Star Luo Emperor

When Dai Yao placed his hand on the crystal ball, he immediately felt a suction force. The Qi in his Dantian seemed to have found an outlet and surged wildly into the crystal ball.

The crystal ball immediately radiated brilliant light, illuminating the entire Awakening Hall so clearly that every detail could be seen.

The light was dazzling, and many of the children could not help closing their eyes. Fifth Elder, however, did not. Instead, an excited fervor appeared on his face.

"Just as expected—Innate Full Soul Power. With such a powerful Martial Soul, Innate Full Soul Power was bound to awaken!"

Innate Full Soul Power was exceedingly rare. It had appeared only a handful of times even in the White Tiger Lineage. Among the three princes, not one possessed it.

What extraordinary talent. Fifth Elder thought of this, but then felt a pang of regret. Dai Yao, with your talent, no matter which family you had been born into, you would have been raised as the family heir. What a pity that you were born into my Dai Family.

Your talent means you are destined to participate in the struggle for the throne. But right now, you are too weak. You are not even a Soul Master.

The First Prince, Dai Weisi, is already fifteen years old, and his Soul Power has reached the Soul Elder level. Even the youngest Third Prince, Dai Mubai, is already nine. The age gap is enough to erase any difference in talent. Besides, the three princes themselves possess excellent talent—the very best.

You are destined to be unable to contend with the princes. In the end, only death awaits you.

No matter how powerful one's talent is, it cannot change the clan rules. The clan rules are the foundation of my White Tiger Family's strength. Over tens of thousands of years, how many geniuses have died because of these brutal rules? Fifth Elder pressed his lips together in struggle and thought helplessly.

After all, talent like this was far too rare. Yet the family's rules were what they were, unchanged for tens of thousands of years. One could say that the family had maintained its vitality and survived the passage of time precisely because of those cruel rules.

"I can only do my best to give you a relatively fair environment, minimizing the influence of the forces behind the princes on you."

"If you are truly a genius, then prove it to me!"

Amid the shocked gazes around him, Dai Yao ended his Martial Soul Possession. His entire body once again became thin and small, his clothes tattered and ragged.

Yet no one dared look down on him now. No one would offend someone destined to become a powerful Soul Master, especially one who would also become the Fourth Prince of the Star Luo Empire.

Nor did they fawn over him excessively, because the moment Dai Yao became a prince, his fate was sealed. He was destined to lose the competition for the throne and die.

Dai Mubai, however, was different. He felt disgust toward Dai Yao. After becoming a prince, Dai Yao would, according to the clan rules, seek a marriage partner from the Zhu Family. At present, the only suitable marriage candidate in the Zhu Family was Zhu Zhuqing. His own engagement might be in jeopardy.

"Your Martial Soul talent is extraordinary. Nothing like it has ever appeared in our clan's history. Give your Martial Soul a name," Fifth Elder said kindly, putting away his sympathy for Dai Yao and turning to him.

"Let's call it the Sacred White Tiger." Dai Yao's mood finally relaxed. With such a powerful Martial Soul, he had escaped the fate of an ordinary person.

Revenge was finally possible.

By then, everyone had finished awakening their Martial Souls. Some were disappointed, while others were delighted, and they left in groups with people they knew.

Zhu Zhuqing was very curious about the sense of familiarity she felt from Dai Yao. As he drew closer, that feeling grew stronger and stronger. But with her cold personality, she made no move.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's gaze fixed on that bastard, anger surged in Dai Mubai's heart. He had waited a full three years to find a suitable marriage partner. He had long regarded Zhu Zhuqing as his own possession, yet her attention had been drawn to a bastard! He walked up to Dai Yao. At nine years old, he was a head taller than Dai Yao, and he looked down at him. "Brat, don't think awakening a good Martial Soul makes you special. Once you obtain your first Spirit Ring, I'll teach you a harsh lesson!"

Dai Yao lowered his head and did not answer, as if he acknowledged Dai Mubai's words.

In both his previous and current life, he understood one principle deeply: before a powerful person capable of deciding your fate, one had to remain respectful, regardless of whether that person was good or bad, kind or evil.

