DD Spiritual Sword [528-530] (Patreon)

Chapter 528: Vertical Alliance and Horizontal Alliance — Ning Fengzhi's War Layout

Once everything was settled, Ning Fengzhi even hosted a banquet for Xue Beng. By the end of the feast, both host and guest were well pleased.

After Xue Beng departed, Ning Fengzhi began to act. Delay for time? Perfect—that was also his plan. But while Xue Beng meant to stall in order to refine hidden weapons and wait for Star Luo to defeat the Holy Dragon Legion before coming to aid, Ning Fengzhi's intention was the exact opposite: he would wait for the Holy Dragon Legion to defeat Star Luo and seize all territories north of Gengxin City in the Star Luo Empire.

Meanwhile, when Spirit Hall infiltrated Heaven Dou Empire, they had already captured the Lima Plains, the Fasinuo Province, and the Silves Kingdom. They were currently using Jialing Pass as a staging point, preparing to push toward the heartland—Heaven Dou City.

Coincidentally, along that line of advance—starting from Gengxin City, then Lima Plains, Fasinuo Province, Silves Kingdom, and Heaven Dou City—every key node was either garrisoned by the Holy Dragon Legion, occupied by the Balak Kingdom's army, or on the verge of being brought directly under the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's control.

As soon as the Holy Dragon Legion beat back the Star Luo army, the father-and-son duo Tuoba Xi and Luo Hengji would defect in succession. The entire line would link up, and the whole western region of the Douluo Continent would instantly fall under the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—nearly one-third of the entire continent.

Moreover, Tuoba Xi's forces, plus the Balak Kingdom's troops and the Heaven Dou soldiers provided by Xue Beng, would total close to a million.

With land and armies in hand, the embryonic form of a great empire would appear before everyone's eyes, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would formally step onto the stage of continental hegemony.

"Chenxiang, Zhuqing, Yu Feng, Huan Yin, Oslo!" Ning Fengzhi called five names in one breath.

The five stepped forward together. "Please give your orders, Sect Master."

"You five will lead the Shadow Battalion to reinforce Gengxin City," Ning Fengzhi commanded.

Behind the five stood a unit of roughly a hundred soul masters—the Shadow Battalion, secretly cultivated by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for years.

Though few in number, they were no ordinary soul masters; all were disciples of the Speed Clan, each possessing peerless speed.

Their original lack of offensive power had already been remedied by Tianlin—namely, with divine blades forged by Lou Gao, who had learned Shu Mountain's refining arts.

The hundred carried weapons on par with Bai Chenxiang's Lingfeng Sword. Against anyone below Soul Emperor, or Soul Sages who hadn't activated their Martial Soul True Body, they could slit throats with ease.

"Sect Master, the Shadow Battalion can assassinate Soul Sages by surprise, but what about opponents at the Titled Douluo level? And Star Luo isn't like Heaven Dou—the strong are revered, and the imperial family has Titled Douluo Elders. They may not be as many as Spirit Hall, but even two or three aren't something the Shadow Battalion can handle," Bai Chenxiang hesitated.

Among the five Ning Fengzhi was sending, only Oslo—relying on six soul bones—possessed Titled Douluo-level strength. Yu Feng had only just broken through to Soul Douluo, Huan Yin was still a Soul Sage, and Chenxiang herself was merely a Soul Emperor. It seemed they were missing something to deal with Star Luo.

Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Chenxiang. Your grandfather will handle Titled Douluo-level opponents. He's currently gathering intelligence in Star Luo. I'm also sending you to deliver something to him. Mister Lou Gao, if you would."

"On it!" Lou Gao excitedly produced a box. "Haha! Kids, feast your eyes. From the refining arts my master passed down—one of the peerless divine weapons: the Shetian Divine Sword!"

With the help of two strange stones Tianlin had snatched from Tang Hao's side, Lou Gao finally forged the Shetian Divine Sword, one of Shu Mountain's high-grade divine weapons.

It was in the same tier as Xu Changqing's youth weapon, the Starblade, and the Three-Edged Demon-Sealing Spear. Of course, it was a divine weapon, not an artifact, and its power was far inferior to a Shetian forged in Shu Mountain.

After all, Shu Mountain forged with spiritual power, while Lou Gao forged with soul power—the potency could not compare.

