Xu Tianran's Concerns, the Trump Card of the Palace Coup!

After signing the contract, Tang Ya, who had become a servant of the Sin God of Greed, underwent a tremendous change in temperament.

Previously, in front of Long Wushang, she had only displayed charm and vulnerability when they were in bed.

But now, whether she had completely let herself go or had been influenced by the Sin of Greed, she seemed to have sunk into a world of desire.

Over the past few days, she had not only become exceptionally proactive, but had even been willing to try certain difficult positions with Long Wushang. Even the way she spoke had become alluring. Compared to before, she was practically a completely different person.

However, Long Wushang was not particularly surprised by this change and merely silently enjoyed the boundless pleasure it brought.

The power of the Seven Original Sins had always represented humanity's deepest desires and obsessions. After becoming a servant of a Sin God, being influenced by the corresponding power was simply unavoidable.

It was just that compared to others, Tang Ya's compatibility with the Sin of Greed was evidently extremely high.

Meanwhile, Ma Xiaotao, who had just been bestowed the title of Fire Phoenix Saintess, also caught Long Wushang's attention.

Compared with Tang Ya, Ma Xiaotao's talent was undoubtedly even more outstanding.

Possessing the top-tier beast martial soul, the Evil Fire Phoenix, she inherently had the potential to become a powerhouse.

Her intensely forceful personality also suited the power of Wrath among the Seven Original Sins exceptionally well.

If he could make her a servant of the Sin God of Wrath, she would undoubtedly become another great source of assistance for Long Wushang.

However, although the plan had taken shape, its development was not so smooth.

Ever since joining the Holy Spirit Cult, Ma Xiaotao had been taken away directly by Ye Xishui to undergo a special transformation of her powers.

Other than appearing once in the conference hall, Long Wushang had not seen her again these past few days.

After making inquiries, he learned that Ye Xishui was using the Holy Spirit Cult's special methods, along with a vast amount of resentful spirit power, to further stimulate the Evil Fire Phoenix within Ma Xiaotao, allowing her martial soul to undergo an even more thorough transformation.

Ye Xishui's goal was clear.

She wanted Ma Xiaotao to completely master the Evil Fire Phoenix's power and even make it mutate in an even stronger direction.

As such, the candidate for servant of the Sin God of Wrath would likely have to be arranged after this operation against Shrek Academy was over.

At the same time.

Within the imperial capital of the Sun Moon Empire.

As the emperor's most powerful and prestigious son, Xu Tianran had now formally entered into cooperation with the Holy Spirit Cult.

With the support of Zhongli Wu, Ye Xishui, and the other higher-ups of the Holy Spirit Cult, he was using the cult's immense influence to secretly eliminate those within the court and military who stood in the way of his ascension to the throne.

It had to be said that this was an extremely effective method.

With the Holy Spirit Cult taking action, those enemies hidden within the empire, including certain diehard factions in the military, could be dealt with without a sound.

Afterward, he could naturally arrange for his own people to take over their positions.

This way, even his imperial uncle, or even the current emperor, would find it difficult to obtain clear evidence and make trouble for him in court.

The Holy Spirit Cult's formidable strength was likewise what Xu Tianran valued most.

To him, the Holy Spirit Cult was not merely a force he cooperated with. It was also an indispensable trump card in his future struggle for the throne.

Therefore, he had to treat any matter that might affect the Holy Spirit Cult's strength with caution.

Yet during a private discussion today, a piece of information brought by Zhongli Wu forced Xu Tianran to take the matter seriously.

"What?"

"Your cult is preparing to launch a large-scale surprise attack against Shrek Academy with all its strength?"

Upon hearing Zhongli Wu's words, a clear look of surprise appeared on Xu Tianran's face.

He looked at the Holy Spirit Cult leader before him, whose expression was gloomy, and slightly furrowed his brow.

"Cult Leader, if I recall correctly, Shrek Academy has a Limit Douluo stationed there."

"Beyond that, there are numerous Titled Douluo, Super Douluo, and countless elite soul masters within the academy."

"Under such circumstances, wouldn't launching a full-scale surprise attack be somewhat risky?"

Xu Tianran was not opposed to the Holy Spirit Cult taking action.

He would not interfere with whomever the Holy Spirit Cult wished to deal with or whatever plans it wished to carry out.

He would even be willing to offer assistance if they needed it.

But if the target was Shrek Academy, that was an entirely different matter.

Because more than anyone else, he understood exactly what Shrek Academy represented.

The Holy Spirit Cult was now a crucial aid in his future ascent to the throne. The powerful evil soul masters within the cult and its enormous number of followers were vital assets in his struggle against his imperial uncle and father.

If the Holy Spirit Cult suffered a devastating blow at Shrek Academy's hands, then his future plans would inevitably be greatly affected.

Even his own safety might be threatened.

And the reason the Sun Moon Empire had delayed launching a full-scale war for so many years was not merely because the old emperor was unwilling.

One had to know that the Sun Moon Emperor had also been a ruthless and decisive ruler in his youth.

The fact that he had ascended the throne through a palace coup was enough to prove his boldness.

Yet even so, he had not rashly launched a war against the three nations of the Douluo Continent.

The most important reason was that the Sun Moon Empire had not yet fully prepared for all-out war.

Although soul tool technology was developing rapidly, a large number of high-grade soul tools remained in the research stage, and the empire's war machine had not yet fully begun to operate.

The second, and most critical, reason was Shrek Academy.

This academy, which had stood for ten thousand years, had gathered the finest soul masters of every generation across the entire Douluo Continent. Its web of connections was extraordinarily intricate and spread throughout the continent.

Titled Douluo and Super Douluo emerged one after another, and it even had a Limit Douluo like Mu En overseeing it.

The significance of a single Limit Douluo to any faction was simply too great.

They were not merely powerhouses. They were strategic existences capable of stabilizing the entire situation.

Four thousand years ago, if not for that Limit Douluo with an ultimate attribute from Shrek Academy suddenly emerging and intervening in the continental war, the Sun Moon Empire would likely have already swept through the three nations and ruled the world.

With Mu En, a Limit Douluo, stationed there, Shrek Academy possessed the confidence to intimidate the world.

At critical moments, under his call, the hidden top powerhouses and even secluded clans across the Douluo Continent might choose to enter the battle, placing enormous pressure on the Sun Moon Empire.

In contrast, the Sun Moon Empire.

Although it possessed powerful soul tool technology, it had always been clearly lacking in top-tier combat strength.

Although Kong Deming possessed combat power comparable to a Limit Douluo, he was ultimately not a Limit Douluo in the traditional sense.

More importantly, the Sun Moon Empire could not guarantee what the final outcome would be if Kong Deming and Mu En fought a life-or-death battle.

If Kong Deming were defeated and killed, the Sun Moon Empire would not only lose its greatest deterrent force, but might even suffer a counterattack from the three nations of the Douluo Continent.

This was a risk Xu Tianran and the Sun Moon Empire's upper ranks could not bear.