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"Teacher."
Upon returning to Sun-Moon, Su Yu immediately made his way to the imperial family's rear mountain, where he found his mentor, Kong Deming.
Kong Deming's gaze was filled with complex emotions as he looked at his prized disciple, his mind flooded with countless thoughts.
"Xiao Yu, I actually sensed it a long time ago."
Having witnessed Su Yu's growth, Kong Deming had long understood his true aspirations.
There was an innate quality in Su Yu that set him apart from everyone else—an entirely different perspective on human nature.
To cultivate a Blue Silver Grass martial soul from an innate soul power of rank three to its current level was already a testament to Su Yu's extraordinary willpower.
This became even more apparent after Su Yu returned to Sun-Moon from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, bringing back immortal herbs.
Su Yu openly declared his ambition to become a god. He showed no hesitation or reverence toward the divine and carried himself with unwavering confidence, as if failure was never an option. This was the moment when Kong Deming truly grasped the depths of Su Yu's aspirations.
At the same time, he found himself drawn to Su Yu's vision, inspired to further explore the path of soul master cultivation and pursue the seat of divinity.
Su Yu's true goal was to attain godhood and ultimate strength, yet in doing so, he was also advancing the might of the Sun-Moon Empire and accelerating the unification of the entire continent.
At first, Kong Deming believed that Su Yu was merely fulfilling his duty to the empire.
But as time passed and Su Yu's actions unfolded, Kong Deming realized he had been mistaken.
The true turning point, the moment when Kong Deming fully understood and confirmed Su Yu's ambitions, came half a year ago, when Juzi and Huo Yuhao paid a visit.
"Xiao Yu, you need not carry any burden in your heart."
Kong Deming did not believe Su Yu's actions were wrong.
After all, even Kong Deming himself had often reflected on Xu Tiannan's deeds.
When imperial power reaches a certain threshold, it becomes nothing short of hell for ordinary people.
The grand ambitions of an emperor exist on an entirely different plane from those of the common folk. The moment an emperor, in pursuit of his grand vision, wields supreme, unchecked authority, disaster inevitably befalls the people.
Xu Tiannan's collusion with the Evil Soul Masters was the most damning proof of this.
Furthermore, the conflicts within the Sun-Moon royal family over the past two generations had led Kong Deming to reconsider the very existence of imperial rule.
"What do you plan to do?" Kong Deming asked.
If Su Yu decided to act, he would not stand in his way.
The imperial bloodline had already been all but eradicated.
Xu Tiannan had slaughtered nearly every direct descendant of the Sun-Moon royal lineage. The last remaining heir of pure blood had been falsely accused and executed under the charge of blasphemy.
Even Xu Tiannan himself had no means of leaving behind an heir.
At this point, whether or not Xu Tiannan was killed was no longer the central issue.
The moment he murdered his own royal brother, Xu Tiannan had, in truth, severed the Sun-Moon royal bloodline with his own hands.
Kong Deming saw the situation with complete clarity.
The only lingering complication was that the seed Juzi had taken back then had not truly come from that royal brother. Yet even so, Kong Deming could not bring himself to blame Juzi.
"Teacher, the existence of imperial power has severely hindered the continent's progress. Once unification is achieved, I want to establish a federal parliamentary system."
It wasn't that Su Yu was unwilling to model his system after the one in his previous life—he simply had a greater vision in mind.
However, such a system was ultimately unsuitable for a cultivation-based world where strength reigned supreme.
In the end, power was the true authority in the Douluo Continent.
The reason Su Yu sought to abolish the monarchy and establish a federal parliamentary system was that, at this stage of the continent's development, sheer numbers had become sufficient to pose a real threat to even the most powerful soul masters.
Under these circumstances, stability could only be achieved by implementing a parliamentary system as much as possible.
As for how representatives in this federal parliament would be chosen, strength would naturally play a role, but so would the support of the common people.
In this regard, Su Yu decided to adopt, to the greatest extent possible, the governance model that was in place ten thousand years later in the original story.
After all, the fact that such a system had successfully developed in the future was proof that the people of the Douluo Continent were capable of accepting this ideology. The only question was whether it would take ten thousand years for gradual acceptance or if the transition could occur rapidly after the unification war.
After hearing Su Yu's explanation of the federal parliamentary system, Kong Deming gave a slight nod, neither approving nor criticizing it.
In theory, this system was indeed more rational than the current imperial rule and was more conducive to the continent's advancement.
Moreover, the so-called abolition of the monarchy was not truly an abolition.
Power ruled above all else.
That had always been an unchanging truth—so long as one possessed great strength, they would inevitably gain authority.
And those with powerful inherited martial souls would continue to stand at the very peak of the Douluo Continent.
