Although these evil spirit masters do not belong to the Necromancer Cult, as long as they are not evil spirit masters who have committed evil deeds, the forces of Star Luo City will not punish them.
The Necromancers' control over evil spirit masters reached its zenith.
In the Star Luo Empire, there are almost no evil spirit masters who can do evil anymore.
In each village, the Necromancer's Church has placed puppets with awakened martial spirits. When these puppets sense strong negative emotions and killing, they will automatically sense the undead demiplane and summon powerful undead to defend against external enemies.
After the establishment of the Necromancer's Holy Law Cult, it slaughtered countless evil spirit masters who wreaked havoc on the human world, causing the Star Luo Empire's fear of evil spirit masters to drop to zero.
Other forces, while despising evil soul masters, followed local customs. Since the Star Luo Empire had such a national policy, and neither their own empire nor the soul master community raised any objections, and since these evil soul masters from the Holy Light Church did not pose a real threat to them, no one paid attention to whether they were actually evil soul masters.
I'm here to watch the game; as long as I enjoy it, that's all that matters.
Among the favorites to win the championship, the Royal Soul Master Academy of the Heavenly Soul Empire is the most mysterious.
They didn't encounter any strong teams in the round-robin tournament; it was mostly the reserve team that played. Even when the main team members played, they didn't release their martial spirits. Therefore, the other participants and spectators didn't really know much about their background.
This has greatly aroused people's curiosity about them.
Moreover, besides these top contenders, the other teams are also formidable.
This year's All-Continent Elite Soul Master Competition is full of unpredictable twists and turns, and no one can guess who the champion will be.
Zuiyun Pavilion is the largest brothel in Xingluo City.
Every day, countless powerful and wealthy people come here to drink and drown their sorrows, and... hehehe.
But actually, this is an even more important place: the largest underground casino in Xingluo City.
Zhao Liu was a wealthy merchant in the Heavenly Soul Empire, but unfortunately, he lacked the talent of a Soul Master. Even with the help of his wealth, it would be difficult for him to break through to the Great Soul Master level in his lifetime. However, his passion for the Soul Master profession only grew stronger with age.
He has never missed a single All-Continent Elite Soul Master Tournament. Moreover, even if he knows that Shrek Academy will win the championship, he will still go to the underground casino to bet on his empire's favorite team to win the championship.
Winning or losing doesn't matter; what matters is the attitude.
He was a fanatical patriot.
But this year's competition, after watching for so long, is the first time he feels that he might not lose again.
When Zhao Liu arrived at the entrance of Zuiyun Pavilion and saw the bustling scene, he couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.
"The last time I came here to place a bet was about twenty years ago. In the blink of an eye, I've grown so old."
With a slight self-deprecating laugh, he walked straight into the pavilion, ignoring the eager farewells of the beautiful women. His goal was clear: to head straight for the entrance to the underground casino.
After paying a large sum of gold soul coins, he was able to enter this super casino, which was several times more luxurious and decadent than the one above.
There are many different things to do here, but he wasn't interested in any of them.
He doesn't like gambling.
He doesn't even like money; he has no interest in it.
His happiest time was when he was a child and his soul power could still be increased, but now, he no longer has that kind of joy.
What good is having a lot of money? You can't take it with you when you're born, and you can't take it with you when you die.
As soon as Zhao Liu entered, he was greeted by a young servant.
"Distinguished guest, are you here to play tricks or place bets?"
The waiters here are very shrewd; they can tell at a glance whether a guest is wealthy or not.
This gentleman in front of me is a big customer.
If this guy is just trying to pull a fast one, he's sure he'll lose everything, down to his underwear.
However, if someone is just there to place bets, their enthusiasm will be much lower because this is the least profitable project in the entire casino, mainly because there is no room for maneuver.
But how could a casino, which is open for business, allow itself to lose money?
The most important thing for the opening is to attract customers to come and try out new things.
"I'm here to place bets. Where is the betting area?"
Upon hearing Zhao Liu's answer, the attendant Chen Duo felt a pang of disappointment, but he showed no sign of it. Instead, he explained with a smile...
"Distinguished guest, you've come at an inopportune time. All our projects related to this Continental Elite Soul Master Competition are temporarily suspended for three days."
Zhao Liu was very puzzled.
"Close the betting. Why? Isn't the situation perfect right now? Besides, the quarterfinals will be decided in two days."
"Guest, you may not know this, but we have received accurate information that the rules of the tournament will be completely changed in a few days. In order to be responsible to everyone, we will wait until everything is settled before opening the betting market. Rest assured, we will come up with the most favorable betting strategy for you at that time."
"Most suitable for us? More like most suitable for your casino." Zhao Liu muttered to himself, then fell silent and walked away.
