Qian Renxue naturally understood that to pull out weeds you must remove the roots.
But the Dai clan was not a small family. Counting collateral branches, in pure numbers it was absolutely the largest soul master clan on the continent. Only the Xue royal family could compare.
And as the imperial house of the Star Luo Empire, the Dai clan had far too many allied soul master families loyal to it. Killing them all outright would damage her reputation.
So Qian Renxue chose a middle path.
What the Dai clan relied on was not anything else, but its inherited top-tier beast martial soul, the White Tiger. In Qian Renxue's view, there was no need to kill every Dai clansman. It was enough to sever the Dai clan's inheritance of the White Tiger.
As the saying goes, a married daughter is like water poured out. Ties might hold through the children's generation, even grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but give it two more generations and, regardless of feelings, eight or nine times out of ten they will not even know each other.
After five generations apart from the Dai clan, even if a man inherited the White Tiger through his mother's line, there would be no need to restrict it.
By then, even if the history had not been forgotten, who would be bored and overconfident enough to try to restore Star Luo?
Moreover, if their own family later rose and grew strong, the White Tiger Clan praised by the world would no longer be the already-destroyed Dai clan, but their own White Tiger Clan.
They might even, to ensure the uniqueness of their own White Tiger martial soul, spare no effort to strike down those Dai remnants who had escaped.
"Good."
Chu Chengzhou nodded. With the Star Luo Empire and the White Tiger Clan on the verge of destruction, he could not predict what choice Zhu Zhuqing's father would make.
But as the head of the Hell Civet clan, even if he were loyal to the Dai clan, for the lives of his people he would certainly submit.
This was like the saying that among the three unfilial acts, having no heir is the worst. As the head of a soul master family, the first priority is not expansion, but ensuring the clan can continue.
Just like the Clear Sky School back then, which chose to swallow hatred and humiliation when faced with Spirit Hall's power.
Otherwise, would Tang Xiao, infatuated with his younger sister-in-law A Yin and never marrying, have obediently hidden in the deep mountains for so many years?
Hearing this, Qian Renxue rolled her eyes. How could she not know what Chu Chengzhou was thinking?
Hmph. Once the empire's situation stabilizes, I will return to Spirit Hall and begin the divine test.
Qian Renxue was confident that once she started the Angel divine test, her strength would soar in a short time. After ascending to the Angel God position, why worry about failing to suppress Chu Chengzhou?
They had agreed that the stronger one would decide everything.
When she suppressed Chu Chengzhou with absolute force, she could monopolize this man and make him cut ties with the other women.
Mm, given that Hu Liena is Spirit Hall's saintess and also my junior sister, I, Qian Renxue, magnanimous, will allow her to serve as a bedchamber maid.
Obviously, with her spirit power still only at seven rings, Qian Renxue had not seen that Chu Chengzhou had already cultivated to level 99, a Limit Douluo, nor did she know that even after she ascended to the Angel God position, she might not easily suppress the current Chu Chengzhou.
"By the way, Xue'er, find me a Soul King who just entered five rings. I've been working on something interesting."
Putting aside his concern for that father-in-law far away in Star Luo, Chu Chengzhou shifted the topic to battle armor.
As he spoke, he took a set of Thousand-Refined battle armor from his storage soul tool and placed it on the desk before Qian Renxue.
"Mm? Armor? What's so special about that?"
Qian Renxue arched a brow, a little surprised. Metal armor was nothing new to her.
"This is no ordinary armor. It is battle armor, a special soul tool that can change the landscape of the soul master world.
"I can say with certainty that once battle armor spreads, it will become standard for every powerhouse on the continent.
"Because soul masters without battle armor, apart from a very few unreasonable freaks, will not be worthy of being called powerhouses."
Chu Chengzhou spoke with weight.
Those unreasonable soul masters naturally meant ones like him who were effectively running on cheats.
And cheats came in many sizes. Twin martial souls, innate rank-20 soul power, a million-year first ring, inheritance from a god-level expert, all counted.
"Can this thing compare to soul bones?"
Blinking, and seeing that Chu Chengzhou did not seem to be talking nonsense, Qian Renxue asked curiously.
In her impression, the only standard kit of the strong on the continent right now was soul bones.
"Battle armor does not conflict with soul bones. And in terms of boosting a soul master's strength, ordinary soul bones are far inferior to battle armor of the same tier."
Chu Chengzhou shook his head.
As a full set, one-character battle armor at Thousand Refinements can let a five-ring Soul King rival a seven-ring Soul Sage. Two-character battle armor at Spirit Refinement can let a six-ring Soul Emperor rival an eight-ring Soul Douluo. A seven-ring Soul Sage with a domain, wearing three-character battle armor at Soul Refinement, can match a nine-ring Titled Douluo.
And a nine-ring Titled Douluo wearing four-character battle armor with Heavenly Refinements can go toe-to-toe with a Limit Douluo, level 99. With power increases this massive, how could soul bones compare?
Setting aside auxiliary, healing, and food types that have little combat ability, under otherwise similar conditions, even a soul master with six hundred-thousand-year soul bones would basically be unable to beat a soul master wearing battle armor of the corresponding tier.
What is more, as the era develops, battle armor can be popularized, while hundred-thousand-year soul bones cannot, at least not until the day they can be manufactured.
"Really?"
Qian Renxue was taken aback, studying the Thousand-Refined battle armor in surprise.
Chu Chengzhou rolled his eyes. "Would I lie to you? Get a five-ring Soul King to test it and you'll know."
"Why a five-ring Soul King? Can't we use someone stronger?"
Qian Renxue pressed.
"This is only the lowest tier of battle armor, suited for a five-ring Soul King. As for higher-tier battle armor, I haven't forged it yet. I need some time."
Chu Chengzhou naturally would not say that he did not yet know how to forge the higher tiers. He did not now, but he would in a while.
"Is that so?"
Qian Renxue was doubtful, but she did not ask further. She ordered the imperial guards outside the hall to bring a Soul King who had just reached five rings and a Soul Sage who had just reached seven rings.
Testing this so-called battle armor was simple. Let the five-ring Soul King put it on, then have him fight a seven-ring Soul Sage.