However, within this new system, justice for ordinary people would at least have a chance to be upheld, and the potential for power abuse would be minimized as much as possible.
Of course, corruption stemmed from people, not from systems.
The reason a federal parliament was preferable to the previous monarchy was that it granted those in power an awareness of their dependence on the people.
Su Yu did not delve too deeply into political matters. He merely outlined his philosophy, and after receiving his teacher's acknowledgment, he left the imperial palace.
---
"Yu-ge."
At Sun-Moon Hall, Huo Yuhao had been waiting for Su Yu for some time.
He was supposed to be at the front lines and had only recently returned to Sun-Moon.
Su Yu had received the same summons as well.
"My teacher had no objections," Su Yu said. "You already know my vision. How the system will be structured after Xu Tiannan's death is up to you."
Since Huo Yuhao had chosen the path of Order, it was only fitting that he would be the one to establish the federal parliamentary system.
Huo Yuhao might not be particularly adept in this area, but Juzi could serve as a valuable complement.
"Order is something you must comprehend and define for yourself."
Su Yu believed that with everything Huo Yuhao had experienced thus far, combined with his own guidance, he had already given considerable thought to the concept of Order.
The kind of god he would ultimately become depended on his own understanding.
"Oh, and one more thing—if you suddenly find yourself summoned to the God Realm, don't panic. There's no need to fear the gods' authority; just articulate your thoughts clearly."
Using the power of fate, Su Yu transmitted his words directly to Huo Yuhao's mind.
If the God of Emotions, Rong Nianbing, still intended to seek out Huo Yuhao, then he might as well take advantage of the opportunity.
If Su Yu remembered correctly, in Rong Nianbing's original world—before his rise as the protagonist—one of the four most powerful gods had been the God of Order, an entity on the same level as Rong Nianbing's God of Emotions.
Of course, in the original setting, the God of Emotions was meant to be superior to the God of Order. However, the previous God of Emotions had never been able to fully unleash his own power.
In Su Yu's view, not only had the God of Emotions failed to realize his full potential, but the God of Order had also fallen short.
A divine position was nothing more than a concept—only by pushing that concept to its absolute limit could a god's true power be fully unleashed.
Huo Yuhao was puzzled by Su Yu's words but still committed them to memory.
If Yu-ge was saying this, then there was a high chance that a god from the Divine Realm would take an interest in him.
And that god might be able to help him comprehend the divinity of Order!
Huo Yuhao wasn't foolish—he understood the hidden meaning behind Su Yu's words.
Once Xu Tiannan was dealt with, the next step was to swiftly unify the continent and simultaneously announce the systemic reforms.
"What's the situation at the front lines now?"
Su Yu hadn't been paying much attention to the war, as he was certain of their victory. Instead, he was more focused on ensuring the smooth execution of his plans. He took the opportunity to ask Huo Yuhao for an update.
"We've already occupied nearly half of the Star Luo Empire's territory. Throughout the war, we've also been working continuously to stabilize the regions we've taken over."
Conquering land while simultaneously spreading the use of soul tools, improving the livelihoods of the people, and mitigating the pain caused by war—this had been their approach from the very beginning.
"Good. Now, we just wait."
Wait for the Star Luo Empire to implement its next move.
"By the way, Yu-ge, why did Xu Tiannan summon us back this time?"
Huo Yuhao still didn't know the purpose of his return.
While it was certainly a relief to be back, not knowing his exact mission left him feeling unsettled.
"It's probably to deal with the Holy Spirit Cult," Su Yu speculated.
With the unification war nearing its end, the emperor who had invited the wolves into his home was naturally eager to rid the empire of the Holy Spirit Cult's influence as soon as possible.
In theory, once the war was over and the entire continent's power was under one rule, it would be easier to exterminate the Holy Spirit Cult.
But that was not an approach Xu Tiannan wanted to take.
After all, the cult had taken root too deeply, and its entrenchment was inseparable from his past collaborations with them.
"Going after the Holy Spirit Cult?"
Huo Yuhao frowned, feeling uneasy.
The cult had two Ultimate Douluo—would they really be able to pull this off?
"Haha, Yuhao, no need to worry." Su Yu laughed. "Xu Tiannan may be insane, but if he's planning to act against the Holy Spirit Cult, he must have made thorough preparations. With our teachers and ourselves involved, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Jing Hongchen's strength was at least on par with Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui.
Kong Deming was even more powerful, capable of suppressing any opponent.
And Su Yu himself was no weakling.
If Xu Tiannan had laid out his plans as meticulously as in the original timeline, Su Yu would have no concerns.
Even if the arrangements weren't as flawless as in the original story, Su Yu was confident that they could take down Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui.
All Xu Tiannan needed to do was set up effective containment measures.
