Chapter 438: To War or to Make Peace?
Tianxing Academy, back mountain.
After the reforms were initially settled, Tang Chuan finally had a brief moment to catch his breath.
It was late at night. The Blue Silver Grass on the back mountain of the academy swayed gently in the moonlight, and blue-gold light spots floated in the air like sparks.
In the distance, Heaven Dou City had gradually restored order.
The first batch of students for the Soul Master Academy had also begun to enroll.
The tokens of the Inspectorate spread everywhere.
Ah Yin had returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to continue stabilizing her body after resurrection, while Tang Hao remained in Holy Soul Village, forging iron, like an empty shell crushed by sin and regret.
Tang San, on the other hand, had completely disappeared.
The Blue Silver Emperor's life network covered the Douluo Continent, yet it never captured his Rakshasa aura again.
Tang Chuan knew this wasn't the end; it was just the calm before the storm.
Therefore, he had to become a god as soon as possible.
Only by truly inheriting a God Position would he be qualified to face the returning Tang San.
On the stone platform on the back mountain, Tang Chuan sat cross-legged.
The Sea God Trident was planted in front of him, emitting a faint blue-gold radiance.
His First Martial Soul, the Blue Silver Emperor, slowly emerged.
Nine Soul Rings rose in sequence: red, red, red, red, red, red, platinum, red, gold.
Each Soul Ring emitted an extremely terrifying aura.
Simulation.
Blue Silver Clone.
Instant Healing.
Emerald Light Wave.
Fate's Sorrow.
Void and Instant Kill Eight Stage Drop.
Blue Silver True Body.
Blue Silver Azure Dragon Soul.
Abyss—Ten Thousand Flows Return to Silence.
These nine Soul Rings pushed Tang Chuan's First Martial Soul to the limit that a Mortal Soul Master could reach. Life, healing, resurrection, camouflage, Clones, fate, ocean control.
This was no longer ordinary Blue Silver Grass, and it wasn't even just the pure Blue Silver Emperor.
It was a life Martial Soul evolving towards the Blue Silver God.
But Tang Chuan knew clearly that having only the First Martial Soul at Perfection was not enough.
The Sea God Eighth Trial had already descended.
The content of the trial was:
Dual Martial Souls at Perfection, Ice and Sea as One.
The First Martial Soul, Blue Silver Emperor, was already full-ringed.
However, the Second Spirit, Snow Empress, was still far from enough.
Tang Chuan slowly raised his left hand.
An intense chill spread from his palm.
Fine ice crystals condensed in the air.
The phantom of the Snow Empress Martial Soul appeared behind him, with silver-white long hair, ice-blue eyes, and a noble and cold posture, as if she were the empress of snow in the Extreme North Land.
The Second Spirit's Soul Rings emerged.
The first Soul Ring, the Snow Empress wisdom Soul Ring, was orange-gold, nearly seven hundred thousand years old.
The Second Spirit ring, the Ice Empress wisdom Soul Ring, was orange-gold, about four hundred thousand years old.
The third Soul Ring was the sacrifice of the Titan Giant Ape Er Ming, a hundred-thousand-year red one, providing the Snow Empress Martial Soul with strength, earth, mountains, and the Foundation of bearing.
The fourth Soul Ring was obtained from hunting the wife of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, the Demon Empress!
But this was still not enough.
The Sea God Eighth Trial required the Dual Martial Souls to be truly at Perfection.
According to the trial prompt, the Snow Empress Martial Soul must be supplemented with at least nine Soul Rings to achieve a true balance of Ultimate Ice, strength, earth, life, and ocean.
Now, four were still missing.
Tang Chuan opened his eyes, frowned slightly, and muttered to himself:
"Still missing four Soul Rings, and they cannot be added casually. The Snow Empress Martial Soul is different from ordinary ice-attribute Martial Souls; its Soul Rings must be sufficiently compatible with the Extreme North Origin."
"If the age is too low, it will instead drag down the Second Spirit."
"If the attributes are mismatched, it will also destroy the balance of power between the Ice and Snow Empresses."
