The Sun Moon Empire, Prince Xu Tianran's residence.
The magnificent, extravagant hall was weighed down by an oppressive atmosphere.
"Xu Tianyao, you've gone too far!"
A cold, furious voice echoed through the hall.
Xu Tianran sat in the seat of honor, his face dark as he fixed a piercing gaze on the young man kneeling below.
"Do you even know what you're doing?"
"Have you forgotten what it means to be a prince of the Imperial Family?"
Xu Tianran rarely lost his temper in earnest.
Even when facing political rivals at court, he usually kept his emotions hidden.
But at that moment, he made no effort to conceal the anger in his eyes.
In the center of the hall,
Xu Tianyao knelt obediently with his head bowed, without saying a word.
Standing beside Xu Tianran was an old man with white hair, dressed in a red robe.
His face was just as dark, and an awe-inspiring, terrifying aura seemed to radiate from him.
He was none other than Jing Hongchen, Hall Master of Mingde Hall.
What had happened today had clearly set this leading figure in the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Guidance world ablaze with fury.
Seeing that Xu Tianyao still wouldn't speak, Xu Tianran gave a cold snort, then turned to Jing Hongchen.
Most of the anger vanished from his face.
"Hall Master Hongchen, this was indeed Tianyao acting recklessly."
"Our mother passed away when we were young, and I'm usually busy with state affairs, so I haven't disciplined him enough. That's how he came to be so unruly."
"From this day forward, I'll keep him under strict control and give Hall Master Hongchen a satisfactory explanation."
His tone was utterly sincere, and he adopted a very humble posture. It was no small thing for a noble prince to go this far.
Yet Jing Hongchen's anger still hadn't faded.
Whenever he thought of what that little bastard had done, he wanted to drag him back and beat him senseless.
But when it came to Xu Tianran, he ultimately couldn't let his temper loose.
Of all the princes, Xu Tianran had the greatest power, the most ruthless methods, and the deepest foundations. He was practically seen as the strongest candidate to inherit the throne.
Mingde Hall, meanwhile, had always remained neutral.
Jing Hongchen was unwilling to offend Xu Tianran, but he couldn't let the Hongchen Family be humiliated, either.
In the end, he could only glare coldly at Xu Tianyao.
"Since Your Highness has put it that way, this old man will naturally believe you."
"However, I'll still report the matter to His Majesty truthfully."
"As for how it should be handled, His Majesty will deliver his holy judgment."
With that, Jing Hongchen cupped his hands, turned around, and swept out of the hall.
Only after the red-robed figure had disappeared beyond the hall did the atmosphere begin to ease.
Xu Tianran leaned back in his chair and sat in silence for a long while.
Then he glanced down at Xu Tianyao.
"They're gone."
"Why are you still kneeling?"
"Get over here!"
At those words, Xu Tianyao was instantly granted a pardon.
He sprang to his feet with a nimble kip-up.
Then, wearing a broad grin, he scampered over behind Xu Tianran and began kneading his shoulders and beating his back. His obsequious movements were so practiced they were almost heartbreaking.
"Brother, you've worked hard."
"Let me loosen you up."
Seeing him act like that, Xu Tianran's eyelid twitched slightly.
This little rascal was getting better and better at pretending to be obedient.
Xu Tianyao was his younger brother, born of the same father and mother.
After the empress gave birth to Xu Tianyao and his twin sister, Xu Tianzhen, she passed away.
As a result, Xu Tianyao had practically been raised by Xu Tianran himself.
There was a considerable age gap between them.
And since Xu Tianyao had been too young to control their maternal family's power, all the resources and connections the empress left behind had ultimately fallen into Xu Tianran's hands.
For that reason, Xu Tianyao had never been in a position to take part in the brutal struggle over the succession.
He had been made a prince at an early age.
That had kept him alive and preserved the bond between the brothers.
Xu Tianran looked at him coldly, clearly unmoved by his act.
"You're getting more and more out of control."
"Do you know what the Hongchen Family means to me?"
"And do you know what Mingde Hall means to the Empire?"
"Yet you went and provoked them of your own accord."
"Is this how I taught you to behave? You never let me have a moment's peace!"
Xu Tianyao immediately put on a pitiful expression at the scolding.
"Brother, I was only trying to help you."
"Help me?"
Xu Tianran arched an eyebrow. So this was somehow his fault?
"Exactly!"
Xu Tianyao said righteously, "I thought I'd help you win over the Hongchen Family."
"Who knew they wouldn't give me the slightest respect?"
"I'm still a prince of the Empire, yet they dared to chase me all the way to the palace and demand an explanation."
"It's simply outrageous!"
"Do they have any regard for the proper hierarchy between ruler and subject?"
The more Xu Tianyao spoke, the angrier he seemed, as if he were the one who had been wronged.
Xu Tianran listened, the veins in his forehead throbbing.
The next moment, he finally couldn't take it anymore. He reached out and grabbed Xu Tianyao by the collar.
