Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1658 Crimson Southern Third Army

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……

Chen Hua replied, "Uncle is right."

"The Xiang family is, after all, a great family that has produced famous ministers and generals. It has deep roots and capable people in its household."

"The Chen family has become so powerful that, in the long run, it is still more beneficial than harmful to cooperate with them and fight against the overall situation together."

"The elders of the Xiang family should know the truth about this."

Chen Yinzu nodded, and his words carried the bluntness of someone from the battlefield: "Since ancient times, martial arts have been revered, and this is especially true in the world of Xingluo. The bigger the fist, the heavier the weight."

"In this respect, the current Star Luo royal family is much more decisive than the Heaven Dou side."

His gaze swept over Feng Tonglong and Shen Tianjun. "Back then, the fact that they were able to put aside their prejudices and tacitly allow Qianqing to marry me, a member of the Chen family who wasn't a direct descendant, is the best proof of that. It's just that the potential shown by the Chen family at that time was enough to attract them to place their bets."

He spoke with certainty and sharp eyes, “Now, it’s just that the branches of our Chen family tree have grown faster than they initially expected.”

"They need a little time to move the pieces of the chessboard that are hidden by the shadows of the branches and leaves, that's all."

He paused slightly, then said, "They're very snobbish!"

His voice turned somber: "As for the other powerful families and clans? It's nothing more than human nature—when suddenly faced with such a colossal existence, most people are filled with fear."

"But it's not that I'm truly terrified to the core. After all,"

Chen Yinzu leaned forward slightly and emphasized, "The foundation and core strength of the Chen family have not been invested in the central heartland of the Star Luo Empire."

"They know this perfectly well."

Then, his expression softened slightly: "And my father-in-law, the emperor, is certainly furious about the attack on the Marquis's residence."

“If I, the ‘cheap son-in-law,’ am injured, it is also the royal family that loses face.”

"If he were to die... I dare say that His Majesty the Emperor, who is known for his iron fist and protectiveness, would probably have already thrown caution to the wind and unleashed a massive bloodbath to take the Crimson Church's life."

That's quite... straightforward.

It seems that Chen Yinzu doesn't have a particularly good attitude towards his father-in-law, and his tone is more like that of a political marriage.

Chen Hua, his white sleeves draped over the chair arm, said, "The subsequent compensation, appeasement, and stabilization... these are things that are already being done. But what happens after that?"

His gaze slowly swept over everyone in the hall. "Next, should we retaliate against the Crimson Church at all costs, repaying blood with blood? Or... bide our time, plan carefully before making a move? Or even, how should we restore the prestige of our race?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "This is a directional issue that urgently needs to be addressed."

Shen Tianjun, sitting in the main seat, raised his eyelids, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, revealing no emotion.

He didn't directly respond to Chen Hua, but instead cast his gaze precisely to the silent, mountain-like figure on the other side: "Tong Long,"

The atmosphere in the hall froze. "What do you think?"

Feng Tonglong, with a white beard like snow, wore a faded blue sword robe underneath his plain clothes, which made his figure appear even more upright and aloof.

In the galaxy of the Chen clan, he is undoubtedly one of the brightest stars.

He was on par with Shen Tianjun, possessing top-tier strength among titled warriors.

If it weren't for the previous requirement to be stationed in the south, Feng Tonglong should have broken through that insurmountable barrier along with Shen Tianjun and joined the ranks of those with titles.

Within the clan, it was an unspoken understanding that Feng Tonglong's name was consistently among the top candidates in the second batch of the "Sunset Glow Project."

At this moment, his expression remained calm, showing no trace of the violent rage that followed the tragic deaths of his loved ones. Only deep within his eyes, tempered by time and the power of swordsmanship, lay a chilling coldness. Feng Tonglong spoke without any hint of hysteria: "We suffered heavy losses this time... This revenge must be taken."

His gaze was fixed on the void ahead, his expression one of pure rational analysis. "But the key lies in the fact that the Crimson Church is entrenched in the southern part of the continent, and its power is no less than that of its fundamentalist faction—the 'Black Crow,' 'Demon Bull,' and 'Devouring' legions."

"How should we characterize this? How do we strike the right balance?"

He paused slightly, turned his gaze to Shen Tianjun, and then swept it over Chen Hua and Chen Yinzu. "The main branch has not yet made a decision on this matter."

"Our clan must first reach a consensus before we can discuss how to wield the sword."

Beneath his almost cold calm lay a deep, hidden pain: Feng Yangbo was his youngest son; Feng Shuiyao was his second daughter; and the seriously injured and unconscious Chen Qiujun was his second daughter's husband and his son-in-law.

Not to mention the teachers and disciples who died or were seriously injured in battle at Sword Rain Academy, most of whom had intricate blood ties with the Wind Sword Sect.

One of them was his great-nephew, who was within three degrees of kinship.

The loss of loved ones, the destruction of the clan, the damage to the family business... this hatred is enough to burn the heart.

He channeled this burning pain into his examination and consideration of the clan's overall strategy.

Shen Tianjun did not respond immediately. His deep gaze turned to a woman in plain clothes who had been listening quietly at the table: "Yuzhen, you speak too."

Qingyu Zhen raised her head upon hearing this.

She possesses a cool and aloof demeanor, and her cultivation has reached the level of an 85th-grade Soul Douluo. Her martial soul is the Jade Sword, a peak sixth-grade weapon.

They came from the Qing family, and this branch of the Dust Clan was rooted in the Ahakuwa Province in the heart of the Star Luo Empire, the same province where the Demon Sheep Sect was destroyed.

This place is a crucial hub connecting the north and south, bordering the Southern Kingdom to the north, the Dark Night Kingdom to the east, controlling the Anxi Province to the west, and the Xingluo Central District to the south. Its location is extremely important.

Like the Leng family, the Qing family is known for its calmness and wisdom.

Qingyu Zhenben diligently practiced his spiritual cultivation in Chenlin Village.

The incident was urgent. When Chen Hua passed through Chen Lin Village, he learned that Feng Tonglong had already gone to Xingluo City alone, so he only brought Qing Yuzhen, who was familiar with Xingluo, with him.

After a moment's thought, Qing Yuzhen spoke clearly and without any superfluous emotion: "The intelligence on the three major legions of the Crimson Church is still somewhat vague. Among them, 'Devourer' is a newly transferred legion from the southern part of the continent."

She began to lay out the key information: "Based on the activity patterns of their three legions over the past few years, their center of gravity seems to be mainly located in the 'South-Central Zone' in the north (i.e., the vast area south of the continental boundary, corresponding to the northern central corridor)."

"Their specific strength, internal stance, and true intentions... still need to be investigated further."

"However, given its position and history within the Crimson Church system, its combat strength should be considerable and should not be underestimated."

The conversation then shifted to an anomaly: "The Black Crow Legion's performance in this raid is quite intriguing. Compared to other legions, their actions were clearly perfunctory, with only a titled combatant sent to fill the ranks."

"The Devourer and Demon Bull factions did contribute, but they are the most at odds with the Fundamentalist faction. We need more intelligence to understand why they would do this."

Unlike the four major Crimson Northern Legions, which are entrenched in the northern part of the continent and distributed in blocks, the three legions in the south are arranged in a vertical "川" shape—the eastern part is under the control of the Demon Bull Legion; the vast central area is entirely under the control of the Devouring Legion; and the western mountain ranges belong to the Black Crow Legion's sphere of influence.

Shen Tianjun remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Okay."

He then made a decision: "In that case, we shall send back to our clan in Chenlin Village the message of our discussion today, regarding our attitude toward the Third Army Corps."

He specifically said, "Also, be sure to send this to Brother Zixiu for his review and processing."

His gaze finally fell on Chen Hua: "Chen Hua, you'll have to work hard these next few days. Carefully analyze the possible directions, steps, advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered, and prepare several feasible contingency plans."

"We will begin once the decision of this sect is issued."

(End of this chapter)