Yuwen Tuo arrived at the commandery prince mansion prepared for him by the Sun Moon Emperor. Honestly, it was quite nice; he certainly hadn't been slighted.
However, the place felt empty and boring to live in. He planned to seek out Jing Hongchen and see if he could stay at the Hall of Illustrious Virtue instead. During this period, his days in the Sun Moon Empire were likely to be anything but stable, and that place would be relatively more peaceful.
He also wanted to see how far the Hall of Illustrious Virtue had progressed with their soul tools. It would be best if his Sect Master could see it for himself too.
Du Busi was fine in other regards, but when it came to soul tools, he was a stubborn old fool. In the original story, he had suffered greatly because of this. It was only when the Heavenly Soul Empire was on the brink of destruction that he finally realized the power of soul tools and ordered the younger generation of the Body Sect to integrate their Body Martial Souls with soul tools.
Yuwen Tuo wondered if he could push that order forward a little earlier.
With that in mind, he changed direction and headed toward the Hall of Illustrious Virtue.
Just then, the Snow Empress spoke up. "Little brother, someone has been watching your every move since you left the palace. Their strength isn't particularly high, so there's no need to worry."
"I know. With a petty man like Xu Tianran, it would be weirder if he didn't want to kill me after I cursed him to his face. But he can't move so quickly, or it would be too obvious. Today is just surveillance.
Once I'm staying at the Hall of Illustrious Virtue, he won't have many chances to strike." Yuwen Tuo smiled. "I'll use secret codes to send word to the Sect Master and the others later to see if any elder is free to come and help me out."
The Ice Empress thought for a moment. "Tuo, instead of looking for your elders, have you thought about finding a personal bodyguard you can truly summon at any time?"
Yuwen Tuo was taken aback. "I already have them. Aren't you two my bodyguards?"
The Ice Empress shook her head. "It's different. While you can summon us now, Snowy and I are simply too powerful. The interval between each summon is too long; it hardly fits the description of 'at any time.' But think about it if what you summoned wasn't a Savage Beast like us, but a regular 100,000-year Soul Beast, wouldn't your mental power recover quickly enough?"
Yuwen Tuo stopped in his tracks, a look of realization dawning on his face. "You're right! My current mental power is already comparable to a Titled Douluo. If I summon a regular 100,000-year Soul Beast instead of a Savage Beast like you, the cooldown period probably wouldn't even take a day or two."
While a 100,000-year Soul Beast wasn't as strong as the two empresses, they were still equivalent to a Titled Douluo. The best among them, like the Titan Giant Ape, could even rival a Super Douluo.
"Tuo, the Bloodline Assimilation isn't limited to voluntary contracts like the one Icy and I have with you. It can also be used for Forced Assimilation and Semi-Assimilation, right?" the Snow Empress asked.
Yuwen Tuo nodded. "That's correct. There are three methods for the Bloodline Assimilation: Perfect Assimilation, Forced Assimilation, and Semi-Assimilation. Since both of you came along willingly, that falls under Perfect Assimilation."
"Forced Assimilation is forbidden by the rules of my Ghost Valley Sect. It doesn't just involve killing the beast; it's essentially enslaving their soul, which goes against the natural order. When my Master taught me this technique, he strictly prohibited its use.
Semi-Assimilation, on the other hand, involves killing the monster and utilizing only its physical power, which is then driven by one's own soul. The magic dragon mount my Master subdued was done through Semi-Assimilation!"
"With my current mental cultivation being on par with a Titled Douluo, performing a Semi-Assimilation isn't impossible. This method is definitely feasible. As for the target... let's go with that one!"
Yuwen Tuo caught on immediately. The Ice Empress had only just given him the idea, and he had already drafted a complete plan.
As he walked, Yuwen Tuo wove through several small alleys, carving Body Sect markers in hidden corners.
Even if they were discovered, it wouldn't matter. No one except inner disciples of the Body Sect could understand them.
To provide backup for Yuwen Tuo, Du Busi had already arranged for sect members to infiltrate Radiant City in advance. As long as someone spotted one of the codes, they would immediately report back to the sect.
Having finished his task, Yuwen Tuo continued toward the Hall of Illustrious Virtue.
It had to be said that while Jing Hongchen's reasoning was entirely off the mark, his conclusion was exactly right. Yuwen Tuo was acting precisely as he had predicted, resulting in a beautiful coincidence.
Jing Hongchen was certainly a talented man.
At that moment, the grandfather and granddaughter were still absorbed in their own analysis.
"Grandfather," Meng Hongchen said. "If Yuwen Tuo wants to struggle for the throne, why doesn't he lay low for a while? By making such a scene now, hasn't he drawn all of Xu Tianran's focus and hostility onto himself?"
That Crown Prince was not an easy man to deal with.
He hadn't been born disabled. Instead, he had been severely injured during a palace coup one day, which left him with paralyzed legs.
Afterward, the Crown Prince had endured the pain and used thunderous methods to suppress all doubt. He had even found the mastermind who ambushed him one of his many brothers who sought the throne.
That brother had eventually been executed by the death of a thousand cuts right in his own palace, turning the entire chamber red with blood. From that day on, no one dared to openly question his disability.
By bringing this matter into the light right then and there, Yuwen Tuo had surely become a thorn in Xu Tianran's side.
Jing Hongchen sighed. "Alas, there was no other way. If His Majesty were healthy, Yuwen Tuo would certainly have chosen to bide his time. But you know as well as I do that His Majesty's health is deteriorating by the day; it's hard to say how much longer he can hold on. If Tuo doesn't fight directly now, he'll have no chance at all once the Crown Prince ascends."
"Currently, he still has an advantage. Although his political ability certainly can't match the Crown Prince's, his talent is peerless. More importantly, he is physically whole and has the glorious merit of having killed Mu En and Xuan Zi.
By playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses, he isn't entirely without a chance. Conversely, if he were to submissively try and please the Crown Prince, the best-case scenario would be becoming a dog under his command. Worst-case, he'd be slaughtered like a donkey once the work is done. From that perspective, I admire Tuo's decisiveness and courage."
"Hehe, he really is the man I set my sights on. He truly has great ambitions!" Meng Hongchen said with satisfaction. "Then, Grandfather, are we going to help him?"
Jing Hongchen shook his head. "We must not act rashly. The political winds in the court are still unclear; we shouldn't involve ourselves in a factional struggle so easily. When the Prince arrives, we can agree if he only wants to stay at the Hall of Illustrious Virtue, but we must not make any hasty promises regarding anything else."
He didn't dare place his bets just yet.
The current Jing Hongchen hadn't been scammed by Huo Yuhao yet, so he still had the luxury of observing from the sidelines.
"Fine!" Meng Hongchen pouted. She understood the weight of the situation. Although she wanted to help Yuwen Tuo, she couldn't gamble her entire family's future on a whim.
Right then, a disciple of the Hall of Illustrious Virtue ran in to report. "Hall Master, the Prince of Yan requests an audience outside."
"Haha, he's actually here. He came even faster than I thought." Jing Hongchen gave a slight smile. "Meng, let's go. We should go greet this Prince of Yan!"
"Yes, Grandfather! You really do see things clearly!" Meng Hongchen's admiration for her grandfather was absolute.
He had said Yuwen Tuo would come, and the man had indeed arrived so quickly.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).