Chapter 302: Oscar's Thoughts and News of Tang San
...
Tang San had never felt so at peace.
In the past, he had always lived in the shadow of Su Yun. Whenever he thought of Su Yun, his heart would waver. This often caused him to become fixated and stubborn during his training on Sea God Island, which is why he had only now reached the final step of the Sea God's inheritance.
But, as the final battle approached, the deaths of several elders from the Clear Sky School right before his eyes had caused him great pain. Additionally, a recent conversation with the Sea God through the Sea God Island Sea God Hall had allowed Tang San to let go of everything related to Su Yun.
To him now, Su Yun was just an ordinary enemy.
His only task was to defeat, and possibly kill, Su Yun on that day.
No emotions needed, just methodically accomplishing the task.
What he needed to do now was to inherit both the Sea God and Asura God's positions!
This sounded like an outrageous endeavor. Any soul master who heard it would think it was delusional.
But for Tang San, it was not impossible.
"I am just one step away from fully understanding the Sea God's position. I need one more massacre to deepen my understanding of the Asura God's divine will." Tang San suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of blood-red crossing them. He looked out toward the depths of the sea.
In the depths of the ocean, there were still many powerful soul beasts unknown even to the titled Douluo on Sea God Island. They were hidden in the depths, never appearing.
"Only by mastering the Sea God's power and summoning them, then fighting them, can I use them as a stepping stone to the Asura God's position." Tang San thought, closing his eyes once more.
...
"Oscar, there's only one month left until the final battle. At your current speed, you probably won't make it," Tianmeng Iceworm advised Oscar.
Oscar's soul power had already reached level eighty-five, an impressive speed. But breaking through to the hundredth level in a month was nearly impossible.
Even with the support of Tianmeng Iceworm's million-year soul ring and the rewards from the divine trials, Oscar's body and martial spirit traits made his cultivation far more challenging than that of an average soul master.
"I know, Brother Tianmeng."
Oscar sat in a restaurant, eating and watching the passersby, speaking softly in his mind, "Brother Tianmeng, to be honest, haven't you noticed that the civilians here in the Spirit Empire seem to be living better than those in the Heaven Dou Empire?"
During his time traveling, Oscar had secretly come to the Spirit Empire, partly because Su Yun had saved his life.
Here, he saw a completely different picture from the Heaven Dou Empire.
Rewards were given based on merit, and punishments were clear.
Since the annexation of the Star Luo Empire, the nobles had been exterminated, leaving only a sliver of bloodline retained by the Spirit Empire.
"Kid, I know what you want to say," Tianmeng Iceworm replied. "The security and civilian life here are indeed better than in the Heaven Dou Empire."
"But remember, you are a person of the Heaven Dou Empire."
Oscar shook his head with a slight smile, "I have no intention of betraying my country."
"Over these days, you and I have seen and heard a lot. You should have noticed that many people here highly revere Su Yun. Many laws were introduced under his leadership."
"Not to mention the national soul master academies and theoretical education. Even so-called trash martial spirits have their uses. They can specialize in a particular branch of martial spirit research."
"Do you remember the library we visited a few days ago? They have categorized martial spirits into nearly the smallest details, with detailed information on experts in each category."
"The Spirit Empire's approach to nurturing soul masters is meticulous to the extreme."
At this point, Oscar's eyes dimmed, "But look at our Heaven Dou Empire. The so-called Heaven Dou Royal Soul Master Academy only accepts nobles. Even the most talented civilians are ruthlessly suppressed by the nobility."
"Many civilians who could cultivate had to rely on the Spirit Hall's soul master academies. If it weren't for desperate times, the royal family wouldn't distribute cultivation resources to civilians."
"The more they fear the rise of civilians, the more they will face backlash."
"Now the Spirit Empire has at least twice the number of soul masters compared to the Heaven Dou Empire."
Oscar felt deeply troubled.
He loved his country, but it was being destroyed by the nobility, who were like parasites.
"Brother Tianmeng, do you think nobles should exist?" Oscar asked, his eyes reflecting deep thoughts.
Tianmeng Iceworm replied, "Oscar, everything has its pros and cons. As you mentioned, the Heaven Dou Empire initially relied on nobles to establish its vast territory on the Douluo Continent, even having vassal kingdoms."
"But now, these same nobles are hindering any reforms."
"However, due to the war, the royal family now has the chance to enforce policies. This is a good thing."
Oscar shook his head, "But you also saw the behavior of the noble brat and the state of the streets when we returned to the Heaven Dou Imperial City."
"Without war, the entire city becomes a playground for nobles. To them, civilians are still lowly."
"In the Spirit Empire, although soul masters are different from ordinary civilians, no soul master dares to openly harm civilians." Oscar clearly remembered the Spirit Empire's laws protecting civilians.
"Brother Tianmeng, I have no desire to betray my country. I want to change it for the better, so that all people, not just nobles, can live dignified lives."
Soul masters had more rights and benefits than ordinary civilians, and thus, they faced more restrictions.
"I can see it clearly now. The Heaven Dou Empire is at the end of its rope."
Oscar's gaze revealed a trace of helplessness. "Even if Tang San can become a god, I think his chances of winning are not high."
Tianmeng Iceworm was puzzled, "Didn't you say he is the inheritor of two divine positions? Moreover, it's the Sea God and the Asura God, both of whom are renowned."
In Tianmeng Iceworm's extensive knowledge, both the Sea God and Asura God were top-tier gods in the Divine Realm. If Tang San could inherit both their positions, how could he not defeat Su Yun?
"The final battle is not just about their divine positions, but about their individual strength."
"Do you remember the day Su Yun came to save us?"
Oscar recalled that day vividly. "I could clearly feel the soul power energy fluctuations Su Yun emitted, as well as that terrifying divine power."