The original Shetian had severe requirements for its wielder; without cultivating immortal arts, the bearer would be backlashed to death.

This Shetian's blade seemed half there, half not. When drawn, it could summon ice and gather fire, channeling the might of heaven and earth. The flair remained lofty, but due to reduced power, the requirements were lowered—strong cultivation alone would suffice.

Its attack power surpassed Yang Wudi's Soul-Breaking Spear by far. If Bai He wielded it, the Speed Clan's velocity paired with attack beyond that of the Breaking Clan would be unimaginably terrifying.

Bai Chenxiang thrilled as she opened the box. The divine sword inside had a purple blade, dim and lusterless—but she knew such weapons only shone in use; the more restrained they were at rest, the more extraordinary they were.

"Excellent. With this divine weapon, even if Star Luo has Titled Douluo, there's nothing to fear."

"Exactly. So proceed without worry. One more thing, Chenxiang: you'll meet the one you long for there. Tianlin told me he'll go there after picking someone up," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile.

"You mean Hongjun. No time to waste—this disciple bids farewell, Sect Master and seniors. I depart at once." Bai Chenxiang bowed to the crowd and marched out with the troops.

Zhu Zhuqing, Huan Yin, and the others smiled helplessly. Having been apart from her beloved for so long, no wonder she was anxious. They immediately followed.

Watching them leave, Ning Fengzhi continued issuing orders. "Everyone else, tomorrow you're coming with me to garrison Heaven Dou City."

Seven Treasure City was about to become a near-empty city; everyone would temporarily relocate to Heaven Dou City. After all, Seven Treasure City was small, easy to attack and hard to defend—not suitable for warfare.

Fortunately, Seven Treasure City's population wasn't large—just over twenty thousand including soul masters and commoners. A vast Heaven Dou City could easily accommodate that number.

"Uncle Sword, I'll have to trouble you to delay your challenge to Qian Daoliu by a few days. Until Xiao Tian returns, only you can stand against Bibi Dong," Ning Fengzhi said apologetically to Chen Xin.

Originally, Chen Xin had planned to challenge Qian Daoliu in the coming days. But if he left now, with both him and Tianlin absent, Bibi Dong could run rampant over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Chen Xin nodded. "No matter. The Sword God has urged me on through the divine brand—I know the pace. Qian Renxue is still on her eighth trial. It'll be a while before she completes all nine. By my estimate, it won't take Xiao Tian more than a few months to repel Star Luo and return. I can wait that long. And it's just as well—Bibi Dong's current strength is no less than Qian Daoliu's. A battle with her will test whether my current sword path can defeat an Ultimate Douluo."

"Then I must trouble you, Uncle Sword."

…

Days later, per their agreement, Xue Beng evacuated the royal family and all officials from Heaven Dou City, temporarily moving the capital to Hanhai City and leaving behind 300,000 troops with several generals to help defend the city.

Princess Xue Ke remained as well—signaling to the world that the Heaven Dou royal family had not completely abandoned Heaven Dou City and that a royal would always remain to hold it.

In truth, since the Heaven Dou Empire ceded the city, Ning Fengzhi had no intention of returning it.

Originally, Prince Xue Xing should have stayed, but he was too craven to remain in a place about to turn into a Asura battlefield. The rest of the royal family had been slaughtered by Qian Renxue years earlier. With no other choice, they settled on Xue Ke. Her role, aside from inspiring the troops, was practically that of a sacrificial piece.

To Xue Beng, she was just a woman. Whether she lived or died didn't matter—so long as she was useful.

AN: In the original work, Star Luo's presence isn't heavily detailed, so it's unclear whether they had Titled Douluo. I'll add some here—after all, how could a great empire suppress Heaven Dou without even one? The original mentions a dozen-odd Titled Douluo in the open across the continent; counting Spirit Hall's three on the surface, the Upper Three Sects' five, plus Dugu Bo, that's only nine. The remaining three or four I'll assign to the Star Luo Empire in this story—but I won't set their levels too high.

Chapter 529: Star Luo Battlefield — Zhu Zhuqing's Resolve

In the Extreme North, the trio who had just left the Fire God's secret realm were discussing their next moves.

