Chapter 292: Chapter 292: The Black-Robed "Jie Jie Jie," the Continent is Unified
Dai An shot up to his feet, a flash of disbelief in his eyes. "The Zhu family? How dare they?!"
The Soul Emperor trembled, clearly having been through a bitter fight. "Your Majesty, the Zhu family colluded with the Spirit Empire at some unknown time. While we were confronting the Spirit Empire, they suddenly attacked from behind, capturing many of our country’s strategic points! Now, the Star Luo Empire has fallen into a state of internal and external crisis!"
Davis’s face was ashen, his fists clenched tightly. "The Zhu family, those treacherous things! How dare they betray Star Luo!"
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger and panic in his heart. "What happened and what is the current situation? How large is the Zhu family’s rebel force?"
The Soul Emperor glanced at Davis, who was at his side, and said tremblingly, "Zhu Zhuyun of the Zhu family imprisoned her father and usurped her position. In league with the Spirit Empire, she used a surprise attack to strike at our nation’s heartland. On the battlefield, the soldiers collectively petitioned, and the people around her placed a crown on her head, dressed her in dragon robes, and honored her as the new Emperor. Zhu Zhuyun said it had been a great hardship for her, but she readily accepted the support of her followers. Her iron cavalry has broken through the royal capital and has now completely occupied the core area of the Star Luo Empire. All important buildings, including the imperial palace, have been brought under her control. With the support of the Spirit Empire, Zhu Zhuyun has spoken of the benevolent policies she will implement in the future, as well as the benefits promised by the Spirit Empire. Many regions, out of fear and confusion, have chosen to submit."
He swallowed hard, looking at the grim and fluctuating expressions of Davis and Dai An, and continued, "Strangely, most of the people in the royal capital have no intention of resisting. Now, she is the orthodox ruler, while we... have been branded as rebels. Zhu Zhuyun used the power of the Spirit Empire not only to control the military but also to gain the upper hand in public opinion, casting us as criminals attempting to subvert the peace of the nation."
At this point, he looked with some horror towards the location where the long-gone mountain once stood. "That mountain peak, which soared into the clouds, was shattered by a single blow from that Holy Son Lin Feng. The scene of its thunderous collapse has been spread as a divine tale. The people of the royal capital all believe it was the might of a heavenly punishment. They believe that it was Your Majesty’s and His Highness the Crown Prince’s insistence on opposing the Spirit Empire that brought about such a disaster—to stubbornly persist against an irresistible force, wasting the nation’s strength and disregarding the lives of the people. And now, Zhu Zhuyun has followed the will of heaven and succeeded to the orthodox line. This is the letter of persuasion to surrender that Zhu Zhuyun gave me."
As he spoke, he took out a secret letter from his robes with a trembling hand and presented it with both hands. Dai An took the letter, quickly scanned it, then let out a heavy sigh and handed it to Davis.
After Davis read it, his face grew even darker. In the letter, Zhu Zhuyun, in the posture of a victor, grandly stated the so-called "facts" and "implored" them to give up resistance and surrender voluntarily for the future of the Star Luo Empire and the peace of the common people.
"This Zhu Zhuyun, what a cunning bitch!" Davis was furious and slammed his fist on the small table. "How dare she be so bold as to collude with an external enemy and usurp the imperial throne! I treated her well. Wouldn’t it have been fine for her to just be the Crown Princess in peace?!! The Zhu family, and all women in the world, are nothing but breeding tools, mere appendages for my Dai family’s martial soul fusion skill! How dare they complain!!!"
"Father Emperor, we cannot just sit here and wait for death!" Fire blazed in Davis’s eyes. "We must fight back and take back everything that belongs to us!"
He was just one step away from ascending the throne, yet in the end, he had paved the way for another! Davis’s heart was filled with unwillingness and anger. He could not accept this reality, much less tolerate Zhu Zhuyun’s betrayal.
"Your Highness, this subordinate also has a message that Zhu Zhuyun wanted me to pass on, it’s just..." the Soul Emperor stammered, extremely conflicted.
"Speak. What else did she have to say?" Davis said coldly, a thick killing intent in his eyes.
The Soul Emperor gritted his teeth and said quickly, "Zhu Zhuyun said that the so-called selection system of the imperial family is just a game for the strong to bully the weak. It is nothing but a ’bloodline shackle’ that enslaves her Zhu family. The emperor’s throne is taken in turns; this year, it comes to her family."
Hearing this, Davis laughed in extreme anger. "A fine ’the emperor’s throne is taken in turns; this year, it comes to her family’! Does she, Zhu Zhuyun, really think she can sit firmly on this throne?"
