Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
This was originally a hotel, bought half a year ago by Li Gang and converted into the current Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
The interior of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was covered with colorful glazed tiles, as if one had entered a dreamlike world. For the Sun Moon Empire, which possessed spirit tool technology, such a small renovation was effortlessly achieved.
In the only room on the top floor, Xu Tianyang stood quietly by the window, observing the bustling scene below.
"Your Majesty..."
"Cough cough, how many times have I said it? When we're out, we must conceal our identities." Xu Yunxiao lightly coughed, interrupting Li Gang.
"Uh..." Li Gang scratched his head and then spoke again: "Your Excellency, invitations have already been sent to all the renowned powers on the Douluo Continent. Many people have arrived in Heaven Dou City these past two days. I estimate that by the day of the auction, almost all the powers of the Douluo Continent will be present."
"Hmm, you've done very well. After this, the matters here will be mostly complete. You can then return to the Empire; I will send someone to take over here." Hearing Li Gang's report, Xu Yunxiao nodded in satisfaction.
"You may leave. Arrange the auction well; don't disgrace my Sun Moon Empire."
"Yes!"
After Li Gang left the room, only five people remained: Xu Tianyang, Xu Yunxiao, Feng Tianxiang, Xu Nianshuang, and Xu Sheng.
"Tianyang, your method is excellent. Using treasures as an attraction to draw all the powers of the Douluo Continent here. This way, we can clearly gauge about seventy to eighty percent of their strength." Xu Yunxiao turned his head to look at the young man, who was gradually growing up in the distance, and praised him.
"To collect information on the continent's powerhouses over a long period would inevitably draw the attention of certain individuals. It's better to turn passive into active, letting them come to us. With the auction as a shield, no one will discover our true objective for a while." Xu Tianyang turned around and said calmly.
Although he already knew some things, he couldn't directly state them; they needed to come from legitimate sources.
"I wonder how many Titled Douluo will be attracted?" Xu Yunxiao leaned back in the recliner with interest, a hint of battle intent subtly appearing in his eyes.
The ten-thousand-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone had allowed him to directly advance to level ninety-two peak upon breaking through to Titled Douluo. Over the subsequent two years, he naturally assimilated the benefits brought by the ten-thousand-year spirit ring. After gathering a full set of Spirit Bones, he broke through to level ninety-five a month ago, officially stepping into the realm of Super Douluo.
Having reached this level of strength, no one on the Sun Moon Continent could be his opponent. When he first learned that the Douluo Continent had so many Titled Douluo, he had greatly desired to spar, but due to his identity, he suppressed the impulse in his heart.
This time, he wondered if his wish could be fulfilled?
"Yunxiao, this is, after all, foreign territory. Your and Tianyang's identities are extremely important; we should prioritize caution." Seeing Xu Yunxiao's itching hands, Xu Sheng was startled. If, due to a moment of impulse, both the Emperor and the Crown Prince were captured, that would be quite a predicament.
The Sun Moon Empire would surely go mad.
"I understand, Third Uncle!" Xu Yunxiao's rising battle intent was immediately doused with cold water. He looked at Xu Sheng and nodded helplessly.
Xu Sheng was his elder, who had taken great care of him in his youth and later assisted him in handling government affairs. Xu Yunxiao respected him greatly. He himself was an eighty-eighth-level Spirit Douluo, with the imperial family's inherited Sun Spirit, making him one of the imperial family's foundations.
Seeing Xu Yunxiao nod, Xu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Their group, openly, consisted of one Titled Douluo and three Spirit Douluo. This strength was comparable to the Upper Three Sects.
There were also covert arrangements, so as long as they weren't too reckless, it was sufficient to handle most situations.
"I heard that there's a human forbidden zone in the north of Heaven Dou, the Far North, where many ice-attribute Spirit Beasts reside. Shuang'er and Tianyang are both already level thirty and need a spirit ring. Since we're in the Heaven Dou Empire, after the auction, we'll go to the Far North to hunt your third spirit rings."
Xu Yunxiao observed his son and daughter-in-law, his eyes filled with gratification. Thirty years old at ten years old! Such talent was unheard of. They were the future of the Empire.
