In Star Luo City.
For nearly two months, the Dragon Halberd Sect had been covertly assisting the Tang Sect, keeping a close eye on every move within the imperial palace.
On the surface, Dai Weisi hadn't left the city, but behind the scenes, Zhu Zhuyun had been tirelessly running errands for him.
Dai Mubai being rescued by the Tang Sect remained a significant threat to him.
In recent days, he had tried indirectly persuading Dai Tianfeng to expel Dai Mubai from the royal family registry. However, for some unknown reason, Dai Tianfeng remained unmoved.
Out of desperation, Dai Weisi had also sent people to search for Dai Mubai's whereabouts.
After the Tang Sect dissolved, its disciples were scattered. Dai Weisi's men had captured some Tang Sect disciples, but unfortunately, these individuals only knew about the sect's dissolution and had no idea where Dai Mubai or Tang San had gone.
Realizing he wouldn't get the information he wanted from them, Dai Weisi dispatched the Holy Dragon Sect and Elephant Armor Sect's experts to search for Tang San and the others across the continent.
Little did he know, Dai Mubai was actually still in Star Luo City—a "lamp under the shadow" scenario that Dai Weisi hadn't anticipated.
In fact, to speed up the search for Dai Mubai, Dai Weisi even sent Hu Yan Zhen and Tuo Ba Xi out as well.
One day, after Zhu Zhuyun returned to Star Luo City, she secretly met with Dai Weisi.
"Weisi, still no news about Mubai?" Zhu Zhuyun asked with concern.
Dai Weisi shook his head.
He had no idea where that "turtle egg" Mubai had hidden himself. No trace of him had been found within the Star Luo Empire, so it was highly likely he had fled to the Tian Dou Empire.
The Tian Dou Empire wasn't within his sphere of influence. If he wanted to send people to search there, they would have to act covertly to avoid drawing attention from the Tian Dou royal family.
From the current intel, Dai Mubai's whereabouts remained a mystery.
After a pause, Dai Weisi countered, "How about it? Has Little Ning's sect leader relented yet?"
Dai Weisi, of course, wasn't giving up on gaining the support of the upper three sects.
To that end, Zhu Zhuyun had made another trip to the Sky Sword Sect.
No matter how hard she tried, Ning Tianchen remained unmoved, and even the Sky Sword Sect itself appeared utterly unambitious.
Without ambition, there was no leverage. Dai Weisi felt a headache coming on. Taking down the Sky Sword Sect didn't seem easy at all.
As she spoke, Zhu Zhuyun gave a mysterious smile and retrieved a crystal container from her soul-guided artifact. "Weisi, I didn't return empty-handed. Take a look at this."
Through covert connections, Zhu Zhuyun had obtained Yang Wudi's latest poison, and she was confident that her actions hadn't been noticed by anyone.
"How foolish! Do you really think the Sky Sword Sect would sell you poison so easily?" Dai Weisi scolded her.
Since being confirmed as the crown prince, Dai Weisi's initially urgent mindset had gradually calmed, and he had carefully reconsidered many issues.
How could the Sky Sword Sect release poison so easily? Their true intentions were far from simple.
Suddenly, Dai Weisi chuckled. "On the surface, the Sky Sword Sect is one of Xue Qinghe's biggest collaborators. But behind the scenes, they're waiting for the right moment to sell their support. Selling you this poison and helping you cover it up is proof of that."
A sect serving two masters was an unwritten taboo on the continent.
The Sky Sword Sect had already declared its support for Xue Qinghe and would never openly side with an enemy of the Tian Dou Empire.
In Dai Weisi's view, the Sky Sword Sect deliberately selling the poison was an implicit acknowledgment of their stance toward him.
After all, who could say for sure whether the Sky Sword Sect didn't have spies from the Tian Dou Empire? Zhu Zhuyun had repeatedly entered their territory and spoken boldly—there was no way the Sky Sword Sect would agree to such dealings without ulterior motives.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuyun blinked. "Weisi, are you serious?"
Thinking it over, she realized she hadn't exactly been discreet during her visits to the Sky Sword Sect.
If that were true, no wonder she kept hitting walls.
Dai Weisi retorted, "If they didn't want to support me, could you have gotten your hands on this poison?"
"So, tell me, what kind of poison is this?"
If Ning Tianchen had heard their conversation, he would have given Dai Weisi a thumbs-up.
Zhu Zhuyun carefully placed the poison on the table and explained its potency.
This poison combined Dugu Bo's snake venom with several other deadly toxins. If consumed in full, any Title Douluo below level ninety-eight would inevitably die within a month.
Even a level 98 Super Douluo would suffer diminished strength after consuming it. Only Super Douluos would remain unaffected.
Clearly, Dai Tianfeng was not immune to this poison.
"This powerful?!" Dai Weisi swallowed nervously, not daring to touch it.
