Eavesdropping on the Roar of the Sun!

Kong Deming's mindset had been quite relaxed.

But at a certain moment, he suddenly sensed that the aura of the Xu Tianming before him had changed.

Clearly, the nephew before him was still the same nephew, but a mere shift in posture had given rise to an aura that felt alien, even causing him to tremble slightly.

It was as if the person standing before him was no longer the nephew he was familiar with, but a peerless war god who had experienced countless battles and never tasted defeat!

What on earth was going on?

Could it be that someone had possessed his nephew?

It was no wonder Kong Deming would think this; after all, Xu Tianming's current state was truly not far from his guess.

By relinquishing partial control of his body and allowing Mavuika to take the helm, the aura that radiated forth was one naturally cultivated by Mavuika through years of slaughtering Abyssal Monsters.

Absolute battle intent.

Absolute self-confidence.

A murderous aura forged from the countless Abyssal Monsters she had slain.

Coupled with the fact that she once had a reason she could not afford to lose.

Without deliberate restraint, it was only natural that she would shock an unprepared Kong Deming.

And the moment Kong Deming was stunned, Mavuika's combat instincts were triggered.

Years of life-and-death struggles against Abyssal Monsters had instilled in her the habit of never missing an opportunity in actual combat.

Flaws were fleeting; if one could not firmly seize an enemy's opening, the battle would become far more troublesome.

Back when the Abyssal Monsters had launched their full-scale invasion, people in Natlan died under their claws every single moment. As the Pyro Archon, the faster she hunted the monsters, the more lives she could save.

Therefore, the moment Mavuika's combat instincts triggered, Xu Tianming's body moved in tandem.

He first leaped high into mid-air, and then his first soul ring flashed. After activating the burst of battle intent, his Radiant Sun martial soul erupted with a massive amount of scorching soul power, enveloping his entire body and even "Judgment."

Next, "Xu Tianming" raised "Judgment" high with both hands, a flash of excitement in his eyes, before charging rapidly toward Kong Deming's position, the "Judgment" in his hands continuously gathering power during the charge.

Finally, the moment he neared Kong Deming, Xu Tianming couldn't help but shout:

"Listen to the roar of the sun!"

The moment the words fell, "Judgment," now fully saturated with soul power, was swung with all the strength of his arms.

Although this was Mavuika's first time possessing him, whether it was because of her high familiarity with this move or their exceptional compatibility, the entire sequence of movements was fluid and natural. From the leap into mid-air to striking Kong Deming, the whole process took less than two seconds.

However, while the execution of the move went smoothly, when "Judgment" slashed to within half a meter of Kong Deming's body, it could not advance even a fraction of an inch further.

After a stalemate of about two seconds, Mavuika's somewhat weak voice echoed in Xu Tianming's mental sea:

"Alright, my power is nearly exhausted. If I cannot absorb battle intent to replenish it, I estimate I will need at least a day of rest to recover."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Tianming felt he had regained full control of his body, and the "Sun-Shattering Strike" he had just unleashed had fully spent its force.

Clearly, what had blocked the "Sun-Shattering Strike" was Kong Deming's personal defensive soul tool. Although he had been prepared for this, Xu Tianming still felt a little disappointed to see that his attack hadn't even left a mark on his uncle's defensive gear.

Was he really still too weak?

Yet, unlike Xu Tianming's disappointment, Kong Deming was currently so shocked he didn't know what to say.

Although he knew his nephew was strong, he hadn't expected him to be strong to this degree!

With soul power at level 20-something and having just obtained his first soul ring, he was actually able to unleash an attack power comparable to a level 40 Soul Ancestor!

While there was no shortage of geniuses on the Douluo Continent capable of cross-level combat, such an exaggerated degree of it exceeded Kong Deming's understanding.

To be this strong shortly after his martial soul had awakened—if he allowed his nephew to cultivate steadily for a few years, there would likely be no soul master left on the entire Douluo Continent who could be his match!

By then, the long-held ambition of the Sun Moon Empire to unify the entire continent might just be realized under his nephew's leadership!

Upon considering this possibility, a bold idea suddenly formed in Kong Deming's mind.

At present, the Sun Moon Empire had yet to appoint a crown prince. As the strongest soul engineer in the Sun Moon Empire, and indeed the entire continent, Kong Deming was naturally the primary target for recruitment by the several princes with the greatest competitive standing.

It could be said that whichever prince secured his support would essentially have already secured the position of crown prince.

Not long ago, he had considered supporting Xu Tianran's rise. Although he didn't particularly like the Second Prince's personality, from a holistic perspective, letting him ascend might be more beneficial for the Sun Moon Empire.

But the situation was different now.

With a blood-related nephew of peerless talent right before his eyes, why look further afield?

In any case, they were both princes of the Sun Moon Empire's orthodox bloodline. With his status, if he supported his own blood nephew's rise, who in the imperial court would dare to object?

Even the high and mighty Emperor would have to seriously consider his, Kong Deming's, opinion!

At this thought, Kong Deming's eyes suddenly shot out a sharp glint, and he looked with fervent intensity at his nephew, who was currently feeling a bit disappointed:

"Tianming? Do you want to be the crown prince? If you do, Uncle can help you ascend!"

Suddenly hearing this out-of-the-blue remark from Kong Deming, Xu Tianming was stunned, his mind unable to process it for a moment:

"Uncle, what did you just say?"

So, Kong Deming repeated it, word for word.

After listening, Xu Tianming's eyes were filled with confusion:

"Uncle, why would you suddenly come up with such an idea? Not to mention that Second Brother already has the cultivation of a Soul Douluo, he is nearly 20 years older than me, and the connections he has cultivated over the years span the entire imperial court. How do you expect me to compete with him?"

On the surface, Xu Tianming was refusing, but the experienced Kong Deming heard the underlying meaning in his nephew's words.

It wasn't that he didn't want to compete.

It was how to compete!

He truly was his own nephew; at such an age, not only was his talent peerless, but his state of mind was also far beyond his peers!

"Tianming, none of what you said is important. In the Sun Moon Empire, you only need to remember one thing: as long as I, your uncle, am willing to support you, you will certainly be able to sit on the throne of the Crown Prince!"

This short statement was spoken calmly by Kong Deming, yet Xu Tianming did not harbor a shred of doubt upon hearing it.

Because he knew that his uncle was truly capable of doing what he said.

It was just... why?

Why would his uncle suddenly want to support him in ascending to the position of Crown Prince?