"In the Sun Moon Empire today, there is only one Elder Cheng..."
Xu Cheng spoke with a warm smile.
"Wait, you mean... Cheng Baiqing?!!"
Realization dawned on Huo Qing, and her beautiful eyes suddenly narrowed.
As commander of the fourth battalion of the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Corps, one of the four great soul engineer corps, she stood below one person and above ten thousand. Her position was unquestionably central.
Naturally, she knew all too well of that titan of research, whose influence ran deep throughout the entire military.
Everyone in the military, including those formally trained at Mingde Hall, held him in the highest esteem. His power to rally the troops was easy to imagine.
If they could draw him into their camp, the scales of victory would instantly begin to tip!
"I am now Elder Cheng's final disciple." As he spoke, Xu Cheng pointed at his head. "He gave me this sixty-thousand-year Evil Eye Tyrant head soul bone."
"..."
Huo Qing was somewhat stunned.
She had never imagined that her young lord possessed such audacity.
He had actually won Elder Cheng's favor.
As far as she knew, Cheng Baiqing had extremely exacting standards and had never taken a disciple in his life...
If what Xu Cheng said was true, he would be standing on unassailable ground!
No one would willingly provoke Cheng Baiqing. Even if they lost, whoever held power would certainly spare Xu Cheng out of respect for him.
Though a "small fry" like her would have no path but death, she would gladly die for her young lord's great undertaking.
"But the Holy Spirit Cult..." Huo Qing looked hesitantly at Xu Cheng, the words catching on her lips.
Sure enough, her reaction was just like Elder Cheng's.
The burden is heavy, and the road is long...
Xu Cheng smiled helplessly.
"Don't worry, Aunt Qing. I am now the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son, the designated successor who will take over the cult in the future. In other words, the Holy Spirit Cult will also stand behind me."
Huo Qing: "..."
The Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son!
This notorious organization was the largest gathering of Evil Soul Masters on the entire continent. Though everyone cried out for their destruction, their strength was undeniable. They truly were formidable.
But when had her young lord become involved with these people?
Xu Cheng held two fingers together and pointed at his eyes.
His blood-red pupils abruptly contracted.
An uncanny aura emanated from them.
"I have twin martial souls. One is the Imperial Family's martial soul, the sun, and the other is blood eyes. Shortly after my awakening, Zhongli Wu, the Holy Spirit Cult's Cult Leader, happened to discover me..."
"You were in the Imperial City. How could Zhongli Wu..." Huo Qing abruptly stopped, as though she had uncovered some incredible secret.
Seeing the shock and suspicion on Huo Qing's face, Xu Cheng slowly nodded.
The Old Emperor currently ruled, and his attitude toward the Holy Spirit Cult was rather ambiguous.
In public, he acted as though he had never heard of them, but behind closed doors, he quietly extended goodwill.
Otherwise, Jing Hongchen would never have dared to run with Zhongli Wu like a wolf in league with a jackal.
Even when Xu Tianran later ascended the throne, he mostly inherited his father's policies, merely becoming increasingly brazen about them.
"To think even His Majesty..."
Huo Qing drew a deep breath and exhaled.
Before Xu Tianran, their attitude toward the Holy Spirit Cult had been much like that of traditional Soul Masters: disgust.
But when she thought about how her young lord was the enemy's Holy Son, and would very likely become their leader in the future...
Huo Qing felt increasingly strange.
It was rather like preparing to fight to the death, only for the enemy to suddenly transform into an ally.
"Heh..."
Xu Cheng merely smiled and took a sip of tea.
He said nothing more.
He waited for Aunt Qing to digest the information.
"Whew..."
Only after a long while did Huo Qing let out a breath.
She looked at Xu Cheng, her beautiful eyes filled with conflicting emotions.
She had never imagined that her young lord had grown so much during her absence.
This child must have suffered a great deal... Huo Qing secretly shed tears again. After all, in her eyes, the Holy Spirit Cult was truly no different from a den of bandits.