What he needed now were not ordinary Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beasts, but truly top-tier existences among ice attributes. But where would it be so easy to find such Soul Beasts?
Just as Tang Chuan was deep in thought, a cold and familiar voice suddenly sounded in his sea of consciousness: "You have finally thought about the matter of your Second Spirit."
Tang Chuan's expression moved slightly, and he whispered:
"Snow Empress?"
In his sea of consciousness, the figure of the Snow Empress slowly emerged. She was still that noble and cold appearance, with silver-white long hair falling down, and ice-blue eyes like the glaciers of the Extreme North that never melted for ten thousand years.
Only now, her connection with Tang Chuan was closer than before.
As a wisdom Soul Ring, she did not just reside within Tang Chuan's Second Spirit; she was more like one of the Origin consciousnesses of the Snow Empress Martial Soul.
Tang Chuan said:
"My Eighth Trial requires Dual Martial Souls at Perfection. Do you have any suitable Soul Beast choices?"
The Snow Empress nodded.
"I know."
"Although the path of the Sea God belongs to the sea, you are not a sole successor of the Sea God."
"Your First Martial Soul is the Blue Silver Emperor, following the path of life and ocean control."
"Your Second Spirit is me, following the path of Ultimate Ice."
"If you want to truly become a god, you must let both Martial Souls achieve balance."
"Otherwise, even if you inherit the Sea God God Position, you will leave behind flaws."
Tang Chuan said:
"The Snow Empress Martial Soul is still missing four Soul Rings."
The Snow Empress said:
"Therefore, you should go to the Extreme North Land."
Tang Chuan raised his eyes.
"Extreme North Land?"
The Snow Empress nodded gently.
"That is my hometown, and it is also the place most suitable for you to complete your Second Spirit."
"Although the Extreme North Land does not have as many Soul Beast groups as the Star Dou Great Forest, there are quite a few truly top-tier existences. There are still two powerful Soul Beasts left in the Extreme North Land."
Tang Chuan's heart moved, and he muttered to himself:
"The Titan Snow Demon King and the Ice Bear King?"
The Snow Empress glanced at him.
"Correct."
"The Titan Snow Demon King is one of the three great kings of the Extreme North. In terms of cultivation, although it is not as good as me and the Ice Empress, it possesses the strongest Physical Body and strength in the Extreme North. It has the Bloodline of the ancient Ice and Snow Giants flowing in its body, and its strength, cold ice, mountains, and blizzards are all extremely powerful."
"Although your Second Spirit has the Foundation of earth and strength brought by the sacrifice of the Titan Giant Ape, that is ultimately the power of the Star Dou Forest, which is not completely compatible with the Extreme North Origin."
"If you can obtain the sacrifice of the Titan Snow Demon King, it can make your Snow Empress Martial Soul truly possess the giant strength of the Extreme North and the Foundation of bearing for snow mountains."
Tang Chuan nodded.
"What about the Ice Bear King?"
The Snow Empress's eyes showed a trace of gentleness.
"The Ice Bear King Xiao Bai is a child I raised back then."
"Although its cultivation is not as good as the Titan Snow Demon King's, its Bloodline is pure, possessing the strongest ice defense and life endurance of the Extreme North Ice Bear clan."
"Its Soul Ring is suitable for supplementing your extreme cold protection and ice and snow vitality."
"And..."
The Snow Empress paused.
"If I speak, they might be willing to sacrifice themselves."
Tang Chuan was silent for a moment.
Sacrifice.
This word was too heavy for Soul Beasts.
Even though Tang Chuan needed Soul Rings now, he was unwilling to easily force Soul Beasts to sacrifice.
He did not follow the hunting route like Tang San.
He started from Blue Silver Grass and walked to this day relying on life, purification, and healing.
If he started forcing Soul Beasts to sacrifice for the sake of becoming a god, then how would he be any different from those Soul Masters who only treated Soul Beasts as tools for Soul Rings?
The Snow Empress seemed to see his thoughts and said calmly:
"Tang Chuan, I know what you are thinking."
"You don't want to force them."
"This is very good, and it is the reason why I am willing to truly acknowledge you."
"But you must understand that the current situation is not just a matter of you alone becoming a god."
