Chapter 199: The Soul Spirit Revelation
The Sun-Moon Empire Palace.
After receiving news of the Sun-Moon Empire's victory in the All-Continent High-Level Soul Master Competition, the Emperor stood up slowly from his throne. Thanks to the life-saving lake water secretly delivered by Xiao Qiang, he now looked like someone recovering from a grave illness. Though still pale and clearly weakened, his condition had stabilized. With the resilience granted by his soul master body, the Emperor now seemed capable of surviving another ten or even twenty years.
Inside the grand palace hall, the Emperor sat solemnly, surrounded by the crown prince and other princes. All of them wore expressions of joy, seemingly delighted by the Emperor's recovery. However, whether that joy was genuine or feigned, only they themselves knew.
But one person's thoughts could be easily surmised—Crown Prince Xu Tianran. While he appeared the most concerned and cheerful among the princes, in truth, this was the last outcome he wanted to see.
The Emperor's current mental and physical state suggested he could rule for decades longer, leaving Xu Tianran trapped in the position of crown prince indefinitely. The mere thought of possibly remaining heir for fifty more years gave him a headache. Nevertheless, he maintained a flawless facade of filial devotion.
"Father, your recovery is a blessing from the heavens. If it would extend your life, I would willingly trade fifty years of mine!" Xu Tianran declared emotionally.
The Emperor nodded with a neutral expression. "My son is considerate."
That was all he said before shifting his attention away. He was under no illusions regarding Xu Tianran's ambitions—he understood perfectly well that the crown prince was only preserving appearances. It was a mutual understanding shared silently.
"Enough of that. I am well now. Summon Palace Master Xiao."
At the Emperor's command, a eunuch swiftly departed, and soon after, Xiao Qiang entered the palace.
Xiao Qiang greeted them with a respectful bow—dignified but not servile. The Emperor, Xu Tianran, and the others returned the gesture with equal decorum.
Though Xiao Qiang's victory over Dai Yuheng might not have caused a great stir on its own, his overwhelming defeat of an eight-ring Soul Douluo from Shrek at under seventeen years of age had stunned even the highest circles of the Sun-Moon Empire. Since then, his status as the pillar of the Empire—second only to the legendary Master Kong—was undisputed.
In such circumstances, kneeling was unnecessary. Both sides maintained courtesy, preserving each other's dignity.
After a few pleasantries, the Emperor asked, "Palace Master Xiao, I've heard from the head of Mingde Hall about a creation of yours called the 'soul spirit.' I'd like to understand more. Why has this prompted troop movements to guard the borders against a potential sneak attack by the Three Douluo Kingdoms?"
"Your Majesty, allow me to explain," Xiao Qiang began calmly. "Soul master cultivation hinges on two things: the martial soul and the soul ring. The martial soul dictates innate talent; the soul ring determines the speed of cultivation and the power of soul skills."
"Compared to the Three Former Douluo Kingdoms, our Sun-Moon Empire is at a disadvantage in both aspects. Our martial souls, on average, are weaker. As for soul rings, they hold access to the Star Dou Great Forest—while we have the Demon Forest, the quantity and quality of soul beasts there are vastly inferior."
"If we dispatch soul masters into the Star Dou Great Forest, we risk discovery. Once that happens, the borders between our empire and theirs become battlegrounds. Without the might of an Ultimate Douluo, even our strongest teams would find returning alive a near impossibility."
The Emperor nodded thoughtfully. He was no stranger to the peril of the Star Dou Great Forest. For soul masters from the Three Kingdoms, fleeing to Shrek offered protection from powerful beasts. For Sun-Moon Empire citizens, however, both soul beasts and soul masters from enemy nations were hostile forces.
Xiao Qiang continued, "While hunting sea soul beasts is technically possible, the compatibility issue between land-based soul masters and sea-type beasts is a major barrier. In this reality, we cannot rely on foreign territories. Thus, to match the power of Shrek and the original Three Kingdoms, we must find our own path. That path… is the soul spirit."
He raised his voice slightly as he added, "Soul spirits are a new evolution. They can compensate for deficiencies in both martial souls and soul rings."
"Compensate for martial soul deficiencies? Palace Master Xiao, elaborate," the Emperor said, leaning forward.
"Yes, Your Majesty. In soul spirit fusion, a hundred-year soul beast can generate two soul rings, a thousand-year beast three, and a ten-thousand-year beast four."
"With proper planning, we can enable a soul master to fuse with an 800-year-old soul spirit for their first soul ring. Both the first and second rings will then be 800 years old—forming a solid foundation far superior to normal soul masters. That alone saves them at least a level of early cultivation."
"Such enhanced ring ratios will drastically improve their physical strength and soul power tolerance. For instance, at the third ring, they can aim for a 4,000-year-old soul beast. This allows not only a third ring but also an additional fourth ring far earlier than normal."
The Emperor's eyes widened slightly.
"Moreover," Xiao Qiang added, "by building such a sturdy foundation, when they reach the fifth ring, they can absorb a soul over 25,000 years old. And when they approach Soul Douluo level—if they're confirmed to reach the eighth ring—they can safely fuse a soul over 70,000 years for their sixth or seventh ring. This lays the groundwork for even Super Douluo breakthroughs."
"In summary, this is the power of the soul spirit. It redefines the path of cultivation and levels the playing field between us and the Douluo Kingdoms."
Silence fell over the hall as the implications sank in.
After a long pause, the Emperor slowly nodded.
"I see… This changes everything."