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Several days later

The damage caused by the great battle had been restored to its original state.

Many students and teachers resumed classes as usual.

However, their conversations still revolved around Yan Shaozhe, the battle between Demigods, and that mysterious man.

The news spread quickly!

To prevent some spoiled young masters from provoking someone they should not provoke,

portraits of Xu Xiao were distributed among the younger members of various factions and families, who were ordered to memorize his face and never provoke him!

Even Shrek Academy could only swallow its pride and compromise, let alone factions like theirs that did not even have a Title Douluo.

In the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiawei collapsed to the floor after reading the report in his hand.

"It's over, it's all over! What does Star Luo have left to resist with?!"

"Royal Brother, pull yourself together! As long as all the people of Star Luo stand united, we'll find a way!"

Xu Jiujiu carefully crouched down, lifting her princess gown as she wiped the sweat from Xu Jiawei's face.

Looking at his most beloved younger sister, Xu Jiawei seemed to lose all his strength.

"A Demigod! The strongest being beneath the gods! It's no longer a matter of whether we can win—it's about the survival of our imperial family..."

Xu Jiujiu knew how well her royal brother had always treated her. Now that the imperial family faced a grave crisis, she needed to step forward!

"Royal Brother, let Jiujiu enter a political marriage. I'll go beg the new emperor of the Sun Moon Empire. Jiujiu doesn't want to lose Royal Brother!"

Tears gradually filled Xu Jiujiu's eyes.

Seeing that his little sister was about to cry, Xu Jiawei lovingly stroked her head.

"Whether Royal Brother lives or dies isn't important. As long as Jiujiu survives and bears that man's child in the future, the Star Crown Sect's lineage will not perish!"

"Ah, Royal Brother, what are you saying? You're awful."

Xu Jiujiu blushed and turned her face away. Her royal brother was already talking about her having children when she was still a child herself.

Listening to her royal brother's laughter behind her, Xu Jiujiu shyly lifted her princess gown and ran away.

Watching his sister's retreating figure, Xu Jiawei had already made up his mind!

"If I give the entire country as her dowry, Jiujiu should be able to live well even after marrying him."

"A Demigod? Shrek sure knows how to boast. Mu En must have been injured after fighting my brother back then. Even an ordinary Rank 99 Limit Douluo could defeat him!"

Du Busi tossed aside the intelligence report in his hand with an arrogant expression.

"Then should we ease our attitude toward the Sun Moon Empire a little?"

Xue Hui, emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, asked.

"Hmph, an ordinary Limit Douluo is no match for Du Busi and the Body Sect!

"There is no need to pay them any heed. If they dare send someone to demand that you cede territory, drive them straight out of the country!"

Because of Du Busi's arrogance, the Heaven Dou Empire's attitude toward the Sun Moon Empire remained no different from before.

Perhaps even Du Busi himself could not have imagined that Mu En had recovered to his peak and then stepped into the Pseudo-God realm before losing to Bai Qi.

Shrek had also deliberately concealed Mu En's physical condition. The Star Luo Empire only learned the details because members of the Dai Family were in the inner courtyard.

Mu En had been puzzled at the time as to why Elder Zu told him to conceal his condition. Elder Zu had kindly explained it to the old man.

"Unifying the continent cannot be done without bloodshed and death. If it is unified too easily, those stubborn factions will only lie low temporarily and continue undermining the empire's stability from within."

Zu Chongzhi had also served as a military officer in his previous life. His ideas were practically a dimensional strike when applied to the Douluo Continent.

Mu En did not understand much about such matters, but he understood Du Busi. With that man's pride and the Body Sect's unruly nature,

the Heaven Dou Empire would inevitably fight the Taiyue Empire sooner or later. When that happened, many people of the Heaven Dou Empire would surely lose their lives.

There was one more thing Elder Zu had not said, and Mu En played dumb rather than point it out.

