If You're Going to Choose, Choose the Eldest Brother! Kong Deming!

"Tianyao..."

The old emperor leaned back slowly against the dragon throne, his cloudy eyes fixed upon Xu Tianyao.

"Your talent is the most outstanding of our Xu family's current generation."

"The Silver Moon Martial Soul..."

As if recalling some long-buried past, the old emperor sighed softly, lost in his memories.

The old emperor waved his hand gently, signaling for Xu Tianyao to rise and forgo the formalities, then continued.

"Tianyao, your father is old."

"There are some things that, even if I wanted to manage, I may no longer have the strength to do so."

"Today, your father only wishes to ask you one thing."

"Do you... wish to be emperor?"

Hearing the old emperor's sudden, thunderous inquiry, Xu Tianyao was truly taken aback.

It was here; it had finally come. He had known it would.

Having just been enfeoffed as the first prince of the realm, he was now being asked if he wanted to be emperor.

This was not a question of whether he wanted the throne; it was a question of which candidate he favored and who he wanted to see ascend.

Xu Tianyao understood this clearly in his heart.

With the talent he had displayed, as long as he grew smoothly, he would at least reach the level of a Rank 9 Soul Engineer or even a Limit Douluo.

Such an existence was enough to influence the empire's national destiny for hundreds of years to come.

His own attitude.

In a sense, it might even determine the choice of the crown prince.

Thinking of this, Xu Tianyao no longer had many concerns. Since he could not become emperor and had no desire to, and since the emperor would not harm him, what was there to hesitate about?

Having clarified his own position, he immediately bowed respectfully.

"Father."

"This son has no interest in the throne."

"I would rather become a great general, galloping across the battlefield to expand the empire's borders."

"As for the position of crown prince..."

Xu Tianyao raised his head and spoke with great firmness, "I believe that Eldest Brother is the most suitable."

"My brother is skilled in both civil and military affairs, possessing both virtue and talent. In terms of ability and prestige, he far surpasses all our other brothers."

"In my view."

"The position of crown prince belongs to none other than Eldest Brother."

As these words left his lips, they were truly earth-shattering.

Even the figure hidden in the shadows could not help but snap their eyes open at this moment.

Choosing the eldest brother?

What a Xu Tianyao, what a Xu Tianran; the two brothers were truly deeply affectionate.

One was gathering wise officials in the court, while the other, relying on his outstanding talent after his Martial Soul awakening, was publicly declaring his support for his brother right in front of their father.

They were leaving their father not a single step, not a shred of face, and no room for maneuver.

Sure enough, the next second, the old emperor on the dragon throne slammed his hand against the table and rose to his feet.

The heavy dragon desk let out a loud crash.

"Presumptuous!"

The old emperor roared like thunder.

"Xu Tianyao, you have some nerve!"

"At such a young age, you dare to recklessly discuss the succession!"

"And you dare to openly participate in factional strife!"

"Who gave you the courage!"

Terrifying pressure instantly permeated the entire hall.

The emperor's face turned livid, the veins on his forehead bulging as if he were enraged to the extreme, and he pointed a finger at Xu Tianyao.

"Get out!"

"Get out to the side hall and reflect on your actions!"

The sudden outburst of rage left Xu Tianyao completely bewildered.

He truly felt it was inexplicable; wasn't it you who asked me first?

How is it that when I answer, you are the one who gets worked up?

Which nerve in this old man's brain has gone haywire? Xu Tianyao muttered to himself.

However, he had never felt any deep affection for this Emperor father of his.

Therefore, faced with the reprimand, he couldn't be bothered to explain.

He let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeves, and turned to leave.

Yet, upon reaching the palace entrance, Xu Tianyao paused to think and stopped in his tracks. He turned back to look at the Emperor on the dragon throne.

Once again, he uttered words that pierced the heart.

"This son is dull-witted and perhaps failed to grasp Father's true meaning."

"But there is one thing this son must say."

"In this son's heart."

"Only Eldest Brother is qualified to be the Crown Prince."

"As for the others, none will do. Even if they ascend to the throne, this son will not submit!"

Having said this, Xu Tianyao ignored the old Emperor's expression of shock and fury, and left the main hall without looking back.

Soon, the sound of porcelain shattering came from behind him.

The crashing and clattering were incessant, as if the entire hall were engulfed in the Emperor's rage.

It was not until Xu Tianyao had completely vanished that the old Emperor on the dragon throne slowly sat down and let out a long sigh.

The expression of uncontrollable fury from moments ago receded as quickly as a tide.

Replacing it was a meaningful, relieved smile.

"Good lad... a good lad!"

The side hall.

Unlike the resplendent main hall, this place was elegant and serene.

As soon as Xu Tianyao stepped inside, he was drawn to a figure within.

He instinctively looked up, and upon seeing the man's face, his pupils constricted instantly.

A silver-haired old man stood with his hands behind his back, facing the window.

The old man's frame was not imposing, yet just by standing there, he seemed to transform into a mountain supporting the heavens.

An invisible pressure blanketed the surroundings, chilling one to the bone.

Xu Tianyao's expression turned solemn instantly, and without the slightest hesitation, he knelt on one knee before the silver-haired elder and bowed respectfully.

"Tianyao pays his respects to Elder Kong!"

Kong Deming!

This name was known to everyone in the entire Sun Moon Empire.

The continent's only Level 10 Soul Engineer.

Hailed as the Father of Soul Tools.

He was, in the truest sense, the pillar of the Sun Moon Empire.

Even the Emperor dared not show the slightest disrespect when facing this old man.

To a certain extent, this elder was the true guardian of the Sun Moon Empire.

However, at this moment, Kong Deming was holding a thick file.

It recorded every experience Xu Tianyao had undergone in the six years since his birth.

This included everything that had happened during today's Martial Soul awakening.

Twin Martial Souls.

Innate soul power of level 15.

The phenomenon of the Sun and Moon shining together.

Each item was enough to shake the entire continent.

These were the reasons he had come in person today.

Kong Deming slowly turned around. His eyes, deep as an abyss, stared at Xu Tianyao, as if he could see through every secret the boy held.

"Twin Martial Souls: Sun and Moon."

"Judging by the characteristics of your Martial Souls."

"These should be the superior forms of the Sun Martial Soul and the Silver Moon Martial Soul, two of the three great inherited Martial Souls of my Sun Moon Empire."

"At the very least, it ranks among the top tier of Super Martial Souls."

Kong Deming paced back and forth around him in the hall, continuing, "Twin Martial Souls are one thing, and that isn't particularly strange..."

"But this innate soul power of level fifteen is truly an eye-opener."

"In all my years, I have never seen such a situation."

"Looking back through the history of the continent."

"There is only one type of person capable of breaking through level ten soul power upon awakening, and such individuals have only ever appeared in the history of the Douluo Continent across the sea."

"These people are what they call—God-Favored Ones."

At this, Kong Deming's gaze sharpened, suddenly turning piercing.

It was as if two blades capable of piercing the soul were locked firmly onto Xu Tianyao before him.

"Yet those people, without exception, were all descendants of gods."

"Only by receiving a divine blessing at the moment of Martial Soul awakening can one break through the shackles of innate full soul power."

"Thereby possessing a starting point far beyond that of ordinary people."

As Kong Deming spoke, he took a step forward, and an invisible force instantly enveloped the entire side hall, descending upon the youth before him.

"So, can you tell me?"

"Did you also receive the favor of some deity when your Martial Soul awakened?"