Xu Tianran was seen wearing a warm, gentle smile as he sat in his wheelchair and slightly bowed toward Jing Hongchen.
"Xu Tianran greets Hall Master Hongchen. Due to my physical disability, it is inconvenient for me to perform a full salute. I ask for Hall Master Hongchen's understanding."
"This humble minister greets His Highness the Crown Prince."
Jing Hongchen had not expected Xu Tianran to be so courteous. Although he said the words "greets His Highness," in reality he merely nodded toward the Crown Prince.
Given his status, Jing Hongchen was among the very top tier within the Sun Moon Empire. Even if the reigning emperor himself met him, he would not demand that Jing Hongchen perform formal rites.
"Your Highness, you just said that you also have this kind of soul tool?"
Jing Hongchen ignored everything else and asked with some confusion.
Throughout the entire Sun Moon Empire, aside from the Soul Tool Research Institute where his master Kong Deming resided, his Mingde Hall represented the most cutting-edge soul tool technology. He had never heard of such a technology being developed.
"Of course. If even a student from Shrek Academy can make this kind of soul tool, how could our Sun Moon Empire possibly be unable to do so?"
Xu Tianran smiled faintly and spoke calmly.
But at this very moment, his heart was bleeding. This item had cost him an enormous price, along with grand promises, before he managed to buy it from Zhongli Wu.
After learning that Jiang Jue had developed this technology, Zhongli Wu did not immediately present it to Xu Tianran. Instead, he "casually" revealed it in front of him.
Sure enough, just as Zhongli Wu had anticipated, once Xu Tianran saw it, he was instantly hooked and spared no expense to purchase it from him.
Zhongli Wu knew very well that although Xu Tianran had lost his second brother, his ambition and political-military capabilities were extremely strong. He clearly understood the value of such a soul tool.
After all, cultivating soul masters was no easy task—but ordinary people were not in short supply at all…
And this kind of soul tool, Zhongli Wu also understood, could only发挥 its greatest effect during national wars.
Since it was for the sake of the Sun Moon Empire anyway, Zhongli Wu was naturally willing to do it. As for whose Sun Moon Empire it would ultimately be, that was another matter entirely…
"Come, Hall Master Hongchen, take a look."
Xu Tianran smiled as he took a soul tool gun out of his storage ring and handed it to Jing Hongchen.
This soul tool gun was precisely the one Zhongli Wu had shown Xu Tianran for the first time.
Jing Hongchen accepted it with half belief and half doubt, then pulled the trigger toward the opposite wall. Instantly, three red beams shot forth, leaving deep pits in the solid wall.
Compared to Huo Yuhao's crude metal box from earlier, this soul tool gun was refined beyond comparison.
"Impossible?!"
Seeing this scene, Huo Yuhao cried out in disbelief.
His own metal box had been developed by combining the Tang Sect hidden weapon manuals left behind by Ancestor Tang San with soul tool technology. How could the Sun Moon Empire possess a soul tool even more sophisticated than this?
Jing Hongchen paid no attention to Huo Yuhao. Instead, he examined the soul tool gun in his hand. At the very end of the gun, several small characters were clearly engraved:
"Xi Shui Alliance · Xuan."
"Hm? Xi Shui Alliance? Isn't that the Holy Spirit Cult's external smuggling force? They actually have such advanced soul tools—does that make sense?"
Jing Hongchen frowned slightly. When he looked at the final character "Xuan," it gave him a strong sense of déjà vu.
"Xuan… could it be Xuan Ziwen?"
Suddenly, a flash of insight passed through Jing Hongchen's mind. He recalled how his junior brother, Nether Thunder Douluo, had taken advantage of his drunkenness back then to trick him into agreeing to hand Xuan Ziwen over.
"Damn it—so that's how it is! You bastard Nether Thunder! I treated you like a fellow disciple, and you kicked this Hall Master straight into the ditch!"
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. When Xuan Ziwen was still at Mingde Hall, he indeed had the habit of engraving his own name onto his works.
"Hall Master Hongchen, if you like it, I can give it to you. Anyway, it's not really something that precious."
Seeing Jing Hongchen's expression constantly changing—red one moment, green the next—Xu Tianran waved his hand and said magnanimously.
In any case, he was already mass-producing them in secret as preparation for after his father's death. Giving one to Jing Hongchen could also help draw the two of them closer.
"This is too valuable. I won't accept it. Your Highness should take it back."
