Suddenly feeling her hand being patted, Ju Zi instantly froze.
Her heart began to pound wildly.
Xu Tianran's words struck Ju Zi's ears like a clap of thunder.
"Ju Zi, I know you're already impatient. This Spirit Master Grand Competition is the perfect opportunity to annihilate the vital forces of the Douluo Three Nations." Xu Tianran sighed, speaking softly, "But you must understand, the strongest power within Sun Moon Imperial Capital is no longer the imperial family."
The cooperation between the Blacksmith Association and Mingde Hall had grown too deep, so deep that currently, many matters in Mingde Hall no longer sought the imperial family's approval.
It wasn't just Mingde Hall. Now, most Spirit Engineers' attitude towards the Blacksmith Association was one of subtle reverence.
This was the effect of gradual influence.
Forging was too important for Spirit Engineers.
A piece of Thousand Refined, Spirit-Awakened metal allowed Spirit Engineers of the past to create Spirit Tools one rank higher out of thin air. How tempting was this technology?
Tempting was one thing, but the Blacksmith Association had maintained absolute strength since its establishment, so no one dared to harbor any ill intentions.
The Association's blacksmiths collaborated with Mingde Hall, establishing a new scope for Spirit Engineer cultivation. The forging part was taken over by blacksmiths, making the Spirit Engineers' work easier but also making them more dependent on blacksmiths.
Over the years, blacksmiths had become another symbol of nobility in people's minds.
Now, in the Sun Moon Empire, Spirit Engineers were nobler than ordinary Spirit Masters, and blacksmiths were subtly half a step above Spirit Engineers.
Under such circumstances, the Blacksmith Association's blacksmiths continued to cooperate closely with Spirit Engineers, dividing labor, researching the Battle Armor field, and simultaneously aiding Spirit Engineers in reforming the Spirit Tool field.
This intimate relationship had won over a wave of popular support.
Forget about the Body Sect being strong; even the Sun Moon imperial family's own power had been subtly weakened again and again.
That wasn't even the key issue.
The problem was, under such circumstances, the Body Sect still hadn't publicly announced that the Holy Spirit Cult was brought in by the imperial family.
Ju Zi understood Xu Tianran's helplessness.
However, she felt even more disdain inwardly.
If Xu Tianran were more ruthless, bolder, she might have admired him. But the current Xu Tianran clearly showed a fearful attitude, coupled with his physical incompleteness—how could she possibly respect him?
"Sigh..."
Xu Tianran sighed and released Ju Zi's hand.
Returning to the imperial residence, he acted as usual, letting Ju Zi leave.
After Ju Zi left, only faint rustling sounds could be heard in the dim room.
Then, someone spoke softly.
"Your Highness?"
"Let her make the adjustments. The Royal Spirit Engineer Legion hasn't been under imperial control for a long time. In recent years, all its members have been studying at Mingde Hall and the Blacksmith Association, haven't they?"
The Royal Spirit Engineer Legion—the solid shield protecting the Sun Moon Imperial Family.
It generally represented the Sun Moon Imperial Family.
"One must know when to give up."
Sacrificing one Spirit Engineer Legion, sacrificing a woman raised since childhood, to ignite this chaotic era—it was worth it.
"Notify Xu Tianyuan, Wang Yiheng, and Liao Mengkai to lead the Imperial Dragon, Evil Lord, and Terrorclaw Spirit Engineer Legions back to Sun Moon Imperial Capital."
After leaving the Crown Prince's residence, Ju Zi contacted the commander of the Royal Spirit Engineer Legion.
"How are the arrangements?"
"All set. After the Spirit Master Grand Competition ends, the teams from the Douluo Three Nations can definitely be caught in one net, just..."
"I will handle any accountability from the Crown Prince. This is the perfect opportunity to wipe out the new generation of the Douluo Three Nations. If we succeed just this once, once our Sun Moon Empire starts the war, we can sweep across the entire continent within a year."