And within it, he still had to weigh the interests of every side...
Of course, had Crow and Zhang Peng heard that, they would probably have started cursing on the spot.
That little tyrant Xu Cheng worked the two of them like beasts, and he had suffered? He could suffer their %#@...
"If there is anything you need Aunt Qing for, just say the word."
Huo Qing spoke solemnly.
"Of course..."
Xu Cheng understood the weight of those words and promptly nodded.
"..."
"By the way, this young lady is...?"
The atmosphere eased.
Huo Qing glanced at Nana, who sat obediently beside them, and asked with a smile.
"Her name is Nana. The Holy Spirit Cult imprisoned her parents' souls. I happened to come across them and rescued them while I was at it. She had no one to depend on, so she has been living by my side ever since."
Xu Cheng gave a brief introduction.
"Aunt Qing..."
Nana hurriedly nodded politely.
She knew perfectly well that whether she could remain by Xu Cheng's side depended on how she behaved now...
"Mm... I like this little girl. Come here. Aunt Qing has a welcome gift for you." Huo Qing smiled warmly, entirely unlike her earlier fierceness.
Nana quickly looked at Xu Cheng, seeking his approval.
"What are you waiting for? Aunt Qing is one of us."
Xu Cheng chuckled.
Only then did Nana obediently walk over to Huo Qing.
Huo Qing stroked the girl's head.
A trace of pity also flickered in Huo Qing's eyes.
Her delicate hand tapped her diamond ring. A faint light flashed, and a crimson longsword appeared in her grasp.
"This is a Class 6 soul tool, the Crimson Blood Sword. It has been with me for several years." Huo Qing gently ran her hand along the blade, her beautiful eyes filled with nostalgia.
A cold gleam flashed, revealing its extraordinary power.
"Never underestimate it. Though it is a Class 6 soul tool, it is absolutely among the finest of its class. Back then, it was only thanks to this sword that I carved a bloody path out of the opposing Star Luo Empire's battle lines..."
"From now on, I entrust Cheng's safety to you."
Huo Qing's gaze sharpened as she secretly transmitted her voice.
Her eyes gradually regained their piercing edge as she stared at Nana.
She seemed to be judging whether the girl was fit to become a sharp blade.
Nana did not avert her gaze in the slightest, looking straight at Huo Qing.
Her eyes were filled with resolve.
To the girl, this was also a gesture of trust. Though Xu Cheng's strength meant he most likely needed no bodyguard, what she could do...
Was die before Xu Cheng did...
"Good!"
Huo Qing slowly withdrew her piercing gaze, returning to her earlier warmth.
She patted Nana's shoulder.
Then she looked at Xu Cheng with a smile and said from the heart, "I like this child very much..."
"As long as you like her..."
Xu Cheng's smile remained unchanged. He took a gentle sip of tea, pretending not to have noticed the exchange.
"Cheng, what are your thoughts on the Fire Phoenix Corps?"
After pondering for a moment, Huo Qing continued questioning him.
Now that their goal was clear, they would contend for the throne.
Then they certainly could not pass up the entire Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Corps. Every additional measure of strength gave them another measure of confidence.
"There's no hurry."
Xu Cheng leisurely sipped his tea as he spoke.
"Right now, Sun Moon is divided three ways. One share is mine, one belongs to the Fourth Prince, and one belongs to Crown Prince Xu Tianran."
"Crown Prince Xu Tianran has the advantage of official standing, and the forces under his command are far from weak. But in the end, he is crippled. He will never truly be fit to stand upon the grand stage."
"The Fourth Prince has abundant resources and the greatest prestige at court. His ties with the ministers are a tangled web, and even the Border Military has men loyal to him. But what he lacks most is top-tier experts. Elder Kong will not intervene rashly. Elder Cheng already stands on my side, and so does Jing Hongchen..."
Xu Cheng was all smiles.
"So... the advantage is mine!"
Before you continue