A poison capable of killing a Title Douluo could easily kill him.
Seeing his reaction, Zhu Zhuyun chuckled. "Relax, Weisi. Individually, each component is harmless—it's only lethal when mixed together."
As she spoke, she took out a packet of powder and a small branch from her soul-guided artifact.
When the three components were combined and entered the human body, death would follow swiftly.
Aside from the liquid in the crystal vial, the other two components, when consumed separately, were actually beneficial to soul masters' cultivation.
First, the powder would be added to Dai Tianfeng's medicinal soup. Then, the branch would be planted in the flower bed in front of the study.
Once Dai Tianfeng felt his health improving, he would naturally let his guard down. When the time was ripe, the final component would be slipped into his food. Within a month, Dai Tianfeng would surely perish.
For a moment, Dai Weisi hesitated.
He was already the crown prince. In theory, there was no need to take risks—he could simply wait it out, and the throne would eventually be his.
"Weisi, are you really willing to be crown prince for decades? Do you really want to endure the feeling of being just one step away from the throne for that long?" Zhu Zhuyun coaxed him gently.
Obtaining this poison had already shifted her mindset.
Being crown princess and becoming empress were worlds apart.
With the chance to ascend directly, why settle for being beneath someone else?
After all, once she became empress, even the head of the Zhu family would have to treat her with deference.
Having been controlled by her family for so long, she was eager to rise above them.
"But Mubai…" Dai Weisi had a nagging premonition that Dai Mubai would ruin his plans.
Zhu Zhuyun urged him impatiently, "Who knows where Mubai has hidden himself? A palace coup can be completed in a single night. Even if Mubai receives advance notice, can he possibly return in time?"
"By the time everything is set in stone, his status as a prince won't matter—he'll have no choice but to bow down and submit."
"Don't forget, the Sky Sword Sect will assist us covertly. There are obstacles they can clear for us."
"Weisi, time waits for no one. Once we miss this chance, or if His Majesty becomes suspicious, we'll lose our opportunity forever."
After a long silence, Dai Weisi finally gritted his teeth and agreed.
Dai Tianfeng trusted him more and more, giving him countless opportunities to strike. And besides, he had always dreamed of becoming emperor.
Being crown prince for decades might drive him to madness—or turn his hair white.
Recently, Dai Tianfeng had expressed a desire to rebuild the garden in front of the study—this was the perfect opportunity. Planting the branch there and adding the powdered poison to his medicine would make Dai Tianfeng feel his health improving, causing him to lower his guard.
Once he relaxed, the final blow could be delivered—and the throne would be his.
Since the founding of the Star Luo Empire, the royal family had always been protected by a Title Douluo. After Dai Tianfeng's death, though the royal family would lack a Title Douluo, Dai Weisi had Tuo Ba Xi, Hu Yan Zhen, and the covert support of the Sky Sword Sect. He was confident he could stabilize the situation.
…
Dai Weisi's actions were highly secretive, and no information leaked out from within the palace.
As a result, the Dragon Halberd Sect disciples and the Sky Sword Sect members who had been gathering intelligence near the imperial city had no leads for the time being.
However, when Zhu Zhuyun sent someone to purchase poison again, Ning Tianchen knew their plan had already begun.
At the Sky Sword Sect.
After several months of effort, the Asura Purgatory Tower had finally been completed.
With this, Ning Tianchen became the only Asura God (God King) in the history of the godly realm to possess three super divine artifacts.
Although he had not yet ascended to the godly realm, his reputation had already spread far and wide there.
After many days of training, Feng Xiaotian and the others gradually returned to the Sky Sword Sect.
Seeing Ning Tianchen come out to greet them, Chen Huayu excitedly ran forward. "Boss, I've also received a god trial!"
Ning Tianchen rolled his eyes. "Can you be more discreet? Don't make it so obvious that everyone knows!"
Chen Huayu had obtained the inheritance of the secondary god—the God of War.
But he wasn't the only one to receive a trial—Zhu Zhuqing had also received a god trial.
Compared to the original timeline, Zhu Zhuqing was no longer subordinate to Dai Mubai. With her independent personality, she was ultimately chosen by one of the elemental gods—the Darkness God.
Her first-tier god trial was no less prestigious than Feng Xiaotian's or Ning Rongrong's trials.
"Congratulations to all of you," Ning Tianchen said with a faint smile.
As former comrades from the Soul Master Tournament, they had now all attained godhood. In the future, they could continue their battles in the godly realm.
"Come on, let's celebrate your return."
With a wave of his hand, Ning Tianchen arranged for the sect to prepare a grand banquet.
…
At the banquet, everyone recounted the paths they had taken over the years. The hardships and dangers along the way were understood only by themselves.
When the conversation turned to the Yu Die sisters, the group's expressions grew somber.
