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..."The reason the Spirit Masters of the Spirit Empire can accept it is because of Her Majesty the Empress's iron-fisted suppression and His Eminence's absolute military deterrence, which forcibly crushed such dissatisfaction. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Xu Hong looked toward the direction of Heaven Dou City.
"And here, in the Two Great Empires, the old rules still exist, and the sense of superiority among Spirit Masters still exists. When you come to promote the fairness of the Spirit Empire, to them, it sounds like robbers coming to steal their privileges!"
Ning Rongrong was stunned. She had lived in the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect since childhood as the Sect's little princess, and later followed Xuan Ming, dealing with the power and strength games at the top of the continent. She truly did not have a deep understanding of this subtle mentality of low-level and mid-level Spirit Masters.
"So... our promotion along the way didn't shake them, but instead made them even more resistant to the Spirit Empire?" Xiao Wu said with some dejection.
"Yes." Xu Hong nodded with certainty, "What they uphold is not the imperial power of the Heaven Dou Empire or the Star Luo Empire; what they uphold is the old order that can bring them privileges! Any force that tries to change this order is their enemy."
"But the Empress should have known this would happen long ago." Ning Rongrong was even more confused. "Why would she still have us promote it? Isn't this counterproductive?"
A glint of sharp light flashed in Xu Hong's cloudy eyes. He stroked his beard and said slowly, "This old man guesses that what Her Majesty the Empress wants might be exactly this counterproductive effect."
"Stopping the boiling by stirring the soup is not as good as taking the firewood from under the pot." Xu Hong's voice lowered, "The Spirit Empire possesses two peerless powerhouses, Your Excellency Xuan Ming and Her Majesty the Empress. They possess the absolute force to suppress everything. Promoting ordinary policies, like boiling a frog in warm water, would instead cause opposing voices to hide, becoming a hidden danger for the Empire."
"But now, through your high-profile promotion, the aspect of the New Policy that most touches the interests of Spirit Masters is laid bare before all Spirit Masters." Xu Hong looked at those Spirit Masters outside the window who were indignant because their interests were harmed, "This is like throwing a ladle of cold water into a boiling pot of oil."
"All opposition, all resentment, and all the panic of those with vested interests will be instantly triggered, amplified, and clearly exposed."
"She is waiting for these opposing forces to jump out on their own and assemble."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others all changed.
They understood.
Bibi Dong and Xuan Ming didn't care at all about how many Spirit Masters opposed them, nor did they care how loud the voices of opposition were.
What they cared about was how to clear away all the stubborn forces obstructing the establishment of the new order in the fastest and most thorough way.
For any other country, even the Sun Moon Empire, such a radical shaking of the Spirit Master class would be tantamount to destroying their own Great Wall, inevitably leading to domestic turmoil or even the subversion of the regime.
But the Spirit Empire was different.
Because the Spirit Empire had Xuan Ming and Bibi Dong.
They possessed 'absolute violence' sufficient to crush all opposition!
They didn't need compromise; they didn't need conciliation.
They only needed a reason, a reason to draw out all potential enemies at once, and then... once and for all, completely crush them!
Ning Rongrong felt a chill rise from the bottom of her heart. She finally clearly realized that the 'New Order' Xuan Ming and Bibi Dong wanted to establish was not through gentle evolution, but through iron and blood, forcibly smashing the Foundation of the old World to pieces, and then rebuilding a brand new World on the ruins according to their will.
And their year of lobbying, which seemed like sowing seeds, was actually... igniting the fuse!
...Heaven Dou Empire Palace, bedchamber.
The air was thick with the smell of medicine. The Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, Emperor Xue Ye, a monarch who had once worked diligently for the country, was now lying on the dragon bed with a sallow face and weak breath. His eye sockets were sunken, and only those eyes that occasionally opened still retained a trace of imperial majesty.
Yu Xiaogang sat on a brocade stool before the bed, his expression solemn, reporting the changes in the situation over the past year to Xue Ye.
"...Your Majesty, such is the situation." Yu Xiaogang's voice was low and clear, "Ning Rongrong and the others have been promoting the Spirit Empire's new policies everywhere, the core of which is a great suppression of Spirit Master privileges. This has not shaken the Foundation of our country's Spirit Master class, but has instead aroused their strong resistance and sense of crisis. Now, more and more Spirit Master families, even some originally wavering small and medium-sized Sects, have united more closely around the Empire. This... can be considered an unexpected surprise."
Xue Ye moved his parched lips slightly, his voice hoarse: "As expected... human nature... seeks profit and avoids harm. The Spirit Empire... has shaken their very Foundation."
