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...Spirit City, Core Research Institute.
A strange stone pillar, simple in design and emitting a soft white-gold glow, stood quietly in the center of the institute's testing grounds.
Complex and profound patterns were carved onto the pillar's surface, featuring the ocean ripples of the Sea God Trident, the sacred curves of Angel Wings, and the precise structures of spirit tool energy circuits.
This was the first "god pillar" prototype, created through the joint efforts of Qian Renxue and Bo Saixi, modeled after the Sea God Island Sacred Pillar, combining Angelic divine force with Sea God Power, and incorporating the Spirit Empire's latest spirit tool technology.
Xuan Ming stood before the god pillar and reached out to touch it. A warm and vast consciousness flowed through his fingertips, containing a powerful ability to attract, stabilize, and store spirit rings.
"It's a success." Xuan Ming nodded. "The basic storage function is stable. As long as the supply of Power Of Faith is continuous, it can theoretically preserve spirit rings indefinitely."
Bo Saixi stood to the side, a hint of gratification in her ethereal eyes. "Combining the characteristics of two types of divine force indeed produces a complementary effect. Angelic divine force provides order and stability, while Sea God Power grants inclusion and nourishment, allowing the spirit rings to not only maintain their form during storage but even have their Origin energy slightly nurtured."
Although a trace of reluctance remained on Qian Renxue's face, a sense of accomplishment inevitably flashed in her eyes as she looked at the god pillar she helped create. However, she still said, "Storage alone isn't enough. To make humanity accept this method, it must be convenient enough and attractive enough."
Xuan Ming glanced at her and said indifferently, "Then let's make it more convenient and more attractive."
He walked to the god pillar and pressed his palm against the core of the pillar. White divine force mixed with pure Power Of Faith poured into it.
"Since it requires Power Of Faith to drive it, let Power Of Faith become the key." Xuan Ming's voice was calm but carried an indisputable power of rules. "From now on, communicating with the god pillar to perform Spirit Awakening and obtain spirit rings through it will all use faith as the medium."
Following his words and the infusion of divine force, the internal structure of the god pillar underwent subtle changes. An invisible rule was imprinted within: only those who held recognition and belief in the Spirit Empire's system itself could draw upon the god pillar's power for Spirit Awakening and spirit ring bestowal.
"In this way, thoughts are unified." Xuan Ming withdrew his hand. "Only those who identify with the new order can enjoy the conveniences it brings. Opponents will naturally be excluded."
He continued, "Next, we need to set the final and most important rule."
"The act of forcibly hunting Spirit Beasts to obtain spirit rings shall be defined as heresy, a betrayal and destruction of the new order. Anyone found committing such an act will have their spirit rings forcibly stripped and reclaimed by the power of the god pillar!"
"As long as we place a sufficient number of god pillars at key nodes across the Douluo Continent to form a network," Xuan Ming looked around at everyone, "then this entire system of Spirit Awakening, spirit ring bestowal, and spirit ring stripping and reclamation can cover the entire continent, forming a self-circulating and self-regulating new order."
The grand blueprint had been drawn, and the basic framework completed.
However, Xuan Ming's tone shifted. "But as for how to implement it specifically and how to formulate the details, that has little to do with me."
He looked at Bibi Dong and Gu Yuena, finally resting his gaze on Qian Renxue. "What conditions are required for the bestowal of a spirit ring? What contributions or assessments correspond to spirit rings of different qualities? How do we ensure fairness and prevent the abuse of power? What trial procedures should be established for stripping spirit rings? These minute but vital formulations and executions of rules..."
"...are things you should consider."
Hearing this, a flash of realization and solemnity appeared in Bibi Dong's violet-gold eyes.
She understood that Xuan Ming had built the stage, but how to make this 'Order Reshaping' play out smoothly, and how to make it perform well and last long, required her, the Empress, to draft the detailed script and rules.
This involved massive distribution of interests, checks and balances of power, and social management—extremely complex and meticulous work.
