Chapter 435: Consorting with a Tiger?
Western region of the Sun Moon Empire, Black Rock Mine.
Night was pitch black, and the sea breeze blew from the distant Black Rock coast, mixed with the salty, fishy smell and the dust of Ore.
This place was cold and damp all year round, and the sky always seemed to be pressed with a layer of unwashable gray.
The distant waves lashed against the reefs, making a dull roar; in the nearby mine, the spirit tool furnace was still running quietly, and the light blue steam rose slowly along the metal pipes, dispersing into clusters of hazy white fog in the night.
Deep inside the Black Rock Workshop, there was a secret room sealed by a triple spirit tool barrier.
The four walls of the secret room were all cast from black-grained fine iron, and the walls were engraved with complex spirit tool array patterns, embedded with light blue Soul Power crystals between the array patterns.
Every ten breaths, a light arc would light up on the wall, sweeping across the metal treatment table in the center of the room.
On the treatment table, Tang San lay quietly.
His black robe had been cut open, revealing a body full of scars.
At his chest, the three black-gold claw marks left by Di Tian's Dragon God Claw were still shocking, and fine thunder light kept beating at the edges of the wound, like some extremely ancient power of destruction still nailed in his flesh and blood.
On his back, the golden burn marks left by Qian Renxue's Sun True Fire had not yet completely extinguished. Whenever the Rakshasa Death Qi tried to repair the wound, the golden fire line would suddenly light up, burning away that evil Qi again.
And inside his Meridians, there was still the blue-gold suppression force left by the Sea God Trident.
That force was as heavy as the sea, making every cycle of his Soul Power feel like being crushed by tens of thousands of acres of seawater, hurting him almost to the point of fainting.
The Soul Engineers of the Sun Moon Empire gathered around the treatment table, their faces uglier than the other.
It was not that they had never seen heavily injured people; the Black Rock Mine tested military spirit tools all year round, and it was not uncommon to see Soul Masters with blown-off limbs, rebellious Soul Power, and mental trauma.
But they had never seen injuries like Tang San's.
On a single person, there simultaneously existed three completely different, yet unimaginably high levels of residual power.
Yet, inside Tang San's body, there was also an extremely cold and evil purple-black Soul Power, forcibly supporting his life.
The Senior Soul Master stood in front of the treatment table, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
He had already used the highest-grade healing spirit tool of the Black Rock Workshop, but the effect was still limited.
The spirit tool healing light beam fell on Tang San's body, only repairing the outermost skin and flesh; going slightly deeper would shatter it by those three residual forces.
A physician nearby whispered:
"Your Highness, this person's body should no longer be alive. Over seventy percent of his Meridians are broken, his internal organs are damaged, and his sea of consciousness is almost torn apart."
"If it were an ordinary Soul Master, he probably would have died ten times over."
Xu Jingyuan stood on the outer layer of the treatment room, looking at Tang San through a light blue spirit tool barrier.
His expression did not change much, but his eyes grew deeper and deeper.
"He shouldn't be alive, yet he's still alive."
"This shows that he is more valuable than ordinary Soul Masters."
The Senior Soul Master said in a deep voice:
"Your Highness, the purple-black Soul Power in his body is extremely dangerous. Just now we tried to suppress it with the purification spirit tool array, and as a result, the spirit tool shattered on the spot."
"This old subject suspects that this force is likely not ordinary Soul Power."
Xu Jingyuan asked:
"If it's not Soul Power, then what is it?"
The Senior Soul Master was silent for a moment before saying:
"It's like... a kind of evil divine force."
Inside the secret room, several Soul Engineers changed their expressions at the same time.
divine force.
These two words were equally not unfamiliar in the Sun Moon Empire.
However, to most Soul Engineers, gods were merely vague records in ancient classics. The Sun Moon Empire believed more in spirit tools, metals, magic arrays, cores, and reproducible power systems.
But the aura on the heavily injured man before them made them have to admit that some powers had indeed exceeded the scope that spirit tools could explain.
Xu Jingyuan slowly narrowed his eyes.
"divine force..."
He looked at the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe beside Tang San that was sealed by dozens of spirit tool chains. That scythe was floating quietly at the moment. Although its light was dim, no spirit tool could truly suppress it.
Those chains, rather than sealing it, were probing it.
As long as the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe was willing, it could cut open these spirit tool chains at any time.
It was just that now, it seemed to be injured as well, which was why it was temporarily dormant.
Xu Jingyuan looked at Tang San, and the conviction in his heart grew stronger.
This person was an opportunity.
An opportunity sufficient to change his destiny.
"Continue healing."
Xu Jingyuan spoke.
The Senior Soul Master hesitated and said:
"Your Highness, if we continue to invest in high-tier healing spirit tools, the consumption will be huge. The western ordnance testing ground already lacks resources. If the imperial capital finds out that we are using a large amount of resources on a person of unknown origin..."
Xu Jingyuan gave him a cold look.
"The imperial capital?"
