As Xu Xiaoyun's words fell, the room fell silent for a moment before Xu Fu's somewhat hesitant voice rang out again:
"But Great-Grandfather, we're from the Heavenly Soul Empire, this..."
Xu Xiaoyun fixed his gaze on Xu Fu, calmly cutting off the latter's unfinished sentence, and slowly said:
"You're a Heavenly Soul person, but Tianxi isn't. He has half Sun Moon Empire blood.
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In the Heavenly Soul Empire, he's a Heavenly Soul person. In the Sun Moon Empire, he's a Sun Moon person. What's the problem with that?
If your junior sister's family hadn't been exiled by the previous Sun Moon Emperor, they'd probably still be in the Sun Moon Royal Family's genealogy; you're not from the Heavenly Soul Royal Family, so why are you worrying about this?"
Xu Fu was speechless for a moment, then finally smiled wryly and nodded, "...You're right."
Xu Xiaoyun snorted softly, then sighed quietly:
"Don't think I'm being too harsh. Your first wife was a princess of the Dou Ling Empire, and you took Sanshi to visit them a few years ago. What was the result?
That Douling Royal Family prides itself on its noble bloodline. When have they ever looked kindly upon our Xu Family?"
"Although they don't know that I'm still alive, nor are they aware of the full strength of our Xuanming Sect.
But you are the head of my Xu Family, representing the face of my Xu Family. How can I allow them to treat us with such contempt?"
"They don't even consider that if noble bloodlines were useful, how would their Xue Family's empire have been largely seized by rebels, even losing Heaven Dou City!"
"Since that's the case, why should our Xu Family bother to fawn over them, foolishly risking our lives for those idiots? Just maintaining contact is enough."
Upon hearing this, Xu Fu bowed respectfully and said, "Understood."
For their Xuanming Sect, the interests of the sect outweighed everything.
"Furthermore, Tianxi just lost his mother and cried himself unconscious. He's in a very bad mood right now. Isn't that child Sanshi returning from Shrek? Let him go visit Tianxi when he has time. Young people are easier to talk to."
"All right, your grandson remembers."
Half a month later, the sky cleared.
Xu Tianxi and two others walked out of a towering building that reached into the clouds. Xu Tianxi smiled into the sun, Yue Lao respectfully followed by his side, and Chen Wu yawned, his listless face filled with a look of existential doubt.
"Third Young Master, you don't need to work so hard to become a Soul Master. Staying in the Library Pavilion for half a month is really too boring."
Half a month ago, Xu Tianxi woke up and immediately wanted to go to the Library Pavilion. As his page, Chen Wu naturally had to accompany him, but he was still a child of just over six years old. Not leaving the house for half a month was truly unbearable.
"Books are good things. It's good for you to read more, kid," Xu Tianxi said, patting Chen Wu's shoulder with his right hand, smiling as he comforted the latter.
As a newcomer, familiarizing himself with the situation was the top priority. The Xuanming Sect had a history of over ten thousand years, and its book collection was vast, making it an excellent place to learn.
He only remembered a general outline of the original novel he had read in his previous life, and information about Martial Souls and Soul Beasts was a complete blank, with little memory from his previous body.
After half a month of intensive study, he had gained some understanding of the history of top continental powers like Shrek, Body Sect, and Mingde Hall, as well as information on certain Martial Souls and Soul Beasts.
He wasn't sure if it was a benefit of being a transmigrator, but he found that he had photographic memory. When he asked Yue Lao, he learned that this was a manifestation of strong Spiritual Power.
"What's more, if you can't even distinguish between types and ages of Soul Beasts, how will you find suitable ones to hunt in the future? Yue Lao, don't you agree?"
Xu Tianxi first lectured Chen Wu, then turned his head to smile at Yue Lao and said.
"Young Master is right," Yue Lao responded with a full smile, looking at Xu Tianxi with increasing satisfaction.
After Miss passed away, the Young Master became much more composed, and his Spiritual Power also increased after the stimulation of life and death separation. It could be considered a blessing in disguise.
Just then, a questioning voice came from above their heads, causing the three of them to stop in their tracks.
"But Tianxi, you're a direct descendant of the Xuanming Sect. You're almost certain to awaken the Profound Tortoise Martial Soul.
The Soul Skill configuration for the Profound Tortoise hasn't changed in our Xuanming Sect's ten thousand years of inheritance."
The three looked in the direction of the voice and saw an agile figure leap down from a lush old tree, landing steadily on the ground.
The person executed a flip to absorb the momentum, then flashed what he considered a very handsome smile at the three, waving with a slightly mischievous expression as he greeted them: "Hey! How's it going, Tianxi? Am I handsome, bro?"
Xu Tianxi saw the person's face, his eyelid twitched, then he pointed at the other's hair expressionlessly, "You have a leaf in your hair, and your hairstyle is messed up."
"Ah? I stayed in the tree too long, and my hair got messy?"
The boy, who called himself "bro," had a very childish face, and from his features, he appeared to be no older than ten. Upon hearing that his hair was messed up, he immediately took out a small mirror and comb in a fluster, meticulously styling his hair in front of the mirror with an ostentatious air.
