The Nine Treasure Pavilion, located in Tian Dou City, was one of the few places considered peaceful after the entire capital had suffered the devastation of the evil soul masters.
Even without a Grand Elder guarding it recently, ordinary vengeful spirits simply couldn't breach the Nine Treasure Pavilion's defense mechanisms.
Therefore, after Chen Junting and the others brought Princess Wei Na to the Nine Treasure Pavilion for a temporary rest, Wei Na's face finally relaxed a little, clearly revealing a trace of pleasant surprise and relief.
In less than half an hour, Wei Na had experienced life and death on a razor's edge, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted. Now, seeing Du Busi and the others by her side, the heavy stone in her heart finally settled.
As Wei Na gradually recovered and her spirit was no longer completely haggard, the various Worships of the Tian Hun Empire pressed her on how the two of them had escaped the danger, and why only they had managed to get out.
"It was Aotian who risked his life to protect me and saved me."
Princess Wei Na held Long Aotian's hand, tears in her eyes.
Hearing this, everyone turned their gazes to Long Aotian.
Long Aotian waved his hand slightly and said modestly, "This is what I should do; protecting Wei Na is my duty as her fiancé. It's just that the situation was urgent at the time, and I couldn't save more people."
At this point, a trace of grief flashed through his eyes.
"This is not your fault." Wei Na's sorrowful tone carried comfort.
"If Aotian hadn't come behind me the moment the attack started and acted in time, I would probably have died in that disaster. At the critical moment when the Class 9 Fixed Mounted Soul Guided Cannonball was fired, he was the first to react, disregarding everything to take me away from the imperial palace, which is how I got my life back. Although Grandpa Sun protected my father and the others, he was elderly after all, and ultimately fell a step behind Aotian and me. That's why..."
Saying this, she was already choking with sobs.
The next second, sorrowful emotions surged up, and she vented it out like a helpless little woman. "Wu wu wu—"
With her entire family dead, holding it in until now before breaking down could be considered strong. Moreover, she gave everyone a perfect explanation.
Long Aotian now possessed the cultivation of a Soul Douluo, and his full strength was second only to Super Douluos. Calculating like this, the young, vigorous, and blood-energized Long Aotian was indeed stronger than the ninety-second-level and elderly Old Sun.
In that case, it wasn't strange!
Secretly, Chen Junting slowly withdrew his gaze.
Looking at the glances from Ning Tian, Ye Xuanji, and Du Busi, Chen Junting slowly shook his head, giving the answer.
— Not possessed.
After all, the appearance of Long Aotian and Wei Na was too coincidental. And when facing the bombardment of the Class 9 Fixed Mounted Soul Guided Cannonball, not only did the two escape safely, but they didn't even shed a drop of blood. Thinking about it, it really did seem fake.
Fortunately, Long Aotian was reliable. It's just that, um, um, um— Wei Na was crying, and Long Aotian just stood there. Like a log, motionless!
Fortunately, Ning Tian took action and gave him a hard push. This actually lightened the atmosphere.
Next, Wei Na stopped crying. Her words carried endless sorrow as she said, "No one else in the imperial palace could escape this catastrophe; they were all blown to death. Now, the civil and military officials of the Tian Hun Empire are gone, and the royal relatives are almost completely wiped out. The entire empire has fallen into an unprecedented crisis. If we don't come up with a solution quickly, I'm afraid the Tian Hun Empire will..."
At this moment, Wei Na's emotionality faded, and rationality returned. As a princess, she had long been exposed to politics. Because of this, she understood very well what kind of turmoil this incident would stir up. But the current Tian Hun Empire could no longer afford to toss about...
Hearing this, everyone's expressions became incomparably grave.
As one of the four great empires on the Douluo Continent, the stability of the Tian Hun Empire was related to the balance of power across the entire continent. Having suffered such a heavy blow now, if handled improperly, it would inevitably trigger a series of chain reactions, potentially even plunging the continent into chaos.
The hard-won peace—how could it lead the continent back into war because of this group of evil soul masters?!
Moreover, this chaos might very well come from the "inside."
What the Tian Hun Empire needed most right now was a backbone.
Chen Junting lowered his head in thought for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"I presume everyone shares the same view; the most urgent matter right now is to establish the empire's leadership core. I believe Princess Wei Na, as the royal bloodline, is intelligent, kind, and deeply loved by the people. In this time of crisis, it might be fitting for Princess Wei Na to take the position of Empress and lead the Tian Hun Empire."
