Seeing that such a maneuver was possible, the Star Luo Emperor's face lit up with joy. He wanted to copy this homework.
After all, both empires had been around for over two thousand years. Though the Star Luo Empire was more prosperous than the Tian Dou Empire, it faced similar issues with land fragmentation. Regaining control of these territories was irresistible to an emperor.
However, just as the Star Luo Emperor was about to issue the decree…
All the vassal states within the Star Luo Empire erupted into internal chaos.
While there were indeed some useless nobles, many of the long-standing noble families weren't fools. If you tried to cut into their pie, they would resist—how could they not? Thus, led by the kings and grand dukes who had been granted fiefs, a massive rebellion swept across the Star Luo Empire.
What was even more absurd was that, legally speaking, the rebels held the upper hand. Since the Star Luo Emperor hadn't officially implemented the Decree of Extended Grace, the rebels remained the high-ranking nobles they had always been.
And as nobles, they were obligated to protect their sovereign, the Star Luo Emperor.
Thus, a dramatic scene unfolded.
The rebelling nobles raised the slogan "Fulfilling Ancestral Duty to Pacify Chaos."
What did "Fulfilling Ancestral Duty to Pacify Chaos" mean?
It meant that according to ancestral teachings, someone had sown chaos in the imperial family, and they were mobilizing troops to restore order and return the Star Luo Empire to its rightful state.
The most legitimate Star Luo imperial family suddenly found itself at the center of controversy, while the Spirit Hall, which had long been seen as an outsider occupying a high position, now appeared peaceful and harmonious—a deeply ironic twist.
Fortunately, the Medical Alliance advocated resolving disputes through peaceful means and didn't allow the Tian Dou Empire to join this rebellion in the Star Luo Empire. Otherwise, even if the Star Luo Empire managed to recover, the Tian Dou Empire would likely seize most of its territory.
Of course, the main reason was that both the Tian Dou and Star Luo Empires were already considered Ye Wen's possessions. Why create unnecessary conflict between them?
In Ye Wen's view, the Star Luo side simply needed time—it would eventually become his domain of faith.
However, the Star Luo nobles underestimated the Star Luo imperial family.
Though the Star Luo Empire lacked Title Douluos, its abundant resources from controlling the fertile southern lands of the Douluo Continent allowed the imperial family to cultivate a significant number of Soul Douluos.
While the Zhu family, holding the title of Duke, might have fewer Soul Douluos, many members possessed the Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul, which could easily reach the Soul Sage level.
Working together, they could easily create combat power comparable to Title Douluos.
Thus, after initially catching the Star Luo imperial family off guard, the noble faction was quickly suppressed.
But would Ye Wen allow the Dai family to remain dominant and hinder his harvest of faith?
The answer was no. Without Ye Wen lifting a finger, Bai Ling'er, a chess piece planted long ago by Huo Yu'er, returned to the Star Luo Empire.
Ye Wen wouldn't rush the growth of his women, but Bai Ling'er was different. Having been infused with the flesh and blood of the Evil-Eyed Holy King, a quasi-god beast, her foundation was terrifyingly robust.
With Huo Yu'er's divine power assisting her, Bai Ling'er reached the rank of 95th-level Super Douluo within five years after the Continental Soul Master Tournament. Though Huo Yu'er could forcibly elevate her further, Ye Wen stopped her. After all, Bai Ling'er was a promising general, and wasting her potential would be a shame. A 95th-level Super Douluo combined with her martial soul's bloodline suppression was more than enough to deal with the weaklings of the Star Luo imperial family.
Just as dragon-type martial souls would instinctively avoid confronting Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King martial soul, Bai Ling'er's Sacred White Tiger martial soul immediately suppressed the Evil-Eyed White Tiger martial soul and the spirit fusion techniques upon entering the battlefield. At best, the imperial family retained only thirty to forty percent of their strength; most were reduced to ten to twenty percent.
Facing such pure martial soul suppression, the Star Luo imperial family had no effective countermeasures. They could only retreat strategically, preserving their forces.
For a time, the noble faction gained momentum. Bai Ling'er's terrifying array of eight black and one red soul rings shocked everyone, and they quickly hailed her as their new leader.
