Yun Ming successfully brought the Golden Tree and a certain Little Dragon Person into the Dead Realm, and fell into an unexpected epiphany. He himself had quieted down, but the things he had done previously were beginning to ferment.
About half a month after the battle for the Golden Tree, the Copper Hammer Soul Saint and his master, Dai Bingjun, finally returned to the capital of Star Luo, Star Luo City. Dai Bingjun's injuries had truly delayed their journey quite a bit.
The moment they entered the city, the Copper Hammer Soul Saint sought an audience with the Star Luo Emperor to report everything that had transpired in Silver River City.
After hearing the entire story, the Star Luo Emperor flew into a rage on the spot, smashing his desk to pieces with a single palm strike, and roared.
"Preposterous!"
"Truly preposterous! They have only just started to prosper, yet they already dare to threaten the imperial family!"
"Does their Breaking Clan wish to cut themselves off from the world?!!"
"."
It was clear that Yun Ming's refusal to give the imperial family any face had made him quite furious.
Seeing this, the Copper Hammer Soul Saint dared not make a sound, not even daring to breathe loudly, and could only stand to the side, waiting for what would come next.
After the Star Luo Emperor cursed a few times and his anger subsided slightly, he turned back to the Copper Hammer Soul Saint.
"Commander Wu, you have seen the highest combat power of Star Luo. In your opinion, how does he compare to that child, Yun Ming?"
The Copper Hammer Soul Saint: "."
Wasn't this question a bit too difficult for a mere Soul Saint like him to answer? Being defeated by him was a matter of one or two moves, so it wasn't easy to distinguish!
The Copper Hammer Soul Saint knelt and replied.
"This subordinate is incompetent. I did not let that Yun Ming make a move; he merely revealed some pressure, and it rendered the hundreds of Soul Masters we had at the time unable to move. Therefore, this subordinate cannot make a definitive judgment."
"I beg Your Majesty for punishment!"
The Star Luo Emperor's expression darkened upon hearing the Copper Hammer Soul Saint's reply. It was not rare for high-level Soul Masters to suppress those of lower levels, but even if Yun Ming's combat power was formidable, his own cultivation was only at the Soul Douluo realm. Could he really suppress a Soul Saint to the point of immobility? Could the opponent's record actually not be a gimmick hyped up by Martial Soul Hall?
The possible reality was like a cold breeze, rapidly cooling the Star Luo Emperor's previously heated head. He began to weigh the pros and cons.
It didn't take long for him to make a decision.
"Someone, come!"
At the Star Luo Emperor's command, a middle-aged man in black with a medium build and an indistinct face appeared out of thin air before him. He did not speak, simply kneeling to salute and waiting quietly for the Emperor's orders.
"Go to the Star Luo Treasury, take six Spirit Bones of medium-to-low quality that meet the requirements, and deliver them to the people of the Breaking Clan."
The black-clad man accepted the order and retreated, likewise without a word, coming and going without a sound.
The current situation on the continent was tense, and no one knew when a massive change might occur. At this critical juncture, provoking a family like the Breaking Clan, which openly possessed two Titled Douluo-level combatants, was a very bad situation. If the Breaking Clan were in Star Luo, he could still restrict them in other ways, but since they were in the Heaven Dou Empire and their business map didn't rely solely on Star Luo, neither soft nor hard tactics were realistic, and it would only cut off his supply of pills. Therefore, it was better to spend money to avert disaster.
Seeing that the Star Luo Emperor had stopped shouting after a few outbursts, the Copper Hammer Soul Saint felt extremely panicked. He had no objection to the Emperor backing down, but the fact that the Emperor had vented his anger right in front of him made him very afraid! Could he not have spared him from seeing his superior's awkward situation?
The Star Luo Emperor glanced at the Copper Hammer Soul Saint below and spoke again.
"Commander Wu, help me draft an imperial decree."
"Yes!"
The Copper Hammer Soul Saint agreed immediately. He walked to another display table in the imperial study, took out a fresh sheet of paper from a cabinet containing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and then asked the Star Luo Emperor for instructions.
"Your Majesty, what should the imperial decree say?"
The Star Luo Emperor said indifferently.
"Just write: 'My younger brother Bingjun, you have worked hard and achieved great merit once again in Silver River City; you are truly a great talent of our Star Luo Empire. I hereby appoint you as the Commander of the Star Luo Northern Garrison. I hope my brother can secure the borders, bring peace to the people, and protect the Dai Family's Realm.'"
The more the Copper Hammer Soul Saint wrote, the more guilty he felt; as expected, it wasn't over. The decree sounded nice, but in reality, it was an order to exile Dai Bingjun, and a rather harsh one at that.
The Star Luo Northern Garrison was considered the most important in the entire Star Luo military system because it was the first line of defense facing Martial Soul Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire. In the past, it might have been fine—it was a good thing if Star Luo didn't attack Heaven Dou—but now it was different. The situation on the continent was becoming increasingly tense, and no one knew what was buried behind the calm of Martial Soul Hall. Going there at this time was very dangerous. There was no time limit, which meant it was permanent.
