"Clap, clap, clap..." Seeing this, Xu Mochen stopped playing dumb and chuckled as he applauded. "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, truly has an eye for detail. You're right. I am indeed a prince of the Sun Moon Empire. Which prince I am is beside the point. I came here hoping to explore the civilization of this new continent, establish diplomatic relations with other countries, and exchange what we have. I concealed my identity just now for certain reasons. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
Xu Mochen then introduced the two people beside him. When Xue Qinghe and the others learned that the elderly man with Xu Mochen was a Titled Douluo of rank 93, their expressions turned slightly grave.
"I, Xue Qinghe, was unaware of your identity and showed you discourtesy, Your Excellency. I hope you will forgive me." Xue Qinghe immediately bowed slightly to Mo Wuying in apology. Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong simply nodded to him in greeting, and though Mo Wuying disliked this sort of diplomatic occasion, he nodded back all the same.
Xu Mochen, however, had been studying Xue Qinghe closely from the very beginning. It made Xue Qinghe's skin crawl; he had the unsettling feeling that Xu Mochen had seen through his secret.
Could he have noticed something? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Only a god-level expert could see through my disguise. How could a little prince who had just arrived on Douluo Continent have discovered anything?
Though Xue Qinghe's instincts kept telling him that something was wrong, he thought it over and realized he hadn't let anything slip. He could only reassure himself that perhaps he was too nervous.
Fortunately, Xu Mochen's gaze did not linger for long. Once he had confirmed something, he turned his attention to Ning Fengzhi, standing beside Xue Qinghe.
He bowed slightly and praised him. "You must be Sect Master Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I've heard that many people call you the greatest support-type Soul Master in the world, and that you possess the top-tier support-type Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. I've also heard that the Clear Sky Sect, once the greatest sect on your continent, was gravely wounded and withdrew from the world six years ago. Under the circumstances, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect must now be the greatest sect in the world in all but name."
"Seeing Sect Master Ning's extraordinary bearing, I imagine your cultivation is profound as well. With such a powerful Titled Douluo guarding your side, the two of you working together must be at least the equal of two Titled Douluo, wouldn't you say?"
"Your Highness, the prince, you flatter me. I, Ning, am hardly worthy of such praise. The exaggerated compliments people offer me are not to be taken seriously." Ning Fengzhi humbly shook his head, then gave a slight nod. "We heard that there were other countries across the sea, west of the Heaven Dou Empire, so we came out of curiosity to pay a visit. We owe that opportunity to the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family. We also wished to express our goodwill to our guests from abroad. If we have offended you in any way, please do let us know."
Xu Mochen inwardly chuckled when he heard this. This old fox is even more shrewd than he was in the original story. Even as the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he keeps his posture remarkably low. His dignified bearing and refined, courteous manner also make people lower their guard without realizing it, and come to trust him.
The group exchanged a few more pleasantries, then followed Xue Qinghe into the City Lord's Mansion and took their seats in the dining hall. The dining hall in the Linghai City Lord's Mansion was not especially luxurious, but it still had an air of nobility. A long table stood in the center, set with exquisite tableware and decorations.
As the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe naturally sat at the far end of the table. The Sun Moon Empire delegation, led by Xu Mochen, and the Heaven Dou Empire delegation, led by Ning Fengzhi, sat to his left and right, respectively. Xu Mochen and Ning Fengzhi, of course, took the seats closest to Xue Qinghe.
As the banquet began, servants streamed in from outside, carrying dish after delicious dish. Everyone quietly began to enjoy the food before them, while the musicians played a melodious tune. Throughout the meal, Xue Qinghe, Xu Mochen, and the others often raised their glasses to one another. The atmosphere between the two sides seemed peaceful and harmonious.
All the while, Xu Mochen quietly weighed everything before him. From the abilities he had learned from Cang Ming, and from his Martial Soul's sensitivity to auras, he could tell that the Heaven Dou Empire's Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, clearly possessed true divinity, just as he did!
This divinity was unlike the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King's aura, which devoured heaven and earth and encompassed all things. It gave off a sense of graceful nobility and spiritual purity. Combined with what he knew from the original story, it was almost certain that His Highness Xue Qinghe was actually Qian Renxue, the young mistress of Spirit Hall and the possessor of the Angel Martial Soul!
Xu Mochen had no intention of exposing her identity for now, but that did not mean he would give up such a valuable bargaining chip. If he could make the most of it, the Sun Moon Empire would gain the upper hand in their negotiations.
His senses also revealed that besides Mo Wuying, Gu Rong, and Yan Gang, there was another Titled Douluo hidden in the room. The man was concealed in the shadows, seemingly keeping watch over Xue Qinghe and Xu Mochen's party.
This expert seemed to be a rank 96 powerhouse, just like Mo Wuying, and was equally skilled at concealing his aura. If Xu Mochen had not been exceptionally sensitive to auras, he would never have detected such a powerful presence. Whether the man belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family or was a spy for Spirit Hall, he had no way of knowing.
