Commander of the Shadow Guard

"What? A hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast that had taken human form! Good heavens, Old Kong, you're just too..." Xu Yuanding was utterly dumbfounded. As his younger cousin, he had never imagined that his elder cousin, the dean of the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tool Research Institute and the empire's strongest expert, actually knew a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast! And one that had taken human form, no less!

If word of this got out, the entire Sun Moon Empire would surely be shaken. Xu Yuanding naturally understood how serious the matter was, and would keep it secret.

Xu Mochen was also greatly astonished, but by comparison, he remained calm. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Great-Uncle. I'm willing to go in person a year from now. But before then, I'd also like to learn about Soul Tools. It might help the Sun Moon Empire's development in the future."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince wants to study Soul Tools? But you should know that studying them requires a solid foundation in general education." Kong Dehan was somewhat surprised.

To be honest, in the Sun Moon Empire, students usually began learning about Soul Tools only at the intermediate academy, at the age of twelve. But the Crown Prince was only six. Starting his Soul Tool studies now seemed like trying to force seedlings to grow by pulling them up.

Xu Mochen nevertheless insisted, "Great-Uncle, there's no need to worry. I've studied on my own for a while, and I should have no problem with the basic subjects."

Seeing how determined Xu Mochen was, Kong Dehan didn't press the matter. Though deep down he found it hard to believe that someone Xu Mochen's age could learn much about Soul Tools, he could at least find a way to make him realize how difficult it was.

So Kong Dehan agreed. "Then, Your Highness, please come to the top floor of the Soul Tool Research Institute after court tomorrow morning. I'll make the necessary preparations and welcome Your Highness."

Xu Yuanding felt somewhat helpless. Could it be that the Crown Prince had another plan? Never mind. He was finding it harder and harder to keep up with the Crown Prince's way of thinking. Was he really getting old?

That night, in the Crown Prince's study:

The bright moon hung high in a cloudless sky. Night had long since fallen over the Sun Moon Empire's palace, and all was quiet. Yet the Crown Prince's study was still brightly lit. Sitting on a meditation cushion, Xu Mochen had just finished his cultivation for the day, a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.

Though several hours of cultivation had not noticeably raised his level, Xu Mochen could clearly feel that the Soul Power in his body was far more stable than before.

Just as Xu Mochen was about to find some books on Soul Tools and use his Smart Brain to store the information, he suddenly heard an unusual, faint noise outside the door.

"Who's there?" Xu Mochen instantly went on alert. His Martial Soul possessed him, and a yellow Soul Ring appeared around him. The Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King Martial Soul was undoubtedly in the divine rank! The mental strength and danger-sensing ability it granted Xu Mochen were far beyond those of an ordinary Martial Soul.

Xu Mochen circulated all the Soul Power in his body, his expression growing solemn. At his current cultivation level, he might have a chance against Soul Masters in their twenties or thirties. But whoever had reached his study almost soundlessly without alerting the many palace guards and imperial troops was at least a Titled Douluo. Trying to fight an expert of that caliber at his current level would be nothing more than a fool's dream.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is most perceptive. Though I deliberately made that noise, it was so faint, yet Your Highness noticed it at once. That puts this old man greatly at ease. If the late emperor could see Your Highness now, he would surely be gratified by your performance."

An old, ethereal voice reached Xu Mochen's ears. Under his tense gaze, the door slowly opened, and a shadow appeared before him in an instant.

Xu Mochen acted without hesitation. His First Soul Ring lit up, and he swung his right hand. A dragon-claw phantom wreathed in brilliant purple light shot from it, surging toward the shadow with a domineering aura and a terrifying dragon's roar! At the same time, he quietly flicked his left hand behind his back. A dark purple dragon-claw phantom slipped through the night and struck at the shadow from the flank.

This was Xu Mochen's first Soul Skill, Chaos Dragon Claw! It had two different forms: Purple Sun Dragon Claw and Purple Yin Dragon Claw.

When activated, the Purple Sun Dragon Claw appeared bright purple. Its unstoppable force could tear through an enemy's defenses to a tremendous degree. The Chaos Dragon Qi contained within the claw could also immediately suppress any being whose Martial Soul bloodline was inferior to his, causing the defense and speed of its locked-on target to plummet and making it difficult to fend off or evade the attack!

When activated, the Purple Yin Dragon Claw appeared dark purple. It was fast and stealthy. Though it dealt less direct damage than the Purple Sun Dragon Claw, a hit would throw the target's Soul Power into disarray, making it difficult to control their Martial Soul, Soul Power, and Soul Skills. The Chaos Dragon Qi driven into their body would also continue to injure them!

Xu Mochen had used both forms at once, not because he expected to kill the shadow, but because he hoped to hold it off for a second or two—long enough to hit the Soul Tool Bell beside him and raise the alarm.

But what happened next shocked Xu Mochen once again. His attacks landed on the figure, yet seemed to hit nothing at all, passing straight through it.

The figure didn't seem offended. Under Xu Mochen's astonished gaze, it bowed slightly and smiled. "I didn't expect Your Highness to be so vigilant, and to possess such impressive skill as well. This old man is Mo Wuying, commander of the Shadow Guard, the intelligence organization under the late emperor. I've disturbed Your Highness. I hope you'll forgive me!"

