Whoosh!
Xu Nian'an turned and left as soon as he finished speaking.
Xu Nian'an had not an ounce of patience for people who had once betrayed him. He wasn't going to wait around for them to change their minds.
There was no need.
He trusted the people he employed. If he doubted them, he simply didn't use them.
If they were people he had doubts about, he could just kill them and bring in the next batch.
"B-but, Your Majesty!"
Before Xu Fu could say another word, Long Xiaoyao stopped him with a hand.
"Are you questioning the king's decision?"
At Long Xiaoyao's words, Xu Fu swallowed the rest of what he had to say. Knowing the other man's strength, he reluctantly backed down.
But as he looked toward Xu Nian'an, a trace of fear crept into his eyes.
The little prince was no longer the little prince he had once been.
He had changed so much—not only in his ruthless decisiveness, but also in the mysterious Soul Masters at his side, none of whom Xu Fu recognized.
The king no longer needed him by his side.
The flag of the Great Ming Kingdom was quickly made and sent to every corner of the kingdom. Starry Sky City was also renamed Ming City.
Xu Nian'an carried out the next steps.
He buried the late king and queen.
Clip-clop-clop-clop!!!
Just then, a rapid succession of hoofbeats rang out.
Clatter!
An Imperial Guard in heavy armor swung down from his horse and bowed respectfully.
"Something's wrong, Your Majesty! The Gulei Kingdom's army has surrounded Ming City!"
As Xu Nian'an's direct enforcers, the Imperial Guard had received news of his successful accession at once. They had been stationed throughout the kingdom to protect it and keep Ming City under control in case of unrest.
They had also heard that the kingdom's name had been changed to Ming.
They had all helped protect the royal house, and were just waiting for their new king to reward them after taking the throne.
Now, the sudden arrival of the Gulei Kingdom's army had scared them half to death.
"We're... surrounded?"
Xu Nian'an slapped his forehead, realizing with a start that something was wrong.
He had been wondering what he'd forgotten.
It was the Gulei Kingdom.
The joy of awakening Triple Martial Souls, ascending the throne, and then privately discovering that he had Innate Full Soul Power had gone to Xu Nian'an's head.
He had thought this was the usual start for someone whose parents had been sacrificed to give him an overpowered beginning.
He hadn't expected another problem to crop up.
Though, perhaps it wasn't really a problem.
Remembering that he had the Holy Spirit Cult, Xu Nian'an eagerly opened his system.
[Supreme Empire System!] [Host: Xu Nian'an.] [Age: Six.] [Martial Souls: Dragon Emperor Sword, Sun, Moon.] [Soul Power: Level 10 (Innate Full Soul Power!)] ... [Factions: Holy Spirit Cult! One Hundred Thousand Imperial Guards!] [Holy Spirit Cult: Grand Supreme Elder (Not summoned!) Cult Master (Not summoned)... Worshippers... (1/) Elders (Not summoned)... Deacons (Twenty-four)... Messengers (Forty-eight)... (Ninety-six)] [One Limit Douluo, the Great Worship, Hand of National Protection (Long Xiaoyao); twenty-four Soul Douluo, forty-eight Soul Saints, ninety-six Soul Emperors.]
Staring at the basic information that appeared in the system, Xu Nian'an froze in place.
Holy crab!!!
"System, are you messing with me?"
"What kind of Holy Spirit Cult is this? It's so weak! Just one Titled Douluo? Are you giving alms to a beggar?"
Honestly, the system's message had given Xu Nian'an quite a shock.
Just one Titled Douluo? Was that a joke?
He hadn't known until he looked, and now he was horrified. Xu Nian'an was beside himself with regret.
[Ding! The beginner's gift package provided by the system is enough to solve all of the host's current problems and establish a foothold among the continent's many empires and kingdoms. If the host wants other characters, please complete missions to obtain them.] [Ding! Main quest triggered: Display the kingdom's might. The Great Ming Kingdom must not be violated. Annihilate the Gulei Kingdom's two hundred thousand invading soldiers to warn the world!]
One hundred thousand against two hundred thousand?
How was he supposed to fight that?
He wasn't some peerless military genius. They were outnumbered two to one—two whole times over! Soldiers weren't gods. They could die...
Wait.
Xu Nian'an's mind suddenly roared.
R-right.
The armies of today weren't the armies from ten thousand years in the future. They didn't have Soul Tools or Soul Masters.
Today's armies were made up of ordinary people who couldn't cultivate and had no Soul Power.
Hope suddenly stirred in Xu Nian'an's heart.
"Elder Long."
"I'll leave the Gulei Kingdom's army to you and the Holy Spirit Cult."
As Xu Nian'an spoke, his eyes narrowed.
Long Xiaoyao and the Holy Spirit Cult might be able to defeat the Gulei Kingdom's army.
But they couldn't stop the enemy from escaping. The mission was to annihilate two hundred thousand soldiers, after all.
Xu Nian'an couldn't give up.
Whoosh!
"I'll lead the Holy Spirit Cult to drive back the enemy."
The instant the words left Long Xiaoyao's mouth, he blurred and vanished from the spot.
If Xu Nian'an remembered correctly, in Peerless Tang Sect, an enraged Level 98 Super Douluo could destroy an entire city.
Then what could a Limit Douluo do...?
It seemed two hundred thousand soldiers weren't that many. Even a million-strong army probably couldn't do anything to him.
Was this the allure of power?
Xu Nian'an had to admit, he was tempted.
He couldn't wait to absorb a Soul Ring and begin cultivating.
But this wasn't the time for him to absorb a Soul Ring and break through to become a Soul Master.
The question now was how to reasonably annihilate two hundred thousand soldiers and complete the system's mission.
The system's rewards were undeniably impressive. They might not look like much, but Xu Nian'an had simply read too many novels.
He treated Titled Douluo like they were nothing. But there were only a handful of them in this era. Even the weakest, Poison Douluo, was an honored guest of the Heaven Dou Empire.
An ordinary Titled Douluo was already among the top fighters on Douluo Continent.
And a Limit Douluo was on an entirely different level.
"Reporting to Your Majesty: Prime Minister Wei Kun, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Personnel, and the other clans have all been arrested. More than twelve thousand five hundred people have been taken into custody. We searched their homes and found goods and money worth nine million five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
Xu Nian'an's pupils contracted sharply.
Nine and a half million! Damn it, nine and a half million! The Great Ming treasury held barely one million Gold Soul Coins.
Those people had practically been richer than the kingdom.
But now wasn't the time for Xu Nian'an to complete his side quest.
The thought of all the parasites in his kingdom made Xu Nian'an grit his teeth. At least they had all been dug out.
Otherwise, who knew how much longer they would have kept sucking him dry?
"Xu Yi, take fifty thousand Imperial Guards and, in a moment..."
Xu Nian'an found a deacon from the Holy Spirit Cult and caught up with Long Xiaoyao, who was preparing to set out.
Inside the Gulei Kingdom's military camp.
"Uuugh...!"
A series of strange sounds suddenly came from the main tent. Three seconds later, it fell silent.
Hearing what was happening inside, a soldier rushed into the main tent. The next instant, a cry rang through the camp.
"Disaster! Disaster! The king is dead!"
Rumble!
Unfortunately, the camp was silent as a grave. No one answered him.
"Heh heh heh. You're too late. You're the only one left alive in the Gulei Kingdom's camp now."