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Seeing that the Spirit Hall Empire had already surrendered, even Qian Renxue, who still had a defiant attitude, was now filled with resentment but lacked the strength to resist further.
As for the other experts of the Spirit Hall Empire, though they were fiercely loyal and willing to die for their empire, under Yang Xiong's overwhelming aura, they no longer had the strength to fight back.
Empress Xue Ke seemed particularly excited, surrounded by the high-ranking officials of the Tian Dou Empire as she arrived at the heart of the battlefield. This victory for the Tian Dou Empire signaled the end of the imperial family's existential crisis and heralded the dawn of their most glorious era.
Yang Xiong glanced casually at Empress Xue Ke and turned to Bai He: "Elder Bai He, go to the gates of Tianmen Pass and invite the Star Luo Emperor and Empress to come here within three days. If they don't arrive by then, I'll personally visit Tianmen Pass—and I won't be as lenient next time."
Bai He nodded: "Sect Leader, I'll head to Tianmen Pass immediately and ensure the message is delivered."
Yang Xiong said: "Tell the Star Luo Emperor that I'm not an easy person to deal with. This time, I'll resolve the mess of the three empires in one fell swoop. Anyone who tries to pull any tricks will be killed without hesitation, no matter how high their status may be."
Bai He seemed to grasp the murderous intent in Yang Xiong's words and quickly departed from Jialing Pass.
Then, Yang Xiong turned to Qian Renxue and Jin E Douluo: "Qian Renxue, you will immediately lead all personnel of the Spirit Hall Empire back inside Jialing Pass and maintain order within the pass. Until I make my final decision, no one is allowed to leave. After three days, when the Star Luo Emperor arrives, we'll decide how the three empires will coexist moving forward."
"Of course, until then, I don't want to see any conflicts. The gates of Jialing Pass need not be closed—I'll arrange patrols both inside and outside the pass."
Qian Renxue was filled with resentment: "Yang Xiong, what do you mean by this? Are you planning to annihilate the Spirit Hall Empire? Although I've lost to you, I won't stay defeated forever."
Yang Xiong sneered: "Qian Renxue, if I remember correctly, you've said that four times already. You're now the true ruler of the Spirit Hall Empire. I don't want to force your hand, but if you push me, the Spirit Hall Empire will cease to exist."
"Moreover, your Spirit Hall Empire has already lost. If you don't want it to be completely destroyed and if you don't want the Angel lineage to lose its inheritance, then don't act recklessly. You should understand my personality—after all, we're somewhat alike."
Though Qian Renxue was reluctant, she led Jin E Douluo and others back inside Jialing Pass.
Yang Xiong then turned to Yang Wudi: "Old Goat, you'll now lead your people to maintain order inside and outside Jialing Pass. Pay attention to patrols—I don't want to see any more fighting or deaths. If anyone tries to take advantage of the chaos, you have permission to kill them on the spot."
Yang Wudi didn't fully understand Yang Xiong's intentions but quickly nodded: "Sect Leader, rest assured. With me around, there won't be any unrest inside or outside Jialing Pass."
…
Empress Xue Ke seemed puzzled: "Sect Leader Yang, since you've already defeated the Angel God Qian Renxue, why not press on and eliminate the experts of the Spirit Hall Empire? Doing so would destroy the Spirit Hall Empire, which would benefit both the Body Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
Yang Xiong coldly stared at Empress Xue Ke: "Empress Xue Ke, you seem to misunderstand something. Though the Spirit Hall Empire has made mistakes, I've never intended to completely destroy it. At the very least, the former Spirit Hall played a significant role in the soul master world, whether by helping commoners awaken their martial souls or hunting down illegal and evil soul masters. These are contributions to the Douluo world."
"Moreover, relatively speaking, neither the Spirit Hall Empire nor the Tian Dou Empire is any better. Especially the nobility of these empires—that's what I detest the most."
As someone from Earth, even after living in the Douluo world for so many years, Yang Xiong still rejected the concept of nobility and class distinctions. Compared to the Spirit Hall Empire, he disliked the noble systems of the Tian Dou and Star Luo Empires even more.
After hearing Yang Xiong's words, Empress Xue Ke's face turned pale. She hadn't expected him to so bluntly express his disdain for the Tian Dou Empire—it was like a slap in the face to her and the empire's upper echelons.
Though Empress Xue Ke felt some dissatisfaction, the current situation left no room for her to voice objections. Tang San of the Hao Tian Sect had been killed by Yang Xiong, yet even Tang Xiao dared not say anything now.
In this world, strength reigned supreme. Having reached godhood, Yang Xiong no longer cared about the number of enemies or whether they had Title Douluos or stronger experts. He was now the strongest being in the Douluo world, capable of deciding everyone's fate.
