First Meeting with Xue Qinghe

Moreover, thanks to the sensory perception talent inherent to the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King martial soul, Xu Mochen clearly sensed that the rugged-looking old man before him was no ordinary soul master, but a powerhouse with a cultivation as high as level ninety-three! According to the terminology of the Douluo Continent, he was a Titled Douluo!

It seemed the Heaven Dou Empire truly valued them, going so far as to dispatch a powerhouse of the Titled Douluo level. Furthermore, judging by his appearance, he was definitely a figure who had never appeared in the original work. Coupled with the involuntary look of reverence displayed by the other Heaven Dou Empire soldiers when they looked at him, and the unique, majestic aura of a career soldier radiating from his body, it could be preliminarily concluded that he was a high-ranking military official of the Heaven Dou Empire!

From this, it was not difficult to see that compared to the original work—where even the Grand Marshal of the Heaven Dou Empire's three armies, Ge Long, was only at the Soul Douluo level—the true foundation of the Heaven Dou Empire was by no means comparable to what was depicted in the original story.

Xu Mochen's group did not waste words; they immediately released their respective martial souls. Of course, among the diplomats, aside from the leader Gu Yuntong who was a level forty-five Soul Ancestor, the other twelve diplomats were ordinary people.

As for Xu Mochen, he masked the color of his soul rings. After all, the soul ring age his body could now withstand had officially exceeded one thousand years, meaning his two soul rings were actually of the purple level. However, to avoid drawing attention, Xu Mochen still disguised them as two hundred-year soul rings.

As for the remaining four, they were the strongest among the Shadow Guard accompanying them, including Mo Wuying. Although Mo Wuying had methods to conceal his soul rings and cultivation, he had only suppressed his level from ninety-six to ninety-three.

After all, hiding one's strength was a good thing, but excessive concealment could bring unnecessary trouble. This trip was intended to showcase the strength of the Sun Moon Empire, so they naturally could not let the other side look down on them. The other three powerhouses, all above level eighty, had no way—nor any need—to hide their strength, so their soul rings and cultivation levels were immediately revealed.

"This is! A Titled Douluo!" The rugged-looking old man's reaction to the others' cultivation had been ordinary, but upon seeing Mo Wuying display the optimal soul ring configuration of "two yellow, two purple, five black," and realizing he was a powerhouse of the same rank as himself, his expression instantly grew more respectful.

He immediately cupped his hands toward Mo Wuying and said, "So you are an expert! Please forgive this old man's lack of insight; I have been disrespectful. I am also a Titled Douluo, surname Yan, given name Gang, a level ninety-three assault-type Titled Douluo. My title is 'Demon Steel,' and my martial soul is the 'Demon Steel Soul-Crushing Mace.' May I be so bold as to ask for your title and martial soul?"

"Titled Douluo is a term from your Douluo Continent. This old man is a citizen of the Sun Moon Empire, so naturally, I have no such title. My level is ninety-three, a ninth-rank agility-type soul master, and my martial soul is the 'Black Demon Shadow'."

As Xu Mochen's primary bodyguard, Mo Wuying had naturally been briefed by him regarding the soul master ranking system of the Douluo Continent. Xu Mochen had even encouraged Mo Wuying to choose a title for himself, but Mo Wuying had no interest in adhering to the cultural traditions of the Douluo Continent and didn't take it to heart, deciding he would just pick one at random if it ever became necessary.

Yan Gang did not feel offended by Mo Wuying's reply; on the contrary, he expressed understanding. After all, he could not force others to accept the culture of his own civilization. When it came to dealing with powerhouses of the same rank, Yan Gang still possessed a sense of propriety.

Although this group included one Titled Douluo and three Soul Douluo-level powerhouses, considering that given their status, they were entitled to basic personal security, and with himself and the two individuals beside the Crown Prince present, the Crown Prince's safety should not be an issue. Thus, he did not dwell on it further and respectfully invited the group to board the six luxurious six-horse carriages that had been prepared.

Xu Mochen, Mo Wuying, and Gu Yuntong naturally boarded the middle carriage, while the others split into teams of three to board the other five. Accompanied by the carriage drivers' shouts of "Giddyap!", the six carriages, escorted by over fifty Heaven Dou Empire Royal Knights and Yan Gang, sped along the town's main road, galloping toward the City Lord's Mansion.

Along the way, to prevent the Heaven Dou Empire from secretly eavesdropping on their conversation, the three of them closed their eyes to rest and did not speak further. Just fifteen minutes later, the convoy arrived in front of the City Lord's Mansion.

As Xu Mochen and his party stepped out of the carriages, a tall City Lord's Mansion situated atop layers of white stone steps came into view. It had to be said that this building was filled with a "Classical Greek" style: high roofs, towering carved white stone pillars, and various figures and soul beasts carved into the pillars and roof, presenting a magnificent and imposing sight.

This was merely the City Lord's Mansion of a large town; if it were the Imperial Palace of the Heaven Dou Empire, the level of luxury would likely be a hundred times greater! At this moment, the stairs leading to the City Lord's Mansion were already covered with a bright red carpet, and both sides and the surrounding area were filled with fully armed Royal Guards of the Heaven Dou Empire and imperial soul masters dressed in fine robes and soft armor, exuding an extraordinary aura.

