Chapter 1523: Giving Up
The reason Yang Haoran conceived the idea of unifying the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean was not only because the Underworld Office currently had no time to spare for the Great Night Empire, but also for another very important reason: he believed the current Great Night Empire fully possessed the strength to do so. After all, the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean was the most dangerous zone in the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean; if even the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean could be conquered, then the other areas of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean would naturally be no problem.
Although he had made a decision in his heart, Yang Haoran did not immediately order an expedition. Instead, he summoned all the high-ranking officials for a discussion.
The result of the discussion was that some high-ranking officials felt Yang Haoran's decision was sound and thus supported it. However, some high-ranking officials expressed opposition to Yang Haoran's decision and did not support him in doing so. And all these opposing high-ranking officials were Demon Saints of the Sea Demon clan.
The reason the Demon Saints opposed Yang Haoran's decision was not because they had an issue with Yang Haoran and deliberately sought to provoke him. Rather, it was because they believed Yang Haoran's decision carried significant risks.
The Great Night Empire's strength was indeed formidable now. If they were to conquer the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean regardless of the consequences, it was not impossible. However, the cost of doing so would be immense. Should other forces come to trouble the Great Night Empire afterward, it would be difficult for the Great Night Empire to resist.
The reason these high-ranking officials thought this way was because they had lived there for countless years. Their understanding of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean was far beyond what Yang Haoran and others could compare to. It was precisely for this reason that they believed Yang Haoran's decision was ill-advised and that the price to pay would be too great.
Before Yang Haoran came to the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean was indeed controlled by several great Demon Saints, each holding sway. However, the Eastern Sunrise Ocean was simply too vast. The central region was merely a small part of the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean. In other sea areas beyond the center, there were also Sea Demons of the Demon Saint level.
The difference was that these Demon Saints never revealed themselves easily. They had no intention of competing with others for territory, nor did they establish their own forces. Their sole focus was on cultivating in seclusion. Under normal circumstances, they would not get involved in the struggles of other factions. But if the fighting reached their doorstep and affected their cultivation, it went without saying that they would definitely resist.
The Demon Saints did not deny that the Great Night Empire had the strength to take down these reclusive cultivators. They simply felt that doing so would cost the Great Night Empire a considerable price, making it truly uneconomical. Moreover, there were currently many forces eyeing the Great Night Empire like a tiger stalking its prey. If, at this critical juncture, the Great Night Empire became weakened due to conquering the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean, then these forces would certainly seize the opportunity to invade. This would not be good for the Great Night Empire.
Furthermore, the Great Night Empire had already occupied the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean. Nominally, it was certainly reasonable to say that the Eastern Sunrise Ocean belonged to the Great Night Empire. Most importantly, the central region's resources were the richest, far incomparable to other areas. Therefore, the Demon Saints felt that there was no need to launch another expedition for now. It wouldn't be too late to launch an expedition to conquer these reclusive Demon Saints of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean after the Great Night Empire grew stronger. At that time, the Great Night Empire would not have to pay much of a price. This approach was the most reliable.
Yang Haoran, who usually found it difficult to change his mind once a decision was made, this time actually altered his decision. After listening to the Demon Saints' analysis, he felt that their analysis was indeed reasonable. And he could also tell that the Demon Saints were genuinely considering the Great Night Empire's best interests. So, he changed his decision and postponed the expedition, with no specific date set.
The Demon Saints' analysis made Yang Haoran realize why few forces dared to covet the Eastern Sunrise Ocean before the Great Night Empire. It turned out that the Eastern Sunrise Ocean not only had many powerful Demon Saints openly, but also some reclusive Demon Saints secretly existing. Therefore, without absolute strength, let alone conquering the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean, even gaining a firm foothold in the Eastern Sunrise Ocean would be difficult.
The Great Night Empire's ability to gain a firm foothold in the Eastern Sunrise Ocean and develop to its current state was entirely due to its formidable strength. If the Great Night Empire had not possessed sufficient strength, it would have long since vanished without a trace in the Eastern Sunrise Ocean. It would certainly not be here today.
However, today's Great Night Empire was already exceedingly powerful. It was so strong that it could directly contend with the Underworld Office and even managed to frighten the Underworld Office away. Yet, even a Great Night Empire of such formidable strength, in the eyes of the Demon Saints, could not easily conquer the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean. If the Great Night Empire intended to forcefully conquer the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean, then even if successful, it would pay an enormous price. This clearly showed how deep the waters of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean ran. At the same time, this point also made one realize why no force dared to easily covet the Eastern Sunrise Ocean. It was precisely by considering these factors that Yang Haoran changed his decision.
