24 Prelude to Spirit Sovereign (1/2)
Time passed by uneventfully. Every moment felt like an eternity to the Shura who cultivated day and night unceasingly.
It was not long after he had returned from the danger zone that Shura realized that the number of spirit stones he had at his disposal was not enough. He needed the spirit stones of the entire world. Even though that amount was astronomical, as long as he could become a Spirit Sovereign, no price was too high.
Shura began a massive project, the unification of the six empires into one. Although he called it a massive project. He probably wouldn't have to do much. Strength was key after all. After his strength overawed the world, then his subordinates could just take care of the rest. None of the other emperors of the super empires was his match, it was just that they didn't know it yet.
The Skyward Empire was located to the southwest of the continent. The other empires were located to the north, west, center, east, and southeast of the continent. Shura didn't bother with knowing their names, they would all soon be part of the Skyward Empire, his empire.
Shura had cultivated so much that he was certain that he was invincible in the Spirit Emperor level. As long as his opponent wasn't a Spirit Sovereign, he would be able to defeat them with ease. It was this confidence that made everything easy for him. Where would one even find a Spirit Sovereign in a world where everyone was trying to become one, yet none had before?
As long as he was strong enough, there was nothing he couldn't do. He was strong enough for what he was about to do.
The first thing Shura ever did as an emperor of his empire was to have his Grand Chancellor declare war on the other five empires.
The declaration was long and wordy, but the key points were that the strongest deserved to rule the world and that the Skyward Emperor was the strongest. Not even a hundred of the five emperors were his match. Such words were a part of the declaration.
This arrogant and provocative declaration drew the attention of the entire world. Many people were waiting to see how this Skyward Emperor and his empire would fare when faced with the wrath of the entire world.
The five emperors, however, were on their guards. They felt it was suspicious that the Skyward Emperor who had agreed to meet up with them did not meet up with them. Their intelligence network spotted the Skyward Emperor setting out but never returning. They had the suspicion that the Skyward Emperor was the mysterious thief who stole the treasure to the higher realm. The fearless manner in which the Skyward Emperor operated was similar to the thief. Their suspicion was quickly shared with the Sun Institute.
The Sun Institute fanned the flame of discontent and conflict by announcing to the world that the mysterious thief who stole the treasure that contained the secret to the Spirit Sovereign level was none other than the Skyward Emperor who had just declared war on the entire world in an arrogant manner.
They added that it was due to the secret contained within the treasure that allowed the Skyward Emperor to become infinitely close to ascending to the Sovereign level and that was what gave him the confidence to subdue the world.
The world was in turmoil as countless experts eyed the Skyward Empire. The other five empires also had the reason to attack, since the Skyward Empire just declared war on all of them.
The people in the Skyward Empire were nervous. The entire world was ready to pounce on them.
None of these developments alarmed Shura at all. He never thought the Sun Institute would rear its ugly head again. He'd deal with them first.
…
Shura stood high above his capital.
”Hear me, world!” Shura said.
His voice spread throughout the entire world. Men, women, and child, from babies to the elderly, everyone heard him. They heard his voice with their ears and their minds.
Even animals heard him, both normal animals and sentient spirit creatures.
”I only want spirit stones to break into the Spirit Sovereign level. I don't want your life, your land, your wealth, your women or children. I only want spirit stones! This is the reason why I've declared war on the five empires. They each hold a share of the spirit stones of the world which I want.”
”Submit to me, and your life will be the same. No, your life will be even better and more glorious under my rule, the rule of a Spirit Sovereign! Any greedy fools who are misled by the lies of the old of fogies from the Sun Institute can come at me if they want to die. And those who resist my right to rule based on strength can also die!”
”I have given you enough warning. Surrender and your life will be better than ever before, resist and misery and annihilation will be your only end.”
Shura raised his hand above him.An enormous ball of spirit energy converged above him. The light was so bright and blinding like that of the sun. And then this sun suddenly disappeared and the world became dim.
A thunderbolt shot out from the disappearing sun and headed for a certain location.
…