Father's Decision: Report to Xue Ye!

Little Griffin flapped its wings. It settled back onto Xue Yao's shoulder and rubbed its fluffy head against his cheek.

Xue Lang rubbed his hands together. He paced back and forth.

"Innate Full Soul Power."

"Our Yao'er has truly made something of himself."

He grinned from ear to ear, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bunching together.

Gao Nianzhen pulled her son into her arms. Her eyes were full of unconcealed pride.

But as he laughed, Xue Lang's steps gradually slowed.

He stopped in place. His brow furrowed little by little.

The joy that had filled his face vanished in an instant, replaced by deep worry.

Gao Nianzhen knew her husband too well.

She sensed something was wrong, and her smile faded.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly as she walked over.

Xue Lang turned and glanced around.

There was no one else in the great hall. Even so, he instinctively lowered his voice.

"Nianzhen, don't you think... Yao'er's talent is too conspicuous?"

Gao Nianzhen froze for a moment.

"What's wrong with being talented? Do you expect our son to be mediocre?"

"That's not what I mean."

Xue Lang let out a heavy sigh.

"The tallest tree catches the wind. That holds true everywhere."

He walked to the throne and sat down. His fingers tapped the armrest unconsciously.

"Our Farack Kingdom may have a grand name, but put plainly, it's just a vassal state under the Heaven Dou Empire."

"Our national strength is limited. The strongest person we have is you, a seventy-two-level Soul Saint."

Xue Lang paused, his tone turning exceptionally grave.

"Yao'er has Innate Full Soul Power, and his Martial Soul is a Griffin."

"With talent like that, even in Spirit Hall, he'd be among the very best."

At the words "Spirit Hall," Gao Nianzhen's face went deathly pale.

Everyone else might not know how domineering Spirit Hall had been in recent years, but kings like them saw it as clearly as day.

They scoured the entire continent for geniuses.

When they found a promising talent, they tried to recruit them, offering resources and status.

And if they couldn't recruit them?

They assassinated them. Wiped out every trace.

Their methods were utterly ruthless.

They would never leave a genius for either of the two great empires.

"If Spirit Hall's red-robed cardinals learn of Yao'er's talent..."

Xue Lang took a deep breath and didn't dare continue.

Gao Nianzhen clenched her teeth. A layer of cold sweat had already spread across her back.

If Spirit Hall really came to take him, Farack Kingdom's forces wouldn't even be enough to fill a single Titled Douluo's teeth.

"Then what do we do?"

Gao Nianzhen panicked.

"Should we keep the news under wraps? Tell everyone Yao'er awakened an ordinary Swan Martial Soul and only has three levels of Soul Power?"

Xue Lang smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"We can't hide it."

"The commotion during today's awakening was too great. The guards on patrol outside must have seen that blue light just now."

"There are too many people in the palace. Who knows which maid or eunuch might be a Spirit Hall spy?"

"You can only steal for a thousand days, not guard against thieves for a thousand days."

Xue Lang suddenly rose to his feet, his gaze becoming resolute.

"We need to find a powerful patron."

"Someone so formidable that even Spirit Hall wouldn't dare act against them lightly."

Gao Nianzhen immediately understood.

"You mean... the Heaven Dou Imperial Family? Emperor Xue Ye?"

Xue Lang nodded firmly.

"That's right."

"We're a branch of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family to begin with. Our bloodlines may have diverged several generations ago, but we still share the Xue surname."

"The Heaven Dou Empire has been short on talent in recent years. There are hardly any young people worth mentioning."

"Emperor Xue Ye dreams of having an unparalleled genius to bolster his reputation."

"If we send Yao'er there, they'll treasure him like a darling. He'll certainly get all the resources he needs."

"With the entire Heaven Dou Empire protecting him, even Spirit Hall would have to think twice before making a move."

Nearby,

Xue Yao listened quietly to his parents' conversation.

He didn't interrupt, but inwardly gave his father a thumbs-up.

His cheap old man had a remarkably clear head and a perfect grasp of the big picture.

He hadn't let the euphoria of the moment cloud his judgment at all.

An innocent man could be guilty of possessing a treasure.

Right now, he was just a six-year-old child.

He had the foundation of a top-tier Martial Soul but no strength to protect himself.

Any Soul Elder or Soul Ancestor could crush him to death.

Going to Heaven Dou City really was the best move for now.

It had Heaven Dou Royal Academy and the best Mimicry Cultivation Environment. More importantly, it offered security.

Once he had fully developed and evolved his Martial Soul into the Royal Griffin,

then he could take on Spirit Hall.

Of course, he still had to be cautious in the early stages. As long as he didn't run into Qian Renxue, things should be fine.

Late that night.

Farack Royal Palace, Imperial Study.

Not even a maid to serve tea had been left in the room.

The doors and windows were tightly shut.

Xue Lang sat at his desk. A sheet of specially made parchment lay across it.

He held a pen and wrote at a rapid pace.

When he finished, he picked up the King's Imperial Seal from the desk and pressed it hard onto the bottom of the letter.

Then he rolled the parchment tightly and placed it inside a classified copper tube sealed with wax.

"Black Eagle."

Xue Lang called out to the empty Imperial Study.

The next second,

the shadow in the corner suddenly shifted.

A man dressed in black appeared out of thin air.

He knelt on one knee, head bowed low.

"Your Majesty."

He was Xue Lang's Shadow Guard, a loyalist raised by the royal family from childhood. His loyalty was absolute.

He was powerful, a fifty-six-level agility-type Soul King.

Xue Lang walked up to him and handed him the copper tube.

"Take this letter yourself and make the trip to Heaven Dou City."

"You must deliver it to Emperor Xue Ye in person."

Black Eagle took the tube in both hands and carefully tucked it away against his body.

"Remember."

Xue Lang's voice was low, edged with a fierce determination.

"This letter concerns the survival of the Farack royal family. It concerns the Second Prince's life."

"No matter what happens on the way, you must not stop."

"And don't make contact with anyone. Ride at full speed, making eight hundred li a day."

"Even if you die on the road, that letter had better make its way into the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace!"

Black Eagle looked up, his eyes utterly resolute.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty."

"Even if I have to stake my life, I will deliver the letter to the Emperor."

"Go. Leave tonight. Take the deserted roads." Xue Lang waved his hand.

Black Eagle rose to his feet.

He flashed away, slipping straight out through the second-floor window.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the night, without making a sound.

Xue Lang stood by the window, gazing out at the pitch-black sky.

The night wind blew in. Only then did he realize that the clothes on his back were soaked through with cold sweat.

"Yao'er..."

he murmured to himself.

"This is all your father can do for you."

"The rest of the way, you'll have to forge ahead on your own."