"My master told me he's found an opportunity to break through, but what's holding him back now isn't his cultivation insights, but his vitality and physical body."
Entering the city, Xiao Changfeng walked unhurriedly through the back garden of the Black Tortoise Merchant Guild's headquarters with Xu Tianxi and Yue Lao, relaying Xu Xiaoyun's situation with a heavy sense of pressure in his voice.
"Titled Douluo have long lifespans, but even for a Level 98 Super Douluo like my master, their vitality will decline, and their bodily functions will degrade. The older they get, the less chance they have of progressing further."
"According to records, most Limit Douluo break through during their prime, before they are two hundred years old, or even one hundred and fifty. Super Douluo over two hundred years old aren't without hope, but they need to be fully prepared and exercise extreme caution."
"My master is already over two hundred and forty years old. He needs at least three to five years of good recuperation for his chances to significantly improve. If he succeeds, he'll gain another hundred years of life and stand unrivaled in the world."
Xu Tianxi glanced around, then, perhaps realizing something, asked, "Then, Senior Martial Uncle, what can we do for him?"
Of the three Limit Douluo in the world today, Mu En was nearing his end, while Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui were still at their peak. When he eventually went to the Sun Moon Empire, he would inevitably clash with those disgusting members of the Holy Spirit Church. He didn't have the same connection with Mu En, so Long Xiaoyao wouldn't secretly protect him.
Kong Deming theoretically could protect him, but everything was uncertain at the moment, and future events were unpredictable. It was far less reliable than Xu Xiaoyun breaking through to the Limit Douluo realm.
Xiao Changfeng glanced at Xu Tianxi, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes, and gently shook his head.
"Unless we can find some peerless natural treasures, there's no way for us to help Master. At their level, even Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings and Soul Bones are no longer of much use."
"According to Master, the current Sect Master of the Body Sect has an additional set of Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings and Soul Bones compared to him, yet he has been stuck at Level 99 for over a hundred years, trying every method without success."
"Although I haven't reached their level yet, I can subtly sense some of the difficulties. After entering the Super Douluo realm, breaking through another level is incredibly hard."
Xu Tianxi stopped beside a turtle-shaped rock garden, raised an eyebrow, and chuckled softly.
"Senior Martial Uncle, you're being too modest. Grandmaster has high hopes for you and has always been proud of you. Even with my limited vision, I can tell you're much stronger than the head of Shrek Academy."
For Xu Xiaoyun to constantly speak of him, Xiao Changfeng's talent was certainly extraordinary. One must remember that he was already a Level 96 Super Douluo at under sixty years old. As long as he didn't get stuck at one level for decades like Yan Shaozhe, he had a good chance of breaking through to Level 98 before he turned one hundred.
The Light and Darkness Twin Sacred Dragon of yesteryear, and indeed most Limit Douluo, were probably at this level in their youth.
Xiao Changfeng stood beneath the pavilion, smiling casually, then his gaze turned cold, and he waved his hand, saying in a chilly voice,
"Little Junior Nephew, there's no need to mention that hypocrite Yan Shaozhe. It's also my fault that I couldn't make it in time when I saw your mother off back then. Otherwise, why would Master need to deal with him? I would have certainly given him a good test of his abilities."
"Shrek Academy relies on its immense power to bully my Xuanming Sect, but I'd like to see what Shrek will rely on to maintain its supreme position on the Douluo Continent once that Dragon God Douluo passes away!"
As his words fell, the temperature in the garden suddenly dropped considerably. A pure, icy aura emanated from Xiao Changfeng's sleeves, chilling one to the bone.
Xu Tianxi took out a cotton coat he had prepared earlier from his Storage Ring, put it on to ward off the cold, and rubbed his hands together, asking, "Senior Martial Uncle, are you planning to make a move on Shrek after Mu En's death?"
"How could that be? Even if I went, I couldn't kill anyone. The Beast Tide a hundred years ago couldn't destroy Shrek City, and I wouldn't be able to either, nor can I drag the Xuanming Sect into the abyss."
Xiao Changfeng shook his head, a mysterious smile playing on his lips, and said,
"The only ones in this era who can destroy them are the armies of the Sun Moon Empire. We can't act directly, but you can cultivate in the Sun Moon Empire. Later, you can return with an army to the Douluo Three Kingdoms to avenge your mother, and we will do our best to help you in secret. Senior Martial Uncle, do you understand what I'm saying?"
Understood. Turn traitor!
Xu Tianxi's pupils suddenly constricted, his expression greatly astonished. There was more than one person in the Xuanming Sect who wanted to go to the Sun Moon Empire!
Over the past two years, Xu Xiaoyun had Yue Lao teach him Soul Engineer knowledge, and he had already had a suspicion. Now, he could finally confirm it: both his Grandmaster and Senior Martial Uncle, the high-ranking members of the Xuanming Sect, had developed the intention to betray the Douluo Three Kingdoms.
And for their specific plan, at the very least, it involved sending him, the Xuanming Sect's most talented young genius and future strongest expert, to cultivate in the Sun Moon Empire.
Given his own formidable talent, this was no longer just diversifying investments; it was a clear choice for the Sun Moon Empire, with even they themselves participating.
Xiao Changfeng observed the changes in Xu Tianxi's expression, thought clever, and said with a smile,
"As a citizen of the Heavenly Soul Empire, you might not be able to accept what Senior Martial Uncle is telling you. Let me tell you, your mother was not from the Douluo Three Kingdoms; she was from the Sun Moon Empire, and what's more, she was from the Sun Moon Imperial family!"
