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I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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Yang Xiong couldn't help but shake his head as he looked at the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
"Senior, the matters of this world aren't just about fighting and killing. If I had killed Qian Renxue, the Angel God might have ceased to exist, and even the bloodline of the Angel Clan could disappear."
"Regardless of whether the Spirit Empire has committed numerous atrocities, the first Angel God truly brought peace to the entire continent and made significant contributions to humanity. For tens of thousands of years, the Angel God has also played a role in advancing the development of soul masters. Without them, humans might face even greater hardship and decline."
"The Asura God emphasizes the rules of the world and the maintenance of order. From any perspective, it's not wrong for the Spirit Empire to seek unification of the world. The mistake lies in their methods being too extreme and their failure to understand human nature, which led to the great war between the three empires."
"Perhaps for this world, if the Spirit Empire truly unified the world, it would be better for both humans and soul masters, and even for soul beasts. At the very least, the Spirit Empire has established detailed rules for soul masters. In a sense, the Spirit Empire is superior to the two great empires."
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King sighed helplessly: "Yang Xiong, you're such a complicated guy. All these twists and turns are making my head spin. I'm too lazy to think about it—just following you to godhood is enough for me."
A faint smile appeared on Yang Xiong's lips: "Achieving godhood isn't that simple. Especially as the enforcer of the divine realm, I feel that this is no longer just about inheriting the Asura God's legacy—it's related to the decisions of the five great God Kings."
Neither of them spoke further. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King felt his mind couldn't keep up with these human complexities—it was his weakest area. He preferred to focus on free and unrestrained cultivation and growing stronger.
Meanwhile, Yang Xiong reflected on the challenges of his trials.
After passing the seventh trial of the Asura Nine Trials, Yang Xiong's Asura Affinity had reached 90%. In a way, he was now extremely close to the Asura God. The content of the eighth trial also appeared in his mind.
"Yang Xiong, the eighth trial of the Asura Nine Trials: gather all your soul rings and soul bones, and cultivate your martial soul to Level 99 within five years. Failure results in annihilation."
Yang Xiong was astonished by the content of this trial. He hadn't expected the Asura God to set such a straightforward challenge—simply reaching Level 99 within five years.
However, Yang Xiong understood well that the leap from Level 98 to Level 99 was the hardest for any soul master. Now that he could no longer absorb soul rings or soul bones, he couldn't rely on external forces to significantly boost his soul power. For ordinary soul masters, advancing from Level 98 to Level 99 required hundreds of years of nonstop cultivation. This was why there were only three Limit Douluo in the world—others couldn't break through to Level 99, no matter how hard they tried throughout their lives.
Yang Xiong sneered: "Five years? Does the Asura God underestimate me so much? Though each level increase is harder for me than for ordinary soul masters, even for this final level, I doubt I'd need five years."
…
While Yang Xiong was fully focused on recovering, Princess Xue Ke finally arrived at Jialing Pass under the escort of many attendants.
Now, she was the last surviving member of the Tian Dou Imperial Family. Only she could stabilize the situation in the Tian Dou Empire. Otherwise, if internal strife erupted in the Tian Dou Empire, the entire situation could collapse instantly.
Under the accompaniment of many, Princess Xue Ke entered the main hall. Besides herself, her teacher Tang Yuehua followed closely beside her.
Princess Xue Ke seemed nervous, as if she had never faced such a situation before.
However, she understood the gravity of the moment and immediately asked about her father's fate.
When Princess Xue Ke learned that Emperor Xue Ye had been shattered by Qian Renxue, she was overwhelmed with grief, like a child who had lost her father.
But the current situation was even more dire than she imagined. The Tian Dou Empire was in great difficulty. Though they still had hundreds of thousands of troops, after Qian Renxue's rampage, internal divisions began to surface.
Qian Renxue had once suppressed everyone with her overwhelming power, directly killing Emperor Xue Ye and Marshal Ge Long. Even the guards around Xue Ye had been wiped out, leaving only some ordinary generals behind.
Qian Renxue had even appointed a military general loyal to the Spirit Empire as the new marshal, but after Qian Renxue left and withdrew her support, this person was quickly overthrown.
Still, the military commanders were in disarray. The Spirit Empire had gods—power far beyond what mortals could match. Even though Yang Xiong and Qian Renxue had fought fiercely, it couldn't erase the mortal fear of the divine.
When Tang Yuehua saw Tang Hao's corpse, she clung to it and wept endlessly, moving everyone around her.
As people gazed upon Tang Hao's body, their expressions turned solemn. This was the mighty Hao Tian Douluo, yet he had been killed by Qian Renxue.
Soon, under the support of many, Princess Xue Ke, as the sole heir of the Tian Dou Imperial Family, ascended to the throne.
However, many generals exchanged glances, lacking confidence to continue fighting. They no longer shared the unity they once had under Emperor Xue Ye.
After ascending the throne, Princess Xue Ke was directly referred to as Empress Xue Ke, becoming the pillar of hope for the entire Tian Dou Imperial Family.
Empress Xue Ke immediately visited Yang Xiong. Recently, Yang Xiong had been recuperating and hadn't left his room. Aside from Ning Rongrong and Oscar, he hadn't interacted with others.