But in his heart, he kept wondering what major event had happened that would cause the rules of this competition to be adjusted once again.
In this Star City, there are countless other people who share his feelings, and the students and forces participating in the competition are also completely unaware of what's going on.
Countless powerful individuals have gathered in Shrek City, while several large armies are stationed outside the city.
The major empires agreed to send troops to the far north for rescue, but a pre-war mobilization was needed before they set off, and the ownership of the spoils of war after the war also needed to be resolved.
Shrek City is located at the intersection of three great empires, and its prestige in the Soul Master world is extraordinary, making it the most suitable place for negotiations.
The Grand Marshal of the Heavenly Soul Empire was an elderly man nearing eighty years old, and also a senior titled Douluo in the Heavenly Soul Empire.
His martial spirit is the Vajra Pestle, and his title is Demon Suppressor.
Despite his advanced age, he is still very energetic and exudes a powerful aura, no less than that of a young person.
The leader of the Douling Empire was a middle-aged man with a gloomy face. He wore very luxurious clothes with a black tortoise emblem carved in gold.
It's obvious at a glance that he is a member of the Xuan Shui Sect, the most powerful noble family in the Dou Ling Empire.
Judging from his aura, although he has not reached the level of a Title Douluo, he is still a Soul Douluo-level expert. To be able to reach this level of cultivation at this age, and to serve as the commander-in-chief of the three armies of the Douling Empire, he must not be underestimated.
The person who came from the Star Luo Empire was none other than Huang Jinxu.
Xu Jiawei doesn't have many capable people, but Huang Jinxu is one of them. Moreover, his strength is among the best in the Star Luo Empire, making him the most suitable candidate.
Xu Jiawei actually wanted the ancestor to take action himself, but Xu Changsheng didn't want to waste his time.
The kings of the far north, the beast kings of a hundred thousand years, and the powerful clans were basically all wiped out by Huo Yuhao. Their mission was simply to harvest soul beasts, which was not difficult at all.
The other two empires will not attack the Sun Moon Empire, so although everyone is divided and disloyal during this encirclement and suppression, there is absolutely no possibility of internal strife.
Unless the Sun and Moon Empire launches an attack on them.
Otherwise, we can only coexist peacefully.
Compared to the Sun Moon Empire, the three great empires of Douluo Continent who lack time are Shrek Academy.
They need time to catch up with the Sun and Moon Empire, so they will not rashly start a war prematurely.
Meanwhile, the Sun and Moon Empire was also embroiled in internal strife. The Sun and Moon Emperor was terminally ill, and the princes were fighting tooth and nail for the throne. They would not launch an invasion war prematurely.
To repel external threats, one must first secure internal stability.
This alliance is undoubtedly a perfect one.
But each of the major empires harbored its own ulterior motives.The prerequisite for cooperation is that there must be mutual benefit.
As the saying goes, all the world's hustle and bustle is for profit, and all the world's noise is for gain.
It is clearly not enough for the major empires to join forces to attack the far north just to rescue the kidnapped powerful figures.
The Sun Moon Empire's situation was somewhat understandable, after all, the fate of more than a dozen level-nine soul masters was unknown, and a national protector had also been killed. Naturally, they were very anxious. However, the three great empires of Douluo Continent suffered very little loss.
To avoid the explosive power of Tang San's soul clone, Huo Yuhao sucked everyone into the undead demiplane. After they were safe, he threw the people from the three major empires of Douluo Continent out.
This time, he did not try to control these people; after all, he had his limits.
These people didn't bother him, and he didn't bother with them.
If it were an enemy, he would naturally not show mercy.
After becoming invincible, his mindset has changed significantly.
He only wanted to act tyrannically and defy the will of Heaven.
The three great empires of Douluo Continent suffered very few casualties, and it was their own fault. Originally, it was impossible for them to launch a large-scale war to go to the far north. However, a common interest drove the three great empires to agree to cooperate and go to the far north with the Sun Moon Empire to rescue people.
That is to seize the soul beast resources in the far north.
After the Shrek Academy beast tide incident, the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest were almost wiped out.
At first, the Soul Master world thought that the Soul Beasts had escaped into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, and that as long as they searched patiently, they could still find high-level Soul Beasts. However, as time went on, all the Soul Masters in the three great empires and the Douluo Continent knew about it.
The Star Dou Great Forest, known as the Soul Beast Basin and the forest upon which all Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent depend for survival, has had all its Soul Beasts wiped out.
Even plant-type soul beasts were almost all killed.
Ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts are extremely rare.
Even thousand-year-old soul beasts are extremely rare.
Even hundred-year-old soul beasts are not very numerous.
