Douluo Continent: My name is Yang Jian, and I achieved sainthood through my physical body

"Peace talks... are possible. But what if they don't want to negotiate at all?"

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

No one can answer this question.

The Spirit Hall is coming with great force, not only standing on the moral high ground, but also possessing the strength to crush the Star Luo Empire. Why should they negotiate peace?

Wouldn't it be better to destroy the Star Luo Empire and annex it directly?

Several ministers opened their mouths, then closed them again; they couldn't find an answer either.

When Emperor Xingluo saw that none of them spoke, he was furious. He felt like he had raised a bunch of good-for-nothings who would fail him at the crucial moment.

He took a deep breath, waved his hand, and spoke with exhaustion in his voice.

"Foreign Minister, please make a trip. Try negotiating peace first, and if that doesn't work... then we can discuss other options."

The Foreign Minister swallowed hard, feeling extremely unwilling.

But he couldn't disobey the emperor's order, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

"I... obey your order."

Wuhun City.

Yang Jian stood on the city wall, looking down at the densely packed army below.

The army was small, totaling only a little over 10,000 people.

At least in this respect, they are absolutely no match for the million-strong army of the Star Luo Empire.

However, the Spirit Hall's army consists entirely of Spirit Masters, which makes comparisons inappropriate.

A skilled Soul Master can easily defeat a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand enemies on the battlefield.

Those above the Soul Saint level can even charge in and out seven times, taking the enemy general's head amidst a sea of ​​soldiers.

Not to mention Title Douluo, one person alone can change the course of a war.

At this moment, the troops below were very excited.

Some people were filled with righteous indignation. After seeing the evidence of the crimes, they were furious and felt that the Star Luo Empire should indeed be destroyed.

Some people are fanatical followers of the Spirit Hall and want to work for the Spirit Hall.

Some are dreamers who hope to achieve great things and fame on the battlefield.

In short, none of the people here were forced; they all volunteered to join the army.

They didn't understand why His Holiness the Pope had changed, but that didn't matter.

The important thing is that the Spirit Hall is about to do something big, and they need to follow the Spirit Hall to do something big.

Excitement gleamed in their eyes.

At this moment, they looked at Yang Jian on the city wall, very quietly, waiting for his instructions.

More than 10,000 people stood in the square, and not a single person spoke; only the wind whistled past their heads.

Their eyes all fell on Yang Jian, filled with anticipation.

Yang Jian stood on the city wall, looking down at the young faces below, his expression unchanged.

"Set off."

……

The Spirit Hall's army set off from the Star Dou Great Forest and went straight into the territory of the Star Luo Empire.

An army of over ten thousand marched through the forest, their steps perfectly synchronized, their momentum unstoppable.

They traversed the outer areas of the Star Dou Great Forest, crossed several rivers, and climbed over several hills. Three days later, the border defense line of the Star Luo Empire appeared ahead of them.

A long city wall was built on the border of the Star Luo Empire. The wall was tall and thick, made of bluestone, and covered with knife marks and arrow holes, showing that it had been through countless battles.

Behind the city walls stood an army of 300,000, with densely packed camps stretching for miles, banners fluttering, and the sounds of men shouting and horses neighing.

The border guards had already received orders and were fully prepared to depart.

They lined up in front of the city wall, forming a huge square formation, with spears like a forest, swords like snow, and shields like a wall.

Three hundred thousand people stood together, a dark mass that stretched as far as the eye could see.

But two-thirds of these 300,000 troops were ordinary people.

The remaining third are Soul Masters, but most of them are only around level ten or so.

If someone is talented and has a high level of skill, why would they come here to be a garrison?

The true elite forces are all located near the capital, protecting the royal family's safety; they are the Star Luo Empire's trump card.

The border guards are at best cannon fodder, used to wear down the enemy's forces.

But they themselves were unaware of this.

Upon seeing the Spirit Hall's army of over 10,000 men emerge from the forest, with three of them flying in the sky, the entire garrison panicked.

Although they outnumbered each other, the strength of the Spirit Hall was undeniable.

The gap between Soul Masters and ordinary people is too great; so great that a Soul King can fight his way in and out of a massive army seven times over.

