Chapter 249: The Blitz on Barak

Chapter 249: Chapter 249: The Blitz on Barak

After the Papal Palace declared the commencement of the Holy War, Spirit Hall personnel stationed across the land, seeking to avoid casualties, immediately went into hiding right where they were, awaiting the arrival of their own forces to open the gates from within.

Spirit City—The Papal Palace.

Inside the Council Hall, the long, rectangular conference table was lined with seated figures on both sides. Sunlight streamed through the towering stained-glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colorful shadows across the floor; yet, even this vibrant light could not dispel the grim atmosphere that pervaded the room.

Qian Renxue sat regally in the seat of honor.

Clad in a long gown of white and gold, she wore the Angelic Crown upon her head, her lustrous golden hair cascading down her back.

Her fingers tapped lightly against the armrest, producing a rhythmic tap-tap sound as her gaze swept across everyone present.

To her left, several Enshriners from the Hall of Enshrinement stood with their hands hanging respectfully at their sides.

To her right, several Elders from the Papal Palace sat positioned on either flank.

Qian Renxue spoke, her voice cool and crisp: "Gentlemen, the war has begun."

She rose from her seat, walked over to the wall, and unveiled a massive map.

The map delineated the territories of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, as well as the various kingdoms and duchies; every mountain range, river, city, and strategic pass was laid out in clear, immediate view.

Her finger came to rest upon the Kingdom of Barak, situated in the southern reaches of the Heaven Dou Empire.

"The Barak Kingdom, situated in the southern reaches of the Heaven Dou Empire and to the northwest of Spirit City, serves as a vital nexus for both grain and fodder supplies and border defense in the southern region."

Her finger traced a circle over the location of the Barak Kingdom on the map: "The highest-tier combat power within the kingdom consists of merely a handful of Royal Enshriners at the Soul Saint rank. Their army of Soul Masters numbers no more than a hundred; it could be swiftly overrun with ease."

She turned around to face the assembly: "Once we have secured Barak, a brief reorganization will suffice before we march eastward to seize the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom."

Golden Crocodile Douluo opened his eyes and spoke in a deep, resonant voice: "Your Majesty, while Barak may be an easy target, the Heaven Dou Empire will not stand idly by. The moment we make our move, Emperor Xue Ye is bound to dispatch troops southward."

Qian Renxue nodded: "I am aware."

She walked back to the seat of honor and took her place: "Therefore, we must be swift."

"So swift that the Heaven Dou Empire has no time to react—so swift that Barak will already be ours before they even have the chance to mobilize their forces."

She turned her gaze toward Yue Guan and Gui Mei: "Regarding intelligence—are there any issues?"

Yue Guan bowed slightly: "Rest assured, Your Eminence; we have thoroughly mapped out the defensive layouts, troop deployments, and key personnel details for every city within the Barak Kingdom."

Qian Renxue nodded with satisfaction: "Good."

She rose to her feet, her voice suddenly rising in volume: "Elders Yu Long and Ci Tun, each of you shall take command of a Soul Master legion—totaling over twenty thousand troops—and set out this very night. You are to infiltrate the borders of the Barak Kingdom via the Spirit Hall’s covert routes."

"The march must proceed in absolute silence. Neither the border garrisons of the Barak Kingdom nor those of the Heaven Dou Empire are to detect the slightest anomaly."

Yu Long and Ci Tun rose simultaneously, cupping their fists in salute: "As you command!"

...

The night was as black as ink; the northern gate of Spirit City opened silently.

Legion after legion of Soul Masters, clad in black, filed out in utter silence.

They carried no torches and uttered not a word; even the sound of their footsteps had been suppressed to a bare minimum through the exertion of their Soul Power.

The host of over twenty thousand souls moved like a great black serpent, winding its way northward through the night, until it vanished into the boundless darkness.

Yu Long marched at the head of the column, clad in a tight-fitting black combat suit, his expression stern and cold.

Behind him marched ten thousand elite Soul Masters—each possessing a minimum cultivation level of Three-Ring Soul Elder. Their mission was to seize Soto City.

The Porcupine Fish led a separate detachment, taking a different route. His objective was the Royal City of the Barak Kingdom.

Like two sharpened blades, the two forces struck simultaneously at the twin hearts of the Barak Kingdom.

At the break of dawn the following day.

Soto City.

This city—known as the "Granary of Barak"—still lay in quiet slumber. The defenders atop the city walls yawned, pacing back and forth in sheer boredom. Little did they know that Death itself was silently drawing near.

Yu Long, leading a force of five thousand Soul Masters, had assembled in a forest three li outside the city walls.

