Chapter 638 The Xingluo Empire is finished!

Lu Yu smiled slightly, with a calm look in his eyes: "Xiao Wu, I know what you are worried about.

Ma Hongjun's behavior was indeed related to his martial soul. The side effects of the Evil Fire Phoenix made it difficult for him to control himself.

But now, he has absorbed the soul bone, and the problem of evil fire has been basically suppressed.

I believe that he is willing to change his ways and work for us.

As for his behavior, I will keep an eye on him, and if he does it again, I will be the first to not forgive him."

Xiao Wu heard this and glanced back and forth between Lu Yu and Ma Hongjun, and finally sighed: "Okay, Lu Yu, since you are so confident, I will give you this face.

But, Ma Hongjun, listen carefully! If I catch you doing anything wrong again, don't blame me for being rude to you!"

As she spoke, she clenched her fists, a sharp look flashing in her eyes.

Ma Hongjun nodded quickly, his face full of gratitude: "Thank you, Sister Xiaowu! Thank you, Brother Lu Yu! I will definitely not let you down!"

He paused, then looked at Zhu Zhuqing and whispered, "Zhuqing, I know you hate me, but I promise that from now on, I will never do anything that would shame you again."

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at him coldly, but didn't say anything in the end. She just nodded slightly, agreeing to Lu Yu's arrangement.

Ning Rongrong snorted lightly, picked up the teacup and took a sip, but a hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes, and she was obviously a little surprised by Lu Yu's decision.

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased a little, Lu Yu patted Ma Hongjun on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Okay, Hongjun, go and rest first.

Let’s walk the rest of the way together.

Remember, you only have one chance, so seize it."

Ma Hongjun nodded heavily, his eyes full of determination: "Brother Lu Yu, I understand! I will definitely not let you down!"

After saying this, he stood up, bowed slightly to everyone, and left the hall.

After Ma Hongjun left, Ning Rongrong finally couldn't help but speak: "Lu Yu, what are you thinking? Ma Hongjun used to be Dai Mubai and Tang San's follower. Now that you have him, aren't you afraid that he will turn against you?"

Lu Yu picked up the teacup, blew away the heat gently, and said calmly: "Rongrong, you worry too much.

The reason why Ma Hongjun followed Dai Mubai and Tang San was more because he was influenced by them.

Dai Mubai relied on his status as the prince of Xingluo to suppress him; Tang San regarded himself as the elder brother and won him over.

But in the final analysis, Ma Hongjun is not a bad person, he just lacks someone who can really help him.

Now that I've given him the opportunity, he'll know what to do."

Xiao Wu frowned, still a little worried: "That's what I said, but people's hearts are hard to predict.

You trust him so quickly, aren't you afraid of the risks?"

Lu Yu smiled, a hint of depth flashed in his eyes: "Risk? Of course there is.

But trust people when you employ them, and don’t employ people if you don’t trust them.

Ma Hongjun's talent and strength are a help to us.

As long as I can help him solve the problem of evil fire, he will work for me wholeheartedly.

Xiao Wu, trust me, I know how to handle this matter."

Xiao Wu curled her lips, but ultimately said nothing more. She just whispered, "I hope you're right."

Just then, there was a commotion outside the inn, and faint discussions could be heard in the streets and alleys.

Lu Yu tilted his ears slightly, his brows raised slightly: "Listen to these sounds, it seems that something big is happening outside."

Zhu Zhuqing stood up, walked to the window, pushed open the wooden window, and the sounds from the street suddenly became clear.

Passersby gathered in twos and threes, talking among themselves, with a hint of panic and dissatisfaction in their tone.

"Have you heard? The Xingluo Empire... is gone! It was completely uprooted by the Spirit Hall, and not a single member of the royal family escaped!"

A burly man said in a low voice, his eyes full of shock.

"Alas, the world is changing so fast! The Spirit Hall is determined to unify the continent this time!"

Another person sighed, his tone full of helplessness.

Ma Hongjun happened to be returning from the backyard. Upon hearing these discussions, he couldn't help but sigh, "It's really unpredictable.

The Xingluo Empire, such a powerful country, was gone just like that.

The Spirit Hall's methods are becoming increasingly ruthless."

Lu Yu walked to the window, his eyes swept across the street, his expression calm: "The fall of the Xingluo Empire is not entirely due to the Spirit Hall.

The Dai family's internal management was in chaos, and the royal family and the nobles were constantly fighting, which had long given the Spirit Hall an opportunity to take advantage.

Hongjun, what do you think? "

Ma Hongjun was stunned for a moment and scratched his head: "Brother Lu Yu, you make sense.

Dai Mubai always used to brag about how powerful Xingluo was, but judging by his behavior, Xingluo must have been rotten from the inside.

