The Imperial Moon Seal was a symbol of the Moon Lineage of the Sun-Moon Empire—an artifact that could only be held by the reigning emperor born of the Moon bloodline.
To understand its significance, one must first understand the structure of the Sun-Moon imperial family. As previously mentioned, the royal bloodline had three ancestral martial souls: Sun, Moon, and Purple Radiant Annihilation Dragon. Accordingly, the imperial family was divided into three branches: the Sun Lineage, the Moon Lineage, and the Dragon Lineage.
Their origins were as legendary as they were intriguing.
The Purple Radiant Annihilation Dragon martial soul came from the Sun-Moon Empire's founding emperor, the legendary Xu Zihuang, also known as the Purple Radiant Emperor. He rose from obscurity to unite nearly a hundred warring nations on the Sun-Moon Continent—a force of nature blessed by the heavens.
The Sun and Moon martial souls, however, came from his two empresses—yes, two—later honored as the Golden Sun Empress and the Silver Moon Empress. Both were powerful in their own right and played crucial roles in Xu Zihuang's rise. Each bore him a son, one inheriting the Sun martial soul, the other the Moon. These sons would go on to become the Golden Sun Emperor and the Silver Moon Emperor, founding ancestors of the Sun and Moon bloodlines.
Neither son inherited the Purple Dragon martial soul, so Xu Zihuang turned his eyes to his grandchildren. Of the seven grandchildren born to his sons, only one possessed the Purple Radiant Annihilation Dragon martial soul. That child—his granddaughter—was named his heir and became the fourth emperor of the Sun-Moon Empire: the first empress regnant in the empire's history, and the founder of the Dragon Lineage.
Thus, the imperial family was divided: the Dragon Lineage—smallest in number but most often occupying the throne—and the Sun and Moon Lineages, whose members had comparable numbers and prestige.
For nearly ten thousand years, the empire followed a succession system known as the "Zihuang First, Sun and Moon Second" principle. It worked—until about five centuries ago.
The Purple Dragon martial soul had become exceedingly rare. The Dragon Lineage withered. No new children of the Sun or Moon Lineages awakened the Purple Dragon martial soul. Thus, the throne began rotating between the Sun and Moon Lineages.
Until a certain man appeared.
Roughly 150 years ago, the current emperor's great-grandfather—head of the Sun Lineage at the time—launched a palace coup. He murdered his cousin, the then-emperor and head of the Moon Lineage, and usurped the throne. What followed was a brutal purge that nearly exterminated the Moon Lineage.
After ten thousand years of intermarriage, the blood ties between the Sun and Moon Lineages had grown thin. With the Purple Dragon martial soul absent, no bond remained between them. Thus, the Sun Lineage slaughtered their kin without remorse.
This bloody event became known as the Moon-Eater Palace Coup.
After the coup, the Sun Lineage seized all power, wealth, and prestige formerly held by the Moon and Dragon branches. Nobles who supported the Moon or Dragon Lineages were persecuted. Many fled, adopting false names and hiding in foreign lands.
Zhang Lexuan's family was likely one of those refugee lines descended from the Moon branch.
And the Imperial Moon Seal, symbol of the Moon Lineage's royal authority, vanished during that coup.
Zhu Ziyang never imagined he'd stumble upon it—right here, at an auction in Shrek City. Was this coincidence… or intentional?
Though puzzled, he didn't hesitate to purchase the seal. He wasn't concerned with how it had resurfaced. Because at this moment, he was laying the groundwork for a plan that could reshape the entire continent.
To him, unification of the continent was inevitable—a historical trend that should've occurred ten thousand years ago but failed due to forces beyond mortal control. Now, the trend was rising once more.
And within this grand scheme, only the Sun-Moon Empire had the strength to unite the continent. The ruling powers of the Three Douluo Kingdoms were weak and corrupt—no match for the Sun-Moon military.
But if the Sun-Moon Empire united the continent by force, it would threaten the interests of Shrek Academy and Zhu Ziyang himself.
So how could he ensure both progress and protection?
Simple. Put someone loyal on the Sun-Moon Empire's throne.
Zhu Ziyang's goal: crown Zhang Lexuan, bearer of the Moon martial soul, as Empress of the Sun-Moon Empire.
This way, he could use Zhang Lexuan to guide the empire's unification, eliminate outdated power structures during the process, and soothe public resistance by emphasizing her connection to Shrek Academy—turning her into a symbol of harmony between the empire and the people.
A perfect outcome: Zhu Ziyang wins, Shrek Academy wins, the common people rejoice, and only the old aristocracy suffers.
The more he thought about it, the brighter the future seemed.
Of course, this plan was still in its early stages. To make it reality, he'd need Mu En's support, Zhang Lexuan's consent, and the approval of surviving Moon Lineage descendants hidden across the continent.
But there was no rush.
Zhu Ziyang had time—plenty of time—to polish and execute this plan. And the Imperial Moon Seal would be a vital piece of that puzzle.
The auction continued. After the seal, the seventh item was quickly sold, followed by the final lot of the night—the highlight of the event.
Beside Luo Shuiyun, a sealed glass display rose. On the massive screens above, item details appeared. The atmosphere in every private booth became tense. Some guests even stepped forward, revealing their identities in a silent show of dominance.
There was no doubt: this was a 100,000-year soul bone.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Luo Shuiyun said with a smile, "our final item tonight needs no introduction. As you can see, this is a 100,000-year soul bone, right arm location, obtained from a Groundfire Dragon Lizard King that had just survived its heavenly tribulation. This soul bone has been named: Right Arm Bone of the Groundfire King! I don't need to explain the value of a 100,000-year soul bone, so let's begin!"
"Starting bid: 50 million gold soul coins. Minimum raise: 1 million. Bidding starts now!"
Immediately, prices flew. Within moments, the bone's price soared to 80 million, and was closing in on 100 million.
Zhu Ziyang turned to Ma Xiaotao. "Sister Xiaotao, aren't you tempted?"
"Of course I'm tempted," she groaned. "I mean, who wouldn't want a 100,000-year soul bone? But… I already have a right arm bone. Even if I win it, I can't absorb it!"
"Oh… right." Zhu Ziyang blinked. That made sense. As Yan Shaozhe's disciple, Ma Xiaotao having soul bones was expected. Still, it was a shame—this Groundfire bone would've been perfect for her.
With no need for the item, they sat back and simply watched the auction. Each bid was a shock to Zhu Ziyang's view of money. The final price climbed to 150 million, beyond the reach of most guests. The auction ended soon after.
Back in their private booth, Zhu Ziyang and Ma Xiaotao awaited delivery of the Imperial Moon Seal. When it arrived, Zhu Ziyang took the square seal and quietly stored it in his Starflame Ring.
Until his plan unfolded, it was just a fancy stone.
He reached for his payment pouch—only to be stopped by the attendant.
"Sir, your payment has already been covered."
Both Zhu Ziyang and Ma Xiaotao froze. Then, Luo Shuiyun walked in with a cheerful smile.
"Junior Brother Ziyang, Junior Sister Xiaotao, thank you both so much for tonight—you really helped me out!"
"Senior Sister Luo?" they both said, surprised, but quickly understood.
Zhu Ziyang had prevented the seal from becoming a failed auction, saving her reputation and record. For a top-tier auctioneer, a failed item was a serious blemish.
That she'd pay for it herself made perfect sense—especially for someone of Zhu Ziyang's status.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "Status really does make a difference. I don't even need to bring money anymore."
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