Defeat of the Army

"Does this so-called High-Energy Compression Array Soul Guidance Device really possess such immense power?"

After hearing Kong Deming's remarks, the Ice Empress's cold voice carried a hint of skepticism and curiosity.

In her perception, the human before her was only at level 94; he wasn't even a Super Douluo.

Although there was a vague, strange feeling, she was confident she could crush him directly.

Only after reaching the rank of Limit Douluo did she truly grasp the might of the gods.

She did not believe it could slay a god; if it couldn't even defeat her, how could it possibly kill a god?

"The power is certainly strong, but the actual effect is limited. You can't expect the opponent to wait for you to charge up for half a day just to take a shot, right? Besides, as I said, current technology hasn't reached that level of power yet."

After Kong Deming offered his explanation, he chose not to argue with the Ice Empress.

After all, you can't exactly discuss professional expertise with a layman—especially one who lacks even the most basic foundation.

"Alright, let's head out quickly. I'm starving. I've been eating dry rations for days and can't wait to have a real meal."

Xu Lanqing said with a smile, taking the opportunity to give the Ice Empress a look.

The Ice Empress turned her head away, ignoring him.

As they were leaving, a flash of blue light caught his eye. Xu Lanqing walked over and found a gemstone the size of a fingernail emitting a blue halo inside an experimental desk.

"Teacher, I quite like this gemstone. May I take it?"

Kong Deming glanced at it: "It's just a Starlight Sapphire. Since you like it, take it."

Inside the elevator.

No one spoke; the small, enclosed space felt stifling.

"Teacher, why is there no one in the base right now? Is something the matter?" Xu Lanqing casually picked a topic.

Rarely, a look of dejection and gloom appeared on Kong Deming's face.

The atmosphere seemed to grow even heavier.

He remained silent for a moment before speaking, his aged voice sounding hoarse:

"Just a moment ago, His Majesty summoned us urgently. News has arrived from the front lines.

The Empire... has been defeated."

"How is that possible?"

Xu Lanqing said in astonishment: "Wasn't everything fine before? How could we suddenly be defeated?"

He suddenly recalled Xu Tianyuan rushing back to the battlefield in a hurry earlier.

"According to reports from the front, a large number of powerful soul masters suddenly appeared on the battlefield between the Heavenly Soul and Star Luo, including many Super Douluo.

They didn't engage in direct combat but kept assassinating the Empire's leading generals; almost every commander was targeted.

With so many generals dead, the command system fell into chaos. On top of that, Star Luo has a new marshal with incredible tactical ability—the Duke White Tiger of Star Luo, named Dai Hao.

He coordinated the armies of Heavenly Soul and Star Luo, catching our forces off guard while we were in disarray.

The defeat was like a landslide.

To cover the retreat, the Second Soul Engineer Legion, including its commander, was completely wiped out. Not a single soul survived; the losses were heavy.

Now, we can only try to preserve our remaining strength. To cover the army's withdrawal, everyone capable of moving has been deployed, even the researchers from the Royal Institute and Mingde Hall have been sent to the battlefield."

Kong Deming exhaled a turbid breath, finishing his words in one go.

Xu Lanqing opened his mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment.

In addition to the five great Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Legions, the Empire had four standard soul engineer legions.

The five great legions consisted of 500 men each, with strength at the fifth ring or higher, while the standard legions consisted of 2,000 men with strength at the third ring or higher.

By this point in the war, the Sun Moon Empire could be said to have exhausted its full strength.

Nearly two million troops had been deployed, along with nine soul engineer legions. Except for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Legion stationed in Mingdu, the other eight had all gone to the front.

To be defeated so inexplicably, losing an entire soul engineer legion and a level 9 soul engineer, was a devastating blow to their foundation.

It would likely take at least ten years to rebuild a single soul engineer legion.

"Do you know who those powerful soul masters are?"

Xu Lanqing's mouth felt dry; he knew the key lay with those powerful soul masters.

"Those people concealed their figures and appearances. No one knows where they came from; it's as if they appeared out of thin air." Kong Deming shook his head.

Although he didn't get an answer, Xu Lanqing already had his suspicions.

There were only so many powerful soul masters in the world; how could a group of them suddenly appear out of nowhere?

He suddenly asked: "Has there been anything unusual at Shrek School lately?"

"Why do you ask that suddenly?

A few days ago, some people went to cause trouble at Shrek, but other than the deaths of many civilians, there wasn't much damage. It is said that the troublemakers were Evil Soul Masters, and they managed to retreat unscathed.

Afterward, there was a strange phenomenon in Shrek City. It is said that everyone in the city saw a massive Golden Giant Dragon rise into the sky from Shrek Academy, circle around, and then vanish."

Then, a golden rain fell, and after being bathed in it, those who had originally suffered from injuries or illnesses were miraculously cured.

"They all say it was a miracle, though I am not certain how much of that is true."

As he spoke, Kong Deming paused, and after a moment of contemplation, he realized something:

"You think those mysterious soul masters had Shrek involvement? That is not entirely impossible."

"I am only suspicious," Xu Lanqing said softly.

However, after hearing all of this, Xu Lanqing was even more confused.

Evil Soul Masters suddenly causing trouble at Shrek? What reason could have driven them to do so?

And that phenomenon, the Golden Giant Dragon, combined with something capable of causing such a massive sensation, could only be Mu En.

Could it be that Mu En had fallen? The death of a Limit Douluo could indeed trigger phenomena in the heavens and earth.

What was certain was that something he did not know had definitely occurred, and matters were gradually heading in an unknown direction.

"Then what will the empire do next?" he asked.

"Aside from seeking peace, what else can we do? The empire is currently severely weakened, and we must recuperate for the next decade or more; we might not even be able to hold the borders," Kong Deming sighed.

For a time, no one spoke, leaving only the clanking sound of the elevator as it continued to ascend.

"Clang—"

The metal doors opened, and Xu Lanqing stepped out.

Fresh air filled his nose and mouth, slightly easing the stifling atmosphere.

"Lanqing, I will not see you back; there are still some matters below that require my attention," Kong Deming said while standing inside the elevator.

Xu Lanqing nodded.

"By the way, go see His Majesty first. Due to the recurrence of old wounds, years of accumulated fatigue, and the sudden nightmare of defeat, he has been overcome with grief and anger. His Majesty is now bedridden, and I fear..."

Kong Deming did not finish his sentence, merely shaking his head as the elevator doors closed and it began to descend.

Xu Lanqing stood in place for a moment before turning to the Ice Empress and saying, "Let's go."

The horizon was filled with fiery red clouds.

The crimson sunlight shone in from outside the palace doors, draping over Xu Lanqing and casting a long shadow.

It made one feel a pang of heartache.

"If you feel distressed, it is fine to cry," the Ice Empress said, standing by his side.

"A real man sheds blood, not tears."

Xu Lanqing stretched his back and said quite freely:

"Besides, compared to others, I have always cared more about myself from the start. I wanted to become stronger just for self-preservation; at the end of the day, I am a selfish person. However."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the Ice Empress's face, flushed red by the setting sun.

"Now that I have people I care about, I think I can understand the feelings of those whose families were destroyed and who were displaced."

He took a large stride forward, facing the radiance as if he were about to merge into it.

"I will live on well, and I will ensure that the people I care about, my father, and the citizens of the empire, all live on well..."

The voice grew faint in the distance, drifting away with the wind.

The Ice Empress stood still, watching, her beautiful eyes shimmering as if they held half a lifetime of mist and rain.