Under these circumstances, it could be called an unsolvable problem. Difficult, difficult..."
"That Huo Yun'er had always been ambitious, waiting for the day she could turn her fortunes around. That was the unsolvable problem."
"But she'd waited for over ten years. No matter who it was, they'd be unwilling to accept that, wouldn't they?"
"If Dai Hao knew that Huo Yun'er had borne him a son who'd become a Soul King before even turning sixteen, and who had Ultimate Ice and Twin Martial Souls..."
For a moment, everyone beneath the heavens stared fixedly at the Sky Screen, waiting for Yuhao's choice!
Duke of White Tiger Dai Hao, the Duchess Xu Feiyan, and even Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire all had sweat beading on their palms!
"Alas!"
Unexpectedly, Yuhao let out another sigh in the scene. His expression turned resolute, as if he'd made an important decision.
He looked at the familiar, delicate face before him. She seemed a little weak, yet was still forcing herself to maintain her dignity. His eyes filled with emotions too complex to name.
Hatred, fury, grievance, unwillingness, confusion, affection...
Everything he'd kept bottled up in his heart for more than ten years had long since congealed into a darkness more profound than the Abyss. And now, a single choice was about to ignite it all, unleashing everything in this very moment!
Or perhaps it was precisely this darkness, suppressed to its very limit, that had driven this boy to make a dark choice from which there could be no turning back!
"Madam, I have one more way. We can make a secret between us—something we must both keep, something no outsider can ever know!"
"Then you'll keep this secret for me, Madam, and won't let anyone else find out, right?"
Yuhao suddenly smiled. It was as if he'd shed some kind of restraint; he smiled more easily than ever before. Yet the inexplicable darkness and depth in his eyes sent a sudden chill through the Duchess.
"Yuhao, you... what do you mean?"
"What do I mean?"
Rip!
A ripping sound rang out, making the Duchess's eyes widen, and a chill spread across her skin.
"Dai Yuhao! You... have you gone mad? Do you know what you're doing?"
At that moment, for the first time in her life, Yuhao saw fear and panic in this woman's eyes!
"Of course I know. In your eyes, am I always just a child you can push around however you like? You tell me what to do, and I have to obey, while there's nothing I can do to you..."
"Is it possible that I don't have to follow your arrangements? Is it possible that I can use my own will to force you to obey me?"
"Teacher, times have changed!"
At that moment, Yuhao felt the knot of pent-up anger in his chest finally loosen. Never before had he felt so clearheaded, so refreshed. All the pretending, all the repression, had finally come to an end. He'd never felt better!
"Dai Yuhao! How could the Star Crown Martial Soul, the pride of the Star Luo royal family, fuse or even make contact with your Martial Soul of unknown origin? Our Soul Power can never interact. If you do this, aren't you afraid the empire will punish you? Not only will Dai Hao never let you go, my imperial brother won't either!"
Xu Feiyan issued her final warning, but how could it suppress Yuhao's resolve now?
"Martial Soul Fusion!"
The Soul Power of Ultimate Ice finally entwined with those specks of starlight!
Outside the Sky Screen, the people of Douluo Continent gaped in astonishment. Who could have guessed things would develop like this—or that Yuhao would be so decisive?
"This... this really is a tremendous secret. No matter what, the Duchess can't expose this anymore. She'll have to guard the secret with her life. Otherwise, they'll both go down together, and everything will be destroyed!"
Someone stared at the scene in the Sky Screen, dumbfounded.
"No, it's not just mutual destruction. Yuhao is already strong enough to flee the Duke's Mansion on his own if he has to. The world is vast; he can go wherever he likes. Not a single sect or power would turn away a Soul Master with an Ultimate Martial Soul... much less one so young, with limitless potential."
Another old Soul Master shook his head and sighed.
"The Duchess is the one who'd suffer. If this secret got out, she'd be ruined. All the years she spent controlling the Duke's Mansion would go up in smoke!"
Meanwhile, in the Sun Moon Empire, those watching reacted with glee.
"Hahahahahaha! Dai Hao, oh, Dai Hao! The White Tiger War God, they call you. You've harassed our empire's borders for so long, yet who'd have thought your own household would explode with such a massive bombshell!"
Mad Bull Douluo, the Mad Bull Soul Engineer Regiment Commander, laughed heartily at the Sky Screen and uncorked a bottle of red wine.
"Very good, very good. The White Tiger War God will be the Green-Hat War God from now on. If a few more 'young masters' show up at home, he might not even know what's going on!"
An adjutant watched the Sky Screen too, grinning.
"Hey, isn't this a good thing? The White Tiger Duke's line has always claimed that fathers and sons fight side by side. He fights at the front while others send him reinforcements from behind. Isn't that invincible? Hahahahaha!"
Another adjutant grinned, his words dripping with sarcasm.
Meanwhile, at the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire, inside the White Tiger Duke's tent...
"Aaaaaaah!"
By now, Dai Hao had nearly lost all reason. He smashed everything in the military tent that could be smashed!
"Xu Feiyan, you bitch! Aaaaaaah!"
The scene that enraged him continued to unfold!
From then on, Yuhao effectively took control of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. Using this secret, he became one of the two de facto heads of the household, alongside Xu Feiyan.
Everyone in the Duke's Mansion was astonished. The Duchess, who had always done everything she could to suppress Yuhao, had suddenly changed her tune.
Could it be that the Duchess truly valued Yuhao's talent, had set aside her prejudices, and decided to cultivate him as the future pillar of the Duke's Mansion?
Those who had already pledged themselves to Xu Feiyan didn't mind the outcome, while the old retainers in the Duke's Mansion who still remained loyal to the White Tiger Duke were quite pleased. The woman had finally started thinking of herself as a member of the Dai Family!
Of course, in a certain sense, that didn't seem entirely wrong.
Five years later, Yuhao had become a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, and Xu Feiyan was pregnant.
After hatching a plan, Yuhao struck first. He went to the front lines at the border and killed Dai Hao in the midst of battle, then "found" abundant evidence that the White Tiger War God had colluded with the enemy and betrayed his country.
Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire was thunderously enraged. He immediately announced the revocation of all Dai Hao's honors, stripped Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin of their rights to inherit the title, and forcibly passed the title of White Tiger Duke to Dai Yuhao.