In the Star Dou Great Forest, the only things that can be seen everywhere are ten-year soul rings.
For some unknown reason, after a heavy rain in the Star Dou Great Forest, some ordinary wild beasts were awakened and all became ten-year-old soul beasts.
It is foreseeable that the Star Dou Great Forest will surely regain its former prosperity in a few years, but the people of the Soul Master world cannot wait that long.
With soul rings in short supply, the Sun Moon Empire immediately blocked the circulation of soul beasts and even dispatched its Protectorate to personally handle the matter.
Any force that dares to let the Demon Forest and other major forests' soul beasts of ten thousand years or more leave the empire will face a thunderous blow from the empire.
The Sun Moon Empire knew that the Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent had their fates strangled by Soul Rings.
It should be noted that the most recent batch of genius students at Shrek Academy all only had a white ten-year soul ring as their first soul ring.
In some factions on the Douluo Continent, even some Soul Emperors and Soul Saints who break through their cultivation levels can only obtain a hundred-year Soul Ring at most.
Yellow, purple, black, or yellow, purple, black, white.
This truly left the Soul Master community of Douluo Continent feeling utterly devastated.
In the Soul Master world of Douluo Continent, there is a classic joke circulating.
A fire-type powerhouse who was about to break through to the Soul Du Luo level was stuck halfway through his breakthrough because he had no soul ring and could only absorb a hundred-year-old soul ring to break through his cultivation. However, he did not expect that the energy of the yellow hundred-year-old soul ring was too low.
From then on, he completely lost his qualification to advance to the Soul Douluo level.
Soul masters in the Soul Master world began to complain that Shrek Academy had gone too far, destroying the only remaining cradle of Soul Rings on the continent.
Originally, there was the Sunset Forest in Douluo Continent where one could hunt for spirit rings, but ever since Tang San became a god ten thousand years ago, this forest has gradually withered away, and all the life force has been drawn to the core area.
Powerful soul beasts gradually disappeared, and over time, even thousand-year-old soul beasts became rare here.
Everyone guessed that these powerful soul beasts must have gone to the core area of Sunset Forest.
But this core area is surrounded by terrifying poisonous miasma and labyrinths.
Even with the combined strength of an entire nation, they could not advance even a single step.
After Sunset Forest was destroyed, Star Dou Great Forest became the only place to hunt for Soul Rings. However, it has now been destroyed as well. If this problem is not solved, Soul Masters on Douluo Continent will probably only have white and yellow Soul Rings in the future.
This is a nightmare.
After Xu Changsheng proposed the plan to seize the soul beast resources, the three empires immediately agreed.
The reason why the soul beasts in the far north can reproduce to this extent is not because of their rapid reproduction rate, but because they are not hunted by humans.
Firstly, the journey is long.
Traveling from the Douluo Continent to the far north, even in the northern border regions, takes some time. If it were inland, it would take ten days to half a month. This is one reason why it takes so long.
Secondly, there are very few ice and snow type martial souls, so the demand for soul rings from the far north is not very high. That's the second point.
The third and most important point is temperature.
As its name suggests, the far north is located in the far north with extremely low temperatures. To hunt high-level soul beasts, one must venture deep into the far north interior.
It's important to know that even at the very edge, the temperature in the far north is close to zero, and the deeper you go, the lower the temperature becomes. Even high-level Soul Masters would find it difficult to withstand the extreme cold.
Therefore, apart from a few powerful forces that can hunt soul beasts in the far north, other soul masters without a background can only accept their fate and choose to absorb low-level soul rings.
The three great empires clearly did not want to see this happen.
The soul beasts of the far north still have their merits.
The fire-type soul saint in that joke was truly unable to absorb ice-type soul rings; otherwise, with the power behind him, how could he not hunt down a ten-thousand-year-old ice-type soul beast?
It's all about timing and fate.
This time, the major empires have mobilized large armies, determined to reach the heart of the far north. With the help of the Sun Moon Empire's firepower, they will capture a large number of soul beasts in the far north, bring them back to the empire, and release them into the great forests where various countries raise soul beasts, thus solving the urgent problem of soul rings in the soul master world.
The three empires were not afraid of the Sun Moon Empire's army blocking their capture of soul beasts. Xu Changsheng tied the Sun Moon Empire together only because he was worried about the Sun Moon Empire raiding their homeland.
He had long wanted to go to the far north to steal the Soul Beast, but he never had the chance.
The capture of the ninth-level soul masters and guardians of the Mingde Hall of the Sun Moon Empire presents an excellent opportunity to force them to send troops to the far north.
This is a blatant conspiracy.
The people of the Sun and Moon Empire might not be oblivious either; everyone was tacitly aware of it.
The distribution of benefits is of paramount importance.