Gu Yuena also nodded slightly. She needed to start from the perspective of the Spirit Beasts to ensure the terms of the agreement were fulfilled, supervise the behavior of human Spirit Masters, and also soothe and guide the Spirit Beast tribes to cooperate with the new system.
Qian Renxue was stunned for a moment, then glared at Xuan Ming with some annoyance.
It was agreed this matter would be handed to her; why was it now a group discussion?
But seeing Xuan Ming walk straight out, and seeing Bibi Dong and Gu Yuena already entering a state of contemplation, Qian Renxue could only suppress her dissatisfaction and begin to think seriously.
After all, this god pillar system would be promoted in the name of the 'Angel God' in the future. She didn't want the 'front' she had worked so hard to secure to turn into a farce or cause greater chaos due to poor rules.
Heaven Dou City, Seven Treasure Clan, has now been renamed the "Spirit Empire Liaison Office in Heaven Dou City."
Ning Rongrong sat by the window, watching the bustling crowd outside, her brow slightly furrowed with a hint of confusion that was hard to dispel.
For nearly a year, she, along with Shui Binger, Huo Wu, Zhuqing, and others, had used their powerful strength and former identities to travel across the Heaven Dou Empire, tirelessly promoting the new policies of the Spirit Empire.
They demonstrated the convenience brought by spirit tools, painted a beautiful blueprint of equality and opportunity for all, emphasized the Spirit Empire's support policies for commoner Spirit Masters, and the future vision of safely obtaining spirit rings through the 'god pillar.'
However, the effect was exactly the opposite of what was expected.
"These guys... are simply unreasonable!" Huo Wu, with her fiery personality, couldn't help but complain. "We are clearly telling them how good the Spirit Empire's new policies are! Commoner Spirit Masters can get more resources, there are fairer promotion channels, and spirit tool technology will be gradually opened up... Why do they resent it even more instead?"
Shui Binger furrowed her brow, her cool face also showing confusion. "It is indeed strange. According to our analysis, the Spirit Empire's policies are extremely beneficial for middle-to-lower-level Spirit Masters and ordinary people. So why is their reaction so intense?"
Xiao Wu and Zhuqing also remained silent; they had similarly felt this strong sense of resistance.
Ning Rongrong sighed, her delicate face filled with confusion and a hint of weariness.
As the Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, she understood the importance of interest distribution even better.
Logically, while the Spirit Empire's reforms touched the interests of the upper-class nobility, they should have been a boon for the vast majority of middle-to-lower-level Spirit Masters.
But the reality was quite the opposite.
Xu Hong, the State Preceptor from the Sun Moon Empire who had been silently observing, slowly set down his teacup, a smile of worldly insight appearing on his aged face.
"Miss Ning, ladies, the 'better' you speak of is from the perspective of society as a whole, from the perspective of long-term development, and even from the perspective of moral fairness." Xu Hong's voice was peaceful. "But the human heart, especially the heart of those with vested interests, often looks not at what is better, but at what I have gained and what I have lost."
He pointed out the window at the Spirit Masters in the street, dressed in fine clothes and looking arrogant. "In the Heaven Dou Empire, even a mere level twenty or thirty Spirit Grandmaster can hold their head high before ordinary people, enjoying looks of awe and possessing a certain social status and practical benefits. They might not be wealthy, but this feeling of being superior to others is very real."
"And the Spirit Empire's policies happen to strip them of this feeling." Xu Hong hit the nail on the head. "In the picture you paint, Spirit Masters are just people with special abilities who need to obey stricter laws and compete for resources with ordinary people. To them, this isn't progress; it's a regression. What they lose is that privilege of standing above all living beings."
He looked at Ning Rongrong. "Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. This is human nature. Being a revered Spirit Master lord in a small place is far more attractive than being an Advanced citizen in the Spirit Empire who needs to abide by rules and stand on equal footing with commoners. What you bring is sharing—cutting the cake that might have belonged solely to them and giving it to more people. How could they be happy?"