Xu Tianran knew his imperial father very well. When the Emperor first ascended the throne, he was filled with grand ambition and lofty ideals, eager to accomplish great things. But after so many years worn down by the endless power struggles of the court, his passion had long since dulled.
A man like this might show timidity when it came to military decisions, but when it came to power—his own authority—he cared deeply.
And so, Xu Tianran's words hit their mark with deadly precision:
Complete control over everything within the empire.
That was what the Emperor truly desired.
When Xu Tianran finished speaking, Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen both gave the crown prince a look, nodding slightly in approval.
From his seat on high, the Emperor waved his hand decisively. "The Crown Prince speaks with wisdom! Then I shall entrust this matter to Lord Silvermoon and Lord Hongchen. Once the Soul Guidance Satellite is ready for launch, I will personally lead the civil and military officials to witness the event!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Jing Hongchen responded with a respectful nod.
Kong Deming also nodded slowly. As an elder of the royal family, he outranked the Emperor by seniority. Moreover, as the most powerful figure in the Sun Moon Empire, he was not required to show the formal obeisance of a subordinate, even to the Emperor himself.
---
Later, Jiang Shengyu heard about what had happened at court from Jing Hongchen and couldn't help clicking his tongue. "The Emperor is getting old."
"Careful with your words," Jing Hongchen warned. "If someone else heard you say that, even with your talent, it'd still cost you dearly."
Jiang Shengyu grinned. "Don't worry, Senior Brother. You know how sly I am."
Then, Kong Deming turned to Huo Yuhao and Xuan Ziwen, asking, "The satellite is ready for launch—what's the progress on the mobile soul tool development?"
The master and disciple exchanged glances. Xuan Ziwen sighed and answered, "No matter how we try, we still can't fully replicate all the functions your junior brother described for a 'phone.'"
Jiang Shengyu blinked and raised his hand. "Well… we don't have to replicate everything. That's beyond our capabilities right now. We just need the core features—instant communication, message transmission, time display—that should be enough."
"If it's just those functions, then it's manageable," Xuan Ziwen said, nodding. He then gave Huo Yuhao a subtle signal.
Huo Yuhao understood and added, "Additionally, the construction of the first-generation signal towers is complete. The prototype tower uses a Tier-3 Soul Guidance Formation Core, which can scan and support transmissions within a 3-kilometer radius."
Kong Deming nodded slightly and asked, "I remember Shengyu once suggested direct satellite connection. In a future war against the Three Kingdoms of the former Douluo Continent, our forces likely won't have tower coverage. How's that coming along?"
Xuan Ziwen answered, "To link a phone directly to the satellite, the soul formation embedded must meet very high standards. According to our tests, the device needs at least a Tier-7 Soul Guidance Array to even establish a connection—and to maintain a stable link, it requires at least a Tier-8 array."
"Tier-8, hmm…"
Kong Deming thought for a moment and nodded. "That's fine. Get a batch built first—we can refine the design later. If you're short on hands, ask your senior brother. Mingde Hall still has plenty of Level-8 Soul Engineers."
While Level-9 Soul Engineers were rare—even in the Sun Moon Empire, only a few dozen existed—Level-8 Soul Engineers weren't nearly as scarce.
Xuan Ziwen himself was one, and even though he was Kong Deming's direct disciple, he was still just a researcher at Mingde Hall and an instructor at the Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
---
The satellite launch was fast approaching, and all the associated projects were being accelerated in tandem.
The launch site was established on the outskirts of Mingdu, repurposed from one of Mingde Hall's suburban laboratories into a fully functional launch pad for the operation.
Looking up at the towering white soul-guided rocket resting on the launch platform—decorated in the Empire's iconic sun-and-moon motif—Jiang Shengyu was momentarily dazed.
The four golden characters "Sun Moon Aerospace" painted boldly across the rocket's body made the entire scene feel surreal.
The observation platform had been set up at a safe distance, guarded by the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Legion—personally assigned by the Emperor. It was the most powerful force in the Empire, led by three Level-9 Soul Engineers, including one royal.
Jing Hongchen sat in the control room, overseeing everything. As the countdown neared zero, he sent someone to ask the Emperor for final launch approval.
The Emperor sat at the center of the viewing platform, with Jiang Shengyu, Xu Tianran, and Kong Deming seated below.
He gazed into the distance at the immense rocket. When the messenger came from Jing Hongchen, he turned to Kong Deming.
Kong Deming nodded and said, "Your Majesty, the time has come."
The Emperor nodded in response and gave the final order to launch.
With a command from the control room, the soul guidance formations beneath the rocket ignited. A massive burst of energy erupted downward, propelling the great white dragon of a rocket into the sky.
The earth trembled.
A radiant white light pierced the heavens.
An arrow loosed toward the firmament.
Even though the Emperor and his officials couldn't see the satellite deploy in space, just watching the rocket ascend was more than enough to leave them utterly awestruck.
In fact, the only one who remained composed was Jiang Shengyu—though even he felt as if he were dreaming. Seeing a rocket launch in this world was still a fantastical experience.
Before long, a report came through from the control room:
The first Soul Guidance Satellite has reached its designated orbit and successfully transmitted a signal.
"Long live the Sun Moon Empire!"
The Emperor read the message and exclaimed "Excellent!" several times in a row. He passed it down for all to see.
Outside, the Royal Soul Engineer Legion echoed the Emperor with a thunderous chorus:
"Long live the Sun Moon Empire!"
The Emperor then looked toward Kong Deming and asked, "Lord Silvermoon, what level were the formations inscribed beneath the rocket? From what I saw, the power was comparable to fixed-installation soul-guided cannon shells!"
Kong Deming replied, "The rocket's main propulsion system consists of twelve energy-converging jet-type Tier-9 Soul Guidance Arrays. They produce enough thrust to carry the satellite beyond the atmosphere."
This was an undertaking that only the Sun Moon Empire could afford. Tier-9 formations were slightly less demanding than full Tier-9 soul tools, but still required the full dedication of a Level-9 Soul Engineer.
"Excellent! Excellent indeed!"
The Emperor clapped enthusiastically, and the ministers behind him followed suit, lavishing praise on Mingde Hall's brilliant research.
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