He understood his teacher's meaning—he wanted him to use the guise of "becoming an apprentice" to actually "steal technology and recruit outside help."
From the perspective of imperial interests, this is undoubtedly a brilliant move. If successful, the Heaven Dou Empire might truly gain a chance to breathe.
but...
Tang San couldn't help but recall Xu Hong's appreciative and sincere eyes, and the way he explained the principles of Soul Tool without reservation.
The old man genuinely valued his talent and wanted to take him on as his apprentice.
Is this sincerity being used to achieve political goals?
This clashed violently with his deeply held " Tang Sect principles"—repaying kindness and revenge, and prioritizing integrity.
In his previous life, he chose the most extreme way to rebel because he could not tolerate the hypocrisy and oppression of the inner sect of the Tang Sect.
In this life, must he be forced to play the role of a hypocritical opportunist for the sake of the so-called "greater good"?
"Teacher..." Tang San's voice was a little hoarse, "Is doing this... against morality?"
Yu Xiaogang frowned, his tone turning cold and hard again. "Morality? Xiao San, you're too naive! Between nations, there are only interests, not eternal morality! The Spirit Hall Empire has never given up its desire to destroy us. If we cling to these illusory things, we will only bring about our own destruction! Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles!"
He stared intently into Tang San's eyes. "This is an order, and also a responsibility that the empire must bear! Do you understand?"
Tang San looked into Yu Xiaogang's unwavering eyes and felt the heavy weight of responsibility pressing down on him. He thought of the Heaven Dou Empire's current predicament, the expectant gaze of Xue Ye, and the hope for the revival of the Clear Sky Sect...
Personal likes, dislikes, and principles seem truly insignificant in the face of so-called "national interests."
He slowly lowered his head, clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, and finally answered in an almost inaudible voice:
"... Disciple understands."
Moonlight Pavilion.
Xuan Ming and Tang Yuehua had just finished a somewhat heavy conversation. Tang Yuehua watched Xuan Ming's departing figure, her eyes filled with complex worries, but she ultimately said nothing more.
Just then, a familiar aura approached from afar. Xuan Ming paused, turned around, and saw Liu Erlong standing in the courtyard outside the Moonlight Pavilion, looking at him calmly.
She changed into a simple and neat outfit, and the haggardness and lifelessness on her face had faded considerably. Although there was still a trace of fatigue and hardship between her brows, her eyes had regained focus and were no longer empty.
"Is it all done?" Xuan Ming asked.
"Hmm." Liu Erlong nodded, his tone flat. "There's nothing to deal with. I didn't have many friends to begin with. I told Flender, and then went to see Yu Luomian, which was my last bit of obligation to my blood relatives. As for the others... my presence or absence makes no difference to them."
Her voice carried a detached indifference that seemed to have seen through the ways of the world, as well as a subtle hint of desolation.
Over the years, she has isolated herself for too long, almost cutting off all contact with the outside world.
You said you'd give me a place to stay, a future. But where is that place? And what is that future?
Xuan Ming looked at her, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he raised his hand to signal her to follow. The two walked side by side on the quiet, tree-lined path outside the Moonlight Pavilion.
"You have a few options; it depends on your preference," Xuan Ming said.
"First, Sea God Island. The environment there is nice, secluded from the world, and relatively peaceful. Bo Saixi and I are somewhat acquainted; if you go there, you won't need to go through any tests to stay. It's a change of scenery, a chance to live a quiet life."
Liu Erlong listened silently without expressing his opinion.
"Secondly, the Spirit Hall Empire," Xuan Ming continued, "But it's very busy and chaotic there right now. Bibi Dong is implementing various new policies, and everyone from top to bottom is extremely busy. There are also many internal conflicts. If you go there, you'll most likely get caught up in it, and given your personality, you might not be able to handle that kind of atmosphere."
Liu Erlong frowned slightly. She already had no good feelings towards the Spirit Hall Empire, let alone going there to "work".
"The last one is the Sun Moon Continent," Xuan Ming stated the third option. "A completely different world, far from here. No one there knows you, no one knows your past, you can start over completely. With your current Soul Douluo cultivation, you can protect yourself there and do whatever you want."
After saying that, he stopped and looked at Liu Erlong: "Three places, three ways of life. Choose one."
Liu Erlong fell silent. The peace of Sea God Island, the turmoil of the Spirit Hall Empire, the rebirth of the Sun Moon Continent... These three choices seemed to correspond to three completely different directions that her life might take.
Looking back on her life, she realized she had always lived for others, trapped in one place, wasting her life for a fleeting, unrealized relationship and a shattered fantasy.
Now, I finally have the opportunity to completely break free from the past.
After a long silence, she raised her head, a resolute glint in her eyes. " Sun Moon Continent."
Xuan Ming didn't seem surprised, and simply asked, "Have you thought it through? There are no acquaintances over there; you'll have to rely on yourself for everything."
