CHAPTER 879: CHAPTER 879: COLLAPSE OF THE HEAVENLY PALACE

"Hahaha! Well done! Damn satisfying, hahaha!"

In the frontline command center of Tiandu City, the airless room was filled with the hearty laughter of General Duwata.

He wasn’t the only one; although the other officers standing around him didn’t laugh out loud as he did, they all showed relieved expressions.

This textbook-style counterattack could be said to have raised their spirits!

Not only did they successfully defend Tiandu against the onslaught of the Southern Legion, but they also broke through the entire frontline deployed by the latter on the eastern line, annihilating over forty thousand enemies!

Although the entire war’s victory was still at some distance, everyone could see the dawn before sunrise.

Officers not just from Poluo Country but also those from the Alliance, including Vanus, breathed a sigh of relief.

The command system of Poluo Country’s army was essentially assisted in construction by advisors dispatched by the Alliance Army Command, including the strategic deployment of this counteroffensive. Undoubtedly, they were also contributors to this war, although most of their work was behind the scenes.

However, since they were facing their compatriots, their feelings were somewhat complicated.

They did not doubt what they were doing, but to laugh at the suffering of their compatriots seemed too much to ask.

Understanding that these survivors needed to vent their joy at surviving disaster, Vanus looked at Duwata and said.

"This battle is basically over, we’ll head back to rest first."

Only then did Duwata realize that there were a few Weilante people in the command room, and he quickly restrained his laughter, politely saying.

"You all go rest first! You’ve helped us enough, leave the rest to us!"

He was quite courteous to the officers from the Alliance. It was just that a moment ago, in his triumphant mood, he had forgotten there were a few big-nosed folks beside him.

Vanus nodded, without saying much. After some brief pleasantries, he left with the officers who had come here as volunteers.

As the group left, the cheerful atmosphere permeated the command center once more.

And not long after Vanus left, a freshly printed copy of the "Survivor’s Daily" was delivered.

It was Tiandu City’s "Survivor’s Daily," showing on its headline cover a man drenched in blood.

His right hand held a rifle with a bayonet, while his left hand grasped a drooping head.

This man was none other than the commander of Poluo Country’s 700,000th unit, General Pickley!

That bright smile contrasted sharply with his sagging nose.

Looking at this newspaper headline, the man with the tiger-like build laughed heartily again.

"Hahahaha! That Pickley has guts! I used to hear him talk about those domestic trivialities and thought he was a wimp, but I guess I misunderstood him!"

It wasn’t just Pickley who had courage. The entire 700,000th unit could be said to have made a name for themselves.

Ten thousand teams broke into scattered units on the battlefield, cooperating flawlessly, and relying solely on their legs, they completely wiped out two ten-thousand corps of the Army! They captured over three thousand prisoners!

This wasn’t just Pickley’s achievement, but the glory of their entire army group.

The staff officer standing beside him spoke with a smile.

"Then you certainly misunderstood him. A wolf with cubs is much more than one without."

"Hiss... Makes sense," Duwata’s eyes lit up as he touched his chin and pondered.

Once the battle is over, he would solve the matchmaking issues for the old bachelors in the unit.

Not only as a favor, but also so he’d have something to leverage.

Maybe bring in some female soldiers who could dance?

While he was mulling over this, an orderly burst in with a report, jogging through the door.

"Report, General! The command center has sent a message that the Heavenly Palace will fall within twenty-four hours. Leader Absek hopes you’ll dispatch a logistics unit to assist in evacuating the residents near the Heavenly Palace!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the frontline command center was stunned, especially Duwata.

"The Heavenly Palace... falling?" Staring dumbfounded at the messenger at the door, Duwata, perplexed and at a loss, asked, "What happened? What’s going on?"

The messenger looked troubled.

"Report, General! Leader Absek didn’t specify..."

The frontline command center fell silent for a long time.

The adjutant beside Duwata finally broke the silence, mouth agape, and said with a look of disbelief.

"The Heavenly Palace has been floating there for two centuries, how could it fall?"

The officer standing across the command table also nodded, skeptical as he said.

"Could it be a mistake..."

