In the Spirit Hall Empire, inside the former Papal Hall on Holy Soul Mountain in Spirit City, many people stood side by side in two rows. They waited quietly for something.
Before long, a very young man wearing the Heaven-Equal Crown and a five-clawed dragon robe slowly entered and walked straight to the Jade Throne atop the Nine-Level Steps, where he sat down.
"Long live our emperor! Long live, long, long live!"
"Rise, my ministers."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Their voices rang out in unison throughout the hall.
"Your Majesty, the new emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Beng, and the new emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Weisi, have sent envoys to our empire, offering their surrender. The envoys of both nations are waiting outside the hall," a general reported respectfully to Su Chen as he stepped out from the two rows.
"Summon them!"
At the Battle of Jialing Pass, the Heaven Dou Empire had committed its entire nation to the war, mustering a million mighty warriors. In the end, some had died and others had surrendered. Under the onslaught of the Spirit Hall Empire's army, a city had fallen after some effort.
The people of the Heaven Dou Empire knew little about the nature of the Spirit Hall Empire. When they tremblingly welcomed its army into their cities, they were astonished to discover that, unlike armies in past wars, its soldiers neither raped nor pillaged. Instead, they maintained strict military discipline and left the common people undisturbed.
Such conduct won enormous goodwill from the Heaven Dou Empire's common people and wealthy merchants. Afterward, cities short of troops surrendered one after another. Even cities that stubbornly resisted from their last corners opened their gates following uprisings by some of their inhabitants, embracing the Spirit Hall Empire.
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