
"It's Uncle Ye."
Yang Zihan, stationed at Jialuo Pass, was the first to breathe a sigh of relief. That silver moon, that attack... all of it indicated that the one who had arrived from the Sun Moon Empire was the Silver Moon Douluo, Kong Deming. If the Star God Sword hadn't appeared right now, backed by the Sun Moon army, they truly wouldn't have had the confidence to hold Jialuo Pass. Even if the Terrorclaw Soul Engineer Legion was half-crippled, and even if the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion was wiped out.
The collision between the silver pillar of light and the starlight dragon instantly caused terrifying shockwaves to spread outward in all directions from their point of intersection. In this moment, the greatest sounds were silent. Everyone only felt a flash of moonlight and starlight.
However, Li Shuai didn't hesitate in the slightest. "Boost the defenses!"
With his order, a strategic Class-9 defensive soul tool obtained from the Sun Moon Imperial Palace armory instantly lit up, raising a soul tool barrier before Jialuo Pass at the fastest possible speed.
Crack—
Crack—
...
Under the full-force attacks of two Ultimate-tier powerhouses, the soul tool barriers previously set up at Jialuo Pass shattered like tofu at the slightest pinch or touch, turning into nothingness one after another. Only that final Class-9 soul tool barrier managed to block the shockwaves.
The moment the shockwaves dissipated, Ye Xuanji arrived, stepping on his sword. Behind him were five figures. Aside from Chen Junting and Huo Yuhao, Gu Tianchen had also brought Dugu Xin to join them. As for the last figure, it was a chubby silhouette.
At this moment, not far from Jialuo Pass, seeing the starlight dragon descend, Kong Deming immediately ordered the entire army to halt.
"Old Kong."
"I didn't expect this."
Kong Deming gazed at Jialuo Pass, his eyes heavy. He hadn't expected that right before they were about to assault the pass, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's Star Sword Douluo would arrive. The arrival of an Ultimate Douluo instantly raised the difficulty of taking the pass by a whole level.
"Men, set up a soul tool defensive line right here!"
"Yes!"
Right now, if they wanted to forcefully breach the pass, this was the only way. And what Kong Deming needed to do wasn't to pin down Ye Xuanji, who was also an Ultimate Douluo, but to combine with the soul tool defensive line to unleash all his advantages as a Class-10 Soul Engineer and forcefully break through!
Meanwhile, up on Jialuo Pass.
As Ye Xuanji brought the others down, the generals and Title Douluo all surrounded them.
"Uncle Ye." ×2
"Big brother." ×2
"Greetings, Lord Star Sword." ×N
"Thank you for the reinforcement, Lord Star Sword."
Just now, a drop of cold sweat couldn't help but slide down Li Shuai's heart. If the Star Sword Douluo hadn't arrived in time to intervene, no one inside the pass would have had the means to block Kong Deming's strike just now. At that point, they would have only been able to rely on the strategic Class-9 defensive soul tool deployed at Jialuo Pass to forcefully withstand it. But even if they could endure it like that, how many times could they endure it?
On the other side, Yang Zihan, Qing Lan, and the others gathered around Chen Junting and the rest, though some of their attention shifted to the chubby figure beside Chen Junting.
"Little Chen, who is he?"
Chen Junting didn't hide it and honestly explained. "Aunt Yang, his name is Little Bai. He's the Ice Bear King of the Extreme North."
"Hello." Little Bai gave a simple-minded smile and waved at Yang Zihan.
"The Extreme North..." Yang Zihan realized what that meant and was instantly startled! "He's a soul beast!?"
"That's right."
Afterward, Chen Junting explained Little Bai's relationship with the Snow Empress. While clarifying Little Bai's cultivation and his status in the Extreme North, he also mentioned that he had become his mount.
"A mount..." Hearing this, Yang Zihan couldn't help but purse her lips. Looking at Little Bai, who acted as if this had nothing to do with him, she shook her head helplessly. "You really are..." Before she could finish, she seemed at a loss for words. In the end, she just said, "To have a soul beast of over two hundred thousand years as your mount, you can truly be called unprecedented."
While Chen Junting smiled without saying a word, Yang Zihan shifted her gaze to Dugu Xin. Obviously, she had already guessed the purpose of Dugu Xin's presence here. While sighing slightly in her heart, her eyes also became a bit complicated.
"Little Xin."
"Teacher."