The nobles believed that Bai Ling'er's martial soul must have evolved from the imperial family's Evil-Eyed White Tiger martial soul—a positive mutation that made her far stronger. She was fully qualified to replace the current Star Luo Emperor and become the next ruler.
Bai Ling'er accepted this role with delight. With her overwhelming cultivation and authority, she reorganized the rebel armies within the Star Luo Empire into her own Holy Cross Legion.
The name of this legion carried Bai Ling'er's hidden affection.
As Ye Wen's memories returned, Huo Yu'er naturally couldn't meddle in his romantic affairs anymore. The promise that Bai Ling'er could marry Ye Wen had already been broken.
Though Bai Ling'er knew this, she said nothing. It had always been her one-sided infatuation. Ye Wen had never shown any interest in her.
But Bai Ling'er, who was poor at expressing herself yet filled with admiration for Ye Wen, decided to showcase her value through this coup in the Star Luo Empire. She hoped to truly catch Ye Wen's attention and begin her pursuit.
The so-called Holy Cross Legion—the "Holy" referred to Bai Ling'er's martial soul, while the "Cross" subtly hinted at half of Ye Wen's surname, "Ye." Bai Ling'er wanted to become Ye Wen's other half!
With the addition of Bai Ling'er, the noble faction, which already had numerous Soul Douluos, neutralized the imperial family's spirit fusion techniques. This caused the already outnumbered Star Luo imperial family to retreat step by step.
But what worsened the imperial family's predicament was that halfway through the civil war, the Zhu family betrayed them!
Then an even bigger bombshell exploded within the Star Luo Empire: Bai Ling'er was none other than Zhu Zhuqing, the once-lost fiancée of the former "useless prince", Dai Mubai.
By now, Zhu Zhuqing's strength no longer required concealment. She could live openly under the sun.
After Huo Yu'er's explanations and analysis, Zhu Zhuqing resolved her grievances toward her family. After all, if her elder sister truly wanted to kill her, how could she, a mere Soul Grandmaster at the time, have escaped the pursuit of a group of Soul Elders and Soul Ancestors?
But back then, her lack of clear thinking led her to foolishly seek out Dai Mubai again, re-entering the Star Luo imperial family's sights and joining the brutal struggle for power once more.
Now, however, Zhu Zhuqing had the ability to change everything. She secretly approached the Netherworld Duke. Under the dual allure of her overwhelming strength and the divine backing of Ye Wen, the Netherworld Duke didn't hesitate to pledge loyalty.
He swiftly rallied his remaining family members to side with Zhu Zhuqing and discreetly informed other Zhu family members currently aligned with the Dai family.
The Zhu family had long harbored resentment over being dragged into the Dai family's blood feud. Had it not been for the suppression of their martial souls and political constraints, they would have fled long ago!
Zhu Zhuqing's appearance was merely the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Slap!
"Damn it! These ungrateful watchdogs of the Zhu family actually dared to betray us!" An elder of the Dai family slammed the table in anger.
The Star Luo Emperor's expression turned icy. "Enough! Do you want to humiliate us further? What use is getting angry here? The most important thing is figuring out how to solve the problem!"
Instantly, the Star Luo Emperor's peak 89th-level soul power fluctuation swept across the room, silencing the senior members of the Dai family.
At this moment, the eldest elder spoke gravely. "There's no other way. Without our spirit fusion techniques, we must resort to unconventional methods. I originally intended to rely on my own abilities to break through to rank 90 through seclusion, but now it seems we'll have to take a shortcut."
The senior members of the Dai family exchanged glances—they, as the core of the family, understood exactly what the elder was referring to.
That was the path of the evil soul masters.
Evil soul masters, also known as fallen soul masters, were rare in this era due to the Spirit Hall's presence. Few dared to act openly on the Douluo Continent.
The Star Luo imperial family naturally had access to such legacies, but under the Spirit Hall's watchful eye, they avoided dabbling in such forbidden arts unless they wanted to invite a justified attack from the Spirit Hall.
But now, with the situation dire and the imminent loss of power looming, the Star Luo imperial family disregarded these constraints. Their immediate priority was preserving the Dai family's status.
