"This is the riskiest investment I've ever seen."
Jiang Jue frowned slightly, then relaxed and gave a faint laugh.
"An investment always comes with risk. The size does not matter; what matters is the investor's vision and intuition."
Weina shook her head, then looked directly at Jiang Jue. With a soft smile, she spoke earnestly.
"Actually, Jiang Jue, you don't need to make a choice right now. We still have a long time ahead of us, don't we?"
Jiang Jue looked at her and smiled gently.
"When I officially become the Young Sect Master, I'll give you my answer."
Jiang Jue realized she was right: the Body Sect's relationship with the Heavenly Soul Empire was indeed close. The two sides had been cooperating to mutual benefit.
But in his future plans, only one nation could remain on the Douluo Continent. For the path he envisioned, this was unavoidable.
And even if he did nothing, someone else would eventually do it. After all, that filial son Xu Tiannan was practically waiting for his own father, the emperor, to die.
Compared to the Heavenly Soul Empire, Jiang Jue preferred to place his strategic pieces within the Sun Moon Empire. He had no intention of "supporting the poor" and making things harder for himself.
So once he became the Body Sect's Young Sect Master, many things could finally begin.
Hearing his reply, the smile on Weina's delicate face grew brighter.
"By the way, Jiang Jue, may I ask you something?"
"You may."
"What do you think of the current state of the continent?"
Weina asked softly.
"Calm on the surface, turbulent beneath."
Jiang Jue leaned back in his chair and responded lightly.
Weina's eyes brightened as she looked at him deeply.
As Jiang Jue said, although there was no war on the continent at the moment, the Sun Moon Empire's rapid advancement in soul tool technology had already put them far ahead of the three former empires.
When a nation becomes powerful, it develops ambition. A powerful nation will not be satisfied with its current territory—it will inevitably expand outward.
"Then do you think that if the three former empires united, they could stand against the Sun Moon Empire?"
Weina clasped her fingers tightly, her voice tinged with nervousness.
"Can the three former empires truly unite?"
Instead of answering, Jiang Jue asked her in return.
"This…"
The question stunned Weina.
"Indeed, can they really unite?"
She pondered in silence. The conclusion appeared quickly: impossible. Even if they did unite, it would only be superficial. True deep cooperation would never happen.
A thousand years ago, when the Sun Moon Continent first collided with the Douluo Continent, the empires on Douluo joined forces to resist.
Unfortunately, without Shrek Academy—and the then Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion—to take the lead, the Douluo Continent might already have been renamed the Sun Moon Continent.
"And this time, you won't have Shrek Academy leading the defense."
Jiang Jue thought to himself as he watched Weina frowning.
To the three former empires, Shrek Academy was a spiritual pillar, representing the glory of traditional soul masters.
But that glory had already begun to crumble since the last Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament—under Jiang Jue's hand.
Once that pillar collapses, resistance to external culture weakens. And even before that, the three empires were already vastly outmatched by the Sun Moon Empire.
The only one that could endure slightly longer was the Star Luo Empire.
The Dou Ling Empire had not even waited for the official unification war before being wiped out by a single blitz from the Sun Moon Empire.
The Heavenly Soul Empire only survived by relying on the Body Sect's support—but even that merely delayed its eventual fall.
"But war will plunge the continent into chaos. Many people will be swept up in it… many will die."
Weina murmured softly, her face filled with reluctance.
"War is cruel by nature. But after war comes rebirth—new beginnings and new hope."
Jiang Jue tapped his finger lightly on the table.
"The tides of the world follow a pattern: what has been long divided must unite; what has long been united must divide. History is merciless. To avoid being eliminated, one must keep pace with the times."
Jiang Jue sighed in his heart. Even without his interference, ten thousand years later, the Douluo Continent would still unify.
"I only hope that day never comes… The common people are innocent."
Weina sighed, looking a bit desolate.
"Yes. Ordinary people are innocent. But in this cruel world, weakness itself is a sin."
Jiang Jue said softly—not just to Weina, but also to himself.
In his original world, one could say "destiny determines three parts, hard work determines seven."
But in this Douluo world, this was impossible. The moment someone awakened their martial soul at age six, their fate already began its predetermined course—and that curtain could fall not only on one individual, but their children, and their descendants thereafter.
A true dragon martial soul rarely produces a pig; a pig martial soul even more rarely produces a true dragon.
"Weakness is a sin—but someone powerful enough can shape the destiny of the entire continent."
Weina thought to herself as she looked at Jiang Jue. Her determination to win him over grew even stronger.
"Jiang Jue, then let me congratulate you in advance on winning your wager."
Weina rose to her feet, eyes gleaming. Once Jiang Jue became the Young Sect Master, she believed the Heavenly Soul Empire would have an opportunity.
"I'll take your auspicious words."
Jiang Jue stood as well, smiling.
Soon after, Weina left under the moonlight, her heart heavy with thoughts.
"Fate, cages—I will break them all."
Jiang Jue whispered, closed the door, and continued cultivating.
Above him, the silver moon hung bright, stars glittering around it.
…
"Second Brother, what do you think Jiang Jue and Weina were talking about so late at night?"
In the shadows outside Jiang Jue's residence, two figures hid stealthily. Yu Tao whispered to Lang Ya.
When Weina entered Jiang Jue's room, the two had immediately withdrawn their spiritual probes—they were here to protect him, not to spy on him.
"Why do you care?"
Lang Ya waved dismissively, completely uninterested. Curiosity kills the cat.
"Don't you think Weina and Jiang Jue are a good match? They're both twin-souled and very talented."
Yu Tao scratched his head, chuckling foolishly.
"If you want a wife, your Second Brother will help you in the future. Stop thinking about useless things."
Lang Ya patted his brother's shoulder with exasperation.
"Heh-heh, I knew it—Second Brother, you're the best."
"Enough, enough. Don't get sentimental on me."
Lang Ya said with disdain, though the corners of his mouth were already lifting.
He was the one who would take care of his own brother.
Three chapters delivered. Enjoy your holiday.
(End of Chapter)