Dugu Xin slightly cupped his hands. Although he was smiling, the smile was somewhat sinister, giving people a chilling feeling.
"Coming to the battlefield might go against the harmony of heaven."
"Teacher, at the very least, my presence here will be beneficial to us."
Yang Zihan shook her head and said no more. After all, just as Dugu Xin said, his arrival would be beneficial to their situation. Moreover, this was war—a war of life and death—so there was no need to overthink it.
"What do you plan to do?"
Chen Junting gazed at the distant army, the corners of his mouth curling into an inexplicable smile, and he said something seemingly out of nowhere, "This army's rations should be those stockpiled from Mingdu, right."
Hearing this, a flash of brilliance shot through Yang Zihan's eyes. Clearly, Chen Junting's words had triggered her memories from a few years ago. But recalling that idea from back then, Yang Zihan couldn't help but twitch her lips. If they really did that, the Sun Moon Empire's army would suffer not just heavy physical trauma, but psychological trauma as well.
"Good! Let's do it exactly as we discussed back then!"
Soon, this plan was relayed to the generals, Title Douluo, and the commander-in-chief Li Shuai at Jialuo Pass. The result was naturally no surprise—
A unanimous vote in favor!
Right now, any method that could dismantle the Sun Moon army's combat power was a good method! Regardless of whether it was moral or not!
Thus, Chen Junting patted Dugu Xin's shoulder, as if entrusting him with a heavy responsibility. "Xin, I'm leaving this to you."
"Alright."
A green light flashed through Dugu Xin's eyes, and his pupils seemed to turn into snake pupils in that instant—cold and soul-piercing. When he looked at the Sun Moon army, it was like looking at prey. He carefully felt the wind direction; a gentle southeast breeze brushed past his cheek. "The wind direction is perfect. Even the heavens aren't helping you."
"Next, it's my time to shine."
...
"Old Kong."
"How is the soul tool defensive line coming along?"
"The progress is already at fifty percent."
"Well done."
Kong Deming personally inquired about the progress and nodded in satisfaction. He was confident that as long as the soul tool defensive line was completed, he could use its power to completely destroy Jialuo Pass. Even an Ultimate Douluo wouldn't be able to stop him.
"Stay on guard. Don't let yourselves be ambushed again."
"Yes."
A gentle breeze blew through Kong Deming's silver hair, revealing his forehead and unavoidably showing the old age of this Silver Moon Douluo. If the Sun Moon Empire hadn't suffered multiple heavy blows, there would have been absolutely no need for him, the Chief Enshrined Elder, to personally take the field for this expedition against the Heaven Soul Empire. But unfortunately, the opening moves on this chessboard had been mistakes at every step, so he had no choice but to come personally to salvage the situation.
After Kong Deming returned to his newly set up command tent and was studying how to deploy his troops for the next step, it hadn't even been a little while...
"Old Kong! Old Kong!"
Kong Deming frowned slightly, pulling his gaze away from the map to look at the Class-9 Soul Engineer who had hurriedly barged into the tent. "How old are you? What kind of propriety is this, rushing in like a maniac?"
"No, Old Kong, s-something terrible has happened!"
Instantly, a bad premonition welled up in his heart. He quickly walked up to this Class-9 Soul Engineer and grabbed his shoulder with one hand. "Speak! What happened!?"
...
Blegh—Blegh—
Pfft pfft pfft—Pfft~
...
At this moment, inside the Sun Moon army's soul tool defensive line, there were nothing but sounds of vomiting and defecation. However, the vomiting was endless, and what was being excreted was completely liquid. The entire defensive line was filled with an unspeakable stench.
The Class-9 Soul Engineer covered his mouth and nose, following beside Kong Deming. His face showed disgust, but also anxiety.
But Kong Deming couldn't care about all that right now. He walked through half of the defensive line and found that all the soldiers and soul engineers were in this state. It was just that compared to the ordinary soldiers, the vomiting and diarrhea symptoms of the soul engineers were noticeably a bit milder. But "a bit milder" was still very much a noticeable degree. Furthermore, as time passed, the soul engineers' symptoms were growing increasingly severe. As for the ordinary soldiers... there was no need to mention it; some had already been completely exhausted from both ends.
"Old Kong!" The Class-9 Soul Engineer following beside Kong Deming said in a muffled voice, "We can't go on like this! People are going to die!"
If they died in battle, that was one thing. But if they died from diarrhea or vomiting... that would truly be humiliating!
"What the hell is going on!!!"
Kong Deming stopped in his tracks, already furious. If things continued like this, let alone breaking through Jialuo Pass, the combat power of their Sun Moon army would collapse first! When that happened, their Sun Moon army would become lambs to the slaughter, left to be pinched and rolled at will by those fellows of the original Douluo Continent.
At this moment, the questioned Class-9 Soul Engineer looked extremely awkward. Because, embarrassingly enough, their military doctors had already studied the symptoms of the afflicted. But no matter what they did, they couldn't find any signs of illness; they were completely healthy people.
"Heh—Healthy!?" Kong Deming laughed out of sheer anger, pointing his finger and sweeping it over the disastrous scene. "You're telling me that a situation like this means they are all healthy!?"
Suddenly, Smack— He slapped down the hand the Class-9 Soul Engineer was using to cover his mouth and nose.
"Put your hand down!"
At this moment, the Class-9 Soul Engineer was scolded like a child. He was trembling in his heart, not daring to show the slightest anger. He only dared to probe, "Could it be acclimatization?"
"Acclimatization!?"
What kind of bullshit reason was that.
Kong Deming forcefully suppressed the urge to curse out loud. Taking a deep breath to avoid dying of anger himself, he said, "You're telling me it's acclimatization? Then what about you? Why aren't you acclimatized?"
'Because I have the cultivation of a Title Douluo?' The Class-9 Soul Engineer didn't dare to speak and only thought to himself.
But just a few breaths later, Gurgle gurgle— Suddenly, a strange sound rang out from the Class-9 Soul Engineer's lower abdomen. Before he could react, a violent cramping pain instantly swept from his abdomen through his entire body!
"Ouch—"
Almost subconsciously, this Class-9 Soul Engineer, just like an ordinary person, instantly hugged his own stomach.
Kong Deming froze; he hadn't expected this scene at all. "What's wrong with you?"
"Old Kong, I, hiss—Ouch—" Before he could say a few words, the intense cramping in his abdomen made the Class-9 Soul Engineer break out in a cold sweat. Feeling the hot stream about to gush out from his backside, he instantly realized what was happening! "Old Kong, excuse me! I need to go to the latrine!" As soon as the words left his mouth, this Class-9 Soul Engineer swiftly vanished from before his eyes.
This scene caused Kong Deming's expression to drastically change!
Something's wrong! This situation is way too wrong!
Acclimatization for ordinary soldiers was a reasonable excuse. If they had caught some virus that caused the soldiers of the Soul Engineer Legions to end up like this, that would also make sense. But what about a Class-9 Soul Engineer? What kind of thing could make them end up like this too?!
But before he could think further, Gurgle gurgle— The exact same sound echoed in Kong Deming's abdomen.
A single thought instantly rose in Kong Deming's mind:
We're screwed this time!
At the same time, up on the walls of Jialuo Pass.
"I wonder how the situation is?"
Li Shuai, who was commanding the pass, along with the generals, the Title Douluo, and Chen Junting and the others, all looked on with eager anticipation toward the direction of the Sun Moon army, their eyes holding a teasing gleam.
At this time, Chen Junting looked at Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao instantly understood. A blue light surged in his eyes. In an instant, the scene of the Sun Moon army was transmitted into his mind.
Facing that disastrous scene...
Blegh—Blegh—
"So disgusting!"
"Yuhao! Turn it off quickly!"
"We're doomed, doomed! My eyes are going blind!"
Inside his Spiritual Sea, the Heavenly Dream Ice Worm and the other Spirit Souls immediately started clamoring. Even the usually silent Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass could no longer hold back. Its leaves trembled frantically, violently venting its feelings! Even the next second, Snap— Unilaterally, the group of Spirit Souls in the Spiritual Sea severed their connection with Huo Yuhao.
"Uh—"
Rubbing the bridge of his nose and looking at the disgusting scene, Huo Yuhao directly connected the visual feed to everyone else's Spiritual Seas.
Those who weren't aware of Huo Yuhao's abilities were startled at first, looking at him with eyes full of astonishment, while commanders and generals like Li Shuai had eyes burning with fervor. But when they clearly saw what Huo Yuhao was transmitting, their originally normal expressions underwent subtle changes. But more than anything, it was wild joy!
Swish—
Li Shuai violently drew his sword, his eyes seemingly about to pop out of their sockets.
"Deploy the troops!"
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