Across the Sea! Princess Consort Kong Yan Breaks Through to Level 90! Seven Titled Douluos!

"Order the Ministry of Revenue to allocate three million Gold Soul Coins as funding for the Expeditionary Force!"

"Also, issue an imperial decree calling on all worthy people across the land to join the prince's expedition. Anyone willing to accompany him may sign up!

I'll also select five hundred elite members of the Royal Soul Engineer Legion and give them to the prince!"

Xu Huang's plan was loud and clear.

Money, manpower, and prestige.

On one hand, he was genuinely pleased and hoped to send this mighty figure as far away as possible—preferably never to return.

On the other, sending more people along would make him look like a benevolent emperor and give him a chance to plant a few spies.

They might not be of any use, but at least it showed he was making an effort.

Half a month later, on the eastern coast.

The sea wind howled, whipping up snow-white waves.

Dozens of enormous Soul Guidance Warships, black from bow to stern and glinting with a cold metallic sheen, lay motionless on the water like steel beasts.

The main cannon ports of every warship emanated a soul-power fluctuation that made one's heart tremble.

They represented the pinnacle of the Sun Moon Empire's technology—and were the source of Xu Zhao's confidence in conquering Douluo Continent.

Flags blotted out the sky above the docks.

Emperor Xu Huang, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, had led his civil and military officials in person to see Prince Great Sun off.

Xu Yu stood in full armor, his red hair fluttering in the wind. He looked at the imperial elder brother he had fought for decades, his expression complicated.

The two dismissed their attendants and stood shoulder to shoulder at the very end of the pier.

"Second Brother, you'll be away for years. The ocean is vast, and no one can say what fortune or misfortune awaits you."

Xu Huang patted Xu Yu on the shoulder. His voice held a genuine note of wistfulness.

Without the cutthroat struggle for power, that faint bond of blood seemed to have surged back to life.

"Don't worry, Elder Brother."

Xu Yu gazed at the vast, rolling sea in the distance and laughed heartily.

"My son Xu Zhao has the makings of a great emperor!

A mere ocean won't stop us.

But as for you, Elder Brother, you'll have to manage the Sun Moon Empire all by yourself from now on."

Xu Huang's eyes reddened. He clasped Xu Yu's hand tightly and said, moved:

"Second Brother, I was wrong before...

Sigh, never mind!

Go and make your mark!

If things don't go well on that continent, as long as I'm still on the throne, there'll always be a place for the Great Sun Prince Mansion in the Sun Moon Empire!"

"Thank you, Elder Brother!"

Xu Yu clasped Xu Huang's hand in return. In that moment, the two brothers seemed to have returned to the days of their youth, when they had fought side by side.

Though they both knew that behind this display of brotherly affection lay a compromise of power and an exchange of interests, at least the sorrow of parting was real.

Not far away, on the deck.

Xu Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, his robes snapping in the sea wind.

Watching the two elders below put on a show of brotherly affection, Xu Zhao's lips curled into a faint smile.

"So this is politics..."

Xu Zhao murmured to himself.

As long as their interests aligned, even sworn enemies could become brothers.

But none of it had anything to do with him anymore.

A whistle thundered across the sky.

"Set sail—!!!"

The enormous Soul Guidance Warships belched powerful exhaust flames.

They parted wave after wave and sailed in a mighty formation toward Douluo Continent.

The boundless ocean stretched beneath an endless expanse of blue.

Two and a half months had passed since the Great Sun Prince's fleet left the Sun Moon Empire's harbor.

Aside from the occasional attack by a few foolish Sea Soul Beasts, which the Soul Guidance Cannons on the fleet's outer perimeter easily blasted to pieces, the voyage had been dull and slow.

But at noon that day, in the control room of the fleet's largest flagship, at its very center—

the Red Sun—

a vast yet gentle wave of soul power suddenly erupted.

It wasn't sharp or aggressive. Instead, it was like a bottomless pool, carrying the pressure of immense spiritual power as it swept across the entire warship. Even the surrounding seawater rippled strangely.

Xu Zhao, who was patrolling the deck, abruptly stopped and looked toward the cabin where his mother was meditating. A flash of delight crossed his face.

"That aura... It's Mother!"

At almost the same moment, a red figure streaked past like lightning. Xu Yu's hearty laughter rang out.

"Ha ha ha ha! She did it! Yan'er has finally taken that step!"

Father and son exchanged a knowing look and went to guard the cabin door.

About a quarter of an hour later, the surging soul-power fluctuation gradually subsided, becoming restrained and profound.

The cabin door slowly opened, and Kong Yan stepped out in a pale golden gown, her face radiant.