When Empress Xue Ke entered Yang Xiong's room, she showed immense respect.
"Greetings, Lord Yang. I've heard that you sustained severe injuries for the Tian Dou Empire. Xue Ke has come to pay respects and bring medicinal treasures from the Tian Dou Imperial Family."
With that, Xue Ke took out a jade box containing a thousand-year snow lotus. Judging by its appearance, it was at least three thousand years old—a supreme healing treasure.
Yang Xiong nodded slightly: "Greetings, Empress Xue Ke. You are now the highest ruler of the Tian Dou Empire, while I am but an ordinary person. There's no need for Your Majesty to trouble yourself with visiting me."
Empress Xue Ke quickly replied: "Lord Yang, you have rendered great service to the Tian Dou Empire. It's only right for me to visit you. Please don't stand on ceremony."
Yang Xiong chuckled: "Your Majesty, this isn't our first meeting. Let's speak frankly."
In the past, Yang Xiong had accompanied Ning Fengzhi to meet Xue Qinghe many times and had also seen Princess Xue Ke. However, Yang Xiong had always bickered with Xue Qinghe and hadn't interacted much with Princess Xue Ke.
After some thought, Princess Xue Ke spoke: "Lord Yang, the Tian Dou Empire needs your support, and the Body Sect's support as well. If the Tian Dou Imperial Family collapses, the Spirit Empire won't spare the three great sects."
Yang Xiong nodded: "Your Majesty, I believe the Body Sect has already supported the Tian Dou Emperor sufficiently. For this campaign, we sent a thousand soul masters and four Title Douluo. Even I was injured. Does Your Majesty feel this is insufficient?"
After a moment of silence, Empress Xue Ke replied: "I know that you, Lord Ning, and Lord Tang have greatly supported the Tian Dou Imperial Family. But these are extraordinary times. I hope you'll step forward to help stabilize the army. Perhaps then we can secure final victory in this war."
"Recently, Lord Yang displayed incredible prowess, battling the Angel God without falling behind. Whether among the army or soul masters, you hold unparalleled status."
After some thought, Yang Xiong responded: "Your Majesty, I'm just a simple man. You know my personality—I've never liked standing out. If the situation weren't so dire, I wouldn't have fought Qian Renxue."
"Myself and the Body Sect can support the Tian Dou Imperial Family and assist Your Majesty in controlling the imperial court and the army. But I won't make an appearance—the elders of the Body Sect can provide assistance."
Empress Xue Ke's expression shifted slightly: "Lord Yang, this is a matter of great importance. If you have any requests, please voice them. The Tian Dou Imperial Family will spare no effort to fulfill them."
Yang Xiong laughed: "I've always preferred solitary cultivation, and so does the Body Sect. I hope Your Majesty doesn't overthink this."
"Of course, if Qian Renxue attacks again, I'll find a way to deal with her. As for other matters, I'm afraid I can't offer much help."
After conversing for a while, Empress Xue Ke left Yang Xiong's room. However, she seemed somewhat disappointed that Yang Xiong wouldn't personally intervene.
Once Empress Xue Ke departed, Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong, Oscar, and Lin Gong arrived at Yang Xiong's room.
Ning Fengzhi's expression was serious: "Xiao Xiong, did Empress Xue Ke visit you? What did she say?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "She's just a little girl, expecting my full support with empty words. Isn't she asking for too much?"
Ning Fengzhi replied: "Xue Ke is now the emperor of the Tian Dou Empire. Aside from supporting her, we have no other options. If the Tian Dou army collapses, this war will be lost, and our three sects will struggle to survive alone."
Yang Xiong chuckled: "Master, you're mistaken about something. In this world, everything revolves around strength. The Spirit Empire's power allows it to dominate the two great empires, but what does that have to do with us?"
"As long as I'm here, no one dares to easily offend the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect or the Body Sect."
"Besides, whether it's the Tian Dou Empire or the Star Luo Empire, they're just empires—tools of noble rule. I only want to build my own sect and ensure the safety of our members. There's no need to worry about anything else."
Ning Fengzhi fell into deep thought after hearing Yang Xiong's words. If the two great empires continued this stalemate, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Body Sect would gradually be worn down, leaving them with no strength to recover.
Ning Rongrong suddenly spoke: "Little Bear, why does Xue Ke seem different now? Back then, she was so innocent and kind, but now she seems to have many more thoughts."
"And when I look at Xue Ke, it seems she cares more about the Hao Tian Sect. She also seems very concerned about Tang San. As soon as she arrived at the frontlines, she was asking about Tang San's condition."
Yang Xiong gently held Ning Rongrong's hand and chuckled: "This is normal. Tang Yuehua is Xue Ke's teacher, and behind Tang Yuehua stands the Hao Tian Sect. Naturally, Xue Ke will gain the support of the Hao Tian Sect."
"Rongrong, remember this: whether it's the Hao Tian Sect or the Tian Dou Imperial Family, they have no essential connection to our Body Sect or the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Moreover, whether they'll be allies or enemies in the future remains uncertain."
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