After Dai Bingjun returned to the capital, he hadn't even finished treating his wounds or met with anyone before being directly exiled. One could imagine the irritation in the Star Luo Emperor's heart. He was powerless against Yun Ming and the Breaking Clan, so he could only choose to strike hard at his own disappointing little brother.
The Copper Hammer Soul Saint finished writing quickly and handed the decree to the Star Luo Emperor with a nervous heart. The Emperor took a look, stamped it with the Star Luo Great Seal, and handed it to the Copper Hammer Soul Saint.
"Go, give it to him. And you will go with him as well. Depart immediately."
Hearing that it was indeed as he expected, the Copper Hammer Soul Saint's heart finally sank. He looked up and saw the coldness in the Star Luo Emperor's eyes, then knelt helplessly and accepted the order.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Poor Dai Bingjun had just been at the Imperial Hospital, having his wounds treated and fresh bandages applied, when he received his imperial brother's gift.
Seeing the decree of exile, the expression on Dai Bingjun's face was like frozen frost. His brows were locked into a sharp, carved line, his eyes flashing with unquestionable indifference and rejection, and his lips were pressed into a straight, cold line. It was as if even the air had been frozen by this unacceptable emotion, making people want to retreat instinctively. But then, he seemed to deflate, completely losing his spirit and feeling hollow inside, because he was powerless to do anything.
"Let's go!"
He gave the order in a weak, hoarse voice.
The Copper Hammer Soul Saint grunted, then helped Dai Bingjun into the carriage, and they set off on the road they had just traveled. But just over a month later, after they arrived at the military camp and had just taken over the relevant military affairs, an event closely related to them occurred.
Half a year after the Seven Great Sects re-election assembly, Martial Soul Hall officially established a nation! Once this news broke, the world was shaken.
The name of the empire was Martial Soul. All Martial Soul Hall branches within the borders of the original two empires were closed, and the Soul Masters were recalled. The territory of the Martial Soul Empire was formed based on all the kingdoms and duchies of the original two empires. It stretched between the two great empires, completely severing their connection. Composed of more than a dozen kingdoms and duchies, the total area of the Martial Soul Empire was not inferior to either of the two empires after their split.
From a geographical perspective, the Martial Soul Empire was clearly at a great disadvantage, with the Heaven Dou Empire to the north and the Star Luo Empire to the south. From the perspective of overall strength, the Martial Soul Empire was pieced together from more than a dozen small countries, so its total military force was naturally far from comparable to the two great empires, and it could not be fully unified in its command.
However, the destructive power that Soul Masters could produce in war was far beyond that of an army; a team of a thousand Soul Masters was enough to contend with tens of thousands of troops. After establishing the nation, Martial Soul Hall issued an order summoning all Soul Masters on the continent to join, with those who refused being treated as heretics. The influence of Martial Soul Hall, combined with the newly promoted Seven Great Sects, meant that the Martial Soul Empire controlled nearly seventy percent of the Soul Master power on the continent, with over ten Titled Douluo alone.
Under these circumstances, even if its national strength was not as great as the two great empires, the Martial Soul Empire still began to expand both north and south, and the continent entered its most brutal state of war.
Compared to the original timeline, the founding of the Martial Soul Hall nation was delayed by about three months this time. Part of the reason was that previous operations targeting certain kingdoms and duchies had been carried out too hastily, leaving the domestic situation unstable and in need of consolidation. However, the more significant reason was that the power struggle between Ya Li and Bibi Dong had erupted head-on, only coming to a temporary halt just before the founding under the intervention of Qian Daoliu. The result of this power struggle also led to a power structure different from the original timeline.
Two months ago, Martial Soul City, Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong sat on the papal throne, eyes closed for a brief rest.
With a flash of golden light, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan appeared within the Pope Palace and reminded Bibi Dong.
"Your Majesty, the Elder Council is about to begin."
Bibi Dong opened her eyes, a cold glint flashing through them. It had finally arrived—the final moment she had been striving for for twenty years. She planted her scepter on the ground, her slender and graceful body rising from the throne, and she stepped toward the outside of the hall. Yue Guan followed slowly behind.
On the way to the Elder Hall, Bibi Dong confirmed one last thing.
"The elders should be clear about my intentions, right?"
Yue Guan reported back.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The elders have already agreed; everything is as you expected."
Bibi Dong ignored the subtle flattery from her subordinate and continued to ask.
"What about the Worship Hall?"
Yue Guan replied.
"The Grand Offering is still in seclusion with the two Young Masters. There are no signs of them coming out, and it seems they do not wish to intervene."
Bibi Dong frowned slightly.
"Is that so?!"
When it came to something as significant as the founding of the Martial Soul Hall nation, she found it hard to believe that Qian Daoliu and that little girl who wanted to usurp the throne could really just stay out of it! But never mind; whether they came or not, she was already prepared. Under the momentum of the situation, no one could stop her plan.
The Elder Hall was not far from the Pope Palace, and it did not take long for the two to arrive.
