Xu Tianran's World-Shaking Achievement! Brothers Grow Suspicious.

Although he could not be entirely certain of Xu Tianran's intentions for the time being, there was one thing he could do immediately.

That was to start dealing with the Holy Spirit Cult. Hadn't Shrek Academy inherited the will of the former Martial Soul Hall? Hadn't they established some so-called Supervision Group specifically to hunt down Evil Soul Masters across the continent?

Fine, then he would release the information about the Holy Spirit Cult, tell Shrek, tell Mu En, and let them tear each other apart.

At the same time, a deeper layer of consideration was gradually brewing in the depths of his heart.

He had to be on guard against Xu Tianran.

Since there was no way for them to coexist peacefully and they would inevitably stand on opposite sides sooner or later, he had to prepare some trump cards in advance.

The current court of the Sun Moon Empire appeared calm, but in reality, it was already surging with undercurrents.

Xu Tianyao knew very well that those so-called loyal ministers were nothing more than jackals wearing the same skin, each harboring their own ambitions.

Over the past year, no small number of people had secretly shown him favor.

Some valued his talent; after all, the struggle for the throne had always followed the law of survival of the fittest, and a single mountain could rarely accommodate two tigers.

In the eyes of those people, once Xu Tianyao grew up and his strength became formidable, countless factions and talents would inevitably flock to him.

Once such a situation emerged, it would pose a massive threat to the imperial power that Xu Tianran regarded as his very life.

Therefore, they were certain that a life-and-death struggle between Xu Tianran and this Prince Ming would occur sooner or later.

And they were merely looking to place their bets early, hoping to get a share of the spoils in this future merit of supporting a new emperor.

To put it bluntly, even if Xu Tianyao eventually lost and they had backed the wrong side, given their family backgrounds and influence, Xu Tianran would not do anything to them for the sake of the bigger picture.

As for the other group of people, they were more direct.

They valued his background; his status as a son-in-law of the Hongchen Family destined Mingde Hall to naturally lean toward him to a certain extent.

Not to mention that figure standing at the pinnacle of Soul Engineers, the anchor of the imperial family—Kong Deming.

As long as Kong Deming's stance was clear, both the court and the military would re-evaluate the weight of this Fourth Prince, this Prince Ming.

It could be said that in the eyes of many, as long as Xu Tianyao grew up, he would inevitably be pushed onto the throne by the masses, and the chances of success were extremely high.

This judgment was not without reason.

It was precisely this intricate interweaving of human hearts and interests that made the situation in the Sun Moon Empire increasingly dangerous and subtle.

And it was the existence of this very situation that led Xu Tianran to finally make a predetermined decision.

He tacitly allowed the existence of the Holy Spirit Cult, and to a certain extent, even provided them with room for action and support.

Because he was also placing a bet.

If the Holy Spirit Cult's operation this time succeeded and Xu Tianyao truly died in the Xingluo Empire, under the protection of Shrek Academy, then both the situation in the court and the situation on the continent would be completely rewritten.

A storm of public opinion in the name of revenge and reckoning would sweep across the entire Sun Moon Empire.

Public sentiment, military morale, the aristocratic class... all would be rapidly guided by him.

By then, Xu Tianran could ride the momentum to set this massive war machine of the Sun Moon Empire into motion, using the banner of iron-blooded vengeance to push forward the blueprint for unifying the continent.

Moreover, if Xu Tianyao truly died, even if Mingde Hall and Kong Deming were furious, they would still have to choose to take a side and compromise under the pressure of reality and the prevailing trend.

Launch a holy war against the three Douluo nations!

And the Holy Spirit Cult could also be packaged as a pawn for this holy war.

In the name of purging Evil Soul Masters, he would temporarily incorporate them into the war system to appease the anger of those within the empire.

He would use this to force the Holy Spirit Cult to take a side, serving his grand cause and risking their lives!

Once the flames of war spread across the three nations and the world was unified, he would turn around and settle accounts, clearing away all hidden dangers within the empire in one fell swoop.

By then, he would become the true ruler of the continent.

Holding the strongest army, controlling the most advanced soul guidance technology, and commanding all sects and factions.

Merit, power, and historical evaluation would all converge upon him.

The so-called Evil Soul Masters would also become stepping stones for him to win the hearts of the people and achieve his peerless cause as an eternal emperor!

And the price for all of this was merely the life of one person.

A younger brother who shared the same father and mother, and who had grown up with him since childhood.

That day, Xu Tianran's mood was exceptionally calm; there were no ripples as one might imagine, and it could even be said that he was extremely clear-headed that day.

Was doing this worth it?

He already had the answer in his heart.

On this path toward the pinnacle, he had long since borne too much infamy and had personally cleared away too many obstacles; what were mere brothers?

He could even sacrifice his own father, so why care about these so-called brothers and siblings?

Since that was the case, adding one more would not change anything.

As long as the final victory was glorious enough, as long as the empire's territory was vast enough, and as long as his name was written in the most dazzling position in the history books!

All stains would be washed away by time, and all sins would be forgiven by future generations.

Only his achievements and his great legacy would be praised for ten thousand generations, leaving a name that would live forever!

As an emperor, Xu Tianran had truly reached the pinnacle; everything he did served the empire, served that supreme power, and served his own ambition!

Yet, as a human being, he had failed completely. There was only one outcome for such actions: to be abandoned by all and to bring about his own destruction!

The brothers he had confided in would distance themselves from him, the ministers he relied upon would abandon him, and even the woman he loved most would betray him.

No one would tolerate the existence of such a person, because his existence encroached upon everyone's interests; therefore, everyone had the right to punish him, and everyone had the right to strike him down!

Xu Tianyao finally understood everything, and his taut nerves finally relaxed.

Xu Tianyao lay in Meng Hongchen's embrace, resting on her lap, enjoying the soothing comfort of the stunning beauty.

Xu Tianyao turned his head, took a deep breath of her faint fragrance, and finally drifted into a deep sleep.

As Meng Hongchen felt the man's movements in her arms, along with their intimate posture, her heart fluttered and her pretty face flushed red. However, seeing how soundly Xu Tianyao was sleeping, she could not bear to disturb him.

She could only watch over him quietly like a mother, staying by his side, and thus the night passed until dawn.

In the early morning, Xu Tianyao woke from his sweet dream. He opened his eyes to find Meng Hongchen sleeping soundly in his arms, a faint smile hanging on her lips, looking incredibly adorable.

Last night, seeing that Xu Tianyao was sleeping peacefully, Meng Hongchen had not left. She had kept watch over him all night, and eventually, she had fallen asleep without realizing it.

Xu Tianyao rose gently, covered Meng Hongchen with a blanket, and then lifted the tent flap to walk out, greeting the radiance of the morning sun.

By this time, they had already arrived outside Shrek City, only a few miles away from the city gates.

Seeing Xu Tianyao emerge, Qian Duoduo walked over with a smile, his large belly protruding.

"Did Your Highness rest well last night?"

"Shrek City is just ahead. Your Highness, please wait a moment; once arrangements are made over there, we shall enter the city," Qian Duoduo said.