False Hope

A series of teeth-grinding freezing sounds rang out, and in an instant, the towering water column transformed into an enormous, crystal-clear ice pillar radiating extreme cold! The several arrogant Deep Sea Demon Whale that had charged forward, along with the waves they had created, were firmly Ice Seal inside the ice pillar, remaining in their forward-charging, tearing posture, but completely lifeless, transformed into lifelike ice sculptures.

The sea instantly returned to calm, with only the towering icicle reflecting a cold light in the sunlight, telling the story of what had just happened.

Wang Zhaojun nodded in satisfaction, a faint smile playing on her lips, and clapped her hands. "Not bad, quite large, and the flesh looks very firm."

She looked at the icicle as if she were appraising the best piece of meat in a market.

"Let's have whale soup tonight. This fresh 'ingredient' has arrived just in time."

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On the other side of Douluo Star, on the Sun Moon Continent, at the edge of the Evil Demon Forest.

A thick, inky, eerie fog is encroaching on the villages and farmlands surrounding the forest at an unprecedented rate.

The sky was shrouded in a dark purple light membrane formed by a layer of mental pressure. All living beings within it, whether human or beast, felt a splitting headache, mental confusion, and even their temperament gradually became violent.

The cause of all this is the oldest and most terrifying being on this continent— the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler, the Evil Emperor.

This Ferocious Beast king, whose cultivation spanned over 700,000 years, possessed a spiritual power so vast that it could cover a small part of the continent.

Sensing the loosening of some ancient "shackles," its instinctive desire for expansion and domination was ignited. Unlike the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, it did not need to devour flesh and blood; its goal was to conquer and assimilate, bringing the entire Sun Moon Continent under the shroud of its spiritual force field, making it a colony for the extension of its will.

Sun Moon Empire, Imperial Palace.

The atmosphere was as oppressive as the stillness before a storm.

Battle reports from the front lines poured in like snowflakes, their contents still filled with despair: the Soul Engineer Corps suffered heavy losses, the regular army collapsed as a unit under the Evil Emperor's spiritual radiation, and the newly built defenses were destroyed like paper by the spiritual tide.

Although the Empire's Soul Tool technology had begun, it was inadequate when facing the Evil Emperor's dimensional reduction attack that directly affected the soul. The powerful Fixed Soul Cannon Shell could not even lock onto that intangible Spiritual Origin.

"Your Majesty... the expansion of the Evil Demon Forest has approached the third line of defense... at this rate, within three months, the core area of the empire will be directly exposed to the mental attacks of that powerful Ferocious Beast." The minister's voice trembled as he reported.

The emperor of the Sun Moon Empire held his forehead, his knuckles turning white from gripping the weight so tightly.

The entire nation's strength could not stop the expansion of a single Soul Beast; this was an utter disgrace to the empire.

In this suffocating despair, an urgent secret report arrived, "Report! A massive and strangely designed unknown fleet has appeared off the southeast coast of the Empire, off the coast of Sunset Harbor! The flags and ship designs are unlike anything seen before! It is suspected to be from another continent!"

"What?!" A commotion erupted in the imperial court.

Another continent? Other humans? At this critical juncture?

For a moment, the emperor and his ministers were unable to distinguish which news was worse: the approaching Evil Emperor or the appearance of this mysterious fleet.

Internal troubles remain unresolved, while external threats have already arrived!

"Immediately! Send the most experienced foreign minister, with the most elite guards... no, never mind, we can't spare any elite guards right now." The emperor waved his hand wearily. "Have the foreign minister go to Sunset Harbor immediately, find out their intentions, and keep them calm! We absolutely cannot make any new enemies!"

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Sunset Harbor, City Lord's Mansion.

The city lord's smile was more like a grimace as he diligently directed his servants to serve the finest tea and snacks to the distinguished "guests" in the hall.

His forehead was still beaded with cold sweat, and his peripheral vision kept glancing at the huge, unrepaired crater in the distant city wall, its edges charred and melted—the "masterpiece" of a soul-guided beam fired from a ship at sea at an uninterruptible speed.

It was this shot that shattered his delusion of "capturing a foreign guest to claim credit," and made him instantly realize the difference in strength between the two sides, changing his attitude from arrogance to "enthusiasm."

When he heard that the empire had finally sent "reinforcements," he almost wept with joy, thinking that he could finally get rid of these scoundrels.

He excitedly went out to greet them, only to find a travel-worn diplomatic delegation led by several elderly men with white hair.

The city lord's smile froze instantly, his eyes shifting from expectation to confusion, and then to near collapse.

Where are the people?! I need an army that can fight, not a bunch of old scholars who can't even walk properly!

The foreign minister in charge understood the despair in his eyes and could only offer the same helpless, bitter smile.