Located between the Pope Palace and the Douluo Hall, the Elder Hall was the core of power for Martial Soul Hall, responsible for deciding major matters. During a vote, even the Pope only held the qualification of three votes. In necessary circumstances, if the elders passed a resolution unanimously, they could even depose the Pope. All the elders in the Elder Hall were Titled Douluo, numbering as many as twenty. Among them, seven were elders at level 96 or higher, led by the Grand Offering Qian Daoliu; these were the offerings.
However, unlike the ornate and noble architectural style of the Douluo Hall and the Worship Hall, this Elder Hall—despite being the true seat of supreme power in Martial Soul Hall—was built with extreme simplicity. There were no carved beams or painted rafters, no golden bricks or jade tiles, and no golden lacquered thrones or dragon-and-phoenix nanmu wood. The style here was very simple, one might even say austere. Inside, apart from a well-crafted granite table and twenty stone chairs, there was nothing else; it was quite desolate.
Ever since the first Angel God founded Martial Soul Hall, the Elder Hall had maintained this style. It is said that back then, the several great empires and dynasties on the continent were rotten to the core. The Nobles and Aristocrats held supreme power but did not think to seek welfare for the people; instead, they indulged in debauchery and were licentious without restraint. Coupled with the rampant spread of Fallen Soul Masters, the people of the continent were living in misery. After the first Angel God created Martial Soul Hall, she did not want the higher-ups of the future Martial Soul Hall to become the same, so she specifically made the seat of supreme power so simple as a warning to others.
"Greetings, Pope Your Majesty!" xN
Bibi Dong stepped into the Elder Hall, accepted the greetings of the elders, and sat in her designated seat—the first stone chair to the right of the main seat—to await the start of the meeting.
Not long after she was seated, the Grand Offering Qian Daoliu and Your Highness Saintess Ya Li, accompanied by the other six offerings, arrived as expected. This assembly was a critical part of Ya Li's plan, so she naturally could not be absent.
Qian Daoliu walked straight ahead and sat in the head seat. Ya Li sat in the first position to his left, and the other offerings took their seats in order behind Ya Li.
"Greetings, Grand Offering, fellow offerings, Your Highness Saintess!" xN
Facing the elders who had risen to salute, Qian Daoliu said indifferently.
"Mm, everyone, please be seated."
Upon receiving Qian Daoliu's signal, the other elders—including Ghost, Yue Guan, Demon Bear, Ghost Leopard, and the rest of the Titled Douluo who had appeared or had yet to appear—all sat down. Including the offerings, the twenty elders, the Pope, and the Saintess, a total of twenty-two people were present for the meeting.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Qian Daoliu glanced at Bibi Dong and said.
"Pope, begin."
Bibi Dong looked back at Qian Daoliu, seeing no emotional change in his eyes, and began according to her own plan. She scanned the elders present and said.
"Everyone, it has been eighteen years. From the sudden passing of the previous Pope to the present, eighteen years have passed."
"In these eighteen years, our Martial Soul Hall has encountered many difficulties and changes, but none of these have defeated us. On the contrary, our Martial Soul Hall has moved from its initial precarious state to the peak of its prosperity. All of this is to your credit; it is the result of everyone's joint efforts."
"Here, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your contributions to Martial Soul Hall!"
No one dislikes hearing praise, especially not from a beautiful Pope who is both talented in governance and military affairs, and peerless in appearance. Regardless of what they thought in their hearts, they all looked quite happy on the surface.
The number one sycophant, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, took the lead in responding.
"That our hall has today's scene is entirely due to the wise leadership of Your Majesty and the Grand Offering. Your Majesty and the Grand Offering are the ones who deserve the greatest credit! Thank you both!"
There was nothing wrong with his words, except for the order in which he placed the two. Qian Daoliu saw through Yue Guan's intention but said nothing more.
The others understood as well. With someone taking the lead, they chimed in, though they adjusted the ranking.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Offering deserves the greatest credit! Thank you both!" x6
"The Grand Offering, Your Majesty deserves the greatest credit! Thank you both!" x13
With a single sentence, the factions were clearly divided, with Qian Daoliu's side holding more influence. This was normal, however; the Qian Family had always been the masters of Martial Soul Hall and were the orthodox authority within it.
Bibi Dong was also aware of this situation and continued.
"Thank you all for your recognition. Returning to the main topic, our Martial Soul Hall has developed very well, but we have now encountered a bottleneck. We have reached the apex of our current influence, and it is already very difficult to go any further. Moreover, the two great empires on our borders have always been eyeing us covetously, constantly thinking of how to weaken us. Now, it is time for a change."
"Therefore, I propose that we officially establish our nation, unify the continent, and make Martial Soul Hall great again!"
Everyone had been mentally prepared beforehand and knew that this matter had long been in the works, so they were all calm. They had no intention of opposing it; after all, the stronger Martial Soul Hall became, the greater their own power would be. However, one person unexpectedly jumped out to disrupt the proceedings.
Ya Li said: "Wait, I have something to say."
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader