After Ning Fengzhi and the others had watched a seven-ring Soul Engineer effortlessly blast a mountain to pieces with their own eyes, their entire worldview had shattered.
The appearance of the Soul Cannon had overturned everything they thought they knew.
The destructive power of a Soul Cannon truly exceeded that of many Soul Masters of the same rank.
And Ning Fengzhi had heard with his own ears that there were forty-nine others in the Soul Master Legion capable of such a feat.
The thought sent a chill down Ning Fengzhi's spine.
What kind of monster had the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire provoked?
Ning Fengzhi immediately thought of a rumor from the Star Luo battlefield.
It was said that the Great God Lake Defense Line had still been defended by nearly seven hundred thousand troops on the day before the Star Luo Empire's defeat.
But after a series of deafening explosions and flashes of white light, the Great God Lake Defense Line seemed to have incurred Heaven's wrath.
A lake more than ten kilometers across had dried up. The entire defense line had been erased, and the Star Luo Empire's seven hundred thousand troops had vanished without a trace. In their place was a vast crater...
Rumor had it that the place was cursed. Anyone who went there would suddenly die within three days.
Their bodies would ooze pus and rot, and even their bones would glow after death.
Thinking of how the Great Ming Army had seemed to know what was coming in that battle, withdrawing, counterattacking, and surrounding Star Luo City to maximize their gains...
Combined with the sight of a Level 7 Soul Engineer effortlessly blasting apart a small mountain, Ning Fengzhi understood.
This wasn't Heaven's wrath. It was clearly the Great Ming Empire deploying some kind of terrifying weapon.
Thinking of the seven hundred thousand soldiers at the Great God Lake Defense Line, Ning Fengzhi shuddered.
Not long afterward, Ning Fengzhi returned to the great hall, his heart uneasy.
"Your Majesty, Emperor of Great Ming, this trip to the Tiandou military camp has opened my eyes to many things."
"The future of the continent lies with the Great Ming Empire."
"If possible, I hope you'll work closely with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"These are the military supplies our sect wishes to purchase from Great Ming."
Xu Nian'an glanced over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's order.
Twenty Level 7 Soul Tools, forty Level 6 Soul Tools, one hundred Level 5 Soul Tools...
Without a moment's hesitation, Xu Nian'an crossed out the Level 7 Soul Tools.
What a joke. These were the Level 7 Soul Tools currently in service with the Soul Master Legion. How could he possibly export them?
Level 6 Soul Tools, on the other hand, were acceptable. Their power was still within manageable limits and not too outrageous, but he would have to tell the Soul Master Legion to cripple them internally and cut the quantity in half.
"One Level 6 Soul Tool costs one million; Level 5, four hundred thousand... Level 4, fifty thousand..."
Xu Nian'an wielded his butcher's knife.
He dared to sell even Level 6 Soul Tools for a million. And a million in the future could buy a Level 8 close-combat Soul Tool outright.
That was the advantage of a monopoly.
There were no Soul Tools anywhere else. If you wanted one, you had to buy from them. If you didn't, you'd fall behind and get beaten.
Xu Nian'an couldn't help thinking of a funny saying.
My neighbor stores grain, so I store guns. My neighbor's grain fills my granary.
Sure enough, weapons were the most valuable things of all.
Ning Fengzhi had been prepared for Xu Nian'an's prices, but they still gave him a fright. With no choice, he revised the order. In the end, he bought over ten million worth of Soul Tools, along with a large number of Storage Soul Tools.
"Your Majesty, Emperor of Great Ming, besides coming to purchase military supplies, I've also come to apologize to you for what happened last time."
As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi's Storage Ring flashed, and a jade box appeared in his hand.
He stepped before Xu Nian'an and opened it.
A burst of multicolored light shone out.
Inside the jade box lay a ring and a jade pendant decorated with the sun and moon.
"These were specially crafted by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect: the Seven-Colored Dragon Pattern Ring and the Seven-Colored Sun and Moon Jade Pendant."
Xu Nian'an nodded.
Free things were worth taking.
"Withdraw. I'm tired."
On the way back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Fengzhi, Great Ming clearly doesn't welcome us. Why are we going out of our way to curry favor?"
At the beautiful young woman's words, Ning Fengzhi's expression turned cold.
"Woman's foolish opinion!"
The young woman lowered her eyes.
"Uncle Sword... are you certain? Was that really... the Peerless Douluo from the legends?"
Beside them, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had kept his eyes closed ever since boarding the carriage, suddenly opened them.
"That feeling was unmistakable. And just as the rumors say, the Great Ming Empire has a powerful force of Soul Masters, with more than one Titled Douluo among them."
"And they may even have a Super Douluo above Level 95!"
When the two Holy Spirit Cult saints were summoned, they had both possessed the cultivation of Level 95 Super Douluos.
They had clearly been strengthened.
"The Great Ming Empire has powerful troops and abundant horses. It defeated two old empires, Star Luo and Heaven Dou. Even without Soul Tools, the mere presence of a Level 99 Peerless Douluo would make it a force that ninety-nine percent of the continent wouldn't dare provoke!"
"Not to mention that they also possess Soul Tools, weapons almost unheard of anywhere in the world."
"The Great Ming Empire is sure to become the center of the continent's development. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't seize this chance to get on board, will we have another opportunity later?"
As Ning Fengzhi spoke, a peculiar light flickered in his eyes.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect must seize hold of this dragon, the Great Ming Empire."
Douluo Calendar, July 7, 2625.
Xu Nian'an led the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and one hundred thousand Dragon Guards back to the capital.
The whole nation erupted in celebration.
The Great Ming Empire's territory had expanded to an unprecedented size.
From south to north, from north to south, Great Ming territory stretched the entire way.
After returning to Great Ming, Xu Nian'an immediately began sweeping reforms.
He hadn't had the time before, but now it was time to act.
Ten days later, the first Ming Examination was held.
That day, three hundred people were selected from Ming City's three million residents and sent beyond Great Ming to take up posts outside the city.
They were, of course, directly appointed as city lords, county magistrates, mayors, and other high-ranking officials.
The new territories had to be secured, and the emperor's authority consolidated.
Xu Nian'an sent out fifty thousand of the one hundred thousand Dragon Guards to establish Northern Suppressing Divisions in various regions. Each could be small, and its staff few, but the emperor couldn't do without eyes and ears on the ground.
Ming City was placed under the Western Depot in Ming Palace.
Xu Nian'an stopped recruiting soldiers. Since a nationwide Martial Soul Awakening was coming up, he decided to resume recruitment afterward.
A little over ten days later, after half a month of preparations, the Great Ming Empire's first military parade began.
Xu Nian'an had arranged it to celebrate the defeat of the two empires and to display Great Ming's strength.
Many kingdoms and people from the two great empires had also been invited.
Since Xu Nian'an had only recently defeated the two empires, almost everyone who received an invitation came.
There were also those who came uninvited, such as Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect...
"I rose to power when Great Ming was in peril and hastily founded the empire. In the process, many people came into conflict with me."
"But they all paid the price they deserved."
Below the stage, the envoys from the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire felt the eyes around them. Their faces burned.
Just as Xu Nian'an was about to say something, the old eunuch Xu Fu hurried forward.
"Your Majesty, the gifts from the other nations' envoys have all been counted."
Xu Nian'an's lips curled into a smile. The true reforms of Great Ming were about to begin.
Xu Nian'an would establish many departments, and this would also be the moment Great Ming pulled ahead of the other nations.
"Read."
With that, Xu Nian'an turned around. There was no need to rush into an impassioned speech just yet.