"Absek wouldn’t joke about this, and it doesn’t benefit him either," the staff officer wrinkled his brow in thought for a moment, his eyes flickering slightly, and continued in a very soft voice, "But if the Heavenly Palace does collapse... it might be possible to make an issue out of it."

And with that, his words ended.

He expressed his thoughts and then stopped speaking, as his role was just to offer suggestions.

There was only one person here who could actually make a decision.

Duwata squinted slightly, his face wearing an inscrutable expression.

Ultimately, he said nothing further, merely raised his broad hand with a wave.

"Wab, take the logistics team there yourself, and regardless of what happens, rescue the people first."

The adjutant standing next to him straightened up, saluted, and responded sternly.

"Yes!"

...

Following General Duwata’s orders, trucks, ox carts, and a medley of vehicles swiftly swarmed to the edge of the Heavenly Palace.

The soldiers accompanying the vehicles gradually jumped off the trucks, knocking on doors house by house.

"Open up!"

Hearing the pounding knocks, the old man who hadn’t slept all night hastily got up from his bed, rushed to the door, and pulled open the bolt securing the wooden door.

Seeing the soldier standing at the door, he wore a bewildered expression, unsure of what was happening, and shakily asked.

"Have the Weilante people come back again?"

The soldier spoke rapidly.

"The heavenly palace is going to collapse, hurry back and pack your things, once you’re done, come with us!"

"What?!" The old man’s face changed instantly upon hearing this, his eyes widened and his voice stuttered, "The, the heaven is going to collapse?!"

"It’s the heavenly palace!"

The soldier didn’t want to waste words with him, giving a perfunctory reply, then hurriedly went to knock on the door of the next house.

The old man stood dumbfounded at the door, his head buzzing, dazed for a long time without moving.

It’s not heaven collapsing, it’s the heavenly palace collapsing...

Only after a long time did he come to his senses, but then his dumbfounded expression turned into one of helplessness.

Isn’t it the same thing!

There were quite a few people reacting like the old man.

Upon hearing that the heavenly palace was going to collapse, their faces turned deathly pale, as if it was heaven collapsing, more despairing than when the King first entered the city.

Carrying big bags and little bags, they boarded the car, several old men sat together sighing.

"Why is the heavenly palace, which was fine, suddenly going to collapse..."

"Even when the King came he couldn’t topple the heavenly palace... But this Absek, the emperor hasn’t sat for a few days, and he brought down such a big palace."

"Truly wasteful!"

"Actually, this matter isn’t entirely his fault, his fate isn’t suited for the throne, this is heaven’s warning, alas... Hopefully, he will act wisely."

Besides the superstitious elderly, there were also young people sighing, yawning and complaining to each other while holding luggage.

"I don’t live in the heavenly palace... what does it have to do with me?"

"Exactly..."

The soldier driving didn’t care about them, after all, he was under General Duwata, this group of people were complaining about Absek, not his boss.

But to be honest, they also found it strange, if the heavenly palace is collapsing, they just need to move the things inside, why bother the people living outside the heavenly palace?

In fact, it’s understandable why the soldiers were thinking this way.

Although the heavenly palace was hovering nearby, very few actually went up to see it; most only knew there was a thing like that without understanding it concretely.

The entire "construction area" of the heavenly palace must be at least one hundred thousand square meters, and countless tons of things piled on top.

Such a massive structure falling from over ten meters high, that power is no joke, it could stir up a small scale earthquake right in the center of Tiandu.

Of course, it wasn’t just the survivors living near the heavenly palace who needed to be evacuated.

There were also artifacts and treasures stored in the palace, as well as the Kaba Committee Member and his family held in the depths of the palace.

Luckily, dawn had already arrived, most were awake even if they had stayed up all night, the entire moving process went smoothly without causing major chaos.

After handling nearby matters, Absek rushed to the site personally, running into Yang Kai the researcher disembarking from the research ship.

Quickening his pace, he went straight up, urgently asking without any greeting.

"What happened?! Didn’t you say it could last another ten or twenty years? How did it become twenty-four hours?!"

Faced with Absek’s question, Yang Kai’s face showed a bit of awkwardness.

