Chapter 447

Shilake Academy has launched the Shilake Summons!

Overnight, this news spread across the entire Douluo Continent.

The residents of the three countries originally belonging to Douluo instantly became excited as if injected with chicken blood.

Originally, these two days they were still uneasy about the Ri Yue Di Guo's proactive attack on Ming Dou Shanmai, which had provoked war, but upon hearing this news, the unease weighing on their hearts was instantly overridden by confidence in Shilake Academy.

One must know that four thousand years ago, Shilake Academy reversed the heavens and earth with this very Shilake Summons; now history repeats itself—can the Ri Yue Di Guo still resist? Moreover, compared to the residents of the three countries, those most undoubtedly inspired are the sect members of the three countries originally belonging to Douluo.

Their younger generation had all been taken hostage by the Ri Yue Di Guo, and even some of their companions, while being held hostage, were seized by the Holy Spirit Sect to serve as cultivation material; compared to ordinary civilians' simple hatred of invaders, their hatred for the Ri Yue Di Guo is undoubtedly far greater.

Before, although they harbored deep hatred for the Ri Yue Di Guo, they lacked a central pillar and had strength with nowhere to apply it; now it is different—with Shilake Academy as the core, they can unite their strength to jointly face the strong enemy and avenge their companions, disciples, and relatives who died in vain.

Thus, within just a few days, all sects of the three countries originally belonging to Douluo sprang into action.

Undoubtedly the first to act were the top sects that had long been on good terms with Shilake Academy, led by the Nine Treasure Glazed Sect; they had already heard more or less from Tang Wulin about Shilake Academy's next plans, so they were prepared and awaited Tang Wulin's order.

Following closely behind were the sects that suffered losses while being seized as hostages by the Ri Yue Di Guo—some lost friends, some lost disciples, even some lost relatives; they were the first victims of Holy Spirit Sect persecution in the three countries originally belonging to Douluo, harboring the deepest hatred for the Ri Yue Di Guo; upon hearing the news, they merely packed their bags and set out together.

Finally to act were the ordinary sects that had little grudge against the Holy Spirit Sect and the Ri Yue Di Guo, yet even these sects saw over ninety percent respond to the call and head for Shilake Academy.

For a time, across the continent one could see countless powerful soul masters rushing toward Shilake Academy—a most magnificent sight.

After learning the news, the three countries originally belonging to Douluo also took active measures, mobilizing officials to promote the Shilake Summons nationwide; in a short time the matter spread through streets and alleys, striving to let every sect know.

Amid this situation, what most drew attention was undoubtedly the movements of the Body Sect.

As the continent's foremost sect, the Body Sect has been at odds with Shilake Academy for hundreds, even thousands of years; their enmity is an open secret in the soul master world. Even though they recently allied with Shilake Academy, would they choose to respond to the Shilake Summons now and go to Shilake Academy? One must know that if they did so, in a sense it would acknowledge their submission to Shilake Academy's leadership, implicitly placing Shilake Academy above them—a hard pill for the Body Sect, which has always prided itself on its prestige, to swallow.

Thus, under everyone's watchful eyes, the result soon became visible.

As one imposing figure after another set out from Tiandou City, the capital of the Tianhun Empire, flying toward Shilake Academy, the Body Sect gave its answer to the world.

As guardians of the nation, they are willing to contribute their strength when the country faces imminent invasion.

Instantly, the three countries originally belonging to Douluo, especially the Tianhun Empire, were filled with joy and encouragement.

With Shilake Academy and the Body Sect setting aside their grudges and cooperating, the Ri Yue Di Guo is nothing to fear; in this atmosphere, within just a few days the flow of people in Shilake City surged to overflowing.

Countless hotels were fully booked, leaving no vacant rooms, yet streams of people continued to pour in, gathering in Shilake City.

Upon hearing the news, the newly appointed Sea God Pavilion Master Tang Wulin spoke up, ordering hotels to prioritize lodging for sect members from all countries, and to give triple refunds to those who had already booked rooms.

Upon hearing this, not a single person from the three countries originally belonging to Douluo raised any objection—not only because of the generous refund, but because they understood that those coming here were prepared to fight for their country, and yielding their lodgings was a matter of course.

In contrast to the jubilation of the three countries originally belonging to Douluo, the Ri Yue Di Guo, upon hearing this news, was utterly thrown into panic.

The Xie Jun Soul Mentor Group was annihilated, Shilake Academy and the Body Sect had reached cooperation, the Terror Claw Soul Mentor Group was wiped out in battle with the Star Net Empire, and the Death God Douluo Ye Xi Shui was defeated by Sea God Pavilion Master Tang Wulin—these reports had already unsettled the Ri Yue Di Guo's high ranks, and now the emergence of the Shilake Summons pushed their unease to the extreme.

Two of the Four Beast King Soul Mentor Groups have been lost, dealing a huge blow to the Ri Yue Di Guo; if we do not count the Ri Yue Royal Soul Mentor Group as a last resort, the core strength of the Ri Yue Di Guo can be said to have already been halved before full-scale war erupted—a deficit that would take hundreds, even thousands of years to recover.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit Sect, as an ally, performed unremarkably on the battlefield, dealing a massive blow to the subjects' former confidence in invincibility.

The imperial family was never monolithic; the Imperial Dragon Soul Mentor Group, symbol of the royalty, has never had good relations with Xu Tianran, and now, with both Beast King Soul Mentor Groups annihilated, they inevitably feel a rabbit's death fox's sorrow, desperately opposing the war's launch, declaring they will not go out to die pointlessly.

Even the Fire Phoenix Soul Mentor Group under Juzi's command fell silent at this moment—though they did not oppose Xu Tianran's war initiation, they also gave no expression of support.

Voices of dissatisfaction among the Ri Yue Di Guo's populace toward Xu Tianran also grew louder; even with Kong Deming stepping forward to vouch, they could not fully suppress the unease spreading through court and country.

This is the negative effect of cooperating with the Holy Spirit Sect; inherently, on a moral level, it has already lost popular support—earlier, many officials at court had opposed making the Holy Spirit Sect the state religion, but Xu Tianran had overruled them by citing the Sect's strength, whereas now that justification's persuasiveness has considerably weakened.

If victory could be won on the battlefield, it would still be tolerable—everything could be forgiven—but if even victory cannot be guaranteed, then all prior actions will turn into a frenzied backlash, rushing upon Xu Tianran.

This wave of opposition is truly enormous—so great that even Kong Deming, the chief soul master of the Ri Yue Di Guo, finds it hard to quell in a short time.

He estimates that after suppressing this outcry and mobilizing the army for war, it will take at least over a month.

But after a month……will they still have a chance of victory?

No, more accurately put, given the current domestic chaos, can they truly defeat the united army summoned by Shilake? At this moment, even this father of soul masters begins to harbor some doubt.

(End of chapter)