Heavenly changes are not to be feared, ancestral traditions are not to be followed, and public opinion is not to be worried about!

Dai Yunzhao pushed aside the blanket and stood up from his wheelchair.

"I cannot do that. Whether it is the frontier army or the imperial palace guards, they are all soldiers of my Star Luo."

"The towns along the way are inhabited by my Star Luo subjects. This is not something to be squandered just because of a momentary clash of temper between father and son."

The Star Luo Emperor's hand dropped heavily to his side.

The more virtuous and outstanding Dai Yunzhao appeared, the more it proved that he had been wrong before.

But...

His concerns regarding the bloodline ran too deep!

The Star Luo Emperor looked at Dai Yunzhao before him.

"What do you intend to do? Kill each other within the palace walls as father and son?!"

Dai Yunzhao did not display any fighting spirit; even Shadow was signaled by him to remain in place.

He stepped forward and supported the Star Luo Emperor's arm.

It had been six or seven years since father and son had walked a path together like this, arm in arm.

Dai Yunzhao's voice sounded softly: "Father, I know your concerns regarding the bloodline, but I have my own ideas."

"Rest assured, if I am no longer here in the future, the successor to Star Luo will not have a diluted bloodline."

The three Great War King Martial Souls within Dai Yunzhao's body could all be inherited.

As long as Dai Yunzhao reached level ninety, the three Great War King Martial Souls would all become bloodline martial souls.

The future Star Luo imperial family, while lacking the Evil Eye White Tiger, would possess even more powerful War King Martial Souls!

He knew that words alone were not enough; such things would only be truly understood by the Star Luo Emperor once his future children were born.

The Star Luo Emperor sighed.

He had no other choice now.

He only had Dai Yunzhao left as a son.

The Star Luo Emperor's voice sounded: "Most of the families in the court support your eldest and third brothers. After you ascend to the throne, how will you treat these treacherous officials?"

Dai Yunzhao's voice was calm: "There are no treacherous officials, only loyal ones. To be loyal to Star Luo is to be loyal to me, Dai Yunzhao."

Supported by Dai Yunzhao, the Star Luo Emperor walked forward step by step.

"The court and the public are still filled with panic. How do you intend to settle them?"

Dai Yunzhao exhaled.

"I will take a woman from the Zhu Family as my empress, keep the officials' ranks as they are, leave the palace buildings unrenovated for five years, and maintain everything else as is. I will promote the frontier generals by one rank. I will exempt the common people from taxes for three years and allow the frontier army to rest."

Hearing Dai Yunzhao's words, the Star Luo Emperor's heart was filled with shock.

Every emperor who had ascended the throne in Star Luo before had done so with a display of force, showing off their martial prowess.

In such a militaristic empire, their sovereign had to be capable of fighting—he had to be the best fighter of them all!

Yet, every word Dai Yunzhao spoke was the path best suited for Star Luo's current development.

Dai Yunzhao's voice was very light: "I had intended to continue as the crown prince, as I am still only a Soul Master, but since things have reached this point between father and son, brother and brother, I must take this throne."

The Star Luo Emperor nodded.

But his eyes still held deep shock.

He still had doubts.

"You no longer awaken the Evil Eye White Tiger; there is no need to marry a woman from the Zhu Family."

Dai Yunzhao gave a helpless laugh.

"The Zhu Family and our imperial family have been allied through marriage for many years. We cannot suddenly discard them now, or people will think the Dai clan is cold-blooded."

"There are no private matters in the imperial family; it is nothing more than a marriage, and it is something that will put everyone's mind at ease."

"We cannot let people's hearts grow cold over a small matter. In business, one must always do what is most cost-effective."

The Star Luo Emperor exhaled, the heavy burden that had pressed upon him for so many years suddenly feeling lighter.

But he still frowned.

"Yun Zhao, if you were the Evil Eye White Tiger martial soul, I would have killed your brothers with my own hands."

"Forget it. Whatever you do from now on, I can no longer interfere. I have only one thought: when I go to meet our ancestors, I must be at peace."

Dai Yunzhao waved his hand.

"There is nothing to fear. At worst, we father and son can just go down there and kowtow together."

The Star Luo Emperor stood still.

His hand had already gripped Dai Yunzhao's.

"Once the throne falls to you, what will you do if a great upheaval occurs in Star Luo and the criticism comes crashing down on you like a tide?"

Dai Yunzhao did not care.

He was destined to ascend the throne, and he did not care how the outside world viewed him.

What if he did not have the Evil Eye White Tiger martial soul?

He would provide his own answer.

"Father, heavenly changes are not to be feared, ancestral traditions are not to be followed, and public opinion is not to be worried about!"

As these three sentences fell, the Star Luo Emperor's soul felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.

He took Dai Yunzhao by the hand and walked forward step by step.

"How many men do you have within Star Luo City?"

Dai Yunzhao's voice was very light: "The city patrol seal is already in my hands, and the city defenses have been fully taken over."

The Star Luo Emperor nodded.

"At tomorrow's morning court, I will issue the decree to abdicate. You must decline three times and yield three times before accepting the throne!"

"Xiong Ao and the others are building momentum for you at the frontier. Bring the Zhuqing sisters back as soon as possible to stabilize the hearts of the great families."

"Do not worry about the others; I will suppress them for you."

The father and son were finally prepared to carry out the transfer of power.

Dai Yunzhao had prepared for the worst from the very beginning.

But the Star Luo Emperor was still moving toward a better outcome.

After returning from the Three Gorges Pass, Dai Yunzhao had let Shadow take him and galloped through the night back to Star Luo City.

The city defenses had long since been quietly purged, with the lists provided by Xiong Ao.

Those who had no way to surrender to Dai Yunzhao had to go through Xiong Ao.

The Star Luo Emperor waved his hand.

"Someone, come! Go and invite these people into the palace; I have matters to discuss."

The Star Luo Emperor handed over a list.

The list contained the most die-hard loyalists of the First Prince!

Even though the First Prince Dai Weisi was dead, they still insisted on fighting Dai Yunzhao to the end.

If they hadn't lacked real power, they would have jumped out long ago to lead an army in a fight to the death against Dai Yunzhao!

Now, the Star Luo Emperor was inviting them into the palace for tea.

To anyone looking on, it would seem as if he were about to entrust them with important responsibilities.

But Dai Yunzhao knew very well that the Star Luo Emperor was clearing these thorns for him.

It was too simple to frame these people, and dying within the palace walls was nothing unusual.

The Star Luo Emperor patted Dai Yunzhao on the back.

"Go down and clean house properly. When you wake up tomorrow morning, the Star Luo Empire will still be the same Star Luo Empire."

"You will wake up as the Emperor, and I... will retire behind the scenes!"

The Star Luo Emperor was sufficiently decisive.

With Dai Yunzhao as his only option, he chose to overturn everything he had previously built up for Dai Weisi.

Everything he did next was merely to pave the way for Dai Yunzhao!

Only Dai Yunzhao and Shadow remained.

The Star Luo Emperor had already walked a great distance away.

Shadow's voice sounded faintly: "It seems your prediction was correct; your father does not wish to stain the palace walls with blood again."

Dai Yunzhao nodded.

"This is the best choice for Father. Shadow, remember to do what I told you!"

With the Star Luo Empire in the stage of power transition and so unstable, external pressure had to be applied.

Dai Yunzhao had long since prepared a grand gift for the world!