Her appearance hadn't changed, but the aura around her had undergone an indescribable transformation.

She had a tranquil, unadorned air about her, as if she and the world around her had become one.

"Congratulations, Mother! You've earned your title!"

Xu Zhao stepped forward, cupped his hands, and smiled. His delight was heartfelt.

Xu Yu was even more excited. He put an arm around his wife's shoulders and looked her up and down, grinning from ear to ear.

"Level 90!

You really reached Level 90!

Yan'er, you're not only a Level 8 Soul Engineer, you've also become a Titled Douluo!

In the history of the entire Sun Moon Empire, a woman who reached the Titled Douluo level as a Soul Engineer is a rare sight indeed!"

Kong Yan looked at her excited husband and son and smiled gently. The hint of spirit between her brows had softened into tenderness.

"I suppose I was lucky. I'd been stuck at this bottleneck for so many years. Who would've thought I'd break through at sea?"

Xu Zhao nodded, quickly doing the math in his head. His voice held a note of excitement.

"Father, Mother.

Before this, our party had you, Father, a Level 98 Super Douluo, as well as me, two accompanying elders, and Brother Yan and Sister Ping, both Titled Douluos.

Now that Mother has broken through, the number of high-level fighters in our Expeditionary Force has risen from six Titled Douluos to a full seven!"

Seven Titled Douluos!

On Douluo Continent, no faction except Spirit Hall could match that number.

What's more, they also had Soul Guidance Technology that was ahead of its time.

And the method of using Soul Cores to increase an individual Soul Master's combat strength!

Xu Zhao had condensed two Soul Cores inside his body, representing his Twin Martial Souls, the sun and the moon.

Soul Cores formed from two Ultimate Attributes.

On top of that, Xu Zhao had combined the Sun Meditation Method and the Moon Meditation Method to create a new, superior meditation method.

The two Soul Cores were like the yin and yang fish in the Taiji Diagram, endlessly circulating.

Together, the Sun-Moon Soul Core produced an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Add to that several Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings and Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones.

Although Xu Zhao's Soul Power was only at Level 94, he was confident he could defeat an ordinary Level 98 peak Douluo from Douluo Continent.

Yes, that meant you, Golden Crocodile Douluo!

"Seven Titled Douluos... Good! Excellent!"

Xu Yu clenched his fists, the fire of ambition burning even brighter in his eyes.

"With this strength, once we reach Douluo Continent, let's see who dares look down on us!"

After his excitement settled, Xu Yu couldn't help asking curiously:

"But Yan'er, you'd been stuck at Level 89 for three to five years. Why did you break through now of all times, out here on this dull voyage?"

At that, the smile on Kong Yan's lips faded a little. She gazed west through the porthole, toward the homeland that had long since vanished from sight. Complicated emotions showed in her eyes.

She let out a soft sigh and said gently:

"Perhaps because it's hard to leave home."

"Hm?" Xu Yu and Xu Zhao both looked puzzled.

Kong Yan turned to them and quietly explained:

"For the past two months, I've watched our homeland disappear little by little over the horizon. A faint sorrow of parting has lingered in my heart the whole time.

That sadness loosened the strings of my heart, which are usually pulled so taut.

I used to focus only on studying Soul Guidance arrays and managing the affairs of the prince's mansion, neglecting to cultivate my state of mind."

As she spoke, she raised a hand. A faint gleam danced at her fingertips.

"This sadness of parting gave me a new understanding of what it means to let go in order to gain.

Only by giving something up can you gain something. Leaving the homeland I knew and severing my ties to the past made my mind clearer and more open.

As I eased and relaxed, the bottleneck that had troubled me for so long... simply shattered."

After hearing his mother's insight, Xu Zhao nodded thoughtfully.

The further one progressed in cultivation, the more important one's state of mind became.

Though Mother was reluctant to leave her homeland, she had resolutely chosen to follow her husband and son for the sake of their great ambitions. Perhaps that determination and deep devotion had been the catalyst for her breakthrough.

"Mother, your understanding is profound. I've learned a lot," Xu Zhao said respectfully.

Xu Yu laughed heartily and waved a hand.

"Who cares about sorrow and parting? A breakthrough is a good thing, no matter what!

It proves this expedition of ours is in keeping with Heaven's will!

Even Heaven is helping us!

Pass the word: serve an extra meal across the fleet tonight to celebrate the Princess Consort becoming a Titled Douluo!

Let everyone share in the good fortune!"

"Yes, sir!"

The guard outside answered loudly, and the good news soon spread throughout the fleet.