Moreover, thanks to the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King's innate ability to sense auras, Xu Mochen could tell at a glance that the rugged-looking old man before him was no ordinary Soul Master. He was a powerful expert whose cultivation had reached level ninety-three! In the terms of the Douluo Continent, he was a Titled Douluo!
It seemed the Heaven Dou Empire truly took them seriously; they had even sent out an expert of the Titled Douluo's caliber. And judging by his appearance, he was definitely someone who had never appeared in the original story. The other Heaven Dou Empire soldiers couldn't help but show respect whenever they looked at him, and he exuded the imposing air unique to a soldier. Xu Mochen could tentatively conclude that he was a powerful figure of extremely high standing in the Heaven Dou Empire's military!
From this, it was clear that the Heaven Dou Empire's true foundations were nothing like those in the original story. After all, even Ge Long, the Grand Marshal of the Three Armies, had only been a Soul Douluo.
Xu Mochen and his party wasted no time on empty talk and immediately released their Martial Souls. Of the diplomats, only their leader, Gu Yuntong, was a level-forty-five Soul Ancestor; the other twelve were ordinary people.
Xu Mochen concealed the colors of his Soul Rings. His body could now withstand Soul Rings with a lifespan of over a thousand years, which meant both of his Soul Rings were actually purple. But to avoid drawing attention, he disguised them as two Hundred-Year Soul Rings.
The remaining four were the strongest among the four Shadow Guards accompanying them, including Mo Wuying. Mo Wuying had ways to conceal his Soul Rings and cultivation, but he had only suppressed his level from ninety-six to ninety-three.
After all, hiding one's strength was a good thing, but hiding too much could bring plenty of unnecessary trouble. This trip was meant to show off the Sun Moon Empire's strength, so they couldn't let the other side look down on them. The other three experts, whose levels were in the eighties, had neither the means nor the need to conceal their strength, so their Soul Rings and cultivation were revealed at once.
"Wait! He's a Titled Douluo!" The rugged old man had reacted rather calmly to the others' cultivation levels. But when he saw Mo Wuying displaying the optimal Soul Ring configuration of "two yellow, two purple, five black," and realized that Mo Wuying was a powerhouse of the same level as himself, his expression instantly grew more respectful.
He immediately cupped his fists toward Mo Wuying. "So you're an expert, sir! Forgive this old man's poor eyesight. I beg your pardon. My surname is Yan, and my given name is Gang. I'm a level-ninety-three Power Attack System Titled Douluo, titled 'Demon Steel,' and my Martial Soul is the 'Demon Steel Soul-Crushing Mace.' May I ask your title and Martial Soul?"
"'Titled Douluo' is a term from your Douluo Continent. This old man is from the Sun Moon Empire, so naturally I have no title. I'm level ninety-three, a Rank Nine Agility Attack System Soul Master, and my Martial Soul is the 'Black Demon Shadow.'"
As Xu Mochen's chief bodyguard, Mo Wuying had naturally been told about the Soul Master ranks on the Douluo Continent. Xu Mochen had even urged him to choose a title for himself, but Mo Wuying had little interest in following the Douluo Continent's cultural traditions, so he hadn't taken it seriously. If the need ever arose, he could simply pick one on the spot.
Yan Gang wasn't offended by Mo Wuying's answer. Instead, he showed understanding. He couldn't very well force the man to accept another civilization's customs, after all. Yan Gang knew how to deal with experts of equal standing.
Although the party included a Titled Douluo and three Soul Douluo-level experts, the other side had a right to protect themselves, given their status. Besides, he and the two experts beside the Crown Prince should be enough to keep His Highness safe, so Yan Gang didn't make an issue of it. He respectfully ushered the party into the six luxurious carriages, each drawn by six horses, that had been prepared for them.
Xu Mochen, Mo Wuying, and Gu Yuntong naturally took the carriage in the middle. The others split into five groups of three and boarded the remaining carriages. At the driver's cry of "Hyah!", four of the carriages raced down the town's main road, escorted by more than fifty Heaven Dou Empire Royal Knights and Yan Gang, heading straight for the City Lord's Mansion.
Along the way, the three kept their eyes closed and rested, saying little, in case the Heaven Dou Empire was secretly eavesdropping on their conversation. Just fifteen minutes later, the carriages arrived in front of the City Lord's Mansion.
As Xu Mochen and the others stepped down, a grand City Lord's Mansion perched atop tier upon tier of white steps came into view. The building was undeniably steeped in "classical Greek" style, with a lofty roof and rows of soaring, sculpted white stone columns. The columns and roof were carved with all sorts of figures and Soul Beasts, creating a magnificent, imposing scene.
And this was only the City Lord's Mansion in a large town. If it were the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace, it would surely be a hundred times more luxurious! A scarlet carpet had already been laid across the stairs leading to the mansion. On both sides and all around stood the fully armed Royal Guard soldiers, keeping watch, along with regal Soul Masters dressed in fine clothes and soft armor, their presence impressive.