He indeed had said that, but no one expected plans couldn’t keep up with changes.

"Well... theoretically, yes. According to our detection of the helium-3 element in the energy storage tank, there shouldn’t be a problem for the anti-gravity device to continue functioning for another ten or twenty years."

"Then why——"

"However, we later found the pressurization pipe of the storage tank was broken, causing the density of the helium-3 element to fall below the intake threshold of the reactor fuel pump."

Absek was listening in confusion, with a bewildered expression, taking a while to roughly understand it was a fuel problem, so anxiously asked further.

"Can’t more fuel be added inside?"

"Impossible," Yang Kai shook his head, "So much work has been done on this starship, the fact it’s still operational is a miracle in itself, fixing it is as difficult as building a new one from scratch."

Hearing this, Absek nearly spat out old blood.

"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!"

Yang Kai looked exasperatedly at him.

"If I could foresee the future, I of course would’ve told you earlier. Besides, you should ask the previous chieftains why they piled so many useless decorative pieces on a freight starship."

Absek’s face turned into liver color, but he couldn’t refute.

Seeing Absek speechless, Yang Kai also felt a bit guilty, sighed, and patted his shoulder.

"...Don’t be too upset, it’s just one anti-gravity device, at worst, build another when conditions allow in the future."

Absek sighed, gazing wistfully at the palace.

"...The issue isn’t with the anti-gravity device, it’s that the thing is called the heavenly palace."

Yang Kai gave a nonchalant snort.

"So what?"

Looking at the researcher who didn’t care, Absek shook his head.

"...You’ll never understand."

Yang Kai shrugged.

He indeed didn’t understand.

Nor was he particularly interested in understanding...

...

Actually, Yang Kai’s estimated time was still a bit optimistic.

The floating palace didn’t last twenty-four hours, during twilight it crumbled shakily.

The marble steps over ten meters high crumbled first, under the terrifying tonnage, each step crumbled like tofu blocks.

The entire sky was like a giant stamp heavily pressing into the center of Tiandu City, raising billowing dust and debris, compressing the whole plaza down a person’s height.

The houses around the palace also crumbled in the earth-shattering shakes, roaring air currents carried the scattered bricks and tiles two streets away, making half the city dusty and grey.

Rolling dust swept out, colliding with the city wall then rising skyward, forming a pillar of smoke connecting heaven and earth.

The scene was truly spectacular.

Some players even purposefully ran back from the front lines just to witness the grandeur of the Heavenly Palace’s crash.

Compared to the earth-shattering impact, the collapse of the Jushi Inner City was a mere whisper.

"Wow... this feels even more thrilling than last night."

Looking at the pillar of smoke connecting heaven and earth, Elena, sitting on the Chimera Armored Car, couldn’t help but sigh.

Gnome King Riches also unconsciously nodded.

"... This expansion pack was worth it."

Just this CG alone feels worth the price of admission.

Of course.

They didn’t buy a ticket when they got on.

As they watched, several propeller planes of the Goblin Corps emerged from the smoke, circling towards the North Suburb airport.

Elena didn’t even need to look up to know that Mosquito Brother was definitely sitting up there.

Sitting on the armored car, he could already hear the gleeful laugh of those who loved to watch the show.

But watching is just watching.

He hoped that guy wouldn’t do anything that hurts the feelings of the locals...

...

For the entire day, the mood of the residents of Tiandu was like a roller coaster.

They spent a sleepless night in fretful anxiety, finally welcoming the dawn of victory. However, as everything seemed to be ending, fate played yet another prank on them by brutally smashing their sacred hall.

The symbolic significance of that floating palace was not as prominent as the City of Thousand Pillars, yet it was considered a spiritual totem by the survivors in Poluo Country.

Among most survivors of Poluo Province, there is a common understanding.

Whoever sits on the chair in the Heavenly Palace is the emperor of Poluo Province!

If the thousand pillars of the City of Thousand Pillars house the souls of the survivors of Poluo Province, then the palace suspended above the ten thousand people is the tangible embodiment of their spirit.

It’s no exaggeration to say it even became a symbol of political legitimacy.

If this incident had happened at another time, Absek might not have cared, since his position as leader was never based on legitimacy, but on the power of his rifles.