Accompanied by the loud welcoming horns blown by the soldiers on both sides, the gates of the City Lord's Mansion slowly opened outward, and a group of people dressed in fine robes walked out one after another.

Xu Mochen fixed his gaze on the group and discovered that the three leaders were: a handsome young man with short golden hair, dressed in a white robe embroidered with gold patterns, possessing a gentle expression and an elegant, noble air; a middle-aged man in a green robe, leaning on a cane, with a scholarly and easygoing demeanor that did not lack nobility; and an old man with a gaunt face, a tall stature, dressed in bronze-colored robes, his eyes filled with a dark, gloomy glint.

Although Xu Mochen had never met them, based on the descriptions in the original work and the results of sensing their auras, he had already guessed their identities. Soon, Xu Mochen and his party ascended the steps and stood before this group.

"Distinguished guests who have traveled from afar, please allow me to introduce myself first. I am Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. The two gentlemen beside me are the Duke of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, my teacher, and the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—the second of the seven great sects of the Douluo Continent—Ning Fengzhi, as well as the Supreme Elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Bone Douluo Gu Rong, who possesses a level ninety-five defensive martial soul."

"Welcome to the Heaven Dou Empire. We are willing to uphold the philosophy of friendly coexistence and engage in exchanges with any friendly nation. Please forgive us; according to etiquette, we should have received you personally at the Imperial City of the Heaven Dou Empire, but considering the distance and the fact that my Imperial Father is truly unable to step away from pressing matters, we can only receive you here. However, please rest assured that the chefs preparing your meals are imperial cooks I brought specifically from the palace; we guarantee to treat you with the utmost sincerity."

The young man in the lead, Xue Qinghe, was the first to introduce himself to Xu Mochen and the others. Strangely, however, Xue Qinghe's gaze did not focus on Gu Yuntong to Xu Mochen's left or Mo Wuying to his right, but instead rested squarely on Xu Mochen.

What was surprising was that, seeing such a young boy mixed into the Sun Moon Empire's diplomatic mission, Xue Qinghe did not express any doubt. Instead, he smiled slightly and bowed, saying, "You must be the Imperial Prince of the Sun Moon Empire, right? Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality, and if you have any questions or requests, just let me know."

These words caused the expressions of the vast majority of the Heaven Dou Empire's diplomatic staff present to change instantly! After all, according to the intelligence they had gathered, the highest-ranking official visiting from the Sun Moon Empire should have been the middle-aged Deputy Minister of the Sun Moon Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs! Why was the Crown Prince now directly pointing out that the inconspicuous little boy mixed in the diplomatic group was the Imperial Prince of the Sun Moon Empire?

Upon hearing this, Xu Mochen did not show any surprise. Instead, he smiled and explained, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is joking. I am no Imperial Prince of the Sun Moon Empire, merely the son of a prominent noble family. I came this time thanks to family connections to gain some experience and see the world. Besides, the Imperial Princes of our Sun Moon Empire are of golden lineage; how could they risk crossing the ocean to come to such an unfamiliar place?"

Gu Yuntong and Mo Wuying beside Xu Mochen, as well as Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong standing beside Xue Qinghe, stood by calmly, observing the dialogue between the two.

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe did not show any embarrassment. Instead, he smiled naturally and said, "Is the Imperial Prince testing my insight? Although your explanation seems seamless, it still reveals flaws in other areas."

"First, if you were truly just a young noble out to see the world, the overall leader of this diplomatic activity should be the Deputy Minister of your Sun Moon Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs—the middle-aged gentleman to your left. However, the person standing at the very center and front of the mission is you, and Gu Yuntong shows no dissatisfaction; in fact, his attitude toward you is subtly filled with a degree of reverence."

"Second, there is the old man to your right. Although I am unaware of his exact strength, judging by the formidable aura he exudes and his eyes—which appear casual but hide a sharp edge—it is clear he is no ordinary soul master. He may even be a Soul Douluo or a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse, and one who has undergone rigorous bodyguard training!"

"I suspect that within the Sun Moon Empire, a bodyguard with such cultivation, eyes, and aura is not something a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs could command. Furthermore, while he appears indifferent on the surface, he, like Gu Yuntong, occasionally scans you with his eyes, and even your other mission members focus their attention on you from time to time. The importance of your identity is self-evident."

"Third, although I do not know your Sun Moon Empire well, judging by your conduct, your country is certainly not one that is free-spirited, unkempt, or ignorant of etiquette and rules. Given such an important diplomatic occasion, how could the Sun Moon Empire allow a young noble boy to stand wherever he pleases and bring shame to his country?"

"In summary, the true person in charge of this diplomatic activity is you! Unless there are special circumstances, a person capable of representing the Sun Moon Empire at such an age, while being flanked and constantly monitored by a Deputy Minister and a powerful bodyguard, is unlikely to be just a young noble boy out to see the world. Therefore, besides being an Imperial Prince, there is likely no other possibility, is there?"