Golden-Haired Girl

Xu Yanli arrived at the Offering Hall and walked straight to his teacher, Silver Moon Douluo Kong Deming.

"Kid, leaving already?" Kong Deming asked without lifting his head, his hand busy carving a Soul Tool array.

"Yes. I think I should head to the Star Luo Empire first; after all, the main assets of Xiaoyao Pavilion are located there," Xu Yanli said with a smile.

"I'm going with you," Kong Deming said with absolute seriousness.

"This..." Xu Yanli scratched his head, looking at Kong Deming in disbelief.

"Don't look at me like that. Your safety is of the utmost importance. I will protect you with everything I have, and you should bring that Shadow Douluo along as well," Kong Deming said. "Also, bring a few more Title Douluos and Level 9 Soul Engineers; that will ensure your security."

Xu Yanli scratched his head and said, "Then, Master, could you help me pick them?"

"Fine. I'll bring them all over in a moment, then notify everyone to pack their things and prepare to leave." Kong Deming finished the final stroke of his work and spoke slowly.

Kong Deming turned to leave, but suddenly, upon reaching the door, he remembered something and turned back to ask, "Shrek Academy requires a letter of recommendation. Have you prepared it?"

Xu Yanli nodded. "Of course. Although I couldn't obtain one at the national level, I managed to secure one from a city lord."

Kong Deming nodded, then opened the door and left.

Xu Yanli looked around the office, observing the various unique Soul Tools, and felt as if some things he hadn't understood before were suddenly becoming clear.

Xu Yanli took one of his teacher's books and began to study it on the side.

About ten minutes later, Kong Deming returned, followed by more than twenty Title Douluos.

Xu Yanli looked on in confusion. Are this many people actually willing to go?

"Your Highness, I am willing to go."

"I asked first! Your Highness, pick me, pick me!"

Xu Yanli looked at Kong Deming, bewildered. Kong Deming coughed awkwardly twice, his lips moving slightly. From the shape of his mouth, two words were clear: compensation packages.

Xu Yanli realized instantly. Previously, to facilitate the research of civilian Soul Tools, he had poached several researchers.

The leader of that group was Xuan Ziwen, and because they were developing new technology, the compensation provided by Xiaoyao Pavilion was ridiculously high.

Furthermore, this trip was being funded by the state—official government funding—and it was for the sake of protecting the future hope of the Sun Moon Empire.

"Then, Master, please help me choose ten. I'll just take ten with me; if I take them all, the Offering Hall of the Sun Moon Empire won't be able to function," Xu Yanli said, swallowing hard.

Kong Deming turned his head stiffly and nodded.

Xu Yanli grabbed the book and ran to the assembly room next door, shivering the moment he closed the door.

This is insane.

Xu Yanli walked to his seat and continued reading the content he hadn't finished earlier.

As Xu Yanli flipped through the pages, his ears twitched, as if he were listening to the commotion outside.

Xu Yanli felt as if they were actually fighting.

About half an hour later, Kong Deming knocked on the door and said, "Your Highness, the ten people have been selected. When shall we depart?"

Xu Yanli slowly opened the door and said, "We leave tomorrow. That way, we can organize our things today. Make sure to bring everything necessary. If you don't have enough storage Soul Tools, go to Xiaoyao Pavilion to collect more."

Xu Yanli took Kong Deming's book, said a few words to him, and prepared to head to the Crown Prince's Mansion.

Crown Prince's Mansion.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, there's no need to wait at the gate, is there? What if Prince Xiaoyao doesn't come?" a guard nearby advised.

"He will definitely come. I am his only brother, and he is my only brother; how could he not come to see me off?" Xu Tianran said calmly.

"Your Highness, Prince Xiaoyao is the Ninth Prince; you have seven other brothers," the guard reminded him.

"Oh, the others are enemies, not brothers," Xu Tianran said with a wave of his hand.

"Brother? How are you? How is your recovery?" Xu Yanli stepped out of the Soul Tool carriage and saw Xu Tianran at the gate, smiling.

"Come inside. I've prepared some things you like to eat. When are you leaving?" Xu Tianran asked calmly.

"Tomorrow. Brother, wait for me to return from Shrek Academy," Xu Yanli said, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

"Shrek Academy... stay if you can, but if you feel like you can't, just come back. Your own safety is the most important thing. Also, bring more storage Soul Tools, bring as much as you can. The things over at Shrek Academy..." Xu Tianran rambled on at length.

Xu Yanli had actually discovered long ago that Xu Tianran's personality was completely different when he was around him, perhaps because he had been raised by Xu Tianran since he was a child.

Because of this, the level of trust between them was quite high.

Or, in a sense, he had become Xu Tianran's emotional anchor, the piece of driftwood keeping him from sinking entirely into the darkness.

Xu Yanli pushed Xu Tianran's wheelchair slowly into his study.

"If... if you don't want to go, I can speak to Father and have someone else sent instead," Xu Tianran said.

Xu Yanli paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I am going of my own free will. Besides, I have some things I need to resolve there."

Xu Tianran hesitated, then nodded.

Xu Yanli slowly released his Martial Soul, and a rich, dense power of the Sun and Moon flowed slowly into Xu Tianran's legs.

In truth, Xu Yanli's fourth soul skill could restore Xu Tianran's legs instantly, but Xu Yanli didn't quite dare to use it, and Xu Tianran had never asked him to.

In the evening, Xu Yanli returned to his own residence and began to pack. As for clothing, he had Xiaoyao Pavilion ship over attire suitable for the nobility of the Heaven Spirit Empire.

There was no other way; the noble status of the Heaven Spirit Empire was the easiest to obtain, and the status of the Xiaoyao Pavilion was now almost equivalent to that of the Body Sect in the Heaven Dou Empire.

However, the one area where they fell short was that the peak combat power of the Xiaoyao Pavilion was far, far inferior to that of the Body Sect.

In truth, though, the lower-tier combat power had been made up for quite well; after all, soul masters needed money and needed to make a living.

In this era, it was the best of times for the nobility, but for the common people, it was an era of despair.

One wondered if the soul masters of today would feel regret if they learned of the systems once implemented by the Martial Soul Hall, though, unfortunately, regret would be utterly useless.

Xu Yanli's hands did not stop moving for a single moment as he sorted pile after pile of items into his storage soul tool.

"Brother Yanli, I want to go with you too!" a little girl with golden hair suddenly pounced over and said.

"No!" Xu Yanli turned his head and tapped the little girl on the forehead as he spoke.