Yang Xiong continued: "Empress Xue Ke, the war has temporarily ended. Please ensure that all soul masters and armies of the Tian Dou Empire remain in place. No one is allowed to leave or cause any disturbances. Otherwise, don't blame me for taking harsh measures. You should understand—I don't care how many people in the Tian Dou Empire die, or even whether the Tian Dou royal family survives."
Empress Xue Ke's face turned ashen, but she eventually restrained herself: "Understood, Sect Leader Yang. I'll ensure the Tian Dou Empire complies."
Yang Xiong nodded: "The Star Luo Emperor will arrive in three days. At that time, I'll make my final decision."
After Empress Xue Ke and Tang Xiao left, Yang Xiong returned to the original camp with Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong, and others.
Inside the camp, only the higher-ups of the Body Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect remained, mostly Title Douluos, along with Oscar and Ning Rongrong.
Ning Fengzhi looked slightly confused: "Little Xiong, now that the Spirit Hall Empire has lost, are you really giving them a chance to catch their breath?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "I'm not giving them any reprieve. On the contrary, the Douluo continent needs an organization like the Spirit Hall Empire. Without it, the entire world would descend into chaos."
This statement left everyone puzzled. After all, the two sides had already fought to the death, with countless casualties among soul masters—a blood feud beyond reconciliation.
Yang Xiong continued: "The Spirit Hall Empire itself may not need to exist, but its soul master legion must be preserved, especially the Angel Legion. Though they only possess ordinary Angel martial souls, they naturally suppress evil soul masters and have contributed significantly to maintaining order in the soul master world."
"Moreover, while Bibi Dong's ambition to rule the entire Douluo continent stemmed from her brutality and madness, I don't think unification itself is wrong. In fact, I believe it's necessary for the Douluo continent to unify. It can reduce wars and save civilian lives."
Ning Fengzhi thought for a moment before speaking: "Little Xiong, if that's the case, the three empires will likely continue fighting. Even if temporarily suppressed by you, large-scale conflicts will inevitably erupt in the future."
"Additionally, in terms of martial soul quality and potential, the Spirit Hall Empire does possess a large number of high-quality martial soul users. I fear they may rise again in the future. Without someone of your caliber, they'll surely wage war once more."
Yang Xiong nodded: "Sect Leader, that's indeed a problem. But at this stage of the war, both the Spirit Hall Empire and the three sects have suffered heavy losses, especially ordinary soul masters. The losses have likely reached forty percent of the entire soul master population. Continuing the war would only result in unnecessary casualties—it's no longer worth it."
"Moreover, there's still much work for soul masters to do. I don't want the entire continent to fall into chaos or suffer another devastating blow."
Ning Fengzhi finally nodded: "Very well. As long as you have a plan, the sect will fully support whatever decision you make."
Yang Wudi, standing nearby, seemed somewhat dissatisfied: "Sect Leader, are we really going to let the Spirit Hall Empire off the hook? Many of our Body Sect members have died, especially those from my Breaking Clan."
Yang Xiong replied: "Old Goat, do you still think continuing the war is necessary? Besides increasing casualties, can't your Breaking Clan put an end to the hatred from the past? If we continue, it'll only lead to endless enmity. I can't exterminate the entire Spirit Hall Empire, or else their potential martial souls will inevitably produce new experts in the future."
Yang Wudi glanced at Niu Gao and Lin Gong beside him. Both bore deep grudges against the Spirit Hall Empire, but after witnessing the heavy losses of their families and sects, their hatred had waned.
Finally, Yang Wudi sighed: "I understand, Sect Leader. From now on, I'll ensure everyone behaves."
…
In truth, Yang Xiong himself was somewhat troubled by the current situation. Both the Tian Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall Empire had suffered heavy losses, but the militarily strongest Star Luo Empire had incurred fewer casualties.
With Yang Xiong's current strength, he could forcibly rule the entire Douluo continent. However, doing so would require harsh measures against the royal families of the two empires and the upper echelons of the Spirit Hall Empire, which would create complications and risks—something Yang Xiong despised.
According to the original story, after Tang San defeated Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue, he decreed that no wars could be waged for a hundred years. Even so, the two empires gradually declined, with the Star Luo Empire losing its throne and the Tian Dou Empire splitting into two, unable to maintain its territorial integrity.
Moreover, the Douluo world faced another hidden danger—the eventual emergence of the Sun and Moon continent. If the Douluo continent couldn't maintain its full combat strength, it would easily be crushed by the Sun and Moon continent.
As for ruling the entire Douluo continent through his descendants, Yang Xiong had no such intention. He believed that being a soul master was the freest path. Living like the royal families of the two empires would bring various restrictions, making life less free and easy.
Yang Xiong studied the map of the Douluo continent, drawing small circles on it until he finalized all his plans.
He found politics and management exhausting. It would be far easier to find a secluded place to focus on cultivation. This time, he wanted a permanent solution—at least one that wouldn't allow the Douluo continent to repeat the disasters of ten thousand years ago.
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