Liu Erlong's lips curled into a smile that held a hint of wildness and relief, "Acquaintances? I'm already tired of places where acquaintances are. Relying on myself? I've lived half my life, do you think I'm afraid of that?"
"What, are you afraid I'll embarrass you if I go?"
Xuan Ming glanced at her. "Suit yourself. Just don't die out there and cause me trouble."
Liu Erlong was momentarily speechless at his words, but then she laughed. This was the same brat she knew who could drive anyone crazy with his sharp tongue.
When are you leaving?
"Anytime," Xuan Ming said.
I can take you there right now.
Liu Erlong was slightly taken aback, somewhat caught off guard. "Now?"
Before she could ask any further questions, Xuan Ming had already reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
The next instant, Liu Erlong felt the surrounding space suddenly distort and blur, and an indescribable feeling of weightlessness came over him, as if his entire soul had been ripped out of his body.
This experience was extremely brief, yet it felt as if it were an eternity.
When she could see her surroundings again, she realized she was no longer on the familiar tree-lined path outside the Moonlight Pavilion in Heaven Dou City.
She was suspended high in the air, with a magnificent, unimaginably huge city beneath her feet!
The city's architectural style is completely different from that of the Douluo Continent, making extensive use of metal and crystal materials. The towering towers emit various colors of energy light, and uniquely designed soul-guided vehicles shuttle through the streets. The entire city is filled with a sense of futurism and magnificent mechanical beauty.
What shocked her even more was that the elemental energy permeating the air was subtly different from that in the Douluo Continent; it seemed more active and leaned more towards a certain... energy quality?
"Where... where is this?" Liu Erlong stared wide-eyed at Xuan Ming beside her in disbelief.
" Sun Moon Continent, Sun Moon Imperial City," Xuan Ming said calmly.
Liu Erlong gasped.
Sun Moon Continent! She had indeed heard of this overseas land from Ning Rongrong and the others, and knew that it was extremely far from the Douluo Continent, so far that it would take several months to reach it by traveling on a specially made long-distance soul-guided giant ship!
But Xuan Ming... actually carried her across this endless sea in an instant?
What incredible power this is!
She already knew that Xuan Ming was very strong, incredibly strong, but this method of directly tearing through space and instantly traversing continents was completely beyond her understanding of "powerful"! This was simply... a miracle!
Chapter 436 A New Life
Xuan Ming ignored her shock, his gaze sweeping over the imperial city below, and continued, "The situation here is completely different from the Douluo Continent. Soul Tool are the cornerstone of society, and the Soul Master system is self-contained. With your Eight-Ring Soul Douluo cultivation, you're considered a powerful figure here. As long as you don't actively provoke top-tier forces, you'll be safe."
After saying that, he took Liu Erlong and flashed again, appearing directly inside a magnificent, heavily guarded palace.
The guards inside the palace were startled when they saw the two people suddenly appear. They then recognized Xuan Ming and immediately knelt down on one knee to pay their respects, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
Soon, the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, having received the news, rushed over, surrounded by his ministers and court Soul Master.
The emperor, a dignified middle-aged man, immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing Xuan Ming, his attitude extremely humble. "Your Majesty's arrival is a great honor! May I ask what Your Majesty's instructions are?"
Xuan Ming pointed to Liu Erlong, who was still somewhat dazed beside him, and said succinctly, "This is my friend, Liu Erlong. She's new to the Sun Moon Continent and unfamiliar with the place. Arrange a suitable place for her to stay and provide her with the necessary amenities so she can live here comfortably."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately turned his gaze to Liu Erlong, a warm and solemn smile spreading across his face, "So you are His Majesty's friend! Rest assured, Madam Liu, I will make all the arrangements perfectly! During your stay in our country, all your expenses will be covered by the Royal Family, and you will not experience any inconvenience whatsoever!"
He immediately ordered his chief eunuch to prepare the most luxurious palace accommodations for Liu Erlong, complete with servants and guards, and granted her a royal VIP token, granting her numerous privileges.
Looking at the scene before him, Liu Erlong felt as if he were dreaming.
The emperor of a continent was so respectful before Xuan Ming? And he, an "outsider," had instantly received the highest level of courtesy?
Seeing that things were mostly arranged, Xuan Ming said to Liu Erlong, "The basic arrangements are complete. You can decide what you want to do later. The rules here are different from those in the Douluo Continent, so adapt slowly."
He paused, looking at Liu Erlong's still somewhat dazed eyes, and finally said, "Live well. A new life has just begun."
"Don't die."
After speaking, Xuan Ming's figure rippled like water before disappearing completely without leaving any trace.
Liu Erlong stood there, feeling the completely unfamiliar surroundings, and looking at the respectful Sun Moon Emperor and his ministers before her, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Shock, bewilderment, a touch of unease, but more than anything, a sense of relief after breaking free from shackles and... a vague anticipation for the future.
