The Mermaid Princess of the Sea

Now that the knife is at your throat, you're only thinking of resorting to this last-minute, desperate measure?

In her view, the actions of the Sun Moon Empire were utterly foolish.

Sending a group of newly awakened civilians, who don't even know how to meditate, have weak Soul Power, Douluo I, to the battlefield like cattle, to face the spiritual erosion of the Evil Eye Tyrant and the Soul Cannon of our empire?

This isn't about replenishing manpower; it's about mass-producing filler babies.

She could already foresee the scene: the newly recruited soldiers, forcibly conscripted and filled with fear, would only accelerate their collapse on the brutal battlefield. Not only would they fail to form an effective fighting force, but they would also break down their already fragile lines, consume precious logistical supplies, and affect stability.

As Tian Yue predicted, things turned out even worse.

Those "new recruits" who were hastily thrown into the front lines to fight against the spiritual corruption of the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler, or sent to try to hinder the advance of the Spirit Hall Empire, mostly met tragic ends.

Within the all-pervasive mental field of the Evil Emperor, which could drive even elite Soul Engineer insane, these commoner Soul Master with meager Soul Power and untempered wills often fall into madness or coma the moment they come into contact with it. Instead of becoming a defensive force, they become a burden that spreads panic and consumes precious medical resources.

On the eastern battlefield, facing the well-trained and well-equipped army of the Spirit Hall Empire, they were unable to put up any decent resistance and often collapsed at the first contact, suffering heavy casualties.

The "cheap cannon fodder" and "fuel for war" that the rulers of the Sun Moon Empire had originally hoped for did indeed serve to buy time and reduce the number of noble casualties.

However, this also significantly increased the number of casualties, exacerbated public grief, and rapidly depleted already scarce food and supplies.

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Sun Moon Empire, Imperial Palace.

On his throne, the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire listened to his lean minister's treacherous plan of "driving wolves to devour tigers." His tightly furrowed brows did not completely relax, but the despair and anxiety in his eyes were gradually replaced by calculation.

The casualties and cries of those "hundreds of millions" of ordinary people were acceptable to the emperor and high-ranking nobles.

The most important thing now is to buy time and look for a way to turn the tide of the battle.

As long as the empire can survive this calamity and repel foreign enemies, the lower-class population, like weeds, will eventually "grow" back after a few years or a decade.

Using these "renewable resources" to buy precious strategic time and weaken the enemy is, in the eyes of some rulers, even considered a very "profitable" deal.

"Your plan, my dear minister, does indeed have merit," the emperor's voice regained its usual composure, yet it carried a chilling undertone. "However, it is merely a delaying tactic, not a long-term solution. If we cannot seize this opportunity to truly turn the tide, all these sacrifices and calculations will be utterly meaningless."

His sharp gaze swept over the lean minister. "Since you've proposed 'driving away the wolf to devour the tiger,' you must already have a concrete plan? But neither the Spirit Hall Empire nor that Ferocious Beast of the Evil Demon Forest are easy to deal with. How can you expect them to fight to the death without regard for anything else?"

That's the key point!

The Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler is Ferocious Beast that rules its territory by instinct and mental power. Expansion is in its nature, but it may not actively try to gnaw on the seemingly tougher bone that is the Spirit Hall Empire.

Although the Spirit Hall Empire is powerful, it clearly has a well-defined strategy and proceeds step by step. Its primary goal is to conquer the Sun Moon Empire. Before conquering the Sun Moon Empire, it is unlikely to provoke the troublesome monsters in the Evil Demon Forest.

Getting them to fight? Easier said than done!

The lean minister's face revealed a confident air, and he bowed slightly. "Your Majesty's concerns are quite valid. Ordinary provocations will naturally be ineffective. But my plan is not simply to provoke them, but to create a reason for them to 'have no choice but to fight'."

"Oh?" The emperor leaned forward slightly. "Tell me in detail."

"Does Your Majesty still remember what the Spirit Hall Empire has been most enthusiastic about promoting since its arrival, besides military conquest?" The lean minister asked instead of answering. Seeing the emperor's thoughtful expression, he didn't keep him in suspense and directly stated. "It's 'order,' it's 'justice,' and especially their zero tolerance for what they define as ' God of Evil ' Soul Beast."

"According to reports from our inside agents, the Spirit Hall Empire has repeatedly proclaimed in its occupied territories that it will kill Soul Beast that 'enjoys killing living beings, harms the region, and degenerates into God of Evil.' The Spirit Hall Empire has already begun hunting down Soul Beast that feed on humans in the areas it occupies."

