"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Wake up quickly - sothing terrible has happened!"
In the dim morning light, the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire was abruptly awakened from his bed. His hair was disheveled, his face weary with dark circles under bloodshot eyes. He glared angrily at the old servant who had disturbed him. "What is it? Why such alarm?"
After staying awake all night worrying about the twin threats from sea and land soul beasts, he had finally managed to fall asleep at dawn, only to be awakened monts later.
The old servant stamred nervously under his glare: "T-the...the soul beasts...they've broken through the city defenses! Your Majesty must flee at once!"
"What?" The emperor's body jerked violently as he leapt from bed, his large hands gripping the servant's shoulders. "What did you say? The beasts are inside the capital?"
"Yesterday evening they were still nearly two hundred miles away! What were the capital guards doing?"
According to earlier estimates, the creatures shouldn't have reached the capital for at least two more days - their sudden advancent defied all expectations.
"They're all dead, Your Majesty. The beasts are already approaching the palace." The old servant trembled as he reported. "The Second Prince Dai Mubai and his fiancée Zhu Zhuqing are leading forces to hold them off outside the palace, but they won't last long. Please, Your Majesty must prepare to escape."
The emperor wiped his forehead, forcing himself to remain calm. "Where is my eldest son?"
The servant grew even more distressed: "Last night...when Your Majesty had fallen asleep, the Crown Prince Dai Weisi commanded us not to disturb you. He took a contingent of guards to et the beasts outside the city...I fear he may already be..."
"Bastard!" The emperor's fist smashed down on the bedfra, shattering the rosewood fra completely.
Rage flooded him - anger at his beloved eldest son's unknown fate, fury that he was only learning of this now, and deepest of all, sha at his own incompetence despite always priding himself as a wise ruler.
anwhile, at the capital's north gate, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing led a contingent of about five hundred guards against the invading soul beasts. Though small in number, this was Star Luo's elite - every mber at least a four-ringed Soul Ancestor. Yet they proved completely outmatched, losing half their forces within ten minutes.
"Zhuqing, get out of here!" Dai Mubai shouted as he blocked an attack and shoved her away.
Zhu Zhuqing simply glanced at him before darting back to plunge her poisoned dagger into the beast's belly. Her silent rebuttal was clear. Back-to-back with him, she finally spoke: "We leave together or die together."
"This isn't stubbornness - the emperor is still inside! You're different, just go!" Dai Mubai was nearly yelling in frustration.
Zhu Zhuqing remained unmoved, already engaging another charging beast. "Then we die here."
As they argued, more guards fell until finally the defensive line crumbled completely, allowing beasts to flood into the palace grounds. Seeing their position hopeless and Zhu Zhuqing already wounded, Dai Mubai made a split-second decision - grabbing her arm and dragging her southward.
As the northern defenses collapsed, panicked palace residents fled en masse toward the southern gates - their only potential escape route with beasts attacking from the northwest and sea creatures blockading the east.
A Soul Emperor and Soul King respectively, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing quickly overtook the fleeing crowds despite their delayed retreat.
"Second Prince?!" Palace staff blanched upon seeing him - his appearance here ant the northern defenses had fallen.
Dai Mubai nodded bitterly, confirming their worst fears. Soon after, hundreds of pursuing beasts caught up to the fleeing masses, butchering maids and elderly servants indiscriminately. Dai Mubai didn't dare look back, focused only on dragging his beloved to safety.
The further south they ran, the thinner the crowds beca as pampered nobility slowed themselves down lugging treasures. Just as they neared the southern gates, Dai Mubai suddenly yanked Zhu Zhuqing to a halt.
His face went deathly pale as he stared at the southern exit. Where guards should have been holding position, only emptiness and bloodstains remained. Looking up, they saw the sky filled with sinister crimson-winged figures backlit by the rising sun. Then two enormous silhouettes blocked the gate - a black tiger and a white spider.
The last escape route had beco the most deadly trap.
Soon after, the emperor arrived with his retinue to the sa horrifying sight. At the sight of Xiao Bai and the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger guarding the exit, he sighed deeply and surrendered to his fate.
That night marked the end of the Star Luo Empire - its capital drowned in blood, the Dai imperial family nearly exterminated, all at the hands of creatures later revealed to be spider soul beasts.
With humanity's resistance effectively crushed, Fang Chang no longer needed subterfuge. He openly revealed the spider army's involvent, unconcerned about connections to the Spider God Cult.
In just a few short years, the continent's power structure had been completely overturned. Only the Spirit Hall (which hadn't participated in the anti-beast campaigns) and the puppet Heaven Dou Empire remained as potential resistance forces against the spider onslaught.
Not long after these events, a ragged youth finally staggered out of Slaughter City after four and a half grueling years - Tang San.
Without his Eight Spider Lances or immortal herbs, his ti in that hellish place had been a constant brush with death. Yet upon erging, he found himself questioning - had the world changed this much, or had he sohow transmigrated again?
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