Just as he was about to say more, suddenly, the flap of the main camp’s tent was violently thrown open, and a figure flashed in like a ghost, bringing a gust of cold wind. The person was cloaked in a black robe, their face hidden in the shadow of the hood, revealing only a pair of eyes that shone with a ghostly light.
"Who?!" Davis and Dai An exclaimed at the same time, their weapons subconsciously pointing at the newcomer.
The black-robed person smiled faintly and threw back his hood, revealing a young and handsome face. It was Lin Feng.
"Crown Prince Davis, Your Majesty Dai An, long time no see," the Holy Son Lin Feng’s voice was calm and indifferent, as if he were watching an insignificant play.
Dai An swallowed hard. Having witnessed with his own eyes how Lin Feng had shattered a mountain with a single blow, its aftershock shaking his entire army, a chill inevitably rose in his heart.
"We have already surrendered... Your... Your Excellency, what is your purpose in coming here?"
Davis looked at his father beside him in disbelief. This humble, cowardly attitude made him feel angry and ashamed. Was this still his father, the Titled Douluo who looked down on the world?
Lin Feng noticed Davis’s gaze and glanced at him.
"Thud—"
Davis fell to his knees, stammering, "Greetings... greetings to the Lord Holy Son."
The sharp contrast even left Lin Feng momentarily stunned. With a look of astonishment, he rubbed his chin and asked Dai An, "Am I really that frightening?"
Dai An was speechless. Why are you wearing a black robe and cloak for no reason? All you’re missing is a ’Jie Jie Jie’ laugh to complete the villain look. Looking at the trembling Davis on his knees, he was filled with anger, but at this moment, he could only consider his son to be a wise man who understood the times. He forced a smile and replied respectfully, "The Lord Holy Son’s reputation is far-reaching, and your strength is extraordinary. It is only natural that we feel awe."
Lin Feng nodded, not caring about their reaction. He slowly walked to the center of the tent, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, finally resting on the letter of persuasion.
"I came for nothing else but this letter," Lin Feng gently raised the letter. "I truly did not expect her to act so quickly and decisively. So, what I did not tell you before, I will tell you now. Zhu Zhuyun is my person. If I say it like this, can you understand?"
Hearing this, Dai An and Davis were both stunned, their eyes full of shock and confusion. Davis, in particular, suddenly looked up at Lin Feng, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms. He cursed trembling in his heart: "No wonder she would always refuse me whenever I wanted to be intimate with her. This bitch, so she had already found her true master long ago."
Lin Feng frowned. He didn’t sense Davis’s strange thought, but he did sense the killing intent.
"Hmph!"
Lin Feng snorted coldly. He flashed to Davis’s side and gently stepped out. Yet it seemed to have the weight of a mountain, slamming Davis’s entire body to the ground.
"Crack—"
"Ah!—"
"Don’t have thoughts you shouldn’t have. This time, I will cripple your two legs. Next time, it will be your life!"
The movement was extremely fast. Dai An, a Titled Douluo, only saw a blur and had no time to react. Davis’s legs had been forcefully broken by Lin Feng. A shrill scream echoed throughout the tent.
Fine beads of cold sweat seeped out from Dai An and the Soul Emperor. They were as if frozen, watching this scene in terror, their hearts filled with an unprecedented shock and fear. They had no doubt that with just a thought from Lin Feng, they would die!
Lin Feng slowly retracted his foot.
"Dai An, I hope you can understand. Zhu Zhuyun is my person. All her actions were carried out under my instruction," Lin Feng’s voice was calm and cold, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty.
"You now have only two choices. One, hand over all your power, acknowledge Zhu Zhuyun’s status, and listen to her arrangements. Two..."
He looked at Dai An. "The strength of a Titled Douluo is still too high." As he spoke, he shot out a ghostly light that went directly into Dai An’s body, sealing his soul power cultivation.
Dai An’s aura instantly plummeted, only stopping when it reached the level of a Soul Ancestor.
Lin Feng said no more and turned to leave. "In three days, I want to see Star Luo restored to peace."
Dai An trembled all over, watching Lin Feng’s departing back, an unprecedented sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart. He knew very well that he and Davis had completely lost any chance of resistance. Lin Feng’s strength was too powerful; they were simply unable to contend with him.
The Soul Emperor was also pale, his legs weak, almost collapsing to the ground. He had never seen such terrifying strength and such a domineering style of conduct. His heart was filled with a deep fear of Lin Feng. Wasn’t this Holy Son said to be benevolent and kind, with the world in his heart? How could he be so ruthless, his actions so decisive? This was clearly a black-bellied schemer.
The Soul Emperor muttered to himself but did not dare to show it in the slightest. He looked at Dai An and saw that this former emperor was also looking lost and helpless at this moment, as if he had aged a great deal in an instant.
