In the luxurious fifth-floor room of the castle, Xu Zihuang sat at a desk, dressed in elegant purple robes, calmly savoring the fragrant tea in his porcelain cup.
Compared to the two Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion soldiers standing nervously behind him, he appeared much more composed. The chaos on the island and within the castle seemed like it was happening in a completely different world from the one he inhabited.
However, the tightly clenched handle of the cup in his hand, with veins bulging along his right hand, betrayed his inner turmoil.
The brilliance in his noble and clear violet eyes flickered as a subtle smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"I didn't expect Uncle Wang to escape your pursuit. It seems your control over the southern regions of the empire isn't as strong as I thought," he remarked inwardly.
Earlier, during Wang Xiao and Hai Xiao's exchange, their conversation was intentionally amplified by soul power to echo across the entire island. Naturally, Xu Zihuang, at the heart of the island, heard everything. From their words, he pieced together the general situation.
Xu Zihuang was very familiar with Wang Xiao. A cautious and meticulous man, if Wang Xiao had made it here, it meant he had prepared thoroughly.
Had Xu Zihuang not been adept at controlling his emotions, he might have burst into laughter at this moment. He had spent the past three years in despair, and now, a ray of hope had finally emerged. How could he not be overjoyed?
With his natural talent, if he escaped this prison, he was confident he would one day make Xu Tianran and his father pay the price. The throne of the Sun Moon Empire would no longer be out of reach. Xu Zihuang had no doubt in his abilities.
The Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon and Golden Eyes were not even his full arsenal.
Behind him, the two Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion soldiers, oblivious to Xu Zihuang's thoughts, were on the verge of breaking down. Their trembling hands rested on the grips of their soul tool cannons as they stared anxiously at the door.
"Damn it! What's going on in the castle? Why haven't the others returned yet?!"
"How should I know?!"
Under such extreme tension, their emotions were at a breaking point.
They had been ordered to stay by Xu Zihuang's side and dared not leave to investigate.
"Hmm?" Xu Zihuang suddenly raised his head from his cup, his gaze locking on the door.
"What terrifying spiritual power!"
For a moment, he, too, felt uneasy. He was certain no one in the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion possessed such overwhelming spiritual power—not even Hai Xiao, a Soul Douluo. But even in the former Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, there hadn't been someone like this.
As if in response to his gaze, the door creaked open, and the two soldiers behind him collapsed to the floor, lifelessly.
In the dim hallway outside, a pair of blood-red eyes glowed menacingly, meeting Xu Zihuang's.
Xu Zihuang's heart skipped a beat. The icy aura emanating from the figure was too reminiscent of those sinister evil soul masters.
But he quickly exhaled in relief as familiar faces of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion soldiers appeared behind the figure. Many of them were faces he recognized.
"Young Lord!"
The soldiers knelt before Xu Zihuang, their voices filled with emotion. The clanging of metal armor echoed through the room, expressing their inner turmoil.
The two words they uttered carried countless feelings.
Among them, the elderly Yu Lao, whose hair turned white, had eyes reddened as his hunched figure left Xu Zihuang momentarily stunned.
Xu Zihuang had a deep impression of Yu Lao.
Yu Lao, over eighty years old, had retired from the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion more than a decade ago to serve as a guard at Xu Zihuang's family estate. Although he hadn't accompanied Xu Zihuang's father to the imperial capital, thus escaping death, he had clearly endured great hardships while evading Xu Tianran's assassins over the years.
The once-vibrant, black-haired Yu Lao now appeared aged and weathered, his previously ruddy complexion replaced by a pallor that stirred pity.
"Elder Yu, please rise."
Xu Zihuang said, rising from his seat and personally helping the elder to his feet. He gestured for the others to stand as well.
"Everyone, get up. We'll have time to catch up later. Right now, we're not entirely out of danger."
"Give me a rundown of the current situation."
Xu Zihuang's calm demeanor caught everyone off guard. In his composed brow, they saw a shadow of the former prince they had once served.
"It seems we've underestimated you, Young Lord," Yu Lao said with a gratified smile. His gaze shifted to Yao Yang, who had now retracted his martial soul and displayed a refined and scholarly air, completely devoid of his earlier chilling aura.
"Zihuang, you resemble your father, Uncle Zhengxuan."
Zhengxuan, Xu Zihuang's father, was formally known as Xu Zhengxuan, the Purple Brilliant King, who governed the Sun Moon Empire's four wealthiest provinces in the south.
From the title of Purple Brilliant King, it was easy to see the importance of his father to the former Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire. It was the first time in the thousands of years of the Sun Moon Empire's history that a direct descendant of the imperial family had been given one of the empire's major martial soul titles.
