Chapter 73: Rising to Fame

Meng Shu stroked his chin, slightly surprised.

Only now did he realize that Dan Heng was even well-versed in the art of governance?

It seemed that Dan Heng was far more exceptional than he had imagined!

For a moment, he felt a pang of regret. If only he had met Dan Heng earlier.

If that had been the case, no matter what Dan Heng said, he would have simply kidnapped him back to the Meng Clan as his grandson-in-law!

Gu Yuena watched as Prince Xue Xing's attitude shifted, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

This was precisely the effect she wanted—to let her husband's name spread among the nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Once they took the initiative to seek him out, and once he became entangled in the world of fame and fortune, he would gradually set foot on the path of ambition!

"The Spirit Hall has already made its preparations."

Gu Yuena smiled.

With just one sentence, "Xue Qinghe" instantly felt a shiver down her spine.

No, stop talking nonsense!

If Prince Xue Xing took this seriously and reported it to Emperor Xue Ye…

If the Heaven Dou Empire truly started targeting the Spirit Hall, then their future expansion would become significantly more difficult!

"Already made preparations? What do you mean?"

Prince Xue Xing asked in confusion.

Gu Yuena raised a single finger and spoke slowly:

"First, the Spirit Hall has spread across the entire Douluo Continent. Every village knows of the Spirit Hall, and it is the one awakening their martial souls."

"Such prestige and gratitude have allowed them to establish their foundation among the common people."

"So if the Spirit Hall were to take control of the world, would the people resist? Or would they gladly accept it?"

Gu Yuena posed the question in return.

These ideas were originally formulated by Dan Heng, and she simply expanded upon them with her own understanding.

After all, Dan Heng was not in the habit of explaining things to others—he often just stated his conclusions.

Whether or not one could comprehend them depended entirely on their own abilities!

Fortunately, Gu Yuena possessed exceptional intelligence. After internalizing his insights, she was able to present them in a way that enlightened others.

Hearing Gu Yuena's words, Prince Xue Xing frowned and fell into deep thought.

In general, common folk harbored some sense of national loyalty.

Especially the citizens of an empire—if outsiders suddenly invaded their city and changed its banner, they might not be willing to accept it. Some might even engage in acts of sabotage.

But now, considering the Spirit Hall's reputation among the people…

If the Spirit Hall truly took over the cities of the Heaven Dou Empire, who would the commoners support?

No, there was no doubt—they would definitely support the Spirit Hall!

Compared to the nobility's exploitation of the commoners, the Spirit Hall was practically their great benefactor!

"Xue Qinghe" twitched the corner of her mouth.

Great. Just that one sentence had brought enormous trouble upon the Spirit Hall.

Now that the Heaven Dou Empire had been alerted, thinking they would continue allowing the Spirit Hall to win over the people's hearts unchecked was nothing more than a foolish dream!

"Damn it! Those ambitious wolves of the Spirit Hall! To think… to think they had such a plan all along! No wonder they refused to let the empire intervene in soul awakenings!"

Prince Xue Xing gritted his teeth.

Now that he had been enlightened, he realized just how insidious the Spirit Hall was!

"When I return, I must report to His Majesty. We can't let the Spirit Hall continue like this!"

"…Indeed, I shall submit a report alongside Royal Uncle."

"Xue Qinghe" forced a smile, though it was noticeably stiff.

But unlike Prince Xue Xing, her emotions were of a different nature.

She now regretted just one thing—why did she have to bring up this topic?!

"Second…"

Gu Yuena raised another finger.

Hearing this, "Xue Qinghe" slightly opened her mouth, wanting to tell Gu Yuena to stop talking.

"Please, my lady, do continue!"

Prince Xue Xing eagerly leaned in.

"The Spirit Hall has deepened its influence over soul master forces. They provide soul coins to low-ranking soul masters from the common people..."