Gazing toward the distant Soto City—where only a few scattered lights still flickered—he raised his hand.

"Attack."

...

The battle proceeded even more smoothly than anticipated.

The defenders of the Barak Kingdom had not the slightest inkling that the Spirit Hall army would appear so abruptly.

Before the sentries on the walls could even sound the alarm, they were silently dispatched—their throats slit by the Agility-Attack System Soul Masters within the invading force.

The city gates were thrown open from within.

Five thousand Soul Masters surged into the city like a tidal wave.

The commander of Soto City—a Soul King in his fifties—came rushing out of the barracks upon hearing the commotion; yet, by the time he emerged, the city had already largely fallen.

Roaring in fury, he rallied his personal guard to mount a resistance, only to have the crown of his skull shattered by a single palm strike from Yu Long.

In less than an hour, Soto City had fallen completely under the control of Spirit Hall.

Meanwhile, the other detachment led by the Porcupine Fish had successfully breached the Royal City of the Barak Kingdom.

The King of Barak lay fast asleep in his bedchamber; when he was jolted awake by the sounds of battle cries, the Spirit Hall army had already stormed into the royal palace.

Before he could even find time to dress, the Porcupine Fish seized him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him unceremoniously from his bed.

"You... Who are you people?!"

The King’s voice trembled with terror.

The Porcupine Fish offered no reply; he merely cast a cold, disdainful glance at the King before shattering his skull with a single, crushing palm strike.

Every member of the royal family, along with the ministers and nobles within the palace, was executed. Not a single soul was spared.

By daybreak, both of the Barak Kingdom’s major cities had fallen completely.

...

Over the next two and a half days, the Spirit Hall army advanced rapidly through Barak territory.

After leaving a portion of their forces behind to garrison Soto City and the Barak Royal Capital, Yu Long and Ci Tun dispatched several small squads—each led by Spirit Saints and Spirit Emperors—to fan out and bring the remaining smaller cities within Barak’s borders under their control.

Although the Barak Kingdom possessed formidable military might, its people were now gripped by panic; leaderless, with a command structure in utter chaos, the army lacked any cohesion.

Upon seeing the Spirit Hall’s army of Spirit Masters bearing down upon them, some cities threw open their gates and surrendered immediately, while others offered only token resistance before their forces disintegrated. They encountered almost no meaningful opposition.

In a mere two and a half days, Spirit Hall had established complete control over the Barak Kingdom.

Across every city within Barak’s borders, the flags were replaced by the Six-Winged Angel banner of Spirit Hall.

...

By the time news of these events reached Heaven Dou City and Star Luo City, two days had already passed.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Emperor Xue Ye sat upon his Dragon Throne, clutching the battle report in his hand, his face ashen with rage.

"Barak... has fallen?"

His voice was hoarse, tinged with a profound sense of disbelief.

Ge Long stood below him, his expression equally grave.

"Your Majesty, Spirit Hall moved with astonishing speed. Their army appeared without warning, leaving Barak no time whatsoever to react. By the time we received the intelligence, the entire kingdom of Barak had already fallen."

Emperor Xue Ye closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath.

He had long since issued orders to mobilize and prepare for war, yet he had never anticipated that Spirit Hall would strike so swiftly. In just two and a half days, an entire kingdom had ceased to exist.

Emperor Xue Ye opened his eyes again, his voice low and resonant: "Marshal Ge Long, I order you to immediately lead an army of 300,000 Imperial troops—reinforced by an additional 200,000 troops from the three allied kingdoms—and march south to hold the line against Spirit Hall."

Ge Long clasped his fists in salute: "As you command, Your Majesty!" "

...

Ge Long was in his fifties—an age considered the very prime of life for a Soul Master. With his burly physique and resolute features, clad in a suit of gleaming silver armor from the Heaven Dou Empire and cradling a trident-crested helmet in his arms, he stood there like an incarnate God of War.

To have attained the rank of Soul Douluo at such an age, his capabilities were evidently quite extraordinary.

However, when he set about reorganizing the army, he encountered unexpected trouble.

Those noble lords each had their own ulterior motives. Some sought to preserve their own strength; others aimed to seize the opportunity to line their pockets; some paid lip service while acting in defiance; and others stalled and made excuses at every turn. Ge Long’s orders were issued, yet their actual execution was severely compromised.

In a fit of rage, Ge Long executed several marquises who were at the forefront of the insubordination.

With their bloodied heads hanging before the commander’s tent, the remaining nobles finally fell into line.

Even so, it took Ge Long a full half-month to barely manage to reorganize the army and secure their provisions before leading his forces southward.

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