The commander of this army was none other than Emperor Xue Ye, who had vanished for a long time.
He had indeed been offline for quite a while—even when his son died and the city fell, he kept his head down and dared not act rashly.
Yet now here he was, swaggering down the street, showing he finally had enough confidence.
Ha!
Ha!
Ha!
The mighty host numbered in the tens of thousands, and their united shouts were thunderous.
Even more striking was their banner: half Star Luo, half Heaven Dou.
"Long live the United Army!"
"Long live!"
The troops roared again, their momentum surging like waves.
A man in purple robes walked slowly through the crowd, proud and exalted.
Many soldiers bowed to him. "Greetings, General."
"Not a bad title. War is far more interesting than rotting away in the imperial palace."
The purple-robed man twisted his neck, a sly look on his face.
"Dai Weisi, don't forget: our two Empires are partners, not tools for your personal whims."
Emperor Xue Ye gave him no face at all, not even time to put on an act.
Dai Weisi was annoyed, but his smile only grew brighter.
"The once-mighty Heaven Dou Imperial Family has fallen so low—what right do you have to stand equal with our Star Luo Empire? You're only in the supreme command of the united forces thanks to God King Tang's favor."
Dai Weisi spoke with open disdain, every word dripping mockery.
His words revealed a key fact: Tang San had engineered the alliance, and he had indeed reached the God King level in the God Realm—though most likely he possessed only the title without matching strength. Given Tang San's current state, did he even deserve to be called God King?
Still, old Emperor Xue Ye looked rejuvenated, his build sturdier; clearly he'd undergone some cultivation.
As for the soldiers, besides their standard armor and halberds, they were all dual-training in both spirit power and spiritual energy.
Dai Weisi himself, riding the tide of the times, was now a Level-110 Douluo—several tiers higher than before.
So Dai Weisi added, "God King Tang proposed reviving Heaven Dou out of gratitude to our royal houses. You'd best know your place."
With his new strength, he loved to strut.
Emperor Xue Ye would have none of it. "We haven't even seen God King Tang's face. Does he know you're speaking for him?"
"You—"
Dai Weisi ground his teeth, then stalked aside, glaring at some passing soldiers to vent his anger.
Emperor Xue Ye pressed on, serious and stern: "Tang San becoming a God King is our continent's honor, not just Heaven Dou's. He sent word from the God Realm to form this alliance, wishing us to unite. Do not harbor other intentions."
"Secondly, I know Spirit Hall and Qian Daoliu have also been in contact with your Star Luo Empire, but I can overlook that—as long as it doesn't affect our plan."
"Moreover, we must hurry to fulfill God King Tang's mission. If this army isn't enhanced by noon tomorrow, we will have failed in our duty."
Emperor Xue Ye was shrewd, and Dai Weisi had to concede.
After all, though not of the same house, they both served the so-called God King Tang and had to keep the peace.
"Speaking of which, I'd like to ask: how exactly are we enhancing the army? I hear within days every soldier can reach Demigod level—sounds like nonsense."
Dai Weisi grumbled, clearly still full of complaints.
Emperor Xue Ye replied, "Just do the work; less idle talk. We still have a way to go south—move faster."
Emperor Xue Ye was surprisingly calm; though saddened by the ruins of Heaven Dou City, excitement showed more plainly on his face.
"Then, thanks to Your Majesty. I wonder if those Shrek people will carry out God King Tang's task well—let's hope no one drags us down."
Dai Weisi cracked his neck and muttered a few more complaints.
Then he turned to the army and shouted, "Move out!"
Ha!
The troops raised their long halberds and answered in unison, their steps thunderous… Several kilometers west of the United Army, a few dark figures scanned the surroundings with fierce eyes.
"We must catch them before sunset and rendezvous with the army. They're traitors—if they resist, kill on sight."
"Yes!"
"…I can't run anymore."
At a small woods crossroads, a black skin-tight outfit stood out starkly.
Her black hair flowed; her face flushed, her figure curvaceous—a true beauty in the making.
Someone behind called, "Zhuqing, come back with me. Tang San's become a god; he'll surely look after us Shrek folk. Star Luo Empire can't be that heartless."
Zhu Zhuqing rolled her eyes. "You think holding some minor post in the army gives you bargaining power? We're traitors now—returning means death."
After everything she'd been through, Zhu Zhuqing had matured a lot.
Yet what they were discussing was truly hard to believe.
The United Army had formed only three days ago, when Tang San, in the name of God King Tang, sent word across the continent to his so-called friends.
The two imperial houses and the four remaining members of Shrek were naturally the most important.
But the imperial authority ranked higher; they were sure Tang San wouldn't descend to investigate.
Thus the Star Luo Zhu family's old rule still applied: Zhu Zhuqing had to compete with her sister Zhu Zhuyun for the right of inheritance; the loser would be erased.
Naturally Zhu Zhuyun's nod meant little; the key was that her partner Dai Weisi and Emperor Xue Ye both supported the idea.
So the charge of treason was just a fabricated crime.
Dai Mubai wasn't so blunt. He scratched his head. "We're Tang San's best buddies—he'd never let the United Army run wild."
As he spoke, he flaunted the token at his waist: a General's token of the United Army, though only for a sub-unit—rank rather low.
"If Tang San really cared, he wouldn't have sent us to Mount Buzhou, leaving Xiao Wu unable to return and Ning Rongrong and Ma Hongjun's fates unknown. He gave each of us different tasks, clearly to keep us away from the main force—does that sound normal to you?"
Zhu Zhuqing's mind was clear; pain sometimes makes people grow.
Yet Dai Mubai was impervious; still confident, he said, "I don't think so. When your sister catches up, I'll talk to them. For now we need to rest—remember, we still have our own mission."
Zhu Zhuqing was speechless for a moment, yet she couldn't bring herself to leave Dai Mubai just yet.
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