Military Parade!

As Ning Fengzhi and the others watched with their own eyes as a mountain was effortlessly obliterated by a seventh-ring Soul Master, their worldviews shattered.

The emergence of the Soul Cannon had completely upended their understanding of reality.

The destructive power of the Soul Cannon was indeed higher than the lethality displayed by many Soul Masters of the same rank.

Furthermore, Ning Fengzhi had heard with his own ears that there were forty-nine others within the Soul Master Legion capable of achieving such a feat.

This sent a chill down Ning Fengzhi's spine.

What kind of monsters had the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire provoked?

Ning Fengzhi could not help but immediately recall a rumor from the Star Luo battlefield.

It was said that the Great God Lake Defense Line on the Star Luo battlefield had held nearly seven hundred thousand troops just one day before the Star Luo Empire's defeat.

But following a series of intense, thunderous explosions and a flash of white light, the Great God Lake Defense Line seemed to have incurred the wrath of heaven.

The Great God Lake, over ten kilometers wide, had dried up; the entire defense line was erased, the seven hundred thousand troops of the Star Luo Empire vanished into thin air, and a massive crater appeared at the site.

Legend had it that the place was cursed; anyone who went there would suddenly drop dead within three days.

Their bodies would fester and rot, and even after death, their bones would emit a strange glow.

Thinking back to how the Daming Army had seemed to anticipate everything in that campaign—withdrawing, counterattacking, and surrounding Star Luo City to maximize their gains...

Coupled with the sight of a seventh-level Soul Master easily destroying a small mountain, Ning Fengzhi finally understood.

This was no divine punishment; it was clearly the Daming Empire deploying some kind of terrifying weapon.

Thinking of the seven hundred thousand people at the Great God Lake Defense Line, Ning Fengzhi shuddered.

Not long after, Ning Fengzhi returned to the main hall with a heart full of trepidation.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of Daming, this trip to the Heaven Dou military camp has allowed me to witness many things."

"The future development of the continent surely lies with the Daming Empire."

"If possible, I hope for extensive cooperation with your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"This is the list of armaments that my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wishes to purchase from Daming."

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian'an glanced at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's procurement list.

Twenty seventh-level Soul Tools, forty sixth-level Soul Tools, one hundred fifth-level Soul Tools...

Xu Nian'an did not hesitate in the slightest; he picked up his brush and crossed out the seventh-level Soul Tools.

What a joke—these were active-duty seventh-level Soul Tools used by the Soul Master Legion; there was no way he would export them.

Sixth-level Soul Tools were acceptable; their power was still within a controllable range and not yet outrageous, though he would need to notify the Soul Master Legion to have them crippled and the quantity halved.

"One million for a sixth-level Soul Tool, four hundred thousand for a fifth-level... fifty thousand for a fourth-level..."

Xu Nian'an swung his butcher's knife.

He dared to sell sixth-level Soul Tools for a million; one had to know that in the future market, a million could directly purchase an eighth-level close-combat Soul Tool.

This was the benefit of a monopoly.

Soul Tools were not available elsewhere; they could only come to him to buy them. If they didn't buy, they would fall behind and wait to be beaten.

This couldn't help but remind Xu Nian'an of a humorous saying.

"The neighbor hoards grain while I hoard guns; the neighbor is my granary."

Indeed, only armaments were truly valuable.

Looking at Xu Nian'an's quote, although Ning Fengzhi had been prepared, he was still startled. Helpless, he had to adjust his plan, eventually purchasing over ten million in Soul Tools, along with a large number of storage Soul Tools.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor of Daming, besides purchasing armaments, I have also come to offer my apologies for the previous incident."

At this, Ning Fengzhi's right hand flashed with his storage ring, and a jade box appeared in his palm.

Ning Fengzhi stepped before Xu Nian'an and opened it.

Instantly, a seven-colored light illuminated the room.

Inside the jade box lay a ring and a piece of Sun and Moon jade pendant.

