The Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce Seems Set to Usurp the Nest?

The intense battle can be considered a major trigger for Monaldo's loss of form.

All seven candidates were involved in this major struggle, except for Monaldo remained uninvolved.

Those who support Monaldo could not help but be surprised and puzzled.

From their perspective, Monaldo's feigned illness couldn't be hidden for long.

Among nobles, their intelligence networks are intertwined, so it's impossible for everyone to be fooled by Monaldo.

Not to mention that the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce's actions and large-scale transactions were not deliberately concealed, nor could they be concealed.

In their eyes, the other seven candidates and their backers must be blind to have missed the clues.

But the fact that Monaldo was the only one left out of the fierce competition among the seven candidates is too glaring.

Some people realized something, remained silent, and secretly rejoiced that their bet had been correct.

However, some people panicked and took the initiative to ask questions.

In this process, it was inevitable that the news would be leaked.

Since nobility is inherited through bloodlines, it is inevitable that there will be people who are not worthy of their positions and lack the necessary abilities.

You Chen didn't have the time or inclination to monitor all the forces that had dealings with the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce.

Therefore, the Beast Soul Alliance had anticipated this situation.

With the news that Monaldo safe and sound, the remaining five candidates, who were still fiercely battling it out, seemed to have their dispute paused as if a pause button had been pressed.

No, there are only three left now.

In the midst of the chaos, the Beast Soul Alliance assassins, who had been waiting for their chance, seized the opportunity and eliminated two more people.

The number of candidates was cut in half from the original eight, which also symbolized that the Imperial Selection was entering the next stage...

No, it's over!

It's over!

The Star Luo Imperial Capital.

The handsome Dai Mubai stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the high-rise building, gazing at the view outside.

More than a year has passed since he became a eunuch.

The changes in Yin and Yang, which were not immediately apparent, are now gradually becoming more and more evident.

If Dai Mubai hadn't put so much effort into his makeup every day before going out, even someone who had always been by his side and hadn't noticed the dramatic change in his appearance over the past year would probably have sensed something was wrong.

That androgynous, feminine appearance could not be completely concealed even with dark foundation.

This is by no means the image that a future emperor or a good man of the Dai Family should have.

Dai Mubai looked out the window, his expression calm and composed, but his eyes held a sinister glint.

After a year of rigorous Imperial Selection and training, the once easily angered young man has developed some of the composure and authority befitting a true emperor.

On a tall building not far away, LCD screens replaced some of the glass windows, forming the "high-definition monitors" that the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce had just launched that year.

Inside, what was being called an "advertisement" was playing.

The advertisements naturally feature the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce's hottest new products of the season.

Whether it's the "movies and TV shows" or the "advertisements" on the monitor, these are all unprecedented new things that have become a new trend.

It has already shone brightly in the Star Luo Empire, and is sought after by countless nobles and subjects.

This is the reason why Dai Mubai hermaphroditism could no longer be shaken, was feeling so irritable.

"A mere illegitimate child, yet he did such a thing. What 'sharing joy with the people'? Tying money and merchants to the royal family—where does this place the dignity of the royal family? Doesn't he have even the slightest awareness that he is a candidate for the Crown Prince? Uncle, doesn't Monaldo deserve to die?"

To cover up his strange voice, Dai Mubai deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound deep and cold.

From behind him, a familiar face emerged from the shadows.

Ettore's face darkened as he said, "Mu Bai, stop watching the show. The situation is very unfavorable for you right now."

"Oh?"

Dai Mubai sneered, "In this capital city, under the emperor's nose, do I need to worry about my safety?"

Two weeks ago, two more of the remaining four candidates for Crown Prince died unexpectedly.

According to eyewitness testimonies, Dai Mubai seems to be inextricably linked to them.

The most fatal thing was that Dai Mubai happened to disappear during that time under the pretense of going into seclusion.

In other words... there is no alibi.

All the other candidates were dead, leaving only Dai Mubai and Monaldo.

Even a Dai Mubai could tell that Monaldo had the other two candidates assassinated and then framed him.

It wasn't just Dai Mubai who knew; the emperor, other high-ranking officials of the empire, and nobles all shared the same thought.

Unless Dai Mubai has lost his mind, he wouldn't go after other candidates after Monaldo has already shown an overwhelming advantage.

