Five Armies Returned in Defeat! Xue Ye Was Stunned: Am I Not a Ruler Destined to Lose His Nation?!

The Five Route Army retreated in defeat to the Heaven Dou Imperial Capital.

Countless factions, great and small, across the entire continent were shaken!

In less than a few days, the fame of the Chang'an Empire had spread throughout the continent!

It became the hottest topic of conversation after meals!

"The Chang'an Empire is really formidable!"

"I heard they used fewer than twenty thousand defenders to drive back Heaven Dou's two hundred thousand troops!"

"This is already the second war between Chang'an and Heaven Dou. They've won battle after battle—Emperor of Chang'an Xue Luochuan is truly an extraordinary man!"

"You say he used to be a prince of the Tian Dou Empire, so how did he suddenly become independent? And how did he somehow gain so many powerful Soul Masters under his command?"

"The Tian Dou Empire may be about to change!"

The entire Tian Dou Empire was thrown into an uproar!

No one had expected that all five of Heaven Dou's armies would be driven back by the Chang'an Empire!

As the news spread from mouth to mouth, the Chang'an Empire was portrayed as incomparably powerful!

And the Tian Dou Empire was regarded as an old man in his twilight years.

Bandits and roving outlaws immediately ran rampant throughout the realm.

Everyone feared for their safety, and the nation descended into chaos!

When Xue Ye saw the battle report atop the Swan Throne, he rolled his eyes and nearly fainted from rage!

Those were his five armies!

They had been defeated just like that, dealing an enormous blow to the Tian Dou Empire!

After a long while, he regained some clarity. Rubbing his forehead, he slowly said:

"Two hundred thousand troops set out, yet fewer than eighty thousand returned!"

"Useless! All useless! Under the heavens, is there truly no one who can resolve My crisis?!"

His voice was not loud, yet it carried unprecedented fury!

It pressed the ministers in the hall into terrified silence!

Xue Ye had originally thought that he had already taken Xue Luochuan seriously enough.

He had even gone so far as to mobilize two hundred thousand troops from all over, dividing them into five routes to launch a campaign!

Yet so many powerful Soul Masters had suddenly appeared, causing the Tian Dou Empire to suffer defeat after defeat.

Only at this moment did he understand that the Chang'an Empire and Xue Luochuan were not as easy to deal with as he had imagined!

He had to become cautious!

If this crisis was mishandled, it might bring devastating harm upon the Tian Dou Empire!

"Do any of you have a good strategy?" Xue Ye asked with a dark expression.

The previously silent council hall instantly became lively!

"This minister believes that after repeated defeats, we should not fight again. We only need to send additional troops to guard the Chang'an border."

"If we do not fight, are we to wait for Chang'an to swallow our cities one by one and eventually annex all of Heaven Dou?"

"Xue Luochuan is no harmless man. I can sense his ambition!"

"Our empire has a million mighty troops. Are we supposed to fear him?"

"Though the empire has a million troops, we cannot mobilize them all to suppress the rebellion! Otherwise, even if we win, it will certainly be a pyrrhic victory. Should foreign enemies invade then, even if the Tian Dou Empire does not fall, it will be cast out of the ranks of empires!"

The hall erupted into an unending quarrel.

Yet not one person offered a solution that satisfied Xue Ye.

Combined with the string of defeats, Xue Ye began to question life itself. He muttered blankly:

"Since ascending the throne, I have governed diligently and exhausted myself in state affairs, never daring to slack off in the slightest."

"I am not a ruler destined to lose his nation, so why does everything bear the signs of a fallen nation?"

Xing Luo Imperial Capital.

Looking at Chrysanthemum Douluo, whose face had long since lost its color, Dai Weisi could not summon even a trace of mockery.

He was only deeply shocked by the outcome of this battle!

Not to mention Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had personally gone there and been frightened—even just hearing their accounts made his heart tremble!

The famed Five Elements Academy, along with several immensely powerful deans, had either died or been injured!

Or they had simply never taken the field!

Two hundred thousand troops across five routes had all been defeated.

Such a record was terrifying!

Emperor Xing Luo frowned atop the White Tiger Throne and rebuked them:

"Heaven Dou's army actually lost? You are even more outrageous—two hundred thousand troops were frightened into retreating without fighting!"

"Although the enemy had just undergone a great battle, they still had strength to spare. If our army had launched a fierce assault, countless casualties would likely have resulted! This guilty subject is willing to accept punishment!" The commander lowered his head and pleaded guilty.

"A general retreating without battle is truly the shame of a soldier. I dock you two years of salary!" Emperor Xing Luo slapped the table and spoke viciously.

The punishment was raised high, only to fall lightly.

He was fairly satisfied with this outcome.

Though the expedition had wasted some funds,

at least the Xing Luo Grand Army had not returned in crushing defeat like the Heavenly Dou Army!

Two hundred thousand troops had returned safely!

Seeing the disaster next door, the comparison left him with nothing but approval for the commander who had led this expedition!

Had they blindly pressed their attack, the Xing Luo Grand Army might truly have suffered countless casualties!

"I never expected Chang'an to be so capable in battle! Who knows where they found so many Titled Douluo and Soul Douluo!"

"Since they are so capable, let them fight the Tian Dou Empire first. Once the two nations have worn each other down enough, I will lead my army to their borders and reap the benefits!"

Emperor Xing Luo had no fear of making the situation worse as he watched the spectacle.

It was not Xing Luo suffering this calamity, so what was there for him to worry about?

The news quickly reached Spirit City.

Inside the Pope's Palace, several elders whispered among themselves, discussing the war in Heaven Dou.

After reading the battle report, Bibi Dong casually tossed aside the letter, a helpless sneer curling at her lips.

Her cold, alluring eyes brimmed with anger and fear.

The Jeweled Scepter emitted a crisp, melodious hum!

"Heaven Dou's army lost? Two hundred thousand troops, four Soul Douluo, and one Titled Douluo—such a force actually failed?"

"I knew the Tian Dou Empire was useless. I never thought it would be this useless!"

Spirit Hall possessed extensive intelligence on the Tian Dou Empire.

But the Chang'an Empire had also broken away from the Tian Dou Empire!

The cities Chang'an occupied and the troops it commanded had once belonged to the Tian Dou Empire!

The force Heaven Dou had dispatched this time was extravagantly powerful. Even Spirit Hall would have to think carefully before facing such a formation.

Yet such a powerful offensive had been dismantled by barely over ten thousand defenders of the Chang'an Empire!

"Who knows where Xue Luochuan found another five powerful Soul Masters? They guarded the various cities, and there was even a Soul Master with a White Tiger Spirit!"

Bibi Dong grew increasingly restless.

Were powerful Soul Masters in the Chang'an Empire sold wholesale?

There had been no news at all before, yet they suddenly appeared at critical moments!

Qian Renxue had still not been rescued!

So much time had already passed, yet there was no word from Qian Renxue.

Even Spirit Hall's informants had failed to uncover any information from Chang'an's prison.

Who knew whether Qian Renxue was alive or dead at this very moment?

"The Tian Dou Empire is too useless. This time, Spirit Hall cannot keep waiting!"

She swept her sleeve and abruptly rose to her feet, urgency bursting from her eyes.

"This time, Spirit Hall must send troops to assist them!"

"Otherwise, who knows when Qian Renxue will be rescued!"

After murmuring a few words, her voice suddenly rose sharply.

"Send alliance letters to Xue Ye and the Xing Luo Empire. Spirit Hall will dispatch a Soul Master force to assist them! Together, we will destroy the Chang'an Empire!"