The Full Story!

As they arrived above Mingdu, Meng Tao slowed the Flying Soul Tool. Even though Xu Tianyang was the Crown Prince, he would not act recklessly in the skies above Mingdu.

Through the light barrier, everyone could clearly see Mingdu's prosperous nightscape. Countless Soul Tool lamps illuminated the boundless city until it blazed with light. Lamplight and starlight reflected one another, hazy yet breathtaking. Amid the myriad lights, faint fluctuations of Soul Power could be sensed.

At the sight, a sense of pride rose in everyone's hearts.

A quarter of an hour later, Xu Tianyang and the others reached the outskirts of the imperial palace. At this point, Xu Tianyang also followed palace rules, obediently stepping off the Flying Soul Tool and entering on foot.

"Your Highness!" The moment they reached the palace gates, Feng Tianxiang's figure silently appeared at the entrance. He came before Xu Tianyang and spoke respectfully.

"Uncle Feng, you are an elder and Imperial Father's close friend. There is no need for such formality." Xu Tianyang returned an elder-junior salute as well, speaking with a hint of helplessness.

"Etiquette must not be neglected!" Feng Tianxiang was exceptionally stubborn in certain matters. Even though Xu Tianyang and Xu Yunxiao had mentioned it many times and granted him special privileges, he had never overstepped his bounds.

"Has Imperial Father and Imperial Mother retired?" Knowing he could not change the other man's mind, Xu Tianyang did not press the matter and took the lead in walking into the palace.

"Your Majesty and the Empress received word of Your Highness entering the city. They are already waiting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation," Feng Tianxiang said solemnly.

Xu Tianyang nodded. The Hall of Mental Cultivation was the emperor's private place within the palace. Important guests were generally received there, and Xu Yunxiao often summoned his trusted subordinates there for meetings.

"How has Shuang'er been recently?"

"Since Your Majesty retrieved the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, he personally forged a Level 8 Soul Tool to weaken its chill. Her Highness Shuang'er can now absorb it freely. Recently, Her Highness Shuang'er has been cultivating very diligently," Feng Tianxiang truthfully recounted the recent events.

"Too much is as bad as too little. The chill of the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow is so domineering. Shuang'er's martial soul has not yet reached the ultimate level; relying on it for cultivation over a long period will likely harm her body." Xu Tianyang frowned slightly, speaking with concern.

"Rest assured, Your Highness. With Her Majesty the Empress watching over her, Her Highness Shuang'er has a set amount of cultivation time each day." Min Yingying quickly stepped forward and explained softly.

Only then did Xu Tianyang's lightly furrowed brows relax. With his mother watching over her, there should not be any problems with Xu Nianshuang's cultivation.

As they chatted along the way, Xu Tianyang gained a general understanding of the changes in the Sun Moon Empire during the more than half year he had been away from Mingdu. Overall, after integrating the resources of the two great empires, the newly born Sun Moon Empire was thriving in every field and had entered a stage of rapid development.

After arriving at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, only Xu Tianyang entered. The others dispersed, leaving the emperor's family of three undisturbed in their reunion.

Yang Yiyi was also led away by Min Yingying and temporarily settled in Xu Tianyang's Prince's Mansion. Her martial soul was rather special, so he would need to report to Xu Yunxiao and Mu Mengyu before arranging for her enrollment, lest unnecessary misunderstandings arise.

"Father, Mother!"

Entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation and seeing his parents, who had been waiting for a long time, Xu Tianyang revealed a heartfelt smile and briskly walked forward.

"Yang'er!"

Xu Tianyang was not the only one excited. Xu Yunxiao and Mu Mengyu were also immensely happy, especially Mu Mengyu. When Xu Tianyang had gone to the North Sea some time ago, father and son had at least met. In contrast, mother and son had not seen each other for more than half a year.

When a son traveled far from home, his mother worried. This was the first time since Xu Tianyang's birth that mother and son had been apart for so long, so Mu Mengyu naturally missed him dearly.

"You've gotten darker and thinner." Seeing the skin in her embrace, so much darker than before, Mu Mengyu's eyes were full of heartache.

"Mother, your son is already level twenty-five. These are all the gains of my training. I am confident I can break through to Soul Elder before I turn ten and become the youngest Soul Elder in history. In the future, I will also become the youngest Titled Douluo. When that time comes, Yang'er will protect Mother!" Nestled in his mother's long-missed embrace, Xu Tianyang comforted Mu Mengyu in a gentle voice.

"Good, good, good!" Mu Mengyu looked excitedly at the vigorous Xu Tianyang. Her eyes reddened slightly, but a delighted smile appeared on her lips.

"Father!" After a while, Xu Tianyang looked at his father, who seemed even more valiant and imposing than before, his expression becoming somewhat more serious.

"Not bad." Xu Yunxiao did not say much, merely offering simple praise.

Since ancient times, the relationship between fathers and sons had always been reserved. Their concern for one another was more often shown through their actions.

After the family of three had a simple meal together, they sat down with solemn expressions. The conversation that followed was the true reason Xu Tianyang had hurried back.

"Father, how are those people from Sea God Island?" Xu Tianyang's tone was somewhat tense. The name Sea God Island was not unfamiliar to him, but that was only because he possessed the advantage of knowing some things in advance. For the people of the Sun Moon Continent, there had never been any legends of gods.

In the original history, the Sun Moon Continent should have first heard of the Sea God during the Four Nations War that came afterward.

Take note: the Sea God, not Sea God Island.

Even in Douluo II, Sea God Island was an extremely secretive name. Only the upper echelons of a few forces knew of it, and even they did not know its exact location.

Now that he had suddenly heard there were people from Sea God Island, Xu Tianyang was naturally both excited and nervous. This might be an opportunity for him to learn which point in the current timeline Douluo Star was in.

Only by learning exactly which era he was in could Xu Tianyang better plan for his future.

"A month ago, a fishing fleet from the empire's eastern coast went out to hunt Sea Soul Beasts. Unexpectedly, they encountered a group of soul masters sailing on wooden ships. They acted brutally and, relying on their strength, tried to plunder our fleet."

"Although they were quite powerful, with a Soul Emperor leading them and another seventy or eighty Soul Elders, Soul Ancestors, and Soul Kings, that level of strength could not shake a fleet. They were subdued on the spot."

"After their defeat, they claimed to be the Sea God's people and said that if they were killed, they would surely suffer the Sea God's retaliation. Seeing their clothing, which was utterly out of place with ours, as well as the fact that they had not used any Soul Tools during the battle, the fleet commander realized that these unusual circumstances suggested the matter was not simple."

"Afterward, they were escorted to Mingdu by the lord of Eastsea City. Following interrogation by the secret guards, their origins finally came to light."

Xu Yunxiao slowly explained the full story, then took out a scroll and handed it to Xu Tianyang.

Xu Tianyang quickly scanned the contents of the scroll. His heart jolted, and his heartbeat grew faster and faster. Written upon it were the origins of that group of pirates.