In Douluo Continent, I am the mastermind behind the scenes.

"hateful!"

Zi Ying clenched her fist and punched the wall of the secret room. How could an ordinary secret room withstand the attack of a Limit Douluo? The entire building collapsed instantly.

Zi Ying made a move to leave the scene.

"Where are you going?" Xuan Shao quickly stepped forward to block Zi Ying's path.

Zi Ying said self-deprecatingly, "If the price of living is cleaning up the messes for so-called masters, what's the point of living?"

"I, Ziying, have wronged many people. I don't need Gu Yuhan. She's a hopeless case, you can't wake her up no matter what you do to her. I don't want to be her babysitter anymore!"

After saying that, Zi Ying shook her arms in a slightly exaggerated manner, then took light steps and walked away.

Watching Zi Ying's figure gradually disappear, Xuan Shao subconsciously scratched his head. He had a feeling that... Zi Ying seemed to be hiding something.

Which cultivator would refuse immortality? Once you miss the Douluo World, it will be difficult to seek immortality again.

They must be plotting something.

Thinking of this, Xuan Shao no longer hesitated and hurriedly chased after Zi Ying in the direction she had left.

……

The scene shifts to the border of the Heavenly Soul Empire.

An army bearing the banner of "Deep Sea" set up camp fifty miles from the walls of Maple Leaf City, employing the classic tactic of surrounding three sides while leaving one open, thus encircling the east, west, and south walls of Maple Leaf City.

At this moment, on the south city wall of Maple Leaf City.

An elderly man in a green robe gazed at the Soul Master legion below the city wall, glanced at the silver-armored youth beside him, and asked thoughtfully, "Liu Dian, I don't understand warfare. In your opinion, how long can Maple Leaf City hold out without high-level Soul Masters participating in the battle?"

"I...I'm not sure," Liu Dian said with a fearful expression. "Senior Xiao Shan, I've taken a quick look, and there are no fewer than 10,000 enemies below each city wall. They are extremely well-equipped. If a real battle breaks out, I'm afraid we won't even last an hour."

Seeing Liu Dian's timid and hesitant appearance, Xiao Shan was furious. He didn't understand warfare, but he wasn't stupid. Eight thousand Soul Masters! A full eight thousand Soul Masters! And they were the defending side. With ample defensive equipment, you couldn't even hold out for an hour? Who are you trying to fool?

Xiao Shan could tell at a glance that Liu Dian was not a proper general, but a young master from a certain soul master family who had come down to get a prestigious education. He probably only knew how to talk about war on paper and had never fought a real battle.

Helpless, Xiao Shan could only send the message back to Tian Dou City via a telepathic jade slip. Whether to defend Maple Leaf City to the death or retreat to the Jialing Pass and Baishui Pass line was no longer a question for Xiao Shan to consider.

On the other side, inside the main tent of the Deep Navy Legion, Zhu Ningyu sat in the main seat, with Hong Ling and Yin Hongchen on her left and right, respectively, discussing plans after conquering Maple Leaf City.

Just then, Lan Fuzi, clad in blue armor, entered from outside the tent, cupped his hands towards Zhu Ningyu, who was seated at the head of the table, and said, "The Vulcan cannon has been calibrated. May I ask when Your Majesty will launch the attack?"

"In half an hour, using the cannon fire from the south gate as a reference, once the cannon fire starts, indiscriminately bombard the east, west, and south walls of Maple Leaf City. The timeframe is tentatively set at one hour. Go all out!"

As she spoke, Zhu Ningyu's gaze unconsciously fell on Yin Hongchen. "Vice Hall Master Yin, would you be willing to come with me to the front lines to watch the battle?"

Yin Hongchen: "..."

To be honest, as a woman, Yin Hongchen naturally disliked war. She preferred to coordinate and command from the rear rather than watch from the front lines.

But... there's nothing we can do. She has a good relationship with Bai Yu and Bai Yiyi, and she's a prominent figure in the Hongchen family. So, she's the only one who can serve as the supervisor of the Deep Sea Army.

"Since the General has invited me, how could my daughter refuse?"

Yin Hongchen slowly rose, deliberately feigning surprise and flattery, and gestured for them to enter the tent.

Thus, Zhu Ningyu handed over command of the Deep Sea Fleet to Hong Ling, and then brought Yin Hongchen to the front lines, where more than twenty Vulcan cannons were ready to fire.

Seeing this, Yin Hongchen asked curiously, "General, I have a question. According to intelligence, there is a Super Douluo in Maple Leaf City. Aren't we afraid that Super Douluo will come down and destroy the Vulcan Cannon if we place it here?"

Zhu Ningyu said calmly, "War is merely a continuation of politics. The sphere of influence you possess does not depend on the level of your cultivation, but on how much territory you can control."

"To put it another way, take you, Yin Hongchen, for example. If you have a level 100 cultivation and sit on the throne of the Heavenly Soul Empire because of your divine status, but... you don't have any trusted confidants to help you manage the localities, then your imperial edicts will only be effective within Heavenly Dou City. Outside of Heavenly Dou City... everyone will only pay lip service to your orders."

"On the contrary, an emperor whose strength is only at the Soul King level can gain the recognition of the highest-ranking officials within the empire. When his imperial edicts are issued to every city, local officials will carry them out without hesitation. That would make him a true emperor."

"Wars like this are always soldier against soldier, general against general. War is about military merit. Without some benefits, who would be willing to fight? Vice Hall Master Yin, you can't be that unclear about this, can you?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Hongchen slapped her thigh and said as if suddenly realizing something, "So, in other words, high-level Title Douluos won't participate in the war unless absolutely necessary. Even if they do, it's only a friendly spar between top-tier Title Douluos, agreed upon by both sides?"

"You're a promising young man!" A faint smile appeared on Zhu Ningyu's face.

Soon, half an hour passed. Under Lan Fuzi's command, more than seventy Vulcan cannons indiscriminately bombarded the three sides of Maple Leaf City's walls. For a moment, the sound of cannon fire was deafening, making Zhu Ningyu's blood boil.

After an unknown amount of time, Yin Hongchen hurriedly pulled Zhu Ningyu aside and whispered, "Judging from this situation, the Heavenly Soul Empire most likely won't send reinforcements to Maple Leaf City. It's only a matter of time before Maple Leaf City falls. After the city falls, will our Sun Moon Empire need to send resources to support the troops? Also, according to custom, the first to reach the city should be granted a title. What do you think…?"

Yin Hongchen is having a difficult time.

After all... the Deep Sea Army Corps is not part of the Sun Moon Empire's organization; it is Zhu Ningyu's private army. If those who have made contributions are granted titles, where would that leave Zhu Ningyu?

Zhu Ningyu said gently, "There's a saying circulating in the Deep Sea Navy: 'Use the last piece of cloth to make uniforms, use the last grain of rice as rations, and send the last flesh and blood to the battlefield!'"

"They are not fighting for military merit, but to prevent their descendants from being wantonly slaughtered. Do you think... such an army needs titles bestowed by your Sun Moon Empire?"

"Of course, if your Sun Moon Empire were to ultimately unify the continent, and then carve out a piece of land for them to establish a duchy, allowing them to maintain a certain degree of autonomy, that would be the best reward for them!" (End of Chapter)