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Lin Qingyue did not treat Su Wen's lighthearted comment as a joke. Instead, she took it with somber gravity, her eyes even reddening slightly at the corners.
"Lord Su, the situation in Ninghai City truly is as you say. The frequency of combat has been escalating recently. The Pavilion Master has even clashed directly with that City Lord Zhao several times."
"Oh?" Su Wen was genuinely surprised.
He wasn't surprised by the tension itself—he occasionally let his Mental Power sweep through the Sun Moon Pavilion during his breaks, so he had a general grasp of the circumstances. What surprised him was that Lin Qingyue seemed so deeply informed about the strategic situation.
Lin Qingyue, Lin Tian... Su Wen didn't pry further into their connection.
Lin Qingyue continued describing the state of affairs. "The Pavilion Master could break into a full-scale battle with Zhao Hai at any moment. Furthermore, neither side is making any effort to hide their hostility anymore."
As she spoke, her anxiety grew, and a film of moisture covered her eyes. She was terrified that Lin Tian would face Zhao Hai in a life-or-death struggle. Although Lin Tian was powerful and the Sun Moon Pavilion's armed forces were well-equipped, and they even had support from the local Sun Moon Cult branch, they were ultimately not a dedicated military organization. They were at a natural disadvantage against a City Lord's Mansion that governed all of Ninghai, maintained order, and trained a standing army of Soul Masters.
Beyond that, she feared for the state of the continent at large. Ninghai City sat on the edge of the continent. From the friction here, it wasn't hard to deduce the broader climate: the entire continent was a powder keg on the verge of a world-shaking war.
In fact, Ninghai might even be the spark intentionally permitted by both the Sun Moon Cult and the Imperial Family. While half a month was a short time, it was more than enough for news to reach the capital of Radiant City and for a response to be formulated. Yet, after all this time, neither the Imperial Family nor the Cult headquarters had made any move. They were maintaining a posture of total indifference, as if giving a silent green light for the fighting to commence.
Having learned the details, Su Wen couldn't help but click his tongue. This truly might be the catalyst for a war involving the entire continent.
Suddenly, his thoughts drifted back to the Douluo Continent. Logically, the Douluo Continent should be nearing its own breaking point. Although the establishment of his Academy had introduced a new "Holy Land" to the world, the Spirit Hall was unlikely to halt its advance. The plan Bibi Dong had spent years preparing would not be abandoned easily. The Spirit Empire was destined to be established, and the fires of war would inevitably consume the Douluo Continent as well.
And the timing of the wars on both the Sun Moon and Douluo continents...
"Could this be what they mean by 'the times create the hero'?" Su Wen wondered.
War—a conflict engulfing an entire continent—concentrated the world's destiny and fortune, thereby creating the conditions for the birth of gods. Powerful gods. Did gods ever emerge in eras of absolute peace?
Su Wen shook his head. Based on his knowledge of the original history, there were no examples of someone attaining godhood during a time of tranquil stability. Whether it was the God of Slaughter and the Rakshasa God, the first Sea God pacifying the chaotic era of the ocean, the current war on the Douluo Continent, or the unification wars ten thousand years in the future—none occurred during a golden age of peace.
"Whatever the underlying principle, it can be inferred that the two Holy Sons of the Sun Moon Cult likely possess Divine Inheritances that have reached a critical stage. As for the Imperial Family..."
Su Wen thought of his Thunder Dragon Ring, his eyes narrowing slightly. Without the ring, did the Imperial Family still possess the qualifications for a Divine Inheritance? Or did the ring have nothing to do with the god they served? Or, perhaps... did the Imperial Family possess a power capable of "slaying gods" even without an inheritance?
In this era, was that even possible? If it were the Federation Era twenty thousand years later, Su Wen might entertain the thought. But in this current age, he didn't believe for a second that Soul Tools were capable of killing a god.
"Regardless, I'll find out soon enough after roaming this Sun Moon Continent for a while."
Su Wen signaled for Lin Qingyue to calm down. "Take me to see Brother Lin first."
Lin Qingyue's expression turned slightly odd when she heard Su Wen call Lin Tian "Brother Lin," but Su Wen didn't notice. Under her guidance, they arrived outside Lin Tian's personal workshop.
"There's no one inside," Su Wen stated. His Mental Power had already sensed the vacancy. Though he didn't rudely scan the interior, he could feel the lack of a life signature from a distance.
"He's not here?" Lin Qingyue was startled.
"Qingyue?" a surprised voice called out.
"Manager Qian!" Lin Qingyue turned to see a portly figure approaching. She hurried toward him. "Manager Qian, do you know where the... where the Pavilion Master went?"
Manager Qian had a prosperous, stout build, with a face that usually looked like it was framed by a habitual welcoming smile. At the moment, however, he looked quite distressed. He glanced at Su Wen and asked, "This must be Lord Su Wen?"
Su Wen nodded, confirming his identity.
Manager Qian looked left and right, then let out a long sigh. "I'll give you two the bottom line. Orders have arrived from above. The instruction is for us to take full control of Ninghai City."
Su Wen's gaze sharpened. Manager Qian's information went much deeper than Lin Qingyue's. At the very least, he had direct word from the higher-ups. And the Sun Moon Cult's orders were blunt: they wanted Lin Tian to seize Ninghai.
Su Wen frowned. "If they want us to take the city, the Cult headquarters must be aware of the situation here, right?"
Both the local branch and the Pavilion's forces were tactically inferior to the City Lord's Mansion. If that was the case, why was there no reinforcement?
"I understand your meaning, Lord Su. In fact, we originally thought your arrival was an arrangement from above. However, after we reported it, the headquarters stated they had no knowledge of your existence."
Manager Qian looked utterly exasperated. How could the higher-ups not send reinforcements? But the reality was that Ninghai wasn't the only place set to erupt; numerous small and medium-sized cities were scheduled for simultaneous action. The Sun Moon Cult had too many fronts to support—nearly every city needed reinforcements.
While Ninghai was a coastal city with significant meaning, it had a "perfect substitute" in West Sea City.
Su Wen had set out from the west coast of the Douluo Continent, passed Sea God Island, and continued sailing to reach the Sun Moon Continent; Ninghai City was located on the eastern side of the Sun Moon Continent. West Sea City, however, was a major metropolis on the western side of the Sun Moon Continent, and its strategic importance far outweighed Ninghai's.
The overlapping roles of the two cities, combined with their opposite geographical locations, threatened to overstretch the Cult's forces. If resources were truly scarce and a choice had to be made, Ninghai was likely the one to be sacrificed.
However, Su Wen's presence gave Ninghai a fighting chance.
"West Sea City?" Su Wen nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Manager Qian's explanation.
He had obtained various nautical charts from the Spirit Hall. The route to Sea God Island started from the Douluo Continent's west coast, but the route to the Sun Moon Continent wasn't in the same direction. Instead, it departed from the East Sea, with the final destination being West Sea City.
Connecting the dots, Su Wen realized why West Sea City was so vital to the Sun Moon Cult. It was likely that even if the plans for every other city failed, they would ensure West Sea City was secured at any cost.
(End of Chapter)