As the soldiers lining the way sounded their bright, welcoming horns, the City Lord's Mansion gates slowly swung open. A group of finely dressed people emerged.
Xu Mochen looked closely at the group and saw that the three figures at the front were a handsome young man with short blond hair, dressed in a white robe embroidered with gold, his expression gentle and his bearing noble; a middle-aged man in a blue robe, leaning on a cane, his face scholarly and affable yet still dignified; and a gaunt, tall old man dressed in bronze-colored finery, his eyes filled with shadow.
Though Xu Mochen had never met them, judging by the original story's descriptions and his sense of their auras, he had already guessed who they were. Soon, Xu Mochen and the others climbed the steps and stood before the group.
"Honored guests who have traveled from afar, allow me to introduce myself. I am Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. The two beside me are the Grand Duke of Seven Treasures, my teacher and the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the second of the Douluo Continent's Seven Great Sects, Ning Fengzhi; and the sect's Grand Elder, Bone Douluo Gu Rong, a level-ninety-five defense-type Soul Master."
"Welcome to the Heaven Dou Empire. We are willing to uphold the principle of friendly relations and engage in exchanges with any friendly nation. Please forgive us. By all rights, according to proper etiquette, our father the emperor should have received you in person at the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial capital. But the capital is rather far from here, and he is tied up with other matters, so we can only ask you to make do with this arrangement. Rest assured, the cooks preparing your meal are imperial chefs whom I brought from the palace myself. We will welcome you with the utmost sincerity."
The young man at the head of the group—Xue Qinghe—was the first to introduce himself to Xu Mochen and the others. Strangely, however, Xue Qinghe's gaze didn't settle on Gu Yuntong, who stood to Xu Mochen's left, or on Mo Wuying, who stood to his right. Instead, it landed squarely on Xu Mochen.
Even more strangely, when he saw such a young boy among the Sun Moon Empire's diplomatic party, Xue Qinghe didn't question it at all. He merely smiled and bowed slightly. "You must be the Sun Moon Empire's prince, Your Highness. Please forgive us if anything in our hospitality falls short. If you have any questions or requests, just let Qinghe know."
Most of the Heaven Dou Empire's diplomats present instantly changed expression at these words! According to the intelligence they had gathered, the highest-ranking official on this Sun Moon Empire visit was supposed to be only the middle-aged deputy minister of the Sun Moon Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Why, then, had the Crown Prince identified the inconspicuous young boy among the visiting delegation as a prince of the Sun Moon Empire?
Hearing this, Xu Mochen showed no surprise. He merely smiled and explained, "Your Highness is joking. I'm no prince of the Sun Moon Empire, just the son of a prominent noble. I owe this trip to my family's connections, and I'm here to venture out and see the world. Besides, the princes of our Sun Moon Empire are precious treasures. Why would they risk crossing the ocean to come to such an unfamiliar place?"
At Xu Mochen's side, Gu Yuntong and Mo Wuying stood quietly. Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong, beside Xue Qinghe, did the same, silently observing the exchange.
Xue Qinghe showed no embarrassment at Xu Mochen's response. He simply smiled with ease. "Your Highness, are you testing Qinghe's powers of observation? Your explanation seems airtight, but you still let a few things slip."
"First, if you really were just a young nobleman out to see the world, then the leader of this diplomatic mission should be Gu Yuntong, the deputy minister of your Sun Moon Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs—the middle-aged gentleman to your left. Yet you, not Gu Yuntong, stand at the very front and center of the delegation. And Gu Yuntong shows no displeasure; on the contrary, his manner toward you carries an unmistakable trace of respect."
"Second, there's the old man to your right. I don't know his exact strength, but the powerful aura he faintly exudes and the seemingly casual gaze that conceals a keen edge make it clear he's no ordinary Soul Master. He may even be a Soul Douluo or a Titled Douluo—and he's clearly undergone rigorous bodyguard training!"
"I suspect that within the Sun Moon Empire, a bodyguard with such cultivation, gaze, and bearing wouldn't be at the service of a deputy minister. Moreover, though he seems unconcerned with everything on the surface, he, like Gu Yuntong, keeps glancing at you from time to time. Even the other members of your delegation frequently focus their attention on you. The importance of your identity is plain to see."
"Third, I may not know much about your Sun Moon Empire, but judging by your words and bearing, your country is clearly neither lax and undisciplined nor ignorant of etiquette and rules. Given that this is such an important diplomatic occasion, how could the Sun Moon Empire's delegation let a young nobleman's son stand wherever he pleased and bring shame upon his country at such a crucial event?"
"Taken together, you must be the true person in charge of the Sun Moon Empire's diplomatic mission! And unless there are special circumstances, a young nobleman out to see the world wouldn't have the authority to represent the Sun Moon Empire in such an important diplomatic event at such a young age, with a deputy foreign minister and powerful bodyguards at his side keeping a close eye on him. So unless you're a prince of the empire, there can be no other explanation, can there?"
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