Not to mention that there were three Title Douluo-level powerhouses flying in the sky, whose mere aura was enough to make them breathless.

The defenders looked at each other, their hands trembling as they gripped their weapons.

Some people want to back down, but they don't dare to.

The officer behind them urged them to attack, his voice filled with anxiety and anger.

"Charge! What are you all standing around for? They only have 10,000 men, we have 300,000! We could drown them with a single spit from each of us!"

"Anyone who dares to retreat will be court-martialed! Your families will be implicated!"

Chapter 184 War Begins

The officer threatened the garrison with his family members.

The defenders looked desperate. They gritted their teeth, took a step forward, and prepared to charge.

Even though I knew I would die, my family would suffer if I didn't rush in.

"Wait a moment!"

Just then, a figure came rushing from the direction of the city wall.

He was a middle-aged man dressed in a civil official's robe, thin and with a gaunt face, holding a white flag that fluttered in the wind.

He rode his horse, its hooves clattering rapidly and frantically, to the front of the two armies. He dismounted and shouted, "Wait! I am the Foreign Minister of the Star Luo Empire, sent by His Majesty to negotiate peace! I request that your army temporarily halt its attack!"

The defenders breathed a sigh of relief.

They stopped in their tracks, their eyes filled with relief.

Peace talks are the best outcome.

No need for war, no need for suicides, everyone can survive.

The officials dared not forcefully urge the attack, after all, the Foreign Minister represented His Majesty's will, and if they offended the Foreign Minister, they would be in deep trouble when they returned.

……

On the other side, seeing the densely packed military formations ahead, the Spirit Hall's forces temporarily halted.

The soldiers below looked up at the three people in the sky, awaiting orders.

Although they were eager to try, they dared not act without orders.

Yang Jian hovered in the air, staring straight ahead with an expressionless face.

He suddenly noticed a rider running out from the enemy ranks, carrying a white flag, so he didn't order an attack and began to wait.

Soon, the foreign minister approached the Spirit Hall's front line, trembling slightly.

He rode his horse and stopped a few dozen paces away from the army. He dismounted, held up the white flag with both hands, and walked over step by step.

His legs were shaking, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his lips were trembling.

The Spirit Hall soldiers around him looked at him with hostility; some were sneering, some were sharpening their knives, and some were sizing him up as if he were a lamb to the slaughter.

The Foreign Minister swallowed hard, his gaze sweeping over the three people in the sky.

He had seen the portraits of Yue Guan and Gui Mei and knew they were veteran Title Douluos of the Spirit Hall, so he immediately ruled them out.

Finally, his gaze settled on the boy in the middle.

The boy looked very young, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a face as handsome as jade, wearing a white robe, floating in mid-air, and radiating a faint golden light. He was clearly no ordinary person.

It should be Yang Jian, the new Pope of the Spirit Hall.

The Foreign Minister quickly bowed respectfully, his voice trembling slightly, but his manners were impeccable: "Li Tianming, Foreign Minister of the Star Luo Empire, greets His Majesty the Pope."

He kept his head down, not daring to look up.

Yang Jian looked at him, her tone indifferent: "What is it?"

The Foreign Minister hesitated for a moment. He had originally wanted to speak privately, but looking into Yang Jian's emotionless eyes, he ultimately decided to speak directly here.

"Your Holiness, His Majesty is willing to negotiate peace with your esteemed court. The terms are very generous, and we urge Your Holiness to consider them."

Yang Jian asked him, "What are the conditions?"

The Foreign Minister, who was prepared, quickly said, "His Majesty is willing to cede three cities surrounding the Star Dou Great Forest—Iron Wall City, Silver Moon City, and Blue Stone City—to the Spirit Hall as a package."

"These three cities are all important border towns, rich in resources and populous, with annual tax revenues of several million gold soul coins."

"In addition, His Majesty is willing to pay a tribute of one million gold soul coins to your palace every year as a sign of sincerity."

He thought the offer was very generous.

Three cities, plus an annual tribute of one million gold soul coins—this is the greatest sincerity the Star Luo Empire can offer.

What does it matter if we spend a little more money as long as we can keep the throne?

"Hahahaha!"

However, the soldiers of the Spirit Hall around them all laughed when they heard this.