A hint of understanding flashed in the emperor's eyes, but more so, doubt. "This concept... doesn't seem wrong at all. Soul Beast are rampant and harm all directions; it's only natural to exterminate them."

During his reign, he would also send troops to eliminate powerful Soul Beast that threatened the stability and rule of the empire when necessary.

"Your Majesty is wise; the idea itself is not wrong." The lean minister smiled slightly.

He stepped forward and said in an even lower voice:

"But if we make a little use of it..."

The Emperor called

After hearing this, the emperor remained silent for a long time, his expression shifting unpredictably.

"My dear minister..." the emperor finally spoke slowly, his voice dry but resolute, "This matter! You are fully responsible for ensuring it is handled flawlessly!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" The lean minister bowed deeply, his eyes gleaming with the sly light of a cunning scheme.

Everyone present exchanged knowing glances, then revealed a knowing smile.

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Soon, a wave of rumors, clearly malicious, began to undermine the already solid reputation of the Spirit Hall Empire in the occupied territories.

"Have you heard? All those 'favors' from the Spirit Hall Empire are just sugar-coated bullets! Once we actually believe them and submit, they'll show their fangs! Free awakening? They'll make you spit it out by doubling the taxes later!" A voice whispered in the shadows.

"Exactly! They only dare to mess with our Sun Moon Empire. The man-eating monster in the Evil Demon Forest to the west is causing chaos and killing so many of our people, why don't they do anything about it? They bully the weak and fear the strong! Utterly hypocritical!"

"It's all just pretense! They put on a show to win people over, but when they actually run into a tough opponent, they're the first to run away!"

Sharp mockery circulated among the common people.

When the news reached Tian Yue's ears, she merely looked up from the battle report, her golden vertical pupils showing no surprise, only a cold understanding.

"The clown finally couldn't hold back any longer." She closed the report, a sneer playing on her lips.

She was all too familiar with this trick.

This was almost a standard performance by the old aristocracy during their death throes.

She thought of the Douluo Continent. If she hadn't swiftly crushed the core resistance of the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire with Thunderous Might force, and if she hadn't won the support of the common people, those deeply entrenched old forces would probably have resorted to such methods of inciting public opinion and spreading rumors, adding countless troubles to the unification process.

"However, the Spirit Hall Empire doesn't care." Tian Yue stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the golden flag of the Spirit Hall Empire under the rising sun in the east. "His Holiness the Pope doesn't care either."

In her eyes, in Qian Xunji, and in the eyes of the true core decision-makers of the Spirit Hall Empire, the so-called "public opinion" and "public opinion guidance" are nothing but foam on the water in the face of absolute power and the established historical torrent.

The clamor of a group of easily swayed, uninformed, and ignorant "fools" could not shake her resolve.

Whether it was the stubbornly resisting Sun Moon Empire or the so-called "Ferocious Beast" entrenched in the west, they all ultimately had only one destiny—to submit to the golden banner of the Spirit Hall Empire.

Therefore, in the face of this wave of public opinion offensive, the Spirit Hall Empire did not "lose its composure" as the lean minister had predicted, nor did it fall into the predicament of passively explaining and struggling to prove itself.

On the contrary, Tian Yue felt a kind of anger, as if she had been provoked by ants, and this anger turned into an even more fierce offensive.

The administrative units in the occupied areas investigated the source of the rumors, and several traitors who were exposed were executed as a warning to others.

At the same time, the speed of military advance has increased rather than decreased!

Cities fell one after another under the increasingly fierce Soul Cannon and elite assaults, with victory reports pouring in. Any conspiracy or trickery was futile in the face of overwhelming power.

This reaction left the lean minister, who was living deep in the capital of the Sun Moon Empire and was still hoping that the Spirit Hall Empire would fall into a quagmire of public opinion, feeling extremely surprised and uneasy.

"How could this be..." He paced back and forth in his study, his brow furrowed. "An empire that prides itself on justice and values its reputation, faced with such a defamatory attack that strikes at the very foundation of its nation, shouldn't it be eager to defend itself and salvage its reputation at all costs? How... how could it be that the attack is even more vicious?"

Before he could figure out the key, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps broke the silence of the study.

The steward scrambled in, his face ashen. "Master! No, something terrible has happened! The Imperial Guards... the Imperial Guards have surrounded the mansion! They say His Majesty has summoned us urgently!"