With the empire's elite forces desperately resisting the Evil Emperor's spiritual corruption on the western front, where would they find the spare strength to deal with this sudden arrival of foreigners?

Inside the hall, in stark contrast to the unease of the Sun Moon Empire's delegation, the other group of "foreign visitors" appeared composed, even... casual.

They were all dressed in uniform white clothing with gold patterns, the cuts were neat and the materials were of high quality.

Each person wore a well-designed short-barreled Soul Tool Gun at their waist, shimmering with Soul Power. Even more eye-catching were the light Soul Tool Armor that appeared to provide all-around protection, subtly visible on their bodies with smooth lines.

Their superior equipment and standardized uniformity far surpass any elite force currently in the Sun Moon Empire.

Leading the group was a blonde girl who looked young but had sharp eyes, exuding energy and aggression— Tian Yue.

Tian Yue is passionate about expanding territory and carrying out the Pope's will.

After participating in the operation to destroy Sea God Island, upon hearing of the plan to conquer the New World, she immediately volunteered and obtained command of the advance fleet.

Of course, she wasn't blindly confident.

Accompanying her were several prominent figures among the younger generation of the Spirit Hall Empire: Dongfang Yao, who was talkative but even faster with his sword; Baili Shouyue, who could take the enemy's head from a thousand meters away as easily as taking something out of a bag; and Sikong Zhen, who was calm, experienced, and planned before acting.

With this lineup, coupled with the Spirit Hall Empire's rapidly advancing Soul Guidance Technology after integrating the ancient Soul Tool technology from the Sea God Pillar on Sea God Island, she was confident she could take down this seemingly "native" empire whose technology tree was not yet fully developed.

Faced with the Sun Moon Empire's Foreign Minister's tentative greeting, Tian Yue's behavior was very much in line with her usual style—direct and assertive.

Before the other party could even finish their diplomatic exchanges, she stood up, placed her hands on the table, leaned slightly forward, and stared directly into their eyes with her golden gaze. In a clear and unwavering tone, she said, "No need for further probing. We are from the Spirit Hall Empire of the Douluo Continent. Our purpose is simple: the Sun Moon Continent, and all its resources, land, and population, shall, from this day forward, be incorporated into the Spirit Hall Empire's territory and rule. You can choose peaceful submission and enjoy the rights of imperial citizens; or," she paused, her tone turning cold, "We will 'choose' for you."

This blatant declaration of ambition for conquest was so outrageous that even Sikong Zhen, who was usually meticulous and strategic, couldn't help but put his hand to his forehead, feeling somewhat unable to bear watching.

It's too blunt, leaving no room for diplomatic buffer or maneuvering.

But Dongfang Yao's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously in agreement, even adding, "Exactly! The sooner we finish, the sooner we'll get it over with. This genius still wants to see what's fun in this new continent!"

The foreign minister of the Sun Moon Empire's face instantly turned ashen, his last shred of hope shattered. The other side's forceful stance was no mere bluff.

They are either absolutely and overwhelmingly confident in their own strength, and don't take them seriously at all; or they are a bunch of arrogant lunatics who don't know their own limitations.

But either way, it would only make matters worse for the Sun Moon Empire, which was already facing internal troubles and the expansion of the Evil Emperor.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to maintain his dignity and buy time, but found his throat dry. Under the oppressive aura of Tian Yue's Titled Douluo level, any words seemed pale and powerless.

On the other side of the sea, what arrived was neither a guest nor a probing wolf, but a colossal dragon with its jaws wide open, intent on devouring the entire continent.

The diplomat swallowed hard, wanting to politely decline and persuade the other party to at least...

We also need to buy some time for the Sun Moon Empire.

However, Tian Yue didn't give him a chance. After speaking, she got up abruptly and left, adding a sentence when she reached the gate.

"I'm giving you three days to consider it. I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer after three days."

Chapter 325 False Hope

Deep within the Pope Palace of Spirit City.

Qian Xunji's gaze lingered on the enormous Soul Power map that encompassed the Douluo Continent and the surrounding seas. His fingertips traced across the territory, now entirely stained with the Spirit Hall Empire's brilliant gold, finally settling on a shadowy area at the edge of the map—a region whose outline was merely sketched and marked "unknown."

"The Sun Moon Empire..." he murmured the name.

To be honest, when formulating the grand blueprint for unifying the continent, his attention was almost entirely drawn to the forces on the Douluo Continent itself—the two great empires, the Upper Three Sects, the Star Dou Great Forest, the Extreme North, and the Sea God Island that jumped out to block his way.

This continent, separated by vast oceans, had such a faint presence that for a long time, Qian Xunji almost forgot about it in a corner of his strategic map.

Separated by the vast and boundless sea, not even a shadow can be seen, so it is naturally difficult to generate a real desire to conquer.