That did not stop Xu Mochen from drawing closer to Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi. Both men were deeply interested in the Sun Moon Continent and the Sun Moon Empire, and Xu Mochen was just as eager to tease useful information out of them. So the three of them began a pleasant conversation, each understanding the other's intentions without saying so.
"Your Highness keeps calling me the Crown Prince. It feels rather distant. I'm a few years older than you, Xiao Chen. If you don't mind, just call me Brother Xue."
Xue Qinghe was particularly good at making connections. Ning Fengzhi was no less adept; he immediately chimed in warmly. "Then I'll presume upon our acquaintance as well. You needn't keep calling me Sect Master Ning, either. Uncle Ning sounds much more familiar."
Xu Mochen readily went along with it. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. Brother Xue, Uncle Ning, you can just call me Xiao Chen."
For a while, the atmosphere was all warmth and harmony. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought they were simply chatting about everyday things.
Xue Qinghe then probed, "I hear Xiao Chen comes from the Sun Moon Empire. We're all very curious about the Sun Moon Empire and the Sun Moon Continent. A place that could produce a clever, level-headed young man like you must be blessed with good fortune, don't you think? And since the Sun Moon Empire is named after the continent, it must be the most powerful country there!"
Xu Mochen waved his hands repeatedly. "I wouldn't dare say that, Brother Xue. You're too kind. The Sun Moon Continent and the Sun Moon Empire are nowhere near as large as Douluo Continent. Our land covers only a little over 8.6 million square kilometers, and our population is only around 160 million. There's only one country on the entire continent, so naturally we're the most powerful!"
Xu Mochen had already sneered inwardly. This information was common knowledge, after all. Even if he didn't tell Xue Qinghe now, as the Sun Moon Empire and Douluo Continent built closer ties, Xue Qinghe could easily obtain it. He might as well be frank.
"The only country? So the Sun Moon Continent is ruled by a single empire!" Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi immediately looked a little unsettled.
Neither of them thought Xu Mochen was lying. If the two continents were to engage in deeper exchanges in the future, this sort of information could hardly be kept secret. Still, the existence of an empire isolated across the sea and ruling an entire continent was bad news for the Heaven Dou Empire—and for Spirit Hall, too!
What did this mean? The Sun Moon Empire was isolated overseas, and when that was considered alongside the information they had gathered about the enormous fleet docked at Linghai Port, it was already easy to see that the Sun Moon Empire's navy far outclassed Douluo Continent's!
When the Heaven Dou Empire's upper ranks heard descriptions of those strange, enormous warships, they had been completely baffled by even the most basic methods and principles behind their construction, let alone how to reproduce them. But one thing was certain: no country on Douluo Continent could build such warships at present!
And now the Sun Moon Continent had found Douluo Continent, while Douluo Continent knew only that the Sun Moon Continent lay far to the west. They knew nothing else about its location. Even if they did, the vast majority of their navies had such primitive ocean-going and naval combat capabilities that even united, they probably couldn't pose the slightest threat to the Sun Moon Empire!
That left them with only one way to restrain the Sun Moon Empire: exploit the other countries around it to sow discord. But now they had learned that the Sun Moon Continent had only one country!
This meant not only that the countries of Douluo Continent had no way to threaten the Sun Moon Empire's security, but also that the Sun Moon Empire could devote all its attention to plotting its course on Douluo Continent! Backed by the ocean's natural barrier and an invincible fleet, the Sun Moon Empire could attack any coastal city on Douluo Continent.
Even if it lost, the Sun Moon Empire could immediately retreat to its own continent, develop in peace, and return to take revenge later! Douluo Continent would have no way to stop them. All they could do was watch helplessly and take the blows!
Fortunately, according to Xu Mochen, the Sun Moon Continent was only a third the size of Douluo Continent, and its population was only a tenth as large. What's more, neither Xu Mochen nor his companions had shown any sign of wanting to invade. (Of course, they could be pretending; perhaps they simply didn't understand Douluo Continent well enough to launch a war rashly.) Otherwise, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi would probably already have invited the various powers of Douluo Continent to join forces against this mighty foreign country.
Though that was what he was thinking, Xue Qinghe kept his spring-breeze smile in place. "Your homeland sounds like a remarkable country, Xiao Chen! It's a shame I haven't had the chance to visit in person. If I get the time someday, I'll be sure to pay it a visit."
Ning Fengzhi smiled and echoed him. "Uncle Ning is interested in your homeland as well. If we ever have the chance to visit, Xiao Chen, you mustn't turn us away."
Xu Mochen naturally agreed at once, and replied cheerfully, "The Sun Moon Empire would welcome guests from afar. If I ever want to visit Heaven Dou City and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Brother Xue and Uncle Ning won't refuse me, will they?" Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi both laughed and immediately assured him he would be welcome. The atmosphere grew even more harmonious.
Before you continue