But there's nothing we can do; we have no evidence.

Dai Mubai wagered the resources of the Crown Prince's lineage, demanding a confrontation with Monaldo in the Imperial City Court.

He certainly didn't want to actually find evidence; rather, he wanted to lure Monaldo into the capital and then use overwhelming force to kill him, thereby turning the tide of the battle.

This is not in accordance with the rules.

But now there are only two candidates left. If he kills Monaldo, he will be the only candidate for Crown Prince and will ascend to the Crown Prince.

Even if he would be held accountable by the Imperial Elders afterward, which might lead to instability in his imperial power after his future ascension to the throne, Dai Mubai couldn't care less about that now.

As long as we can win now, we can make up for it in the future.

Force is his only advantage right now.

Dai Mubai knew that Monaldo had the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce backing him up.

They also knew that the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce had at least two Titled Douluo combatants behind it.

However, there are two problems with the martial prowess of the Titled Douluo behind Monaldo.

One reason is that Dai Mubai doesn't believe that a leader of such a powerful force would always be protecting Monaldo.

The second problem is that even if Dai Mubai uses the power of the Elders' Council to forcibly kill Monaldo, it will only be a minor trouble. However, if Monaldo uses the titled powerhouse of the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce to kill him, it will cause panic and even turmoil among the empire's high-ranking officials.

Now, voices have emerged among the empire's high command that "Monaldo is merely a puppet of the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce" and "the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce intends to usurp the empire's power."

Only...

Such voices did not cause much of a stir.

Because the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce's media advantage is far more advanced and powerful than that of the Star Luo Empire.

It would be too difficult to spread the "Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce threat theory".

That's why Dai Mubai hated it so much.

Even if the Empire wanted to forcibly remove the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce's media, it did not have the power to do so.

Without a legitimate reason to act, such a move is tantamount to openly making an enemy of the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce.

Such consequences would likely be unacceptable even to the imperial high command, who are hostile to the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce.

It's a very simple principle.

A country that can forcibly control the media must possess absolute military power.

However, the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce's middle-level forces were formidable, and its elite forces completely overwhelmed the Star Luo Empire.

If forced restrictions are imposed, war will most likely break out.

A war between a nation and a chamber of commerce would have been a joke in You Chen's previous life in his modern homeland, but in this world, it was by no means a joke.

Furthermore, although unwilling to admit it, even the Star Luo Emperor did not believe that they could win once the war started.

Because the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce brought unprecedented novelty and joy to the nobles who were already tired of entertainment, it even had a certain number of supporters among the upper echelons of the empire.

After all, the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce has always adhered to the rules of the game since entering Star Luo Empire.

While these high-ranking officials of the empire also wielded a certain amount of imperial power, they had no chance of obtaining supreme authority.

So even if the imperial power eventually falls into the wrong hands and a merchant guild comes to power, as long as the rules of the game don't change, they won't care.

Therefore, it is now the imperial family that needs to maintain its dignity and keep the war as much as possible within the struggle for the Imperial Selection.

Now, Dai Mubai is worried that Monaldo won't come.

If Monaldo doesn't come to the capital and refuses to confront him, he can indeed use this opportunity to attack him.

However, this cannot change the overall trend.

Even if he really ruins Monaldo's reputation, as long as Monaldo is still alive, he will have no hope of winning the final Sequence Contest ten years later.

That's a slow death.

By then, the other party might have already become Soul Sage.

Even with its powerful aptitude, the clan elders couldn't defeat it even when they unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill and revealed their titled combat strength.

If Monaldo's background weren't so powerful, and if the royal family and the council of elders weren't worried about him being usurped, they probably would have already chosen Monaldo, just like Dai Weisi and Dai Mubai did in the past.

After all, Monaldo and Zhu Zhuqing have already demonstrated their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, making them far more suitable to inherit the Star Luo Empire Throne than Dai Mubai, who is all alone.

Now it's the other way around.

The Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire are different.

The Tian Dou Imperial Family is not known for its military might, and its rule is relatively mild. Therefore, it is common for them to Titled Douluo Guest Elder or to allow princes to establish diplomatic relations with top-tier military forces like the Upper Three Sects.

