The joint army had come on like a storm.
But their retreat was a miserable rout.
Of the seventy to eighty thousand troops who had formed the main attacking force, almost none had survived.
Even the central army had been caught in the artillery barrage, deliberately directed their way by Su Changge, and suffered heavy losses.
In a single battle, nine out of every ten of their hundred thousand troops had been wiped out.
Many of the Soul Masters accompanying them had also fallen.
With morale in utter chaos, Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and Seventh Princess had no choice but to lead their remaining forces back to the Royal Capital.
After this battle!
Even the Spirit Hall Branch and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, who stood behind Third Prince Ente and Seventh Princess, had fallen silent.
If they resisted the Thirteenth Princess's army, now armed with such devastating weapons of war, how much would they... have to sacrifice?
Would they be the ones to die next?
"Pass the order to every unit: prepare the weapons and clear the battlefield! Also, keep a tight watch tonight despite appearances. Be on guard in case the enemy turns desperate and makes a last stand."
Above the camp, Su Changge gave fresh orders to the commanders who had hurried over. His gaze briefly swept across Xue Qinghe, whose face still held a trace of regret. Then he scooped up Thirteenth Princess Rose, who had long since collapsed into a heap, and turned to leave.
After witnessing what had happened today, what price would the daughter of the Pope offer to win him over?
The Royal Palace in the Royal Capital!
Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and Seventh Princess had gathered there with their respective Soul Douluo, key subordinates, and other core personnel.
Only now did the fear on everyone's faces begin to fade.
But they only looked at one another. No one spoke first.
Or rather, they had yet to come up with a way out of their predicament.
Time flew by. Night fell, and at last, the two Soul Douluo from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could hold back no longer. They spoke first.
"Your Highnesses, Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and Seventh Princess, we must quickly decide how to deal with the Thirteenth Princess's army. Otherwise... if she brings her troops to attack the city tomorrow, the smaller factions may change their allegiance. If they join forces with her from inside and out, then even if we don't want to, we'll be forced to withdraw from the Royal Capital and hand the throne to the Thirteenth Princess!"
"We absolutely cannot hand the throne to someone else!!!"
At the thought of such a scene, the Soul Douluo from the Spirit Hall Branch, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the kingdom's military all changed expression.
They could never accept such an outcome.
If things truly came to that, then what would all their efforts and sacrifices over the past few months have been for?
The eyes of the Soul Douluo from the Spirit Hall Branch and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, in particular, gradually filled with murderous intent.
They were not like the two Soul Douluo from the kingdom's military, who had no one above them.
They still had the Spirit Hall and their clan above them, with elders, a clan leader, and a Pope... true great powers who stood at the very top.
Were they supposed to kneel before those great figures and admit defeat?
"Everyone, there's no other choice now. We must fight to the death! Gather all three factions' Soul Douluo, Spirit Saints, and Soul Kings, then launch a night raid on the Thirteenth Princess's camp while her side is celebrating its victory and has let its guard down..."
"The darkness will conceal us and reduce their visibility. Even if those ordinary soldiers have mastered such devastating weapons of war, they'll be hard-pressed to threaten us."
"As long as we kill the Thirteenth Princess, everything will return to how it was..."
Amid a chorus of vicious, frenzied roars, the Soul Douluo quickly settled on a plan for the night raid.
By now, the so-called candidates for the throne—Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and Seventh Princess—had all been reduced to background figures. They didn't even have the right to interrupt.
Only at this moment did they recognize reality.
Having each lost tens of thousands of troops, their value in the eyes of the Soul Douluo had plummeted.
If not for the blood of the Haagen-Dazs Royal Court flowing through their veins, they might not even have been allowed to sit in on the meeting.
Late at night.
At the camp where Su Changge and the others were staying.
When the Soul Douluo from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Spirit Hall Branch, and the military approached to within a few miles of the camp with dozens of Spirit Saints and Soul Kings, Pufferfish Douluo sensed them.
Su Changge, Xue Qinghe, and the Thirteenth Princess all came out of their tents and made their way up to the camp's ramparts.
Staring into the distant darkness, Su Changge remained composed. Xue Qinghe was even more unruffled, not so much as raising an eyebrow.
Only the Thirteenth Princess was uneasy. She clutched Su Changge's hand tightly, like an octopus, just as she had earlier in the tent, sprawled across the desk.
"Give the order: load every cannon! Target, two miles out, fifteen degrees east of north. Fire ten rapid volleys!"
After Pufferfish Douluo indicated the prearranged position, Su Changge quickly issued the order.
Su Changge had considered luring the enemy in, but the risk was too high. One mistake could get him killed, so he abandoned the idea.
Besides, Xue Qinghe had brought plenty of high-ranked Soul Masters this time, and Pufferfish Douluo, a Titled Douluo, was there to back them up.
A few rounds of saturating artillery fire would weaken the enemy and drain some of the Soul Douluo's Soul Power... That would be enough.
Boom!!!
The instant the cannons fired, deafening blasts tore through the silent night.
The enemy's high-ranked Soul Masters had only just looked up when they saw shells blazing with heat, their friction against the air setting them alight, raining down over their heads.
"Damn it... Get out of the way!!!"
The leading Soul Douluo didn't even have time to unleash their Soul Skills. Their speed surged, and they darted forward in streaks of afterimages.
But the Spirit Saints and Soul Kings weren't so lucky.
Many had yet to even catch sight of the camp gates before the explosions' violent shock waves caught them. Some were gravely wounded; others were killed.
"Everyone, move as fast as you can! Soul Masters with enhancement Soul Skills, activate them now... The enemy has already spotted us, so there's no point sneaking around anymore."
As one Soul Douluo after another revealed eight Soul Rings, the accompanying Spirit Saints and Soul Kings also revealed their own.
Brilliant yellow, purple, and black Soul Rings nearly lit up half the night sky.
"Well, let's see... One, two, three... seven!"
"Not bad. Seven Soul Douluo."
"Your Highness, leave a few for this old man. I've been idle for so long—let me stretch my legs."
Watching the seven figures racing toward them, Pufferfish Douluo rubbed his wrists, his fighting spirit soaring.
"I didn't bring enough people, so I'll need you to step in. But... don't kill those Red Cardinals from the Spirit Hall Branch."
"If we draw the attention of Spirit Hall, it'll only create unnecessary trouble."
As Xue Qinghe spoke, the corner of his eye flicked toward Su Changge.
Seeing no reaction from Su Changge, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he thought highly of Su Changge and wanted to make him one of his trusted aides, his true identity... could not be revealed before the takeover was complete.
But Xue Qinghe had no idea who Su Changge really was.
If Xue Qinghe had some way to read people's minds, he would have heard Su Changge's continual sneering thoughts: Keep acting! Go on! I'd like to see how long you can keep this up.