But this ominous event occurred precisely at the moment of victory in the Tiandu defensive battle.

This undeniably cast a shadow over the hard-won victory...

However, not everyone laments.

Some shed tears of mourning as they look at the ruins, while others clap their hands in joy at the collapse of the decayed.

Like Kaba Committee Member just out of the Heavenly Palace.

Ignoring the obstruction from the internal affairs personnel, he stubbornly remained at the edge of the barricade, widening his eyes watching till the end, then began clapping enthusiastically.

"Hahaha! Great that it’s collapsed! Great collapse! The mountain riding on Poluo people’s heads has finally fallen!"

Tiandu’s survivors spent two centuries constructing this palace, but its significance was only for displaying the majesty of the royal family.

The ten-meter-high marble staircase was like an untraversable red line.

Below it is dust, above it is imperial power.

This aerial pavilion should never have existed from the start.

Those shedding tears for it never truly owned it for even a second, so what about losing it? Instead, its collapse shattered the final shackles, which ought to be a deeply satisfying event.

Only when this indisputable authority fell could a flourishing golden era truly arrive!

Perhaps he was too idealistic, but he always felt Absek had no need to be so pessimistic.

Their legitimacy doesn’t have to be sought from that old authority, it could also stem from the genuine support of Poluo Province survivors.

Unless that guy still longs to be the emperor of Poluo Country.

But Kaba wasn’t worried about such a thing happening.

Because if that guy truly had such thoughts, he’d inevitably be disappointed in the end.

The survivors of Poluo Country have risen!

No one can make them kneel again.

Looking at the flushed Kaba Committee Member, the surrounding internal affairs personnel looked at each other in dismay.

While others were wiping their tears, this old man was clapping, which was rather conspicuous.

It’s akin to playing the horn at a funeral.

No matter how correct the sentiments, placing them in the wrong occasion might still seem unnecessary.

Faced with their superior’s silent signals, an internal affairs staff member finally plucked up the courage to step forward, whispering into the old man’s ear.

"Mr. Kaba, please follow us to a safe place... the war isn’t over yet, we can’t say when Vellante people’s planes might fly over."

Fearing the old fellow wouldn’t give face, he promptly followed up.

"The teachers and students of Tiandu still need you."

Kaba initially did not intend to show a favorable expression to Absek’s "lackeys," but the last sentence certainly struck a chord, silently following them away.

Not only do the teachers and students of Tiandu still need him, but so do the other states of Poluo Country.

His vision for the future is not just one Tiandu University, but a complete bottom-up educational system.

In the future, the children of Poluo Province will not only have bright classrooms and spacious desks, they will also have a brand new world where they can freely express themselves in writing.

Whether their pursuits are to climb the academic heights or to realize self-worth, or merely for practical power or money, they can make choices based on their own lives, rather than being cornered like a mouse.

Just like the children of the City of Dawn.

This is not only his wish, but also that of Mr. Mouse.

He may not have much time left, but he will devote all the time he has left to this cause...

...

Just as Tiandu City was in an uproar due to the collapse of the Heavenly Palace, the defeated 300,000th South Army Corps managed to escape from the encirclement of the joint forces after a relentless 24-hour-long march, retreating to the western side of Akale County.

More than a month ago, they had fiercely defeated the Alliance’s Death Legion and three ten thousand troops from Poluo Country here.

The overwhelming bombardment back then nearly leveled the entire mountain range, and the enemy’s blood turned the rushing river waters red.

However, things are different now. The brothers who once marched east with fierce determination were now only reduced to a force of over three thousand returning.

The disbanded troops were still fleeing in disarray, and among those who had retreated, most were wounded.

Sitting in the command vehicle, Ryan’s face was gloomy, his eyes staring numbly out the window, seemingly waiting for something.

At this moment, the adjutant opened the car door from outside and hurriedly sat inside.

His boots were soaked with mud, as were his pants and clothes, but these details were the least of his concerns now.

Out of breath, he managed to swallow his saliva before hastily speaking.

"We’ve got news from the 307th thousand team. They’re resting in a forest... Damn, these guys are like a bunch of startled birds, they almost shot at us."