"Tang San is not dead; the Rakshasa God saved him."
"The next time he returns, he is very likely to truly inherit the Rakshasa God Position."
"By then, if you cannot become a god, many people in the Douluo Continent will die, many Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest will die, and the Extreme North Land will not be spared."
Tang Chuan did not speak.
The Snow Empress continued:
"Although the Titan Snow Demon King and the Ice Bear King are Soul Beasts, they are not stupid."
"If they know about Tang San's threat, know that your becoming a god is to stop the Rakshasa from devouring the entire World, and know that sacrificing to you can grant them eternal life, they will make their own choices."
"I will not decide for them; I will only take you to see them."
Tang Chuan nodded slowly.
"Okay."
The Snow Empress said:
"However, there may be other Soul Rings suitable for you in the Extreme North Land."
"Besides the Titan Snow Demon King and the Ice Bear King, you also need two more Soul Rings."
Tang Chuan asked:
"Do you have a target?"
The Snow Empress raised her head, her gaze seemingly passing through Tianxing Academy, looking towards the endless ice sheet in the distant north.
"Yes."
"Deep in the Extreme North, there is an Ice Dragon remnant soul that has been sleeping for many years. It is not a truly living Soul Beast, but an Origin spiritual entity left behind after the ancient Ice Dragon fell."
"If you can gain its recognition, it might become a Soul Ring for your Snow Empress Martial Soul, allowing your Ultimate Ice to possess the frost pressure of a true Dragon Clan level."
Tang Chuan's eyes flickered, and then he looked up to the north.
"Ice Dragon remnant soul."
The night was deep.
But in his eyes, he seemed to have already seen the endless wind and snow in the distant Extreme North Land.
At this moment, the Sea God Trident emitted a low hum.
The Blue Silver Emperor swayed gently behind him, while the Snow Empress Martial Soul emitted an increasingly intense chill.
"Then let us go to the Extreme North Land."
The Snow Empress nodded slightly.
Under the moonlight, Tang Chuan's figure turned into a blue-gold stream of light and sped away towards the northern horizon.
Spirit City.
Golden Angel Holy Light shrouded the entire city.
Since Qian Renxue became a god, the aura of Spirit City had been completely different from the past.
The former Spirit City was solemn, grave, and cold, like a holy city piled up by the dignity of countless Soul Masters; but now, it was as if a golden sun that never set was hanging above the entire city. Even when night fell, a faint holy radiance still flowed in the city.
In front of the Priest Hall, the statue of the Angel God stood high.
Its six wings were spread wide, sacred and majestic.
Countless Spirit Empire Soul Masters would subconsciously bow and salute when passing by the Priest Hall.
Because they all knew that the current Spirit Empire was different.
They had a god.
A true god.
The Angel God, Qian Renxue.
But at this moment, the atmosphere in the Priest Hall was not relaxed.
In the spacious main hall, golden stone pillars supported the dome, and the walls were carved with ancient patterns of the Angel clan. In the center of the hall was a huge circular stone table, on which the war map of the entire Douluo Continent was spread out.
The Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, and the Spirit Empire.
The territories of the three parties were marked with different colors.
And at the locations of the Star Dou Great Forest, Heaven Dou City, Jialing Pass, Sunset Forest, and various dead cities, different Soul Power markers were inserted.
These markers represented the drastic changes in the continental situation in the past few months.
Tang San slaughtered the city.
Qian Renxue's troops arrived at Heaven Dou.
Tang Chuan returned.
The Star Dou Great Forest formed an alliance.
The Rakshasa God intervened to save Tang San.
Tang San went missing.
Tang Chuan headed to the Extreme North Land.
One event after another almost completely disrupted the originally clear war pattern.
Qian Renxue sat in the main seat.
She had already put away her Angel God outfit, wearing only a gold-white long dress, with long golden hair falling over her shoulders. But even without spreading her six wings and without revealing her God outfit, she still possessed a majesty that made people afraid to look directly at her.
Golden Crocodile Douluo sat on her right, his expression heavy.
