Destruction's pressure had yet to fade when a bright, sacred aura bloomed once more behind him.
It was not only bright and sacred; an indescribable vitality spread throughout the entire room.
Xu Tianran clearly felt a surge of energy welling up in his legs, giving them the faintest hint of sensation.
The emperor at the head of the group felt it even more distinctly. In an instant, he looked ten years younger, and the dense Life Force even extended his already depleted lifespan a little.
Soon, they saw the Martial Soul's true form: a nearly illusory figure with its hands clasped together, as if praying to heaven and earth.
The radiance of the sun and moon bloomed at its sides. The figure's eyes were tightly shut, its face full of compassion.
Suddenly, two streaks of light descended from the heavens.
One was green and the other purple; both entered his Martial Soul.
At that moment, in the Divine Realm, a purple-cloaked man in a hood stroked his chin in the God Realm Committee and smiled as he looked toward the Douluo Continent.
The woman beside him also watched with a beaming smile. Their gazes had clearly met on Xu Yanli, who had just awakened his Martial Soul.
The husband and wife exchanged smiles and nodded in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Tang San was walking along the railing, holding Xiao Wu's hand. Suddenly, he paused, but the next moment he continued as normal.
Tang San murmured, "I clearly sensed a hint of uncertainty just now. Why did it disappear? I must have sensed it wrong."
Xiao Wu suddenly hopped down and wrapped her arms around Tang San. "Third Brother, what were you thinking about just now?"
Tang San patted Xiao Wu's head and said, "Nothing in particular. I was just thinking about the Douluo Continent."
The instant Tang San lowered his head, his expression turned savage. How can I turn this child of fortune into my dog?
But when he tried to make contact with the Douluo Continent once more, the divine sense of the great Lord Sea God was blocked by a thin white film.
How could this be?
He was the great Asura God, Lord Sea God! How could a mere plane like the Douluo Continent block his divine sense?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
At that moment, in the imperial palace of the Sun Moon Empire on the Douluo Continent, the emperor excitedly rose from his throne, picked up the Soul Power measuring device beside him, and handed it to Xu Yanli.
"Child, do you hate us?" the emperor asked casually.
Xu Yanli's heart gave a quick thump. A polished smile curved his lips as he said, "No. I've been doing very well with big brother."
"Good child. Hurry and test your Innate Soul Power." The emperor nodded.
Xu Yanli picked up the soul tool tester. The device beeped, then displayed: "Innate Soul Power: Level 20. Physical strength: Level 30 Soul Elder. Eligible to obtain a thousand-year Soul Ring."
The emperor returned to his Dragon Throne and tapped its armrest repeatedly. After a moment's thought, he said, "In that case, I'll grant you the title of Prince Xiaoyao and make you a prince. You need not kneel before me."
"Furthermore, Imperial Father promises you that once you grow strong, whoever becomes Crown Prince or the next emperor, you will be a pillar of the empire's future."
Xu Yanli nodded. "Thank you, Imperial Father."
Neither of them noticed the excitement that flickered across Xu Tianran's face. It seemed his legs had a chance of being saved.
And this was a younger brother he had raised himself—a younger brother who posed no threat to his throne. Heaven had truly given him a hand.
After receiving a pile of rewards, Xu Yanli still returned to Xu Tianran's residence for the time being, since his own estate had not yet begun construction.
Xu Tianran wheeled himself over from behind and smiled. "Your Second Martial Soul is incredible. Could I try it again?"
"Imperial Brother, I..." Xu Yanli glanced at Xu Tianran, a flicker of nervousness passing through his heart, though not the slightest hint of it showed on his face.
After all, Xu Tianran was utterly ruthless, and the madman he had been in the original story was etched deep in Xu Yanli's mind. Though he had changed somewhat over all this time, still...
"Don't worry. You won't threaten my position, and naturally, I won't threaten your life. I know you're mature for your age. Why not tell Imperial Brother what you plan to do in the future?" Xu Tianran chuckled, then pointed toward the study.
Xu Yanli nodded, then pushed Xu Tianran's wheelchair toward the study.
Once they arrived, Xu Tianran asked him to sit in the chair beside him. Smiling, he said, "What do you plan to do in the future?"
"I want to become a god." Xu Yanli thought of his Innate Soul Power of Level 20 and spoke with unwavering conviction.
If he wasn't mistaken, the streaks of light from the heavens had been the attention of the Goddess of Life and God of Destruction.
His chances of becoming a god were high, as long as he kept cultivating and did everything he could to improve his abilities in every way.
Still, if the Sun Moon Empire could help him in the future, he would do everything he could to make it the sole power.
And if he unified the Sun Moon Empire someday, that should help his faith. Just like Qin Shi Huang or Tang Taizong back in the day, the Faith Force ought to flow without end.
But first, he needed to build a good reputation. His tyrant of a brother, especially, would be better off changing his ways.
Xu Tianran smiled, completely at ease. "Good. Imperial Brother will do everything he can to help you pursue the chance to become a god. That would be good for our Sun Moon Continent, too. The Douluo Continent has the legend of the Shrek Seven Devils ascending to godhood, and in the future, our Sun Moon Continent can have the legend of Prince Xiaoyao ascending to godhood."
A hint of excitement flashed through Xu Tianran's eyes. Becoming a god—didn't that mean there was a chance his legs could recover?
After all, there was nothing in this world a god couldn't do.
And with godhood as his goal, Xu Yanli definitely wouldn't try to seize the throne from him. That would be a losing proposition. It seemed he might finally have a brother in the future.
Xu Tianran was already hesitating over whether to cooperate with those vermin from the Holy Spirit Cult. His younger brother, who was sure to reach the Limit Douluo realm, had an Angel Martial Soul and would surely be at odds with those evil Soul Masters.
Xu Yanli scratched his head. "Then, Imperial Brother, may I go cultivate?"
"Go ahead." Xu Tianran nodded. "Tomorrow, Great Enshrined Kong Deming will take you to hunt Soul Beasts. Starting tomorrow, you'll become his disciple. Study soul tool knowledge from him diligently."
"Understood." Xu Yanli nodded, then returned to his room.
At that moment, two voices rang out in the emperor's office inside the palace.
"This child's talent is extraordinary, and you still want to send him to spy on Shrek Academy? Are you even human?" Kongming Dede said furiously.
"This child's Second Martial Soul once belonged to Spirit Hall on the Douluo Continent. They won't suspect he's from our Sun Moon Continent. Besides, our Sun Moon Empire can't properly teach a Soul Master with that child's talent." The Sun Moon Empire's emperor sighed.
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