Yu Xiaogang nodded and continued, "More importantly, through the efforts of Tang San and State Preceptor Xu, our spirit tool technology has made Breakthrough progress. The combination of Tang Sect Hidden Weapons and spirit tools has greatly increased their power. Now, our Spirit Tool Legion has initially taken shape, possessing the strength to confront the Spirit Empire's Spirit Master Legion head-on!"
He paused and added, "On the Star Luo Empire's side, we have also shared some core technologies according to the previous agreement. Emperor Dai Tianfeng also understands the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,' and their Spirit Tool Legion construction is also accelerating. The gap between the Two Great Empires in terms of cutting-edge military force is being rapidly closed."
A faint glow flashed in Xue Ye's cloudy eyes, but it was immediately covered by worry: "Military force... closing the gap? But... the Spirit Empire... has that... Blood-colored Giant."
He raised his finger with difficulty, as if pointing into the Void Realm: "That thing... destroys a city in one strike... what use... is a Spirit Tool Legion?"
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath; he had long expected Xue Ye to ask this. He said solemnly, "Your Majesty, that Blood-colored Giant is indeed terrifying, but it is not unsolvable. First, it is after all just one person and cannot appear on all battlefields simultaneously. Once a full-scale war begins, the front lines will inevitably be extremely long, and we can completely adopt a strategy of multi-front warfare, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak."
"Secondly," a sharp light flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, "according to our analysis, when that Blood-colored Giant struck last time, although it destroyed the fortress and defenses, it did not wantonly slaughter soldiers.
What does this show? It shows that Xuan Ming or Bibi Dong has reservations about this! Combined with those policies of the Spirit Empire to win over the hearts of the people, I infer that what they want is not a ruin strewn with corpses, but an obedient World of submissive people who have lost their fangs!
They promote those policies for the benefit of the people, which seems benevolent, but is actually weakening the power of Spirit Masters, making future subjects lose the capital to resist! This is a more profound strategy of weakening the people!"
Yu Xiaogang's voice carried a kind of agitation and worry: "Your Majesty, think about it. In the past, how arrogant and overbearing did the Spirit Hall become just because the Clear Sky Sect went into seclusion?
Now the strength of the Spirit Empire far exceeds that of the Spirit Hall back then. If they are truly allowed to unify the continent and completely control all Spirit Masters and the populace, how dark will the future be?
They will no longer have any constraints! At that time, the so-called 'benefit for the people' will be nothing more than fodder for domesticating lambs!"
"We cannot wait any longer!"
Yu Xiaogang's tone became urgent, "The Spirit Empire's development speed far exceeds ours! They are solidifying their Foundation while we are catching up on technology. The longer time drags on, the more stable their Foundation becomes, and the smaller our chances of winning! By the time they complete all preparations and start the war again, we will have no power to fight back!"
"This war is not only for the survival of the Heaven Dou Empire, but also for the future of the billions of living beings on the continent, and to prevent absolute power from breeding absolute corruption and darkness!" Yu Xiaogang said categorically.
"By starting the war now, we still have a chance! Even if we cannot win completely, we must severely damage the Spirit Empire, curb its expansion momentum, and form a new balance! Just like how Heaven Dou and Star Luo confronted each other in the past, only balance can bring relative peace and development!"
"Even... even if we ultimately fail," Yu Xiaogang's voice lowered, carrying a trace of tragic heroism, "if the Spirit Empire resorts to wanton slaughter, it will surely plant seeds of hatred in the hearts of billions of people! That will be the spark for a future revival! It is better than completely sinking in silent domestication!"
"Therefore, Your Majesty!" Yu Xiaogang almost squeezed these words through his teeth, "This war, whether we win or lose, must be fought! For the Empire, for the continent, for... the future!"
Emperor Xue Ye listened quietly, his chest rising and falling slightly. His cloudy eyes gazed at the carved beams and painted rafters at the top of the palace, and he remained silent for a long time.
The bedchamber was silent, with only the old man's weak breathing and the faint crackling of the burning incense.
After a long while, Xue Ye slowly closed his eyes and used his last bit of strength to squeeze out a weak but clear word from his throat:
"Approved."
Yu Xiaogang bowed deeply, a look of determination appearing on his face.
He knew that a full-scale war sweeping the entire continent was about to begin. This would be the most intense collision between the old order and the new forces, and it would also decide the fate of the Douluo Continent for the next thousand years.
He exited the bedchamber and immediately began to work on the final contact with the Star Luo Empire and the mobilization for war.
The clouds of war began to gather over Heaven Dou City.