Azure Luan Douluo, Lion Douluo, Light Feather Douluo, Thousand Jun Douluo, Demon Subduing Douluo, and other powerhouses from the Priest Hall sat down in turn.
Apart from the Priest Hall, several military commanders of the Spirit Empire and surviving powerhouses from the Elder Palace were also in the hall. This was the first real meeting convened by Qian Renxue after returning to Spirit City.
The topic was only one.
Next, whether the Spirit Empire should go to war or make peace.
After a long silence in the hall, Lion Douluo spoke first.
He was naturally fiery in temperament, and he was also one of the most pro-war titled Douluo in the Spirit Empire.
"Your Majesty, this old man believes that we should not continue to cease fire at this time."
As soon as these words came out, many people in the hall raised their heads.
Qian Renxue's expression did not change, and she just said lightly:
"Go on."
Lion Douluo stood up and said in a deep voice:
"Tang San has disappeared."
"Although the Rakshasa God saved him, his aura is no longer on the Douluo Continent. In the short term, he cannot return to the continent to cause chaos."
"And Your Majesty has already achieved the Angel God God Position. Now, on the entire Douluo Continent, except for Tang Chuan, no one can confront Your Majesty head-on."
"The Heaven Dou Empire has just experienced internal strife and reforms, the aristocratic system is turbulent, and the morale of the army is unstable."
"Although the Star Luo Empire still has troops, it is far from the main force of the Spirit Empire. As long as we concentrate our forces, first swallow Heaven Dou, then suppress Star Luo, the two great Empires simply cannot stop us."
Speaking of this, Lion Douluo looked at the map and reached out to point heavily at the location of Heaven Dou City.
"This is the best opportunity."
"If we miss it, when Tang Chuan completes the Seagod Nine Trials and truly inherits the Sea God God Position, by that time, it will be difficult for us to unify the continent again."
Demon Subduing Douluo also nodded.
"This old man agrees."
"Tang Chuan has not become a god yet, and Your Majesty is already a First-Class Divinity."
"If we don't take the opportunity to take down Heaven Dou and Star Luo now, are we really going to wait until he becomes a god? By then, the Spirit Empire will truly have no chance."
Thousand Jun Douluo said in a deep voice:
"Although Tang Chuan said that the three parties must not start a war before Tang San dies, Tang San is no longer on the Douluo Continent."
"If we keep using Tang San as an excuse to drag it out, the Spirit Empire's army can only be stationed in vain, morale will dissipate, grain and grass will be consumed, and the frontline soldiers will be dissatisfied."
"More importantly, Heaven Dou is undergoing reforms."
"Tang Chuan abolished aristocratic private punishments, re-examined the farmland registers, and established the Soul Master Academy and the Inspectorate."
"These seem to be internal affairs, but once successful, Heaven Dou will regain the support of the people."
"If we don't take action now, what we will face in the future is not that rotten Heaven Dou Empire, but a new Heaven Dou reshaped by Tang Chuan."
As soon as these words came out, many military generals of the Spirit Empire in the hall showed solemn expressions.
They were not afraid of the rotten Heaven Dou.
But a new Heaven Dou with Tang Chuan's reputation, the wealth of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the deterrence of Dugu Bo's supervision, and the beginning of training civilian Soul Masters was definitely not a good thing.
This meant that the longer it dragged on, the higher the cost for the Spirit Empire to annex the two great Empires.
Lion Douluo continued:
"Your Majesty, the Spirit Empire has already fought under the walls of Heaven Dou City."
"Jialing Pass has been broken, and Heaven Dou City was almost included in the territory of the Empire."
"The soldiers on the frontline fought bloody battles, not to shake hands and make peace at the end."
"Now, with a piece of paper of alliance, the Spirit Empire stops the attack. This old man is worried that the army will not be convinced."
"And..."
He paused, his voice heavier.
"The sacrifice of the High Priest Qian Daoliu to help Your Majesty become a god was for the sake of letting our Spirit Empire reach the pinnacle of the continent. If Your Majesty has now become a god, but stops under the walls of Heaven Dou City because of a word from Tang Chuan, this old man is truly unwilling."
Mentioning Qian Daoliu, the atmosphere in the hall sank a bit.