"When has the imperial capital ever cared whether my resources here were enough? Didn't they throw me into this damn place just to let me slowly rot to death in the western region?"
The Senior Soul Master immediately lowered his head.
"This old subject misspoke."
Xu Jingyuan's voice turned a bit colder.
"Heal."
"I want him alive."
"Even if only a breath remains, you must pull him back from the gates of hell."
Several Soul Engineers looked at each other and ultimately had no choice but to continue activating the healing spirit tool array.
The light blue pillar of light fell once more.
The Soul Power conduits on both sides of the metal treatment table began to operate, and healing crystals were quickly drained of their Soul Power, turning into a soft mist of light that covered Tang San's entire body.
This time, Tang San finally reacted.
His fingers moved slightly.
The next moment, those bloodshot eyes slowly opened.
The temperature inside the secret room instantly dropped by a few degrees.
Several Soul Engineers instinctively stepped back.
Even though Tang San was currently heavily injured and on the verge of death, when he opened his eyes, the coldness and malice emanating from the depths of his eyes still made them feel a pang of palpitation.
Tang San did not get up immediately.
He merely rolled his eyes, scanning his surroundings.
Metal walls.
spirit tool array.
Sealing barrier.
spirit tool muzzle.
And Xu Jingyuan standing outside the barrier.
Tang San's consciousness gradually cleared up.
He was still alive.
Moreover, this place was no longer the Douluo Continent.
Tang San felt the extremely terrible injuries inside his body, and a strong hatred flashed in his eyes. If the Rakshasa God had not made a move, he would have already died.
But precisely because he didn't die, this hatred would ferment even more frantically.
Tang San slowly opened his mouth, his voice as hoarse as grinding sandstone.
"Did you save me?"
Xu Jingyuan raised his hand, signaling the Soul Engineers to quiet down.
Afterward, he walked closer a few steps and looked at Tang San through the spirit tool barrier.
"Consider it so."
Tang San said coldly:
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
Xu Jingyuan said indifferently:
"Afraid."
"But I'm even more afraid of being trapped in this place for the rest of my life."
Tang San looked at him.
This answer made his heart move slightly.
He was best at reading people.
Especially when looking at those who held resentment, hatred, and unwillingness in their hearts. The prince of the Sun Moon Empire before him appeared calm on the surface, but deep in his eyes, he suppressed a very deep anger and ambition.
Such a person was the easiest to utilize because he had desires.
Tang San did not rush to expose his trump cards; he merely asked:
"What is your name?"
"Xu Jingyuan."
"Identity?"
"The Third Prince of the Sun Moon Empire."
A strange glint flashed in Tang San's eyes.
Prince.
Very good.
More valuable than he had expected.
A fallen prince with workshops, an army, and an ordnance testing ground in his hands.
For the current Tang San, this was simply a stepping stone delivered to his doorstep.
Tang San's gaze swept across the surrounding spirit tools.
These things were completely different from the spirit tools of the Douluo Continent.
More precise, more mature, and more systematic.
If he could control this power...
A thought suddenly rose in Tang San's heart.
Not only did he want to recover his injuries.
He also wanted to use the spirit tools of the Sun Moon Empire to kill his way back to the Douluo Continent.
At that time, Tang Chuan, Qian Renxue, and Di Tian would all pay the price for today's events.
Tang San slowly said:
"You saved me not just out of kindness."
Xu Jingyuan did not deny it.
"Of course I have a purpose."
The corners of Tang San's mouth pulled into a sneer.
"Let's hear it."
Xu Jingyuan looked at him without answering immediately.
The spirit tool lights in the secret room flickered slightly, and the light blue brilliance reflected on his face, making his expression appear exceptionally gloomy.
After a moment, he said:
"Since you are not a person of the Sun Moon Empire, you probably don't know my situation."
"I am the Third Prince."
"But in the eyes of the Emperor, I have never been a qualified heir. My Martial Soul talent is inferior to the First Prince, my Soul Engineer talent is inferior to the Second Prince, and my maternal family's influence is also inferior to theirs."
"When I was young, I could still manage to gain a foothold in the imperial capital relying on some cleverness, but later, the battle for the imperial succession became increasingly fierce. My maternal family was suppressed step by step by them, and the people around me either died or scattered."
"In the end, a so-called ordnance error case completely drove me out of the imperial capital."
When Xu Jingyuan spoke up to this point, his eyes turned sarcastic.
"The Emperor did not kill me."
"He just demoted me to the western region. Nominally, it was to have me supervise the Black Rock Mine and the ordnance testing ground, and train western Soul Engineers for the Empire."
"But what about in reality? This place is far from the imperial capital, storms are endless, resources are scarce, and the officials are all spies planted by others."
"Those brothers of mine in the imperial capital still send people every once in a while to audit accounts, pick faults, and cut supplies. They are not letting me make contributions; they want to grind me to death here bit by bit."
When he spoke to the end, his voice had already been pressed very low.
But precisely because it was low, it appeared even more venomous.