.
The three empires had long since stationed their troops outside Shrek City and had held several secret talks.
After all, they were the allies to whom the Sun and Moon Empire could entrust their backs before its demise.
After a long day of waiting, the army of the Sun and Moon Empire finally arrived.
The sound of countless galloping hooves and the roar of flying soul tools could be heard from afar. The earth trembled every moment. Even without sending out scout teams to investigate, it was clear that the army of the Sun Moon Empire had arrived.
Moreover, the leading Soul Guidance Legion had the symbol of the Purple-Eyed Heavenly Dragon engraved on its banner.
This is the Imperial Dragon Soul Guidance Corps, the leader of the five major Soul Guidance Corps and the head of the Guardians of the Nation.
The implications are self-evident.
The Imperial Dragon Soul Guardians protect the royal family and will not leave the capital unless the Sun and Moon Emperors personally lead an expedition.
Now that the Imperial Dragon Soul Guild is at the forefront, the person who will arrive must be Crown Prince Xu Tianran.
After all, the Emperor of the Sun and Moon, with his appearance, could not possibly be going on a campaign to the far north.
On the walls of Shrektown.
The Demon Suppressor Douluo, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo, and Xu Shu, the commander of the Douluo Spirit Empire, all stared solemnly ahead.
"The Sun and Moon Empire has great ambition, appointing the Crown Prince as commander-in-chief to lead troops to the far north."
"He's not afraid that this is a conspiracy, that we'll kill him and then the position of crown prince will benefit the other princes and grandsons of the Sun and Moon Empire."
With a gloomy expression, Xu Shu said something sarcastic.
"Heh, do you even know how to use your hands?" Huang Jinxu scoffed.
Of course.
Whoever is the fool should strike.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Huang Jinxu gave a cold smile.
Everyone knew perfectly well that Xu Tianran dared to come in person because he understood the reasons behind it.
Moreover, if they really start fighting, it's uncertain who will live and who will die!
The two concealed auras beside Xu Tianran were no weaker than his, and the Sun Moon Empire was also skilled in using soul tools, which raised the bar even higher. In addition, there were the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool legions, none of which were easy to mess with.
With such a powerful enemy approaching, everyone in Shrek City was on high alert. Only after Lord Shih-hsing clearly saw the approaching force did he slowly breathe a sigh of relief.
"Open the city gates and let them out."
The movements of the major empires have been the talk of the town on both continents. This is the first time that the four major empires of these two continents have formed an alliance, which is a momentous event. The fact that it is taking place in Shrek City is an affirmation of Shrek's strength.
The Pavilion Master had given prior instructions that if the visitors were from the Sun and Moon Empire, they should be allowed to pass directly, and if anything changed, she could suppress everything.
Shrek City's gates swung open, and a young man in white stepped out from the throne, surrounded by countless Soul Masters at the forefront of the Sun Moon Empire.
The young man looked to be in his mid-twenties. He was dressed very simply, with bright eyes. Although he wasn't exactly handsome, he had the kind of imposing presence that comes with a superior. His dark skin shone with a healthy glow.
All members of the royal family of the Sun and Moon Empire have black skin; the more orthodox their bloodline, the darker their skin.
He is Xu Tianran, the Crown Prince and regent of the Sun and Moon Empire.
Xu Tianran walked with agility, but his lower limbs were somewhat stiff, unlike those of a real person.
He stepped out of the throne, and a young girl in a pale yellow dress suddenly appeared and respectfully took his arm.
Xu Tianran grasped her soft, boneless little hand with his own, his face full of smiles.
"Ju Zi, I never expected I'd have the chance to enter Shrek City. I thought I'd only be able to set foot in this legendary and unparalleled city after conquering the Douluo Continent."
Xu Tianran's sentiments seemed to touch the heart of the girl named Orange, whose eyes also held a hint of longing and ambition.
"Your Highness, it will come true. This Northern Expedition is the beginning of everything."
Xu Tianran liked the girl's compliments. He liked Ju Zi, this clever woman.
"Alright, follow me into the city and let's see what this largest city on the Douluo Continent is all about."
Poseidon Pavilion
Inside the Golden Tree, in the Sea God Pavilion conference room, representatives from the four great empires were gathered together.
On a table and chairs made entirely of hand-carved gold.
Xu Tianran and Zhenmo Douluo, Huang Jinxu and Xu Shu sat facing each other in pairs.
Orange followed behind Xu Tianran, her pretty face tinged with a hint of nervousness.
They didn't bring anyone with them this time.
Before entering the Sea God Pavilion, Xu Tianran appeared completely calm.
If Shrek Academy were to target them, even if all the elders protecting him were to be mobilized, it would be meaningless. It would be better not to bring any of them, to show his sincerity.
