Chapter 254: Su Yun Reaches Title Douluo, Tang San Worries
"Someone wants to see us?"
Ning Fengzhi and the other two sect masters were taken aback. However, since Sword Douluo had come, it was surely not an ordinary person.
When the four of them returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they saw six people sitting in the hall.
Six Soul Douluo!
Ning Fengzhi, Tang Xiao, and Yu Yuanzhen exchanged glances, their shock undisguised.
Indeed, the combined forces of the top three sects included many Title Douluo and Soul Douluo, but compared to the strength currently displayed by the Spirit Empire, they were still at a disadvantage.
Six Soul Douluo constituted a considerable fighting force!
"May I know where you all come from? What important matters bring you to us?" After Ning Fengzhi entered the hall and took a seat with Tang Xiao and Yu Yuanzhen, his gaze swept over the six Soul Douluo, focusing on the one with the strongest presence.
These six were naturally the last remaining elders of the Star Luo Empire.
The leading elder did not conceal anything. After revealing his identity, he laid out the Star Luo Empire's plan in full.
"A high-stakes gamble!" Ning Fengzhi said solemnly after hearing the plan of the Star Luo Empire's royal elder. "Aren't you afraid you'll have no chance of turning the tide?"
"Indeed, it is a gamble," the elder nodded. "But it is also out of necessity."
The elder looked at Ning Fengzhi and said softly, "To be honest, Sect Master Ning, since there are no members of the royal family here, I can speak candidly."
"Although intelligence reports said that the Heaven Dou Empire dispatched troops to aid our Star Luo, in reality, the one sitting on the emperor's throne might be happy to see our Star Luo Empire destroyed."
At these words, the three sect masters present fell silent.
None of them were fools.
For those in power, the most painful thing is having parts of the world that are beyond their control.
The Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire had experienced constant conflicts for over a hundred years. If it weren't for the Spirit Hall's intervention, the Heaven Dou Empire might have been destroyed by the Star Luo Empire long ago.
Therefore, in this alliance, while they appeared united against the Spirit Hall, in reality, each hoped the Spirit Hall would first eliminate the other.
This way, once the Spirit Hall was defeated, they could easily take over the other's territory.
This principle also applied to the relationships between sects.
"Of course, I am not saying this to sow discord," the royal elder of the Star Luo Empire continued. "I am merely reminding you all that the Spirit Empire's current strength is unprecedented. Their military and public support far exceed our two empires."
"Their gradual conquest strategy involves occupying and educating each area before moving to the next, ensuring stability before expansion."
"If you remain passive and defensive, you will suffer in the long run."
"I know you have Tang San as your secret weapon, but don't forget, the Spirit Hall also has their Holy Son."
"If their side achieves godhood first, your fate will be ten times worse than that of the Star Luo Empire!"
"After all, the internal threats within the Star Luo Empire are not as significant as the threats you face!"
As he spoke, the royal elder's gaze swept over the gathered Title Douluo.
"So, what is your suggestion?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
"Our Star Luo Empire had no choice but to come up with this desperate plan."
"But you are different; you have Tang San."
"As long as Tang San can achieve godhood, even if only for a day, it will be enough to turn the tide."
"My suggestion is to use the power of the entire nation to help Tang San become a god!"
"Relying on ordinary soldiers and Soul Masters, you cannot defeat the Spirit Empire."
"Thanks to the Spirit Hall's presence across the continent, they have a continuous influx of fresh recruits."
"And now, your only hope is Tang San!"
"I believe that, besides your top three sects, the Heaven Dou Empire's treasury must also contain many precious treasures."
"This is the opportunity for you to have Emperor Xue Ye hand them over to your sects for Tang San."
The three sect masters carefully analyzed the elder's words and all agreed that he made a valid point.
Having the resolve to fight against the Spirit Empire is commendable.
But recklessly risking their lives would be courting death.
"You've said so much, seemingly for the benefit of our top three sects and the Heaven Dou Empire?" Ning Fengzhi raised his eyebrows and looked at the elder from the Star Luo Empire. "Aren't you worried that after we defeat the Spirit Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire will occupy your lands, making it impossible to restore your country?"
