Chapter 549: The End of the Continent's First Battle and Tang San's Conspiracy

The first war between the Spirit Empire and the Star Luo Empire has ended.

Both sides suffered losses and gains; the Spirit Empire slaughtered the entire Gengxin City, destroyed the Blacksmith Association—a major source of weaponry for the Star Luo Empire—and wiped out thirty thousand Star Luo troops.

Yet they cannot be considered winners either; they suffered a crushing defeat on the main battlefield, and while sustaining heavy casualties, the Fourth Elder of the Offering Hall was even hammered to death on the spot by Tang Xiao.

Both sides suffered; this outcome fits Feihuang's vision perfectly.

From now on, it is impossible for Tang San to continue hiding in the shadows to develop silently.

Furthermore, two other events occurred during this war that became fodder for many people's after-dinner conversations.

First, while the Spirit Hall was retreating, a mysterious person suddenly broke into the military camp in the dead of night to assassinate Hu Liena; it was only thanks to several Title Douluo fighting desperately to block the attacker that they were able to repel them, but Citun Douluo was seriously injured, seemingly targeted as he received the majority of the opponent's attacks.

Many suspect that it was Tang Chen or Tang Xiao of the Clear Sky Sect; after all, besides them, no one else could likely force a level 92 Title Douluo into a state of having no power to fight back without even using their martial soul.

It is unknown how this Hu Liena offended them, that they would still go to assassinate her even after the troops had withdrawn.

However, it is strange that their intent to kill did not seem heavy; they retreated after wounding several Title Douluo.

Second, after the great battle ended and they were clearing the corpses in the city, an important figure was discovered: Xu Rong, commander of the Gu Lei Kingdom's Imperial Guard, who had actually died in Gengxin City, his meridians severed throughout his entire body.

Many were filled with confusion—what was he doing getting involved in the war between the Star Luo Empire and the Spirit Empire? Subsequently, Nan Tianchen issued a statement saying that Xu Rong had been sent by him to Gengxin City to purchase ore, and he had unexpectedly, and very unfortunately, been caught up in the war between the two countries, becoming an innocent bystander who suffered the consequences.

Nan Tianchen "angrily" condemned the two countries, demanding they give him an explanation.

Of course, it is impossible for either side to provide this explanation, and Nan Tianchen was merely going through the motions.

He had specifically sent Xu Rong to the battlefield, using the method of "no fruit in the box, please choose your own end," allowing him to choose to die there; one reason was for the sake of Xu Rong's family.

In Nan Tianchen's heart, Xu Rong could not be allowed to live under any circumstances; a traitor must die, and his entire clan should even be executed.

But Nan Tianchen truly did not want to wipe out the Xu family; after all, judging by the progress of their training in the Glory Shield, Xu Rong was the only one in their family who had betrayed them so far, and the others knew nothing yet.

Therefore, he was unwilling to kill Xu Rong personally, instead letting him choose whether or not he wanted a dignified way to die; if Xu Rong had survived this war, Nan Tianchen would no longer be polite to him.

Conversely, if he died, his family could be saved.

At least for the moment, no one knows Xu Rong was a traitor; on the contrary, he died while helping Nan Tianchen, so he does not have to bear a bad reputation, and the people of the Xu family will only place all their hatred upon the Spirit Empire and the Star Luo Empire.

The second reason was to provide a legitimate excuse for the Gu Lei Kingdom to attack the Spirit Empire or the Star Luo Empire in the future.

A high-ranking official of our country died for no reason under the hands of your two countries, and you won't even give an explanation, so naturally, we must launch a war against you to avenge Xu Rong.

Having a just cause for war is extremely important.

The reason the Spirit Empire could easily be labeled as Evil by the Two Great Empires is precisely because they lacked a just cause, belonging to those who start wars for no reason.

It is only natural for forces that break the peace to be demonized.

Within the Spirit Empire, as the army returned and Hu Liena finished reporting the battle results, the third Pope Scepter that Bibi Dong had changed into broke again.

"Nan Feihuang, Nan Feihuang...!!!!" Bibi Dong roared Nan Feihuang's name; having reached this point, how could she not realize that she had been used by Nan Feihuang again.

The two facts—that Tang San had never reached any cooperation with the Gu Lei Kingdom, and that Xu Rong had died inexplicably in Gengxin City—were the best evidence; he had clearly discovered Xu Rong's identity as a mole long ago and had instead used that identity to pass information to their Spirit Hall, controlling their actions.

After using him up, he let him die at the hands of the two countries, and their Gu Lei Kingdom became the innocent victim.

It is just a pity that in the struggle for the continent, all is fair in war; she was used as a pawn by Nan Feihuang, and she can only blame her own stupidity; this impotent rage has no effect on Nan Feihuang.

Inside the Offering Hall, Qian Daoliu looked at the corpse of the Lion Douluo with apparent calm.

But looking at his clenched fists, one knew that his heart was not actually calm.

"Old Four, go in peace; rest assured, I will definitely avenge you!" Qian Daoliu felt some regret at this moment for keeping his promise back then.

All these years that Tang Chen had been missing, he had endured and not killed the Clear Sky Sect, but he had not expected that as soon as this guy appeared, he would kill his brother.

He had completely marked this debt down.

Although this war was guided by the Gu Lei Kingdom, the hatred and resentment forged between the Star Luo and Spirit Empires were real.

It is impossible to say that because it was designed by Nan Feihuang, the target of the hatred would be completely shifted; at most, some of it would be diverted.

After all, it was the Spirit Empire that slaughtered Gengxin City; this is an undeniable fact.

Lou Gao was completely insane at this moment; he placed all the hatred in his heart onto the Diamond Chisel in his hand, constantly striking the ore in front of him.

He wanted revenge; the life-and-death hatred of all the blacksmiths in the Blacksmith Association could only be repaid by the Spirit Empire with blood.

Therefore, he had to forge peerless Hidden Weapons to completely destroy the Spirit Empire.

Tang San watched Lou Gao like this but did not offer any words of persuasion; he had long since turned dark, or rather, he had torn off that mask of hypocrisy he wore in the past.

The angrier Lou Gao was, the better; only in this way could the progress of forging the Tang Sect's strongest Hidden Weapons be accelerated.

At this time, Tang Xiao walked toward Tang San, took out a glass porcelain bottle, and handed it to Tang San, saying, "Xiao San, this is Citun Douluo's blood; what is your intention in having me specifically fetch this thing?"

"Many thanks, Uncle!" Tang San took the bottle and sneered, "Of course, it is to pay them back in their own coin; this thing is of great use to me. That Nan Feihuang used the news of the Asura God Inheritance—which I don't know where he got—to make the Spirit Empire unable to resist attacking me; I am determined to make him pay the price."

The methods Feihuang used on Tang San can be called an open conspiracy; after all, the secret that he had accepted the Asura God Inheritance was true, and he had used the Spirit Empire without deceiving them.

If the Spirit Empire did not want Tang San to become the new Asura God in the future, then they had to eliminate him as soon as possible.

Aside from this, Feihuang's plan was fundamentally unsolvable.

This is the power of an open conspiracy; let alone not seeing through it, even if they had, they would still have had to act according to Feihuang's plan.

And Tang San did not have the brain to make such good use of open conspiracies; what he wanted to use were the most despicable plots and schemes—the method of framing others.

(End of chapter)