When it came to the years of war between the Dou Ling Empire and the Xing Luo Empire, the person who had been the most anxious and fearful was none other than the Emperor of the Tian Hun Empire.
Watching the war between the two empires grow more and more intense, the Tian Hun Emperor's heart was in constant turmoil. He nearly wanted to rush out into the rain and shout, "Stop fighting already!"
If they kept fighting like this, the Sun and Moon Empire would march right in!
The useless Shrek Academy had already fallen. If the Dou Ling Empire and the Xing Luo Empire continued to fight to the death, this continent might as well change its name to the "Sun and Moon Continent." Fortunately, the Dou Ling Empire was still somewhat rational (though weak and poor), and the Xing Luo Empire was still somewhat restrained. Otherwise, the Tian Hun Emperor might have already been making plans to run away before things got worse.
No matter how much he despised soul tools, the truth remained — even if the three empires joined forces, they couldn't defeat the Sun and Moon Empire!
On the other side of the continent, Xu Tianran's emotions were far more complicated.
The old emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire was nearing death. Recently, he had become so weak that he couldn't even get out of bed. All state affairs had been handed over to Xu Tianran. Half by persuasion and half by pressure, Xu Tianran had forced the old emperor to appoint him as the Regent Prince.
The old emperor knew well that his son's ambitions were vast — Xu Tianran wanted to lead the Sun and Moon Empire to unprecedented heights.
But the old man himself had always been a cautious ruler, and with his days numbered, he just wanted a peaceful end. He sought not a glorious legacy — only a virtuous one.
It was precisely this mentality that made Xu Tianran describe him as: "Adequate for preserving the realm, but lacking the courage to advance."
If not for the fact that Xu Tianran had already, directly and indirectly, eliminated too many royal family members in his struggle for the throne — and if not for his disability weakening his position — he might have already "sent off" the old emperor himself and seized the throne outright.
Waiting was simply too frustrating!
Especially during the time when the Dou Ling and Xing Luo Empires were at war — if he had been in power back then, Xu Tianran would have already used that chaos to annihilate all three remaining empires.
If the Tian Hun Emperor rejoiced upon hearing that Dou Ling and Xing Luo had declared a ceasefire, then Xu Tianran's reaction could only be described as deep regret.
It was because of that regret and dissatisfaction that he pressured the old emperor to give him control and allowed himself to finally become Regent.
But what Xu Tianran regretted most was his alliance with the Holy Spirit Cult.
That alliance hadn't been formed overnight — he had begun contacting the evil soul master organization in secret years ago, hoping to use their strength to suppress Shrek Academy.
Four thousand years ago, during the Holy War, the Sun and Moon Empire had been defeated precisely because of Shrek Academy's interference, and had been suppressed ever since.
Xu Tianran refused to let that happen again.
The Holy Spirit Cult's power was formidable — strong enough to confront Shrek directly. If they could occupy Shrek Academy, then the Sun and Moon Empire's armies could sweep across the rest of the continent unhindered.
What he didn't expect, however, was how utterly useless Shrek Academy turned out to be.
Before the Holy Spirit Cult could even make a move, Shrek Academy had already collapsed on its own!
If Jing Hongchen could find out about it, then so could Xu Tianran. When he learned that Shrek Academy had all but vanished, his feelings were indescribable.
If I'd known Shrek was this weak, he thought bitterly, why in the world did I bother allying with those evil soul masters?
And the fall of Shrek served as a warning to him as well. Once word got out that he had cooperated with evil soul masters, his reputation would become filthier than a sewer rat's.
Even the once-venerated Shrek Academy was condemned by the entire continent after being linked to evil soul masters. If Xu Tianran's partnership with the Holy Spirit Cult were exposed, the backlash would be even worse.
In that case, not only would his dream of unifying the Douluo Continent vanish — he might even lose his throne!
"Holy Spirit Cult…" Xu Tianran narrowed his eyes. His first thought was to completely sever ties with them.
The Cult's power was indeed formidable — they could carry out the dirty work he couldn't do publicly, and they could serve as a weapon against the three empires' strongest cultivators.
But at the same time, evil soul masters were never easy to control. Trying to use them could just as easily lead to being used — or even destroyed.
Now that Shrek Academy had fallen, and the three Douluo Empires were like autumn locusts soon to die, the Cult's usefulness had diminished greatly. Rather than risk being betrayed, it would be wiser to destroy them first.
Doing so would not only remove a hidden threat but also give him the perfect opportunity to use the continent's outrage against Shrek Academy to glorify the Sun and Moon Empire's name.
At that time…
"Shrek Academy, colluding with the Holy Spirit Cult, sheltering corruption, while the three empires turned a blind eye — their destruction was inevitable! And the Sun and Moon Empire, purging evil soul masters in the name of justice, is destined by Heaven to unify the continent!"
A cold, sinister laugh echoed through the room. Xu Tianran's lips curved into a crooked smile — like a Nike swoosh — as he began planning how to eliminate the Holy Spirit Cult.
But this plan couldn't be rushed. He needed to fan the flames a little more, make Shrek and the Cult's reputations even filthier. Only then could the Sun and Moon Empire rise with the greatest possible glory.
And as for his own brief alliance with the Holy Spirit Cult? He could easily explain that away as a noble act of enduring humiliation to infiltrate and expose the enemy.
Completely spotless.
"Juzi," Xu Tianran suddenly said.
"Yes, Your Highness," replied Juzi respectfully, standing behind his wheelchair as always.
She was the one person Xu Tianran trusted most. Or rather — after losing his ability to walk, Xu Tianran had stopped trusting anyone. Juzi was the only one left who he could trust even slightly.
Thus, she served him personally. When he became Regent, Juzi's own title changed from Crown Princess to Princess Consort of the Regent.
Juzi could never fully guess what Xu Tianran was thinking. Since his mutilation, his mind had grown twisted, far beyond what a normal person could predict. So when he laughed coldly like that, she simply suppressed her unease — she was used to it by now.
He laughed for no reason all the time.
Madman… she thought bitterly. If it weren't for my need to use your power for revenge, I'd slap you into the wall so hard they'd need a shovel to scrape you off.
"Send a message," Xu Tianran said slowly, his tone calm but laced with intent. "The 'Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament' to be held in Mingdu three years from now will be renamed the 'Continental Youth Soul Master Tournament.'"
He paused, his cold smile deepening.
"In addition to the academies, sects may also participate…"
"Let me…" he said with a low, menacing chuckle, "…add a little spice for them."
End of Chapter)
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