Long Aotian, Du Busi

Besides, he was destined to develop all kinds of combat techniques or Self-Created Soul Skills based on his Primordial Cells Martial Soul. There was nothing wrong with leaving Ye Guyi in charge of their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

"Come to think of it, we still need a name for this Martial Soul Fusion Skill... My Martial Soul is Sun-Moon Radiance, and yours is Holy Angel. How about Sun-Moon Angel?"

Xu Tiance smiled at Ye Guyi, who sat across from him.

Ye Guyi had no objections. She simply nodded and agreed.

Sun-Moon Angel... The name is surprisingly fitting!

A sharp gleam flashed in Kong Deming's eyes. He believed Tiance and Guyi's Martial Soul Fusion Skill would one day live up to its name, becoming the Sun Moon Empire's angel—sweeping all before it, undefeated in every battle!

The Sun Moon Empire was destined to stand at the summit of the entire continent!

Seen in that light, the current emperor, Xu Chengye, with his rather weak temperament and lack of resolve toward other nations... truly was not suited to remain on the throne. Tiance's father, Xu Chengjing, had always been ambitious and active behind the scenes. He was a hardliner through and through.

If Xu Chengjing took the throne and Tiance succeeded him one day, Kong Deming might truly live to see the Sun Moon Empire unite the entire continent!

As for Xu Chengjing's first three sons... Kong Deming had already dismissed them without a second thought.

Xu Tianran might possess the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon Martial Soul, which was exceedingly difficult to inherit, but Tiance possessed the Sun-Moon Radiance Martial Soul, the only one of its kind in thousands of years! The Sun Moon Empire ought to be just like Tiance's Martial Soul, with sun and moon shining together!

"Elder Kong, we've driven into the heart of the Heaven Dou Empire as you requested. We'll soon reach its capital, Heaven Dou City."

Ye Yulin's voice from outside the carriage abruptly broke Kong Deming's train of thought and brought him back to the present.

After taking a moment to process the news, Kong Deming said, "Enter Heaven Dou City."

Kong Deming had not forgotten his other purpose on this trip: to look for traces of the Body Sect.

Even when the Body Sect had been at its most active, few people on the continent had known where its headquarters lay, let alone now that it had withdrawn from the world for years. Still, Kong Deming had come to Heaven Dou City clinging to a one-in-ten-thousand hope of finding news of it.

After all, the Body Sect was located within the Heaven Dou Empire. As its capital, Heaven Dou City offered the best chance of finding a lead.

Heaven Dou City's construction had changed very little. Even though the Heaven Dou Empire had split and changed hands thousands of years ago, the city itself had remained.

There was something curious about that. The Heaven Dou Empire, despite being the usurper, had taken Heaven Dou City and continued using it as its capital; meanwhile, the original imperial family of the Heaven Dou Empire had fled east and founded what was now the Dou Ling Empire.

The sights of Heaven Dou City did not leave Xu Tiance with a particularly good impression. It was not that the city was run-down, but that an air of an old feudal city permeated every corner.

The Sun Moon Empire was also a feudal empire, yet Mingdu had a thoroughly modern, technological style. Its streets were broad, tall buildings rose everywhere, and Soul Tools featured throughout the city. It was large enough to hold two or three Heaven Dou Cities.

Most importantly, Mingdu had no gates or city walls.

That alone showed the enormous gap between Mingdu and Heaven Dou City.

A Soul Tool carriage drawn by Hornscale Horses was enough to turn heads even in Heaven Dou City. All along the way, pedestrians on both sides had stared at Ye Yulin. Even a Level 9 Soul Engineer like him found it hard to endure so many probing gazes.

Just as Ye Yulin was suffering in silence, an immense building caught his eye.

On a signboard not far ahead were the words "Heaven Dou Orphanage." From inside the orphanage came a pulse of energy from a Martial Soul Awakening.

Was the orphanage holding a Martial Soul Awakening?

Ye Yulin quietly reported it to Kong Deming inside the carriage. Once he received permission, he drove toward the Heaven Dou Orphanage.

Soon, Xu Tiance and his three companions arrived at the Heaven Dou Orphanage. A Soul Master dressed in noble attire stood in the open space at its center, awakening the Martial Souls of the orphans who had come of age. Many people watched nearby.

"Zhu Hang. Martial Soul: Burrowing Mouse. Innate Soul Power: Level 2!"

"Huo Chongwu. Martial Soul: Hammer. Innate Soul Power: half a level. Not enough to become a Soul Master!"

The Soul Master in noble attire read out name after name, his voice growing faintly mechanical.

There were eighty-seven children at the Heaven Dou Orphanage this year, and he had already awakened sixty of them. Of those sixty, only one had reached Level 7 Innate Soul Power and had been adopted on the spot by a noble family from Heaven Dou City. Apart from that child, he could count on one hand those with Innate Soul Power above Level 5!

The vast majority of the rest had either Trash Martial Souls or half a level, one level, or even no Soul Power at all. No wonder his expression and voice had gone numb.

"Next, Long Aotian!"

The moment the Soul Master spoke, Xu Tiance's eyes lit up.

Long Aotian?

The Body Sect's young sect master from the original story? The Long Aotian who defeated Huo Yuhao in the Soul Master Tournament's individual matches, then died to a Level 9 Soul Tool while protecting his fiancée, Vina?

Xu Tiance had always assumed Long Aotian had grown up in the Body Sect. He had not expected that wandering Du Busi had brought him back to the sect too...

If Long Aotian is having his Martial Soul Awakening here, could Du Busi be here as well?

Xu Tiance's interest stirred, and he began searching the crowd. He had never met Du Busi, but the man's appearance was distinctive. Tall and powerfully built, bald, with skin as smooth as a baby's—anyone matching that description had to be Du Busi.

Unfortunately, Xu Tiance could not spot him.

"Long Aotian. Martial Soul: skin. Innate Soul Power... Level 7!"

Having finally awakened another Soul Master with Level 7 Innate Soul Power, the man's voice rose with excitement.

Kong Deming's eyes narrowed at those words. A skin Martial Soul... Like Tiance's Primordial Cells Martial Soul, it's a Body Martial Soul!

"Hahahaha! A Body Martial Soul wielder with Level 7 Innate Soul Power!"

Amid a burst of hearty laughter, a figure suddenly appeared in the open space, right before Long Aotian. A remarkably booming voice rang out:

"I am Du Busi! Will you become my disciple?"