At just the right moment, Kong Deming spoke up:
"Your Majesty, all of this was made possible thanks to my disciple, Jiang Shengyu. Without him, how could we have developed such a powerful tool to oversee the entire world?"
As soon as he said this, all eyes—including the Emperor's—turned toward Jiang Shengyu.
Although Jiang Shengyu was already fairly well-known among the higher ranks of the Sun
Moon Empire, this was the first time he had formally stepped into the spotlight before the full court of nobles and ministers.
"A great roc rises with the wind, soaring ninety thousand li into the sky!"
From the side, Xu Tianran added his praise:
"If not for Shengyu, our Sun and Moon Empire would never have achieved such splendor! He brought us cutting-edge civilian soul tool technology, revived the once-lost Tang Sect, and now—he's even launched a Soul Guidance Satellite into the sky! This means our Sun Moon Empire has… conquered the heavens!"
Conquered the heavens!
Those four words electrified the entire court.
At the head of the room, the Emperor's excitement soared. The Sun Moon Empire had conquered the skies—and it happened under his reign! That alone was enough for his name to go down in history.
"Shengyu's achievements surpass all others!"
By now, the mood was so elated the Emperor could say anything.
With a grand wave of his hand, he made a bold declaration before all his ministers:
> "I hereby decree—Jiang Shengyu shall be ennobled as Duke of the Sun Moon!"
Everyone had expected some kind of reward for Jiang Shengyu's achievements—but no one had anticipated the Emperor would directly confer ducal status—and not just any title, but Sun Moon itself!
Even the boldest among the court officials were stunned. One after another, they bowed in protest:
"Your Majesty, please reconsider! Young Master Jiang is still quite young—wouldn't a dukedom be excessive? And the title 'Sun Moon'... it carries great weight..."
Even Kong Deming intervened, saying, "Your Majesty, please take more time to consider this decision."
Only then did the Emperor realize just how shocking his announcement had been. To hand out such a prestigious title so casually—what was he thinking? He covered his mouth with a cough and said:
"I let my joy cloud my judgment. Your advice is wise."
After a pause, his gaze fell once again on Jiang Shengyu. After thinking it over, he revised his decree:
"Very well—then let him be temporarily granted the rank of Marquis, titled after his martial spirit: Marquis of the Heavenly Moon. How does that sound?"
A marquisate was still within the court's range of acceptance, and all the officials nodded in approval.
Kong Deming patted Jiang Shengyu's shoulder, and the young man stepped forward to bow respectfully:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your gracious favor."
"Congratulations, Marquis Shengyu!"
With the official conferment complete, ministers began stepping forward to offer their congratulations. Regardless of his age, Jiang Shengyu now held noble rank. As the newly titled Marquis of the Heavenly Moon, he had formally entered the upper echelons of imperial power.
However, unlike most marquises, Jiang Shengyu was granted no fiefdom.
The Emperor clearly had deeper plans. After all, Jiang Shengyu's contributions weren't likely to end here. If he handed out too many rewards now, there'd be nothing left to give later. And what then—the throne itself?
No—he had to leave room for future advancement.
Watching the ministers flock to congratulate Jiang Shengyu, the Emperor continued:
"Marquis Shengyu, I hope you continue to strive for excellence and build upon the Empire's future. Should you achieve even greater feats one day, the title of Duke of the Sun Moon shall not be withheld!"
This was clearly dangling a carrot—but Jiang Shengyu had no choice but to accept it with gratitude.
Outwardly, he bowed respectfully.
Inwardly, though, his thoughts were entirely different:
> Feudal monarchies? Sooner or later, they must fall.
> With the rapid advancement of soul tool technology, a feudal system simply can't keep up. The entire royal class will eventually be swept into the dustbin of history.
---
News of the satellite's successful launch quickly spread through Mingdu, orchestrated by the government's propaganda machine. The entire city was thrown into awe and celebration.
The Empire had no concerns about spies from the former Three Kingdoms of the Douluo Continent within Mingdu.
There was a fundamental divide between the two sides:
The difference lay in their attitude toward soul tools. In the Sun and Moon Empire, civilian-use soul tools had long since become widespread—completely integrated into daily life.
But the people of the Three Kingdoms had no exposure to such technology. Even if they trained specifically for it, those nations simply didn't have enough soul tools to simulate or learn from.
As a result, spies sent from the Douluo side typically exposed themselves immediately after crossing into Empire territory.
---
As the newly minted Marquis, Jiang Shengyu now had a marquis' residence being constructed in Mingdu. Though it would take time to complete, he still lived at his original place for the moment.
However, the number of visitors to his door had skyrocketed—most of them opportunists trying to cozy up to someone rising fast.
Jiang Shengyu welcomed those with value. The rest?
"Kindly show yourself the way out."
---
"Hey! Your Lordship!"
Xiao Hongchen called from a recliner in the courtyard, glancing over at Jiang Shengyu and shaking his head with mock exasperation. He gave him a thumbs-up.
"You're officially the youngest marquis in the entire Sun Moon Empire!"
"But I won't be far behind," he added, flashing a confident grin. "A noble title, huh? I'll have one soon enough."
"By the time you make Marquis, I might already be a Duke," Jiang Shengyu teased, smiling. "Maybe you should start practicing your bowing now? You'll have to do it eventually anyway."
"You little punk! Already acting high and mighty, huh?"
Xiao Hongchen playfully waved his fist at him.
Off to the side, Meng Hongchen watched their interaction with an amused smile.
Between them, there was no need for stiff formalities or empty courtesies. As long as one became a Titled Douluo, a noble title would naturally follow—no need to fight for it.
Suddenly, Jiang Shengyu asked, "Hey, when are we heading to Star Luo City?"
The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament rotated its venue between the Three Kingdoms of the former Douluo Continent, and occasionally Shrek City. This year, it was being held in Star Luo City.
"In a couple of days," Xiao Hongchen replied after a moment. "Yuhao's pretty much wrapped up his research on the soul tools."
He sighed, "Wouldn't it be great if they held the tournament in Mingdu someday? Then we wouldn't have to travel so early every time."
"There'll be a chance," Jiang Shengyu nodded.
Xiao Hongchen didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he said, "Right, how's that investigation going—the one I asked you to do about Nana's family?"
Jiang Shengyu looked at him and said casually,
"Beg me, and I'll tell you."
"…You little…" Xiao Hongchen was speechless.
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