Davis lay on the ground, the pain almost making him faint, but his consciousness was stubbornly holding on. His heart was filled with regret and unwillingness—regret that he hadn’t seen through Zhu Zhuyun’s ambition sooner, regret that he had lost his mind just now and dared to have killing intent, and unwillingness that he had his legs crippled just like that, becoming a cripple.
The atmosphere in the tent was heavy and oppressive. Davis’s painful groans were intermittent, like a tragic song of the Star Luo Empire’s fate.
Dai An slowly stood up and walked to his son’s side, his gaze holding both pity and resolution. From this moment on, everything had changed. He and his son, and indeed the entire Star Luo Empire, would usher in a new era. A comeback? Just a fool’s dream. In the face of absolute power, any resistance seemed pale and futile. His own cultivation had been sealed, and the tide had turned. At this moment, they had no other choice. He gently patted Davis’s shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and comfort. "Child, endure the humiliation. Although we have lost everything, as long as we are alive, there is hope."
A stubborn look flashed in Davis’s eyes. Although his body was in excruciating pain, the flames of unwillingness still burned in his eyes. "Father, I... I am not reconciled!"
Dai An sighed. How could he be reconciled? But reality was cruel, and they had to accept it. "Even if you are not reconciled, you must be. This is our fate. Now, the only thing we can do is wait for an opportunity. Perhaps one day, we will find a chance to turn things around."
After speaking, Dai An helped Davis up, and the two slowly walked out of the tent. The sun outside was still bright, but the sky of the Star Luo Empire was already covered with haze. The once high and mighty emperor and crown prince were now like stray dogs, a truly lamentable sight.
Three days later, the Star Luo Empire returned to peace as Lin Feng had wished. Zhu Zhuyun, with the support of the Spirit Empire, smoothly ascended the throne and became the new Empress. Dai An and Davis, along with the rest of the Dai family, were placed under house arrest in a remote palace, having lost all their freedom and power.
Several years later, the ancestral graves of the Dai family gained several more bodies. In the end, they never got their chance for a comeback.
From then on, the landscape of the world changed dramatically. The Spirit Empire unified the entire Douluo Continent.
This war of unification, which people had thought would be a major conflict with rivers of blood, lasting for a long time, ended swiftly in an unexpected way under the iron-fisted methods of the Holy Son Lin Feng. The rise of the Spirit Empire, like an unstoppable flood, swept across the entire Douluo Continent.
The two former great empires were both annihilated. Countless clans and noble families either submitted or went into hiding. The entire continent entered an unprecedented era of unity.
There was no more Heaven Dou Empire, no more Star Luo Empire, and no more of those duchies.
The entire Douluo Continent now had only one country: the Spirit Empire.
The two former empires, along with the several duchies and provinces, were re-divided by the Spirit Empire into twelve administrative provinces. Each administrative region had a sub-headquarters-level Spirit Hall branch hall, and also had a governor and a soul master army directly appointed by the Spirit Empire to ensure absolute control over each region.
Heaven Dou and Star Luo were special and were divided into several important administrative provinces. Among them, the more important ones were the Beichen Province, centered on the former Heaven Dou City; the Nandou Province, centered on the former Star Luo Imperial City; and the Tianxing Province, which covered the vast territory at the border of the two former empires. The Tianxing Province’s geographical location was key, connecting the north and south, and it was the true political center of Beichen and Nandou. And this place, with Spirit City as its core, was firmly under their own noses, controlling the politics, economy, culture, and transportation of the north and south.
Under Lin Feng’s instruction, the Tianxing Province and Spirit City began large-scale construction and reform. Spirit Hall was expanded into the grand Spirit Holy Temple, becoming a sacred place for soul master cultivation and exchange, and also a symbol of the Spirit Empire’s authority. The high spires of the Holy Temple pointed to the clouds, as if to touch the end of the sky, and at the top of the tower was embedded a giant soul stone. At night, the soul stone would emit a soft light, illuminating the entire Spirit City.
Two and a half weeks later.
Bibi Dong, dressed in a gorgeous imperial robe and wearing a brilliant crown, stood in the great hall at the center of Spirit City. Facing the attention of the masses, she announced her new policies and her vision for the future. The sunlight shone on her, plating her with a layer of golden brilliance, making her look even more solemn and sacred.
"The hearts of the world are now one. From today onwards, I, Bibi Dong, in the name of the Empress, will lead the Douluo Continent towards a more prosperous future."
Lin Feng stood at the highest point of the Spirit Holy Temple, a smile on his lips. His gaze pierced through the layers of clouds and mist and saw Bibi Dong, quietly listening to her declaration.
He had to admit, Bibi Dong dressed in imperial robes had an indescribable charm at this moment. Bibi Dong seemed to feel his gaze, smiled in his direction, and a sound transmission came to him. "Tonight is my, the Empress’s, time."