The main reason was that he had absolute confidence that Shrek Academy wouldn't do something so stupid. After all, he was just the crown prince, not the emperor of the Sun Moon Empire. Killing him would be meaningless.
Only by truly stepping into the Sea God Pavilion can one have the most genuine experience of the profound heritage of this academy accumulated over thousands of years.
On the mainland, there probably isn't anyone who can ignore the existence of this place and come and go as they please.
If Shrek Academy were to target them, she and Xu Tianran would have no chance of escape. Although she knew this was impossible, she was still a little nervous, simply because it was too suffocating here. Countless powerful auras made it difficult for her, a mere Soul King, to even stand up.
Xuanzi and several senior ministers sat at the end of the table, opposite the main seat.
Zhang Lexuan, dressed in silver, gracefully sat down on the golden chair at the head of the table. She held a cup of tea in her hand, took a small sip, and then smiled at everyone. Her gentle and beautiful appearance made the four of them's eyes light up.
Zhang Lexuan was already extremely beautiful. After being possessed by the Nine-Colored Body, her body underwent another transformation. After advancing to the Ultimate Douluo level, her appearance became ten times more beautiful than before.
The Demon-Suppressing Douluo was quite old, and he had no desire for Zhang Lexuan's beauty. He was only somewhat surprised to see that this woman, who was about the same age as his granddaughter, was actually the master of the Sea God Pavilion.
The other three, however, reacted differently.
Huang Jinxu had met Zhang Lexuan before, and his eyes were filled with shock.
So, Shrek Academy was already in the Generalissimo's hands all along? It's quite audacious of him to appoint his own woman as the head of the academy.
Huang Jinxu thought to himself that he must never provoke this woman in the future.
He didn't hate Huo Yuhao at all; on the contrary, he only respected him.
The commander-in-chief had engraved a ring on his body, controlling his life and death. Anyone who dared to oppose him would suffer a backlash, but otherwise, it had no effect whatsoever.
So, he actually made a profit.
After the ring was engraved, his strength increased significantly. As for the limitations, that's a joke. Would he dare to be Huo Yuhao's enemy? Does he have a death wish?
I guess he was killed before he even suffered any backlash.
The expressions on Xu Shu's and Xu Tianran's faces, however, were more intriguing.
Xu Tianran had the kind of appreciation one gets when seeing a beautiful woman; he had never seen such a beautiful woman before.
Gentle, beautiful, serene, and generous, yet possessing a unique temperament, a domineering aura, and an indescribable sense of dynamism, all these elements combine to create a desire that makes one want to conquer.
He felt that this kind of woman should be by his side.
However, he was only slightly tempted and buried the idea deep in his heart.
Before the great cause is accomplished, these things are not important; he can clearly distinguish between what is important and what is not.
Besides, his body doesn't allow him to think about these things right now.
However, from that moment on, Zhang Lexuan became his forbidden love.
Compared to Xu Tianran's profound demeanor, Xu Shu's ill-intentioned gaze was rather blatant.
The martial spirit of the Xuanming Sect has resulted in most of the direct descendants of the Xu family being lecherous. After all, they started to come into contact with women and taste their pleasures at a very young age. Although it was only for the purpose of awakening their martial spirit, how many of them could resist their desires after tasting the forbidden fruit so early?
Furthermore, the Xuanming Sect monopolizes the Xuan Shui Pill, making them incredibly wealthy and powerful in the Douling Empire. Basically, any woman the Xu family sets their sights on can be theirs. That's why Xu Shu lost his composure in this situation.
But he was, after all, the commander-in-chief of the three armies. Even if he was incompetent, he knew that this was not the proper way to behave in such a situation.
However, by the time he realized what was happening, his body had already been pushed several meters away by a terrifying force, flying backwards onto the wall carved from the golden tree, spitting out blood.
Disheveled, with a hint of regret and fear, he looked at the stunning figure at the head of the table, whose expression was somewhat angry, yet seemed to have done nothing at all.
The serene Zhang Lexuan still held the cup in her hand, and did not reveal any soul power, yet she easily crushed him, who was a Soul Douluo.
Its strength
Terrifying!
There's more to come; the author is working hard to add more.
After Xu Shu stood up awkwardly, he bowed respectfully to Zhang Lexuan.
"I was being presumptuous just now, please forgive me, Your Highness."
Zhang Lexuan's expression was indifferent.
"That was just a minor punishment. Next time, it won't be as simple as just vomiting blood."
Upon hearing her words, Xu Shu felt as if he had been granted a great command. He took a deep breath and returned to his seat, but once seated, he felt extremely uncomfortable.
