Seeking Oscar

Xue Xing could only reply:

"Your Majesty, I understand."

Though he said that, Xue Xing did not think so at all. He knew that Title Douluo Dugu Bo stood behind him. As long as Dugu Bo remained on his side, he still had a chance to push Xue Beng into power.

Xue Ye said nothing further and instead looked at his current favorite.

Then he said to Jin Hao:

"Qinghe, how is your recovery?"

"Rest assured, Father. I have nearly recovered. I also tried cultivating last night and found that my Soul Power cultivation is much faster than before. In less than half a month, I should be able to break through to Level 27."

Hearing Jin Hao's words, Xue Ye revealed a satisfied smile.

Then Xue Ye said to Jin Hao:

"Qinghe, cultivate in peace. If you need anything, just ask."

Jin Hao nodded and said:

"Father, it is time to see my two younger brothers off."

Hearing this, Xue Ye finally came back to his senses from his joy.

He then stepped before the crowd and began conducting the funeral for his second and third sons.

Many of those present saw Xue Ye's attitude toward Xue Qinghe and his rebuke of Xue Beng. They all understood the gap between the two in Xue Ye's heart, while the noble ministers who had chosen Xue Qinghe's side felt even more delighted.

Thus, the entire empire began seeing the two princes off on their final journey.

Half an hour passed, and all the rites came to an end. Xue Ye then dismissed everyone.

Finally, Xue Ye said to Jin Hao:

"Cultivate well. Do not concern yourself with anything else. Your father will stand up for you. If you need anything, send someone with a message."

"Qinghe, no one can take what belongs to you."

Hearing this, Jin Hao understood that because of his Martial Soul, Xue Ye had now decided that he was the heir apparent.

Jin Hao then said:

"Father, I understand. I will work hard and will not disappoint you."

Xue Ye smiled and patted Jin Hao on the shoulder.

Just then, Xue Ye thought of something and called out to Lin Cheng on the other side:

"Lin Cheng!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"It will soon be time for Martial Soul awakenings again. When the time comes, search throughout the Heaven Dou Empire for talented youths willing to join the empire. Bring them back to Heaven Dou City and let them grow by Qinghe's side. In the future, they will serve as Qinghe's aides."

As soon as Xue Ye said this, everyone present understood that he was preparing to cultivate a faction for the eldest prince. This alone already said a great deal.

Hearing this, Lin Cheng immediately replied:

"Your Majesty, I understand. I will find talented aides for His Highness the Eldest Prince."

Having heard what he wanted, Xue Ye did not waste any more time and returned directly to the palace. He still had what he considered an extremely important matter to handle: the assassination of the three princes. Xue Ye already knew that Spirit Hall was behind it, but he had no evidence to prove it.

To Xue Ye, Jin Hao's safety was now the most important thing. For Jin Hao's sake, he arranged to meet Ning Fengzhi, the master of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School, hoping that Ning Fengzhi would accept Jin Hao as his disciple. In Xue Ye's view, this would give Jin Hao the backing of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School and provide some protection for his safety. Moreover, with the school publicly supporting him, even if Xue Xing wanted to rely on the Title Douluo Dugu Bo behind him to do something, he would have to think twice.

Thus, everyone went their separate ways to handle their own affairs.

At that moment, Jin Hao recalled Xue Ye's words. This year's Martial Soul awakenings were about to begin.

Thinking back to the original story, Jin Hao thought of the most talented member of the protagonist group aside from Tang San.

That person was Oscar, the Food-System Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power.

Thinking of Oscar, Jin Hao wanted to bring him under his command.

Judging by their ages, Jin Hao was three years older than Tang San, while Oscar was two years older than Tang San. Therefore, Oscar was about a year younger than Jin Hao and was now roughly six and a half years old.

The upcoming Martial Soul awakening ceremony would also be the time of Oscar's awakening. Jin Hao was so certain because he knew that, in the original story, Oscar was a commoner's child. He could not awaken his Martial Soul at the age of six like the children of nobles or Soul Master families. He could only wait for Spirit Hall's free awakening ceremony held in the middle of the year.

After returning to his residence, Jin Hao prepared to bring Oscar to Heaven Dou City first. He called into the shadows:

"Jin Er, go to Spirit Hall in Suotuo City and inspect the records. Find out which villages are handled by that Soul Saint Flender, who earns Soul Gold Coins by awakening the Martial Souls of villagers in small villages for our Spirit Hall."

"Once you know which villages they are, search them for a little boy named Oscar and bring him back. Treat him well. He is someone I have taken an interest in."

From the shadows came a reply:

"Your subordinate understands."

Then came the sound of something cutting through the air, proving that Jin Er had set off.

As for why Jin Hao had Jin Er search the villages under Flender's responsibility, it was because Jin Hao had read in the original story that Oscar's Martial Soul had been awakened by Flender.

After all, if Flender had not awakened it, Jin Hao believed that, given Spirit Hall's practices, Oscar could never have ended up at Shrek Academy. As a commoner who did not join Spirit Hall, his only outcome would have been death.

Following this method, Jin Hao believed that Oscar, whose talent ranked among the top five in the original story, would be brought under his command.

As for the others at Shrek Academy, Jin Hao had no interest in them. Tang San was an enemy whose opposition to Jin Hao had been determined from birth.

As for Xiao Wu, Jin Hao still planned to go wait in Nuoding City two years later and see whether he could bring her back, obtaining a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and a Spirit Bone.

The two from the Star Luo Empire could be called geniuses, but without the enhancement of Immortal Herbs, they were merely geniuses. Douluo Continent did not have many such geniuses, but neither did it lack them.

In Jin Hao's plans, he would win over Dugu Bo, so those Immortal Herbs were already considered his possessions. How could he give his own Immortal Herbs to those two?

Ma Hongjun was even worse. His awakened Martial Soul was a chicken that made people visit prostitutes. Though he became a Phoenix and a top-tier genius after absorbing an Immortal Herb,

Jin Hao had only one thing to say: give the Immortal Herb to someone with roughly the same talent, and after absorbing it, who would not become a top-tier genius?

Lastly, there was Ning Rongrong of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School. Jin Hao knew that, according to the original story's development, he might become Ning Fengzhi's disciple in the future. After becoming Ning Fengzhi's disciple, it would depend on how Ning Rongrong turned out. If they got along and she could be useful to him in the future, he could give her an Immortal Herb to evolve her Martial Soul. Otherwise, she could spend her entire life stagnating at Soul Saint.

So in the end, among all those people from the original story, Jin Hao only thought highly of Oscar.