Douluo: Twin Origins, Suppressing the World

Chapter 178: Granting Land and Conferring Kingship?

"Princess Jiujiu, what do you mean by that? I don't understand."

Seeing the hostility in Xu Jiujiu's eyes, Meng Hongchen was not flustered at all, nor did she feel like she had been caught trying to poach someone's talent.

After all, she wasn't poaching anyone. Ling Shuang wasn't originally from the Star Luo Empire, so how could she be considered poaching someone?
Xu Jiujiu also understood this principle, so when faced with Meng Hongchen's question, she was speechless for a moment and did not know how to answer.

However, Xu Jiujiu, being the most outstanding princess of the Star Luo royal family, did not continue the conversation on this topic, but instead said:

"If Young Master Ling is willing to join our Star Luo Royal Family, the Royal Family is also willing to offer you a price that satisfies you."

Regardless of the circumstances, she absolutely could not allow Ling Shuang to be recruited by the people of the Sun Moon Empire.

Everyone can see Ling Shuang's talent, and no one doubts his future.

Everyone can confirm that Ling Shuang is only lacking time to reach the pinnacle of the continent. Given enough time, she will surely be a figure standing at the pinnacle of the Soul Master world in ten years.

The Sun and Moon Empire is already terrifying enough.

Xu Jiujiu was very clear about the power gap between the two countries.

Although she was a member of the Star Luo Empire's royal family, it had to be admitted that the Star Luo Empire was inferior to the Sun Moon Empire in terms of overall strength.

With the Sun Moon Empire making frequent moves, the situation on the mainland is beginning to show signs of undercurrents.

As for the Douling Empire and the Tianhun Empire, it's not that I look down on them, but the strength of these two empires is really limited. Not to mention compared to the Sun Moon Empire, they are far inferior even to the Star Luo Empire.

When the Sun Moon Empire first came into contact with the three great empires that originally belonged to the Douluo Continent, even the allied forces of the three countries could only barely repel the Sun Moon Empire's offensive, and could not even launch a further counterattack.

Now, so many years have passed, and the national strength of the Sun Moon Empire has improved immeasurably.

Although the Star Luo Empire is also making great strides in its development, if another full-scale war breaks out, whether the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces can withstand the Sun Moon Empire's attack as before remains an open question.

However, one thing is certain:

The three kingdoms originally belonging to the Douluo Continent were no match for the Sun Moon Empire in terms of soul tools; their only advantage was their top-tier combat power. (Xu Jiujiu was unaware that Xu Tianran had formed a cooperative relationship with the Holy Spirit Cult, or that the Holy Spirit Cult had two Limit Douluo.)

If Ling Shuang accepts Meng Hongchen's invitation and joins the Sun Moon Empire, then in ten or twenty years, this only advantage will be gone.

After all, aside from Ling Shuang, who is destined to become the pinnacle of the Soul Master world, if he joins, he will also bring Xue Di, the current Limit Douluo, into the Sun Moon Empire's camp.

At that point, the original three kingdoms of Douluo Continent would truly have no chance at all.

Therefore, Xu Jiujiu would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen.

Seeing that Xu Jiujiu was determined to oppose her to the end, Meng Hongchen no longer held back: "Lord Ling, my Sun Moon Empire can definitely offer you treatment that your Star Luo Empire cannot!"

"Is that so?" Xu Jiujiu sneered upon hearing this.

She offered even more: "Young Master Ling, if you are willing to join the Star Luo Empire, the royal family is willing to grant you a kingship and a fiefdom."

"Miss Meng, is it also possible for your empire?"

For a long time, I didn't believe that Meng Hongchen could do that.

These conditions were not something Xu Jiujiu made casually out of momentary excitement.

Even though she is a princess of the Star Luo Empire, these are conditions that she can no longer decide to offer.

This was the best offer Ling Shuang could make, which she had discussed with her elder brother, Emperor Xu Jiawei of Xingluo, a long time ago.

Meng Hongchen was speechless for a moment.

If it were anything else, that would be fine. Even without consulting the royal family, Mingde Hall could still produce it.

However, the conditions Xu Jiujiu offered were simply too outrageous. To be granted land and made a king—such treatment was extremely rare, even in the entire history of the Douluo Continent.

This is no longer a condition that Mingdetang can offer.

Let alone her, even her grandfather, Jing Hongchen, the head of Mingde Hall, could not make such a promise here.

This is a decision that only the emperor can make.

Meng Hongchen never expected the Star Luo Empire to be so ruthless.

"Ling Shen, I can also go back and apply to the royal family. I believe they won't..."

"So, Miss Meng can't actually offer any concrete terms right now, and is just making empty promises to Young Master Ling?"

Before Meng Hongchen could finish speaking, Xu Jiujiu interrupted her.

Xu Jiujiu pressed on relentlessly, giving Meng Hongchen no chance to catch her breath.

Xiao Hongchen, who was standing to the side, frowned slightly. Seeing that her sister was at a disadvantage, she quickly stepped forward to support her: "It's not just empty promises, we just need to consult the royal family."

"Given Brother Ling Shuang's talent and value, the royal family will most likely agree."

As he spoke, Xiao Hongchen exuded an imposing aura, seemingly expressing his dissatisfaction with Xu Jiujiu's aggressive behavior.

"You said it yourself, it's just a probability." Xu Jiujiu wasn't intimidated by Xiao Hongchen.

This is Xingluo City, her territory. How could she possibly be afraid of Xiao Hongchen?

Moreover, both of them are at the Soul King level. Perhaps Xu Jiujiu is no match for Xiao Hongchen, but it is also impossible for Xiao Hongchen to defeat Xu Jiujiu in a short time.

As soon as the two make a move, royal soldiers from nearby will come over.

Under such circumstances, how could Xu Jiujiu possibly be frightened by Xiao Hongchen?

She actually hoped that Xiao Hongchen would make a move, so that she might be able to extort money from Mingdetang.

“I’m sorry, I have no intention of joining any faction,” Ling Shuang interrupted the exchange.

Although Xu Jiujiu's offer was very tempting, it didn't really mean much to Ling Shuang.

Granting land and appointing a king sounds impressive, but what good is it?
Even if Xu Jiawei is generous, it's nothing more than dividing up a few cities.

To put it bluntly, given the relationship between Ling Shuang and Xue Di, the entire far north could be considered his territory.

If he wanted, he could even lead the soul beasts of the far north to launch a beast tide and start a continental conflict.

But that's meaningless.

Ling Shuang saw it very clearly: in a world with extraordinary powers, everything else is secondary; only one's own power is the most important.

The struggle between empires is nothing more than a matter between mortals.

Once Ling Shuang completes the two great divine trials and achieves godhood, becoming the overlord of the continent will be nothing more than a matter of course.

He's not like Qian Renxue, who would rather waste her time on things that she could easily obtain once she became a god than inherit a perfectly good divine position.

Ling Shuang would never do something so trivial and irrelevant.

He did have the idea of ​​vying for supremacy, but that was merely a backup plan before he discovered that he was already undergoing the divine trial. If he couldn't obtain the divine inheritance, he would try to become a god through faith.

(End of this chapter)