Dai Yuhao wouldn't have imagined that shortly after he made his vow, the peerless senior he admired would lose his life in despair.
Xu Tianxi and the other two were certainly not members of the Holy Spirit Church. Sending Evil Soul Masters to trick Huo Yuhao into joining was solely to prevent him from being remotely detected by the Tang God King.
Once the task was complete, there was no need for the Evil Soul Masters to remain alive. As orthodox Soul Masters, they would never tolerate such individuals living on.
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As for the Evil Soul Masters they couldn't defeat, that was one thing. But if they could be defeated and fell into their hands, letting them live longer was only to extract their full value!
Regarding whether the Tang God King would seek trouble with the Holy Spirit Church afterward, Xu Tianxi expressed his anticipation for such a peculiar phenomenon.
After all, if the Tang God King hadn't blown up Slaughter City, that prison, and destroyed the Martial Soul Hall, that professional Evil Soul Master hunter, and then failed to make the Tang Sect and Shrek fulfill their proper responsibilities, Evil Soul Masters would never have developed to their current scale.
Today's Holy Spirit Church is guarded by two Limit Douluo, with Super Douluo and Titled Douluo aplenty under their command. Their hard power surpasses all other Soul Master forces on the continent; it's simply outrageous.
Part of Xu Tianxi's decision to go to Sun Moon was also because he didn't want to encounter these people on the battlefield, especially since the Holy Spirit Church had that old hag Ye Xishui. He didn't think he could necessarily escape from such a madwoman.
Ming Dou Mountain Range, at the border between the Star Luo and Sun Moon Empires.
"Young Master, we have investigated. The Sun Moon Empire army currently stationed on the other side of the Ming Dou Mountain Range is the Sun Moon Empire's First Soul Engineer Legion. Its commander is named Xu Sheng, an eighth-level Soul Engineer. He comes from the Sun Moon royal family and once received guidance from your maternal great-grandfather. He also had some friendship with your maternal grandfather back then..."
Yue Lao recounted Xu Sheng's old connections as if listing his family treasures, then asked with some concern:
"Young Master, do you really intend to cross the Ming Dou Mountain Range alone to their military camp? We could take the regular trade route."
Xu Tianxi shook his head and smiled, "I ran away from home to seek refuge with Grandmaster Uncle, a transparent person from the Xuanming Sect. It's impossible for me to get official credentials. Even if I forge one, I'd still be an unregistered person, so there's not much difference."
"These few days are when the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy annually organizes students to the front lines for patriotic education. My destination is the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy; I'm waiting for them."
"Besides, if I don't do this, how will they believe that my determination to enter the Sun Moon Empire and avenge my mother is unwavering?"
"Don't worry, Yue Lao. I'm now a thirty-fifth level Soul Elder and can also produce fifth-level Soul Guided Devices. I can already train independently. I can handle the rest of the journey myself. Grandmaster Uncle even had me bring a letter of recommendation for Jing Hongchen."
Yue Lao fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Alright, please be extremely careful."
"Don't worry, I understand the stakes."
One day later, in the Sun Moon Empire's Ming Dou Mountain Range defense zone, at the First Soul Engineer Legion's garrison.
"Director Lin, and all you talented young people from the Sun Moon Royal Academy, this is our first line of defense where the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire exchange fire. It's based on the natural barrier of the mountains, and its defenses are impregnable..."
Xu Sheng, the commander of the First Soul Engineer Legion, was rarely free, and personally led Lin Jiayi and a group of students from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to explain the frontline layout, describing it vividly.
Normally, there was no need for him, the commander, to personally appear; a deputy would suffice. But among the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy students who came this time, there was not only a group of geniuses said to be participating in the "Glory for the Nation" competition in two years, but also the Mingde Hall Master's grandson and granddaughter. This made it worth Xu Sheng's personal appearance.
Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen's strength ranks among the empire's top, and his prestigious status is almost unrivaled. He controls countless resources. Building good relations now will make it easier to ask for new equipment in the future.
However, despite his efforts, some people in the crowd were listening absentmindedly. One of them, a white-haired young man, was yawning and looking sleepy, whispering to a pale-faced student next to him.
"Senior SanShui, how do you get your skin so fair? Do you have any secrets? Tell me, please."
"Ahem, Young Master Xiao, you're the Dean's grandson, I'm not. Director Lin and Commander Xu are watching, I don't dare to slack off."
Li SanShui, who once had the achievement of changing the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's beauty and heartthrob rankings, made a bitter face, waving his hand to beg Xiao Hongchen not to mess with him.
You're the dignified ninth-level Soul Guidance Master, Academy Dean, and grandson of the Mingde Hall Master, the most outstanding genius in the Sun Moon Empire in a thousand years. Those two eighth-level masters wouldn't dare do anything to you, but my small arms and legs can't handle it!
Xiao Hongchen pouted, then glanced out of the corner of his eye at Xu Sheng and Lin Jiayi, who seemed completely oblivious to them. He lowered his voice and continued:
"Who told you your skin is so fair and stands out so much in our country? You're the fairest in the whole academy. Isn't Meng's birthday coming up? I want to give her a surprise."
"Just tell me, and I guarantee great benefits. I can even get you Soul Guided Devices below level six."
Li SanShui's face grew even more bitter: "...I really don't know about that. Maybe it's because neither of my parents are from the Sun Moon Empire, and I'm naturally beautiful and hard to abandon?"
Xiao Hongchen: "..."
Looking at my darkened face, do you think I believe you?