Tang Xiao and Yu Yuanzhen also turned their gaze toward the elder.
"Hehe, I believe the three of you wouldn't want to see only one empire dominating this continent."
The elder of the royal family chuckled. "Although I do not like the existence of the Spirit Hall, I believe that you, the top three sects, also recognize the role the Spirit Hall plays."
"As long as there are enemies like the Spirit Hall and our Star Luo Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire will need the help of sect soul masters to fend off foreign threats."
"But if both our Star Luo Empire and the Spirit Hall cease to exist, how long do you think the Heaven Dou Empire will tolerate the existence of your sects?"
"A thousand years? A hundred years? Or even ten years?"
When all the birds are gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning hare is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.
No ruler would tolerate an entity within their territory that stands above their own regime.
Especially when the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family doesn't even have a single Title Douluo?
Given time, once their strength increases, the first target they will eliminate will be your sects.
Ning Fengzhi and the others exchanged glances once more.
They understood the elder's implication.
Immediately, after secretly sending off the six Soul Douluo, the three of them went together to see Emperor Xue Ye.
Naturally, they did not want to overly deplete their sect's soul masters by fighting for the Heaven Dou royal family.
And now, using the resources of the Heaven Dou royal family to help Tang San become a god was something they were more than willing to do.
After all, Tang San was one of their top three sects, and also the son-in-law of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
If Tang San became a god, the ones who would benefit the most would naturally be them.
Faced with the demands of the three major sects, the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family did not refuse.
They were well aware that their chance to turn the tide rested with Tang San.
Thus, they generously provided a large amount of resources.
...
"Su Yun, you handled the matter with the Star Luo Empire very well this time." Bibi Dong was very satisfied with Su Yun's handling of the situation. Accepting the Star Luo Empire's surrender not only reduced the loss of Spirit Empire soldiers but also increased the trust of many civilians in the Spirit Empire.
"The Star Luo Empire traded their high-ranking officials' lives for our acceptance. We should accept them all."
Looking at the sand table on the desk, Su Yun said, "I also understand their thoughts. They believe that relying on Zhuqing, they can bide their time and find an opportunity to strike back."
"But they are thinking too simply. I won't give them that chance."
"What are your thoughts on the next steps?" Bibi Dong asked.
Su Yun placed a flag on the sand table: "Recuperate and temporarily halt the offensive."
"The Star Luo Empire's territory is enough for us to consume for a long time. There's no need to rush to take down the Heaven Dou."
"The rationale is clear to you as well, Teacher."
Bibi Dong nodded slowly, using this time to prepare for her ninth Rakshasa trial.
"Are you sure you don't need me to send someone to observe Tang San on Seagod Island?" Bibi Dong suddenly asked.
"That boy not only has the power of the Sea God but also the Asura God. If we're not careful, both you and I could be overturned by him."
Bibi Dong did not underestimate Tang San.
After all, like her, he had twin martial souls and dual god-level inheritances, which were not to be taken lightly.
"No need, no matter how fast Tang San is, he can't surpass us." Su Yun knew that with the normal cultivation speed on Seagod Island, Tang San could not keep up. "Besides, I feel I'm getting closer to that level myself."
As his soul power gradually increased, Su Yun became more sensitive to the flow of time.
Bibi Dong's eyes lit up at his words: "That's good news."
The thought of her man becoming the God of Time made Bibi Dong quite happy.
"Come to my room tonight."
"Huh?" Su Yun was taken aback by the sudden statement.
"What, you don't want to?" Bibi Dong's expression turned from joy to warning, seeing Su Yun's reaction, "Are you planning to go to that other woman's place tonight?"
Su Yun quickly shook his head like a drum, explaining, "No, I just thought..."
Bibi Dong didn't listen and walked straight out of the room: "If you don't come tonight, don't ever get on my bed again."
As time passed, Su Yun finally broke through to the realm of Title Douluo.
The news spread across the continent like wildfire.
A seventeen-year-old Title Douluo!
It's unprecedented, not something that will easily be surpassed.
Especially in the former Star Luo Empire, now part of the Spirit Empire, the citizens clapped and celebrated upon hearing the news.