"Who knows how they're doing now? I hope they're safe," Feng Xiaotian sighed.
Ning Tianchen smiled. "After you all left for training, I visited the Sun and Moon Continent again. Yu Die and Cai Die are progressing steadily through their trials, and nothing unexpected has happened."
"You went back to the Sun and Moon Continent?" Feng Xiaotian and the others couldn't help but feel curious.
By all accounts, their training on the Sun and Moon Continent had concluded, and they had already acquired the soul-guided technology.
They didn't think Ning Tianchen would go out of his way to visit the two sisters, nor did they believe he would spend so much time crossing the ocean just for the scenery of the Sun and Moon Continent.
Ning Rongrong chimed in with a smile. "You probably don't know yet—Brother Tianchen has already completed the nine trials. He's now the true Asura God."
"What?" Everyone was shocked.
When they first met, Feng Xiaotian had sensed an otherworldly aura emanating from Ning Tianchen.
His strength had always been inferior to Ning Tianchen's, so he hadn't thought much of it at the time, assuming Ning Tianchen was still at level 99.
He never expected that Ning Tianchen had truly broken through to level one hundred.
Ning Tianchen gestured for calm. "Don't be surprised. I have twin martial souls. After my first martial soul broke through the Title Douluo level, I added multiple spirit rings to my second martial soul, and my strength quickly surpassed level 99."
Everyone was already undergoing the ninth trial, so they naturally understood the conditions for inheriting godhood.
Since Ning Tianchen had already broken through to level 99, it made sense that he wouldn't delay further.
Feng Xiaotian rarely joked around, but he teased, "No wonder you're the captain—your cultivation speed is simply unmatched."
Ning Tianchen retorted, "If you focus on your cultivation and break through level 99, you can inherit godhood too. What's there to envy?"
"However, from now on, you'll probably have to sacrifice some cultivation time."
Dai Weisi was following his script, and the palace coup would soon unfold.
At that point, the war for the unification of the continent would begin.
Ning Tianchen had already ascended to godhood, and as a god, he couldn't directly join the battlefield.
Thus, many of the finer details had to be entrusted to Feng Xiaotian and the others.
After the banquet ended, everyone gathered in Ning Tianchen's study.
During this time, Ning Tianchen had meticulously reviewed and organized his plans into a book.
When he laid out the plans on the desk, Feng Xiaotian and the others were stunned by the sheer scale of his ambitions.
"This is just…"
The common people of the continent had no concept of continental unification!
In many remote areas, the populace only knew of the Spirit Hall and had no idea about the existence of the two empires.
This provided fertile ground for the war of continental unification.
As long as the Spirit Hall avoided making foolish mistakes like before, they wouldn't lose their core support base.
Once the war for continental unification began, if the Spirit Hall managed public opinion effectively, the war would proceed without major incidents.
The upper three sects' role in this process would be to minimize civilian casualties and prevent ordinary people from being dragged into the war, as well as to actively organize post-war reconstruction efforts.
"It's still too insane."
After reading through the plans in the book, Feng Xiaotian couldn't help but voice his concerns. "Tianchen, you want to create a stable and harmonious society, but after the continent is unified, resources will inevitably concentrate in the hands of the upper class. Ordinary soul masters won't have any opportunities, and the situation might even become more dire than it is now."
With the two empires competing against each other, both sides vied for talent, which drove up competition for resources.
Once the continent becomes a single empire, commoner soul masters will find it nearly impossible to obtain cultivation resources from the nobility. They may even have to rely on the nobility just to survive.
Ning Tianchen had, of course, considered these issues.
From his drawer, he took out another booklet containing detailed explanations of these problems.
After the continent stabilizes, the population will inevitably experience explosive growth. Without sufficient resources, the scenario Feng Xiaotian feared would indeed occur.
But if new resources are continuously introduced, the situation would ease.
The development of marine resources on the Douluo Continent had been almost nonexistent. Perhaps the future focus could shift to the seas.
Of course, marine resources would eventually be depleted as well.
Ning Tianchen had calculated that when the resource consolidation on the Douluo Continent reached its next limit, the Sun and Moon Continent would arrive.
At that time, the collision of the two continents would inevitably lead to conflict, forcing the nobility to relinquish their hoarded resources once again.
Looking at his plans, could one even describe them as merely "insane"?
Ning Rongrong added, "Thousands of years from now, when the two continents collide, it will indeed bring war. But at least the Douluo Continent will have enjoyed thousands of years of peace, allowing many industries to develop."
"The arrival of the Sun and Moon Continent will primarily reshuffle society, returning vast amounts of resources to the continent."
"As for the distant future, we needn't worry about it."
"We are merely people of this era, and our perspectives inevitably have significant limitations. Future talents will refine and improve upon our ideas."
"In short, we must focus on the present while leaving room for future generations to build upon."
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