Though he couldn't be completely sure of Xu Tianran's intentions just yet, there was one thing he could do immediately.
That was to deal with the Holy Spirit Cult first. Hadn't Shrek inherited the will of the Spirit Hall from back in the day? Hadn't it established that so-called Supervision Group, dedicated to hunting down Evil Soul Masters across the continent?
Fine, then. He would let the information about the Holy Spirit Cult get out and tell Shrek, tell Mu En. Let them tear each other apart.
Meanwhile, a deeper consideration was also gradually taking shape in his heart.
He had to be on his guard against Xu Tianran.
Since there was no way for them to live in peace, they would sooner or later end up on opposite sides. He had to prepare some trump cards in advance.
The imperial court of the Sun Moon Empire seemed calm on the surface, but beneath it, undercurrents had long been surging.
Xu Tianyao knew all too well that those so-called loyal ministers were nothing but a pack of jackals wearing the same skin, each harboring different ambitions.
Over the past year, quite a few people had secretly tried to curry favor with him.
Some valued his talent. After all, the royal family's struggle had always followed the law of survival of the fittest. There was never room for two tigers on one mountain.
In their eyes, once Xu Tianyao grew up and became powerful, countless factions and talented people would flock to him and pledge themselves to his cause.
If that happened, it would pose an enormous threat to Xu Tianran's imperial power, which he valued as dearly as his own life.
Thus, they were convinced that a life-or-death struggle between Xu Tianran and this Prince Ming was inevitable.
And they simply wanted to place their bets early, so they could claim a share of the spoils when the time came to support the future ruler.
To put it bluntly, even if Xu Tianyao ultimately lost and they had backed the wrong side, their family standing and influence meant Xu Tianran wouldn't dare do anything to them for the sake of the bigger picture.
Another group was more direct.
They valued his background. As the son-in-law of the Hongchen Family, he was bound to have Mingde Hall naturally lean toward him to some extent.
Not to mention Kong Deming, the figure standing at the pinnacle of Soul Engineers and the imperial family's anchor.
As long as Kong Deming made his position clear, both the imperial court and the military would reassess the weight of the Fourth Prince, Prince Ming.
In many people's eyes, once Xu Tianyao came of age, he would inevitably be pushed onto the throne, and his chances of success would be extremely high.
That judgment was not without reason.
It was precisely this tangled web of human ambitions and interests that made the situation in the Sun Moon Empire increasingly perilous and delicate.
And it was precisely this situation that ultimately led Xu Tianran to make a decision he had already anticipated.
He had turned a blind eye to the Holy Spirit Cult's existence. To some extent, he had even given them room to act and supported them.
Because he was placing a bet, too.
If the Holy Spirit Cult succeeded this time, and Xu Tianyao really died in the Xingluo Empire, under Shrek Academy's protection,
then the situation, both in the imperial court and across the continent, would be completely rewritten.
A storm of public opinion, under the banner of revenge and retribution, would sweep through the entire Sun Moon Empire.
Public sentiment, the morale of the military, the nobility... he could swiftly bring them all around to his side.
Then Xu Tianran could seize the moment and set the Sun Moon Empire's enormous war machine in motion. With an iron fist and the banner of vengeance, he could advance his blueprint for unifying the continent.
And if Xu Tianyao truly died, then no matter how furious Mingde Hall and Kong Deming were, reality and the greater tide of events would force them to choose a side and compromise.
He would launch a holy war against the Douluo Three Kingdoms!
And the Holy Spirit Cult could be packaged as a pawn in that holy war.
Under the pretext of purging Evil Soul Masters, he could temporarily fold them into the war effort, thereby calming the empire's fury.
He could also use this to force the Holy Spirit Cult to choose a side and serve his grand ambition, fighting and bleeding for him!
Once the flames of war had engulfed the three kingdoms and the world was united, he would turn around and settle the score, sweeping away every threat within the empire in one stroke.
By then, he would be the true ruler of the continent.
He would hold the mightiest army in his hands, command the most advanced Soul Guidance Technology, and rule over every sect and faction.
Achievements, authority, and historical acclaim would all converge upon him.
The so-called Evil Soul Masters would become stepping-stones for him to win the people's hearts, accomplish a world-shaking feat, and become an emperor for the ages!
And the cost of all this was no more than one life.
The life of a younger brother who shared both his parents and had grown up by his side.
That day, Xu Tianran had been exceptionally calm. There had been none of the turmoil one might have expected. In fact, he had been perfectly clearheaded.
Was it worth it?
He had already found the answer in his heart.
On this road to the summit, he had borne too many curses and personally cleared away too many obstacles. It was only a brother, after all.
He could even sacrifice his own father. Why would he care about these so-called brothers and kinsmen?
If so, one more would change nothing.
As long as the final victory was glorious enough, as long as the empire's borders were vast enough, as long as his name was written in the most dazzling place in the history books!
Time would wash away every stain, and future generations would forgive every sin.
Only his achievements, his great deeds, would be praised for ten thousand generations and celebrated through the ages!
As an emperor, Xu Tianran had truly brought everything to the utmost. Everything he did served the empire, served that supreme power, served his ambition!
But as a man, he had failed utterly. There was only one possible end to a path like this: to be abandoned by everyone and bring about his own destruction!
The brother to whom he had bared his heart would leave him. The ministers he relied on would abandon him. Even the woman he loved most would betray him.
No one would tolerate the existence of a man like that. His very existence threatened everyone's interests, so everyone would want him dead; everyone would rise up against him!
Xu Tianyao finally understood everything, and the taut nerves in his body at last relaxed.
Xu Tianyao lay in Meng Hongchen's embrace, his head resting on her lap as he enjoyed the comfort of the peerless beauty.
Xu Tianyao turned his head and breathed in the delicate fragrance lingering on her. At last, he fell into a deep sleep.
Feeling the movements of the man in her arms and their intimate position, Meng Hongchen's heart fluttered wildly, and her pretty face flushed red. But seeing Xu Tianyao sleeping so soundly, she couldn't bring herself to disturb him.
She could only watch over him quietly, like a mother, and keep him company. And so the night passed, until dawn.
In the morning, Xu Tianyao woke from a pleasant dream. He opened his eyes and saw Meng Hongchen lying in his arms, fast asleep, a smile still on her lips. She looked utterly adorable.
The night before, seeing that Xu Tianyao was sleeping peacefully, Meng Hongchen hadn't left. She had kept watch over him all night, then drifted off to sleep herself before she knew it.
Xu Tianyao rose gently, tucked the blanket over Meng Hongchen, then lifted the tent flap and stepped outside into the glow of the morning sun.
By then, they had reached the outskirts of Shrek City, just a few miles from the city gates.
When Qian Duoduo saw Xu Tianyao emerge, he waddled over with his large belly and a beaming smile.
"Your Highness, did you sleep well last night?"
"Shrek City is just ahead. Please wait a moment, Your Highness. Once they've made the arrangements over there, we'll enter the city," Qian Duoduo said.
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