"Yes."
"The changes in fortune are this obvious?"
Observing the celestial phenomena at night, Su Ming noticed the fortune above Sun Moon Imperial Capital began to churn incessantly.
"So, is this the perspective of the God Realm controlling the God Realm Core? Or is it a perspective unique to someone like me who focuses on realms?"
Su Ming marveled.
No matter your conspiracies and schemes, I can see the changes just by looking at the fortune.
This was truly a case where those below cannot fathom the perspective of those above.
Of course, Su Ming didn't blindly trust surface phenomena like fortune either.
He also took a look at the future.
"So that's how it is."
Learning about the split between Ju Zi and Xu Tianran, with war on the verge of breaking out, Su Ming's heart remained calm.
He paid no mind to the little moves Xu Tianran and Ju Zi were making.
In fact, the outbreak of war would be beneficial for him.
"War breaks out, the continent unifies. That would actually make it easier for me to develop the Spirit Master world, to develop the continent."
Su Ming looked up at the sky.
That unreasonable entity in the God Realm was truly difficult to deal with.
"A prolonged war is definitely necessary. Otherwise, after I become a god, I'll be bound by the God Realm's rules again. If I haven't gathered enough faith, fail to become a God King, and can't surpass Tang San, I'll be very passive."
Now, from parallel worlds, the Douluo 3 Su Ming could understand that God Kings were even more troublesome than imagined. With his current configuration, he couldn't resolve Tang San immediately upon becoming a god.
Since he couldn't resolve it, he'd just have to outlast him.
If he could be the local emperor for one day, he'd be it for one day. Wait until faith, power, and insights were sufficiently accumulated, then ascend to the God Realm.
And if he really needed to spend time, the earlier the continent unified, the more advantageous it was for him.
As for people dying in war, that was normal.
Do people not die without war?
As the saying goes, a long pain is worse than a short pain.
Recently, there have been small frictions and clashes at the border again. Each one claims the lives of soldiers from both empires.
If such small frictions and clashes continue, over ten years, the number of soldiers' deaths might not be less than the lives lost during the process of continental unification.
Moreover, Su Ming knew that even with the original story's clear bias towards the Douluo Three Nations, after the Sun Moon Empire captured territory, civilian Spirit Tools rapidly became popularized. The inhabitants within the captured territory indeed lived better than before.
There were even no acts like massacring cities.
Sun Moon Grand Hotel.
Huo Yuhao arrived at the Star Luo Royal Team's room.
"Princess Jiu Jiu, we meet again."
"Speak. What is the matter?"
Xu Jiujiu's attitude towards Huo Yuhao was somewhat cold.
Not long before the competition, the Star Luo Empire announced cutting off its supply of students to Shrek. The relationship between the two was already strained.
As a citizen of the Star Luo Empire, Huo Yuhao found himself in a very awkward position.
He came this time to alleviate the situation.
Similarly, other members of the Shrek Seven Monsters like Xu Sanshi and Xiao Xiao were also taking separate actions, communicating with the royal representatives of the Douluo Three Nations.
Faced with Xu Jiujiu's coldness, Huo Yuhao could only respond with a bitter smile.
"Princess Jiu Jiu, I came this time to discuss cooperation."
"Cooperation?" Xu Jiujiu sneered. "At this juncture, do you think there's any possibility of cooperation between us?"
Huo Yuhao set aside his bitter smile, his expression turning serious.
"What if I told you, Your Highness, that the atmosphere in Sun Moon Imperial Capital isn't right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your Highness also knows I spent a few years as an exchange student at Mingde Hall."
"And so?"
"I have connections with some Spirit Engineers of the Sun Moon Empire. Now, some friends have warned me that Sun Moon Imperial Capital is dangerous, to leave early, and not to linger until after the competition finals."
As Huo Yuhao's voice fell, Xu Jiujiu's expression indeed changed.
***
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