Chapter 258: The Tiger Roars from Devil’s Island?

Chapter 258: Chapter 258: The Tiger Roars from Devil’s Island?

Dai Yutian’s pupils contracted sharply.

"What did you say?"

His voice was laced with utter disbelief.

"Duke Zhu Di... is dead?"

The Star Luo Imperial Family and the Zhu Clan had been united by marriage for generations; their ties ran deep.

Zhu Di was not only his brother-in-law but also the father-in-law of Crown Prince Dai Weisi—a veritable pillar supporting the Star Luo Empire.

The soldier nodded, his voice trembling: "Yes, Your Majesty. Several Titled Douluo from the Spirit Hall intervened; the Duke and his generals were no match for them, and they all perished in battle..."

"The Kingdom of Gulei and the Duchy of Tianshuang have also been seized. The Spirit Hall’s army has now advanced as far as the Kingdom of Xingyao..."

The Eastern Front has fallen, too?

Everyone’s hearts sank.

Is the Spirit Hall planning to launch a simultaneous assault from both the Eastern and Western Fronts?!

Dai Yutian remained silent for a long time.

On his face—anger, shock, fear, indignation... a maelstrom of emotions swirled together, ultimately settling into a mask of ashen grimness.

He slowly rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping across the assembly. "Issue the orders!"

His voice was low, yet it carried an indisputable majesty: "The White Tiger Legion shall garrison the mountainous regions of Mount Tiangong and Mount Kasa. Utilizing the mountain passes as strongholds, construct a multi-layered defensive line."

"At every pass, fight to the bitter end—until the very last man falls. Burn all roads, bridges, and farmlands in the rear; implement a scorched-earth policy to delay the Spirit Hall army’s supply lines and marching speed. Even if Spirit Hall’s Titled Douluo can spearhead individual breakthroughs, their main force still requires time to advance."

"Should a defensive line fall, the surviving remnants are to retreat into the mountains of Anthony Province to continue delaying the enemy, ultimately withdrawing to Star Luo City."

"Along the front spanning the Star Radiance Kingdom, the Rushing Wolf Kingdom, and the Mount Luohun line, deploy the Fierce Tiger Legion to hold the ground. Construct defensive lines utilizing the mountains, grassland passes, and the natural fortifications of Mount Luohun—hold them off for as long as humanly possible!"

He took a deep breath, his voice suddenly rising in volume: "Furthermore, issue an imperial decree: conscript all elite forces of Star Luo, as well as the powerhouses from every sect, and summon them to Star Luo City. Every single member of the Imperial Family must take up arms and join the battle."

"The sects and nobility of Star Luo must commit their entire elite forces and grain reserves to aid the Empire in resisting the enemy! Should anyone dare to surrender..."

"Their entire clan—nine generations—shall be executed! Spirit Masters shall have their Martial Souls crippled; commoners shall be reduced to slaves!"

...

However, though command after command was issued, it all proved to be in vain.

Along the White Tiger Legion’s defensive lines, powerful Spirit Masters—such as Shui Bing’er, Yu Tianxin, and Yu Tianheng—spearheaded the assault.

Although the mountain passes were treacherous, in the face of absolute power, they were nothing more than barriers made of paper.

With a single act of freezing, Shui Bing’er encased the cliffs flanking the pass in ice, turning every defending archer into a frozen statue.

The brothers Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng, unleashing the power of their Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Souls, charged up the pass; thunder boomed, and they swept through the enemy ranks with unstoppable force.

Even with the terrain working against them, the Spirit Hall army advanced with unhurried ease.

Jiang Bai watched their slow, steady advance and frowned. "Too slow."

Jiang Bai ordered the members of the Spirit Hall to withdraw from the mountainous terrain, then summoned his Nine-Colored Glazed Pagoda.

With a flash of light—

Three colossal dragons materialized out of thin air, hovering above the battlefield!

The Fire Dragon—over forty meters in length and clad in crimson scales—spread its wings wide, blotting out the very sky.

It opened its massive maw, unleashing a torrent of fiery-gold dragon breath that poured down upon the White Tiger Legion’s defensive line like a volcanic eruption!

The Ice Dragon—its entire body a crystalline ice-blue—was wreathed in a biting, frigid mist.

It exhaled a blast of absolute-zero dragon breath; wherever it passed, the air froze solid, rock shattered, and the fortifications built into the mountainside were instantly encased in ice!

The Wind Dragon—its azure-green scales shimmering with a faint halo under the sunlight—beat its wings, whipping up a ferocious hurricane that swept the fleeing soldiers high into the sky before slamming them violently back down to earth!

The three dragons struck in unison, their massive forms blotting out the sun!

Three distinct streams of elemental dragon breath rained down, instantly engulfing the entire battlefield!

