Chapter 203: The Star Luo Empire
The Star Luo Empire Imperial Palace.
The Emperor, Xu Jiawei, sat before his desk, a report held in his hand. He read it slowly, his brow slightly furrowed. Occasionally, he would flip a page, his eyes scanning back and forth between the lines.
The reports piled on the desk were numerous, but the vast majority concerned a single power: the Church of the Water God.
He finished the last page, gently set it down on the table, and leaned back with a sigh.
In recent years, the Church of the Water God's influence had grown larger and larger. Now, it had spread across the entire territory of the Star Luo Empire; there was practically no one who didn't know that name. He'd heard that countless people were desperately trying to join, the threshold nearly trampled flat.
He remembered that during his initial visit, the Church of the Water God hadn't been this big. Back then, it had an external reputation, but its real influence was nowhere near what it was now.
How long had it even been?
He'd signed a single document permitting a city lord to change a city's name, and in the blink of an eye, "Thunderclap City" had become "Fontaine City." In another blink, the Church of the Water God had developed into its current state, and it was still expanding outward.
Xu Jiawei couldn't help but shake his head.
This Church of the Water God was truly something else. And their appetite wasn't small either.
He raised his head and looked at his sister, Xu Jiujiu, standing nearby.
"Jiujiu," he began, a questioning tone in his voice, "what do you think of this Church of the Water God?"
Xu Jiujiu thought for a moment before speaking. "Imperial Brother, the Church of the Water God's power has grown far too fast. Their branches have also appeared in the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire. It's very clear their ambition isn't limited to the Star Luo Empire."
She continued, "And I've heard that the Water God Church has many unique cultivation manuals that even ordinary people can use. To participate in this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Spirit Dueling Tournament, they specifically established an advanced soul master academy and put together a dedicated team to compete."
"Most likely, they want to make a name for themselves at the tournament, advertise themselves, and recruit even more people."
Xu Jiawei nodded, remaining silent.
Xu Jiujiu went on, "From this, it's obvious they're more ambitious than other sects."
She wasn't wrong. Ordinary small and medium sects didn't have the financial resources to establish an academy and put together a team to compete. The major sects, like the Body Sect, looked down on the tournament's paltry rewards and prestige.
So, basically, no sect would specifically establish an advanced academy just to compete in the tournament, because it was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly.
Yet, the Church of the Water God had done just that.
And one had to remember, the Church of the Water God had only been established, at best, two years ago. In the very beginning, he'd heard they'd even relied on handing out cakes to attract believers.
Xu Jiawei was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then, just how big do you think their ambition truly is?"
Xu Jiujiu thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"I don't know. But I am very certain that in a few more years, the master of the Star Luo Empire may very well change."
She looked at Xu Jiawei, her tone calm. "Imperial Brother, right now, the most talked-about topic at all levels of the Star Luo Empire isn't our Imperial Family, but the Church of the Water God. From the imperial nobles down to the common folk, it's all the same."
"Setting everything else aside, the best course of action is to formally establish the Water God Church as the state religion. Not seeking to control them, but at least to maintain an equal partnership with them. The worst-case scenario..."
She didn't finish the sentence.
But Xu Jiawei already understood.
He frowned, his voice a little weary. "The worst-case scenario... is almost impossible to realize."
Xu Jiujiu nodded. "Yes. What we're facing is a Limit Douluo. Even if we mobilize all our Imperial Worshipers, plus all our soul tools, I still don't think we could win. And even if we did, it would be a pyrrhic victory."
She gave a bitter smile.
By then, the Star Luo Empire likely wouldn't be in any good shape. The Sun Moon Empire would certainly seize the chance to take a bite, and the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by either.
Xu Jiujiu asked, "Imperial Brother, what do you plan to do?"
Xu Jiawei stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the sky beyond.
"For now, let's just leave it be."
His back to Xu Jiujiu, his voice was somewhat distant. "Nominally, we're still promoting the Water God Church as the state religion, and haven't they also not objected?"
"Besides, the Water God Church is cooperating with us quite a bit now, giving us quite a few favorable terms. Let's keep friendly relations with them for now; they might be useful down the line."
