Holy Spirit Cult, Red Sun Golden Crow!

So that was it; the purpose of a soul core was never to balance the repulsive energies generated by the Blazing Sun and the Bright Moon.

It was to unify their power, to thoroughly smelt two forces that should have been antagonistic into a single entity!

Thinking of how he would truly be able to cultivate both great martial souls simultaneously in the future, a surge of anticipation couldn't help but rise in Xu Tianyao's heart.

On the other side, Kong Deming began to calculate silently in his mind.

Given Xu Tianyao's current physical condition.

His first soul ring limit was approximately seven hundred years.

But that was only under normal circumstances; as a direct descendant of the imperial family, Xu Tianyao had received top-tier physical training since childhood.

He had never lacked various rare medicinal baths and spiritual herbs, and his physique was already far superior to soul masters of the same age.

Not to mention that when his martial souls awakened, the two top-tier martial souls had also reinforced his body once.

If he were to personally refine him once more.

His first soul ring... might just be able to attempt the thousand-year level!

Thinking of this, a flash of brilliance crossed Kong Deming's eyes, and he then spoke, "Tianyao, from today on, you don't need to return to the imperial palace for the time being."

Xu Tianyao was stunned for a moment, "Why?"

Kong Deming smiled, "Because for the next month, Grandfather is going to personally help you polish your body."

"The first soul ring is the most critical link in our plan."

"There must not be any accidents."

After speaking, Kong Deming pulled a silver-white key from his robes, took Xu Tianyao's hand, and led him through the depths of the research institute.

They finally arrived before a thick metal door.

Accompanied by the roaring sound of mechanisms turning.

The heavy door slowly opened, and as Xu Tianyao looked inside, he saw dozens of soul guidance devices with various designs placed within the spacious room.

Without exception, these devices all had only one purpose.

And that was to refine the physical body!

Looking at those priceless instruments, Kong Deming slowly said, "Over the next month, Grandfather will bring your physical strength to a level capable of bearing a thousand-year first soul ring."

"Once the preparations are complete, we will head out to obtain your first soul ring."

"It will also be the beginning of your journey onto the path of a true powerhouse."

"I understand!" Xu Tianyao nodded heavily.

From this day on, the little prince of the Sun Moon Empire, Meng Hongchen's fiancé, and the empire's premier prince, vanished from the public eye.

Apart from Xu Tianran, the old emperor, and a few other high-ranking imperial officials, no one knew where he had gone, and everything concerning him became the empire's highest secret.

First Prince's Mansion.

Inside the study, only a single dim soul guidance lamp was lit.

The flickering light stretched Xu Tianran's silhouette, making it appear exceptionally long.

He sat quietly in the main seat, his hands slowly flipping through the intelligence dossiers on the desk, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

After a long while, Xu Tianran sighed softly.

"What a good younger brother I have."

In front of him, a mysterious figure shrouded in a black robe knelt on one knee, head bowed, like a ghost hidden in the shadows.

Xu Tianran gently set down the intelligence in his hand, a flash of morbid ruthlessness crossing his eyes as he spoke to the black-robed figure.

"Tell your sect leader."

"The previously agreed-upon conditions remain unchanged."

"As long as the deed is done, whatever he wants, I, Xu Tianran, will offer it with both hands."

The black-robed figure bowed slightly, "I shall obey your command, Your Highness."

As the words fell, a wisp of black mist rose quietly.

By the time the lamp flickered again, the black-robed figure had already vanished without a trace.

The study returned to silence.

Only the howling night wind outside the window kept beating against the lattice.

Xu Tianran slowly stood up and walked to the window.

His gaze pierced through the heavy darkness, looking toward the brilliantly lit Ming Capital in the distance.

Following Xu Tianyao's apprenticeship under Kong Deming.

To protect this descendant he valued most, and to stabilize the imperial situation, Kong Deming had specially dispatched a powerhouse at the Soul Douluo level to guard Xu Tianran personally.