Fire, frost, and gale—they intertwined to form a cataclysmic storm. Within that tempest, the White Tiger Legion’s defensive line crumbled instantly, as if it were made of mere paper.

In less than two and a half hours—

The White Tiger Legion was completely annihilated.

The banner of the Spirit Hall was planted atop the city walls of the provincial capital of Anthony Province.

...

The news reached Star Luo City.

Dai Yutian sat upon his Dragon Throne, clutching the battle report in his hand, remaining motionless for a long time.

His face was ashen—pale as paper.

"Th-three... three dragons?"

His voice was hoarse, barely audible.

"What do you mean... three dragons—beasts of at least ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast caliber—appeared on the battlefield?"

No one answered him.

Inside the grand hall, the civil and military officials stood in stunned silence, every face drained of color.

Dai Yutian closed his eyes, remaining silent.

After a long while—

Dai Yutian opened his eyes and let out a long, heavy sigh. "Issue the orders..."

His voice sounded weary and aged: "Contract our defensive lines; hold Star Luo City at all costs."

"All troops—withdraw to Star Luo Province."

"Prepare... for the final battle."

...

Star Luo City—The Imperial Palace.

Dai Weisi stood by the window, gazing out at the overcast, gray sky in the distance.

Clutched in his hand was a battle report.

Anthony Province had fallen. The White Tiger Legion had been annihilated. The Spirit Hall’s armies—advancing from both the eastern and western fronts—were now converging to encircle Star Luo Province.

His father-in-law, Duke Zhu Di, had fallen in battle.

His wife, Zhu Zhuyun, had spent the last few days weeping incessantly.

He took a deep breath and placed the battle report down on the table.

Then, he turned around to face the map hanging upon the wall.

The territory of the Star Luo Empire had once been vast and boundless.

Now, more than half of it had been whittled away.

All that remained—still clinging on in a desperate struggle—were Star Luo Province itself and a few surrounding provinces.

"Spirit Hall..."

He murmured the name under his breath, his eyes burning with the unyielding fire of defiance.

At that moment, an elderly general—his hair and beard streaked with gray—burst hurriedly into the hall from outside. His name was Dai Yuhao.

Having commanded the Star Luo Navy for many years, he possessed an intimate, encyclopedic knowledge of the terrain across the Star Luo maritime domain.

He strode forward and dropped to one knee, his voice urgent yet steady: "Your Highness! You absolutely must not attempt to hold Star Luo City to the bitter end! The day the city falls will be the day my Dai clan meets its ruin! I have a stratagem—one that can ensure Star Luo’s survival!"

Dai Weisi’s body stiffened; he spun around abruptly. "Speak quickly!"

The old general raised his head, his gaze resolute: "Retreat to Devil’s Island!"

Dai Weisi looked puzzled. "Devil’s Island? Where is that?"

"Devil’s Island lies beyond the Western Sea—surrounded on all sides by vast oceans, teeming with hidden reefs, and battered ceaselessly by towering waves year-round. Moreover, it is the domain of powerful Sea Soul Beasts—a natural fortress, a perilous sanctuary forged by the very heavens!"

"Years ago, Qian Daoliu—the Angel Douluo of the Spirit Hall—personally led an expeditionary force there, yet he returned in failure. Furthermore, amidst that boundless ocean, even a Titled Douluo would struggle to maintain a foothold for long; no matter how formidable an army is on land, it would find no ground to fight upon there!"

"Our Star Luo Navy remains intact, comprising hundreds of warships—more than enough to escort His Majesty, Your Highness, the elite of the Royal Family, and our core Soul Masters to the island! We shall gather the scattered remnants of our frontline forces and the patriots exiled from every corner of the realm; we shall fortify our position upon the island, stockpile provisions, hone our combat prowess through rigorous training, and forge a legion of Sea Soul Masters!"

"Like a tiger crouching upon Devil’s Island, we may strike out across the waves to launch raids when the opportunity arises, or retreat behind our natural defenses when pressed. Even if the Spirit Hall were to field an army of a million, they would be unable to cross that threshold!"

"We shall lie dormant for years, conserving our strength and biding our time. The moment internal turmoil erupts within the Spirit Empire, that shall be our signal to cross the seas, exact our vengeance, and reclaim our lost homeland!"

The old general bowed his head deeply, his voice echoing through the great hall: "As long as the bloodline of the White Tiger endures, we need never fear being unable to rise again! I implore Your Highness: swiftly persuade His Majesty to abandon the city and retreat to the island—to preserve this last glimmer of hope!"

Dai Weisi stood frozen in place, gazing at the tattered, fragmented map of his kingdom’s territory hanging upon the wall. His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.

His reluctance, his humiliation, and his despair—all ultimately coalesced into a single, desperate spark of resolve.

"Devil’s Island... to crouch like a tiger upon the isle, awaiting the turn of the tides... to rise again..."

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