Star Lou Palace.
The once-majestic hall, symbolizing the empire's supreme authority, was now filled with a suffocating sense of oppression.
The hall was dim, illuminated only by a few flickering candles in the corners. Their light fell upon the lonely, desolate figure seated on the dragon throne.
Dai Liang, the powerful ruler of the Star Luo Empire known for his iron-fisted rule, wore a gloomy expression with bloodshot eyes.
Just moments ago, devastating news had arrived from the front lines.
The Left Wall Fortress—one of the empire's most important strategic strongholds—had been breached by the Spirit Hall army after months of bitter resistance.
The defensive commander, Duke Zhu Mingfeng, and his wife had been instantly killed by the newly promoted Limit Douluo of Spirit Hall, the Golden Crocodile Douluo. Their bodies had vanished without a trace.
Most of the fortress's garrison had surrendered, while the rest had scattered.
The eastern barrier had been breached, allowing the Spirit Hall forces to advance straight toward the empire's heartland without obstruction.
"Curse the Spirit Hall! Curse the Body Sect!"
Dai Liang slammed the battle report onto the ground and let out a low roar. His voice was filled with deep hatred, as if he wanted to tear the owners of those names to pieces.
Then another name he hated enough to spit blood came to mind. He pounded his fist on the dragon throne's armrest with a dull thud and snarled.
"And Xue Qinghe! That coward! Trash! Shameless bastard!"
"They actually… surrendered without a fight and handed over their ancestral legacy to others!"
Earlier, after Xue Qinghe secretly met with the Star Luo Empire's crown prince, Dai Weisi, he had solemnly declared as the new emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire that he was willing to accept Star Luo's proposal for reconciliation and joint defense.
The two sides had formed an alliance to jointly resist the threat of Spirit Hall and the Body Sect.
They had signed a secret memorandum. Although Dai Liang had some doubts about Xue Qinghe's sincerity, he believed that with the Heaven Dou Empire also under great pressure and Xue Qinghe newly ascended to the throne, allying with Star Luo was a logical move.
Why hadn't he strengthened defenses against Heaven Dou or increased pressure? In Dai Liang's view, Xue Qinghe was a ruler of a great nation, and the Xue family of Heaven Dou was a prestigious clan with thousands of years of history. They would never easily relinquish their ancestral legacy under mere pressure or for profit.
Since Dai Liang himself would never do such a thing, he unconsciously projected his own values onto Xue Qinghe.
Reality, however, had delivered him a merciless slap in the face.
Just as Spirit Hall applied pressure on the Star Luo border, the ally he had placed high hopes in—Xue Qinghe—opened the city gates and declared going with the flow of the times to avoid bloodshed after Spirit Hall sent only one ordinary Title Douluo.
The entire nation surrendered without resistance!
When the news reached Star Luo, Dai Liang had been having lunch. In his rage, he spat blood, staining the delicacies before him bright red.
He simply could not understand how a monarch with a million-strong army and a considerable number of loyal soul masters could surrender without even fighting.
This was utterly ridiculous! Shameless! Utterly cowardly!
Xue Qinghe's move had completely opened the eastern gate of the Star Luo Empire.
The ally that was supposed to share the burden had instantly become the enemy's foothold and supply base.
The Spirit Hall army had occupied the vast territories and fortresses in the eastern part of the Heaven Dou Empire almost bloodlessly, using them as a springboard to launch a large-scale invasion into eastern Star Luo.
Because the attack was sudden and the main forces of Star Luo's eastern defense line had been shifted to the Left Wall Fortress, the eastern front was relatively weak. Under the fierce assault of Spirit Hall's elite troops, more than forty important eastern cities fell one after another in less than a month. Vast fertile plains and mining regions were lost.
By the time Dai Liang and the Star Luo leadership realized the situation and urgently dispatched troops to stabilize the eastern front, it was already too late.
What further despaired Dai Liang was that Spirit Hall was not satisfied with this. Almost simultaneously, another Spirit Hall army that had finished assembling on the western border launched a ferocious attack from the west under the command of several elders.
The Star Luo Empire instantly fell into a desperate situation of being attacked from both sides.