The teacup in the lean minister's hand fell to the ground with a crash and shattered into pieces.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, and he swayed, barely managing to stand by grabbing the corner of the table.

He understood without needing to ask further.

The plan failed, but the Spirit Hall Empire's offensive became even more ferocious. The emperor needed someone to take responsibility for this "backfire," which could even hasten the empire's demise.

And he, as the proposer and executor of this plan, naturally became the perfect scapegoat.

He looked at the shadowy figures of soldiers outside the window, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Ha... fortune favors the bold..." he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse, "And also, fortune is lost in the midst of danger..."

The gate was violently forced open, and fully armed Imperial Guards poured in.

The lean minister did not resist; he merely straightened his clothes, the last trace of color draining from his face, leaving only a resigned and ashen expression.

Chapter 327 The Mermaid and the Sea Princess

On the vast ocean, in a section of the sea that has just experienced a brief storm.

Above the once azure sea, a massive, crystal-clear iceberg, hundreds of meters in diameter, now floats out of thin air!

The island's surface is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the light of the sky and the color of the sea. At the edges, the seawater freezes into jagged ice pillars, exuding a chill that contrasts sharply with the surrounding warm waters, creating a hazy mist.

This was precisely the "masterpiece" of Wang Zhaojun and Zhen Ji.

Their exquisite soul-guided ship, under the frenzied assault of the previous wave of Deep Sea Demon Whale attempting to besiege it, ultimately could not escape and was reduced to fragments.

The two decided to abandon the boat and work together to freeze and raise the sea into a temporary foothold.

In the center of Iceland, in a relatively flat area, two young girls sat cross-legged peacefully, their bodies resting on solidified icy cushions.

Before them lay several pieces of flesh and bones taken from the most exquisite parts of Deep Sea Demon Whale.

A faint smell of blood filled the air.

"Zhaojun, do you think that with so many Deep Sea Demon Whale dead here, their king, that nearly million-year-old creature, might just charge out?" Zhen Ji condensed a drop of clear water at her fingertip, casually playing with it, while her gaze swept over the vaguely visible, frozen outline of the massive whale carcass in the waters surrounding Iceland.

"It was only a matter of time before they realized it." Wang Zhaojun said calmly, "If they couldn't even detect the large-scale disappearance of their clan's aura, they wouldn't deserve to dominate this sea area for so many years."

"Then how are its Soul Ring and Soul Bone... divided?" Zhen Ji asked the core question. "The Soul Ring are nearly a million years old, and there's that Soul Bone that's guaranteed to be produced, and it's of extremely high quality."

Facing the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, which could break through the sea at any moment and unleash towering waves, the two showed no concern whatsoever. Instead, they earnestly discussed the ownership and distribution of the spoils.

"The Soul Ring isn't a perfect match for my ice attribute, but the immense Soul Power and deep-sea pressure it contains will help me control a wider range of water elements," Zhen Ji analyzed. "Soul Bone... the torso bones are the most valuable..."

Their discussion was incredibly detailed, even considering energy conflicts and the impact on subsequent cultivation...

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Meanwhile, in the deepest abyss, a place where darkness reigns forever.

This is a kingdom beyond the reach of light, where water pressure can crush even the finest steel.

In this absolute darkness and silence, a scarlet eye, as red as a blood moon, suddenly opened without warning!

The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was disturbed from its long period of hibernation and cultivation.

Its vast mental network covers an expansive sea, but recently it has been receiving frequent, painful feedback from its clansmen whose auras are rapidly dissipating. The sheer number of these reports has caused it to feel a sense of unease and... rage.

"Buzz--"

A deep, tsunami-like surge of soul energy echoed in the abyss, summoning a trusted offspring, a 50,000-year-old confidant, who was patrolling relatively close to the surface.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale, whose size was already enormous in the eyes of ordinary Sea Soul Beast, was like a trembling little fish in front of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, cautiously transmitting its spiritual information.

He truthfully reported the recent news that his clan had suffered heavy losses after encountering two human female Soul Master in the outer seas.

"Two... human Soul Master? How dare they hunt down my Deep Sea Demon Whale Clan in my waters?!" The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's aura became even more violent and sharp, stirring up the surrounding seawater into terrifying undercurrents.

Boundless killing intent nearly overwhelmed its reason; it wanted to immediately rush to the surface of the sea and crush those two audacious humans into mincemeat in the most cruel way, devouring their Soul Power to vent its hatred!