He turned around, looked at Xu Jiujiu, and smiled. "Better than making an enemy, right?"
Xu Jiujiu nodded. "Right."
Xu Jiawei then looked towards an elder seated nearby—Wang Xian'er, Deputy Head of the Star Luo Empire's Worship Hall, titled Doctor Immortal Douluo, with a Healing Angel martial soul.
"Elder Wang, what is your view on the Water God Church?"
Wang Xian'er lifted her eyelids, thought for a moment, and said, "Your Majesty, putting everything else aside, that Golden Doughnut Vanilla Cake created by their Pope alone is truly extraordinary."
A hint of emotion crept into her voice. "Even with my Healing Angel martial soul, I can't achieve that kind of effect. Her soul skill is simply miraculous, the effect astonishing. For me to even try to do the same... it wouldn't be that simple, and success isn't guaranteed."
She sighed, a look of admiration in her eyes. "And it was because of that soul skill of hers that I managed to break through one rank; I'm now at Rank 96."
"I heard that was only her fourth soul skill." Wang Xian'er shook her head. "To be able to reach such a level, combined with those countless cultivation manuals, and then adding a Limit Douluo acting as some sort of Water God Envoy handling her affairs... I feel that young Pope might truly be a god. If not, then a reincarnation."
She looked at Xu Jiawei, her tone resolute. "Your Majesty, we cannot afford to provoke them."
Xu Jiawei fell silent for a long time after hearing this.
Then he smiled—a smile tinged with a bit of helplessness, and a bit of relief.
"Indeed, we can't afford to provoke them."
He turned to look out the window, his gaze reaching far away. "It's just as you said, Jiujiu. At this rate, in another ten years, the Star Luo Empire will change masters."
He waved his hand. "Forget it. Let's not dwell on this any further. Let nature take its course. We'll see what the Water God Church ultimately wants to do."
He pulled his gaze back, his tone lightening somewhat. "Rather than racking our brains over the Water God Church, we should properly prepare for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Spirit Dueling Tournament. This time, it's being held in our Star Luo Empire. There's also the auction, with quite a few good items. We need to make proper arrangements."
Xu Jiujiu nodded. "Leave the auction matters to me."
Xu Jiawei looked at her and smiled. "Thank you for your hard work."
...
Elsewhere, in the Shrek Academy dormitory.
The night was deep. Xiao Xiao was already fast asleep, breathing evenly.
Lying in her bed, Furina had also drifted into slumber.
And then—
She snapped her eyes open, her entire body springing upright in bed.
"!!!"
[Water God's First Divine Trial completed. Soul power increased by ten ranks. Two Divinely Bestowed Soul Rings and one Divinely Bestowed Soul Bone granted.]
Furina clutched the blanket, her fingers trembling slightly. Not from fear, but from sheer excitement.
A direct increase of ten ranks!
She'd shot straight from Rank 57 to Rank 67! Though she hadn't absorbed the soul rings yet, meaning she was technically bottlenecked at Rank 60, this also meant the Goddess of Life's Second Divine Trial had been directly completed!
Before she could even finish her elation, another voice echoed in her mind.
[Goddess of Life's Second Divine Trial completed. Soul power rank increased by one. All soul ring ages increased by five hundred years. Affinity with the Goddess of Life's divine position increased by ten percent.]
Furina covered her mouth, almost laughing out loud.
Two Divinely Bestowed Soul Rings!
The quality of Divinely Bestowed Soul Rings depended on the soul master's innate talent and their body's tolerance limit. Given her circumstances, her sixth soul ring would at least be at the hundred-thousand-year level as a baseline!
Once she absorbed these two soul rings, hitting Rank 68 was guaranteed, Rank 69 would be effortless, and she might even be able to charge straight through to Rank 70!
Furina clutched the blanket, silently writhing in her bed with joy.
This was too awesome.
Simply too awesome!
She turned her head to glance at the bed next to hers. Xiao Xiao was sleeping deeply, without a single stir.
Furina took a deep breath, struggling to calm herself down.
She couldn't wake her.
She lay back on her pillow, staring up at the ceiling. The corner of her mouth still couldn't help but twitch upwards.
Tonight... she was probably not getting any sleep.