Having said that, he looked at Wei Na.
"Wei Na, what do you think?"
Princess Wei Na showed hesitation: "I..."
Before she could finish her words, "Your Highness, the royal family is withered now, and we need your leadership," an older Worship stepped forward a few paces, bowing to Wei Na and saying in a deep voice.
However, among these Worships, a few were still hesitating. That was because Princess Wei Na was a woman.
Of course, it wasn't unheard of for a woman to be emperor.
It was just that Princess Wei Na's husband was bound to be the next Sect Master of the Body Sect—Long Aotian. If it were an ordinary man, having him marry into the family and take the royal surname would be fine. But if it were Long Aotian...
Was it possible for him to marry into her family?
Otherwise, in the future, this Tian Hun Empire would bear the surname "Long."
And this hesitation ignited the fury of the other group who expressed agreement. They cursed loudly, "Is this really the time to think about these messy things? If Princess Wei Na doesn't ascend the throne, do you few want to find those 'relatives' who have been scattered for who knows how many generations and have long integrated into the commoners?"
"Old Wang, now is not the time to be impulsive. The position of the royal family is of great importance!" one of the Worships shouted, but also wore a bitter smile. Then, he looked at Wei Na with an apologetic expression. But in the end, he offered no excuses.
Moreover, this time, whether it was Ye Xuanji, Chen Junting, and the others, or even Du Busi, none of them interrupted. Ultimately, one side was an outsider, and the other could be considered the "vested interests."
The Worship called "Old Wang" said deeply, "Your Highness's character from childhood to adulthood, we have all seen it. Among the orthodox royal family now, Your Highness is the sole surviving member. If you don't support her, who will you support?"
Saying this, a cold sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"Support those distant relatives who are separated by who knows how many generations and have integrated into the commoners? If they were to take power, how would they handle the court affairs! How could they lead the Tian Hun Empire to continue forward?"
These words made the other group of Worships look very unpleasant, and equally hesitant. If the empire was leaderless, or if the empire's leader was incompetent or ignorant, that was indeed a big problem.
If something went wrong at that time, the Tian Hun Empire could completely decline and fall apart.
However, if the lineage of the ruler of the country eventually took the surname "Long"... how could they face the previous emperor's spirit in heaven?! Because of this, they were very hesitant in their hearts and didn't dare to agree directly.
Just then, Long Aotian spoke up, using his proud yet resolute voice: "I have no covetous thoughts regarding the empire's throne. So when I marry Wei Na, and when I inherit the Body Sect, I will lead the entire sect to fully support the Tian Hun Empire and help it out of its predicament. Likewise, in the future, when Wei Na and I have children, those children will all take Wei Na's surname. Then, after I pass away, I will have the sect sever its ties with the empire, no longer interfering in the empire's operations, and retreat to our ancestral grounds."
After finishing, he looked at Du Busi.
"Sect... Master, my decision..."
"So you remember to call me Master!? Do you still remember I am your master? Do you still remember you are the next Sect Master of the Body Sect?"
Du Busi spoke, his words like a thunderclap.
For a moment, all the Worships of the Tian Hun Empire, including Wei Na, looked at Du Busi apprehensively, and then bowed their heads.
They didn't know if they would face Du Busi's wrath. Because the decision Long Aotian had just made basically did not seek any benefit for the Body Sect; instead, it harmed the Body Sect's interests and the cultivation he had received since his martial soul awakened.
Who would have thought...
"Just make your own decisions. I am already old; in the future, it will be up to you, kid, to bear the burden of our Body Sect."
The heavy rain and thunder that were expected to pour down vanished without a trace, replaced by slightly bland words that brushed past everything.
Wei Na and the others raised their heads, a flash of surprise in their eyes.
But what greeted them were the smiles of the people left behind from the Body Sect, the kind that came from the bottom of their hearts. And in their words...
"We are all family, why talk about helping or not?"
Interests?
We care about them, and yet we don't.
Compared to interests, we care more about loyalty and fellowship!
"Tsk tsk tsk—"
Ye Xuanji clicked his tongue noncommittally, shaking his head and saying:
"This disciple of old poison guy... how should I put it?"
"Anyway, his choices won't be ours."
