The current location of the Clear Sky Sect was far too remote. Even three days after the incident, no news of its destruction had spread across the continent.
At this time, Fang Chang had already returned to the front lines, intending to accelerate the pace of the war and force the Spirit Hall into an all-out decisive battle.
Since the war began, over two months had passed. Both the Spirit Hall and the two great empires had suffered heavy losses.
Rough estimates showed that the Heaven Dou Empire alone had lost more than 3,000 soul masters, with ordinary soldier casualties exceeding 100,000.
The Star Luo Empire's losses were likely even greater. After all, ever since the Zhu family incident, they had fought the Spirit Hall even more fiercely than the Heaven Dou Empire.
While paying this price, the Spirit Hall had also been gradually pushed back under the combined assault of the two empires. By now, nearly half of its territory had been occupied.
Particularly on the eastern front, the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires had almost completed their encirclement, with their armies on the verge of linking up.
After all, both empires possessed armies numbering over a million. On the open battlefield, sheer numbers alone could create an advantage.
Faced with this situation, the Spirit Hall could no longer remain idle. The remaining dozen or so Title Douluo from the Elder Hall had almost all been deployed, standing off against the two empires. The final battle seemed imminent within the next few days.
It was under these circumstances that Fang Chang received a message from the Heaven Dou Empire, urging him to return to the front lines as soon as possible if the opportunity arose.
Currently, the two empires had nearly ten Title Douluo on their side, including four from the Clear Sky Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Yu Yuanzhen, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, among others.
In terms of momentum, they were no weaker than the Spirit Hall. But the biggest problem remained that old monster, Qian Daoliu.
He had appeared once a few days prior, effortlessly wounding Sword Douluo Chen Xin in a single strike. The power of a 99th-ranked Limit Douluo was terrifying to behold.
Then there was Bibi Dong, who had yet to make a move. As a twin martial soul with a 100,000-year soul ring, her current combat strength was likely above anyone on the Heaven Dou Empire's side.
Fang Chang's return gave them a bit more confidence. In large-scale wars like this, the outcome often hinged on the strength of the top-tier fighters.
As long as the Spirit Hall's upper echelons remained undefeated, they would inevitably rise again.
"Envoy, what are your thoughts on this battle? What are our chances against the Spirit Hall's elders?" one of the Clear Sky Sect elders asked respectfully.
To some extent, they had been persuaded by Fang Chang to join the war and greatly admired his insight and boldness.
"Thirty percent," Fang Chang said with a hint of speculation. "If not for Qian Daoliu, it'd be at least fifty percent. But with him in the picture, it'll be much harder for us."
No one present objected to his assessment—especially Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had briefly clashed with Qian Daoliu and understood his terror all too well.
In his view, it would take at least two of them—either himself, Tang Xiao, or Yu Yuanzhen—working together to barely hold Qian Daoliu off for a while.
"Thirty percent... That's still a bit low," muttered Yu Yuanzhen, patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
At their level, they had all lived for decades and represented major factions. Taking reckless risks was not an option.
Bone Douluo sighed and took over the conversation. "Even if the odds are only ten percent, we have to fight. At this point, there's no turning back."
"Besides, for every day we delay here, thousands more will die on the front lines. If we don't hurry and force a decisive battle, it won't do us any good either."
After listening to Bone Douluo, Fang Chang's eyes flickered. "I agree with Bone Douluo. Our Spider God Sect has always prioritized the well-being of the world. If sacrificing a few of us can bring peace, then I, Fang Chang, would die without regret."
His words immediately elevated everyone to the level of selfless heroes fighting for the greater good. No one could openly voice reluctance to fight, though each of them harbored their own private calculations.
"Then, according to Lord Envoy, when should we engage the Spirit Hall in the final battle?" Yu Yuanzhen pressed.
"Sooner is better than later. If we delay, the Spirit Hall might prepare further, making them even harder to deal with," Fang Chang analyzed. "I say we strike tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Even Tang Xiao was taken aback. "Isn't that too soon?"
"We've been in a standoff with the Spirit Hall's elders for days now. They've already gauged our strength," Fang Chang explained.
"If we drag our feet, they might take the initiative and attack first. At that point, we'd lose the advantage of striking first, putting us at an even greater disadvantage."
"If we fight tomorrow, the Spirit Hall won't see it coming. If we can take out one or two of their Title Douluo in the chaos, our chances of victory will rise significantly."
"After all, this is war. Using underhanded tactics for victory is only natural."
The other Title Douluo in the hall nodded at his reasoning, approving of Fang Chang's approach.
After some discussion, the Heaven Dou Empire side finalized their decision: the decisive battle would begin the next day.
"Now, there's one more issue. Since we've decided to fight the Spirit Hall, what about the Star Luo Empire…?" This time, it was Emperor Xue Ye who spoke.
Though he didn't participate directly in combat, as the supreme leader of the Heaven Dou Empire, his presence in such discussions was necessary.
"Leave the Star Luo Empire to me. I should be able to convince them to join us in the assault," Tang Xiao interjected.
The Clear Sky Sect had once supported the Star Luo Empire and still had some ties with its royal family. Given the current circumstances, he was the most suitable envoy.
After further deliberation, the group finalized the details of the upcoming battle.
Once the meeting concluded, Tang Xiao quietly set off for the Star Luo Empire's camp with one elder and a few disciples in tow.
Meanwhile, Fang Chang returned to his tent, leaving behind an illusory clone to feign sleep while his real body slipped away under the cover of stealth.
He first infiltrated the Spirit Hall's side, crumpling a note with the words "Battle Tomorrow" into a ball and flicking it toward their main tent with a burst of soul power.
On the back of the note, he had deliberately included the deployment plans for the Clear Sky Sect's disciples.
With that done, he swiftly departed, heading for a dense forest not far from both armies' camps.
There, a black tiger with bat-like wings lurked in the shadows, gnawing on the corpse of a Spirit Hall Soul Sage.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, also capable of flight, had been brought by Fang Chang from the Star Dou Great Forest. After days of devouring souls, its cultivation had already reached the equivalent of an 80,000-year soul beast.
Fang Chang gave it instructions: the next day, when the battle reached its climax, it was to charge onto the battlefield and specifically target heavily wounded Title Douluo.
At this point, the relationship between the spider and the tiger was less master and servant and more like a partnership.
Fang Chang found opportunities for the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger to ambush human soul masters, while the tiger acted as his dirty-work enforcer, handling tasks he couldn't openly undertake.
With all preparations complete, Fang Chang found himself eagerly anticipating the coming battle.