"Teacher Qin," Tianlin said to Qin Ming, "please go assist in the Heaven Dou theater first. The Spirit Empire is pressing Heaven Dou hard. If I'm not mistaken, my father-in-law is about to act. Your Titled Douluo-level combat power will be a tremendous help."

Qin Ming nodded. "Don't worry, Xiao Tian. I'll do my utmost to assist the Sect Master."

"Boss, what about us? Aren't we going home?" Ma Hongjun asked.

"No. We're going to Star Luo. Aren't you pining for Chenxiang? My father-in-law told me he'll send her there for a mission. It's a fierce battlefield right now—perfect for you to… huh? Where'd he go?" Mid-sentence, Tianlin noticed Ma Hongjun had vanished.

Qin Ming pointed skyward. "He already took off. Once he heard Miss Bai went to the front, how could he sit still?"

"This fatty—only now does he move faster than me," Tianlin said with a wry smile. "Teacher Qin, once Hongjun and I finish over there, we'll rendezvous with you immediately. Please inform my father-in-law and my master about our movements."

"Count on me!" Qin Ming manifested his Blazing Fire Wolf and sprinted toward the Heaven Dou front.

Tianlin mounted his sword and quickly caught up to Ma Hongjun. "Hongjun, we may have to kill a lot this time. Be mentally prepared."

"Boss, in war… do that many people really die?" Ma Hongjun asked, head lowered.

Tianlin's eyes were firm. "Inevitable. If we tried to force the entire continent by pure strength, even a few million dead would be a conservative estimate. That's why my father-in-law and I emphasize strategy—to reduce casualties. Even so, since this is continental war, tens of thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of deaths will be hard to avoid. Remember: on the battlefield, don't care if the enemy is strong or weak. Any who are resolutely hostile, who fight to the death and refuse to surrender—kill them. Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to your own. That is war. Understood?"

Ma Hongjun hadn't truly experienced mass slaughter before, despite his strength, so Tianlin had to warn him.

"I understand, Boss. To protect Chenxiang, I'm ready."

"Good. Then accelerate." The two turned into streaks of light, flying full speed toward Star Luo.

…

On the Star Luo front, Tuoba Xi repelled another assault today. Their success owed much to the hidden weapon schematics and talismans brought by Bai He.

Though Star Luo had completely encircled Gengxin City, they couldn't stop Bai He—unparalleled in speed—from flying over their lines and into the city.

The Zhuge Godly Crossbows were excellent for defense. Tianlin's talismans—such as Mount Tai Crushing and Infernal Hellfire—dealt catastrophic losses. Star Luo's 700,000 troops had fallen to under 600,000.

As a result, Star Luo no longer dared to storm Gengxin City.

However, after a full year of defense, Tuoba Xi's side had also suffered. Over a thousand soul masters had died, and forty thousand soldiers were lost. Grain and ore for forging weapons were nearly exhausted—enough for at most ten more days. If no reinforcements arrived by then, Gengxin City would inevitably fall.

Worse, the enemy had three Titled Douluo. Without the sliver of Asura divine power Tianlin had granted Tuoba Xi, he would already have been defeated by their combined attacks.

Just when Tuoba Xi was anxious, Bai He finally brought good news: reinforcements from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—the Shadow Battalion—had arrived. Few in number, but they weren't meant for frontal assaults. Bai He told Tuoba Xi to prepare for a decapitation strike; once the enemy fell into chaos, Tuoba Xi would lead a full offensive.

Tuoba Xi rejoiced. He had thought of decapitation tactics himself, but as a non-Agility soul master, he wasn't well-suited to it, and the enemy had as many as three Titled Douluo, each around his level.

According to Bai He's intelligence, aside from the emperor, Star Luo had a total of three hidden Titled Douluo—and they had all come.

Seven hundred thousand troops was a massive force, but ultimately ordinary men. If the decapitation succeeded and the army became headless, the Holy Dragon Soul Master Legion could rout them.

Bibi Dong could have used such tactics too, but first, she didn't understand military arts nor training—she hadn't prepared assassination-specialized units. The Spirit Empire's lack of capable generals was a major weakness. Second, she was overly confident, believing she could crush all enemies with brute force, so she never considered assassination. In this respect, Spirit Hall was ironically more upright than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi, however, didn't care about honor. He believed that on the battlefield, the right choice was to win with minimal sacrifice—soldiers value stratagems.

…

Night deepened. 

On a distant slope, Huan Yin played the zither, her beautiful music enveloping Bai He and the Shadow Battalion.

Ning Fengzhi had sent her because her support differed from conventional auxiliaries. Normal buffs—including the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's—have a range limit; once outside, the buff drops.

Huan Yin's support, like a Food-type's, persists with only a time limit and no distance limit once applied. And the support techniques she learned from the Yaoguang Score had remarkably long durations—an entire hour, more than enough for the Shadow Battalion, who relied on swift strikes, to make multiple passes.

"Immortal Melody: Hymn of the Saint!"

Huan Yin's strongest support skill: attack, defense, speed, and soul power all increased by 50%. Though the amplification was less than the Nine Treasure Pagoda's, it had an added effect: during the buff, recipients rejected all weakening-type soul skills—in other words, no debuffs would land.

"No wonder it's a technique from the Yaoguang Score favored by the God of Music. This duration and status resistance rival Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda," Yu Feng marveled.

Proud of his wife's strength, he was sincerely happy for her.

"Everyone, I'm not an Agility soul master, so I can't go to the front lines with you. This is all I can do—please return safely," Huan Yin bowed.

"Miss Huan Yin, you're too polite. With your buff and Old Lou's divine weapon, I will surely slay their Titled Douluo," Bai He said with confidence.

At a cliff's edge, Zhu Zhuqing looked complicatedly at the distant Star Luo host. Bai Chenxiang walked up beside her. "So that's a 700,000-strong formation. It stretches beyond the horizon. Zhuqing, I know Star Luo is your homeland. If you don't want to fight them, stay here and protect Sister Huan Yin. I'm sure our seniors won't blame you."

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "I know they won't—but coming here was my own request. From the day Zhu Zhuyun tried to take my life, I owed them nothing more.

"I'm here to claim justice for myself. To fight Zhu Zhuyun and Dai Weisi again is a dream I've longed to realize. I'll show Star Luo that Zhu Zhuqing is not inferior to them. If not for age, I would never have lost to them. Today is when I prove myself. I'll also tell them how foolish the Dai and Zhu families' centuries-old policy of weak-meat-strong-eat and fratricide truly is!"

Chapter 530: Bai He's First Kill of a Titled Douluo

Night fell over the Star Luo camp. Hundreds of soldiers stood watch.

Security was tight—but they were ordinary men. To the Speed Clan, Oslo, Zhu Zhuqing and the others, the sentries felt nothing more than a breeze passing. Nothing else.

Camp layout was easy to read. The grand tents at center were for the soul master legions; the largest and most ornate were either Dai Weisi's and Zhu Zhuyun's command tents or those of the Titled Douluo Elders.

Those were Bai He and his team's targets.

In the largest central tent, lights burned bright. Five people gathered in discussion.

They were Dai Weisi, Zhu Zhuyun, and Star Luo's three Elders.

On the left, a short, lecherous-eyed man who kept sneaking peeks at Zhu Zhuyun's graceful figure: the level-91 Double-Serpent Douluo, an agility-type with the tool soul Twin Serpent Daggers.

On the right, a burly giant: the level-92 Mad Bull Douluo, a power-type with the martial soul Mighty Man-Bull.

In the middle, red-haired, of normal build and stern visage: Star Luo's strongest after Dai Tianque, the level-92 Fire Dragon Douluo, martial soul Fire Dragon, a power type named Wu Zhao. His Fire Dragon differed from Liu Erlong's; it was a western fire-breathing dragon, not a mutation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Perhaps, compared to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, he had some karmic link to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Honored elders, we've been stalled at Gengxin City by Tuoba Xi for a year. We can't drag this out. Otherwise, the Spirit Empire will flatten Heaven Dou first," Dai Weisi said, frustrated.

"But we can't brute-force it either. Those bolt-launching weapons alone have cost our soldiers dearly. Those talismans are absurdly powerful—each one not inferior to a Titled Douluo's ninth skill. If Tuoba Xi has many of them, our 700,000 won't be enough," Mad Bull Douluo said.

"He won't have many—otherwise Tuoba Xi would have used them already. But we can't be sure how many remain, so we can't act rashly," Zhu Zhuyun said cautiously. If they sacrificed their army to take one city, it would be a pyrrhic victory.

