Yu Tianheng's voice lowered a bit, his eyes locked tightly on the person in front of him, with unquestionable certainty in his tone. "However, after the destruction of Xingluo, the structure of the continent will completely change - only the Tiandou Empire and Wuhun Palace will be able to dominate at that time."
He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, speaking clearly, "But Your Majesty, your status is indeed special. You are Qian Renxue, the daughter of the Pope of the Spirit Hall, and the successor of the Angel God. You cannot possibly destroy the Spirit Hall that gave you birth and nurtured you for the sake of Heaven Dou, nor can you allow Heaven Dou to unify the continent alone."
At this point, Yu Tianheng leaned forward slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Therefore, once the dust settles on the Star Luo Empire war and the situation stabilizes, it will be the best time for you to return to the Spirit Hall. The Spirit Hall is not a monolithic entity right now; you must seize the opportunity and use Thunder and decisive means to take the Pope's position, firmly grasping the power of the entire Spirit Hall in your hands."
He looked up into the distance, as if he could already foresee that scene. "By then, you will hold the immense power of the Spirit Hall and have also wielded the authority of the Heaven Dou Empire, having a thorough understanding of the foundations of both sides. In this way, whether you base your power on the Spirit Hall or leverage the strength of the Heaven Dou Empire, ultimately ascending to the pinnacle of the continent and becoming the true ruler of the continent will be a natural progression."
Xue Qinghe tapped her fingers lightly on the table. After listening to Yu Tianheng's words, she remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Then she nodded repeatedly, a look of deep agreement flashing in her eyes. "What you said is absolutely right."
He looked up at Yu Tianheng, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration, and thought to himself: I always thought that Yu Tianheng was the pride of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, with unparalleled domineering Soul Power and Martial Soul, and was known for his martial prowess.
But listening to his analysis of the situation today, from the Star Luo Empire War to the subsequent continental landscape, and then to the internal power structure of the Spirit Hall, his logic was clear and his insightful, even surpassing that of many veteran officials in the court. It seems I underestimated him; Yu Tianheng is not only incredibly powerful, but his ability to assess situations is equally formidable.
After discussing the arrangements for grain supplies and border defenses with Xue Qinghe, Yu Tianheng rose, bowed, and slowly withdrew from the palace. The sunlight outside the palace gates fell on his tall figure, adding a touch of composure to the sharp temperament unique to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan as he held military power.
Within three days, an imperial edict bearing the seal of the Heaven Dou Empire spread throughout the court and the country— Yu Tianheng was reinstated as Grand Marshal of the Army, commanding the empire's million-strong army.
On the day he received the imperial decree, he donned silver armor and rushed to the military camp. He beat the drums to gather the generals, enforced military discipline, and personally oversaw everything from basic formation drills to the coordinated combat between Soul Master and the army. The camp was filled with the sounds of battle, and the atmosphere of preparing for the war against the Star Luo Empire grew stronger day by day.
While the Heaven Dou Empire was preparing for war, a decision that would shake the very fabric of the continent was being made in the Pope Hall in Spirit City.
Bibi Dong sat enthroned on the Pope throne, her long, gilded robe trailing on the ground, her purple-gold eyes brimming with an aura of supreme authority.
She spoke slowly, her voice carrying throughout the entire Spirit City via the soul-guided loudspeaker. "From this day forward, the Spirit Hall is officially established as a nation, named ' Martial Soul.' I, Bibi Dong, am the first Empress of the Spirit Hall Empire! Hu Liena will serve as the Holy Maiden, the first in line to the throne of the Spirit Hall Empire, and the Imperial Preceptor will be Yu Xiaogang."
There was no lengthy preamble, only a crisp and decisive announcement. Immediately, countless messengers carrying edicts stamped with the Imperial Seal of the Spirit Hall Empire rode swiftly to all parts of the continent, delivering this message to every empire and every sect.
When the words " Spirit Hall Empire " spread throughout the Douluo Continent, the Heaven Dou court, the Star Luo Empire army camp, and all the sects, large and small, were shaken to an unprecedented degree.
An empire rising from the ranks of Soul Master suddenly appeared, shattering the balance of power between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empire factions. The turmoil on the continent suddenly intensified.
Inside the council hall of the Star Luo Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead. The Star Luo Emperor slammed the edict from the Spirit Hall Empire onto the table, his tiger-like eyes wide open. " Bibi Dong is trying to bind all the Soul Master on the entire continent to her war chariot!"
Crown Prince Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his tone cold and hard. " The Spirit Hall's establishment of a nation is not just empty talk—their Soul Master legions are already stronger than ours, and now, by consolidating resources in the name of the empire, their combat power will only become more terrifying."
The emperor remained silent for a long time before finally saying in a deep voice, "Issue the order to accelerate the deployment of defenses on the eastern front, and at the same time send a secret envoy to Heaven Dou... Regardless of past grievances, the Martial Spirit Hall Empire is the greatest threat right now." Everyone in the Star Luo Empire knew that this newly established empire was more disruptive than Heaven Dou's million-strong army.
Heaven Dou Empire
Xue Qinghe stood on the high platform of the palace, gazing at the imperial edict in his hand, his emotions unreadable. Yu Tianheng beside him said in a deep voice, "The establishment of the Spirit Hall Empire, on the surface, is to jointly restrain Star Luo Empire with us, but in reality, Bibi Dong's ambition is obvious—she wants the entire continent."
The court officials discussed the matter animatedly. Some believed they could use the power of the Spirit Hall Empire to first destroy Star Luo Empire, and then plan their next move later. Others were worried. " The Spirit Hall already reigns supreme over the two great empires, and now that it has a national title, it will be difficult to control them." Xue Qinghe finally waved his hand. "Prepare for war against the Star Luo Empire as originally planned, but send more spies to closely monitor the Spirit Hall Empire's movements." Throughout the Heaven Dou court, everyone was cautiously observing this changing situation.
The major sects also became wary of this.
" The Spirit Hall has become an empire, and in the future, it will likely be even more under their control. Any disobedience will be considered treason."
Those Soul Master who were affiliated with the Spirit Hall were overjoyed, such as those from the Elephant Armor Sect, especially those from ordinary backgrounds who had been promoted by the Soul Master Spirit Hall: "With the establishment of the Empire, the status of Soul Master will only rise higher! Only by following Her Majesty the Empress will we have a chance to rise."
Top sects like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had a nuanced attitude. Ning Fengzhi sighed, " Bibi Dong's move has pushed Soul Master to the center of power on the continent, but it has also put us in a precarious position."
For ordinary people, the " Spirit Hall Empire " is more like a distant yet oppressive symbol.
The people of Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empire whispered among themselves, "Is war about to break out again? We've only had peace for a few years..." They didn't understand how terrifying the power of Soul Master was; they only knew that the establishment of the new empire meant the possibility of renewed warfare.
The people surrounding Spirit City were forcibly indoctrinated with the slogan "Long Live the Empress." Some were compliant because of the stability the Spirit Hall had once provided, but many more, under strict control, harbored a fear of the unknown. "I've heard that those who rebel against the Spirit Hall never have a good ending..."
The entire continent, due to the birth of the Spirit Hall Empire, was like a lake where a giant stone had been thrown in, rippling with waves of turbulence.