She took a deep breath of the air, unique to the Sun Moon Continent and carrying a faint aura of energy, and clenched her fist.
Yes, a new life has begun. This time, she will live only for herself.
That brat Xuan Ming... although his mouth is still as sharp as ever, this time, he really gave her a chance to be reborn.
Six months later, in Spirit City.
Xuan Ming stood atop the highest point of the Pope's Palace, overlooking the city that had been completely transformed. Two years had passed, and his Fifth Trial, " Reshaping Order," was still underway, while Bibi Dong's Eighth Trial Asura God was nearing its end.
Poseidon's divine sense recently sent a message— Bo Saixi is making her final push for the Sea God Inheritance and will be unreachable during this period.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue has completed the Eighth Trial of the Angel and is about to begin the final Ninth Trial.
With Bibi Dong's iron-fisted approach and the support of Xuan Ming's Soul Tool technology, the reforms of the Spirit Hall Empire in recent years have begun to get on the right track.
However, a core problem remains unresolved: the long-term storage of Soul Ring.
Xuan Ming has successfully mastered the technique of forcibly stripping away Soul Ring, but the stripped Soul Ring are extremely unstable and will quickly dissipate.
Even the top-tier storage Soul Tool from the Sun Moon Empire, with their current Soul Tool technology, cannot preserve Soul Ring for extended periods, let alone safely store Soul Ring stripped from others for later use.
The key to solving this problem lies in a higher level of power— Divine Power, or the Power of Faith.
Both of these forces possess the characteristics of stable rules and endowing "existence" with "concepts," which are fundamental to maintaining the form of the Soul Ring.
Bibi Dong was busy with her own God's Trial. The Asura Divine Power and the Rakshasa Divine Power were inherently inclined towards Destruction and chaos, which were extremely incompatible with the storage requirements that needed "stability" and "order". Moreover, she seemed to be intentionally pushing this matter onto Qian Renxue.
Xuan Ming was speechless.
He could roughly guess Bibi Dong's thoughts. She simply wanted to find an important position for Qian Renxue in the affairs of the Spirit Hall Empire, so that she would have something to care about and something to do. Perhaps she wanted to ease the almost irreconcilable relationship between her and her daughter, as well as between Qian Renxue and him.
"Why bother..." Xuan Ming sighed inwardly.
He had already spoken frankly with Qian Renxue; their positions were opposed, their ideologies clashed, and the seeds of hatred had long been sown.
For her, hating him and having a clear goal to pursue and surpass might not be a bad thing.
It's better than leaving her feeling lost and confused.
Of course, Qian Renxue is unlikely to be complacent; she will never give up her struggle for "ownership" of the Spirit Hall Empire.
But in Xuan Ming's view, the Spirit Hall Empire of today is completely different from the Spirit Hall of the past.
In the past, the Spirit Hall was centered on a powerful army of Soul Master and a monopoly on faith.
Now, the Soul Master Legion's advantage has been greatly diminished in the face of Xuan Ming's absolute military strength and Soul Tool technology.
The empire's system, ideology, and development direction were overturned by Bibi Dong and him, with a greater emphasis on people's livelihood, technology dissemination, and order reconstruction. It bears almost no resemblance to the Spirit Hall of the past, which was aloof and privileged.
If we must call it inheritance, it's only in name.
The actual Spirit Hall Empire is more like a completely new product jointly created by Bibi Dong and him. Half of it is Bibi Dong's iron-fisted rule and reform will, and the other half is the Soul Tool technology and forward-thinking ideas she brought.
What did the Six-Winged Angel Clan contribute, besides a symbolic "holy" title?
Like the old nobles of the two great empires, they clung to the glory of the past and were out of step with the new direction of the empires.
How can someone like Qian Renxue, born into privilege and solely focused on her family's honor and personal ambitions, be expected to understand and participate in managing such a complex and entirely new empire?
Xuan Ming had serious doubts about this.
Can she understand the needs of the underprivileged? Can she empathize with ordinary people struggling to survive?
What she probably sees is only power and the glory that belongs to " Angel ".
But Bibi Dong insisted on this, and Xuan Ming had no choice but to accept it.
At least, finding Qian Renxue some proper work might reduce her troubles, although he didn't have high hopes for it.
With a heavy heart and no expectations, Xuan Ming returned to the Worship Hall after many years.
The palace was still heavily guarded, with several veteran elders of the Spirit Hall standing like statues. When they saw Xuan Ming's figure, although a trace of fear flashed in their eyes, they still gritted their teeth and stood in front of the palace gate, trying to maintain their last bit of dignity.
Xuan Ming didn't even bother to look at them this time. With a slight movement of his Divine Consciousness, an extremely cold aura instantly spread, freezing the several elders and the space around them into crystal-clear ice sculptures, without even a trace of Soul Power fluctuation.
He sensed that Qian Daoliu's powerful and sacred aura was not inside the hall, which meant that the final ritual of the Angel Inheritance had likely already begun.