Because there were several fierce gazes fixed on him from the last seat, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Xuanzi is a level 98 Super Douluo. A single glance from him can make a Soul Douluo tremble with fear. Moreover, the strength of Elder Song and Elder Lin is not much worse than Xuanzi's. It's no wonder he feels uncomfortable being stared at by so many powerful eyes.
Zhang Lexuan's sudden action made the people from the other empires break out in a cold sweat.
Shrek Academy, at Poseidon's Pavilion, was just establishing its authority.
Perhaps it was just a warning to them not to cause trouble in Shrek, or perhaps it was a warning to something else.
But everyone knew that the young Sea God Pavilion Master before them possessed unfathomable strength and was absolutely not someone to be trifled with.
"You have come to Shrek Academy for a meeting. We are only providing you with a venue. Shrek Academy will not interfere. However, if you cause trouble within the academy, you should all know the lesson we just learned."
"What the Pavilion Master said is exactly what we wanted to say. Your esteemed institution has already done us a great favor by lending us this place to discuss matters. How could we possibly cause trouble?" Xu Tianran said with a smile, and he looked at Zhang Lexuan with even more appreciation.
Such a powerful being is the woman he wants to conquer.
"Then please do as you wish."
After saying that, Zhang Lexuan happily got up and walked towards the door.
Zhang Lexuan is very busy.
She had been searching for what Huo Yuhao's compensation for her left in the Golden Tree was.
She had a feeling that this would be something very important to her.
Moreover, her sister-in-law Tang Ya, whom she had been keeping an eye on, had also been somewhat emotionally unstable recently.
She figured it out after she fell in love with Huo Yuhao.
She knew that Beibei only saw her as an older sister. Beibei already had a girl he liked, and that girl was also very outstanding and liked him very much. Beibei should be very happy in the future.
She figured it out and let go of Beibei, and let go of herself too. She realized that she did indeed feel more like a younger brother to Beibei, after all, she had raised Beibei herself. In relationships, familial affection takes the majority.
Actually, Beibei and she had been waiting for Tang Ya to speak up for them.
If Tang Ya was unaware of the situation, they wouldn't dare to take it upon themselves to avenge her. After all, a girl's self-esteem is sometimes very important, especially for a strong-willed girl like Tang Ya.
She could easily wipe out Tang Ya's blood feud.
However, Tang Ya had been seeking help from the Haotian Sect but had not received any accurate information. Recently, Tang Ya had been in a low mood, which must be because the Haotian Sect had sent bad news.
How callous! The Iron Blood Sect is such a weak sect. A single Soul Saint could easily wipe them out. Yet, Tang Ya sent out messages for help time and time again, only to be met with cold rejections.
After Zhang Lexuan left, the four great empires began their meeting.
The group talked for an entire afternoon about how to coordinate operations, how to rescue people, and the deployment of supplies. Only when Xuanzi was getting impatient did they finally get to the most crucial issue.
That is the issue of postwar sovereignty.
There are three Heavenly Kings in the far north.
The Snow Emperor has already sacrificed himself and died, leaving only the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion and the Titan Snow Demon King, both over 400,000 years old.
For the far north, which has been weakened to this extent, the combined forces of the four empires would be a devastating blow.
Of the four great empires, none were worried about not being able to pacify the far north, so they were already actively discussing how to allocate resources.
The allocation of resources should naturally depend on who contributes the most.
Xu Tianran has promised that he will deal with the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, while the Titan Snow Demon King and its clan will be dealt with by the three great empires of Douluo Continent.
Xu Tianran was willing to make concessions for a simple reason: his real purpose was not to save Jing Hongchen, but to find out whether he was dead or not.
If he wasn't dead, he would finish him off.
Anyway, Jing Hongchen, that old fox, wouldn't agree to support him even if he were alive, so it's better for him to die and be done with it.
Xu Tianran didn't pay much attention to the others either.
The Sun Moon Empire has no shortage of Soul Masters.
Even in the Sun Moon Empire, there are distinctions among level nine Soul Masters.
Research-oriented level 9 Soul Masters and level 9 Soul Masters are two completely different concepts.
Some research-oriented level nine Soul Masters are not even as strong as a Soul Douluo, so in Xu Tianran's eyes, some of the researchers at Mingde Hall are not that important.
He brought two Guardian Soul Master Corps with him this time, namely the Imperial Dragon Soul Master Corps and the Evil Monarch Soul Master Corps. Both of these are elite forces of the empire. Adding other ordinary Soul Master Corps, this terrifying force is more than enough to wage war against the Heavenly Soul Empire.
His impressive display convinced everyone that Xu Tianran was truly determined to go to the far north and rescue the soul masters who had been kidnapped by the soul beasts there.