"The Shadow Guard! You're its commander?" At that, Xu Mochen felt somewhat reassured. No wonder he had managed to reach his study without a sound. There was no need to doubt his identity. If an expert of his caliber truly wanted to harm Xu Mochen, he would already have been reported to the King of Hell.

Xu Mochen knew of the Shadow Guard only from his predecessor's memories. It was an intelligence and covert operations organization controlled directly by the imperial family, much like the Ming dynasty's Brocade Guards. Its members were not only powerful Soul Masters, but also agile and skilled in concealment and assassination. It had always been an invisible, unsheathed blade in the hands of the Sun Moon Empire's emperors.

The commander of the Shadow Guard—the head of the intelligence organization—was someone even his father had never mentioned to his predecessor. But anyone who could serve as the emperor's strongest covert operative had to be terrifyingly powerful!

"Your Highness, I am indeed the commander of the Shadow Guard. Though the late emperor may never have mentioned me to Your Highness, Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding know me. If Your Highness is not at ease, you may summon them now to confirm my identity. With the late emperor deceased, we of the Shadow Guard will naturally serve Your Highness as our liege and render you every service."

Mo Wuying made no attempt to hide any of this. With his abilities, there was no way he could have missed the late emperor's death. As things stood, Xu Mochen was indeed in urgent need of an intelligence agency that could provide useful information, as well as a top expert who could protect him at any moment.

Hearing Mo Wuying's pledge of loyalty, Xu Mochen was quite pleased. "No need. I trust you, senior. But allow me to ask: are you a Titled Douluo?"

"A Titled Douluo? What's that?" Mo Wuying was taken aback by Xu Mochen's question. Xu Mochen was startled too. What, did experts above Level 90 in the Sun Moon Empire not go by the title Titled Douluo?

Then Xu Mochen seemed to realize something and slapped his forehead, realizing he had made a serious mistake. Right, "Titled Douluo" was the term used on Douluo Continent! The word "Douluo" in "Titled Douluo" came from the names of the two great empires there: the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Since the Sun Moon Continent had yet to encounter Douluo Continent, naturally, it had no such title as "Titled Douluo."

According to his predecessor's memories, powerful experts in the Sun Moon Empire were usually classified bluntly into nine ranks, from one to nine rings. Cultural differences really were a headache. Fortunately, most other things on the Sun Moon Continent were named the same as on Douluo Continent. Otherwise, he'd have been driven to distraction.

So Xu Mochen had to rephrase his question. "Sorry about that. What I meant was, may I ask what your Martial Soul is and what your cultivation level is?"

Only then did Mo Wuying understand what Xu Mochen meant. He replied without hesitation, "Your Highness, my Martial Soul is Black Demon Shadow. I'm currently Level 95."

Level 95? That was no weak cultivation. Even on Douluo Continent, he would definitely count as a powerful expert. Xu Mochen nodded to himself, then instructed, "As it happens, there's something I'd like you to investigate. It concerns the Ten Great Families of the Sun Moon Empire. I want to know the extent of their influence and the foundations they have built in the empire. Also, keep an eye on who they've been meeting with lately."

"Yes. Rest assured, Your Highness. In fact, the late emperor had already ordered this old man to secretly monitor and investigate everything concerning the Ten Great Families. Over the years, I've gathered quite a bit of information. Your Highness need only wait a few more days, and I will give you a satisfactory report." Mo Wuying finished speaking respectfully, then vanished in a flash, leaving Xu Mochen sitting on his meditation cushion, deep in thought.

The Ten Great Families, including the imperial Xu family, were the most powerful forces in the Sun Moon Empire. According to his predecessor's memories, their establishment could be traced back more than a thousand years.

Long before then, the idea that imperial authority came from the gods had been deeply ingrained throughout the Sun Moon Empire and the Sun Moon Continent. The Sun Moon Cult, a religious organization led by the imperial Xu and Kong families, was the only legal religion in the Sun Moon Empire. In those days, the Sun Moon Cult held tremendous status and counted its followers in the hundreds of millions. The Pope's authority had even surpassed the emperor's for a time, leaving the imperial family little more than a puppet.

In fact, the Sun Moon Cult had been founded even before the Sun Moon Empire. Its purpose had been to preach that this continent was created by the Sun God and the Moon God, and that the Xu and Kong families were their descendants, sent by the gods to rule the continent and bring happiness and peace to its people.

Only by uniting under the leadership of the descendants of the Sun God and Moon God could the people find guidance and salvation for their lost souls, live in peace and happiness, and qualify for reincarnation after death. Otherwise, they would be defying the will of the gods: they would suffer divine punishment and curses in life, and endure heavenly torment forever after death, never to be reincarnated!

The Sun Moon Cult relentlessly spread its teachings and brainwashed the people, persecuted its opponents in secret, and used all manner of charlatan tricks to mislead the masses. On top of that, the Xu and Kong families had received knowledge passed down by the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King. Other opposing forces simply couldn't stand against them and were defeated one after another.

Thus, the creed that "the Xu and Kong families are descendants of the gods, and their rule over this continent is the will of Heaven; those who resist are devils and will suffer Heaven's wrath" grew more and more sacred with every retelling. The Sun Moon Cult's followers multiplied, and with the support of the cult and the teachings passed down by their ancestors, the Xu and Kong families eventually united the entire continent, founded the Sun Moon Empire, and named the continent the Sun Moon Continent.