Despite his shock, Poison Immortal's mind was clear.
The conditions proposed by Xu Tianhao were already the greatest concessions the Sun Moon Empire could offer.
There was no need for the Body Sect to fight on the battlefield for the Sun Moon Empire, no need to betray the Heavenly Soul Empire; they only needed to remain neutral and close their doors.
The Body Sect would gain Xu Tianhao, the once-in-a-millennium, flawless Body Seed successor, and would be able to preserve the Sect's foundation and heritage.
No matter how one looked at it, this deal was a guaranteed win for the Body Sect.
Yet even so, there was still a hint of hesitation in Poison Immortal's heart.
It wasn't that he failed to see the situation clearly, nor that he didn't understand the stakes; it was just that a lingering attachment to his homeland remained.
If the Heavenly Soul Empire were truly destined to fall under the rule of the Sun Moon Empire in the future, it wouldn't matter if his Body Sect remained on their native soil, neither migrating nor moving.
After all, tracing it back to the source, the Heavenly Soul Empire originally split from the ancient Heaven Dou Empire; it was not a legitimate Empire with an orderly succession.
If one were to look into it carefully, the Heavenly Soul Empire itself was a regime established through treason and was not irreplaceable.
But the problem was that the Sun Moon Empire was not a native force of the original Douluo Continent, but rather outsiders from the Sun Moon Continent.
Asking the Body Sect, which had taken root in the Douluo Continent, to choose to attach itself to the Sun Moon Empire and stand on their side now.
In Poison Immortal's heart, there was still some unavoidable resistance and awkwardness.
Xu Tianhao had a keen mind and had long since clearly guessed the knot in Poison Immortal's heart.
He knew of the concerns and obsessions in Poison Immortal's heart, so he did not urge him.
He simply stood quietly in place, picked up the milk tea to the side, and took another light sip, giving Poison Immortal plenty of time to think and make his choice, full of patience, neither anxious nor impatient.
The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling of the burning candle flames sounding softly; the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen remained silent, merely looking at Poison Immortal with calm gazes, waiting for his final decision.
After hesitating for a long while—a full half-stick of incense time passed—Poison Immortal's tightly locked brows finally slowly relaxed. The entanglement and resistance in his heart completely dissipated, replaced by relief and determination.
He took a deep breath, looked up at Xu Tianhao, and said in a heavy but incredibly serious tone: "Sixth Highness's sincerity and courage, this old man is convinced."
"I can agree to all the demands proposed by the Sixth Highness; the Body Sect is willing to remain neutral, support the great cause of the Sun Moon Empire, and welcome the Sixth Highness into our Sect."
"But before that, this old man has one more presumptuous request, and I hope the Sixth Highness can agree."
Upon hearing this, Xu Tianhao revealed a gentle smile, gestured, and said in a frank tone: "Sect Master Du, please speak freely. As long as it is something I, Xu Tianhao, can do, and as long as it does not violate the core interests of the Sun Moon Empire, I will consider it."
Poison Immortal's gaze was solemn, and his tone carried a hint of earnestness as he slowly said: "The current Third Princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire, Vina, has exceptional talent. After awakening her Spirit at the age of six, she joined my Body Sect and became a core disciple of the Body Sect."
"She has been cultivating diligently within the Sect all these years and possesses innate talent; she is one of the most outstanding juniors of our Body Sect's younger generation, and also a disciple I value highly."
"If there truly comes a day in the future when the continent is unified and the Sun Moon Empire rules the world, I hope the Sixth Highness can show mercy, spare Princess Vina, and ensure her safety for a lifetime."
Speaking of which, Poison Immortal paused slightly, his tone becoming even more sincere: "This old man is not asking to protect the entire Heavenly Soul royal family. If you cut the grass without removing the roots, the spring breeze will make it grow again—this principle, having spent a hundred years on the continent, I naturally understand."
"If the Heavenly Soul royal family resists stubbornly, the Sun Moon Empire will naturally deal with them, and this old man will absolutely not interfere."
"But Vina joined the Sect when she was young and has deep affection for my Body Sect. I must ensure her safety; this is my only request."
Upon hearing this, Xu Tianhao just smiled indifferently. His smile was confident and composed, his tone casual, yet it carried unparalleled confidence: "That is natural. It is merely ensuring the safety of one person; to me, it is a small effort."
"I have the confidence and the strength to ensure Princess Vina lives a life without worry when the day of unification arrives. Sect Master Du, you can rest assured."
Seeing Xu Tianhao so spirited and his promise so crisp and clean without the slightest evasion, the last trace of concern in Poison Immortal's heart completely vanished.
He immediately stood up, walked to Xu Tianhao, and bowed deeply to this seven-year-old child.
Poison Immortal's movements were respectful and solemn, his voice deep and firm: "Since that is the case, I, on behalf of the entire Body Sect, am willing to reach a cooperation with the Sun Moon Empire and welcome the Sixth Highness into our Body Sect."
"In this life, the Body Sect will strictly adhere to neutrality, fully support the great cause of the Sun Moon Empire, and will never break today's agreement!"
Regarding Poison Immortal's crisp, clean, and unreserved agreement to cooperate, Xu Tianhao was naturally overjoyed, and the sincere smile on his face became even brighter.
Meanwhile, Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen, who were to the side, were even more incredibly excited and thrilled; the joy in their hearts was beyond words.
With this, the Sun Moon Empire was equivalent to having gained the assistance of the top-tier Body Sect!
Even though both sides agreed not to let the Body Sect take action against the Heavenly Soul Empire.
But the Body Sect possessed so many top-tier experts, and Poison Immortal was a super expert himself.
With the Body Sect present, even if it was just to resist the pressure from Shrek, or to take action in future wars against the Star Luo Empire and the Dou Ling Empire, it would be enough to greatly increase the strength of the Sun Moon Empire, and the pace of unifying the continent would also become much smoother!
Of course, Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen also understood clearly why Poison Immortal was able to agree so readily.
The reason he was willing to put down all his pride and obsessions, in the final analysis, was because Xu Tianhao's appeal to the Body Sect was too great.
As a once-in-a-millennium, flawless Body Seed successor, Xu Tianhao was the best heir the Body Sect had been searching for for countless years.
Such an opportunity might not be encountered even after waiting for a millennium; as the Sect Master, Poison Immortal considered the inheritance of the Sect with all his heart.
He naturally would not, and could not, give up such a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.
Moreover, Poison Immortal was not a pedantic or stubborn person, and he was certainly not a fool.
In recent years, the Sun Moon Empire's national strength had been rising steadily, spirit tool technology had been developing rapidly, and military power had been growing stronger day by day; their ambition to dominate the continent had long been exposed and was known to everyone.
The current Sun Moon Empire not only had a Crown Prince like Xu Tianran, with his exceptional talent and iron-fisted methods, but the younger generation was also full of talent. Besides the stunningly brilliant Sixth Highness, Xu Tianhao, there were also The Hongchen Siblings and a group of other geniuses with exceptional talent; it could be said that they were brimming with talent, and the momentum was set.
In Poison Immortal's view, the future unification of the entire Douluo Continent by the Sun Moon Empire was almost a certainty, something that would inevitably happen.
No one could stop it, no one could reverse it.
Thus, his choice to cooperate with the Sun Moon Empire today was not only for the inheritance of the Body Sect, but also to secure the greatest benefits and protection for the Heavenly Soul Empire and its people in advance.
In a sense, it could also be considered serving his country and protecting the common people of his homeland in his own way.