But in reality, Xu Tianran was just using a scheme against him.
Aren't the three great empires of your Douluo Continent going to plunder soul beasts and obtain soul rings? Well, I'll just do the opposite.
He wanted the three empires to take back only dead soul beasts.
Xu Tianran was incredibly clever; how could he not see through the schemes of the three great empires?
He was well-versed in the art of control and knew that if the three great empires went to the far north, they would definitely drag his Sun and Moon Empire along with them.
Either go to all of them, or don't go to any of them.
He decided to play along and go together to completely destroy the three empires' hopes of obtaining the Soul Ring.
As long as Xu Tianran is around, all the Soul Masters in the entire Douluo Continent can only obtain Soul Rings of two colors: white and yellow.
Once he ascends the throne, seizing this Soul Ring combination in the Douluo Continent will be as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Everything he is doing now is paving the way for his future.
Moreover, this is not a losing proposition; in a war of plunder, the aggressor is unlikely to suffer a loss.
Soul beasts are full of treasures. In this Northern Expedition, there is only one winner, and that is Xu Tianran.
"Gentlemen, my purpose in sending troops this time is only to rescue the people of my Sun Moon Empire. I am not particularly concerned about the distribution of the spoils, but in order to compensate the soldiers who went to war, I have no choice but to fight for it."
"How does Your Highness intend to compete?" the Demon-Suppressing Douluo asked with practiced ease.
"It's simple. In this Northern Expedition, my Sun Moon Continent contributed half the effort, and your Douluo Continent contributed half. But if the rewards after the war are distributed equally among the four countries, it will be obviously unfair to us. However, if my Sun Moon Empire wants to claim half of the benefits, you will naturally not agree to it."
"I am eager to save lives. I am willing to suffer some losses to rescue those people who are trapped and suffering in the far north. But fair distribution is impossible. I will not be able to explain myself when I go back."
As soon as Xu Tianran finished speaking, the Demon Suppressor Douluo's wrinkled forehead began to furrow.
"So, what do you want?"
The distribution of spoils after the war was indeed the most serious issue; if not handled properly, it could jeopardize a war that was destined to be won.
Xu Tianran smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"So, I came up with the fairest solution."
"What is it, Your Highness?" Huang Jinxu and Xu Shu asked in unison.
They led the empire's army to carry out their mission, and the distribution of spoils was undoubtedly their biggest concern. Since Xu Tianran had brought it up, they naturally took it very seriously.
Xu Tianran revealed a confident smile, as if he had everything under control, and said...
"After this Northern Expedition concludes, all the spoils will be divided into five parts. Four of these parts will be divided equally among our four great empires, and the remaining part will be distributed according to each country's ability."
"How so?"
They were very interested in Xu Tianran's statement. After all, it meant that one side could get an extra share of the spoils, which was not just a little bit of gold soul coins. It was the share of one-fifth of the soul beasts in the far north.
"The Continental Elite Competition of Advanced Soul Master Academies is currently in full swing. How about we use one-fifth of this prize money as a reward for the empire to which the champion belongs?"
"good"
As soon as Xu Tianran finished speaking, Huang Jinxu couldn't help but clap and cheer.
Anyone with eyes can see that the Star Luo Empire has the highest chance of winning this competition, which is a huge advantage.
"Heavenly Fiend Douluo, don't get agitated, I haven't finished speaking yet."
"Does Prince Xu have anything else to add?"
Xu Tianran smiled slightly.
"Isn't Your Excellency asking a question you already know the answer to? This year's All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is being held in your Douluo Continent, in the Star Luo Empire, while my Sun Moon Empire is only sending one team from our Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy. If it were a previous competition, that would be one thing, but since it involves a conflict of interests, how can my Sun Moon Empire be so passive?"
"So, what do you mean by that?"
Huang Jinxu finally understood that Xu Tianran was dividing the profits into five parts, and that was exactly what he was planning.
This Prince Xu is clearly seeing that the Douluo Continent teams have repeatedly produced dark horses in this competition, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy probably won't even make it into the top four. He's afraid that the Sun Moon Empire's reputation will be ruined, so he's trying to openly manipulate things behind the scenes.
He wanted both the profits and the championship.
Your Sun and Moon Empire only has this one participating team. Is this the only team you've ever come to?
Does my Star Luo Empire have any other academies that you, the Sun Moon Empire, won't allow students to enroll in?
That's absolutely ridiculous.
"My point is simple: since this has escalated to a national war, it should naturally be a national effort. I propose that the current top sixteen teams remain unchanged. However, each empire may be allowed to recruit one additional team from its various universities. The selection of participants must still meet the competition's criteria, and the team composition will remain the same: seven members for the official team and seven for the reserve team."
