Facing His True Self

Inside the ambassador's office at the Star Luo Empire's embassy in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Looking at Dai Xuanyu, who had assumed a new identity, Ambassador Dai Yuan asked curiously, "Xuanyu, how have the past few days been?"

The alliance between the two empires had gone remarkably smoothly.

Apart from the night they arrived in the Heaven Dou Empire, when Dai Xuanyu accompanied Dai Yuan, Xu Jingchang, and the others to a banquet at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace,

there had been nothing else for him to do.

So Dai Xuanyu had used his disguised identity to take a thorough tour of the Heaven Dou Imperial City.

Hearing his uncle's question, Dai Xuanyu set down the book in his hands and looked up.

"The Heaven Dou Imperial City is indeed much more prosperous than our Star Luo Imperial City. By prosperous, of course, I mean for Soul Masters."

"Here, I've seen many Soul Masters with Martial Souls whose names and lineages are well known."

"If those Soul Masters could be put to work for the empire, they would undoubtedly become a force to be reckoned with."

The vast majority of Douluo Continent's famous Soul Master families were based in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Here, they enjoyed greater freedom, and imperial authority could not interfere with them.

"Yes. There are so many renowned families and factions among Soul Masters, yet it's difficult to get them to serve the empire. My imperial brother has always struggled with that," Dai Yuan said with a sigh.

Both the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire had spared no effort in recruiting Soul Master families.

Money, personnel, noble titles, land... They had tried it all.

But in the end, they had gained very little.

Even Soul Masters from established families could not be truly loyal to the empire when they entered its service.

Recruiting common-born Soul Masters was no answer either. Their potential was too limited to make much difference.

How to recruit capable Soul Masters had long been a thorn in both empires' sides.

It was not a problem that could be solved overnight.

After all, the two empires were chiefly responsible for governing ordinary people.

The Soul Masters, meanwhile, governed their own community. That was how things had seemingly worked for thousands of years.

Even Spirit Hall, for all its power in this era, would not dare claim command of all Soul Masters and establish the Spirit Hall Empire until many years later.

"Only when our Star Luo Imperial Family grows strong enough can we truly unite the entire continent, rather than share it with the Soul Masters."

"Otherwise, even if our Star Luo Imperial Family defeats the Heaven Dou Empire one day and unites the continent in name, we'll still have to accommodate and balance those powerful Soul Master factions."

Dai Xuanyu made no attempt to hide his ambition.

Where one sat shaped how one thought; a person spoke from his own position.

He had been born into the Star Luo Imperial Family, so naturally, its interests came first in everything he considered.

Those powerful Soul Master factions could tolerate a change in the state that ruled over them, but they would never allow the new empire to cut into their interests.

At the same time, a powerful empire would never tolerate other powers within its borders.

That held true both in the history of his previous life and in Douluo Continent's own history.

Why else would the future Douluo Federation stand by and let the Holy Spirit Cult bomb Shrek Academy?

Wasn't it because Shrek Academy had grown too powerful for the Federation to control?

Every government would inevitably do the same.

Besides, Shrek Academy in the future would be utterly lawless.

Looks like I'll have to muddy the waters of the Soul Master World. Better yet, I should steer as much of the trouble toward Spirit Hall as I can. That'll make it easier for Star Luo to step in.

Dai Xuanyu fell into thought, beginning to work out a concrete plan.

Only by weakening the Soul Masters along the way would the Star Luo Empire find the continent easier to govern after unifying it.

Oh, what am I doing? I've put the cart before the horse too. Staying in the crown prince's seat so long has thrown my whole perspective out of order.

All at once, Dai Xuanyu slapped his forehead and came fully to his senses.

The sudden gesture startled Dai Yuan, who was sitting nearby. He was afraid something had happened to this precious treasure of the imperial family.

Dai Yuan asked cautiously, "Xuanyu, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing serious, Uncle. I just figured something out. I'm going back to sleep."

With that, Dai Xuanyu hurried out of the office.

From behind him came Dai Yuan's reminder. "Xuanyu, get to bed early, then. Tomorrow is your first day joining classes under your other identity."

Before long, he was back in his room.

The first thing Dai Xuanyu did was sit cross-legged and clear the distracting thoughts from his mind.

Then he turned his attention to what he truly wanted, examining and correcting himself.

Dai Xuanyu, how could a change in status make you forget what truly matters to you?

The position of crown prince of the Star Luo Empire is an exalted one. My thoughts changed along with my status.

It's true that everything I've been thinking about each day has been for the Star Luo Empire and its future.

But Douluo Continent is a world where strength reigns supreme. Only strength can give me true confidence. It's the foundation of everything!

If I spend every day thinking up court schemes, won't I become a second Qian Renxue?! Not that I could ever become another Qian Renxue.

As long as I become a god soon, I'll have the power to control everything! When that happens, will these so-called problems still be problems?

After a long while, Dai Xuanyu opened his eyes and slowly breathed out.

The change in his status really had changed the way he thought.

Without noticing it, he had grown restless and impatient too.

But by facing his true feelings tonight, Dai Xuanyu had smothered that backward way of thinking in the cradle. He was certain now of what he needed to do.

He was not like Qian Renxue, stubbornly pursuing something that put the cart before the horse.

She had carried out the Nation-Stealing Plan out of spite, to prove herself, and wasted her talent for nothing.

That would never happen to Dai Xuanyu.

Put in simple terms from a game, Dai Xuanyu had only one main quest.

That quest was to become a god.

The sooner he completed it, the greater the rewards would be.

And only by completing the main quest could he reach the game's true ending.

Of course, that did not mean Dai Xuanyu would abandon everything around him.

Nor did it mean he would ignore every side quest.

He was, after all, a member of that group.

His birth and his identity meant he could never cut himself off from them completely.

He would simply slow his progress on some matters, while leaving other, unnecessary matters alone.

Becoming a god as soon as possible—that's what I truly need to do.

With that thought, Dai Xuanyu began meditating before sleep.