"Oh? So you're the leader of the White Lotus Sect?" came the voice of the Third Prince from behind the screen.
One week later.
Thanks to a batch of rare metals used as a stepping stone and his own network of connections, An Litong successfully secured an audience for the Death God Envoy with the Third Prince.
However, the meeting could only be arranged through the back entrance of the prince's residence. The Death God Envoy had to remain behind a screen while the Third Prince sat on the other side. His tone was casual and his attitude more curious than respectful.
Rightfully so.
To the Third Prince, a mere Soul Douluo held little value. If the Death God Envoy had been a Title Douluo, perhaps he would've been shown a bit more courtesy.
In this regard, the Third Prince couldn't compare to Xu Tiannan, who at least feigned humility and made people feel respected. The Third Prince, however, carried himself with a high-and-mighty air.
Then again, he represented the interests of the royal family.
His interest in the Death God Envoy came from the fact that he had actually intercepted goods belonging to the Common Alliance. The Third Prince was well aware of those shipments—he even received a share of the profits.
Let's not forget—the Common Alliance was secretly backed by the royal family. The Third Prince's influence also stemmed from the royal house.
Currently, the prince who managed the royal family affairs was a staunch supporter of the Third Prince, who also had command over the Royal Inspection Force.
The profits from the Common Alliance were shared with the Third Prince. So logically, the hijacking of those goods should have made him furious. But since the Death God Envoy gifted them to him instead, his interest was piqued.
After all, between getting a share and receiving the whole shipment, the benefit of the latter was far greater—and the Third Prince could clearly see that.
Even he couldn't completely control the Common Alliance, nor could he monopolize the tributes they offered, since it ultimately belonged to the royal family, not him personally.
But the emergence of the White Lotus Sect gave him a chance.
He might gain his own underground force—private and exclusive. That way, he could gather more wealth and resources, win over more subordinates, increase his influence, and contend for the throne.
And he'd have more freedom.
The royal family supported him only as long as he brought them benefits. He was merely their spokesperson—not yet a leader.
He had considered forming his own underground force, but the opportunity and capability to do so had never lined up. Other princes would never allow it, and even the royal family would be wary of him growing too powerful.
The ideal scenario was for an already mature underground force—like the White Lotus Sect—to offer allegiance. Then they could secretly collaborate.
Hence this private meeting with the Death God Envoy.
Still, a bit of posturing was necessary.
Huo Yuhao controlled the Death God Envoy remotely, dressed him in a platinum robe with a golden lotus embroidered on the back. The outfit looked luxurious, without the slightest hint of underworld grime.
But the robe completely covered the Death God Envoy's face and body, leaving no skin exposed. He stood straight and rigid, without bowing or offering any greeting. He remained silent in response to the prince's question.
The guards on both sides frowned slightly.
Clearly, they were displeased with the Death God Envoy's rudeness.
He stood 50 meters away from the prince—a considerable distance that emphasized the grandeur of the prince's hall, which was hundreds of meters long.
Huo Yuhao didn't intend to answer. His goal was simply to get close—or rather, to enter the prince's estate.
Now he had managed to close the distance to 50 meters—perfect for action.
In that time, Huo Yuhao also scoped out the surroundings.
The Third Prince sat behind the screen, flanked by two maids—both Soul Saints. The screen itself was a level-eight defensive soul tool. Ten Soul Douluo-level guards were stationed on both sides, five per side. And hiding in the shadows were two Title Douluo-level experts.
The setup appeared relaxed but was tightly guarded.
As for the Third Prince himself—only in his twenties—he had already reached the Soul Douluo level.
Why were even the maids and guards so powerful? The Sun Moon Empire's soul master system differed from that of the original Douluo Three Kingdoms.
They didn't focus on cultivating martial souls or deepening foundation. Their goal was to increase soul power to use more powerful soul tools.
In short, most of their power came from… pills.
As long as one had some talent, could train normally, and was willing to down enough drugs, reaching Soul Saint was no issue.
The price? Destroyed future potential.
Those two maids and ten guards would never advance further. Excluding their soul tools, they were weaker than same-level soul masters from the Douluo Three Kingdoms.
Even the two Title Douluo hiding in the shadows had exhausted their potential. They were merely rank 91 or 92.
Only the Third Prince had room to grow—not because of superior talent, but because he had access to better drugs. He might eventually become a Title Douluo.
So in conclusion, while the formation looked strong, it was a paper tiger.