"Heh, the Crown Princess is right. But I'm guessing they can't last much longer. Their grain must be about exhausted, and we've encircled the city. Even if some fliers smuggle a little in with storage soul tools, how can that feed 160,000 troops? In time, Gengxin will fall without a fight," Double-Serpent Douluo leered. "I hear Tuoba Xi's lover, the Sparrow Bee Sect Master Feng Langdie, is a great beauty. When we take the city, give her to me—no killing."

"Shameless," Fire Dragon Douluo Wu Zhao snapped. "Facing our army, Tuoba Xi held for a year without retreat, even fighting three Titled Douluo to a standstill more than once. He's a hero. We shouldn't insult his wife. After we break the city, I'll cut the couple down openly and bury them together. That's respect for the strong. Anyone who defiles their bodies will answer to me."

"Old dragon, if I could beat you, I'd have stabbed you already," Double-Serpent grumbled. "Respect the enemy? For what?"

"Enough, honored elders, please," Dai Weisi interceded. "Double-Serpent, beauties can wait until after the city falls. Keeping enemies alive invites variables—why court trouble?"

"Fine, I'll give the Crown Prince face. I won't bicker with you, old dragon. By my reckoning, Gengxin's grain will last about ten more days. I propose an all-out assault in twenty. Any objections?" Double-Serpent said sourly.

"No objections," the others agreed—indeed, that would be optimal timing.

"Hmph. Meeting adjourned. I'm going to rest." Double-Serpent waved and left. He couldn't stand working with the overly upright Wu Zhao—it was boring.

"Sigh," Dai Weisi exhaled. The empire's draconian policies had driven most soul masters to Heaven Dou or Spirit Hall. Aside from his father, they had only these three Titled Douluo in the entire nation—and the three didn't get along.

Mad Bull was fine—cruel, but absolutely loyal to the crown, which he appreciated.

The other two—one too upright to brook any sand in his eyes; the other too lustful to function. They were born to clash.

"Tch. Old fire lizard—if I could beat you, I'd have run you through already," Double-Serpent muttered on his way back.

Just then, he sensed killing intent. His body reacted before thought—Twin Serpent Daggers in hand—as a jet-black gleam flashed past, slicing his shoulder. His right arm flew off.

"So this is a Titled Douluo—dodging even in this situation," Bai He thought, impressed. He'd chosen Double-Serpent as the first target precisely because he was also agility-type. If he hit another first, a prepared Double-Serpent would be the hardest to kill.

"Who are you?!" Double-Serpent roared. The speed was terrifying—faster than his Martial Soul True Body. Even after dodging, he still lost an arm. Were there agility masters this fast? Even Spirit Hall's Ghost Leopard Douluo wasn't this quick.

Speed Clan? He immediately thought of Bai He—but no, Bai He wouldn't have such attack power.

Bai He didn't answer. He poured soul power into his sword. The first strike had relied only on Shetian's keen edge for a sneak attack. Now, he would unleash its true power.

"Seventh soul skill—Twin Serpents True Body!" Feeling mortal danger, Double-Serpent activated his Martial Soul True Body. Like Snake Lance Douluo's, it beastified—his twin daggers becoming a red and a green viper.

Bai He didn't care. His figure flickered as he lunged. The Shetian Divine Sword traced the seven inches on both vipers. They instantly snapped in two, clattering to the ground as severed daggers.

"Impossible!" Double-Serpent gaped. Beastified True Bodies were apex among True Body techniques. What kind of attack could be this overwhelming? The Breaking Clan? But how could they have such speed?

While he reeled, Shetian swept across his neck. The lecher's head rolled from his shoulders.

When the Speed Clan's velocity merges with the Breaking Clan's attack power, the result is the strongest assassin in the world.

"Hmph. A bottom-feeding scoundrel—using you to consecrate the Shetian Sword is an insult to the blade," Bai He said coldly.

He practiced Tianlin's creed: when killing, waste no words, no threats, no self-introductions. Strike first; the later the kill, the greater the chance of variables. If you must curse, do it after the target is dead. For an assassin, nothing outranks efficiency.

At the same time, screams erupted across the camp. Centurions, captains, generals, even soul masters—fell one after another to the Shadow Battalion's ghostlike blades.

In moments, the Star Luo camp was in utter chaos.