The stubborn resistance of Sea God Island also attracted most of the Spirit Hall Empire's firepower and attention, leaving the Sun Moon Empire like a chess piece forgotten on the edge of the chessboard.

But now, the situation is different.

"In the end, all that's left is the ocean, the Extreme North Icefield... and it." Qian Xunji withdrew her finger, her tone calm.

After unifying most of the territory, the final blank space seemed particularly glaring.

More importantly, conquering the Sun Moon Empire would be a piece of cake for the current Spirit Hall Empire.

That's why Qian Xunji sent Tian Yue.

After all, now that the Spirit Hall Empire has integrated the original research foundation of Soul Tool on the Douluo Continent, absorbed some of the ancient heritage of Sea God Island, and invested massive resources for leapfrog development, its level of Soul Guidance Technology has far surpassed that of the Sun Moon Empire, which is still in the exploratory and accumulation stage, in terms of energy cores, weapon systems, defensive fortifications, and civilian applications.

Furthermore, the difference in the foundation of Martial Soul is fundamental. The Soul Master system of the Douluo Continent, refined over millennia, boasts a vast array of Martial Soul types, the power of top-tier Martial Soul, and a comprehensive cultivation theory, far surpassing that of the Sun Moon Empire. The most obvious example is the Six-Winged Angel martial Martial Soul, a god-level Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, which also possesses divine inheritance...

The vanguard fleet led by Tian Yue was well-equipped to handle any conventional resistance that the Sun Moon Empire might mount.

The only variable, or rather the "obstacle" that needs to be taken seriously, is not the human forces of the Sun Moon Empire, but the only entity native to that continent that can pose a substantial threat to the elite of the Spirit Hall Empire — the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler, the Evil Emperor.

This Ferocious Beast, over 700,000 years old, possesses terrifying spiritual power and an expanding domain, making it a nightmare that the Sun Moon Empire is powerless to resolve, but it may also become a stumbling block for the Spirit Hall Empire.

Qian Xunji only glanced at it before looking away.

At this stage, his biggest concerns are who will become a god first, and when the old man will offer his sacrifice!

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Tian Yue led his army to array themselves outside Sunset Harbor, the golden imperial banners fluttering in the sunlight.

She did not launch an attack immediately, but instead gave the Sun Moon Empire a "choice"—although in her view, the outcome of that choice was already predetermined.

As expected, the diplomats brought back not documents of surrender, but a fully armed elite legion of the Sun Moon Empire.

Banners fluttered as soldiers, clad in crudely made Soul Tool Armor —considered "shoddy" by the Spirit Hall Empire— formed ranks on the plains outside the city with slightly disordered steps. These were the "elite" troops that the Sun Moon Empire had painstakingly drawn from its already strained defenses and rushed here overnight after hearing news of a "powerful enemy from another region."

Tian Yue sat upright on the makeshift command platform, her Martial Soul Possession now manifested as the Golden Crocodile King, its cold pupils sweeping over the army below.

Her gaze shifted from the soldiers' rough armor and their mixed Soul Power fluctuations to the general at the front of the formation, whose expression was solemn and whose aura was roughly at the Soul Saint level. She quickly made a judgment in her mind.

Very weak!

That's at least based on their current performance.

Regardless of whether it was a city lord or a minister, as someone holding an important position, their strength was seriously mismatched with their status in her eyes.

Even the general of the army in front of her was, in her opinion, far too weak.

Over the years, thanks to Qian Xunji's relentless efforts, the Spirit Hall Empire's cultivation resources, Soul Guidance Technology, and even its talent development system have undergone tremendous changes.

Various cultivation pills with unique effects and auxiliary cultivation Soul Tool that can Simulation different environments to accelerate the accumulation of Soul Power have emerged one after another, making the output efficiency of high-level Soul Master far greater than before.

In the Spirit Hall Empire, those who can serve as generals and command armies must either be at least Soul Douluo level, enough to intimidate the region, or be proficient in complex Soul Power fusion techniques, able to twist the power of ordinary soldiers into a rope strong enough to threaten high-level Soul Master.

A general like this, who barely reached the Soul Saint, whose soldiers were poorly equipped and whose formations were still unfamiliar, would probably not even be qualified to serve as a mid-level officer in the main force of the Spirit Hall Empire's military system.

"It seems they've made their choice." Tian Yue's voice, Amplifying Soul Tool, clearly resonated throughout their own lines and also drifted towards the Sun Moon Empire's army on the opposite side. "Then let them see what they've rejected."

She did not order a charge, nor did she allow her own melee Battle Soul Master to step forward.

She simply waved her hand gently.

The next moment, the Soul Cannon array on the side of the Spirit Hall Empire fleet emitted a deep hum, and beams of blazing white light, precisely calculated and highly concentrated with energy, pierced the sky and landed precisely in the Sun Moon Empire's formation.