Bai Qi also needed slaughter to break through. The amount of killing required to become a god in the end was simply too great, and the Evil Soul Masters had already been wiped out by them long ago.

Only the Body Sect and the Heaven Dou Empire could satisfy that need, though it remained uncertain whether the Dou Ling Empire would join forces with Heavenly Soul.

"Shrek lost?"

Tianyang Douluo, the Rank 97 guardian deity of the Dou Lin Empire, wore a grave expression.

But as though he had remembered something, he opened the message Du Busi had sent him.

Before long, he had finished reading its contents.

"Hahahaha, the Dou Lin Empire will not fall!"

"What is a Limit Douluo? When the time comes, I'll join forces with Du Busi. Even a Limit Douluo will be useless against us!"

Tianyang Douluo's lifespan was nearing its end, and he had already thought of a countermeasure. As long as he self-destructed at close range with a Limit Douluo from the Sun Moon Empire, the power would surely rival a Limit Douluo's full-force strike.

"Then it'll depend on that old bastard Du Busi."

Tianyang sent his plan over. The Dou Lin Empire maintained its former attitude toward Taiyue, and its cooperation with Heavenly Soul even began to increase.

As for the nobles of both countries, they received news about the Taiyue Empire destroying the Evil Soul Masters' headquarters.

The nobles all scoffed at it. They had really learned how to make up stories—how could the Evil Soul Masters possibly have so many Title Douluo-level experts?

With Shrek watching over them, the Taiyue Empire was surely just trying to frighten noble lords like them.

At this time, the Evil Soul Masters had not yet revealed many powerful figures to the public. One only had to look at the outrageous antics of the strongest Evil Soul King six years later to understand.

Even Shrek believed there were no particularly powerful experts among the Evil Soul Masters, so sending inner courtyard students after them was mainly intended as training.

Xu Xiao set down the government documents in his hand and looked at the man before him, one of the strongest among the Summoned Characters.

"I plan to give you one hundred thousand iron cavalry later and have you command and train them. Do you have the confidence?"

Bai Qi immediately dropped to one knee.

"Your Majesty has shown this minister such esteem. This minister will assess the situation, enforce strict military discipline, and not disgrace Your Majesty's command!"

Xu Xiao nodded in satisfaction, then looked toward Xiang Yu, who was green with envy at the side, and smiled.

"General Xiang, you need not serve as my guard any longer. Go become Bai Qi's deputy commander. Only in the army will your talents not be wasted!"

The news came suddenly. Xiang Yu was also filled with gratitude as he bowed.

"Though Yu may be untalented, this body of sinew and bone and this chest full of hot blood are all willing to be used by Your Majesty.

"If Your Majesty has need of me one day, Yu will raise a three-foot sword, tread across ten thousand miles of territory, slay generals and seize banners, expand the land and open new frontiers, all to repay Your Majesty for recognizing my worth!"

Bai Qi felt little stirring in his heart as he watched the man's bold declaration. Perhaps it was precisely this man's passion and spirit that would bring about the ruin of Great Qin.

After a brief inward sigh, he left together with Xiang Yu. Though Xu Xiao could not yet summon one hundred thousand iron cavalry, they could discuss matters in advance.

Xu Xiao had also been extremely busy these past few days. He had pressed Xiao He into service to handle the Taiyue Empire's government affairs. After all, Xiao He had once been the Han Dynasty's chancellor.

Xu Xiao had faith in Xiao He. As for Elder Kong and Jing Hongchen, they gave him quite a headache.

Those two could be regarded as scientific talents from his previous life. Asking them to handle government affairs would be the death of them, so Xu Xiao simply let them conduct the research they enjoyed.

Now that he had a Demigod under his command, the development of Soul Tools could proceed naturally.

Right, I should go see the Snow Empress. I've either been handling affairs or getting dragged off by Meng Hongchen and Ye Guyi to play, then being pulled away by Feng Ling for deeper exchanges.

He had nearly forgotten about the Snow Empress, who was cultivating anew as a human.