Chapter 112: Chapter 112: The Lie from Twenty Years Ago
Three months later, just when the situation on the border between the two countries seemed clear, tumultuous waves suddenly surged once again.
In the early morning, under the clear blue sky without a single cloud, a gentle breeze blew.
The sprawling camp of the Star Luo Empire stretched for nearly a hundred miles, like an ancient behemoth lying across the plain before the mountains, emanating an atmosphere of tension and solemnity.
But beneath this apparent atmosphere of bloodthirstiness, there was an undeniable sense of exhaustion and anxiety.
They were now clearly at a disadvantage.
The military strength of the Tian Dou Empire was originally supposed to be weaker than that of the Star Luo Empire by a significant margin, whether in terms of the combat proficiency of ordinary troops or the average strength of Soul Masters. However, with the covert support of the Spirit Hall, the Star Luo Empire was being gradually pushed back, forced to continually retract its defensive lines.
By now, the only thing they could do was to hold their ground at the border and delay time by taking advantage of the natural terrain, but there was no way for them to organize a counterattack.
Even though some of the Title Douluo Elders, renowned throughout the world, were not convenient to take action, there were always some lesser-known figures among them who could appear on the battlefield, bringing immense pressure to the Star Luo army.
Any Title Douluo-level combatant would have a significant impact on the local battle situation, let alone the fact that there were more than one Title Douluo on the side of the Tian Dou Empire at the moment.
In addition, a large number of Soul Masters continuously deployed by the Spirit Hall were pouring into the battlefield, greatly exaggerating the increase in military strength.
In the past few months, the defensive lines of the Star Luo Empire on the plain had been rapidly broken and dismantled.
Meanwhile, the Tian Dou Empire was steadily advancing and was fundamentally unstoppable.
Fifty miles outside the Star Luo Empire's military camp, early in the morning after breakfast.
The sound of war drums, resembling thunder, could be heard from a distance, and everyone knew that the Tian Dou Empire was once again launching an offensive.
One after another, formations appeared outside the camp, each composed of tens of thousands of soldiers.
Accompanied by a series of commands issued from the central army, hundreds of thousands of troops from the Tian Dou Empire slowly moved forward. They consisted of ten entire heavy cavalry corps, which were the entire heavy cavalry force brought by the Tian Dou Empire this time.
Their advance was not fast, but the overwhelming pressure they exerted made the earth tremble.
Following behind the ten heavy armored corps were twenty-two thousand Soul Masters assembled by the Tian Dou Empire.
After that, ten light cavalry corps dashed out from both wings, all composed entirely of Soul Masters.
They continuously cut the plain battlefield into numerous small battlefields, allowing the Soul Masters in each corps to maximize their effectiveness.
Under the combined efforts of tens of thousands of Soul Masters, flame and ice attribute soul skills were quickly deployed on the battlefield.
With various auxiliary soul skills being cast to enhance the heavy cavalry, the momentum of the entire army increased significantly.
The overwhelming pressure coming towards them made the overall commander of the Star Luo Empire's military complexion even more unsightly.
Such situations had been repeated countless times in the past three months.
In such a scenario, their only option was to rely on the advantage of the terrain to barely cope.
Fortunately, the current Tian Dou army was not in a hurry and had no intention of directly confronting and consuming the Star Luo Empire. Instead, they were slowly encroaching, dividing the battlefield while retaining their own strength.
But everyone understood that this fragile balance would not last long.
Zhu Zhuyun walked anxiously through the military camp.
Having depleted her soul power, as a high-level Soul King, she had a relatively high degree of freedom on the battlefield and could retreat to the camp at any time to rest.
However, she was alone, not with Davis.
On the one hand, as Davis's identity, he had few opportunities to go to the battlefield, and there were many affairs in the imperial capital.
On the other hand, they had not used their martial soul fusion technique for a long time now.
Ever since the conversation with Zhu Zhujing many years ago, a considerable barrier had gradually formed between her and Davis.
Moreover, martial soul fusion techniques were powerful but extremely soul-consuming. On the battlefield, it was much more effective for her to fight alone, utilizing the characteristics of her Spirit of the Hell Civet for assassination and ambush.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuyun's originally bright and charming eyes were filled with confusion.
The current situation of the empire was deteriorating rapidly, and with her understanding, she couldn't think of any way to turn the tide.
But at this critical juncture, Zhu Zhuqing, the true core of the Zhu family faction, suddenly disappeared, adding another layer of shadow to her heart.
Before, when she asked her father, the only information she got was to wait patiently.
But how could she wait at a time like this?
Whether it was to seize power in the imperial capital at this opportunity, to establish merit on the battlefield, or even to prevent being targeted by the Tian Dou royal family after the country was destroyed, she couldn't afford to do nothing.
If the border defenses could not hold, then the demise of the entire empire would only be a matter of time.
It wasn't just Zhu Zhuqing; Su Cheng had also been missing for some time.
Over the years, because of Zhu Zhuqing's relationship, she was somewhat familiar with Su Cheng and knew some of his background.
Compared to her increasingly prominent sister, Su Cheng, although not well-known, was not to be underestimated in strength, and even surpassed them in cultivation.
Most importantly, Su Cheng often had unexpected insights and always hit the nail on the head.
Even a few hints from him occasionally could help her gain many new insights.
She even had a vague feeling that Su Cheng's understanding of the Hell Civet martial soul might surpass that of their Zhu family members.
She had a strange intuition that as long as these two individuals could be present, even if they couldn't reverse the situation, they would definitely play a crucial role.
Moreover, the martial soul fusion techniques they displayed were completely different from hers.
That strange Hell White Tiger, apart from being slightly inferior in soul power, was absolutely not weaker than an ordinary Title Douluo in terms of strength alone.
Just as she was lost in thought, cries of astonishment suddenly reached her ears.
"...What's that?!"
"It's the Hell White Tiger!"
"It's the martial soul fusion technique, the Hell White Tiger, exclusive to the royal family and the Zhu family!"
Zhu Zhuyun heard the commotion and turned around abruptly.
She saw a giant white tiger shadow, dozens of meters in size, rushing across the sky like a gust of wind.
But at this moment, she was even more surprised, and she couldn't help but slightly open her red lips.
Zhu Zhuyun, who was extremely familiar with this martial soul fusion technique, could tell that it was not the Hell White Tiger martial soul fusion technique.
It was the true form of a person's martial soul!
"How is this possible..."
The giant white tiger flew through the air.
Behind it, the transparent wings formed by hurricanes stirred up gusts of wind, and in an instant, it crossed hundreds of meters and plunged straight into the center of the battlefield!
At that moment, there was a Title Douluo-level powerhouse from the Tian Dou Empire camp, recklessly unleashing various soul skills, continuously slaughtering the Star Luo Empire's Soul Masters.
In the next moment, that person suddenly felt an overwhelming killing intent sweeping over from behind.
Immediately after, a gust of wind surged forward, and as he turned around, a claw was already coming down on him.
Hell White Tiger's Eighth Soul Skill—Divine Wind Slash!
This soul skill, attached to the hundred-thousand-year soul ring mutated by the Hell White Tiger, could integrate Zhu Zhuqing's full strength into one claw, maximizing both power and speed. It was her strongest single-target attack skill at the moment.
The Title Douluo, whose soul power was already depleted by more than half, was instantly shrouded in a sense of death and hastily defended.
Although he successfully used a soul skill to block, he still couldn't resist its edge. The huge claw mark pierced through his body, and his vitality quickly dissipated.
After the devastating blow from the Hell White Tiger, it didn't stop for a moment.
It leaped directly, and with the raging winds, it pounced into another part of the battlefield, striking down another Title Douluo who was showing off his might.
Subsequently, the tyrannical Hell luWhite Tiger began to rampage on the battlefield.
With the wind god's wings flying wildly, it harvested the high-level Soul Masters of the Tian Dou side with absolute strength and speed advantages.
By the time they reacted and sent out several Title Douluo to join the battle for containment, the casualties were already heavy.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing's soul power was almost depleted.
The short-term explosive power of the Hell White Tiger's martial soul was so strong that it was almost unreasonable, but the rate of soul power consumption was equally astonishing.
"Zhuqing, you're finally here."
The dark clouds covering Zhu Zhuyun's heart dissipated instantly in joy.
Her eyes also became bright in an instant.
But amidst the joy, there was still a hint of hesitation.
After pretending to look around, she jokingly said, "Where's your little sidekick? Aren't you two always inseparable?"
"...Are you talking about Su Cheng? He can't come for now."
"Oh, I see." Zhu Zhuyun nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Zhu Zhujing. "But how did you suddenly become so strong? And just now, that was the Hell White Tiger, right? But your martial soul...?"
"Yeah, my martial soul has undergone some changes, and my strength has also broken through because of it."
Zhu Zhujing didn't explain further.
Actually, with her current strength, she no longer needed to explain anything to anyone.
But Zhu Zhuyun was different to Zhu Qing after all.
"Mutated?" Zhu Zhuyun's smile stiffened for a moment.
Then she quickly resumed her usual sweet and gentle demeanor.
"I envy you so much, Zhu Qing. If only I could be like you," she sighed softly.
"With your current strength, you can finally control your own destiny completely. Someone like Dai Mubai can be easily pushed aside by you. And with someone like Su Cheng, a friend who stands by your side wholeheartedly, strong in power and pleasant to be around, it's indeed very comforting."
Zhu Zhuqing was stunned by her words and turned to look at Zhu Zhuyun, asking incredulously, "Is that what you think?"
"What?"
"...Su Cheng is my friend, and it's comfortable to be with him."
"Isn't that what you think?" Zhu Zhuyun struggled to maintain her smile, her usually gentle face now somewhat stiff and unnatural.
"Zhu Zhuqing, perhaps you have truly changed. No, you changed more than ten years ago, but I just refused to admit it to myself," Zhu Zhuyun sighed.
"Sometimes I really feel lucky. My lack of ability and weak strength, and no value to exploit, at least proves that your feelings for me are genuine."
Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at Zhu Zhuyun, her already pale face becoming even paler.
She never expected that in her sister's eyes, Su Cheng would be seen in such a light.
Was it because she had been with him for too long, becoming accustomed to his sacrifices?
Or was it because he never pretended in front of her, often revealing his ruthless and cynical side, while treating others with politeness and humility?
Which was the real him?
Perhaps she had misunderstood.
The side he showed her was the facade.
But why...
Zhu Qing suddenly realized that she had spent over twenty years with Su Cheng and yet she didn't really understand him at all.
How had she spent these years?
Endlessly striving to cultivate, using any means to gain power and influence.
Perhaps, as Zhu Zhuyun said, she had only seen him as a tool? Even treating everyone around her as tools to use?
No, that wasn't true.
Both Su Cheng and Zhu Zhuyun were extremely special to her.
Perhaps she had truly changed now.
She could easily be ruthless towards others.
But when she first learned about the possibility of taking Su Cheng's bloodline, she was strongly opposed to it.
"You're wrong, sister," Zhu Zhuqing looked at Zhu Zhuyun and said each word carefully, "I've never seen Su Cheng as a tool."
With the slight relaxation of the situation between the two countries, Zhu Qing didn't linger at the border battlefield. After informing the central army command, she returned to the Star Luo Imperial Capital with Zhu Zhuyun.
The military command naturally felt reluctant to let go of such a powerful force. With her staying at the border, she could partially reverse the situation. But they had no authority to change Zhu Zhuqing's decision, given her status and strength.