The decisive blow came when the nobles—who had initially sworn to live and die with the empire—defected en masse.
Under the overwhelming military pressure from Spirit Hall, these opportunists turned against the empire. Some secretly provided intelligence, some opened their territories to the Spirit Hall army, and some even recruited troops to support the invaders.
"Damn it! Damn it! They all deserve to die!"
Dai Liang's eyes were bloodshot and menacing. Both hands gripped the dragon throne's armrests tightly, his knuckles turning white.
This emperor, who had been powerful and ruthless throughout his life, had finally been pushed to the brink of collapse.
"Creak—"
The heavy palace doors slowly pushed open. A streak of somewhat dazzling sunlight streamed in, drawing a long line of light on the dim floor and illuminating the dust accumulated in the palace.
Star Luo's Prince Dai Weisi entered with heavy steps.
"Father."
Dai Weisi descended the steps and lowered his head. When he looked up and saw the defeated figure on the dragon throne, his heart tightened with indescribable sorrow.
His father had once been full of vitality and ambition. Now he had been driven into such a desperate state.
"What happened this time?"
Dai Liang did not even raise his face. His voice was hoarse, flat, and completely emotionless.
During this period, he had grown accustomed to the endless stream of bad news.
"Father…" Dai Weisi trembled, realizing this news could not be hidden. He gritted his teeth and forced the words out.
"Just now, an urgent report arrived from the front lines. The joint expeditionary force of Spirit Hall and the Body Sect, which had been sent to conquer Sea God Island, has returned to the mainland."
Dai Liang's previously lowered eyelids suddenly lifted, and his sharp gaze pierced Dai Weisi.
The prince's scalp instantly went numb.
"They made a forced landing directly from the northern Vast Sea region. The joint army includes far more Title Douluo-level experts than we anticipated."
"The northern defense line was already weak and collapsed instantly before the overwhelming enemy force. In less than two days, most of the three northern coastal commanderies have fallen, and the enemy is rapidly advancing inland."
Another direction!
The north had also fallen!
The Star Luo Empire was now surrounded on three sides. Only the south, protected by steep mountains, remained relatively stable for the time being—but even that was precarious.
Dai Liang swayed almost imperceptibly but managed to steady himself. He looked down at Dai Weisi, who wanted to speak but could not find the words, and forced a bitter smile.
"Anything else? Tell me—is there even worse news?"
Gazing into his father's hollow eyes, Dai Weisi felt even deeper sorrow.
"Very recently, Spirit Hall Elder Qian Daoliu publicly issued a Surrender Edict to all the nobles, soul master clans, and even commoners of our nation."
"It states that as long as they abandon resistance and actively submit to the new order led by Spirit Hall, the Spirit Hall promises to protect the peace and tranquility of their families."
Dai Weisi suddenly looked up at Dai Liang, whose pupils had contracted, and said bitterly, "After this edict was issued, many nobles who had been watching the situation—or even those who had sworn to resist to the death—have gradually begun to waver."
"Secret reports from the Fierce Tiger Guard indicate that at least twenty powerful nobles have secretly contacted the Spirit Hall, with signs of material handovers and intelligence exchanges…"
The noble class formed the foundation of the Star Luo Empire's rule. Especially the powerful nobles who controlled local military and political power and maintained private armies. Their mass defection meant that the Star Luo Empire's ruling foundation was collapsing from within.
"Heh… heh… hahaha…"
Dai Liang first let out a low laugh, which gradually grew louder, turning shrill and filled with endless sorrow and mockery, before ending in a violent cough.
"Heaven wants to destroy our Star Luo clan! Heaven wants to destroy our Dai family!!!"
He suddenly stood up from the dragon throne but staggered from exhaustion, nearly falling.
Dai Weisi instinctively stepped forward to help but was stopped by a wave of his father's hand.
Dai Liang gripped the cold armrest of the dragon throne tightly, breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently. After a while, the shrill laughter and coughing gradually subsided.
The main hall fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the occasional crackling of candles and Dai Liang's ragged breathing.
In this despairing silence, time passed slowly.
