Hearken to the Roar of the Sun!

Kong Deming had been quite relaxed.

But at one moment, he suddenly sensed that Xu Tianming's aura had changed.

The nephew before him was clearly still the same nephew, yet merely changing his stance had brought forth an aura that felt unfamiliar to Kong Deming—and even made him shudder.

It was as if the person standing before him was no longer the nephew he knew, but an unparalleled war god who had weathered countless battles and never once suffered defeat!

What on earth was going on?

Could someone have possessed his nephew?

Kong Deming couldn't be blamed for thinking that. After all, Xu Tianming's current state really was rather close to what he had guessed.

He had relinquished control over part of his body and let Mavuika take charge. The aura that emerged was one Mavuika had naturally developed over years of fighting the Abyssal Monsters.

Absolute Battle Intent.

Absolute confidence.

The murderous aura she had cultivated after slaying countless Abyssal Monsters.

On top of that, she had once had a reason she simply could not afford to lose.

Without deliberately reining it in, it was only natural that she would intimidate Kong Deming, who had been completely unprepared.

And the moment Kong Deming was intimidated, Mavuika's battle instincts kicked in.

Years of life-and-death battles against the Abyssal Monsters had taught her not to let a single opportunity slip by in a real fight.

An opening vanished in the blink of an eye. If she couldn't seize an enemy's weakness, the fight would become much more difficult.

Back when the Abyssal Monsters had launched a full-scale invasion, people in Natlan had died beneath their claws every moment of every day. As the Pyro Archon, the faster Mavuika hunted them down, the more lives she could save.

Thus, the moment Mavuika's battle instincts kicked in, Xu Tianming's body moved as well.

He leapt high into the air. Then his First Soul Ring flashed, and as Battle Intent Burst activated, the Radiant Sun Martial Soul surged with a vast amount of searing Soul Power, enveloping Xu Tianming's entire body and even Judgment.

Then, "Xu Tianming" raised Judgment high with both hands. A glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes before he charged rapidly toward Kong Deming, the weapon in his hands gathering power as he ran.

Finally, as he neared Kong Deming, Xu Tianming couldn't help shouting:

"HEARKEN TO THE ROAR OF THE SUN!"

At the same instant, Xu Tianming swung both arms with all his might, unleashing Judgment, which had now fully gathered its Soul Power.

Though this was Mavuika's first time possessing him, perhaps because she was so familiar with the move, or perhaps because the two of them were exceptionally compatible, the entire sequence flowed like water. From leaping into the air to striking Kong Deming, the whole thing took less than two seconds.

The move had gone smoothly, but when Judgment struck, it stopped less than half a meter from Kong Deming's body, unable to advance even a fraction farther.

After they remained locked in a stalemate for about two seconds, Mavuika's somewhat weak voice rang out in Xu Tianming's Mental Sea of Consciousness:

"All right, I've used up almost all my strength. If I can't absorb any Battle Intent to replenish it, I'll need at least a day of rest to recover."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Tianming sensed that he had regained full control of his body. The power of the move he had just unleashed, Sun-Shattering Strike, had also been fully expended.

Clearly, what had just blocked Sun-Shattering Strike was Kong Deming's personal Defensive Soul Tool. Xu Tianming had been prepared for this, but seeing that his attack hadn't left even a mark on his uncle's Defensive Soul Tool still left him a little disappointed.

Was he really still that weak?

But unlike Xu Tianming, Kong Deming was so shocked that he hardly knew what to say.

He knew his nephew was strong, but he had never imagined he could be this strong!

With Soul Power above level twenty and only his First Soul Ring, he had unleashed an attack on par with that of a level-forty Soul Ancestor!

There was no shortage of geniuses on the Douluo Continent who could fight opponents above their level, but the gap Xu Tianming had overcome was so absurd that it exceeded Kong Deming's understanding.

His Martial Soul had awakened only recently, yet he was already this strong. If his nephew could cultivate in peace for a few years, perhaps no Soul Master on the entire Douluo Continent would be able to stand against him!

By then, the Sun Moon Empire's long-held dream of unifying the entire continent might finally come true under his nephew's leadership!

After considering that possibility, a bold idea suddenly took shape in Kong Deming's mind.

The Sun Moon Empire had yet to appoint a crown prince. As the greatest Soul Engineer in the Sun Moon Empire—and perhaps on the entire continent—Kong Deming was naturally the first person the leading princes tried to win over.

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

Not long ago, he had considered supporting Xu Tianran's bid for the throne. He didn't much like the second prince's temperament, but looking at the bigger picture, putting him on the throne might bring greater benefits to the Sun Moon Empire.

But things were different now.

With a blood-related nephew of peerless talent standing right in front of him, why should he look farther afield?

They were both princes of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial bloodline, after all. With his standing, who in the imperial court would dare oppose him supporting his own nephew?

Even the high-and-mighty emperor would have to seriously consider Kong Deming's opinion!

At that thought, a sharp gleam flashed in Kong Deming's eyes. He turned eagerly toward his nephew, who was still looking a little disappointed, and asked:

"Tianming, do you want to become crown prince? If you do, your uncle can help you take the position!"

Hearing Kong Deming say this out of the blue, Xu Tianming froze, his mind taking a moment to catch up.

"Uncle, what did you just say?"

So Kong Deming repeated himself without changing a word.

After hearing him out, Xu Tianming's eyes filled with confusion.

"Uncle, why did you suddenly get this idea? Setting aside the fact that Second Brother is already a Soul Douluo, he's nearly twenty years older than me. His connections, built up over the years, reach throughout the entire imperial court. How am I supposed to compete with him?"

On the surface, Xu Tianming was turning him down, but Kong Deming, seasoned and perceptive, heard the unspoken meaning behind his nephew's words.

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

He was asking how.

Truly his own nephew. At such a young age, he was not only peerlessly talented, but also far more mature than his peers!

"Tianming, none of that matters. Just remember this: in the Sun Moon Empire, as long as I am willing to support you, you will take the position of crown prince!"

Kong Deming spoke the brief sentence calmly, but Xu Tianming didn't doubt him in the slightest.

He knew that his uncle was a man who would do exactly what he said.

But... why?

Why had his uncle suddenly decided to support him in becoming crown prince?