And his cousin, who was also Xu Tianran's most loyal supporter, Xu Tianyuan.

At this moment, he was secretly building his influence within the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, one of the four great soul engineer legions, and consolidating military power.

Everything was proceeding according to his plan.

Yet even so, Xu Tianran dared not slacken in the slightest.

Because his enemies were even more insidious and cunning than he was.

The Second Prince, the Third Prince.

And those ambitious old princes within the imperial clan.

Now, the entire Sun Moon Empire knew that the old emperor's health was deteriorating year by year.

No one knew how much longer that old man sitting on the throne could hold on.

Yet, even now, the position of Crown Prince, which symbolized the heir apparent, remained undecided.

Everyone understood.

This brilliant and ambitious monarch was choosing his successor in the most brutal way possible.

He did not want a benevolent ruler; he wanted a fierce tiger capable of suppressing the entire empire.

Therefore, he allowed the princes to fight, allowed them to court the military, and allowed them to form cliques for personal gain.

Even the fact that Xu Tianyao had been enfeoffed as a prince at a young age and kicked out of the core of the succession struggle was an intentional act by the old emperor.

In his eyes, imperial power could only ever emerge from among his three sons.

Over these years, the Second Prince and the Third Prince had continuously expanded by relying on the influence of their maternal families.

The military, the imperial court, the local nobility...

Their tentacles had reached almost every corner of the empire.

And the old emperor had consistently turned a blind eye to all of this.

Xu Tianran knew very well that if he did nothing, the fate awaiting him would certainly not be a good one.

The struggle for imperial power was a fight to the death.

Once he lost his position, only one path awaited him: to be decapitated and his entire lineage wiped out.

Therefore, he had to be more ruthless than the others; since taking a step back meant death, he might as well bet everything and go all in!

Thus, he chose the Holy Spirit Cult, chose to cooperate with this terrifying force hidden in the darkness, and chose to negotiate with a tiger for its hide.

From this day on.

The already turbulent situation within the imperial family began to gradually spiral out of control.

And at this moment.

Far away, ten thousand miles away, Xu Tianyao remained completely unaware of all this.

One month later.

The southern border of the Sun Moon Empire.

The Southern Marsh Volcano Group.

Looking out, rolling mountains stretched endlessly, with dozens of volcanoes standing upon the earth, thick smoke billowing into the sky.

Searing magma flowed slowly through the fissures in the mountains, illuminating the entire world in a crimson glow.

The air was saturated with dense fire elements.

This was a paradise for fire-attribute soul beasts and a holy land for fire-attribute soul masters.

High in the sky, flocks of Red Sun Divine Birds soared with wings outstretched.

As their wings cut through the horizon, they left behind streaks of fiery red light.

On the ground, large soul beasts like Magma Giant Lizards, Fire Armor Rhinoceroses, and Flame Horn Dragon Lizards let out deafening roars from time to time.

The entire region was filled with an aura of primitive and violent life.

On the edge of a cliff of a dormant volcano, Kong Deming stood with his hands behind his back, while Xu Tianyao stood quietly by his side.

The master and disciple overlooked this magnificent world.

They felt the rolling heat waves rushing toward them.

Suddenly, Kong Deming asked, "Tianyao, do you know why I had you cultivate the Sunlight Martial Soul first?"

Xu Tianyao pondered for a moment and answered earnestly: "Because the Sunlight Martial Soul has a tyrannical attribute, while the Bright Moon Martial Soul has a gentle one."

"By absorbing soul rings with the Sunlight Martial Soul first and then using the Bright Moon Martial Soul to assist in balancing them, the two complement each other, which is more conducive to controlling the power within my body when condensing a soul core in the future."

Hearing this, Kong Deming nodded with satisfaction.

"Not bad."

"That is indeed one of the reasons."

"However, there is an even more important reason."