Qi-Reading Technique: Activate.
Since this was just a projection, its effects were weakened—but it was still like the difference between 4K and 360p. At this distance, everything was clear.
His qi projection revealed a Sun martial soul. However, there was no sign of potential—clearly, his martial soul couldn't grow further. Still, the dragon qi of royalty coiled around him.
No mistake—it was indeed the real Third Prince!
The Death God Envoy's continued silence and lack of respect made the Third Prince frown. He felt this man was wildly arrogant. It would take some effort to subdue him.
But even if he failed to do so—he could just kill him and take over his forces.
"You insolent scoundrel! How dare you be so disrespectful!"
The guards roared in anger, releasing their Soul Douluo-level pressure.
But the Death God Envoy didn't flinch. His knees didn't buckle. He didn't even activate soul power to resist.
Finally, Huo Yuhao made the Death God Envoy let out a sinister laugh.
"Third Prince, I'm quite happy to meet you—but your attitude? I'm very displeased."
"From now on, I'll call you… Little Third."
"How dare you!" the guards shouted.
Behind the screen, the Third Prince squinted his eyes—he was ready to kill. Even the two maids beside him went pale with fear.
Huo Yuhao ignored them and calmly said, "Eunuch Gao, it's your turn."
Whoosh—
A terrifying aura erupted from the Death God Envoy. Blood-red mist filled the room.
The Blood Slaughter Domain!
Eunuch Gao emerged silently behind the Death God Envoy, dressed in blood-red robes still styled like a palace eunuch's. His face was ruddy, his smile kind—but it sent chills down the spine.
Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—nine soul rings floated around him.
"This old servant will now seize this Little Third for Brother Hao—keh keh keh!"
The two Title Douluo hidden in the shadows finally revealed themselves, tense and alert. But they had only normal soul ring configurations—none had a single 100,000-year ring.
Over the past week, the Blood Slaughter Orb had been delivered to the Death God Envoy by the centipede-foot clone.
Before entering, the guards had stripped the Death God Envoy of all soul tools—but the Blood Slaughter Orb was hidden inside his body. A magical artifact, invisible to ordinary soul tool detection.
No time to worry about the prince's shock—battle erupted immediately.
A Title Douluo with a domain easily outclassed regular Title Douluo.
Especially when Eunuch Gao's ninth ring doubled the power of the Blood Slaughter Domain!
Once the domain was released, the entire hall was sealed—no one could escape, and no reinforcements could enter.
The Death God Envoy stood still, glowing with golden light, chanting:
"Namo... Namo Amitabha… Namo... Namo Amitabha…"
"Lay down the blade… and achieve enlightenment… Lay down the blade… and achieve enlightenment…"
Eunuch Gao held the field by himself, keeping the two Title Douluo and others from approaching.
"Death God Envoy, we can talk this out—it's all a misunderstanding!" the Third Prince pleaded, sensing things going south.
But those eerie Buddhist chants drilled into their minds.
Slowly, golden light appeared in their eyes. One by one, their expressions turned devout.
The battle went surprisingly smoothly.
The two Title Douluos put up some resistance, but the Third Prince was the first to fall to his knees.
He actually possessed a Grade 9 soul tool that could resist soul and mental attacks, and he nearly escaped Fan Yin's control. Unfortunately, before he could fully free himself, the two handmaidens beside him—already under control—turned on him and stripped off his gear.
These two maids didn't have any soul tools for defense, so they were easily controlled. Yet, as Soul Saints, they were still powerful soul masters. At such close range, they struck before the Third Prince could react.
As for passive defense soul tools... they first needed to be attacked to activate.
Fan Yin didn't trigger those.
When Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, the Third Prince lost any opportunity to activate a defensive soul tool.
Once the Third Prince was subdued, keeping him as a hostage was enough to prevent the two Title Douluos from resisting too fiercely.
Would they dare risk their lives like Huo Yuhao might?
As long as they didn't surrender, Huo Yuhao would kill the Third Prince, dragging them down with him.
Yet Huo Yuhao didn't even try to persuade them to surrender. Instead, while the two hesitated and their minds slackened, he abruptly amplified Fan Yin's power, seizing control of their consciousness in one strike.
Then, Eunuch Gao stepped in and took them down completely.
…
Outside the Third Prince's residence, the palace guards had surrounded the hall. The unusual atmosphere had already drawn their attention.