"This is the Seven-Colored Dragon Pattern Ring and the Seven-Colored Sun and Moon Jade Pendant, specially crafted by my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Xu Nian'an nodded upon hearing this.

Free things were not to be refused.

"You may withdraw; This Lonely One is weary."

On the road back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Fengzhi, Daming clearly does not welcome us; why must we insist on fawning over them?"

Hearing the words of the beautiful young woman beside him, Ning Fengzhi's face turned cold.

"A woman's perspective!"

Upon hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, the young woman lowered her gaze.

"Uncle Sword... are you certain? Was that truly... the legendary Peerless Douluo!"

Beside them, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had kept his eyes closed ever since boarding the carriage, suddenly snapped them open.

"The sensation was unmistakable. Furthermore, just as the rumors suggested, there exists a faction of high-level spirit masters within the Great Ming Empire, and they possess more than one Titled Douluo."

"And it is highly probable that they even have a Super Douluo at... level ninety-five or above!"

When the two saintesses of the Holy Spirit Cult were summoned, they were both at the cultivation level of a level ninety-five Super Douluo.

Clearly, they had been enhanced.

"The Great Ming Empire is strong and prosperous, having defeated the two veteran empires of Star Luo and Heaven Dou. Even without Soul Tools, relying solely on that one level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo would make them a force that ninety-nine percent of the continent would dare not provoke!"

"Not to mention that the opponent also possesses Soul Tools, a weapon rare throughout the world."

"The Great Ming Empire will undoubtedly become the center of the continent's development in the future. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect does not seize this opportunity now, will there ever be another chance?"

As he spoke, a distinct glint flickered in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

"The Great Ming Empire is a dragon, and my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect must seize it."

July 7th, 2625 of the Douluo Calendar.

Xu Nian'an led the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the one-hundred-thousand-strong Dragon Guard in a triumphant return to the capital.

The entire nation erupted in celebration.

The territory of the Great Ming Empire had reached an unprecedented scale.

From south to north, and north to south, the entire path was now Great Ming territory.

Upon returning to Great Ming, Xu Nian'an began his sweeping reforms.

He had lacked the time before, but now, it was time to act.

Ten days later, the first Ming Examination was held.

On that day, three hundred people were selected from the three million residents of Ming City and dispatched outside the city to take up official posts.

Naturally, they were directly parachuted into positions as city lords, county magistrates, mayors, and high-ranking officials.

The goal was to consolidate the imperial power of Great Ming over the new territories.

Xu Nian'an dispersed fifty thousand of the one-hundred-thousand Dragon Guards to various regions to establish the Northern Suppressing Division. The locations might be small and the personnel few, but as the eyes and ears of the Emperor, they could not be absent.

Ming City was taken over by the Western Depot from within the Ming Palace.

Xu Nian'an halted recruitment, deciding to wait until after the upcoming nationwide spirit awakening ceremony.

Another dozen days passed, and after half a month of preparation, the Great Ming Empire's first military parade began.

Xu Nian'an had prepared this to mark the defeat of the two empires and to demonstrate the strength of the Great Ming Empire.

On that day, numerous kingdoms and representatives from the two great empires were invited to attend.

Because Xu Nian'an had recently defeated the two great empires, almost everyone who received an invitation arrived.

Of course, there were also those who came uninvited, such as Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"I rose from the perils of Great Ming and established this nation in haste; during that time, many people had unpleasant dealings with Me."

"However, they have all paid the price they deserved."

Below the stage, the envoys of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire felt the surrounding gazes and felt their faces burn with shame.

Just as Xu Nian'an was about to continue, the old eunuch Xu Fu hurriedly stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the gifts from the foreign envoys have all been inventoried."

Hearing this, a smile curled at the corner of Xu Nian'an's mouth. The time for Great Ming's true reforms was at hand.

Xu Nian'an would establish many new departments, marking the moment to pull away from the other nations once and for all.

"Read them."

After saying this, Xu Nian'an turned around, in no rush to deliver his impassioned speech.