The Spirit Hall simply seized the opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flashed with complexity.

She whispered, "The demise of Xingluo is indeed inseparable from the Dai family.

Dai Mubai...he never really cared about the future of the empire, only about his own enjoyment."

There was a hint of coldness in her voice, and it was obvious that she was extremely disappointed with Dai Mubai.

Lu Yu patted Zhu Zhuqing on the shoulder and said softly, "Zhuqing, let the past be the past.

Now, we have to consider how to gain a firm foothold in this chaotic world, or even... strike back at the Spirit Hall."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she hurriedly asked, "Lu Yu, do you have any plans? Tell me quickly, how do you plan to deal with the Spirit Hall?"

Lu Yu smiled, turned around and sat back down at the table, his eyes sweeping over the three women, and he said slowly, "The Spirit Hall's power may seem immense, but it's not invincible.

My goal is to take this city first.

We will use the Zhu family's reputation to win over local forces and build a force of our own."

Zhu Zhuqing was stunned and frowned, "Lu Yu, are you talking about using the reputation of my Zhu family? But you also know that the Zhu family has been oppressed by the Dai family in Xingluo for many years and has long been in name only.

How can we make those powerful people surrender with just an empty name? Not to mention, there are many Spirit Hall spies in this city. If we are not careful, we may be exposed. "

Ning Rongrong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Lu Yu, your plan sounds good, but it is too difficult to implement in practice.

Putting aside other things, just look at those old-school spirit master families. Which one of them is not a fence-sitter? Why would they listen to you? "

Xiao Wu was even more blunt: "Lu Yu, your plan sounds a bit... fantastical.

The Spirit Hall's influence is spread across the continent. Although this city is small, it has many powerful people. Can we really make it with just a few of us?"

After hearing the three women's doubts, Lu Yu raised his lips slightly, and a hint of confidence flashed in his eyes: "You are right, this plan is indeed risky and difficult.

But since I dare to raise it, I am confident.

Although the Zhu family's reputation is weak, it is not completely useless.

As long as we operate properly and find the right breakthrough point, those fence-sitters may not be useless to us.

As for the specific methods..."

He paused, a sly look flashing in his eyes, "Just wait and see."

Xiao Wu glared at him and muttered, "You're keeping me in suspense again! Lu Yu, you're always so mysterious."

Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and chuckled: "Okay, Lu Yu, since you are so confident, we will wait and see what you can do.

But please don’t let us down.”

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Lu Yu quietly, with a bit of inquiry in her eyes: "Lu Yu, I believe you have your plans.

But no matter what, I don't want the Zhu family's reputation to be tarnished.

You... understand what I mean?"

Lu Yu nodded solemnly: "Zhu Qing, don't worry.

I will make the Zhu family's reputation shine again in this city.

And we, too, will carve out a world of our own in this troubled time."

The night was as dark as ink, and Qingfeng City on the border of the Xingluo Empire was shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.

The torches on the city wall flickered, illuminating the figures of the two Titled Douluo.

He Gang was a tall and strong man with a resolute face. He held a huge axe tightly in his hand, but his eyes revealed a hint of anxiety.

Zhou Zhi stood beside him, his elegant face showing a hint of hesitation, and he gently waved the folding fan in his hand, as if trying to hide his inner uneasiness.

Outside the city, the roars of the beast tides rose one after another, and the people in the city were in a state of panic. The more suffocating news was that the iron cavalry of the Spirit Hall was sweeping in with the force of thunder, and the foundation of the Star Luo Empire was already crumbling.

"Brother He, do you really think joining the Spirit Hall is a way out?"

Zhou Zhi's voice was low, his folding fan suspended in mid-air, a flicker of struggle in his eyes. "The Xingluo Emperor has treated us well. If we betray our old master, how will the world view us?"

He Gang snorted coldly and slammed his giant axe down on the city wall, sending stone chips flying. "Brother Zhou, you and I are both Titled Douluo, the pinnacle of the Soul Master world, but what happens now? The Xingluo Empire is on the verge of collapse, and we're defending Qingfeng City with no reinforcements! We have to protect the lives of the people, and our own lives too! The Spirit Hall is powerful. By joining them, we can at least save our lives, and even... advance further!"

"Go further?"

Zhou Zhi frowned, his tone tinged with sarcasm, "Do you believe the Spirit Hall's promises? They say they want to help people become gods, but who knows if that's just empty talk?"

"Humph!"

He Gang curled his lips in disdain, "So what if it's just empty talk? At least the Spirit Hall has the strength to do that! Brother Zhou, don't forget, the beast tide is still lurking outside the city. If we defend this city to the death, we will be exhausted sooner or later.

