Chapter 4

In the spacious and bright room, Xu Lanqing lay on his bed with a calm and peaceful expression, completely devoid of the painful look he had worn before.

Beside his bed, an old woman reached out and pressed her index finger against his wrist, carefully channeling her soul power to examine him.

"How is it? Is he alright?"

An old man wearing a luxurious dragon robe nearby asked in a low voice. His aged face possessed an inherent air of authority, and he naturally exuded a noble and arrogant aura; he was none other than the current Sun Moon Emperor.

The old woman withdrew her soul power and carefully checked other aspects of Xu Lanqing's body before turning to bow to the emperor, shaking her head with a trace of confusion on her face.

"The Fourth Prince's condition is somewhat strange. His body is currently very healthy, and his blood and qi are abundant. I can be certain that the mutation of his Martial Soul has proceeded in a positive direction."

"As for the prince's mental power, it feels safe under my sensing. His mental power is much stronger than that of his peers, but the soul is a profound and mysterious thing. I dare not probe too deeply. For now, we can only wait for him to wake up on his own."

The Sun Moon Emperor looked at the sleeping Xu Lanqing in silence for a long time before turning to leave. Imperial affairs were busy, and he handled a myriad of tasks every day; even coming to see him was a moment stolen from a hectic schedule.

As he reached the door, he instructed the guards, "Tell me the moment he wakes up," before departing.

At this moment, inside Xu Lanqing's Sea of Consciousness, a phantom figure identical to him stood upon the surface of the water.

Calling it a sea was a stretch; a small pond would be a more accurate description. He didn't know why he could manifest in his Sea of Consciousness now—perhaps it was due to the mutation of his mental power as a transmigrator, or perhaps he was simply gifted. Regardless, it was a good thing, so he didn't dwell on it.

"Teacher, how are you doing now?"

Xu Lanqing looked at the small gray bead hovering above his head with a face full of concern, his worry evident.

"I am fine, though I have returned to the state I was in at the very beginning. I will be fine after a few more years of recuperation. Besides, this is actually quite good; at least you weren't destroyed by it."

Electrolux spoke with great magnanimity, even comforting Xu Lanqing in return.

Electrolux and that golden crystal core floating not far away had entered Xu Lanqing's mind together back then.

At the time, a delicate balance had formed between them, and Electrolux had awakened shortly thereafter. Having read the original work, Xu Lanqing naturally clung tightly to this powerful figure. Over time, he had apprenticed under Electrolux, becoming his disciple.

Xu Lanqing looked at the golden crystal core with a complex expression. He hadn't expected it to actually be the God Core of the Golden Dragon King. After his Martial Soul awakening, it had usurped his body and become his own Martial Soul.

This was both a blessing and a curse. The benefit was naturally gaining a powerful Martial Soul, but the power of the Golden Dragon King's God Core was too immense and filled with a violent, murderous aura that he simply could not withstand.

Fortunately, it had been initially stabilized, but now he couldn't cultivate it at all. If he were to attach a Soul Ring to the Golden Dragon King Martial Soul, it might cause the seal to loosen. This was no laughing matter; one slip-up, and both he and Electrolux would be finished.

"Sigh, great. Not only did I lose a Martial Soul, but my life is also in constant danger."

Xu Lanqing sighed, his expression one of utter despair.

"Misfortune is where fortune lies; fortune is where misfortune hides. Just because there is no way now doesn't mean there won't be in the future. Things will always take a turn for the better. Relax, perhaps this is a good thing."

"Ah, if this counts as a good thing, then I've lived all these years in vain."

Xu Lanqing retorted, his mood recovering slightly as he accepted reality.

"Alright, hurry and go back out. There are people outside who are worried about you."

Xu Lanqing's eyes snapped open, and he sat up abruptly from the bed. Then, he froze, clenching his fist and feeling as if he had an inexhaustible amount of strength within him.

Xu Lanqing got off the bed, looked at his fist, then at the marble table in front of him. After a moment of hesitation, he closed his eyes and, using all his strength, slammed his fist down onto it.

"Awoooo—"

Tears were squeezed from Xu Lanqing's eyes from the pain, and he howled while clutching his red, swollen fist.

"Your Highness! What happened? What's wrong?"

With a "bang," the guards at the door crashed through and rushed in, protecting Xu Lanqing as if facing a formidable enemy.

"I'm fine, I just... accidentally bumped my hand. You all can leave."

Xu Lanqing shook his hand, feigning indifference.

The two guards looked at his red, swollen fist, exchanged glances, and then retreated from the room.

"Gurgle, gurgle~"

"Wait, I'm hungry. Bring me some food, and bring a lot of it." Xu Lanqing clutched his stomach. He felt as if he hadn't eaten for three days and was about to starve to death.

"Yes, Your Highness, please wait a moment."

The guards retreated and closed the door; one went to fetch food, while the other went to notify the emperor.

Not long after, several exquisite and delicious dishes were brought in by the guards. Xu Lanqing's nose twitched, and he immediately began devouring the food like a whirlwind, looking exactly like a starving ghost.

"Bring more. Preferably food rich in energy."

Xu Lanqing rubbed his stomach. The food he had just eaten was enough for his usual three meals, yet he only felt thirty percent full. He pondered that this might be the influence of the Golden Dragon King Martial Soul. That punch earlier had clearly cracked the marble surface; the old him could never have done that. As his strength increased, his energy requirements had also surged, and ordinary food simply couldn't fill him up.

Just as Xu Lanqing was buried in his food, the sound of footsteps approached from afar.

Xu Lanqing looked up, hurriedly wiped his mouth, and tried to stand up to offer a greeting.

The Sun Moon Emperor waved his hand and asked with concern, "How is your body? If you feel any discomfort, you must say so immediately. I will have the imperial physician come to check on you again." His voice was gentle, his expression kind—he didn't look like an emperor above all others at all, but rather like an old father worried about his child.

Xu Lanqing quickly replied, "Father, I am very healthy now, it's just..." He paused, then continued, "I can no longer use my second Martial Soul."

He concealed the situation regarding Electrolux and the Golden Dragon King from the emperor, only saying that his Martial Soul had mutated. Although the emperor was his biological father and treated him impeccably, it was better to keep his guard up regarding such matters.

Upon hearing this, the emperor pondered for a moment, then spoke to the empty air, "Elder Kong, I must trouble you to see exactly what has gone wrong with Lanqing's Martial Soul."

Xu Lanqing blinked in curiosity, and before he could react, the space rippled, and an old man appeared out of thin air.

Unlike the emperor, who was shrouded in the aura of twilight, the old man, though appearing even more aged, was vigorous and robust, his presence as imposing as a towering mountain.

He was the number one Soul Tool master of the Sun Moon Empire, known as the father of Soul Tools, and even the likes of Zheng Zhan, Ye Yulin, and Jing Hongchen had to treat him with the respect of a disciple.

The Silver Moon Douluo, Kong Deming!