To prepare for the All-Continent Youth Soul Master Tournament, even with the Sun Moon Empire being the wealthiest nation on the continent, they still spent a full three months preparing.
The entire Sun Moon Empire attached great importance to this; after all, this was the first time they had opened the tournament to all Sect forces across the continent. If handled well, it would be an excellent opportunity for political and cultural projection.
Now, the preparations were finally drawing to a close, and the opening day of the tournament was just around the corner.
The eyes of the entire continent were focused on Ming City, and the major Spirit Master academies and Sects had sent their most promising young Disciples to compete.
Because of the inclusion of the Sects, the number of participating teams in this tournament reached one hundred and sixty-eight, nearly double that of the previous one.
Whether it was the length of the schedule or the intensity of the competition, both would far exceed anything from the past.
Sun Moon Empire, Imperial Palace back garden.
The afternoon sun was warm and gentle, casting dappled light and shadows across the neatly trimmed shrubs and flowerbeds in the garden.
The bluestone path was slightly warmed by the sun as a wheelchair moved slowly across it, the wheels emitting a rhythmic, soft sound as they rolled over the joints between the stones.
Xu Tianran sat in the wheelchair, his eyes closed, with a thin blanket draped over his legs.
His expression was calm, betraying no unnecessary emotional fluctuations, though his slightly lowered eyelashes occasionally trembled, as if he were deep in thought.
A moment later, he spoke slowly: "How is Imperial Father's condition?"
The woman pushing the wheelchair from behind was the current Regent Consort, Ju Zi. She was wearing a goose-yellow dress, the hem of which fluttered gently in the breeze.
Her fair skin had a moist luster, and her features were gentle and beautiful. Her movements pushing the wheelchair were soft and steady, as if she had done it countless times before.
Upon hearing Xu Tianran's question, she bowed her head slightly, her voice dropping a little: "Your Majesty's body likely cannot hold on much longer. The imperial physician says that in recent days, Your Majesty has frequently fallen into a coma, and the time spent awake is becoming less and less."
Xu Tianran kept his eyes closed, his face showing no sign of surprise or sadness, as if the person approaching the end of his life was not his father.
He remained silent for a moment, then gave a soft "Mn."
After a while, he asked again: "How are the tournament preparations?"
Ju Zi held the handles of the wheelchair steadily, her voice soft: "Everything is ready. Everything has been implemented according to the predetermined plan; we are just waiting for the opening."
Xu Tianran nodded with satisfaction, the corners of his mouth even curling into a faint arc, as if he had heard something that pleased him: "Very good. Once the tournament ends, the plan can begin."
Upon hearing this, Ju Zi's hands, which were pushing the wheelchair, trembled slightly and involuntarily; this was proof of her excitement.
As Xu Tianran's most trusted "subordinate," Ju Zi naturally understood that the "plan" he spoke of referred to launching a war against the original Douluo Three Kingdoms.
Back during the struggle for the throne, Xu Tianran's legs were crippled, and his entire mindset became somewhat twisted; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him insane.
Yet, it could not be denied that he was a true mastermind—decisive in his methods and deep in his thoughts—who had always made unifying the entire continent his ultimate goal.
His physical disability did not erode his ambition; instead, it allowed that ambition to grow sharper in the darkness.
Ju Zi held a blood feud against the Star Luo Empire; that hatred was like a brand carved into her bones, never fading in the slightest with the passage of time.
Therefore, she was the most steadfast and loyal supporter of the war beside Xu Tianran, and she was equally looking forward to the coming great battle.
The wheelchair moved forward a bit more, and Xu Tianran's voice sounded again: "How has the Spirit Pagoda been recently?"
When he said the words "Spirit Pagoda," his tone was noticeably more solemn, showing the high level of importance he placed on this emerging force.
Huo Yuhao's figure couldn't help but flash through Ju Zi's mind. The last time he came to the Sun Moon Empire, she had had brief contact with him in her capacity as Teacher Xuan's Disciple.
That young man had left a deep impression on her: steady, composed, and hiding things deep within his gaze that were impossible to see through.
However, there was not much interaction between the two of them, and those impressions were only fleeting.
She immediately dispelled that figure from her mind and answered earnestly: "The Spirit Pagoda has been developing extremely rapidly recently. Based on its unique Spirit Soul technology, combined with Spirit Tool research and development capabilities no weaker than Mingde Hall, it can be foreseen that it will inevitably become a powerful force on the continent that cannot be ignored in the future."
Xu Tianran suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze carrying a sharpness that was completely different from the calmness of just moments before.
He tilted his head slightly, and a chill surfaced in his tone: "The rise of this Spirit Pagoda is indeed an accident."
"However, in my plan, such a force is not allowed to exist."
"Is the Holy Spirit Cult ready?"
Just as Ju Zi was about to answer, her voice suddenly got stuck in her throat.
