Long Yue sat back down and picked up another bunch of grapes, popping them into his mouth.
"Simply put, we shape the common sense and values of the people of the Douluo Continent so that they willingly accept and identify with the Divine Realm Empire's leadership."
"For example? The intercontinental Soul Master Elite Tournament?" Sima Lanxiao picked up a pen and paper and began taking notes.
"The Soul Master Tournament isn't about actually competing. What's so entertaining about a few little brats releasing their martial souls and fighting back and forth?"
Long Yue had the burly build of an adult, without a trace of childishness on his face. He certainly didn't count as a little brat.
"Those taking part in the Soul Master Tournament are the elite soul masters of the Douluo Continent. In other words, they're members of the continent's future ruling class.
"We invite them to the Spirit Ice Continent not merely to compete, but more importantly, to show them the Divine Realm Empire's... advancement."
Long Yue stood up again, waving his arms like an orator.
"Let them tour the soul-powered highways and railways of the Divine Realm Imperial Capital, the modern soul tool factories, the thriving cities, the comfortable and convenient standard of living...
"Show them the empire's tremendous achievements and... advancement in technology, industry, education, and other fields.
"Then we establish a standard.
"For example, the Divine Realm Empire's model is the ultimate goal of progress and civilization.
"Those young soul masters are all elites. Once they witness every aspect of the Divine Realm Empire's advancement, they'll unconsciously come to see the empire's values and way of life as a blueprint for the Douluo Continent's future development.
"Finally, we cultivate elites sympathetic to the Divine Realm Empire. Through firsthand experience, we foster goodwill toward the empire and identification with it in their minds.
"Thus, as the Douluo Continent develops in the future, they'll naturally lean toward adopting the Divine Realm Empire's model and favoring its interests.
"That's far more effective and lasting than military conquest."
Watching the thoughtful Sima Lanxiao, Long Yue sank back into the sofa. "The Sun Moon Empire... and even the Sun Moon Federation have been going about it all wrong."
"What did you say?" Sima Lanxiao looked up. He had yet to digest Long Yue's earlier words and hadn't expected him to move on to a new topic so quickly.
Long Yue finished the grapes and wiped the juice from his hands with a handkerchief. "The Sun Moon Federation's conquest plan amounts to nothing more than sailing warships over and landing on the Star Luo Continent... the Spirit Ice Continent. But they simply lack an effective model of governance, and the empire has never identified particularly strongly with the Sun Moon Federation anyway."
Sima Lanxiao set down his pen and paper.
"If they'd followed the model I just described, the Sun Moon Federation could have established a 'pro-Mingdu faction' within the empire long ago. No, actually, we've already been influenced by the Sun Moon Federation, haven't we?"
Long Yue looked Sima Lanxiao straight in the eye.
"True traditional culture on the Douluo Continent consisted of nothing but martial souls and soul masters. Pure and simple soul masters.
"There were no Fixed Soul Cannon Shells, no mecha, and no battle armor. Back then, we were just as pure as the people of the Douluo Continent are now, thinking every day about reaching level one hundred and becoming gods.
"When did that begin to change?
"When the Sun Moon Continent collided with ours.
"Because of war, because of fear, because our capital nearly fell, we too learned to make soul tools, to pilot mecha, and to create battle armor.
"Wasn't that itself an act of cultural bullying by the Sun Moon Federation against us?
"The people of the empire say we uphold tradition. They also say that because of Spirit Ice Douluo's great deeds, we believe in the mighty power of becoming a god at level one hundred and respect individual heroism.
"But the moment we sever ties with the Sun Moon Federation and can no longer rely on the Tang Sect to learn its advanced technology,
"the empire could face collapse at any time."
Sima Lanxiao did not agree with Long Yue. He countered,
"The soul tool revolution was a great step forward, even if it came from our enemy, the Sun Moon Federation.
"Would you really want to live on the Douluo Continent of twenty thousand years ago?
"Without Soul Guidance Lamps, you'd have to light candles. Without water heaters, you'd have to burn firewood. To visit Heaven Dou City, you could only take a horse-drawn carriage. There were no soul-powered railways at all."
Long Yue nodded with a derisive laugh. "It's progress. The Sun Moon Federation gets mecha, so we learn to make mecha. The Sun Moon Federation gets battle armor, so we learn to make battle armor... Don't we have any ability to innovate?"
"But Spirit Ice Douluo created the soul spirit model," Sima Lanxiao said, pride lighting his face.
"Then where is the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters?" Long Yue asked. "Shrek City or Star Luo City?"
"..." Sima Lanxiao fell silent.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Long Yue pointed at his dark red school uniform, his face flushed.
"Our Monster Academy is a copy of the Sun Moon Federation's Shrek Academy too. Our red uniforms match their green ones... How does that saying go again? Red paired with green...?"
Sima Lanxiao finally realized something was wrong. He abruptly grabbed the bowl of grapes in front of Long Yue and peeled back a grape's skin, revealing silver flesh.
"This is... Drunken Silver Dragon?!"
As though drunk on wine, Long Yue flopped onto the sofa in a stupor, clamoring, "Another one!"
So it had all been drunken talk.
In the castle outside Heaven Dou City, Seven Treasure City.
The council hall.
At the northern end of the hall, facing south, stood a large chair of carved rosewood. An enormous piece of jade-green, top-grade warm jade was inlaid in its back.
A man sat upright in the chair. His features were refined and gentle, and his spotless white robe bore not a speck of dust. He appeared to be in his forties, with a mild gaze.
Ning Fengzhi, sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a level seventy-nine Soul Sage.
Below Ning Fengzhi's seat, a young man knelt respectfully on one knee. "Reporting to the sect master, the Divine Realm Empire's delegation presented numerous offensive soul tools at the banquet. It truly lives up to its name as the nation of soul tools."
"Mm. Since the Divine Realm Empire's soul tools have no restrictions preventing support-type soul masters from using them, that proves our sect's direct-line disciples can also gain combat capabilities through soul tools."
Ning Fengzhi nodded in satisfaction. He had been observing the Divine Realm Empire for a long time. From the moment its delegation landed in the Heaven Frost Principality, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile merchant association had turned its attention to these visitors from overseas.
On the road to Heaven Dou City, the Divine Realm Empire's delegation had displayed numerous soul tools, including Soul Guidance Lamps.
Even then, Ning Fengzhi had concluded that the Divine Realm Empire must also possess offensive soul tools, and that it certainly intended to sell them to the Heaven Dou Empire.
After all, the arms trade was the most profitable business.
Ning Fengzhi had no intention of interfering, but he did intend to purchase a batch of soul tools himself. He also believed that Sima Lanxiao, the Divine Realm Empire's special envoy, would be delighted to sell them to him.
Everyone on the Douluo Continent knew that the greatest weakness of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul was its lack of offensive power, leaving its wielders in need of protection from battle soul masters.
Another fact known throughout the Douluo Continent was that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was wealthy enough to rival a nation.
Who would turn their nose up at a chance to make money?
Ning Fengzhi believed that Special Envoy Sima Lanxiao would not refuse the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's request to purchase soul tools either.
"Furthermore, at the banquet, Long Yue, a student from the Divine Realm Empire's Monster Academy, said he wished to take part in the exchange gathering between Heaven Dou City's elite academies. The venue has been set at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"I've heard of him. A twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor." Clearly, Ning Fengzhi had more than this one source of information. "He seems rather interesting. Arrange a banquet and invite the Divine Realm Empire's delegation. Have them bring Long Yue."
"Yes." The young man nodded.
Before you continue