Staring at the palace that glowed with a bloody aura, the captain of the guards—a Soul Douluo—called out toward the interior but received no reply. When he tried to force his way in, he found himself blocked by the blood fiend aura.
Regrettably, the doors and windows were tightly shut. Not a single crack offered a view inside.
They also discovered that ordinary soul masters who approached the blood aura began to suffer physical and mental corrosion. Clearly not a good sign.
With no answer after a long wait, the guards grew increasingly anxious. Things had escalated beyond their control. Some suggested reporting to the palace, others wanted to activate their Martial Souls and break in by force.
Just then, the blood fiend aura faded away. The doors finally opened, and two Title Douluos stood inside, coldly scanning the gathered guards.
"So noisy and unruly—are you rebelling?" one asked sharply.
"We wouldn't dare!" the guards quickly bowed, trembling in fear.
Everyone recognized these two as the prince's enshrined protectors. Seeing them was like seeing the prince himself. Who would dare offend them?
And accusations of rebellion were no small matter.
The guard captain cautiously stepped forward. "Honored Protectors, what just happened? Was His Highness in any danger?"
"It was just a guest putting on a performance for His Highness," one of the Title Douluos said dismissively.
The guard captain looked embarrassed.
Thankfully, the Third Prince's voice soon echoed from inside.
"It's alright, just a misunderstanding. I'm fine. Everyone may stand down," came the prince's calm voice. He even sounded cheerful, clearly unhurt. "You've all done well—everyone gets an extra month's pay."
"May I enter and pay my respects?" the captain asked, still cautious, his tone respectful.
But his eyes remained sharp and calm.
He might look relaxed, but internally, he was careful and alert. That's how he'd earned his position as captain—only a trusted confidant of the prince could hold such a role.
"Granted," the prince replied.
"Thank you, Your Highness." The captain bowed again.
As the two Title Douluos stepped aside, the captain entered the hall, quickly scanning the surroundings. He saw the white-robed Death God Envoy standing about 50 meters beyond the barrier, while the Third Prince was still inside it, his aura stable. Only then did the captain fully relax.
He thought to himself: "Looks like that Death God Envoy caused all this. He might be stronger than me, but he's only a Soul Douluo. With two Title Douluos protecting the prince, there was no real threat. I was overthinking it."
"Feel better now?" the Third Prince asked with a chuckle.
"Cough, cough, yes, much better," the captain replied awkwardly, then bowed again. "I was out of line—please punish me, Your Highness."
"This wasn't your fault. I understand your loyalty. You may go now," said the prince. "Oh, and don't let word of tonight's events spread. Make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut."
"Yes, Your Highness!" the captain replied respectfully, then bowed out, closing the door behind him.
Of course, he agreed outwardly. But soon after, word of what happened at the Third Prince's residence began spreading through the capital.
Under the cover of night, sealed letters were sent to various factions.
Clearly, spies from other powers were embedded in the prince's household.
As a strong contender for the throne, the Third Prince was under constant watch—not just by rivals, but also by his supporters and even the one in the palace.
Xu Tianran might be Crown Prince, but his disability still cast a shadow. Even after the blood sacrifice of the Second Prince silenced critics, that didn't guarantee he could firmly hold onto the position or successfully ascend the throne.
…
After the captain left.
The Death God Envoy, who had been standing motionless, suddenly collapsed with a thud, falling to the ground like a lifeless puppet.
To be precise, he was logging out temporarily. Controlling the Third Prince and two Title Douluos came at a price.
Even the Death God Envoy needed time to recover. He could still be controlled for movements, but for now, he couldn't fight or use Fan Yin again.
His soul had been damaged in the process. Even if he revived, his mind might not be entirely stable.
But then again, he'd never been fully sane to begin with—so it wasn't much of a problem.
Eunuch Gao's soul slowly floated out of the Death God Envoy's body. He bowed slightly to the prince seated above and asked:
"Hao-ge'er, what now?"
The Third Prince, seated behind a screen, grinned wickedly. "Naturally—compete for the throne!"
Golden Buddha light flickered in his eyes.
Huo Yuhao's consciousness had now descended into the Third Prince, fully taking control—just as he had with the Death God Envoy.
And it was all thanks to the last Three-Life Spirit Awakening Pill.
Clenching his fist, Huo Yuhao mused, "Controlling the Death God Envoy was like piloting a game character—no immersion. But with Little Third here, the feeling is much better."
Then he began issuing commands.