Seeing Ryan remain silent, he took a deep breath and continued in an earnest tone.

"... General, the soldiers are exhausted. If we continue like this, even the remaining will fall behind. Let’s rest for a bit before moving on."

Ryan pondered for a good half a minute, only responding with a simple "Hmm."

However, upon hearing the "Hmm," his adjutant breathed a sigh of relief, expressing his gratitude before hurriedly leaving the command vehicle.

Two ten thousand troops of the servant army were bringing thirty thousand soldiers of the Glory Army towards their location, along with reinforcements flying in from the Evernight Harbor Air Force Base.

Now that they had retreated to a safe place, there was no longer a need for the previous rush.

The biggest fear now was that they would lose their composure before the enemy even arrived.

As the car door closed, silence returned to the command vehicle.

The officers held their breath cautiously, even breathing carefully.

"I’m going out for a smoke."

Unable to stand the atmosphere in the command vehicle, Ryan stood up from his seat, opened the car door, and went out.

Seeing the general step off the vehicle, everyone finally relaxed their taut nerves.

Ryan, after disembarking, lit a cigarette for himself and then strolled around to clear his mind.

Although he hadn’t slept all night, he didn’t feel sleepy at all, nor could he sleep.

Whenever he closed his eyes, the boiling flames would appear in his mind, followed by faces both unfamiliar and familiar.

He didn’t want to blame the failure of that battle on his mistake because he hadn’t lost to a visible opponent, but to a lack of intelligence or an unseen card.

If he had known the slugs in the marsh had a way to bring down airships, he would never have adopted a suppressive assault tactic, launching a simultaneous offensive with both airborne and ground iron forces.

But these were matters of the past.

Even if this wasn’t a mistake, his crushing defeat was an unchangeable fact.

Looking at the soldiers leaning against trees with their drooping heads, a sudden, inexplicable fire surged within him.

Their expressions seemed to tell him he had already lost.

That was something he absolutely refused to acknowledge, something he could never accept.

He absolutely could not lose.

Definitely could not lose!

He must win!

Deeply inhaling the last bit, he threw the cigarette butt forcefully on the ground, stomping it out, and yelled at the downcast soldiers and officers.

"Raise your heads!"

Hearing the hysterical roar, one by one, buried heads were lifted.

Their faces were filled with exhaustion, along with pessimism that Ryan despised the most.

Weilante people shouldn’t be like this!

They should boldly move forward, not flinching even if Hell awaited them!

"... Look at you now, like a bunch of defeated cocks. I’m truly ashamed of you!"

"Think of your parents, your friends, and family. Is sighing and failure what you promised them when you parted? Absolutely not!"

He clenched his fist, looking at the soldiers who had stood up, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Don’t forget why you came! Remember! Your glory, your medals, and your dignity!"

"Your children will live on land bathed in sunshine! They will erect statues in your honor, grateful for your past bravery! Do you plan to stand before them like this? Raise your heads! Tell me! Weilante people have no cowards!"

The thunderous roar echoed at the edge of the forest, forcing even those who preferred to close their eyes and not listen to stand up.

Watching the impassioned commander, a young man of seventeen or eighteen couldn’t help but grumble with his head hung low.

"But we..."

"We did not lose!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Ryan grabbed his collar, fixing a sharp gaze into his eyes.

The sharp gaze pierced like a dagger, tearing through the iris, stabbing straight at the heart.

Ryan continued to stare at him until his pupil reflected fear, which then transformed into determination amidst rapid breathing, only then did he release his grip, leaving the young man aside.

Looking around at the reinvigorated brothers, Ryan raised his clenched fist to his chin, as if gripping the rope strangling his throat.

"We did not lose!"

"The final victory will definitely belong to us!"

A single battle proved nothing; the battered structure could be replenished, even rebuilt if lost.

Surviving centurions would become commanders, with a continuous stream of new recruits reinforcing from the rear to the frontlines.

Weilante people had abundant manpower both in the mainland and colonies, even excluding natives and clones, they still possessed millions or even tens of millions of warriors!

Just forty thousand brothers...

He would reclaim this blood debt sooner or later!