Xu Tianxi's eyelid twitched, though there wasn't much commotion in his heart.
Sun Moon, Sun Moon—as the name implied, the imperial family's inherited Martial Souls included the sun and moon, and occasionally the Purple Blaze Annihilation Heavenly Dragon would appear. The Sun Moon Empire's top expert, Kong Deming, was titled Silver Moon, and Kong Xiyue's Martial Soul was Tidal Cold Moon. He had already made these connections.
Seeing Xu Tianxi's calm demeanor in the face of surprise, Xiao Changfeng nodded inwardly again and continued,
"Your mother's lineage was a collateral branch of the Sun Moon Imperial family, serving in the military for generations. They were a very important force within the military for the Sun Moon Imperial family. Before your grandfather's death, he served in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Legion, the foremost of the Sun Moon Empire's Five Great Guardian Hands. Before his exile, he was a vigorous Level 7 Soul Engineer, one of the representatives of the military's younger generation. You should know the significance of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Legion, right?"
"Yes, I do. It's the strongest force in the Sun Moon Empire, directly commanded by the Sun Moon Emperor, specifically responsible for guarding Mingdu and the safety of the Sun Moon Emperor," Xu Tianxi nodded in affirmation, his mind racing.
Xiao Changfeng nodded slightly and said slowly,
"That's right. This legion is directly under the Sun Moon Emperor. Every warrior is an elite Soul Engineer with five or more rings, and they come from pure backgrounds, mostly descendants of Sun Moon Empire nobility. Your grandfather was just like that back then."
"Your mother's grandfather, which is your great-grandfather, was once the head of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, the strongest among the remaining Four Great Hands Protecting the Nation. He was a Level 9 Soul Engineer with countless disciples and old acquaintances. Before your mother's entire family was exiled, they enjoyed extreme honor; few families in the entire Sun Moon Empire could compare to them."
Xiao Changfeng's words were shocking, revealing another astonishing secret that left Xu Tianxi somewhat stunned.
From the sound of it, his mother's family was deeply rooted in the Sun Moon Empire's military and represented a portion of the Sun Moon Imperial family's interests.
A family of this caliber would be tied to countless vested interests. Moving against them could cause turmoil in the military and the imperial family. How could they have been easily exiled? Were they traitors who colluded with the enemy?
Xu Tianxi voiced his confusion, but Xiao Changfeng merely chuckled, a sneer appearing on his face as he scoffed,
"They not only did not betray the Sun Moon Empire, but they firmly stood on the Sun Moon Empire's side. The one who truly betrayed the Sun Moon Empire's interests was the previous Sun Moon Emperor, whose entire family was killed in a coup."
As his words fell, Yue Lao, who was following behind the two, immediately frowned, his face clouded with gloom, and a deep-seated hatred flickered in his eyes. He spoke, "Your Excellency, allow this old servant to explain the rest."
Xiao Changfeng nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
Yue Lao thanked him, his eyes slowly reddening, and said to Xu Tianxi:
"Young Master, ever since the two continents collided over four thousand years ago, the borders between the Sun Moon Empire and the Heavenly Soul and Star Luo Empires have never known peace. Various conflicts have constantly erupted, especially the intense friction with the Star Luo Empire.
Many years ago, the contemporary White Tiger Duke Dai Hao of the Star Luo Empire, in order to accumulate merits for commanding the Western Army Group, organized military forces from his White Tiger lineage to launch a fierce assault on the Sun Moon border. They broke through three border checkpoints, massacring countless common folk, and many Sun Moon officers were beheaded, their heads displayed as trophies.
When news of this reached Mingdu, the Sun Moon military was furious. Several young and ambitious military figures, including your maternal grandfather, jointly wrote a petition in blood, requesting to fight back against the Star Luo Empire and avenge themselves.
But at that time, that dog of an emperor actually said something about valuing peace and prioritizing the greater good—he was worse than an animal!
Your maternal grandfather and the others knelt for several days outside the palace gates, begging to go to war. Not only did that dog of an emperor not comfort them, he even wanted to dismiss them from their posts!"
"When the news spread, the whole country was in an uproar. The military, of course, was unwilling to accept it, and that dog of an emperor refused to back down. The turmoil escalated, and in the end, several families, including your maternal grandfather's, were sentenced to exile by that dog of an emperor!
Your maternal great-grandfather, our old master, died of rage, spitting blood, right there beneath the palace gates! And several other Level 8 Soul Engineers from the military met the same fate!
We were exiled to a small island. Your maternal grandfather died in an accident at the hands of a Sea Soul Beast not long after, leaving only the young lady and us old servants..."
At this point, Yue Lao was weeping uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face as he choked out:
"Fortunately, fortunately, a few months later, when we went out to hunt for Soul Rings for the young lady, we met Xu Zu, who was hunting for seafood. Xu Zu was attracted by the aroma of the young lady's grilled fish. After eating a few of our grilled fish, he helped the young lady hunt for her Soul Ring, and then we chatted about the young lady's background...
After Xu Zu learned the whole story, he took us away from the place of exile, took the young lady as his disciple, and trained her diligently. He also sent her to Shrek Academy. At the Pan-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament held in Mingdu, she swept through all the Sun Moon Empire's teams right in front of that dog of an emperor!"
"It's just a pity that that dog of an emperor died too soon, killed by his brother in a coup that wiped out his whole family. It was truly letting that beast off easy!"
"Now I understand," Xu Tianxi said. "That dog of an emperor truly alienated everyone and brought about his own demise."