...
Emperor Xue Ye took a deep breath, trying to make his expression appear more amiable and sincere.
He didn't seem to mind Luo Nan's rudeness.
"Mr. Luo Nan, Marshal Ge Long has a fiery temper, please don't take offense."
Emperor Xue Ye proactively lowered his stance, which made Prince Xue Xing secretly startled.
His elder brother would actually lower himself like that?
"It's alright, I'm always magnanimous and don't stoop to the level of uncouth people."
Luo Nan replied calmly, almost making Ge Long vomit blood on the spot.
Emperor Xue Ye gave a wry smile, no longer dwelling on the topic. Instead, his expression turned serious, and he went straight to the point:
"I have invited you two here today because there is indeed a matter of life and death concerning the empire that I wish to discuss with you."
"One of you is the leader of Moon Pavilion, controlling the empire's vast wealth and connections."
"The other is the representative of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan, representing the pinnacle of combat power and heritage in the Soul Master world."
"There are some things that, if we want to accomplish them, will require your approval and support."
Hearing this, Yu Luomian and Luo Nan remained silent, quietly awaiting Emperor Xue Ye's next words.
Emperor Xue Ye stood up, walked to the large French windows, and gazed towards the desolate plains outside the city. His voice became incredibly heavy:
"You two must already know about what happened a hundred miles outside the city last night, right?"
Luo Nan couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
He not only knew, but he was also one of the instigators of this incident.
However, he remained outwardly calm, merely nodding slightly.
"That was a terrifying battle capable of destroying the entire Heaven Dou City!"
Emperor Xue Ye turned around, his eyes flashing with deep apprehension and fear.
"The aftershocks of that battle alone leveled a mountain hundreds of meters high!"
"I dare not imagine, if such monsters were to become enemies of the Heaven Dou Empire, could my million-strong army withstand a single blow?"
"Therefore, I have made my decision!"
"The Heaven Dou Empire can no longer rely solely on ordinary troops to maintain its rule."
"I will dedicate the entire nation's resources to building a powerful army of Soul Masters, completely obedient to the royal family!"
Building an army of Soul Masters?
This is no small matter.
In the Douluo Continent, Soul Masters have always been a privileged class, with the vast majority of high-level Soul Masters monopolized by the Spirit Hall and various sects.
Although the Heaven Dou Empire also has Soul Master units like the Royal Knights, their scale and quality are far from sufficient.
To build a true army of Soul Masters is an impossible task.
"Your Majesty, your ambition is admirable," Yu Luomian said in a deep voice, his brows slightly furrowed.
"But building an army of Soul Masters is not something that can be accomplished overnight."
"The resources and manpower involved are simply astronomical."
"I know!" Emperor Xue Ye nodded, turning his gaze to Luo Nan.
"On the one hand, this requires massive financial support."
"Although the royal treasury is full, it is still difficult to maintain a large army of soul masters in the long term."
"Therefore, I need the financial support of Moon Pavilion."
Then, Emperor Xue Ye looked at Yu Luomian:
"On the other hand, this requires a large number of powerful and experienced high-level soul masters to help the empire cultivate those young soul masters at the bottom."
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan has the most complete soul master training system in the entire continent. I hope that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan can send elites to serve as instructors for this army of soul masters!"
"To accomplish all this, we need the strong support of both of you."
"As long as you two are willing to agree, the Heaven Dou Empire will definitely not treat you unfairly."
"High-ranking positions, generous salaries, titles, and fiefdoms—I will not be stingy with anything I can give!"
After listening to Emperor Xue Ye's grand plan, Yu Luomian spoke directly:
"Your Majesty, do you mean to unite the three of us to complete this plan?"
"To completely bind together the wealth of Moon Pavilion, the foundation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, and the power of the royal family?"
Emperor Xue Ye nodded without hesitation: "That's right!"
"You all felt the commotion last night."
"Such formidable individual martial prowess is simply beyond the reach of my current army."
"Only through sincere cooperation among the three of us can we preserve the foundation of the Heavenly Dou Empire in this chaotic world!"
Silence fell over the reception hall.
Yu Luomian remained silent for a moment, not immediately expressing his opinion, but turning his head to look at Luo Nan sitting opposite him.
His meaning was clear. In this three-way meeting, although Yu Luomian represented the three upper sects, he was even more aware of Luo Nan's unfathomable and terrifying strength.
If Luo Nan agreed, Yu Luomian would absolutely follow without hesitation.
If Luo Nan refused, then the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect would absolutely not get involved in this mess.
For a moment, the gazes of Emperor Xue Ye, Prince Xue Xing, Marshal Ge Long, and Yu Luo Mian were all focused on Luo Nan.
Luo Nan remained silent, simply observing Emperor Xue Ye.
Initially, upon hearing Emperor Xue Ye's plan, Luo Nan intended to refuse outright.
What did it have to do with him?
He possessed terrifying strength sufficient to rival the Beast God Di Tian, wielded twin top-tier dragon martial souls, and was the Second Priest of Seagod Island, a future inheritor of the divine power. He had enough personal courage to spare no concern for the rise and fall of empires or the armies of soul masters.
Even if the Heaven Dou Empire were truly destroyed, his strength was more than enough to protect his family.
Moreover, the complete annihilation of the Heaven Dou Empire was an incredibly difficult task.
He didn't need to think too much, nor did he want to be bound to the broken chariot of the Heaven Dou royal family, facing the future furious counterattack of the Spirit Hall. After some consideration, Luo Nan decided against making a definitive statement on the spot.
Although he didn't need the Heaven Dou Empire's protection, Moon Pavilion was still in Heaven Dou City, where Tang Yuehua's life's work was concentrated.
A direct refusal would undoubtedly offend Emperor Xue Ye completely. While he wasn't afraid, it would still bring unnecessary trouble to Moon Pavilion.
Moreover, with the future of the continent uncertain, keeping the Heaven Dou Empire as a pawn to withstand the pressure from the Spirit Hall wasn't necessarily a bad thing for him.
"Your Majesty," Luo Nan finally stopped knocking and spoke slowly.
"Your plan is indeed grand and far-sighted. However, asking me to agree now is premature."
Hearing that Luo Nan hadn't directly refused, Emperor Xue Ye breathed a sigh of relief, but then his heart sank again.
Luo Nan looked at Emperor Xue Ye and said calmly:
"A matter like this, involving three forces and potentially altering the entire continent's overall dynamics, cannot be decided on a whim." "I need time to consider this."
...
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