He lifted him right up in front of him, his face wearing a half-smile.
"Win them over?"
"When did I ever teach you to win people over like this?"
"You went to their home and forcibly stole their granddaughter's first kiss."
Electrocute me first.
"Then you beat their grandson until his face was swollen and bruised."
"That's how you win them over?"
The more Xu Tianran spoke, the more absurd the whole thing sounded.
A dignified prince of the Imperial Family,
and he'd gone and acted like a street thug.
Xu Tianyao guiltily looked away.
Seeing his reaction, Xu Tianran understood.
"Tell me."
"Have you taken a fancy to their granddaughter?"
"In all these years, I've never seen you lose your composure like this."
At those words, Xu Tianyao's face flushed faintly, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As a transmigrator, he knew better than anyone just how dangerous the man before him was.
Xu Tianran seemed mild on the surface. In reality, however, he was one of the most terrifying people on the entire Douluo Continent.
Even though they were brothers, Xu Tianyao still didn't dare act recklessly around him.
He knew all too well that his fate was still in Xu Tianran's hands.
"Brother."
Xu Tianyao said with a solemn expression, "I'm a prince of the Sun Moon Empire, a future prince of the realm."
"Is it really wrong for me to like a minister's granddaughter?"
"If you ask me, they simply don't know what's good for them."
"Once you ascend the throne, you'll have to teach them a lesson on my behalf!"
Xu Tianran was taken aback.
Then, as if something had occurred to him, he couldn't help laughing.
"Tianyao."
"You handled this very foolishly."
"But I do like what you just said."
He slowly rose to his feet and gazed deeply at the night sky beyond the window. Then he spoke in an unhurried voice. (Xu Tianran would be assassinated and lose his legs and ability to have children three years later.)
"Ruler and subject, father and son."
"Beneath the imperial authority, all are subjects."
"As imperial heirs, we naturally stand above the ministers."
"Our will is the law."
His calm words were filled with an innate arrogance and coldness.
That was Xu Tianran: a man destined to become an emperor.
Then he reached out and gently ruffled Xu Tianyao's hair.
His gaze softened, an unusual sight.
"Since you like that little girl,"
"then your brother will decide this for you."
"As long as you awaken a sufficiently outstanding Martial Soul tomorrow,"
"I'll personally petition Father and ask him to grant the marriage."
"I'll make your wish come true and let you win the beauty of your dreams."
Xu Tianyao was overjoyed.
"Thank you, Brother!"
Sure enough, everything had gone just as he'd expected.
Xu Tianran needed the Hongchen Family, and he also needed Mingde Hall's support.
A marriage alliance was undoubtedly the strongest bond of all.
Besides, he really did like Meng Hongchen, the charming and lively girl with skin like ice and bones like jade.
If he could become a son-in-law of the Hongchen Family, then no matter how the situation changed in the future, Mingde Hall's support would at least keep him safe and sound.
Even if his Martial Soul Awakening went poorly and his talent proved ordinary,
he could still use this connection to enter Mingde Hall and gain access to the most advanced Soul Guidance Technology on the continent.
That was the future he had planned for himself.
Watching his little brother beam with delight,
Xu Tianran couldn't help smiling. Perhaps only in Xu Tianyao's presence
could he feel a little of the warmth that came from having family.
"All right."
"Go back and rest."
"Tomorrow morning, you'll come with me to the palace to pay your respects to Father."
"All the Empire's important ministers will be there."
"Don't embarrass me."
Xu Tianyao thumped his chest and promised loudly.
"Don't worry, Brother!"
"I'll make sure they all see what I, Xu Tianyao, can do!"
With that, he ran excitedly out of the courtyard. Only after his figure had completely disappeared
did the smile on Xu Tianran's face slowly fade. He took a sealed letter from his sleeve.
He unfolded it slowly. When he saw what was written inside, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
"The Holy Spirit Cult..."
His low voice echoed through the room, laden with meaning.
Elsewhere, after returning to his residence, Xu Tianyao couldn't fall asleep at all.
His mind was full of fantasies about the next day's Martial Soul Awakening.
As a member of the Sun Moon Imperial Family, he knew better than anyone how powerful his bloodline was.
Take their inherited Martial Souls, for instance: the Sun Martial Soul, the Silver Moon Martial Soul, and the Purple Imperial Heaven-Destroying Dragon Martial Soul.
No matter which one awakened, as long as it didn't undergo a harmful mutation, he would at least have the potential to become a Titled Douluo.
Ordinary Soul Masters worried that their Martial Souls would be too weak.
But for the scions of top families, the thing they feared most was a Martial Soul Mutation.
After all, the cautionary tale of that "Divine Master" was still etched in the memories of countless people.
That was the Douluo Continent, a world where bloodline meant everything.
Thinking of this, Xu Tianyao stared out at the night sky and slowly clenched his fist. "Just don't let me down. Please, let my Martial Soul awaken normally!"
Before you continue