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Ye Wen knew that humans often didn't value things they obtained too easily. Moreover, he had other plans in mind.
In just a single day, the situation across the entire Douluo Continent underwent a seismic shift.
The nations under the Star Luo Empire, which had previously stood between the Tian Dou Empire and its subordinate kingdoms and duchies, were now on high alert, mobilizing their troops.
In their minds, the Spirit Hall had targeted the Tian Dou Empire first because it was weaker, while they themselves were the "hard bone" to be dealt with last. Thus, they felt an overwhelming sense of urgency, fearing that the Spirit Hall would attack them at any moment.
As for taking advantage of the chaos to seize territory?
No sane nation would dare attempt such a thing.
To hold onto a piece of land, one needed defensible terrain; otherwise, it would devolve into a protracted war of attrition, consuming vast amounts of manpower and resources—a cost far outweighing the benefits.
Inside the Star Luo Imperial Palace—
The once highly anticipated struggle for the throne had now become irrelevant. All the key figures of the Star Luo Empire were gathered in the palace's council hall.
At this moment, every minister in the hall remained silent, not daring to utter a word.
An oppressive aura surrounded the White Tiger Emperor, his fierce tiger-like eyes glaring intently at the intelligence report on the table.
"In just one day—no, one night—the vast Tian Dou Empire has fallen. My esteemed ministers, how long do you think our Star Luo Empire can hold out?"
The White Tiger Emperor's voice was chilling, his gaze sweeping over his ministers with scrutiny.
Normally, as long as his ministers performed their duties, the White Tiger Emperor didn't demand much from them. After all, as the supreme ruler of the Star Luo Empire and its sole Title Douluo, he had every right to feel confident.
However, news of the Tian Dou Empire's overnight collapse—including the betrayal of the influential Ge Long family—had reached him. This made him question whether his own ministers, who flattered him daily, might follow suit.
These ministers, each harboring their own secrets, avoided meeting the White Tiger Emperor's gaze.
Though the internal state of the Star Luo Empire was better than that of the Tian Dou Empire, two thousand years was more than enough time for corruption to take root. Otherwise, the once fierce and intelligent competition for the throne wouldn't have devolved into the farcical spectacle it had become.
The White Tiger Emperor took several deep breaths, reminding himself that now was not the time to lose control.
Unlike Xue Ye, the White Tiger Emperor, as a Title Douluo, possessed his own pride. He would never accept such a humiliating surrender.
"Minister of Finance."
"Present," an elderly man stepped forward. His long white beard indicated his extensive knowledge and experience.
After scrutinizing this elder statesman, who had served two dynasties, the White Tiger Emperor asked,
"How many soldiers can the current treasury support for a year of warfare?"
Though somewhat puzzled by the emperor's question, the Minister of Finance quickly calculated and replied,
"Your Majesty, based on the current state of the treasury, we should be able to recruit one million soldiers for a year."
Upon hearing this, the White Tiger Emperor fell into deep thought.
"And if we cut their rations? How many could we recruit then?"
The Minister of Finance sensed that things were taking a dangerous turn. Though military rations were already meager, they couldn't simply be eliminated—after all, soldiers needed sustenance to fight.
As a loyal minister, the Minister of Finance instinctively tried to dissuade him.
"Your Majesty, even common soldiers will mutiny if they aren't given rations!"
But in response, the White Tiger Emperor unleashed a suffocating wave of pressure, causing the Minister of Finance to collapse to the ground.
Though not a top-tier soul master, the Minister of Finance was still a Soul Emperor. Struggling to remain conscious, he lifted his head to look at the White Tiger Emperor.
"I am the ruler of Star Luo! My subjects must obey my commands. If they mutiny, their officers will kill them, and we'll recruit another batch.
I will make those wretches in the Spirit Hall understand that swallowing Star Luo is impossible!"
With these words, the White Tiger Emperor's oppressive aura intensified, causing the Minister of Finance to foam at the mouth and faint from the strain.
Coldly staring at the unconscious minister, the White Tiger Emperor muttered, "Worthless. Since you dared to defy me, you're relieved of your duties."
The ministers standing nearby were drenched in cold sweat.
Those farther away might not have noticed, but they knew the Minister of Finance was as good as dead.
At this moment, the White Tiger Emperor turned his gaze to the Minister of Revenue.
"You are now also the Minister of Finance. Go and maximize recruitment. We don't need to provide soldiers with a full year's worth of food—half a year will suffice. And no rations are necessary. Anyone who disobeys will be executed."
Faced with the White Tiger Emperor's overwhelming pressure, even though the Minister of Revenue wanted to protest, he could only reluctantly accept the task.
Hadn't the previous Minister of Finance already paid with his life?
It was better to be pragmatic and survive.
The White Tiger Emperor then proceeded to assign harsh tasks to the other ministers.
Following the earlier example, none of the ministers dared to refuse, no matter how cruel the orders.
"Dismissed!"
Finally, the White Tiger Emperor spoke coldly. The officials, feeling as if they had narrowly escaped death, quickly scurried out of the hall.
Looking at the now-empty hall, the White Tiger Emperor's expression grew even darker.
"Spirit Hall…" he muttered repeatedly under his breath.
Though the previous emperor had repeatedly warned him to be wary of the Spirit Hall, the organization had remained dormant for so long that the White Tiger Emperor had subconsciously dismissed them as a serious threat.
While the Spirit Hall posed some danger, they had never truly occupied his thoughts—until now. The overnight destruction of the Tian Dou Empire left him feeling an unprecedented sense of tension and suffocation.
The more he muttered, the more uneasy he became.
"We can't sit idly by. No amount of cannon fodder can decide the outcome of a war. Star Luo needs stronger forces."
Suddenly, an idea flashed in the White Tiger Emperor's mind.
Though two of the top three sects and the relatively inconsequential lower four sects had already aligned with the Holy Soul Empire, there was still one supremely powerful sect that had yet to defect.
Recalling the illustrious history and formidable strength of the Hao Tian Sect, the White Tiger Emperor felt as though he had grasped onto a final hope.
"Bai Yi."
"Present." A kneeling assassin appeared beside the White Tiger Emperor.
After some thought, the emperor decided verbal communication might not be secure enough. He personally wrote a letter and handed it to Bai Yi.
"Deliver this message to the Hao Tian Sect and bring back their reply."
"Yes."
Bai Yi accepted the letter without further comment and departed for the secluded location of the Hao Tian Sect.
The hall fell silent once more. The White Tiger Emperor's gaze grew increasingly profound yet tinged with madness as he muttered to himself.
"A Star Luo without the Dai family has no reason to exist. Come, Spirit Hall… hahaha…"
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