The First Royal Duke, Prince Ming of Sun and Moon!

He instinctively looked toward the soul power detector, and when he saw the number on the dial clearly, he froze on the spot.

Innate soul power level fifteen!

"How is this possible!"

Jing Hongchen exclaimed in shock.

He could understand twin martial souls, but what was the concept of level fifteen innate soul power?

Looking back through the history of the continent, such a situation only occurred with those so-called god-bestowed martial souls from the continent across the sea!

He even suspected that the soul guidance detector was broken, yet before he could inspect it.

After a brief, deathly silence, the entire Imperial Zenith Hall erupted into a complete frenzy.

Countless ministers, their faces flushed with excitement, knelt to the ground one after another, offering their congratulations in a near-hysterical manner.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"Sun and Moon twins, the Sun and Moon shine together!"

"Long live the Empire!"

"Long live the Empire!"

The mountain-shaking, sea-roaring cheers resounded through the heavens.

On the dragon throne, the old emperor's hands trembled with excitement, his face beaming with joy!

"Good!"

"Excellent!"

"The ancestors protect us!"

"Heaven bless our Sun Moon Empire!"

He stood up abruptly, his laughter echoing through the palace for a long time.

"Rewards!"

"Rewards for everyone!"

"Heavy rewards for all!"

Subsequently, the old emperor's gaze fell upon Xu Tianyao on the Awakening Platform.

That gaze held more than just affection; it carried a sense of gratification and expectation he had never shown before.

"Pass on my decree!"

"Bestow upon Xu Tianyao the title of... Prince Ming!"

"Ranked as the first prince of the realm!"

As these words fell, the entire court was stunned.

Although it was not the position of Crown Prince, the title of "first prince" was enough to explain everything; this person's future status would be second only to the Emperor.

Below, the other princes, such as Xu Tianran and Xu Tianyuan, finally breathed a secret sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Just a moment ago, they had feared their father would be so overjoyed that he would name Xu Tianyao Crown Prince on the spot.

If that had happened, all the plotting and infighting they had engaged in over the years would have lost all meaning.

But as it stood now, this struggle for the throne.

Was far from over; it had only just begun today.

The youth standing in the center of the Awakening Platform, bearing the Sun and Moon twin martial souls, would be completely shielded from the whirlpool of court strife and become the Sun Moon Empire's most precious treasure, one that could not afford to be lost.

On the Awakening Platform.

Xu Tianyao slowly calmed the surging soul power within his body.

Although he had been immersed in the special state of martial soul awakening, he was not entirely unaware of what was happening in the outside world.

Twin martial souls.

Innate level fifteen soul power.

Even he felt as if he were in a dream, unable to believe that he truly possessed such astonishing talent!

However, just as he prepared to retract his soul power and bring the awakening ceremony to a complete end.

Xu Tianran, standing to the right of the Emperor, suddenly had a flash of light in his eyes, as if he had thought of something.

He stepped forward decisively and bowed to the old emperor.

"Father, this son has a petition!"

At this moment, in this setting, this action immediately drew the attention of everyone present.

The old emperor turned to look at this prince of his, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Tianran, what do you have to say?"

Xu Tianran bowed respectfully once more, then raised his head, his gaze sweeping toward Jing Hongchen with subtle intent.

That meaningful glance made Jing Hongchen's heart sink abruptly.

A sense of foreboding grew increasingly intense within him.

Sure enough.

Xu Tianran spoke up in a clear, resonant voice.

"Father, your son dares to be bold and requests that you grant a marriage for Tianyao!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the civil and military officials in the court were stunned.

Xu Tianran did not stop there. "Your son has long heard that Tianyao and Meng Hongchen, the granddaughter of Hall Master Jing, share an excellent relationship."

"The two are of similar age and are deeply fond of one another."

"Now that Tianyao has awakened his twin martial souls and carries the empire's destiny, Meng Hongchen is also a peerless genius among the younger generation."

"If they could be joined in matrimony, it would not only be a beautiful tale but also a wonderful event that brings the Imperial Family and Mingde Hall even closer together."

"Your son implores Father to grant this!"

As his voice faded, many ministers immediately realized the implications.

Xu Tianyao had just displayed such terrifying talent.

He was almost certainly destined to become a pillar of the empire in the future.

If he could be completely bound to the Mingde Hall faction, it would undoubtedly be a monumental benefit for the empire.

Internal stability and external peace!

Thinking of this, the ministers stepped forward one after another to echo the sentiment.

"I second the motion!"

"I beg Your Majesty to grant the marriage!"

"This is a match made in heaven!"

"Please, Your Majesty, grant their wish!"

In an instant, the entire great hall became lively once again.

Yet, amidst the crowd, Xu Tianyao and Jing Hongchen remained strangely silent.

Jing Hongchen, in particular, had a faint, bitter expression on his face.

Others might not know, but he was very clear on the matter.

His precious granddaughter did indeed have a great fondness for Xu Tianyao; otherwise, she wouldn't have snuck out of the family last night to have a secret rendezvous with the boy.

Under normal circumstances, he would have certainly rejected this marriage proposal.

But now, Xu Tianyao had just awakened such heaven-defying talent and had been directly enfeoffed as the First Prince; his status was no longer what it once was, and he was removed from the struggle for the crown.

The situation had changed completely; this was no longer a simple matter of a child's marriage.

It was a major event capable of influencing the future landscape of both the Imperial Family and Mingde Hall.

On the dragon throne, the old emperor pondered for a moment before raising his hand to suppress the clamor in the hall.

"Enough."

"Marriage is a major life event that concerns the entire lives of these two children."

"It cannot be decided rashly."

Having said this, his gaze first fell upon Xu Tianyao.

Seeing that the latter's expression held no resistance—and even a hint of anticipation—he immediately understood a few things.

The old emperor then looked toward Jing Hongchen, and seeing him silent, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Beloved Minister Hongchen."

"What is your view on this matter?"

"Is what Tianran said true?"

Facing the emperor's inquiry, Jing Hongchen's heart sank once more.

He knew very well that since the emperor had taken the initiative to ask, it meant he was not opposed to this marriage.

If he were to refuse on the spot, it would inevitably slight the emperor.

Thinking of this, Jing Hongchen had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward.

"Reporting to Your Majesty."

"Meng Hongchen is still young."

"Furthermore, she has never mentioned this matter to this old minister."

"I am unaware of the situation."

"I beg Your Majesty to allow me to return and inquire about it before providing you with an answer."

Having said this, Jing Hongchen bowed deeply.

Yet, no sooner had the words fallen than a clear, resonant voice suddenly rang out.

"Why go to such trouble?"

The crowd turned toward the sound to see Xu Tianyao stepping down from the Awakening Platform.

The youth's expression was composed, though his eyes held a glimmer of unbridled arrogance and confidence.

"Father."

"Since this concerns Sister Meng, we should naturally hear her own opinion."

"We need only dispatch an imperial envoy to Mingde Hall to invite her here."

"It will take but a moment; it won't delay us in the slightest."

With that, Xu Tianyao looked up at Jing Hongchen standing to the side.

The corners of his mouth curled upward slightly.

"Grandpa Jing, what do you think?"

Jing Hongchen stared daggers at the brat before him, his teeth itching with sudden, intense hatred.

"Prince Ming's words are... are reasonable. This subject will make the arrangements at once."

With matters having reached this point, he had no choice but to concede, lest the situation become impossible for both sides to resolve.

I only hope Mengmeng will listen to me later, Jing Hongchen thought while devising a countermeasure, signaling a guard to return home immediately and escort the young lady here.

With that, the turmoil was temporarily quelled.