Chen Junting's tone was calm. Ning Tian also took over his words, "Brother Junting is right. At most, we can offer some advice and 'make an investment' while offering help in the snow, but if we interfere in the empire's internal affairs..." The sharp light in Ning Tian's eyes flickered incessantly, not knowing what she was calculating. But ultimately, she said:
"This matter must stop here."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had received a profound lesson in the past!
After Du Busi and the others settled the matters between Long Aotian and Wei Na, they discussed what the Tian Hun Empire should do next. Then... just as Ning Tian said, they wanted the people of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to offer some reasonable advice like sending charcoal in snowy weather.
After all, this group of people were basically roughnecks.
The Body Sect went without saying, and those Worships of the Tian Hun Empire didn't interfere in state affairs either. The only one who had contact with and personally handled such matters was Wei Na. But what could she do alone?
One person's plans are limited!
Thus, they set their sights on Chen Junting and Ning Tian.
"Um, um, um... could you please give some advice?"
Facing Wei Na's plea, Chen Junting and Ning Tian didn't hesitate. After finally confirming the dead, they gave a relatively suitable, or perhaps the only feasible, plan.
The foundation of officials must be rebuilt quickly. And this rebuilding had to promote personnel from the city lords of various cities, as well as from the officials below the seventh rank who were not qualified to attend the banquet and survived the subsequent vengeful spirit riot, in order to form the foundation of civil and military officials for the Tian Hun Empire.
Although it looked shabby, there was no lack of talented individuals among these people. With training and tempering, they could serve the country.
Next, a few of them engaged in a detailed discussion around how to build the new foundation of civil and military officials. For example, how to analyze the abilities and characteristics of the city lords in the Tian Hun Empire, putting forward targeted transfer suggestions. As for the officials below the seventh rank, they planned some less strict assessments and selections to pick out the more capable and responsible talents.
With this part settled, it was only the "internal" aspect.
Besides the "internal," there was also the "external" aspect.
That was how to minimize the impact on the outside world?
Internal official morale was important, and external popular morale was also important!
Thus, after urgent consultations, three decisions were made.
The first decision was to immediately blockade the news and suppress the fact that Tian Dou City, the imperial capital, had been attacked.
The second decision was for Wei Na to ascend the throne quickly. No matter what, everything should be kept simple, and then hold a court session to stabilize the officials' hearts.
The third matter was to stabilize popular morale, announcing to the citizens in Tian Dou City that the imperial palace suffered little loss, with many injured in the royal family but few dead. Currently, because His Majesty was injured, Princess Wei Na would temporarily manage the country. As for whether this was a blatant lie... the giant crater blown out was surrounded by the palace walls, so they couldn't see inside. Unless soul masters or soul engineers with flight capabilities flew up. But as long as they showed their heads, they would be immediately conscripted and controlled.
After determining those follow-up plans, the people of the Tian Hun Empire immediately began making intense arrangements.
Seeing that Wei Na and the others were mostly settled and had no more issues, Chen Junting and his group bade farewell to Du Busi and the rest of the Body Sect and the Tian Hun Empire, heading straight back toward their sect.
Although the sword wasn't broken, returning early still brought peace of mind.
Flying in the air, Chen Junting's face was stern, his eyes revealing his deep thought, while Ning Tian also slightly furrowed her delicate brows.
Tian Dou City had already been attacked; they didn't know how Ling Dou City and Star Luo City were doing? Or rather... had they already been destroyed.
Clearly, Chen Junting and Ning Tian also thought of this.
If they only destroyed Tian Dou City... then Chen Junting would have to suspect whether "Zhongli Wu" and his bunch of big beasts wanted to use this artificial bait of "the Tian Hun Empire's imperial palace destroyed, with no successors and internal turmoil" to arouse the "desires" of the Star Luo Empire and the Dou Ling Empire, luring the two great empires into a trap.
Thinking of this, Chen Junting's expression became somewhat strange.
These guys really feared no chaos in the world!
But was such chaos of great benefit to them?
That's right, the question wasn't whether there was a benefit. But rather, was it big!?
If it wasn't big, and it was just purely to cultivate some evil soul master juniors, they wouldn't need to expend so much effort; if it was big... they would have to think about what these guys and the Holy Emperor were planning to do.
It was amidst these thoughts that Chen Junting, Ning Tian, Ye Xuanji, and the others successively returned to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and landed.
However, at this moment, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect appeared completely silent, yet one could still faintly feel a dense atmosphere of solemnity and killing intent.
Clearly, they were on guard against a sudden attack by the evil soul masters.
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