Dai Mubai was undoubtedly much stronger than him now. Dai Yao had never seen the strength of a Soul Master, and he was not even sure whether his Eight Extremes Collapse could inflict effective damage on one. Without a guarantee of victory, he did not want to provoke Dai Mubai.

Besides, Dai Mubai had the Empress behind him. For now, he still had to endure.

...Night.

Star Luo Imperial Palace.

It was already midnight, and darkness enveloped heaven and earth. Yet White Tiger Hall, where state affairs were handled, was brightly lit, as bright as day.

After finishing his duties, the Star Luo Emperor rubbed his tired eyes, then stood and stretched his weary body. Court would convene at dawn, but he would not return to the palace until midnight. Under such relentless exertion, even he, a Soul Douluo, could barely endure it.

He gazed at the map of the empire behind him and pondered for a long while before asking the eunuch beside him, "How is the White Tiger Legion's progress in the Santos Duchy?"

"Your Majesty, ever since the Clear Sky Sect announced its seclusion, the White Tiger Legion has made no progress in the Santos Duchy without the Clear Sky Sect's assistance. Moreover, with the help of Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou traitors even reclaimed the territory we had previously occupied." The Chief Eunuch looked at the exhausted Great Emperor, his heart aching. He had watched with his own eyes how much this man had sacrificed for the Star Luo Empire.

Even a Soul Douluo could not withstand such ceaseless toil. Everyone saw only the Great Emperor's imposing might as countless people cheered and he ascended to the pinnacle. They never imagined how much he had paid. For the sake of unifying the continent, he had abandoned his emotions and given up cultivation, only for all of it to be destroyed by one person.

"Alas—" The Star Luo Emperor let out a long sigh.

"Why was the Clear Sky Douluo so foolish? To make such a mess over a woman—no! She was not even human! She was a damned soul beast!"

At the thought of this, the Star Luo Emperor's blood boiled. Once, the Star Luo Empire had allied with the Clear Sky Sect, and the chance to unify Douluo had been right before them. Yet the Clear Sky Douluo had appeared, falling out with Spirit Hall over a soul beast. From then on, the Clear Sky Sect went into seclusion, and the Star Luo Empire withdrew its entire army.

Even after six years, the Star Luo Emperor still could not let it go. Hundreds of years of diligent governance, countless valiant soldiers and fierce generals—all had vanished in that war.

The Clear Sky Sect had gone into seclusion just like that, while the Star Luo Empire had spent astronomical resources and gained nothing in return.

"Your Majesty, please do not dwell on these vexing matters. There is a piece of good news today that I would like to share with you." The personal eunuch immediately changed the subject.

"Oh? What is it?"

"Today, another member of the clan awakened the White Tiger Spirit. The Star Luo Empire will have a Fourth Prince."

"Which branch does the child belong to?" Joy appeared on the Star Luo Emperor's face. He thought of all the imperial offspring, yet could not figure out who had awakened the White Tiger Spirit.

"Which woman's child is he?" The eunuch watched the Great Emperor's expression and spoke softly.

"That woman?" The Great Emperor was puzzled, but then suddenly realized something. The teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a sharp crash, and his expression immediately turned ugly.

"It was... her child." His expression shifted repeatedly, as if something had caught in his throat. Slowly, he forced out those few words.

"Follow the normal procedure for conferring a title on a prince. Give him the treatment he is entitled to." Thinking of the decision he had once made, the Great Emperor's face turned cold as ice. His indifferent tone held not the slightest trace of human feeling, as though he were a flawless machine that never made a mistake.

The Chief Eunuch was filled with sorrow. Having followed the Great Emperor for many years, he knew of the regret buried in his heart. When the Great Emperor's mood had improved slightly, he seized the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, two people have been waiting outside."

"Oh? Who are they?"

"The Empress and Fifth Elder."

"Then invite them in."

"Announce the Empress and Fifth Elder into the hall!" the eunuch called loudly toward the doors.

The palace doors opened wide. The first to enter was an incomparable beauty with an elegant bearing, skin as smooth as jade and lips red as cinnabar. Yet the cold glints that occasionally flashed through her eyes sent chills through anyone who saw them.

Behind the Woman came a fiery-red figure, particularly conspicuous in the pitch-black night.

It was Fifth Elder.

P.S. If everyone thinks this is good, please cast a recommendation vote.

The new-book period is truly difficult.