As for the Soul Engineer legions Xu Tianran relied on most, there were variables there as well.
Do not forget what kind of status Kong Deming held in the Sun Moon Empire.
If the Imperial Soul Engineer Office remained ambiguous in its stance, or even explicitly declared that it would no longer support Xu Tianran, then those Soul Engineer legions might not truly be willing to fight to the death for him.
They might even choose to stand by at a critical moment, or simply withdraw from the battlefield altogether.
This had already been apparent when Xu Tianran launched his palace coup and seized the throne.
At the time, the old emperor's greatest reliance had also been those powerful Soul Engineer forces.
Yet in the end, they had not played a decisive role.
Whether Kong Deming's tacit approval and cooperation had been involved was likely something only they themselves knew.
As for what agreement Kong Deming and Xu Tianran had reached back then, and why they had ultimately fallen out afterward, there was still no definitive answer.
For now, no one knew of these dealings hidden behind imperial power.
But one thing was certain: if Xu Tianyao wanted to ascend to that position, Kong Deming's attitude would be the true key to determining victory or defeat.
After hearing Xu Tianyao's meaningful words, Kong Deming did not respond immediately. He merely gazed quietly at the young man before him.
In the year since they had last met, the once somewhat immature youth had indeed grown considerably.
Whether it was his perspective on problems or his judgment of the greater situation, he had become far more mature than before.
At the very least, Xu Tianyao was no longer merely a prince who charged ahead on nothing but passion. He was beginning to