The Star Luo Royal Family is the complete opposite of the Tian Dou Imperial Family. This can be seen from their system for selecting the Crown Prince. Even if the emperor is not the strongest in the empire, he cannot be so weak as to be suppressed by his subordinates or allies.

The current emperor is someone who fought his way up. Although he is only at the peak of the Soul Douluo level and has not broken through to the Title Douluo level, and does not have Soul Core like Di Wan, a new era Soul Douluo, he still possesses the combat power of Titled Douluo threshold in his prime, thanks to his own combat ability and powerful Martial Soul.

Unfortunately, the Empress, who could once unleash the Martial Soul Fusion Skill alongside him, passed away long ago. Otherwise, the two combined would now be the true strongest force of the Star Luo Royal Family.

There are many different versions of the death of the Empress, who is also Dai Mubai's mother. The two most prevalent rumors in the Star Luo Empire are these two versions.

One possibility is that the Tian Dou Imperial Family did not want to see the Star Luo Royal Family produce another pair of fused titled warriors, and that these were likely not ordinary titled warriors, so they had someone poison them to kill them.

Another example is that when the Spirit Hall planned to take action against the Clear Sky Sect, the Star Luo Royal Family did not decisively sever ties with the Clear Sky Sect at first, which led to the Empress being assassinated by the Spirit Hall.

It was precisely because they possessed titled combat power that the Star Luo Royal Family knew the true value of the Upper Three Sects and the significance of the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce President, who was capable of defeating the combined forces of the three from the Sword Bone Pagoda.

They didn't dare to even think that Monaldo could control the chairman.

The disparity in military strength is too great.

If it were just Dugu Bo, the weakest title, I could barely accept it.

With Monaldo's unprecedented talent for cultivation, breaking through to the Title Douluo level in the future is definitely not a problem. Coupled with his Martial Soul Fusion Skill, he can easily handle a Titled Douluo guest elder.

However, the martial prowess displayed by the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce President was something they dared not even imagine being able to control.

This world's knowledge of high-level powers is locked away, as evidenced by the fact that Bone Douluo didn't even know the difference between Super Douluo and Titled Douluo before Sword Douluo explained it to him.

The Douluo Empire has never possessed the most powerful military force, so even the elders of the Star Luo Council of Elders do not know what kind of power the so-called Limit Douluo is.

They couldn't imagine that one person could suppress a country, but even so, they thought highly of You Chen and believed that they must not do anything that would invite a wolf into their house.

That's why they have a special preference for Dai Mubai.

While they ultimately wouldn't directly assassinate Monaldo, helping Dai Mubai conceal assassination attempts or fend off potential titled powerhouses wouldn't be a problem.

If things truly become unmanageable and Monaldo ultimately ascends the throne, then...

We can only make plans then, to see if he truly becomes a puppet of the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce, or if he rises to become an unparalleled new emperor shouldering the burden of a titled powerhouse.

This is roughly the whole story.

Dai Mubai said calmly, "More than worrying about my safety, I'm concerned about whether that guy has the guts to enter this imperial city!"

Putting myself in his shoes, if it were him, I would indeed choose to wait until the ten-year deadline and ascend the throne without any setbacks.

However, if Monaldo makes such a choice, the elders, whose minds remain unchanged, will likely grow to dislike his cowardly approach as time goes on. Coupled with their concerns about the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce Guild usurping their territory, they might take direct action against Monaldo.

Of course, this is only a possibility. It's not a sure thing.

Unfortunately, Dai Mubai had no other choice.

The longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for you.

If it were the Dai Mubai who had run away in the past, he would probably be extremely anxious waiting for Monaldo right now, trembling with fear at the possibility of his death.

But he remains calm.

Normally, Ettore would have secretly admired Dai Mubai's composure.

But now, Ettore had a strange expression on his face and said, "No, Mu Bai, I'm not worried about your safety."

"Hmm?" Dai Mubai frowned, slightly puzzled.

Ettore looked at Dai Mubai, and even with his strength, he was inexplicably worried about Dai Mubai's reaction after he said the next thing.

But he finally took a deep breath, his expression strange, and slowly said, "Mu Bai, someone is spreading rumors that you... have lost your fertility. Now the whole capital is spreading this rumor about you."

Boom!

It felt as if another bolt of lightning had struck my mind.

Dai Mubai stared wide-eyed.

At that very moment, his image appeared on the external LCD screen.