"Tell me, if a place like this isn't a godforsaken place, what is it?"
Inside the secret room, several trusted Soul Engineers all lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
These words, Xu Jingyuan would ordinarily never easily speak aloud.
But he said them today.
Because he knew that the man before him was likewise no saint.
And cooperating with an evildoer sometimes didn't require disguising oneself too cleanly.
Tang San listened quietly without a shred of sympathy on his face.
Sympathy?
He had long since lost that kind of thing.
He merely confirmed one thing: Xu Jingyuan indeed needed him, and what he sought was not small.
Tang San slowly said:
"You want to return to the imperial capital."
Xu Jingyuan said:
"More than that."
A gloomy light flashed in Tang San's eyes.
"You want to be the Emperor."
The atmosphere inside the secret room instantly froze.
The expressions of the Senior Soul Master and the middle-aged military officer both changed.
Words like these, even in private, were enough to warrant decapitation.
Yet Xu Jingyuan did not deny it.
He looked at Tang San and slowly said:
"Yes."
"I want to ascend the imperial throne."
"I want to make those who look down on me kneel before me. I want the Emperor to see with his own eyes that the son he values the least is the one who should most sit in that position."
Hearing this, Tang San suddenly smiled.
He smiled very lightly, yet it added a bit of chill to the entire secret room.
"Very good."
"As long as there is ambition, there is still hope."
Xu Jingyuan narrowed his eyes.
"Can you help me?"
Tang San did not answer immediately; instead, he laboriously raised his hand.
The Rakshasa Demonic Scythe beside the treatment table shook slightly, and all the spirit tool chains instantly tightened. The expressions of several Soul Engineers changed drastically, and they immediately prepared to activate the sealing array.
But Tang San only had the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe release a wisp of extremely faint purple-black aura.
That aura landed on the corpse of an experimental Soul Beast nearby.
The next moment, the dead Soul Beast corpse suddenly moved.
It stiffly raised its head, and grayish-white Soul fire ignited in its hollow eye sockets.
Several Soul Engineers were so frightened that they stepped back.
"It came back to life?!"
"The corpse moved!"
"What kind of evil art is this?"
Xu Jingyuan's pupils shrank abruptly.
He stared fixedly at the re-risen Soul Beast corpse, his breathing growing a bit heavier.
The spirit tools of the Sun Moon Empire could create Puppets and remotely control combat mechanisms, but making truly dead corpses stand up again—such a method, he had never seen before.
Tang San sneered:
"This is only the most rudimentary method."
"As long as you give me enough Souls, corpses, and resources, I can help you create an undead legion that is not afraid of death, not afraid of pain, and never tires."
"Your brothers have a Soul Engineer legion, then you will possess an undead Soul Engineer legion."
Xu Jingyuan's eyes flickered violently.
Undead legion.
Not afraid of death, not afraid of pain, never tiring.
If this power could really be combined with the Sun Moon Empire spirit tools...
What kind of army would that be?
An undead army wearing spirit tool armor, carrying Soul Guidance Cannons, and unafraid of death.
Just thinking about it made Xu Jingyuan's heartbeat involuntarily quicken.
But he was not overwhelmed by it; instead, he looked at Tang San and asked:
"Why are you helping me?"
Tang San said coldly:
"I need you too."
Xu Jingyuan was not surprised.
"What do you need?"
Tang San's voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally clear.
"Souls."
The temperature inside the secret room instantly turned cold.
Xu Jingyuan's eyes also sank.
"Souls?"
Tang San said indifferently:
"Death row inmates, prisoners of war, rebels, your enemies."
"Anyone you don't need to stay alive can be handed over to me."
"I will turn them into your strength."
The Senior Soul Master turned pale.
The middle-aged military officer also subconsciously gripped the Soul Guidance Cannon at his waist.
This was no longer ordinary cooperation; this was completely trading with a demon.
Xu Jingyuan stared at Tang San, not speaking for a long time.
Tang San was not in a rush either.
He knew Xu Jingyuan would agree.
Because he saw desire in the other party's eyes.
How could a prince who was looked down upon by his father, squeezed out by his brothers, and exiled to the border refuse a path leading to the imperial throne?
Even if this path was paved with corpses.
After a moment, Xu Jingyuan slowly spoke:
"If I give you these, can you guarantee that I will ascend the imperial throne?"
Tang San looked at him, the gloomy green flames in his eyes beating slightly.
"I can help you kill everyone in your way."
"As for the imperial throne, you will sit on it yourself."
Xu Jingyuan smiled.
"This is more substantive than empty guarantees."
Tang San continued:
"However, I also have one final condition."
Xu Jingyuan asked:
"What is it?"
Tang San said word by word:
"When I recover my strength, you must help me build an expeditionary force."
"Target, the Douluo Continent on the other side of the sea."
Xu Jingyuan's pupils shrank sharply, his face showing disbelief:
"What did you say? On the other side of the sea, there is another continent?"
(End of Chapter)