If the two Ultimate Douluo refused to engage in battle, they could still escape.
Su Yu's predictions were entirely correct.
Xu Tiannan had indeed decided to strike against the Holy Spirit Cult.
Throughout this war, the cult had failed to contribute meaningfully.
Aside from assisting Xu Tiannan in eliminating several royal heirs, their overall support had fallen far short of his expectations.
The sudden rise of Sun-Moon Hall, groundbreaking technological advancements, and the emergence of innovations like soul tool integration, the soul spirit cultivation system, the battle armor system, and rune technology had led to an explosive increase in the Sun-Moon Empire's power.
Not only had the Holy Spirit Cult failed to provide the anticipated benefits, but its presence had also caused more damage than Xu Tiannan had initially realized.
Now, as the war neared its final stage, he was preparing to eliminate the very threat he had once welcomed.
As for why he had waited until now…
"I never wanted this either, but the Holy Spirit Cult's method of increasing soul ring years is far more direct!"
Xu Tiannan narrowed his eyes, sighing with a hint of reluctance.
Although Sun-Moon Hall had submitted Su Yu's method for enhancing soul ring years, it was still inferior to the Holy Spirit Cult's crude yet efficient soul-devouring technique.
With battle armor now a reality, could the advancement of mechanical prosthetics be far behind?
Once the war ended, Xu Tiannan intended to launch a dedicated research project on mechanical prosthetics within Sun-Moon Hall. Even if it meant halting further refinements on battle armor, developing and perfecting this technology took priority.
The fusion of soul tool technology, the existence of spirit-infused metals—these advancements made Xu Tiannan truly believe in the feasibility of mechanical prosthetics.
"Battle armor… it might even rival the power of gods."
A gleam of ambition flickered in Xu Tiannan's eyes.
To rival the gods!
Even if it was just a theory, all logical evidence pointed to one conclusion: once the technology behind the Ultimate Battle Armor was perfected, it would grant Limit Douluos the power of deities!
But mere parity with the gods wasn't enough.
I, Xu Tiannan, will become a god!
If possessing divine power alone wasn't enough to ascend, then he would storm the Divine Realm itself!
Kong Deming, Jing Hongchen, Su Yu, Huo Yuhao—
Just these four alone were already fully qualified to attain god-level power once the Ultimate Battle Armor was completed.
Beyond them, more talents could be nurtured.
If Limit Douluos weren't enough, then Super Douluos could be equipped with Ultimate Battle Armor to push their power beyond that of a Limit Douluo.
Xu Tiannan lost himself in his grand vision. Meanwhile, the Rank Nine Soul Engineer, Feng Yuan, stood silently before him, patiently awaiting his orders.
"Feng Yuan, how is the deployment of the Sealing Demon Formation progressing?"
Snapping back to reality, Xu Tiannan was reminded of his crippled body. The urgency to eradicate the Holy Spirit Cult, complete the unification of the continent, and advance his technological ambitions became even more pressing.
"Your Majesty, while there have been some deviations from the original schedule, we have actually completed the formation several years ahead of time. Fortunately, due to Sun-Moon Hall's recent interference, the Holy Spirit Cult's influence within Sun-Moon has been reduced by over ninety percent. This has greatly facilitated our setup. The framework of the Sealing Demon Formation is now complete."
"Only the framework?" Xu Tiannan frowned.
"Your Majesty, with the combined efforts of the Grand Elder, Hall Master Hongchen, and Su Yu, even with just the framework, the three of them will be more than capable of trapping and completely eliminating those two evil soul masters within the formation."
Once trapped, they could simply bombard them with an overwhelming number of Rank Nine stationary soul-guided missiles.
As someone involved in setting up the formation, Feng Yuan had gained insight into Xu Tiannan's strategy to eliminate the Holy Spirit Cult.
Only then did he truly grasp the immense foundation of the Sun-Moon Empire.
Three hundred Rank Nine stationary soul-guided missiles!
It was this sheer firepower that made him so confident in their ability to eliminate the two Limit Douluos.
It wasn't faith in the Sealing Demon Formation itself, but in the empire's overwhelming military might.
Of course, the formation still played a crucial role.
Without it, even an endless barrage of missiles wouldn't be enough to ensure a direct hit on two Limit Douluos.
"I intend to have the Grand Elder personally engage them within the formation. What do you think?"
Xu Tiannan's tone suggested consultation, but in truth, it left no room for debate.
Feng Yuan let out a wry chuckle before replying, "Your Majesty's plan to strike at their very will is indeed the best way to ensure the success of the Annihilation Plan."
Xu Tiannan gazed beyond the palace, his eyes filled with an unfathomable depth.
Now, only one step remained.
Luring them in.
(End of Chapter)