"Otherwise, then this one-fifth of the profits will directly belong to my Sun and Moon Empire. After all, without the guiding heating system of my Soul Guidance Army, your army wouldn't even be qualified to go deep into the far north."
"Hmph, is Your Highness threatening us?" Zhenmo Douluo was somewhat angry, after all, the feeling of being choked was really unpleasant.
Although Soul Masters can use their Soul Power to resist low temperatures, if they use all their Soul Power to resist low temperatures, they will lose most of their Soul Power in battle. The large-scale heating device Soul Guidance of the Sun Moon Empire can indeed greatly enhance combat power.
But they are not incapable of fighting without it.
Xu Tianran smiled elegantly.
"Demon-Suppressing Douluo is joking. I'm negotiating, how can there be any threat? I'm just putting the chips on the table."
Xu Shu and Huang Jinxu frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Is it difficult?"
"Crown Prince Xu, this is not a decision we can make ourselves. The All-Continent Elite High-Level Soul Master Tournament is a celebration that has been passed down for tens of thousands of years in the Douluo Continent. If we make changes, wouldn't it cause chaos? Besides, we should discuss this matter with Shrek Academy. If we change the rules at the last minute, wouldn't that be unfair to Shrek Academy?"
After they finished speaking, they turned their gaze to the group of clerks at Shrek Academy.
As you can see, their expressions weren't very interesting. After all, a perfectly good match was about to turn into a transaction of interests, which was an insult to Shrek Academy, which is based on nurturing people.
"Heh, the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament is hosted by our four great empires. How to revise the rules is our business. Why should we care about the attitude of one academy? Just because Shrek Academy has been the champion for a long time, does it think it's their own?"
"Kid, what did you say?"
Xu Tianran's words clearly angered the Shrek Academy students.
Xuanzi did not release his martial spirit, but he exuded a terrifying aura, and an overwhelming pressure crushed towards Xu Tianran.
"Buzz—"
"Buzz—"
Several buzzing sounds rang out, and several light shields appeared around Xu Tianran's body.
It appeared to be just a very weak current of air, but it firmly blocked Xuanzi's terrifying pressure, which reached level ninety-eight, preventing it from advancing an inch. Xuanzi was completely unaffected.
"Natural is straightforward in his speech. If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me, esteemed elders. But does Shrek Academy not tolerate the truth? Is what I just said not true?" Xu Tianran was certain that Shrek Academy would not dare to lay a hand on him, which is why he was so fearless.
Shrek Academy has survived a terrifying beast tide and cannot withstand war in a short time.
His Sun and Moon Empire's army could be stationed openly outside Shrek City, ready to attack if anything happened to him.
Moreover, ever since his assassination attempt, he has cherished his life above all else, and he possesses at least ten level-nine defensive soul tools, all crafted by renowned experts.
Neither Xu Shu nor Huang Jinxu expected that Xu Tianran would dare to be so audacious.
But when you think about the confidence of their Sun and Moon Empire, you can understand why Xu Tianran dared to do this.
When a country is prosperous and strong, it speaks with authority; this is an indisputable fact.
Today's meeting is a real-time feedback session, and the emperors of the three great empires are listening in the entirety from some unknown, hidden place in Shrek City.
After Xu Tianran made his request, they secretly communicated through their soul communication devices, reached a consensus, and then issued the order to their respective commanders.
Soon, the soul transmission devices in Huang Jinxu, Xu Shu, and Zhenmo Douluo's ears all transmitted messages of agreement.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere on the other side remained tense and on the verge of conflict.
Xuanzi, who had a fiery temper, was about to retort when she was stopped by the eldest elder, Old Lin. She gave Xuanzi a look to calm down and then looked at the composed Xu Tianran with a wary expression.
The crown prince of the Sun and Moon Empire does indeed have the bearing of an emperor.
"Your Highness is right, and Shrek Academy will naturally listen to your advice. However, if the competition rules are changed at the last minute, wouldn't that be unfair to the other participants and to Shrek Academy?" After saying that, she turned her gaze to the representatives of the three great empires of Douluo Continent.
His sharp gaze made them all somewhat speechless.
Their senses in all aspects are astonishing, especially those of the Super Douluo, whose hearing, vision, and perception far surpass those of ordinary Title Douluos.
They had all heard the messages from the major empires, which is why Elder Lin made this question.
Faced with her questioning, Xu Tianran smiled.
"How could it be unfair? The competition has entered the final stage. Those who were supposed to be eliminated have already been eliminated. This rule has no effect on them. The remaining teams will fill the vacancies by replacing their players. Everyone is equal."
"As for your Shrek Academy, with its abundance of geniuses from all over the world, how could you possibly lack replacements?"
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