Initially, although the commoners of the former Star Luo Empire didn't resist the Spirit Empire, they didn't have much affection for it either. To them, it was merely a change of rulers.
Though the Spirit Empire was slightly better than the Star Luo Empire, it was only by a small margin.
However, with the establishment of civilian academies, providing education on martial souls to those unable to awaken or with zero soul power, creating numerous job opportunities, and more, many commoners who were previously oppressed by nobles began to stand tall.
Behind these beneficial policies was the influence of Su Yun, the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall.
"No wonder he's called the Holy Son Su!"
"I've heard of the Holy Son Su for a long time. I've always believed that in the world today, only our Spirit Empire's Holy Son Su deserves the title of the greatest genius!"
"A seventeen-year-old Title Douluo, who can compare?"
"I heard that Holy Son Su was originally from the Heaven Dou Empire, but unfortunately, their soul master system was too backward. Except for the academies established by the Spirit Hall, other soul master academies only admitted nobles."
"This is why our Spirit Empire is better. Now, even though my son has no soul power, he is learning a lot about martial soul theory. Maybe he can become a teacher at a soul master academy in the future."
"..."
In contrast to the joy in the Spirit Empire, most commoners in the Heaven Dou Empire began to envy the lives of the Spirit Empire's citizens.
After all, their commoners had their own land and could disregard class distinctions, allowing their children to learn martial soul theory.
While they, on the other hand, could only work for the nobles.
The difference was stark.
As a result, many people living near the border had already fled to the Spirit Empire.
In the Heaven Dou royal palace.
"Your Majesty, these are the actions taken by the Spirit Empire over the past year." After sorting through the intelligence, a member of the Heaven Dou Empire's think tank reported all the information in the grand hall.
At this moment, the palace was silent.
It wasn't that they didn't want to speak; it was because what the Spirit Empire had done was astonishing.
It could be said that their actions completely undermined the interests of the nobles and the royal family.
In fact, what the Spirit Empire did not only did not harm the ruling class's interests but also stabilized the lower class and reduced conflicts.
However, the Spirit Hall had no nobles, to begin with, so they could implement such measures smoothly.
But for the Heaven Dou Empire, trying to change everything would be equivalent to shaking the very foundation of their rule.
"The Spirit Empire's actions are indeed surprising," Emperor Xue Ye immediately saw through their intentions—to benefit the commoners and consolidate their rule.
In truth, Emperor Xue Ye had also thought of doing the same.
But unfortunately, it was fraught with difficulties.
The Heaven Dou Empire's operational model had been established since its founding, with intertwined interests from top to bottom.
If he issued a decree,
it might be executed without harming the nobles' interests. But if it did, it would be doomed to fail.
"Sect Master Ning, what is the current progress on Tang San's side?" Emperor Xue Ye changed the topic to Tang San.
Now that Su Yun of the Spirit Empire had reached the Title Douluo realm, if Tang San did not show progress despite all the resources given by the Heaven Dou royal family, it would be unacceptable.
Ning Fengzhi nodded and said, "Your Majesty, thanks to the resources of the Heaven Dou royal family, Tang San has already passed the Seagod's fifth and sixth trials, and is close to succeeding in the seventh."
"I believe that within two years, he will become a god and heal Your Majesty's illness, which is certain."
"Two years?"
Emperor Xue Ye pondered and said, "The Spirit Empire has now completely assimilated the Star Luo Empire, and they probably won't give us two years."
Ning Fengzhi smiled wryly, "Your Majesty, the path to godhood is not something that can be achieved merely by accumulating resources."
"I understand that. If that's the case, I won't ask more."
Emperor Xue Ye was straightforward: "If Tang San needs anything, the Heaven Dou royal family will provide all resources."
"Please convey the message that the Heaven Dou royal family eagerly anticipates the day Tang San becomes a god."
"But also remind Tang San to hurry. According to recent intelligence, the Spirit Empire is already preparing to move."
Ning Fengzhi and the others nodded in agreement: "We understand."
Meanwhile, on Seagod Island.
Tang San looked at the Seagod's Heart in front of him, his face showing worry.
(End of the Chapter)
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