Resistance fighters along the way were either impaled by spears or trampled by iron cavalry. Under Yu Tianheng's leadership, the elite Heaven Dou Army advanced with unstoppable momentum.
The guards at the palace gates, already terrified by the prospect, still stubbornly formed a human wall, attempting to stop this unstoppable torrent.
Yu Tianheng's eyes narrowed, and he swept his Silver Dragon Spear horizontally. The wind from the spear whistled past, instantly knocking away all the weapons of the front-row guards. Then, the spear tip pointed out, accurately knocking off the helmets of several leading officers, startling the rest of the men into retreating. The human wall collapsed on its own.
"Charge in!"
Iron cavalry trampled across the white jade square in front of the palace, splashing blood that stained the smooth stone slabs.
Yu Tianheng dismounted and kicked open the heavy palace doors. The panicked palace servants scattered and fled, but in the direction of the throne, a trembling figure was trying to hide—it was King Barak.
Yu Tianheng strode forward, planted his Silver Dragon Spear, and made a crisp "clang" that seemed to shake the entire hall.
"King Barak, surrender." His voice was icy, carrying an undeniable authority. "Your kingdom is gone."
The palace beams and pillars groaned under the weight of the tremors, King Barak's eyes turned bloodshot, and his seven Soul Ring suddenly lit up—two yellow, two purple, and three black.
As Seven-Ring Soul Sage, King Barak was quite powerful. At this moment, he concentrated all his Soul Power into his fists and charged towards Yu Tianheng with a desperate roar.
"Presumptuous!"
Yu Tianheng snorted coldly. Facing King Barak's all-out attack, he didn't even move his feet. He simply raised his right hand, and his palm, crackling with purple lightning, pressed down like an invisible mountain.
"Click--"
The cracking sound of bones dislocating and the muffled sound of Soul Power dissipating rang out simultaneously.
King Barak's attack crumbled the moment it touched Yu Tianheng's palm. His Soul Power was struck by a heavy hammer and broke inch by inch under the opponent's overwhelming aura.
He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the armrest of the throne and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Yu Tianheng stepped forward slowly, his fingertips flashing with purple lightning, and quickly touched several key points on King Barak's soul meridians.
The latter's already chaotic Soul Power was instantly Ice Seal, without any further fluctuation, and even the strength to raise his hand disappeared.
"You..." King Barak's eyes were filled with resentment and fear, but he could only watch helplessly as the other looked down at him from his superior position.
Yu Tianheng withdrew his hand, his voice as cold as ice. "Take him away."
The surrounding Heaven Dou soldiers immediately stepped forward and helped the limp King Barak to his feet. Yu Tianheng watched the retreating figure being escorted out of the palace and added calmly, "Return to Heaven Dou City immediately and hand this man over to His Majesty for personal judgment."
Before the smoke of battle had completely cleared, Yu Tianheng stood atop the highest point of the Barak Palace, his gaze sweeping over the capital city that had just changed hands. He turned to the general behind him, his voice steady and powerful. "Pass down the order to immediately begin cleaning up the mess."
The inventory of the national treasury was of utmost urgency. A special envoy was dispatched with a guard team to take over the operation. All gold, silver, jewelry, grain, and supplies were registered one by one, with two copies of the list made. One copy was kept locally, and the other was sent back to the Heaven Dou Imperial City by an urgent messenger.
The Heaven Dou army will immediately deploy in batches to key cities in Barak, especially border passes and transportation hubs, and must complete the deployment within three days to ensure secure control of the territory.
A message was sent by carrier pigeon to the central government of the Heaven Dou Empire, requesting His Majesty to dispatch officials in charge of administration, finance, and people's livelihood as soon as possible to take over the daily governance of the Balak Kingdom. It also requested that the government coordinate with the military to stabilize local order.
Reorganize the surrendered troops of the Balak Kingdom, select usable personnel to supplement our forces, and dismiss those who are not qualified according to regulations. At the same time, inventory their military equipment and supplies and put them into the Heaven Dou Military Treasury to accelerate the preparation of our combat power.
After arranging everything, Yu Tianheng looked at the territory surrounding the Balak Kingdom on the map, his eyes sharp as an eagle. "We don't have much time left. After we've dealt with this place, the next step is those kingdoms that are still watching." His words carried an undeniable determination, clearly indicating that this war of expansion had only just begun its more intense phase.
The news that the Heaven Dou army had annihilated Barak in a month spread like a thunderclap among the surrounding countries.
In the royal court of the Silves Kingdom, the jade cup in the king's hand crashed to the ground, spilling wine that soaked his bright yellow dragon robe. "A month? Barak's armored army is capable of going head-to-head with Soul Douluo..." His voice trembled, and all the civil and military officials looked at each other in dismay, their official robes soaked with cold sweat.
In the neighboring Holy Spirit Duchy, the Duke was holding an emergency meeting when he slammed the battle report brought by the messenger onto the table. " Barak's walls are stronger than our treasury! Gone just like that?" The generals below were deathly pale. Everyone knew that the Balak Kingdom was the strongest militarily among them; if even it couldn't hold out for a month, how long could their own resources possibly last?
The more distant Heavenly Eagle Kingdom and Floran Kingdom were also gripped by panic.
King Heavenly Eagle summoned the royal family for a meeting that very night. By candlelight, everyone's brows were furrowed, and no one dared to utter the arrogant statement that " Heaven Dou is nothing but a paper tiger." The nobles of Floran sold off their properties one after another, and some even began to secretly pack their valuables, planning where to escape should the city fall.
Fear spread like a plague, and the four nations finally realized that fighting against the Heaven Dou alone was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.
Three days later, the envoys from the four kingdoms met in a secluded valley. Gone were the days of open and covert struggles; only the urgent sense of impending doom remained.
" Heaven Dou's appetite extends far beyond Barak; we're next!" The envoy from the Silves Kingdom declared first. "Rather than fighting individually, we should unite our forces; that's our only chance of survival!"
The representative of the Holy Spirit Duchy immediately echoed, "That's right! Our four-nation allied forces far outnumber the Balak Kingdom, and with the addition of the Silvesnork cavalry and the Heavenly Eagle Kingdom's archers, we might not be without a chance of victory!"
Ultimately, the four kingdoms reached an alliance: Silvis would send 50,000 iron cavalry as the vanguard, the Floran Kingdom would send 50,000 infantry to guard the central route, the Heavenly Eagle Kingdom would send 30,000 archers to provide flank cover, and the Holy Spirit Duchy would provide provisions and supplies.
The armies of the four countries will converge in a key border town, forming a coalition of nearly 180,000 men to jointly build a defensive line against the Heaven Dou army.
The news eased the panic in the four countries, but everyone knew that this war of united resistance was destined to be a desperate battle that would cost the nation its very survival.
Inside the military tent Suotuo City, candlelight flickered, illuminating the unfolded map. When the scouts reported the news of the four-nation allied forces, the generals in the tent frowned slightly, except for Yu Tianheng, whose lips curled into a cold, sharp smile.
"A coalition?" He scoffed, his laughter filled with undisguised disdain. "A bunch of rabble, each with their own ulterior motives, dare to call themselves a 'coalition'?"