Xu Tianxi sighed as he watched this guy. The person before him was indeed his older brother, Xu Sanshi, one of the Shrek Seven Devils from the original novel, known as the Eternal Defense.
His classic feat was taking the wrong path at a critical moment, choosing to travel by land when there was a clear water route.
He remembered that this guy liked to act like an ass in the original novel, and from his current appearance, it seemed he had been like this since childhood.
"Third Young Master, Second Young Master's sudden appearance, it won't be detrimental to you, will it?" Chen Wu was very wary of Xu Sanshi's appearance, and he whispered a reminder to Xu Tianxi like a fawning lackey.
The Xuanming Sect had been passed down for over ten thousand years, with countless main and branch lineages. Internal strife was frequent, and there were numerous disciples in this generation. It was rumored that even the Second Young Master was somewhat disliked, which was why he went to Shrek so early.
Xu Tianxi glanced sideways at Chen Wu, helplessly saying:
"Xiao Wu, remember, you're different from others. Don't waste your thoughts on speculating about these things.
Even if you don't trust Yue Lao's strength, do you not trust my second brother's brain?"
"With him like this, could he possibly be here to harm me?"
Chen Wu grinned sheepishly at the words, while Yue Lao proudly puffed out his chest.
Yue Lao was a Six Ring Soul Emperor. Though this wasn't particularly impressive within the Xuanming Sect, he was certainly no match for a mere child like Xu Sanshi. Just releasing his Soul Power pressure could immobilize any Soul Master below the Soul Elder rank.
As the three continued walking, Xu Sanshi, having fixed his hair, immediately darted forward, casually pushing Chen Wu aside and striking up a conversation with Xu Tianxi, eager for his younger brother's approval.
"Come on, Tianxi, look at my hair now! How does it look? Is it cool or what?"
"Cool."
"Heh heh, good eye! Let me tell you, your second brother isn't the same as when I left home a year ago. I'm already a Great Soul Master now, with twenty-four levels of Soul Power! I just got back from Shrek on holiday, isn't that amazing?"
"Amazing." Xu Tianxi extended a thumb, his expression unruffled, as if he were teasing a child with a lollipop.
Xu Sanshi couldn't stop his lips from curving upward, his hand constantly patting his chest, as he animatedly recounted his achievements, seemingly with an endless supply of stories.
"Haha, your second brother met many powerful geniuses at Shrek Academy this year. But besides that scoundrel Bei Bei, none of the others were as talented as me. Many people with several levels more Soul Power than me were no match."
"That Bei Bei's Martial Soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, hailed as the strongest Assault Type Beast Martial Soul in the world. But no matter how powerful his Thunder Dragon Claw is, he won't break my Profound Tortoise Shield Array!
Heh heh, and he's a bit older than me. Among all the students in Shrek's Outer Courtyard, your second brother is the youngest and most talented."
"Your second brother has already decided, once I become a Soul Elder, I'll give myself the nickname 'Eternal Defense.' By then, your second brother will be the First Defense System Soul Master of Shrek's Outer Courtyard. What do you think?"
"...I think that Bei Bei you mentioned probably isn't as good as you at being a scoundrel either."
"What did you say, Tianxi? I didn't hear you clearly." Xu Sanshi's eyes narrowed, revealing a benevolent smile.
"...I said, Second Brother, you have great insight." Xu Tianxi replied with a serious expression.
"Haha! Tianxi, you really know how to talk. You're much more pleasing to the eye than the other siblings. I don't want to see any of those guys."
Xu Sanshi laughed heartily, then patted his chest with a self-satisfied air, waving his fist, as big as a sandbag, and jumping around, saying:
"Your second brother is not who he used to be. If anyone dares to bully you, just tell your second brother. I'll definitely flatten their head with my Xuanming Shield!"
"There actually is someone. Do you want to go flatten him for me?" Xu Tianxi walked casually ahead of Xu Sanshi, a playful curve to his lips.
"Who in the Xuanming Sect dares to disrespect my brother and me? I'll go deal with him right now!" Xu Sanshi was filled with heroic spirit, two flames of conviction burning in his eyes.
With the two young masters of the Xuanming Sect joining forces, even his elder brother wouldn't be able to stand against them!
"That person is Yan Shaozhe, the head of Shrek Academy. A few days ago, when my mother's first seven days of mourning weren't even over, he blamed her for the Star Dou tragedy. It angered our ancestor so much that he beat him up, and I also slapped him hard a few times.
Thinking about it now, it's still not enough. It would be great if you could give his head a few more hits."
Xu Tianxi walked forward with his hands behind his back, speaking nonchalantly, as if it were just a trivial matter.
"Cough, cough, cough... cough, cough, cough!"
Violent coughing came from Xu Sanshi behind him. Xu Tianxi stopped and turned, quickly supporting Xu Sanshi, who looked as if he'd seen a ghost, his eyes wide as eggs, clutching his chest and coughing. He asked with concern:
"Second Brother, what's wrong? Did your Soul Power go awry?"
"Don't call me brother... From now on, you're my brother!"