The cabinet ministers, after viewing the videos and various images, were filled with shock and disbelief, tinged with a nameless dread. A royal ghost shrine, impossible to possess firearms, yet capable of such a terrifying explosion, could only mean the empire's secret within! Who had provoked it, causing such fury?
"Order the military to immediately transmit real-time information from the shrine!" R nation's high command issued an urgent decree. Warfare involving such a powerful entity could not be monitored by ordinary electronic equipment; only military-grade, specially shielded devices would suffice.
The R nation's military, upon receiving the order, immediately dispatched specialized reconnaissance aircraft.
At the Imperial Palace, overlooking the fallen kingdom's ghost shrine, Prince Ushiro Sakura sat gracefully on a mat, sipping tea. Noticing the intense light emanating from the northwest, he tilted his head slightly, glancing out through the floor-to-ceiling window, and then shook his head. He then picked up a piece of wood and a carving knife beside him and began to carve with concentration.
Princess Aoha, standing nearby, refilled his teacup. She also quietly glanced towards the northwest, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Suddenly, Prince Ushiro Sakura, who had been silent, spoke. "Who do you think... will emerge?"
Princess Aoha quickly turned to look at Prince Ushiro Sakura, only to find him looking at her with a gentle smile, his eyes narrowed.
She returned his smile and asked, "Your Highness, whom are you referring to?"
Prince Ushiro Sakura withdrew his gaze and continued carving the wooden sculpture in his hands. "Bai Ye and the Flame Toad."
The Flame Toad?
Princess Aoha was startled. Was Mr. Bai's move so swift? With countless thoughts flashing through her mind, Princess Aoha regained her composure and smiled, retorting, "Was the anomaly over there caused by Mr. Bai? Then... who do you think will win?"
"You wish for Bai Ye to win?" Prince Ushiro Sakura offered another gentle smile, a smile that seemed to pierce through everything...
Sensing the anomaly in Prince Ushiro Sakura's smile, Princess Aoha paused slightly, then bowed deeply. "Yes. I hope Mr. Bai wins!"
Prince Ushiro Sakura glanced at her. Seeing that she remained calm and composed, he chuckled softly and took another sip of tea. "I also hope he wins."
...
The Prime Minister's Official Residence.
The specialized reconnaissance aircraft had reached the fallen kingdom's ghost shrine, finally transmitting the battlefield situation to the R nation's Prime Minister and cabinet ministers. The moment they saw the real-time video of the ghost shrine, all of them were utterly stunned.
Above the ruins of the fallen kingdom's ghost shrine, amidst the rolling smoke, a man in black stood in mid-air, his gaze coldly fixed on the ruins below.
This man in black, they recognized. They would never forget him even if he turned to ash.
"Bai Ye!"
"How could it be him?"
"Why is he at our shrine? Could it be that Lord Fire God made his move?"
"So, Lord Fire God wasn't angry because of us, but because of him! That's great!!"
"Excellent! He's delivered himself. Lord Fire God must be enraged too!!!"
The cabinet ministers, initially bewildered and terrified, then burst into joyous exclamations. Vaguely, they saw a colossal figure stirring within the giant pit filled with smoke and flames. Their excitement grew.
"It's Lord Fire God! It seems to be Lord Fire God!"
"Is Lord Fire God using the power of his true form? It seems this Bai Ye has truly angered Lord Fire God! He's finished!! Hahaha!!"
"Lord Fire God is an S-class terrifying existence! This troublesome fellow is definitely finished!"
"I heard the Summer Nation intends to groom him as a guardian? Heh heh... I propose we use this opportunity to strike a blow..."
Just as the cabinet ministers were fantasizing about how to suppress the Great Xia Nation, the colossal figure emerging from the giant pit caused their excited discussion to abruptly cease.
"This... how is this possible?"
"How can it be?"
"Lord Fire God... is injured? Did this fellow do it?"
"No... do you believe that?"
The toad demon, as it climbed out of the deep pit, had a bloody patch on its back. Its terrifying left jaw corner was also scorched! The cabinet ministers of R nation instantly felt the sky collapsing. Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Lord Fire God was an S-class existence who could easily destroy a city; he shouldn't be injured!!!
"Guaaa!!!"
An incredibly enraged croak roared from the toad demon's enormous mouth. The signal was interrupted, the video feed dropped, and even residential areas in the park surrounding the fallen kingdom's ghost shrine lost power and signal; all modern electronic devices malfunctioned!
Ruins of the Fallen Kingdom's Ghost Shrine.
"Spatial power, lightning power, though not very strong, they have already surprised this old croaker. I didn't expect you to also possess fire power!"
"Impressive! Very impressive!"
"This old croaker is curious—if I devour you, will I gain these strange powers?"
"This old croaker can't—wait—any—longer!!"
The toad demon's eyes were bloodshot with rage. After a few roars, it opened its massive mouth, and a large fireball condensed within, containing incredibly violent fiery energy!
"Sky-Burning Fire!!!"
The colossal fireball, like the blazing sun, shot towards Bai Ye in the air at an extreme speed. The intense firelight illuminated all of Tokyo, as if night had passed and day had dawned! People on the streets, immersed in their romantic nightlife, looked up in unison, exclaiming at the spectacle!
Sky-Burning Fire? What arrogance!
Seeing the toad demon unleash its ultimate move on the second encounter, Bai Ye, floating in the air, revealed a sneer. Without hesitation, his energy surged. The battle with Lydian had reminded him that in such fights, a direct lethal blow was the way to go. Moreover, he had no intention of subduing this demon that had consumed humans...
"Spatial—Imprisonment!"
"Hellfire!"
"World-Devouring Fire Dragon!!!"