The Spirit Hall's envoys arrived yesterday. They promised that if we surrender, not only will they preserve Qingfeng City, but they will also grant us resources to help us break through bottlenecks and reach the legendary divine realm!

Zhou Zhi was silent, slowly closing the folding fan in his hand, his eyes complicated, "The Divine Realm... that's just a legend.

"Brother He, you and I have practiced for a hundred years, and our soul power has reached over 90 levels. We already know that it is not easy to break through to the level of Titled Douluo. How much do you believe what the Spirit Hall says?"

"What does it matter whether you believe it or not?"

He Gang's voice was low and filled with helplessness, "If we don't surrender, how long can we hold this city? A month? Two months? If the beast tide doesn't recede, the Spirit Hall's spirit masters will continue to attack us.

Although you and I are both Titled Douluo, two fists cannot defeat four hands. The day the city falls, that will be our day of destruction!"

Zhou Zhi sighed and looked into the distance. The dark mass of beasts outside the city seemed endless. "But if we surrender to the Spirit Hall, our reputation, our dignity..."

"dignity?"

He Gang turned his head abruptly, his eyes flashing with anger. "Brother Zhou, can dignity be eaten? Can it save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in this city? The Xingluo Empire is finished! Why are we still clinging to that empty reputation?"

Just as the two were arguing, a cold wind suddenly blew up, the light of the torch trembled violently, and a dark shadow appeared on the city wall.

The man was completely shrouded in a black robe, his face hidden in the shadow of the hood, revealing only a pair of eyes as deep as the abyss, emitting a heart-pounding pressure.

He Gang frowned, raised the giant axe in his hand suddenly, his soul power surged, and nine soul rings rose from under his feet, with an imposing manner like a mountain.

"You who are hiding your head and showing your tail, tell me your name!"

He Gang shouted in a deep voice, and a faint flash of lightning appeared on the giant axe.

The man in black chuckled, his voice low but with a hint of teasing, "He Gang is a Titled Douluo, and he has quite a temper.

Unfortunately, the strength is a little lacking."

"you wanna die!"

He Gang roared angrily, and swung the giant axe down fiercely. His soul power burst out, and the axe blade brought up a thunderous arc of light, slashing straight at the man in black.

"Brother He, stop it!"

Zhou Zhi's face changed and he spoke quickly, but it was too late.

The man in black did not move, but just raised his hand and pointed. Suddenly, an invisible air blade condensed in the air, as fast as lightning, and instantly cut through He Gang's wrist.

He Gang groaned as the giant axe fell to the ground. His right palm was cut off at the wrist and blood gushed out.

He stumbled back, his eyes filled with horror, "You... who are you!"

Zhou Zhi hurried forward to support He Gang, and his nine soul rings also rose up. His soul power protected his body, but he did not dare to act rashly.

He stared intently at the man in black and said in a low voice, "Your Excellency's strength is unfathomable. What brings you here?"

The man in black snorted lightly, his tone filled with disdain, "If I wanted to kill you, you two would be dead by now."

He casually threw a crystal clear pill towards He Gang, "Take this pill, and your injuries will be healed."

He Gang gritted his teeth and took the pill, his eyes full of vigilance, but only after seeing Zhou Zhi nod slightly did he swallow the pill.

The next moment, a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes. The flesh on his broken wrist squirmed and the bones reshaped. In just a moment, a brand new palm had taken shape, and even the circulation of his soul power was unimpeded.

He raised his head suddenly, his voice trembling, "This...this pill...who on earth are you?"

The man in black slowly stepped forward, his aura as overwhelming as the deep sea, almost suffocating the two men. "You don't need to know my name, but there is one thing you need to do.

I have a disciple in Qingfeng City, and I need the full protection of both of you.

If he were harmed in the slightest, you two would no longer have any reason to live."

Zhou Zhi quickly bowed and said respectfully, "Don't worry, Senior. We two will protect your disciple with our lives! But... I wonder where that disciple is now?"

The man in black said calmly, "Tomorrow, go to Yuelai Inn and you will see him."

He paused, and in his hand appeared an ancient token with a faint divine light flowing on it. "This token is from the divine realm. Holding it can summon a first-level god to descend.

If you work diligently, I can help you break free from the shackles of Titled Douluo and glimpse the door to the divine realm."

"Spirit world!"

He Gang and Zhou Zhi looked at each other, their eyes full of shock.

He Gang said in a low voice, "Senior...are you from the God Realm?"

The man in black chuckled and said nothing, "Just remember to protect my disciple.

I could have destroyed the beast tide in this city in one go, but in order to train him, I decided to keep him here for now.

After the matter is accomplished, I will give you advanced elixirs to help you break through the bottleneck."