Even Xu Zihuang's name stemmed from this legacy.
(T/N: Zi=Purple, Huang=Brilliant)
Xu Zihuang turned to meet Yao Yang's gentle gaze, puzzled. He felt no familiarity with this man but could sense genuine goodwill from him.
"This is the first time we've met, isn't it?"
Yao Yang nodded, a mix of nostalgia and regret flashing in his eyes.
"I haven't seen your father in nearly ten years. Who would've thought that our parting would be the last?"
"You're right about what you said earlier; this isn't the time to reminisce. We'll discuss everything once we've left this place," Yao Yang quickly contained his emotions and said, patting Xu Zihuang's shoulder warmly before explaining Wang Xiao's plan in detail.
After finishing, Yao Yang added, "Everyone, check your stationary soul cannons to ensure they're ready." He turned to Xu Zihuang with a gentle smile.
"By the way, my name is Yao Yang. Stay close to me from now on; otherwise, I might not be able to keep you safe from the cannon barrage."
Xu Zihuang raised an eyebrow, his thoughts racing, but he chose not to ask further.
Gathering his hair into a neat ponytail, he followed Yao Yang and the soldiers to the castle rooftop.
The rooftop offered an expansive view of the island, from the embattled central battlefield to the crumbling walls along the perimeter.
High above, the battle between Wang Xiao and Hai Xiao was nearing its climax. Hai Xiao's Purple Thunder Devil Ray True Body was riddled with gashes, while Wang Xiao fought with increasing vigor, clearly holding the upper hand.
Xu Zihuang withdrew his gaze and looked toward the collapsed walls, feeling a surge of excitement. Beyond those walls lay the freedom he had dreamed of for three years.
At that moment, the soldiers retrieved two-meter-long, jet-black cannon barrels from their storage soul tools, aiming them at the battlefield below and awaiting the order to fire.
Just as preparations were complete, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from behind.
"Are you two useless? You can't even handle such a simple order?!"
The angry voice belonged to Yu Lao, who stormed forward, frowning at the golden-haired girl brought in by two soldiers.
The girl's white gown was stained with blood, her hands trembling slightly. Though her soul power was sealed, Yu Lao cautiously stepped in front of Xu Zihuang, blocking her from his view.
Xu Zihuang frowned, recognizing the girl—Yin Ziyue.
"What happened?"
"Young Lord, she took advantage of these two fools not paying attention and released her martial soul, killing the other nine noble ladies you selected," Yu Lao said grimly, glaring at the two careless soldiers.
Kneeling before Xu Zihuang, Yin Ziyue abandoned her prior aloofness, her demeanor now resembling that of a desperate dog.
"Your Highness, those women were sent by the Crown Prince. They deserved to die!"
"Oh, and what about you?" Xu Zihuang asked coldly, his eyes narrowing.
Yin Ziyue hesitated before raising her head. A glimmer of hope shone in her sapphire eyes. She was much smarter than the other noble ladies, understanding that they were very likely to be silenced by Xu Zihuang and his group in this situation. By killing the others, she essentially cut off her own path back to the Sun Moon Empire.
In a way, this was her way of showing loyalty to Xu Zihuang.
"Your highness, I am the second daughter of the Marquis of Yin City. I came here willingly to bear your children. I have no ties to the Crown Prince. Please take me with you. I know where my family controls several rare metal veins in the southern part of the empire. I have decent cultivation talent and am familiar with handling matters among nobles. I will be of use—..."
As she quickly listed her worth, this was the most embarrassing moment in her sixteen years of life. However, she didn't feel demeaned at all. As long as she could leave with Xu Zihuang, she had endless possibilities for the future. Xu Zihuang's father had managed the four most prosperous provinces in the southern part of the empire for so many years, and his foundation was incredibly deep. Following Xu Zihuang would be much better than being a tool for a political marriage in her family.
But before she could finish, Xu Zihuang interrupted her with a calm voice that sent shivers down her spine.
"Those people are dead, and that's that."
A smile began to form on Yin Ziyue's face but froze as Xu Zihuang's next words struck like a dagger.
"But you overestimate your value. It's not worth burdening my people for you. They are far more precious than you'll ever be."
With no expression, Xu Zihuang took a soldier's soul tool sword, calmly stepped forward, and stabbed it through her throat.
As he handed the bloodstained blade back to the soldier, the room fell silent.
The soldiers gazed at their prince with newfound admiration. He was more decisive and ruthless than they had imagined, but such a lord was worth following.
Yao Yang's eyes shone with approval for Xu Zihuang's decision.
"If only Uncle Zhengxuan had been this decisive, he wouldn't have met such a tragic end."