Prince Xue Xing immediately refuted with indignation:

"That is not the Spirit Hall's money! It is the funding provided by our two empires! The Spirit Hall is merely squandering resources that don't belong to them!"

Saying this, Prince Xue Xing became even more enraged. He suddenly realized:

"So that's their scheme! The Spirit Hall is using this method to win over the hearts of commoner soul masters!"

"Currently, they control seventy to eighty percent of the soul masters in the entire Douluo Continent. Even if all other soul master factions joined forces, they still wouldn't be a match for the Spirit Hall!"

Prince Xue Xing's face turned dark as iron.

Only when one regarded the Spirit Hall as a true enemy could they fully comprehend its terrifying influence.

When it came to soul masters, the Spirit Hall reigned supreme over the entire continent!

"Xue Qinghe" was struggling to hold back her emotions.

"Not only do they distribute soul coins, but they also host the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament and rank the upper three and lower four sects—all of these serve to further entrench their influence."

Gu Yuena continued exposing the Spirit Hall's "sinister schemes."

"Despicable! Absolutely despicable!"

Prince Xue Xing was so enraged that his nose was practically crooked.

As for "Xue Qinghe," her expression was also one of fury—but hers carried a hint of frustration, making her outrage appear even more "genuine."

At this moment, she truly regretted running her mouth.

Now the Spirit Hall's secrets had been completely exposed!

From this moment onward, the Spirit Hall's every move would be under scrutiny.

The Spirit Hall's ambitions were about to face the greatest suppression in its history!

Long Gong Meng Shu, on the other hand, was wearing a smile as he looked toward the carriage where Dan Heng was seated, feeling deeply impressed.

Given Prince Xue Xing's personality, had it not been for his admiration of Dan Heng's wisdom, he would have long since demanded that Dan Heng show himself.

This alone was proof of just how valuable Dan Heng's insights were!

"Did Mister Dan Heng say anything about what the Spirit Hall would do next?"

Prince Xue Xing, after a brief period of frustration, humbly inquired once more.

Despite his usual frivolous demeanor, both he and his nephew Xue Beng were actually sharp-eyed individuals who could recognize true talent.

Now, having listened to Dan Heng's insights, he already regarded him as a "divine strategist" in his heart.

A man of such wisdom must be respected!

"My husband mentioned one thing. If the Spirit Hall harbors ambitions of conquering the continent, then their main point of focus should be the kingdoms and duchies within the Heaven Dou Empire—assimilating their strength."

"The overall strategy would be to first suppress Heaven Dou, then launch a decisive strike on Star Luo, primarily targeting their leadership to incite internal chaos. Following that, with their momentum, they would eradicate Heaven Dou."

Gu Yuena stated matter-of-factly.

"!!!"

"Xue Qinghe" took two steps back, staring at Gu Yuena in disbelief.

She got it all right!!!

What Dan Heng had said was precisely the Spirit Hall's top-secret long-term strategy!

Only a handful of people even knew about this, and now… Gu Yuena had revealed it all!

This could very well determine whether the Spirit Hall could even survive!

It was over.

As the heir of the Spirit Hall and the future successor of the Angel Clan, she had just invited an unprecedented crisis upon her own faction!

From now on, the Spirit Hall's days of smooth sailing were over!

The Spirit Hall's ambitions were about to face their greatest suppression yet!

"Xue Qinghe" had only one thought left—if she could go back an hour, she would never have come here or brought up the topic of Douluo Continent's political landscape!

Now, the Spirit Hall had been completely exposed!

Prince Xue Xing remained silent for a moment.

Then, with a solemn expression, he suddenly bent forward in a deep bow toward Gu Yuena—then turned toward Dan Heng's carriage and bowed once more.

For a prince to offer such a gesture was a testament to the reverence he now held for Dan Heng's wisdom.

"Mister Dan Heng, you are truly a divine strategist!"

"I, Xue Xing, am honored to have received your guidance. My gratitude knows no bounds!"

Prince Xue Xing expressed his sincere appreciation.