There was also Yang Yiyi at home, equally extraordinary, having cultivated to level twenty in a year. Before they left, she had already gone to hunt for a spirit ring.
They first experienced the domineering nature of the Devouring attribute. This talent was even stronger than Xu Tianyang's, no wonder so many people couldn't resist the temptation and chose to fall.
However, Yang Yiyi had not fallen. The reason for her rapid cultivation was that Mu Mengyu had broken through to level ninety. Three months prior, she had hunted a ninety-thousand-year Spirit Beast to advance to Titled Douluo, and Yang Yiyi devoured that Spirit Beast, overeating and directly soaring four levels to break through to level twenty.
With Mu Mengyu's talent, breaking through to Titled Douluo would certainly not have been this fast, but after the Moonflow Empire fell, the Sun Moon imperial family was well-fed.
Mu Mengyu was only able to break through to Titled Douluo so early after absorbing four Spirit Bones.
Xu Yunxiao estimated that after digesting the Moonflow Empire's foundation, the Sun Moon Empire still had a chance to produce a few more Titled Douluo. They had truly won big.
And ever since Xu Nianshuang obtained the ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow, her cultivation speed had been considerably faster than even Xu Tianyang's. Her Spirit's quality was also gradually evolving towards Ultimate Ice, though it was unknown when it would complete the crucial transformation.
"The Far North?" Xu Tianyang frowned upon hearing his father's arrangements, then nodded, saying, "That's good. The Far North is indeed suitable for Shuang'er."
On the day of the auction, the scorching sun blazed.
In Heaven Dou City, a young man and woman walked hand in hand. At this time, Xu Tianyang was about 1.65 meters tall, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a handsome face, hair tied up at the top, black hair falling naturally, with some strands fluttering in the wind. He wore a dark black fitted suit, his posture slender, looking like a noble young master from a refined world.
The young woman beside him was none other than Xu Nianshuang. She was slightly older than Xu Tianyang. Now, she had shed her childishness; a fitted dress tightly enveloped her graceful figure, ice-blue hair gently draped over her shoulders, and a hint of heroism was revealed between her brows, like a snow lotus proudly standing on an iceberg.
"Tianyang, although Heaven Dou City has its unique charm, it's ultimately not as prosperous as Ming City." The girl's voice had shed its original youthfulness, gaining a few touches of maturity and steadiness, yet it remained clear and pleasant, as moving as a mountain spring.
Xu Tianyang nodded. As the capital of the Sun Moon Empire and the center of the entire Sun Moon Continent, Ming City's prosperity was naturally the greatest in the world, surpassing even Spirit City. "There's probably no city in this world that can compare to Ming City. However, Heaven Dou City is, after all, the imperial capital of a nation, with numerous nobles, powerhouses, and merchants, which is quite refreshing."
"I heard that Spirit City is a sacred place in the hearts of Spirit Masters here, entirely composed of Spirit Masters. There must be many powerful Spirit Masters there. I really want to see what kind of splendor it possesses." Xu Nianshuang's eyes flashed with strong battle intent. A city like Spirit City, entirely made up of Spirit Masters, even Ming City couldn't achieve that.
After all, as a national capital, too many aspects needed to be considered; it couldn't be entirely composed of Spirit Masters.
"There will be a chance."
Xu Tianyang chuckled. The two stopped at a warmly decorated clothing store. The store was dazzling, filled with various clothes hanging neatly displayed on counters.
Xu Tianyang personally picked out a white military-style cap and placed it on Xu Nianshuang's head, nodding in satisfaction.
"It's quite good, like a female general!"
Xu Nianshuang looked up, touched the cap on her head, stood in front of the mirror, smiled contentedly, and patted Xu Tianyang's shoulder, her slender neck raised, 'commanding' him.
"Pay!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Xu Tianyang raised his hand in a military salute. The two exchanged a smile, paid the bill, and walked out of the store.
Just as they stepped out of the store, a sudden sound of hooves and rolling wheels came from the street in the distance. A luxurious carriage slowly approached from the city gate, accompanied by several mounted guards, all with solemn expressions.