A sharp glint flashed through Jing Hongchen's eyes as he returned the soul tool gun to Xu Tianran.
The Holy Spirit Cult's Saint Son was currently staying within Mingde Hall. There was no need for him to accept Xu Tianran's gift or owe him such a favor.
After all, his upcoming cooperation with Xu Tianran would not be sincere. Without emotional ties, it would be easier to stab him in the back later without softening his heart…
Yet for some reason, whenever he thought of Jiang Jue, a sense of irritation welled up in his heart.
"Since Hall Master Hongchen doesn't want it, I'll put it away then."
A trace of surprise flashed through Xu Tianran's eyes, but he did not insist. Instead, he asked:
"Hall Master Hongchen said earlier that you have important matters to discuss. What might those be?"
Jing Hongchen did not speak. He simply glanced at Lin Jiayi.
Lin Jiayi nodded knowingly, walked straight over to Huo Yuhao, and struck him with a sharp elbow blow, knocking him unconscious on the spot.
He then carried Huo Yuhao out.
Within Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm had already been awakened by him. Watching this scene, it could not help but sigh.
"I just took a short nap, and something like this happens again. Looks like I might really have invested in the wrong person back then…"
As the door of the confinement room closed, Jing Hongchen finally spoke.
"Your Highness must already know about the Body Sect's attack on Mingde Hall, right?"
"I know. The Body Sect truly deserves death. If the day comes, I will definitely help Hall Master Hongchen reclaim justice."
Xu Tianran nodded slightly, speaking with deep regret.
"That's not the point. The point is the student I just had escorted out—he's from Shrek Academy, and he…"
Jing Hongchen shook his head slightly and succinctly recounted everything Huo Yuhao had done.
"Then what does Hall Master Hongchen intend?"
Xu Tianran quickly understood Jing Hongchen's thoughts. Jing Hongchen wanted to use this opportunity to make Shrek Academy bleed heavily.
"This Hall Master wishes to cooperate with Your Highness—not only to make Shrek Academy pay the appropriate price, but also to make it gradually fall from its divine pedestal."
Hearing this, Xu Tianran's eyes suddenly lit up.
According to his plans, once his imperial father passed away and he ascended the throne, after some preparation, he would launch a war to unify the continent. The greatest obstacle in that plan was precisely Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy's cohesion over tens of thousands of years was not something to be underestimated. After all, during the first continental war triggered by the collision of the Sun Moon Continent and the Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy had already proven its role.
If not for Shrek Academy, the land would already be called the Sun Moon Continent today.
"Xu Tianran is, of course, willing to cooperate with Hall Master Hongchen. I hope our cooperation will be a pleasant one."
Xu Tianran looked at Jing Hongchen and spoke sincerely. Suppressing Shrek Academy while also drawing closer to Jing Hongchen—why not?
"Then let us wish for a pleasant cooperation."
Looking at the sincere Xu Tianran, Jing Hongchen's gaze flickered slightly as he smiled and replied.
"By the way, when the people of the Body Sect left, didn't they claim to be righteous heroes of the Star Luo Empire? Why don't we just go with the flow and treat it as if the Star Luo Empire did it?"
"We may not be able to find the Body Sect, but the Star Luo Empire can't run away."
Xu Tianran said pointedly. Among the three great empires, the Star Luo Empire possessed the strongest national power and was also a key focus of Xu Tianran's attention. If there was a chance, he naturally wouldn't let it slip.
"Moreover, I know that the Star Luo Empire has a rather excellent intelligence organization known as the 'Pangolin' Intelligence Agency. They're quite good at shaping public opinion—leave that aspect to them."
Xu Tianran thought for a moment and continued.
Jing Hongchen looked at Xu Tianran, slightly astonished inwardly.
"So Jiang Jue was right after all—this Xu Tianran harbors grand ambitions."
Xu Tianran was very likely to lead the Sun Moon Empire to an unprecedented peak. Unfortunately, Jing Hongchen could not truly stand on the same side as him.
Thus, Xu Jiawei's original scheme of killing three birds with one stone completely failed. Not only did none of the goals succeed, but he was also about to take the blame for a massive black pot…
"Then I won't trouble you any further. If there's anything, Hall Master Hongchen, you can notify me at any time."
Xu Tianran took his leave. Jing Hongchen nodded slightly, and the three of them headed outside.
Just as the three stepped out, a burst of noise suddenly rang out.
(End of Chapter)