Finally, Dai Liang's tired, hoarse voice broke the deathly quiet.
"I… inherited this vast empire from the previous emperor nearly forty years ago."
"In these forty years, I have worked diligently day and night without the slightest slack."
"Expanding territory, reforming the bureaucracy, nurturing soul masters, strengthening the army, enriching the people… I ask myself: Have I lived up to the expectations of our ancestors and the hundreds of millions of citizens?"
He gazed at the dazzling sunlight that no longer belonged to him and suddenly raised his voice.
"I… swear… I will never become a ruler who causes the nation's destruction!"
"Father!"
The moment he heard these words, tears instantly welled up in Dai Weisi's eyes. Dai Liang's declaration carried strong resolve.
However, facing two superpowers at their peak, the fate of these deposed monarchs was probably not something they could choose.
But at that moment, Dai Liang's previously hollow and despair-filled eyes suddenly gained depth and slowly fixed on Dai Weisi's face.
The sudden gaze sent a chill down Dai Weisi's spine, and an ominous premonition surged in his chest.
Dai Liang stared at him silently for a long time—so long that Dai Weisi felt the weight of the gaze and wanted to look away.
Finally, Dai Liang spoke again. His voice had regained composure and even carried a rare gentleness.
"Dai Weisi… I am very satisfied with your performance during this period."
"Father…" Dai Weisi's heart trembled with complex emotions.
For twenty-five years, he had worked desperately and diligently in everything, all for his father's approval.
And now he had finally received it—but on the eve of the empire's collapse.
Dai Liang seemed unaware of the sorrow on his son's face and continued speaking.
"You were entrusted with important tasks, coordinating all parties, stabilizing the court, and even going to the front lines to boost morale. Your abilities are obvious to all."
"What is even more commendable is that under such immense pressure, you broke through the bottleneck and advanced to Soul King. Looking at the young generation on the continent today, you truly deserve to be called a genius."
Dai Weisi heard this "praise" but felt no joy—only deep sorrow.
Father… he is giving his final instructions.
His eyes grew even redder as he said sorrowfully, "Father, you…"
He wanted to say, "Please pass away in peace. I will do my utmost to protect the last bloodline and dignity of the Dai family."
Even though he knew the hope was slim.
But before he could finish, Dai Liang interrupted him.
Dai Liang's voice was calm, carrying a tone of resolve that resembled resignation.
"Next, I will spend some time alone with your mother to make one final attempt."
He paused, stared intently at Dai Weisi, and spoke word by word.
"Therefore, I have decided—"
"The throne will now be passed to you."
"Crown Prince Dai Weisi shall inherit the throne of the Star Luo Empire, rule the entire nation, and defend the country from foreign enemies!"
Dai Weisi stood frozen in place, his mind blank, staring at the calm-faced Dai Liang with an incredulous expression.
The throne… was being passed to him?!
On the eve of the nation's destruction, surrounded on all sides, with the people scattered and powerful enemies closing in…?
It wasn't that he didn't want to become emperor. He had dreamed of sitting on that throne. But not like this! This was the throne of a ruined kingdom's ruler—a position destined to be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.
You say you don't want to become the ruler of a ruined kingdom, but do you think I want to?!
Dai Weisi's face paled, his lips trembled, but he could not utter a single word.
However, Dai Liang gave him no chance to argue and shouted directly toward the outside of the hall.
"Someone come!"
The old eunuch waiting outside immediately lowered his head and hurried inside.
"Issue an edict!" Dai Liang's voice once again regained imperial dignity. "Proclaim throughout the nation to prepare for the new emperor's enthronement ceremony!"
"Everything should be kept simple, but the ceremony must not be neglected! In three days, I will personally preside over the abdication ceremony!"
"Yes… yes! This old servant obeys!"
The old eunuch trembled but realized this was no time for questions. He immediately accepted the order and hurriedly left to make preparations.
After finishing all this, Dai Liang felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He stared silently at the dazed Dai Weisi, said nothing more, and vanished in a faint white light.
In the empty hall, only Dai Weisi remained, standing in the cold sunlight… completely lost.
…
PS: Support me and read advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode