In the Star Luo Imperial Capital, inside the palace, the clear sound of exquisite porcelain shattering against the floor was accompanied by Xu Jiawei's deafening roar of fury.
"Ah! My Soul Bones, my Soul Bones!"
"Damn Dark Demon Evil God Tigers, don't let me find any of you within the Star Luo Empire again, or I'll wipe you out! No, I'll completely annihilate you! Not a single one left, not a single one!"
Xu Jiawei's emotions had been on a rollercoaster. He was preparing a banquet in the palace to welcome Xu Jiujiu back when he suddenly heard a distress signal from the Ming Dou Great Forest. Soon after, he saw Xu Jiujiu return safely. Before he could even properly celebrate, he learned from Xu Jiujiu that their "savior, Jing Hongchen, had leveraged his kindness for a reward." After dismissing his attendants, the emperor's suppressed rage finally erupted.
Three Soul Bones, each over five hundred thousand years old! Those were strategic, rare resources, capable of fetching tens of millions of Gold Soul Coins at auction. They could enhance a Soul Master's foundation, with over a 70% chance of cultivating a Titled Douluo.
At the lowest estimate, the Hongchen Hall Master's demand for compensation this time cost Xu Jiawei thirty million Gold Soul Coins.
Considering that such Soul Bones were priceless and hard to come by, the true value was probably over fifty million Gold Soul Coins, almost a year's tax revenue for the Star Luo Imperial Capital. How could Xu Jiawei not go mad?
But could Xu Jiawei blame Jing Hongchen? He couldn't. If Jing Hongchen hadn't killed the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, Xu Jiujiu, a pillar of the imperial family, Nebula Douluo Man Yi, a Guardian Douluo, and Huang Heyun, a future Titled Douluo, would all have been swallowed alive by the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. If that news had broken,
he would probably have fainted from crying, with royal physicians by his side 24/7.
Not only could he not blame Jing Hongchen, but he also had to fulfill his promise to hand over the Soul Bones. Otherwise, the future of Xu Jiujiu and the other two would be ruined, their cultivation unable to advance. The Star Luo imperial family's reputation would also be tarnished, and if any imperial family members encountered danger in the future, they couldn't blame others for standing by.
The Mingde Hall Master saved someone, and the Star Luo Empire reneged on the compensation? Are you a Titled Douluo or a Super Douluo? Do you have the confidence to get benefits from the Star Luo imperial family? Bah! What a faithless bunch!
But the more he thought about it, the more wronged Xu Jiawei felt! Given the relationship between the two empires, how was this any different from aiding the enemy? Was he cultivating the opponent's genius to fight himself? What a dark joke!
There was no other way; he could only vent his anger on the Dark Demon Evil God Tigers. It was all those bastards' fault!
Watching the exquisite porcelain shattered by Xu Jiawei's fury, Xu Jiujiu, her lips pressed together and face pale, feeling equally sad, gave Man Yi a meaningful look.
"Grandma Man Yi, quickly collect all these shards and sharp objects. We don't want them to hurt Imperial Brother."
Imperial Brother was already going through so much; he couldn't be hurt further. Otherwise, who would manage such a vast empire?
Hearing this, Xu Jiawei, who was trembling with anger from the sudden misfortune, shakily put down a piece of porcelain he was about to smash. He took a deep breath, turned around, and forced a smile, saying,
"Jiujiu, don't underestimate your Imperial Brother! I've seen many storms in my life; what's a little setback like this? It's nothing, nothing at all. I only lost a few tens of millions of Gold Soul Coins this time. I can earn it back next year by holding a large competition. Losses can be earned back—"
Seeing the usually wise and decisive Xu Jiawei speak with such forced cheerfulness, Xu Jiujiu felt a pang in her heart. She lowered her head and said,
"I'm sorry, Imperial Brother. We were too careless. If we had been more vigilant then, and hadn't rashly gone to find an overly powerful Soul Beast for Huang Heyun, perhaps we wouldn't have encountered this accident—"
Huang Heyun's Martial Soul was the Dark Demon Tiger, possessing dark attributes, no weaker than the White Tiger Martial Soul. In the past two years, he had worked diligently, cultivating to level 60 with the support of a Soul Bone and abundant resources from the Star Luo Empire, which was a cause for great celebration.
Xu Jiujiu and the others wanted to find him the most powerful and compatible two-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast for his sixth Soul Ring, so he could show off his skills in the upcoming competition. Then they found the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. Good news: there was no Soul Beast on the entire Douluo Continent more compatible with Huang Heyun. If he could absorb it,
Huang Heyun's Martial Soul might even evolve, granting him a direct ticket to Super Douluo.
Bad news: this Soul Beast was too powerful; only a Super Douluo could take it down, beyond their current capabilities.
A thought even flashed through Xu Jiujiu's mind, plagued by bad luck: Should I invite two more venerables from the Worship Hall next time I go out? Though it's extravagant, it seems necessary.
But in an instant, she suppressed the thought. She was only a princess, not the emperor; she couldn't easily ask multiple venerables for a Soul Hunt.
"Imperial Brother, next time we hunt Soul Beasts, why don't you directly send people to catch them? Jiujiu is almost afraid to go out now..."
Xu Jiujiu hugged her slender shoulders, sobbing softly. As she spoke, two clear streams of tears ran down her fair, perfect cheeks.
"No! Jiujiu, you are the princess of my Star Luo Empire, my Imperial Brother's pride! You must cheer up,
never give up on yourself. Your Imperial Brother is counting on you to lead our Star Luo warriors to win second place in the next competition!"
Seeing Xu Jiujiu's mental state nearing collapse, Xu Jiawei forgot his own anger. He quickly stepped forward, placed his hands on Xu Jiujiu's shoulders, and comforted her loudly, patting his chest as he said,
"It's just killing a Soul Beast, what's there to be afraid of? When you cultivate to the Soul Sage realm, your Imperial Brother will personally go out and find the most suitable Soul Beast for the princess of our Star Luo Empire!"
"But Imperial Brother—"
"No 'buts.'"
Xu Jiawei covered Xu Jiujiu's lips, stopping her from saying anything else inauspicious.
"Don't underestimate your Imperial Brother. Although I've relaxed my cultivation since becoming emperor, I am still a dignified Titled Douluo! Could something still go wrong?"
As he spoke of his cultivation, a hint of pride appeared on Xu Jiawei's face. As the Star Luo Emperor, he could mobilize the nation's resources for his own use, including Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones. Though not a Super Douluo, he was still at level 94.
As the most outstanding genius of the Star Crown lineage in hundreds of years, if he hadn't become emperor and neglected his cultivation, Xu Jiawei was confident he would have long since entered seclusion to comprehend and break through to level 95.
Seeing Xu Jiawei's spirits finally lifting, Xu Jiujiu's gloomy mood also cleared. She nodded and said,
"Jiujiu naturally trusts Imperial Brother. So, Imperial Brother, what should we do next?"
"There's nothing more to say; we'll do what needs to be done. Give them everything that's due. We can't let the Sun Moon Empire look down on our Star Luo. Three Soul Bones, I, Xu Jiawei, can afford it! Anyway, Shrek takes three every twenty years, so it doesn't matter much."
Xu Jiawei sighed and waved his hand, then his expression relaxed. He continued,
"Jiujiu, you did very well this time, proposing the idea of exchange and learning. From what you said, Jing Hongchen has actually agreed to exchange and learn with us; it's just a matter of the price. That's easy to discuss. Your Imperial Brother will fully support you in leading the team to win second place!"
"Jiujiu will certainly not disappoint Imperial Brother's expectations!" Xu Jiujiu bowed deeply, her voice resolute.
"Mm, your Imperial Brother will be watching."
After comforting each other, Xu Jiawei finally regained some of his imperial demeanor. He nodded, his gaze gradually deepening as he spoke with surging ambition:
"The Sun Moon Empire's Soul Guided Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. The development of Soul Guided Devices is an unstoppable trend. I will propose in court to increase investment in Soul Guided Devices. Our Star Luo Empire absolutely cannot fall behind."
"If those stubborn old fools insist on opposing, your Imperial Brother will contend with them to the end. If money isn't enough, your Imperial Brother will even use the imperial private treasury to develop Soul Guided Devices. The Sun Moon Empire has the elite corps of the Five Great Guardian Hands,
Our Star Luo Empire must have them too!"
"Even if it means large-scale smuggling from the Sun Moon Empire's black market, I will gather equipment for our soldiers that is no less than theirs! I refuse to believe that our powerful Soul Masters, equipped with Soul Guided Devices, will still be inferior to those weaklings from the Sun Moon Empire!"
"Your Majesty is wise." "Your Majesty is brilliant."
In the Heavenly Soul Empire, amidst a mist-shrouded, precipitous cliff face.
Xu Xiaoyun walked through the air as if strolling, with Xiao Changfeng a step behind him, his eyes filled with wonder.
The Body Sect's location had always been hidden, and it had been reclusive for over a hundred years; even he was visiting for the first time.
"Teacher, I heard that the previous sect master of the Body Sect, Du Bisi, died in a life-or-death battle with Dragon God Douluo. Is the current sect master Du Bisi's younger brother, Poison Undying? I wonder what his strength is like? And how many powerful experts does the Body Sect have?" Xiao Changfeng asked, very interested in this renowned sect.
Xu Xiaoyun said, "Old Poison is quite capable. Over a hundred years ago, our strengths were comparable. His physical body was stronger, while my defense was stronger, so we each had our winning points. But we never fought to the death, and both held back our trump cards, so I don't know what progress he's made in these past hundred years."
"However, in my estimation, if he hasn't had some extraordinary stroke of luck, he's probably stuck at the final hurdle now, unable to advance an inch."
"It's hard to say about the others. I haven't been in contact with them for a long time, so perhaps they're slightly stronger than us. The Body Martial Soul indeed has its unique aspects."
Xiao Changfeng nodded silently, assessing his current strength and considering whether to spar with a Body Sect expert later.
For Soul Master experts, fists were the best form of exchange.
Their pace was incredibly fast, covering a thousand meters in a single step. In less than a minute, massive, ancient buildings nestled against the mountains came into view.
Among the buildings were ancient houses, a Soul Duel Stage, mimetic training environments, and ancient scripture pavilions. In the distance, two Soul Masters could be seen sparring on the Soul Duel Stage, one with five Soul Rings and the other with six.
Surprisingly, the battle was dominated by the younger five-ring Soul Master, whose Soul Ring configuration was also extraordinary: one yellow, two purple, and two black.
The surrounding area was bustling with noise, and many disciples cheered loudly.
"Senior Brother Long Aotian truly lives up to his reputation as the top genius of our Body Sect's younger generation! He comprehended the battle technique of combining spiritual power and soul power so early!"
"Even the six-ring Senior Brother, who used his Black Iron Grade Awakening, is no match for Senior Brother Long Aotian! I think Senior Brother Long Aotian is definitely the undisputed choice for Young Sect Master!"
"To cultivate to Soul King before the age of fifteen, without using any medicine, Senior Brother Long Aotian's talent is unparalleled!"
High in the sky, Xu Xiaoyun followed the cheers of the Body Sect disciples to find Long Aotian's towering figure, standing out from the crowd. His eyes subtly shifted.
"I didn't expect that it's not just my Xuanming Sect that has a genius emerging; the Body Sect also has formidable younger talents. This young fellow is truly impressive; San Shi is not as good as him."
Xiao Changfeng watched for a moment, agreeing profoundly, "A thousand-year second ring, a ten-thousand-year fourth ring—this aptitude is truly exceptional. With the Body Sect's resources, it's only a matter of time before he reaches my level."
When it came to killing Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beasts, the Body Sect was far more ruthless than their Xuanming Sect; they would do anything for their disciples.
"Teacher, when he attacks, his whole body focuses power. Could it be that, like Poison Undying, his Martial Soul is his own body?"
Xu Xiaoyun observed from a distance for a while, then shook his head. "Doesn't seem like it. The quality of his Martial Soul is a bit lower than Old Poison's, but it's still extremely extraordinary. It might be something like skin, or another full-body organ..."
Just as Xu Xiaoyun and his disciple were evaluating the Body Sect's younger generation, a dark green soul light burst towards them, revealing a tall old man, green from head to toe.
The tall old man was about to shout, "Who goes there?" but then he recognized Xu Xiaoyun's face. His eyes widened in surprise, and he swallowed the words he was about to say, muttering in disbelief,
"You're Old Turtle? How did you get so young? Could it be that you—"
Xu Xiaoyun nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face. "It's me, Xu Xiaoyun. Long time no see, Old Poison. Over a hundred years have passed, how have you been?"