Back at the Duke's Mansion, Zhu Qing didn't go to see Zhu Hongtao immediately. She preferred to avoid him for now.
Although logically, she should have gone to him first.
After all, her current strength was largely due to the guidance of her father over the years.
But after years of being together, she was no longer the little girl she used to be.
There were many things that didn't quite add up, causing doubts in her mind.
However, everything he had done for her was indeed helpful.
One could even say that Zhu Qing owed her current position to Zhu Hongtao.
From teaching her how to navigate the world to later imparting martial techniques and potion formulas, and finally the bloodline seizure, he had guided her every step of the way to the pinnacle of the world.
But because of the bloodline seizure, her feelings towards him were more complex.
Although she knew she couldn't blame Zhu Hongtao for it, the emotions were still there.
Even though she was aware of how irrational it was, after the regret, it was difficult to ignore those special reasons.
It was normal to redirect anger towards others in extreme emotions.
It was precisely because Zhu Zhuqing was aware of this that she didn't want to go see him now, to prevent herself from losing control of her emotions later.
Towards this father, Zhu Zhuqing had some doubts, but more than anything, she felt grateful.
After all, in this world's normal understanding, there was no ability to perfectly disguise oneself as another person in appearance, physique, or even martial soul aura.
Perhaps only a hundred-thousand-year soul bone could achieve that.
But if such a thing existed, Zhu Hongtao wouldn't have struggled to break through to the Title Douluo realm for so many years.
Zhu Qing's speculation was that there might be other forces behind Zhu Hongtao.
But it wasn't the time to investigate the hidden truth yet.
After all, the empire was facing internal and external troubles, and the fate of the Zhu family was equally uncertain. It was pointless to dwell on irrelevant matters.
Not long after, the two inadvertently walked to the outside of Zhu Zhuqing's room.
"Want to come in for a while?" Zhu Zhuqing said casually.
"Sure." Zhu Zhuyun smiled faintly. "It seems like I haven't been to your room since you were six."
Saying this, she also felt a bit emotional.
Zhu Zhuqing's room hadn't changed much since Su Cheng's visit. It was clean and tidy as always.
The two walked from the front hall to the main hall, and Zhu Qing went to the table to pour two cups of tea.
Zhu Zhuyun took the opportunity to look around.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the arrangement in Zhu Qing's bedroom.
Surprised, she exclaimed, "Oh, you have this plush toy too?"
"What?" Zhu Qing was stunned for a moment, walking over.
"That one." Zhu Zhuyun pointed to the teddy bear on the table. "Father gave me a plush toy when I was a child, before I awakened my martial soul. Ah, that seems to be the last time he saw me alone. Heh, royal bloodline..."
After sighing, she put on a smile again. "But it's okay, Zhu Qing, you can change everything soon."
Zhu Qing didn't listen to what she said afterwards, but instead went into her room to take out the teddy bear.
"You just said... that was the last time father saw you alone?"
"Yeah, is there a problem?" Zhu Zhuyun felt that her expression seemed off, and cautiously asked.
Zhu Qing shook her head, but didn't explain further.
The two didn't stay in the room for too long.
After drinking two cups of tea, Zhu Zhuyun prepared to leave.
Mainly because she felt that her younger sister's emotions seemed a bit off at the moment, making her feel inexplicably oppressed.
Zhu Qing didn't try to stop her either.
At this moment, she was only calm on the surface, but her heart was already in turmoil, with countless memories churning.
After sending Zhu Zhuyun out of the room, Zhu Qing silently stared at the teddy bear in her hand for a moment.
Then gently tossed it
aside.
"Bang!"
Just as Zhu Zhuyun walked a few steps away, she heard the noise and turned back in surprise.
She saw the old teddy bear exploding in mid-air, turning into countless powders scattering in the wind.
. . .
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