Chapter 85: Soul Device? Landmine?

The autumn wind blew bleak and desolate, carrying with it an aura of impending death.

After reaching an agreement with Xiao Yu, Xue Qinghe immediately ordered the army to march forth and suppress the rebellion. Fifty thousand troops advanced in grand formation, banners blotting out the sky, their momentum overwhelming.

Xiao Yu and his companions were assigned by Xue Qinghe to the First Squad of the Royal Imperial Guards, under her direct command. As the army marched, Xiao Yu gradually realized the differences between spirit masters and regular soldiers. In terms of individual combat strength, not even a hundred soldiers could match a single spirit master. But when it came to coordinated group tactics—not just the seven-person Soul Battle teams, but operations involving thousands or tens of thousands—spirit masters were far inferior to soldiers.

There was only one reason for this: discipline.

Indeed, this was the greatest gulf between spirit masters and soldiers. Spirit masters valued individual prowess, were accustomed to a free and easy lifestyle, and loved to play the hero. Soldiers, on the other hand, abided by strict military discipline, where every action was dictated by orders from their superiors. Thus, even a Title Douluo would hesitate to confront a million-strong army disciplined to the extreme.

Clever minds have never been lacking in this world. Centuries ago, someone proposed that if the formidable power of spirit masters could be combined with the discipline of the military to form a spirit master legion, such a force would be invincible on the battlefield. This was easy to say, but nearly impossible to achieve. Even a ten-ranked spirit master stood above the masses; with only a few hundred thousand spirit masters among hundreds of millions on the Douluo Continent, their status was beyond compare. Why would such exalted individuals forsake their privileges to submit to the rigors and restrictions of military life?

Moreover, equipping a single spirit master cost at least a hundred times more than outfitting a soldier. Therefore, only the two great empires—Heaven Dou and Star Luo—and the Spirit Hall could afford to organize spirit master legions, and even then, their numbers never exceeded ten thousand.

“Hmph!”

As Xiao Yu pondered the divide between soldiers and spirit masters, the flap of the command tent was suddenly thrown open. Xue Qinghe, just returned from a military meeting, entered with a dark expression.

“What’s the matter? Who has crossed the crown prince this time?”

Seated beneath the command desk, Xiao Yu poured Xue Qinghe a cup of tea, watching her stormy countenance.

Xue Qinghe drained the tea in one gulp, then spat bitterly, “It’s that accursed Lin Jun—constantly opposing me at every turn!”

Lin Jun was the commander of the fifty-thousand-strong army. Xiao Yu had only learned after joining the ranks that Lin Jun was a trusted confidant of Prince Xue Xing. It was no secret that Xue Xing supported Xue Beng and was at odds with Xue Qinghe, and Lin Jun, emboldened by his patron, never missed a chance to make things difficult for her.

“What has he done this time?” Xiao Yu asked calmly, pouring himself some tea and taking a few measured sips. He had no interest in the inner power struggles of the Heaven Dou royal family; his purpose here was merely to temper his team in the fires of war.

Looking at Xiao Yu’s unruffled demeanor, Xue Qinghe grew more irritated. “Don’t act as if this has nothing to do with you—this matter is somewhat connected,” she said.

Xiao Yu cast her a doubtful glance. “What does it have to do with me?”

“You brought your team into the army to sharpen their combat experience, didn’t you?” A sly glint flashed in Xue Qinghe’s eyes. “My original plan was to strike directly at the heart of the rebellion—Hamos City—and quell the uprising with overwhelming force. But that damned Lin Jun kept contradicting me, insisting on splitting our troops to recapture the outlying cities affected by the rebels, leaving our main defenses dangerously thin. We’ve been at odds, unable to act, and now he’s gone over my head to petition Emperor Xue Ye, proposing that we negotiate peace, grant Ferreira the title of duke, and cede all the cities he seized as his fief. Since the army’s campaign has dragged on without results, Xue Ye is wavering!”

Negotiating peace would mean this entire campaign was for nothing.

Xiao Yu blinked in surprise and shot Xue Qinghe a sidelong glance. With her influence in the Heaven Dou court, how could Lin Jun have bypassed her to petition Xue Ye? Xiao Yu strongly suspected this crafty woman was deliberately creating an opportunity to extort more assistance.

Unashamed, Xue Qinghe winked at him, as if confirming his suspicions. She knew perfectly well that Xiao Yu would never agree to slink back in defeat.

“You’re ruthless!” Xiao Yu muttered through gritted teeth, but his eyes soon gleamed with a plan. “Actually, I have an idea we might try.”

Xue Qinghe arched an eyebrow, feigning indifference. “Let’s hear it.”

“These fifty thousand troops have long been under Lin Jun’s command. Within the army, his word carries more weight than yours, otherwise why would your battle plans be overruled? Given the current situation, you can’t rely on these tens of thousands any longer,” Xiao Yu analyzed coolly. “So why not let Lin Jun have his way, let him disperse the troops to attack the rebel-held cities?”

“That would leave the main camp dangerously exposed,” Xue Qinghe protested. “That’s precisely why I opposed Lin Jun’s plan—if Ferreira learns our main camp is vulnerable, he’ll surely launch an assault!”

“And that’s exactly what we want,” Xiao Yu said, producing a disk-shaped hunk of black iron from his soul tool. “This is the latest soul device developed by my clan—a trigger-type soul-guided cannon. I prefer to call it a landmine. Bury it underground, and it can be detonated remotely. Its explosive power is no less than the fourth soul skill of a Soul Elder. I brought about two hundred of them this time, originally intending to open a military sales channel. Now, imagine this: when the rebels storm the main camp and enter our mined zone, we trigger all the explosives at once. What kind of scene would that be?”

Xue Qinghe’s expression changed as she pictured the carnage: rebels blown to pieces, corpses strewn across a sea of fire, fleeing in utter panic.

“You’ve been crown prince for many years. Surely there are a few officers in this army loyal to you? After Lin Jun has dispersed the troops, order your men to quietly bring back a few thousand. That’s enough—three to five thousand will suffice,” Xiao Yu continued. “Once the rebels are shattered by the mines, we strike from hiding to wipe them out.

“This rebellion was plotted with support from the Star Luo Empire. Aside from Ferreira and his close followers, most of the rebels still harbor loyalty to the Heaven Dou Empire. Just as your original plan targeted the ringleaders, so must we. When Ferreira launches his surprise attack, he’ll use only his most trusted troops. If we annihilate his elite, the remaining rebels—dragged along against their will—will surrender of their own accord.”