"Your Majesty!"
"I have something to say."
The music in the magnificent banquet hall, filled with jewels, jade, and exquisite ceramics, fell silent.
All the princes, ministers, nobles, and meritorious officials stopped their clinking of glasses and whispered among themselves about Marshal Li, who had somehow appeared in the center of the hall.
The Douling Emperor, sitting at the head of the table, stopped smiling, angrily throwing his wine cup at a palace maid, and said in an extremely cold tone:
"What is it?"
Marshal Li, under immense pressure from the whispers of everyone in the banquet hall and the cold gaze of the Douling Emperor, desperately wanted to swallow back the words that were already on his throat.
However, thinking of the border soldiers who couldn't even afford to eat, he forced himself to speak to the emperor.
"Your Majesty!"
"I have come to implore Your Majesty to reissue the military's rations and supplies, which have been suspended for several months.
It's already winter, yet many border soldiers don't even have a thick coat."
"It's difficult for such an army to defend Douling!" "
With turmoil raging across the continent, our Douling Empire must also be prepared for potential dangers!"
Upon hearing that they had come to ask for money, the Douling Emperor's gaze turned even colder. He flicked the golden sleeves of his dragon robe and said calmly,
"I thought it was something important."
"But Marshal Li, I don't have any money right now either. You know I've been having a tough time lately." "
That damned Spirit Pagoda, that O5 conference, demanded that our Douling Empire invest all its resources in the construction of the Spirit Pagoda. Do you know how much that costs?"
"Hmph! What O5 conference?
The members there are either soul beasts, Shrek Academy members, or members of the Passion and Sun Moon factions."
"What right do they have to represent us? They're just relying on their strength."
"The national treasury is empty now; there's no money left for those border soldiers."
"If they want to cause trouble, Marshal Li, the military has many powerful figures. Do you think we're afraid of them?
Kill a few, and they'll behave."
"By the way, I also want to ask you, why are you dressed in plain clothes in this magnificent banquet hall, filled with the glory of our ancestors?"
"Does doing so demonstrate Marshal Li's impartiality and integrity?"
"Hahahaha!!!"
As the words of the Douling Empire fell, the entire banquet hall was filled with laughter from all directions.
Marshal Li, in the center, trembled violently with rage, his face flushed red, and he was panting heavily.
This emperor doesn't look like a ruler! What do you mean, no money!
The cost of today's banquet is enough to pay the border troops' rations, not to mention that such banquets are held twice a week!
Since the birth of the Magic Network and the revolution of Soul Guidance Devices, the living standards of ordinary people in other countries have been rising.
Dream Coins are available to any intelligent life form, almost equivalent to extra income.
But this tyrant before us! He raises taxes by the same amount as the increase in the common people's income!
He keeps the common people in a state of constant stagnation.
The empire's great plains have seen a significant increase in grain production, yet he prefers to export grain at low prices to the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Soul Empire, and even the Sun Moon Empire, rather than lower the price of grain for the common people.
The ridiculous ministers say that the empire's people are intolerant of food and have become accustomed to hunger, so they shouldn't be given too much grain, which is for their own good.
Is this something a human being could say?
"Marshal Li, if you ask me, the empire's soldiers only need to live.
Our Douling Empire is located in the rear of the continent and doesn't need to maintain a large army at all."
"Does the Sun Moon Empire think it can cross two great empires to attack us?"
A richly dressed prince covered half his face with a luxurious fan and said mockingly.
The entire Douling royal family shared a similar view: the Douling Empire's expenditure on military buildup was completely unnecessary; a symbolic maintenance of a portion would suffice, especially since the Sun Moon Empire couldn't possibly defeat them.
The enemy in the ocean had just suffered a major blow; even if they sought revenge, it would be against the Star Luo Empire.
Marshal Li, unable to bear the humiliation, suppressed his anger and performed the courtly rites before the emperor, saying,
"This old minister takes his leave!"
He turned and left the repulsive banquet hall.
His attitude would undoubtedly subject him to countless impeachments in the future, but he no longer cared; he could simply retire and return to his hometown.
He, Li Guozhong, was, after all, an 87th-level Soul Douluo; the world was vast, where couldn't he go?
Marshal Li sighed as he led his horse away from the walls of Lingdou City. Lingdou City was a city built only a few thousand years ago; its walls were not high and lacked the grandeur of the former Star Luo City.
Accompanied by the guards, he mounted his dragon-scaled horse, preparing to gallop back to the border army, where he would try to gather supplies to help the soldiers survive the winter.
At the end of the road, he turned and glanced at the majestic Lingdou City, a city that shone like a golden jewel embedded in the barren land, gleaming in the night.
"Hmph! It doesn't look like a ruler at all!"
"How can we govern a country while working with these insects?"
"I really hope a shooting star falls and sends these insects flying!"
Marshal Li was furious, his beard bristling and eyes wide.
He was a marshal, a high-ranking official, but in the Douling Empire, a country where royalty reigned supreme, he had faced no shortage of exclusion.
If it weren't for the kindness shown to him by the former emperor, he would have already conquered the Xingluo Empire.
As a graduate of Shrek Academy, he had connections and strength; with a little effort, he could secure a high position in other countries.
After the new emperor ascended the throne, he became extremely close to the royal family and nobles, making it increasingly difficult for those without royal blood to survive.
"Boom!!!"
As if responding to Marshal Li's thoughts, a blue meteor streaked across Lingdou City, crashing directly into the heart of the imperial city.
The terrifying explosion, accompanied by a violent shockwave, shook the entire city, and terrifying soul power fluctuations spread across the plains.
But it wasn't over yet. The Sea God family, having learned from their previous experience, unleashed a massive attack from Sea Roar Douluo.
Boundless thunderclouds filled the sky, brewing a terrifying thunderstorm.
Countless blue lightning bolts sealed off the entire Lingdou City.
A large number of powerful figures emerged from the thunderclouds, the entire sky illuminated by countless soul rings.
Various soul skills flashed with different colors, frantically cultivating the ruined imperial city with terrifying and violent soul power.
The thunderclouds in the sky finally gathered their soul power.
"Boom!!!"
A deafening thunderstorm erupted instantly, as if the sky had been ripped open, with lightning pouring down from the crack.
The entire earth trembled, massive amounts of soil were melted, and the core of Lingdou City was completely obliterated, leaving no trace of human architecture.
Immediately afterward, all the powerful figures swooped down, and led by the Title Douluo, began a targeted elimination of the powerful figures in Lingdou City.
Unlike the attack on Xingluo City, this time it was like a rigorously trained army, their combat power far exceeding previous efforts.
This was mainly because this time, Sea God Douluo Chen Hanhai had appointed Sea Demon Douluo as the commander-in-chief, and everyone had to obey his orders.
Sea Demon Douluo's martial soul was the Golden Conch, a spiritual and water-attribute martial soul capable of ultra-long-distance information transmission.
Furthermore, most of these powerful figures were Amon, so their coordination was naturally excellent.
Marshal Li stared blankly at the carnage in Lingdou City. Even the most foolish person would know something terrible had happened.
The attackers' undisguised ocean aura identified them, and shouts of battle erupted throughout Lingdou City.
"Not good!"
Li Guozhong dismounted, his eight spirit rings—two yellow, three purple, and three black—shining brightly. He transformed into a streak of light and rushed towards Lingdou City.
"Hailong, is it over?"
Haiming Douluo flew to the vicinity of the coiled dragon's head, asking Hailong Douluo while using lightning and hurricanes to precisely eliminate the strongmen of Lingdou City.
Anyone above the Soul Douluo level who dared to show their face was met with a thunderous strike from Haiming Douluo.
As a level 98 Super Douluo, even a casual blow was enough to instantly kill a Soul Douluo.
"That's about it."
"There aren't many strong people here.
The highest level among the seven Title Douluos is only ninety-five. We killed four in the first wave of attacks."
"We'll wipe them all out in three minutes."
Hailong Douluo grinned, then said to Haiming Douluo beside him,
"Did you wear the monocle I gave you?"
"You'll get used to it. Not many people in the family don't wear monocles anymore."
"It's almost become a symbol of our family."
Haiming Douluo waved his hand, took out his monocle from his pocket, put it on his left eye, felt something was off, and put it on his right eye, saying,
"I'm still not used to it. I'll get used to it for a while."
"The fighting has started over there. I'm going to help. Let's try to completely control this city before dawn."
"I shouldn't have attacked Xingluo City in the first place! Isn't Lingdou City better than that?
This is the strength of a land-based Soul Master that I remember."
After saying that, Haiming Douluo transformed into a thundercloud and went to hunt down the exposed Title Douluos of the Douling Empire.
Hailong Douluo touched his right eye socket and said,
"Not used to it yet?"
"Don't worry, in three months at most, you'll love the monocle."
Normally, Amon couldn't parasitize a Super Douluo of Haiming Douluo's level; Hailong had only found it by chance.
But the monocle in Haiming Douluo's hand was no ordinary one; it was Amon's martial soul.
Wearing it more often allowed him to use "errors" to reverse cause and effect.
The battle in Lingdou City didn't last long. The shouts of battle gradually subsided.
The high-end combat power of the Douling Empire was completely crushed.
Of the seven titled soldiers stationed there, six died and one surrendered.
Before sunrise, the capital of the Douling Empire officially belonged to the Amon family.
(End of Chapter)
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