The warmongers of the Great Night Empire naturally did not want Yang Haoran to change his decision. They felt that the Demon Saints' analysis was overly exaggerated. In their view, with the Great Night Empire's current formidable strength, sweeping across the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean was utterly effortless; the notion of paying an enormous price did not exist.
For this, both sides engaged in a fierce debate. However, Yang Haoran ultimately decided to side with the Demon Saints, temporarily abandoning the idea of an expedition.
Since Yang Haoran had spoken, the warmongers of the Great Night Empire had no choice but to shut their mouths. Although they felt deep regret in their hearts, they dared not disobey Yang Haoran's command. Therefore, even with profound regret in their hearts, they could only choose to accept it.
After the meeting, the warmongers, led by Lu Wu, sought an audience with Yang Haoran multiple times. Their purpose was singular: to persuade Yang Haoran to launch the expedition. The reason for their persistence was that, in their view, as long as the entire Eastern Sunrise Ocean was conquered, Yang Haoran's followers would increase exponentially. After all, apart from the central region of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, the number of Sea Demons in other areas was countless, far exceeding those in the core.
This was indeed the case. Compared to other regions of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, the Sea Demons in the heart of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean excelled in strength, not in numbers. In terms of quantity, the total number of Sea Demons in other regions was definitely more than ten times that of the central region. As long as these regions were conquered, Yang Haoran's followers would experience a monumental leap in growth.
Faith Power had little direct relation to the strength of its followers. The more followers there were, and the more devout their prayers, the more Faith Power the revered individual could obtain. Therefore, to gain more Faith Power, the more followers, the better, even if these followers were just ordinary mortals.
The reason Yang Haoran initially decided to launch the expedition was precisely because he valued the countless Sea Demons in other regions of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean. Although the Faith Power currently augmenting him was not weak, it was still far from reaching his ideal standard. With the Faith Power currently augmenting him, he estimated that even if he stepped onto the Apotheosis Platform, he wouldn't be able to ascend more than a few steps. Reaching the summit would be utterly impossible. Therefore, he absolutely needed to gain more augmentation from Faith Power. In his view, the vast number of Sea Demons was naturally an excellent choice.
However, the analysis from his subordinate Demon Saints made him dismiss this idea. He felt that the Demon Saints' analysis was very sound. He also didn't want to harm the entire Great Night Empire due to his own eagerness for quick success.
Since Yang Haoran had such a thought, it was clear that Lu Wu and the others' persuasion would have no effect. After several attempts to persuade Yang Haoran, all of them unsuccessful, Lu Wu and the others understood that Yang Haoran was absolutely determined to temporarily abandon the expedition. They knew that continued persuasion would be futile, and might even anger Yang Haoran. Only then did they completely give up hope.
If an expedition were launched, Bai Xue's Flock of Demons Society would definitely be the main force. After all, the Flock of Demons Society was currently the Great Night Empire's most powerful organization; an expedition would certainly not be without the Flock of Demons Society. However, Bai Xue did not join Lu Wu and the others in persuading Yang Haoran. It wasn't that she was afraid of causing trouble for the Flock of Demons Society. Rather, it was because she supported every decision Yang Haoran made, regardless of whether it was right or wrong. If Yang Haoran decided to launch an expedition, she would lead the Flock of Demons Society without hesitation to slaughter their way out—wherever Yang Haoran pointed, they would kill. If Yang Haoran decided not to launch an expedition for now, she wouldn't ask further questions, nor did she have any thought of persuading him.
Before Lu Wu and the others decided to persuade Yang Haoran, they had sought out Bai Xue, hoping Bai Xue could step forward and join them in persuading Yang Haoran. They knew that with Bai Xue's involvement, the chances of successful persuasion would be higher. However, Bai Xue very flatly refused them and directly stated her stance. Lu Wu and the others had no choice. In the end, they could only give up on Bai Xue and no longer place their hopes on her.
This matter temporarily drew to a close with the warmongers like Lu Wu giving up hope. However, Yang Haoran did not become idle because of it.
On this day, a group of uninvited guests arrived at the Great Night Empire. They specifically asked to see Yang Haoran by name.
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