When Jiang Shengyu said those words, Xu Tiannan's expression brightened instantly.
He nodded eagerly. "Rest assured! I will keep my word!"
Then, after a brief hesitation, he asked, "So… does that mean we are allies now?"
Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong exchanged glances. Both fell silent, their expressions showing hesitation and inner conflict. After a long pause, Jiang Shengyu finally nodded and said,
"Mm. We are allies now, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The respectful form of address at the end made Xu Tiannan exhale in relief.
After the two siblings departed, Xu Tiannan sighed softly.
"Talented though they may be, they're still young. Lacking in political depth. Just a few words, and they've already let go of past grudges."
"With geniuses like them on your side, Your Highness, your position will be unshakable!" Xu Tianyuan added flatteringly, laughing along.
Just then, Juzi entered the main tent.
"Your Highness," she said with concern, "do you truly intend to grant them such lofty promises? Whether it's the Soul Hall or those two themselves—once they grow in power, they could become an even greater threat than the Holy Spirit Cult!"
Xu Tiannan shook his head.
"Of course not. I just need to overcome the current crisis. Once I sit upon the throne, I'll command all the resources of the Sun Moon Empire. I won't permit the rise of another Holy Spirit Cult!"
"But their talent is terrifying…" Xu Tianyuan said with a frown.
Xu Tiannan's eyes grew cold. "A genius only matters after they grow up."
"Silvermoon Douluo won't allow us to take such actions," Xu Tianyuan reminded him.
Xu Tiannan nodded slightly. "Naturally. That's exactly where the Holy Spirit Cult will serve its final purpose."
He intended to redirect the Holy Spirit Cult's wrath toward Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong. Once he ascended the throne, the Cult's two Ultimate Douluo would inevitably move to eliminate them—
and in the process, Kong Deming's hatred would shift entirely toward the Holy Spirit Cult, making it a tool for Xu Tiannan's future use.
It was, on paper, a clever plan.
If Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong had truly been natives of the Douluo Continent, it might even have worked.
But unfortunately for him… they weren't.
The idea that they would actually trust Xu Tiannan was laughable.
Outside the military encampment, Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong walked away with faint smiles.
Whatever Xu Tiannan plotted next didn't matter. For now, to protect his claim as Crown Prince, he would have no choice but to strike against the Holy Spirit Cult in order to win Kong Deming's favor.
Killing with a borrowed blade, as the saying went—
Let dogs bite dogs, and save them the trouble of getting their own hands dirty.
Why not let him do the work for them?
At the gates of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion's station, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen waited anxiously. When they finally saw Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong return, both of them breathed sighs of relief.
Meng Hongchen hurried forward, pulling Qingtong's hand away from Jiang Shengyu's and asking worriedly,
"Did the Crown Prince make things difficult for you?"
"Don't be afraid to tell us," Xiao Hongchen said boldly. "We'll get Grandpa and His Excellency Silvermoon to teach him a lesson!"
Fearless as ever, Xiao Hongchen didn't care that they were speaking of the Sun Moon Empire's Crown Prince himself.
Jiang Shengyu glanced back toward the main tent and said helplessly,
"Let's go. He won't bother us for now."
The Huiguang Territory Rebellion had, in fact, been secretly incited by Xu Tiannan himself.
He had manipulated several old nobles—resentful that the Mingde Hall and Soul Hall had empowered a rising class of new nobles through soul tool technology—into joining forces with the Duke of Huiguang to rebel.
His goal was twofold: to personally lead troops to "quell" the rebellion and thus gain prestige, while also using the opportunity to purge the old aristocracy.
With the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion personally deployed and Juzi directing strategy as the actual commander, the rebellion was swiftly crushed within days.
The Huiguang Territory was stripped of its noble status and downgraded to an ordinary province of the Sun Moon Empire.
Jiang Shengyu and his companions also sent a detailed letter to Kong Deming, reporting the situation so he would understand what had transpired.
When their training mission concluded, they began the journey back to Shrek Academy.
This time, they didn't return through the northern route.
Instead, they traveled south along the Mingdou Mountain Range, entering the former Three Kingdoms of the Douluo Continent through the Yuming Pass in the Star Luo Empire's territory.
Upon their arrival at Shrek Academy, Yan Shaozhe personally came to meet them.
Looking at the group, worn from travel, he asked sharply,
"Where on earth have you all been? I searched the entire continent and couldn't find a trace of you!"
"We went to the Sun Moon Empire," Wang Dong'er answered plainly.
Hearing that, Yan Shaozhe's brow furrowed deeply. He looked at Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong.
"Was that your decision?"
Jiang Shengyu nodded. Yan Shaozhe's expression darkened further, but he remembered Mu En's instructions—not to make the siblings feel alienated from the academy. So he turned to Snow Empress, frowning.
"Teacher Xue, why didn't you inform the Academy?"
"I was merely their protector," Snow Empress replied calmly. "Their training is their own affair. It's not my place to decide where they go."
Seeing her composed demeanor, Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath and restrained his irritation.
A Super Douluo of the Extreme Ice element was no one to provoke lightly.
Even though he himself had reached rank 96—technically one level higher—he knew he was no match for her in a true fight.
Yan Shaozhe let the matter drop with a sigh.
"Forget it. What matters is that you've returned safely. And as it happens, the Sea God Fate Matchmaking Festival is coming up soon. You're all inner court students and of suitable age—you're eligible to participate."
"Sea God Fate? A matchmaking festival?"
Xiao Hongchen blinked. "You mean… like arranged marriages?"
Yan Shaozhe's face immediately darkened.
"Nonsense! The Sea God Fate Festival is a long-standing Academy tradition. Only those who share true mutual affection can form a bond there. It's hardly an arranged match!"
Xiao Hongchen blinked again but didn't argue.
Yan Shaozhe's gaze then shifted from him to Jiang Qingtong.
"Qingtong," he said with a faint smile, "Beibei has come out of seclusion."
Qingtong blinked, tilting her head slightly. "So what?"
Yan Shaozhe chuckled, pride in his eyes.
"Beibei's martial soul has evolved—from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon into the Radiant Holy Dragon! It's the same as Elder Mu's, with an almost pure Light attribute. This means he has a tremendous chance of becoming an Ultimate Douluo in the future!"
"And what," Jiang Qingtong replied mildly, "does that have to do with me?"
Xiao Hongchen snorted in agreement. "Exactly. So what if he has a Radiant Holy Dragon? There are plenty of talented people around. Our Qingtong wouldn't be impressed."
Yan Shaozhe gave Xiao Hongchen a sharp look,
frowning, but ignored him.
Instead, he turned back to Qingtong and said simply—
"Beibei is waiting for you on Sea God Island."
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