Her gaze crossed the flowerbeds and shrubs in front, falling upon the shade of the trees where the bluestone path extended into the distance, and she froze as if someone had pressed a pause button on her.
Sensing that the wheelchair had stopped, Xu Tianran also looked into the distance; at the end of the garden path, a figure had appeared, though no one knew when.
The person was entirely shrouded in a large black cloak, their figure hidden at the junction of the tree shade and the light, as if they had grown out of the shadows out of thin air.
With a flash, the figure instantly appeared from the distance in front of Xu Tianran, revealing a pair of purple eyes beneath the hood.
The person looked at Xu Tianran, their voice low and hoarse: "The Holy Spirit Cult is ready and will not disappoint Your Highness."
At this person's uninvited arrival, a flash of extreme displeasure crossed Xu Tianran's eyes.
But that displeasure only lingered in his eyes for an instant before he suppressed it.
He leaned back against the wheelchair, speaking in a tone as calm as usual: "Cult Master Zhongli has actually come in person."
The "cloaked person" who had suddenly appeared was none other than the current Cult Master of the Holy Spirit Cult, Zhongli Wu.
There was not much emotion visible in his purple eyes, and he simply replied in a calm tone: "I just happen to have some matters to discuss with Your Highness."
...
Most of the other participating teams were staying in hotels arranged by the Sun Moon Empire, but the Spirit Pagoda's team was different; they had moved directly into the Sun Moon Spirit Pagoda Branch Pagoda located in Ming City.
At this moment, inside Huo Yuhao's room, a figure entirely shrouded in a black cloak was standing quietly by the window.
The lights outside the window shone through the glass, plating the edges of that figure with a dim yellow halo.
He raised his hand and slowly removed the black hood from his head.
He turned his head, and two golden soul flames burned slowly within, flickering uncertainly, carrying a chilling aura that did not belong to the living.
Huo Yuhao looked at this familiar face and said: "It seems Elder Yun has gotten his wish and has already infiltrated the Holy Spirit Cult."
The person appearing before him now was none other than Yun Ming.
After receiving the news that Huo Yuhao had arrived in Ming City, he had secretly rushed over, taking advantage of the night to sneak into the Sun Moon Spirit Pagoda Branch Pagoda silently.
Upon hearing this, Yun Ming gave a self-deprecating laugh: "With how I look now, anyone who sees me would say I'm an Evil Soul Master; joining the Holy Spirit Cult is not a difficult matter."
For an ordinary person, wanting to join the Holy Spirit Cult would naturally be extremely difficult, but for any true Evil Soul Master, the Holy Spirit Cult had always accepted all comers.
Since returning to the Holy Spirit Cult with Zhang Peng, Yun Ming had encountered almost no resistance before being accepted by the cult's higher-ups.
With his strength, he had now taken the position of the cult's Second Elder, second only to the First Elder, the Limit Douluo Long Xiaoyao!
Yun Ming's expression then turned serious. He took two steps forward, his voice lowering a few degrees: "The power of the Holy Spirit Cult in this era cannot be underestimated. Besides the Cult Master and Vice Cult Master, there are also the Eight Great Elders and the Twelve Elders; these people are all Evil Soul Masters at the Titled Douluo level, among whom there is no lack of Super Douluo level existences..."
He introduced the situation of the Holy Spirit Cult that he had learned about in recent days in a heavy tone, and the expression on Huo Yuhao's face also gradually became solemn.
Although the history from Ten Thousand Years later recorded that the Holy Spirit Cult of this era had many powerful experts, those texts were ultimately just generalized descriptions, far less real than the specific numbers he heard from Yun Ming at this moment.
He silently memorized this information item by item in his heart, then asked: "Elder Yun, since the Holy Spirit Cult is actively participating in the tournament this time, I fear they won't just be going through the motions, right? They must have other plans."
Yun Ming nodded; he had been deep inside the Holy Spirit Cult for these past few months, and the information he had come into contact with was far more complete than what could be glimpsed from the outside.
"That's right, the Holy Spirit Cult has already colluded in secret with the Sun Moon Empire's Regent, Xu Tianran."
"Now they have already started preparing to attack the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire; troop deployment and intelligence infiltration are all proceeding in an orderly manner."
He paused here, his gaze falling on Huo Yuhao, his tone carrying a sense of warning: "I have been dispatched to the Heavenly Soul Empire this time to carry out a mission, so I fear I won't be able to pass messages to you in a timely manner."
"So you must be extra careful while in the Sun Moon Empire; the Holy Spirit Cult will definitely make a move."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao's expression did not fluctuate much: "Rest assured, Elder Yun, I still have the means to protect myself."
Yun Ming nodded and said nothing more.
He knew of the existence of the Undead Plane, and he also knew that the power Huo Yuhao held in his hands was far more substantial than it appeared on the surface, so there was indeed no need to worry too much.
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.