Chapter 581 - 581: The First Strike Should Be Against Star Luo!

Kong Deming looked at Ye Xishui and said, "Ye Xishui, you owe me an explanation. Why did you attack Ye Yulin? If I hadn't arrived in time, were you planning to kill him? Regardless of everything, Ye Yulin is a worshiper of the Sun Moon Empire. Are you trying to completely sever ties with us?"

Ye Xishui responded coldly, "Kong Deming, I have no such intentions. No matter what, the Holy Spirit Cult and Xu Tianran are in a cooperative relationship. If I were to kill Ye Yulin, it would undoubtedly affect our alliance. That would be an extremely unwise decision for the Holy Spirit Cult. Do you think I would do something so foolish?"

In truth, she had no intention of killing Ye Yulin at most, she had intended to force him back. After all, even when dealing with subordinates, one must acknowledge their superior's authority. She did not want to needlessly provoke a grudge with a Rank 10 Soul Engineer capable of rivaling an Ultimate Douluo.

Kong Deming studied Ye Xishui, his face showing visible hesitation, as if considering whether to be completely honest.

Ye Xishui was momentarily stunned, then immediately furious. Such a simple question, and he still needed to hesitate?

To her, Kong Deming was doing this on purpose.

Just as she was about to explode, Long Xiaoyao stopped her and said, "Xishui, enough. Since Kong Deming is here, we can get straight to the point."

He turned to Kong Deming with a serious expression. "Kong Deming, I'll be direct. We came to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy to discuss the Holy Spirit Cult's elevation to the status of the Empire's Official Religious Order. If you agree, I will owe you a favor. In the future, I can help you with one thing, as long as it does not violate my principles."

A favor from an Ultimate Douluo was an extremely valuable offer, and Long Xiaoyao was not the type to casually break his word. This was a sincere and weighty condition.

Kong Deming was now exceptionally powerful.

In a one on one fight, neither he nor Ye Xishui was confident in defeating him.

So using force was out of the question they had to convince him with benefits.

Ye Xishui's eyes flickered as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately, she held back.

Kong Deming slowly spoke, "Your offer is very generous. But I refuse."

Long Xiaoyao frowned. **"Kong Deming, can you tell me why? Once the Sun Moon Empire launches its war across the continent, without the Holy Spirit Cult's assistance, unifying the continent will be impossible.

Even if you alone are powerful, Mu En can gather a force of strong individuals to siege you, potentially leading to your demise.

I know you might underestimate Mu En, but the Shrek Academy has accumulated ten thousand years of hidden knowledge. What if he has an ultimate trump card? If you insist on being stubborn, it will bring disaster upon you."**

Truthfully, if not for Ye Xishui's support for the Holy Spirit Cult, he would never have pushed this issue so far.

Kong Deming shook his head. **"Long Xiaoyao, the Sun Moon Empire values its reputation. Unifying the continent may be difficult, but in the end, victory will belong to the empire.

As for the Holy Spirit Cult if an evil soul master organization becomes the Empire's Official Religion, it would be a stain on the Empire's name. Evil soul masters already have a horrendous reputation even you know that.

Furthermore, even if I were to suppress the outward opposition from the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Engineer community, I cannot suppress the rejection that will take root in their hearts.

I refuse to plant a seed of resentment within the Empire's most crucial group the Soul Engineers. They are the backbone of the Empire. Without them, there would be no Empire."

From Kong Deming's perspective, there was no need to elevate the Holy Spirit Cult to an Official Religious Order just to gain their assistance in war.

With Huo Yuhao's contributions, including soul spirits, the Fate Alteration Technique, and advanced forging techniques, the Sun Moon Empire's strength had already skyrocketed.

The Empire was growing stronger every day why should they sacrifice their reputation for temporary assistance?

Seeing that Kong Deming had completely dismissed the idea, Long Xiaoyao sighed, knowing that they had failed.

Ye Xishui cast a cold glance at Kong Deming, then withdrew her gaze and transmitted a message to Long Xiaoyao. "Xiaoyao, let's leave. We'll go to Xu Tianran and demand an explanation!"

Sun Moon Imperial Palace

Inside a grand hall, Xu Tianran was meeting with the Sun Moon Empire's military leaders.

As Emperor, he was preparing for war against the three Douluo nations in order to unite the continent and secure his legacy.

Lacking personal military expertise, he relied on his military officials to analyze strategies for launching a full scale continental war.

A large map of the Douluo Continent hung on the wall.

Wang Yiheng, Commander of the Evil Monarch Soul Engineer Legion, held a pointer and gestured at various locations on the map.

**"Your Majesty, I believe our first target should be the Tianhun Empire.

Among the three nations, Tianhun is the second largest and the second strongest. If we can conquer it swiftly, we will have already won half the war.

Look here Tianhun borders both the Dou Ling Empire and Star Luo Empire. If we annex it, we will not only extend our supply lines but also gain access to vast mineral resources.

Furthermore, the Extreme North lies within Tianhun's northern territory.

Previously, under the guidance of Duke Huo, the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion discovered and mined a vast metal deposit in the Extreme North, yielding over a dozen types of rare metals.

If we occupy Tianhun, we will significantly shorten transportation routes for these rare resources, making our war effort far more efficient!"**

The officials in the room nodded in agreement resources and logistics were the foundation of war.

A vast mineral deposit was not just a resource but a powerful economic tool.

Prioritizing Tianhun made sense.

Xu Tianran nodded. "Minister Wang's analysis is reasonable."

At that moment, Ju Zi spoke up.

"Your Majesty, I have a different opinion."

As the Emperor's most trusted confidante, Ju Zi was naturally present at the meeting and had the right to voice her opinions.

Xu Tianran was slightly surprised.

He had actually considered placing Ju Zi in the military, since she was his most loyal confidante.

However, he had ultimately stationed her beside Huo Yuhao instead, in order to strengthen ties with him.

Because of this, his plans to send her into the army had been delayed.

He gestured toward her. "Ju Zi, speak your mind."

Ju Zi calmly stated, "I believe we should first launch a blitzkrieg against the Star Luo Empire!"

Attack the Star Luo Empire first?

The officials were stunned.

After all, among the three Douluo nations, Star Luo was the strongest.

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