Da Ming stared warily at the little girl. Although she looked quite young, that earlier scythe strike had been powerful enough to sever his tail! Having dealt with gods before, he understood far more than most what her appearance truly meant…
"You little brat, I really underestimated you."
Da Ming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression gradually improving.
As an Ultimate Douluo and a divine officer, he was different from ordinary soul beasts. Though his tail had been severed, he only needed to consume some of his origin power to grow it back.
"Heh, it seems you've already guessed the truth," Xu Cheng said with a calm smile, standing beside the loli and casually observing Da Ming and Er Ming.
It was interesting.
In the Clear Sky Sect, he'd detected two traces of Tang San's aura—one full and imbued with divine presence, the other weak and barely hanging on.
Looks like that memory-erasing card had taken effect earlier.
Tang San had forgotten he even had an avatar left in the lower realm...
"Sky Azure Bull Python, since you were the ones who started this, consider today's events your comeuppance," Xu Cheng said with a chuckle.
From his perspective, it was a complete win. Without the earlier battle at Mingdu, recovering the complete Rakshasa Demon Scythe would've been a huge challenge. But who could've guessed Mu En would rush in like a clueless NPC, bringing an "experience pack" and a clue with him…
"Oh, right, don't even think about taking revenge. Every single move you make is under the empire's surveillance. If you try to flee somewhere else, we'll know right away," Xu Cheng said, clapping his hands.
A light screen appeared in midair, displaying a top-down real-time view of the Clear Sky Sect.
After all, if the sect tried to relocate and eliminate their "soft spot," and Da Ming and Er Ming were then sent to strike the Sun-Moon Empire directly, that would be a serious problem. But with these high-grade soul tool surveillance devices, the Clear Sky Sect had nowhere to hide. No matter where they fled on the continent, their weakness would always be in the Empire's grip.
"What?!" Da Ming's pupils contracted sharply as he looked up at the sky in horror.
No wonder the enemy knew so much about the sect—it turned out every action they took was being monitored.
At the same time, his thirst for revenge began to calm.
The Clear Sky Sect was Tang San's foundation in the lower realm.
If he and Er Ming infiltrated the Sun-Moon Empire to launch a massacre, even if the Empire suffered, the Clear Sky Sect would be wiped out in retaliation…
"Damn it!"
He clenched his teeth, furious.
Now it all made sense—even though the Rakshasa Divine Will had appeared, Xu Cheng hadn't harmed the sect's disciples or elders, and had even deliberately preserved part of their foundation. It was all to hold them hostage!
"Big Brother…" Er Ming growled through gritted teeth, furious but helpless.
"This time only! If the Sun-Moon Empire dares cross the line again, even if we have to destroy the Clear Sky Sect, we will go to war with you to the death!"
Da Ming glared at Xu Cheng coldly. The killing intent around him was almost tangible, but he swallowed it back down.
"Hahaha, it's always refreshing to deal with smart people," Xu Cheng said with a cheerful smile.
He waved to the elite troops behind him.
"Withdraw!"
"Yes, sir!"Thousands of elite soldiers responded in unison.
Their relaxed aura, having just completely flipped the battlefield and calculated the enemy to a standstill, stood in stark contrast to the exhausted and demoralized Clear Sky Sect. This was the true might of their commander—the Crown Prince.
Aboard the Airship
The Rakshasa loli stood beside Xu Cheng, arms crossed, purple eyes cold and detached, as if she didn't care about anything.
But it was clear—she had developed a certain dependence on Xu Cheng.
Maybe it was because of the aura of Destruction, or perhaps because Xu Cheng was the first thing she saw when she came into being—whatever the reason, she stuck to him without being told to.
Due to the influence of divine power, her personality leaned heavily toward that of a cold-blooded killing machine: cold, emotionless, merciless. Yet after severing Da Ming's tail, she had looked at Xu Cheng almost expectantly—as if seeking praise.
The classic "head pat" worked well—she was just a tsundere.
Xu Cheng glanced at the Rakshasa loli beside him and quickly reached a general conclusion in his heart.
"Your Highness! A message from the Star Luo Imperial Capital—congratulations on your great victory!"
A breathless communications officer pushed through the soul engineer guards around them, speaking excitedly.
"Star Luo… Xu Jiawei?" Xu Cheng raised an eyebrow.
He didn't believe Star Luo had gotten wind of the victory this fast—there was only one explanation: Xu Jiawei had stationed someone at the border even before the battle began.
"That guy sure knows how to play his cards," said Ye Yulin with a grin.
"Yeah, looks like Star Luo is dead set on climbing aboard the Sun-Moon Empire's war machine. Xu Jiawei may be stubborn on some issues, but he's got guts," Crow agreed with a nod.
After all, by siding with the Sun-Moon Empire in this battle, Xu Jiawei had effectively betrayed the original Continental Alliance.
Shrek, the Body Sect, the Heaven Soul Empire, and the Douling Empire would all pressure him. The Clear Sky Sect would be the most furious, since the Sun-Moon Empire had used Star Luo's name to launch this attack. The hatred would be unimaginable.
If the Sun-Moon Empire ever abandoned Xu Jiawei, he'd likely be dead within days.
The Clear Sky Sect's wrath wasn't something a single emperor could endure.
"Still… he bet on the right horse." Xu Cheng smiled.
After a pause, he added, "Prepare to take over the border garrisons of Star Luo. Send someone to negotiate with Xu Jiawei. Whether it's a joint defense or full control of the border, talk to him. I'm sure he'll be eager."
After some hesitation, Xu Cheng waved again.
"Forget it, I'll go meet him myself. We'll detour to the Star Luo Imperial Capital on the way back to the Empire."
It was an important matter, after all.
Star Luo's border was vast, adjacent to the Heaven Soul Empire, Shrek Academy, and Douluo Empire, and even encircled a large part of the Great Star Dou Forest. Strategically, it was a priceless asset.
If the Sun-Moon Empire could station troops along Star Luo's border, it would open up countless possibilities…
Whether it was the upcoming promotion of artificial soul rings, an alliance with the Great Star Dou Forest, or countering Shrek Academy's influence, it would all heavily favor the Sun-Moon Empire.
Of course, the one most threatened by this would be Shrek.
After all, Shrek's strength was built on maintaining a balance between the Three Nations and the Great Forest. With Star Luo defecting to the Sun-Moon side, that entire balance would be upended.
As for whether Xu Jiawei would agree…
Heh. You know what "stationing troops" really means?
It means: If you listen to me, I will help you fight others. If you don't… I beat you down myself.
(End of Chapter)