His expression changed slightly as he continued, "In my opinion, Tang San's chance of defeating him is less than ten percent."
"Besides, don't forget that the Spirit Empire still has Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong, both of whom can become gods."
Oscar stood up, placed the money for his meal on the table, and walked out. "The Heaven Dou Empire is destined to fall."
"Are you not going to try to save your country?" Tianmeng Iceworm asked.
"I was an orphan to begin with. Who knows which country I belong to?"
Oscar smiled, "When the time comes, I'll leave with Dean Flender."
...
"There's less than a month left. Is there still no news from Tang San?"
In the Heaven Dou Palace.
Emperor Xue Ye looked at Ning Fengzhi and the others, his tone filled with tension and urgency.
"Your Majesty, it's not the last moment yet. There's no need to be so anxious."
Ning Fengzhi was just as anxious inside, but he had to maintain a calm demeanor. "As long as we haven't received any bad news from Sea God Island, that's the best news."
Ning Fengzhi was also hoping for Oscar's return.
He had a contingency plan in mind.
If it seemed certain that Tang San would lose, he would have Oscar take his daughter away.
With Oscar's talent, he was sure to become a god eventually. It was just a matter of time.
Considering that Su Yun had let Oscar go in front of Tang San, even if Oscar didn't join the Spirit Empire, at least he could protect his daughter.
However, Oscar still hadn't returned.
"Ah, it's not that I want to be anxious, but the Spirit Empire's army is already mobilizing, surrounding our Heaven Dou Empire."
Emperor Xue Ye said with difficulty, "According to Marshal Ge Long's intelligence, the number of the Spirit Empire's troops has increased by thirty percent compared to before. Even if we combine all our soldiers, we are still outnumbered."
"Not to mention they have a vast number of soul masters."
Tang Xiao stood up and looked at Emperor Xue Ye, "Your Majesty, it has come to this. We can no longer hide this from the people. They must be informed."
"And, you should take this opportunity to issue decrees to the nobles."
"Tang San will definitely succeed in his seclusion, but in any case, you must take this time to act against these nobles."
"If the Heaven Dou Empire is to continue developing in the future, this is something you must do!"
In the hall, only Emperor Xue Ye and the three upper sect masters were present, which is why Tang Xiao dared to speak so bluntly.
Tang Xiao had his reasons for speaking as he did. If the number of nobles were reduced, most of their interests would be reclaimed by the royal family. However, a small portion would be absorbed by the three upper sects and the large soul master families. This was advantageous for them.
As for his nephew, Tang San, Tang Xiao had complete faith in him.
Emperor Xue Ye, understanding that this was an opportunity to consolidate his power, immediately dispatched officials to issue the long-prepared decrees.
In an instant, the entire Heaven Dou Empire was abuzz with the news of the upcoming battle between Tang San and Su Yun.
Their previous battle had settled the personal enmity between them over the issues surrounding Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. But no one could have anticipated that the outcome of this new confrontation would determine the fate of two empires.
Noticing that Emperor Xue Ye's decrees were detrimental to their interests, many nobles were discontented but found themselves unable to resist. The three upper sects and the major soul master families, which had the most soul masters in the empire, stood firmly with the emperor. Any noble who dared to rebel would find their private forces insufficient against these powerful allies.
Thus, they reluctantly handed over their power.
Despite this, the nobles could still accept the situation as their original rights remained largely intact. However, what truly upset them was the new set of laws restricting many of their actions. Although they were granted more rights, these new regulations effectively curtailed their authority.
No longer could they openly oppress civilians!
As a result, some nobles began to revolt and even considered defecting to the enemy. Unfortunately for them, their plans were discovered by spies from the three upper sects, who secretly reported the conspiracies. These traitorous nobles were swiftly executed that very night.
The swift and decisive actions of the emperor quickly quelled any rebellious thoughts among the other nobles. They realized that Emperor Xue Ye was emulating the Spirit Empire, intending to reform the nation's system.
However, these reforms were predicated on stripping away their privileges, which infuriated the nobles. After all, the Spirit Empire had achieved its current state by exterminating nearly all the nobles of the Star Luo Empire.
They couldn't believe that Emperor Xue Ye would be so ruthless as to target all the nobles.
...
In the Heaven Dou Palace.
"Your Majesty, several dukes are demanding to see you!" A servant reported to Emperor Xue Ye.
Emperor Xue Ye knew exactly why these nobles were here. His decrees had hit them where it hurt the most.
In the past, Emperor Xue Ye would have been troubled and wouldn't have dared to provoke these old nobles, as their combined power could easily threaten his life.
But now, with the three upper sects as his allies, he didn't have to handle the situation personally.
Indeed, Ning Fengzhi, seated beside Emperor Xue Ye, turned to Sword Douluo Chen Xin after hearing the servant's report. "Uncle Chen, take care of those people. Follow the rules set by His Majesty."
"If they comply, their basic interests will be preserved. After the war, they won't starve."
"But if they dare to act against the empire's future or commit treason, let the previous executions serve as their warning."
Sword Douluo nodded slightly. "Understood."
Dealing with dukes required someone of substantial stature.
Sure enough, within less than a minute of Sword Douluo stepping outside, he returned swiftly.
"Is the matter resolved?" Emperor Xue Ye asked, looking at Sword Douluo.
Ning Fengzhi also looked at him expectantly.
Sword Douluo nodded slowly. "They have agreed to His Majesty's decrees."
Hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye was overjoyed. Indeed, having the three upper sects as allies made a significant difference.
Just as he was reveling in this success, Tang Xiao rushed into the palace, his face beaming with excitement. "Your Majesty, Fengzhi, there is news from Tang San!" (End of Chapter)