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Of course, Ye Wen didn't drive these soul masters to extinction. He provided them with another path.
That path was joining the ranks of the Holy Spirit Empire.
Why? Because the ultimate destination of the universe is a stable system!
Ahem, ahem—
Back to the topic at hand.
As a qualified supernatural society, it was unacceptable to allow supernatural powers to run rampant unchecked.
This was both a flaw in the power structure and a dereliction of responsibility toward the populace under that system.
The reason the two former empires had allowed civilian soul masters to develop freely was simply because they didn't want these commoners competing for their limited noble positions.
After all, there were only so many seats in the nobility.
Of course, there were exceptions where some nobles lured civilian soul masters into fighting on their behalf.
But after Ye Wen's decrees were issued, the towns near the Spirit Hunting Forest, which had previously been plagued by disorder, saw a marked improvement in their social climate.
However, human greed often drove people to cross moral boundaries.
Just as poaching existed in his previous life, it persisted now. Moreover, due to Ye Wen's restrictions, the prices of spirit beast products skyrocketed.
Ye Wen didn't intend to interfere with this spontaneous market reaction. If a group of wealthy individuals wanted to waste their money on useless items, so be it—it would stimulate the economy.
Thanks to Ye Wen's societal reforms, the quality of life for the people of Douluo Continent improved significantly. The probability of soul masters emerging from the lower classes increased dramatically, and assigning them only the most basic tasks clearly couldn't meet the needs of these extraordinary individuals.
Thus, a new wave of reform began on the Douluo Continent.
This round of reforms would leave a profound impact on the future development of the continent.
First was the development of waterways.
Not all regions of the Douluo Continent enjoyed favorable weather and abundant resources. Some areas suffered from severe water shortages. To address this, Ye Wen initiated projects to divert water from regions with surplus resources through newly constructed canals, significantly improving the local environment. This became a major undertaking.
Such large-scale projects would have been difficult for ordinary people to complete, but with a large number of novice soul masters now available, they became the backbone of the canal construction efforts.
Coupled with specialized soul-guiding tools developed by Ye Wen, the difficulty of these projects was greatly reduced.
Next came another massive project: land reclamation from the sea.
Compared to the vast oceans surrounding the Douluo Continent, the landmass itself was relatively small.
Though it wasn't immediately apparent, Ye Wen's statistics clearly showed that the population of Douluo Continent had multiplied several times over the past thirty years. Without proper planning, overpopulation would inevitably lead to dire consequences.
While Ye Wen could have used divine power to forcibly raise sections of the seabed, he chose not to.
Humanity thrived on self-reliance and perseverance. If everything was arranged by the gods, mortals would grow complacent and eventually be left behind by the times.
Though humanity was strong, they were not the only intelligent lifeforms in this universe—a fact that was undeniable.
After all, the neighboring spirit beasts were still alive, a powerful race existing right alongside humans.
The land reclamation project proceeded smoothly. With Ye Wen, the Sea God, selecting the locations, they naturally avoided deep ocean areas.
Twenty years later, these two monumental projects were completed, and Ye Wen embarked on yet another endeavor: the renovation of roads across the entire Douluo Continent.
The current roads were the result of crude construction from decades past, and after fifty years, they had fallen into disrepair. To achieve high-speed circulation of resources across the continent, good infrastructure was essential.
As time passed, the Douluo Continent gradually took on the appearance of a modern society.
During this period, Ye Wen also held a grand wedding ceremony.
It wasn't just a union with Bibi Dong alone; Ye Wen married all his wives in a single ceremony that captured the attention of the entire continent.
Only then did the people of Douluo Continent realize that Ye Wen, who had quietly contributed to the continent all along, was the true hidden mastermind—the ruler behind the Holy Spirit Empire.
On that day, Ye Wen became the most envied man on the entire Douluo Continent.
As for jealousy or resentment, it was impossible. Ye Wen and Bibi Dong showcased their godly cultivation levels, declaring the dawn of an era ruled by the gods.
After some time, Ye Wen disseminated the mythology he had compiled, sparking a wave of mythological fervor.
From this point on, Ye Wen's status underwent a complete transformation.
He became recognized as the reincarnation of the primordial Sea God.
As Ye Wen's wives, they too were given various reincarnation myths.
Ah Yin was the original Blue Silver Grass, the primordial sacred deity of Blue Silver Grass. Bo Saixi was the Water Goddess born alongside Ye Wen. Bibi Dong was the Rakshasa God. Qian Qian and Qian Renxue were the left and right guardian deities of the Angel God.
Though this level of faith wasn't enough to form divine cores, it gave divine officials like Ah Yin, who previously lacked their own sources of faith, a foundation to build upon.
This left the other subordinate divine officials envious, though Ye Wen had also arranged roles for them—albeit minor ones.
The central theme of this mythology was that the Creator God, moved by compassion for the suffering of the Douluo Continent, had reincarnated specifically to save this world and bring about the peace He envisioned.
As time went on, Ye Wen's century-long ascension period drew ever closer.
The two former imperial capitals had long been abandoned by Ye Wen, replaced by a new capital for the Holy Spirit Empire—the Holy Spirit Imperial City.
Gazing at the neon-lit metropolis, Ye Wen and his family sat atop the city's highest point.
After Ye Tianhun, Ye Wen, Qian Qian, and Qian Renxue had given birth to twin daughters, and then nothing more followed.
The fifth daughter, Ye Tianling, and the sixth daughter, Ye Tianguang—if not for one having white hair and the other golden, Ye Wen might have struggled to tell them apart.
Strangely, both girls possessed the martial soul of the ten-winged angel, rather than inheriting dual martial souls like their older siblings.
Perhaps the elevated status of the ten-winged angel bloodline suppressed the influence of the Sea God.
Though Ye Wen could have artificially bestowed them with an additional martial soul, he sensed that the twins were incredibly attuned to their ten-winged angel martial souls. There was no need to overcomplicate things—they were already well on their way to achieving godhood.
At this moment, Ye Wen and his wives gathered together, gazing at the empire they had built with intoxication.
"It's truly beautiful."
"Yes, I hope this beauty lasts forever."
"It will. Even in the god realm, we'll continue to watch over this nation."
"To this beautiful Douluo Continent, cheers!"
Amidst laughter and joy, Ye Wen basked in the moment.
On this day—
The grand ascension ceremony of the Sea God, Ye Wen, unfolded before the eyes of all.
In full view of the public, the Sea God Ye Wen, the Blue Silver Grass Goddess Ah Yin, the Water Goddess Bo Saixi, the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong, the Left Guardian Angel Deity Qian Qian, the Right Guardian Angel Deity Qian Renxue, and Ye Wen's six children soared into the sky, vanishing from mortal sight.
Accompanying their departure was a golden glow that spread across the entire Douluo Continent.
This day would forever be known in Douluo history as the Day of Divine Grace.
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