"Why don't you look elsewhere? There are plenty of surprises in the world, maybe something even better?"
Li SanShui pleaded repeatedly, trying to divert Xiao Hongchen's attention.
Xiao Hongchen shook his head with a light sigh, glancing at Meng Hongchen, who was next to him, meticulously grooming her soft white hair with a small mirror and comb, also not listening attentively to Xu Sheng's rambling. A faint smile played on her lips. He spread his hands helplessly and said:
"You know our background. Meng has seen all sorts of good things since she was little. Even if I stole a ninth-level Soul Guided Device from the academy vault, she might not be happy. She might even steal something her grandfather made himself. I have to find another way."
Li SanShui broke into a sweat, "I heard you started stealing... secretly visiting the academy vault to admire various Soul Guided Devices above level six a few years ago?"
"Yeah, I've tried all sorts of exciting things. Then I get lectured by grandpa afterward. I don't want to go again."
Xiao Hongchen, who treated the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy as his own home, spoke with emotion, a look of lingering fear on his face.
At this moment, Commander Xu Sheng, who automatically ignored some extremely individual students not listening attentively, was still chatting and laughing with Lin Jiayi:
"Director Lin, you don't know, this defense line of ours not only defends against attacks from the Star Luo army, but it also has another purpose: to receive people from the three nations who have smuggled themselves into our Sun Moon Empire."
Lin Jiayi was surprised, "Oh? Could it be that for all these years, people from the original Douluo three nations have been actively crossing thousands of difficulties and obstacles to come to our Sun Moon Empire?"
"Of course! Our soul engineering technology is conservatively estimated to be a thousand years ahead of theirs. The living standards on both sides are completely incomparable. Our country has always been inclusive of foreign talents, so of course, it has attracted many insightful individuals!"
Xu Sheng proudly puffed out his chest and grinned, "Like your Mingde Hall's eighth-level chief researcher, Master Xuan Ziwen, aren't his parents from the Heavenly Soul Empire?"
"That's true."
Lin Jiayi nodded slightly. Although it was obvious that people smuggled in were unregistered individuals without proper documentation, the Sun Moon Empire didn't pay much attention to that. As long as they could withstand scrutiny and had sufficient talent, the Sun Moon Empire was willing to cultivate geniuses from the original three nations.
Xuan Ziwen was not only the Sun Moon Empire's foremost eighth-level Soul Guidance Master but also a personal disciple of an extremely powerful ninth-level Soul Engineer expert. Even the Mingde Hall Master held Xuan Ziwen in high regard because of this, yet Xuan Ziwen himself was merely a second-generation rich kid.
"It's just a bit of a shame," Xu Sheng said with a sigh, recalling the various individuals seeking political asylum in the Sun Moon Empire during his time on garrison duty. "The Douluo Three Nations always portrays us as monsters, so truly discerning individuals are rare. Almost everyone who comes here is a talented person with dreams of Soul Guided Devices that they can't realize. Soul Master geniuses are extremely, extremely rare."
He went on to say that while the Sun Moon Empire's homeland couldn't be said to entirely lack Soul Master geniuses, they were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. In contrast, there were far too many Soul Master geniuses in the three nations.
Lin Jiayi chuckled, "Commander Xu, there's no need to be so sentimental. Our academy will catch up eventually. Who knows, maybe in a few days, a few Soul Master geniuses will fly over from the other side. You never know."
Just then, a figure suddenly flew up from the distant defense line and sped towards Xu Sheng and the others to report.
"Commander, there's a young Soul Master genius from the Douluo Three Nations who wants to enter our Sun Moon Empire. They're a three-ring Soul Elder, and their strength is not weak."
"Coming just like that?"
Hearing this, Xu Sheng and Lin Jiayi exchanged glances.
"Well, Director Lin, should we go take a look?" Xu Sheng suggested with interest.
Lin Jiayi agreed without hesitation, "Look! We absolutely must look!"
With that, he turned to Xiao Hongchen and the others. "What about you? Interested in coming along?"
Xiao Hongchen was about to say that it sounded boring and he'd rather go back to sleep, but then Meng Hongchen, standing beside him, eagerly raised her hand. Her bright, sparkling eyes were full of curiosity. "I want to go!"
Xiao Hongchen, a black line appearing on his forehead, silently raised his hand. "I'll go too."
Many other students, including Li SanShui, also unanimously raised their hands, indicating that they definitely wanted to witness such a rare and lively event.
A moment later, they heard the distant voices of Xu Tianxi and the first defense line's scout conversing.
"I am Xu Tianxi, from the Xuanming Sect, a reclusive sect in the Heavenly Soul Empire. My mother was from the Sun Moon Empire and tragically died for reasons I can't easily explain now. I was persecuted in the Heavenly Soul Empire and bear a blood feud. I hope to gain asylum in the Sun Moon Empire..."
His coherent words, strong voice, and most crucially, his background immediately piqued everyone's interest. Even Xiao Hongchen, who usually looked down on everything, showed some curiosity.
A reclusive sect, the Xuanming Sect? Grandpa mentioned it once; it seems to be a not-so-weak sect from the three nations.
Pulling back the tent flap, the figures of Xu Tianxi and the scout conversing came into view. The faint morning light happened to fall on half of Xu Tianxi's face. His moon-like eyes exuded an extraordinary aura, exceptionally captivating.
"Eh? This boy is really handsome, isn't he?"
Meng Hongchen's eyes lit up, having spotted a very pleasing target.
For some reason, Xiao Hongchen's heart skipped a beat.