The Star Luo Emperor didn't hesitate long before nodding in agreement. He simply didn't want to propose this himself, fearing damage to his image—not because he hadn't thought of it.
After all, the imperial family had no true familial bonds. How could someone who watched his descendants slaughter each other possibly care about others' lives? To him, challenging his authority was akin to pulling his tiger whiskers—he would fight to the death!
However, the Star Luo Emperor didn't act immediately. After a moment of contemplation, he proposed a second plan.
"Fourth Elder, go to the Hao Tian Sect. Tell them that if they are willing to assist us, I will grant them a princely title with real territorial power, replacing the Zhu family and aligning with our imperial family."
The Fourth Elder nodded and swiftly departed.
The Star Luo imperial family indeed had access to such legacies, but breaking through the 90th-level barrier in a short time was impossible for an 87th-level Soul Douluo like him. Only the Star Luo Emperor and the top three elders could achieve it, which was why he was sent.
Soon, led by the Star Luo Emperor, four people entered the deepest dungeon of the Star Luo Imperial Palace.
In the eyes of the former Star Luo populace, the imperial family was just and righteous because the Dai family had always been victorious—and thus, they were seen as just.
But the true imperial family couldn't possibly be so purely virtuous.
The dungeon of the Star Luo Palace was part of the Dai family's dark side.
The lowest-ranked prisoners here were Soul Emperors, with many Soul Douluos and even several high-level evil soul masters among them.
High-level soul masters weren't fools. Watching the Star Luo Emperor dismiss the guards stationed here, they began to sense something ominous.
Deep within the dungeon, a disheveled old man with a terrifying aura of bloodlust cackled eerily.
"Hehehe, what a rare sight! I never expected the Star Luo Emperor and your imperial family's three ancient elders to visit me together today.
Let me guess—you're not here for me alone, right? So, are you planning to fall too?"
The prisoners here, unable to cultivate or do anything else, spent their idle time chatting. They naturally knew how terrifying the old man locked away in the deepest cell was.
He was a fallen soul master who had reached the rank of Title Douluo.
An evil soul master at this level had shed countless lives, and the fact that the Star Luo imperial family hadn't executed him but instead kept him imprisoned here spoke volumes about their ulterior motives.
The Star Luo Emperor ignored the old man's taunts and calmly approached him. "Blood Fiend, I'm giving you a chance. Serve me, and I'll grant you freedom. Furthermore, I'll provide you with all the cultivation resources you need."
The Blood Fiend let out his signature eerie laugh but didn't immediately agree or refuse. His eyes darted back and forth, his face filled with cunning.
The Star Luo Emperor didn't rush him, simply standing there silently.
A silent battle of wits ensued.
Ultimately, the Blood Fiend lost a step.
There was no helping it—most evil soul masters had warped minds, and being locked in the dungeon for so long had driven him to the brink of madness. Now, presented with a chance for freedom, his bloodlust-addled mind couldn't resist the temptation.
"Hehe, fine. I accept your terms, my esteemed Star Luo Emperor~"
The Blood Fiend chuckled obsequiously, though his respectful address carried no sincerity.
The Star Luo Emperor didn't care. He never truly expected the man to genuinely pledge allegiance—after all, the Blood Fiend was scum among humans and soul masters alike.
But the Star Luo Emperor dared to employ him because he had the means to control him. The Dai family, with over two thousand years of heritage, had produced many Title Douluos and skilled craftsmen. They weren't nouveau riche—they had true depth.
The Star Luo Emperor flicked his storage-type soul-guidance device and tossed a jade bottle to the Blood Fiend.
"Eat it. I'll release you shortly."
Catching the bottle, the Blood Fiend didn't hesitate. He opened it and swallowed the contents in front of the Star Luo Emperor.
Feeling the Blood Fiend's energy shift, the Star Luo Emperor nodded in satisfaction and turned to the other cells.
No words were needed—both sides knew it was a poison designed to control others.
Soon, the dungeon cells were opened one by one, and cries of agony and the stench of blood began to fill the air.
The Blood Fiend cackled eerily. It seemed he'd be able to enjoy himself thoroughly once he got out.
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