"Eunuch Gao, return with the Death God Envoy. I'll keep remotely controlling him to command the White Lotus Sect. Since the Death God Envoy can't fight for now, you'll take his place in battle. It's time to pass Tang Sect techniques to the disciples. Tang Sect's hidden weapons—have the Aodu Chamber of Commerce manufacture them. Don't worry about secrecy."
"I'll remain here. Mingdu will soon become very lively. I want the best seat for the show."
"Hah~" Eunuch Gao chuckled in response.
Strangely, everyone else in the hall—maids, guards, even the two Title Douluos—remained eerily calm.
The atmosphere was thick with unease.
Under the soul-powered lights, the Third Prince's figure was illuminated—and behind him, from his shadow, a twisted figure slowly crept forth.
Its shape was like a centipede—no, like a demon—its limbs writhing and claws extended.
The third prince of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Tiancheng.
Martial Soul: Sun
Soul Power Level: 82
Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black
Soul Engineer Level: Level 7
After taking over Xu Tiancheng's body, Huo Yuhao quickly probed his condition and read through his memories.
Being in his twenties and already possessing such strength—within the Sun Moon Empire, this made him impressive, but not top-tier.
Xu Tiancheng's innate soul power was only level 7, and his Sun Martial Soul wasn't particularly high in quality—far inferior to Xu Tianzhen's. He wasn't exactly a diligent cultivator either. His breakthrough to level 80 was largely thanks to consuming a considerable number of high-level elixirs.
Still, Xu Tiancheng didn't need to fight on the front lines. In the future, as long as he kept popping pills, he could break through to Titled Douluo. His strength was merely a fancy accessory—useful, but not necessary.
As with most royal protocol, the key was that he could wield power.
Xu Tiancheng relied on support from the imperial clan, but really, he was just a spokesman. His main job was helping the imperial clan gain benefits—not fighting for the throne.
To the imperial clan, whoever became emperor didn't matter much. They were royalty regardless. Their only real concern was: Would their interests be protected?
The better candidate was Crown Prince Xu Tianran. But he had a chronic illness, and the suspicious death of the second prince—despite lacking concrete evidence—was somehow tied to him. This made the clan uneasy with Xu Tianran, so they went with Xu Tiancheng instead.
Whether Xu Tianran was a victim or not didn't matter—the way he handled things left a bad taste in the clan's mouth.
As long as Xu Tiancheng continued securing their interests, the clan would support him. If he failed, they wouldn't hesitate to back someone else.
Besides Xu Tiancheng and Xu Tianran, there were still several other princes with the ability and qualifications to compete for the throne.
If Xu Tiancheng somehow made it to the throne, the clan wouldn't mind giving him more support—they'd gain even more that way.
But for now, Xu Tiancheng wasn't there yet. The clan was divided into factions and not entirely unified.
He could get some support, but not all. And he had to cater to their opinions.
In short, many members of the clan were political chameleons—whoever offered more benefits got their support. And currently, Xu Tiancheng was offering the most.
That said, the prince who controlled the clan's power structure was a genuine supporter of Xu Tiancheng. Most of the clan members supported Xu Tiancheng out of deference to that prince. He had also handed control of the Royal Inspectorate to Xu Tiancheng.
The Royal Inspectorate wasn't public-facing. It mainly supervised royal family members and events inside the royal city. It reported directly to the imperial clan.
Its members were all people of status, power, and influence—not weak by any means.
It was also a tool used to restrain Xu Tianran and other princes.
Moreover, the imperial clan also controlled the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment. So theoretically, Xu Tiancheng could mobilize parts of this regiment.
Of course, while the emperor was still alive, Xu Tiancheng couldn't command them openly. At most, he could leverage them through the imperial clan.
But even so, with just a fraction of that force, his military power couldn't be ignored.
As for the throne—Xu Tiancheng did have ambitions. He even had a team of his own.
Though not comparable to full military legions, it was far stronger than underground forces like the Ao Capital Chamber of Commerce or the Commoners' Alliance.
His two strongest assets were two Titled Douluo. But they were just average—not peak-tier.
Both had reached their ranks through drug enhancement. Their Martial Souls weren't particularly elite, and their future potential was questionable.
Thankfully, both were also Soul Engineers, and Level 8 ones at that—which was more than enough for now.
After tallying up all of the Third Prince's assets, Huo Yuhao fell silent.
There was some power, but not much. Competing with Xu Tianran? Virtually impossible. No wonder, in the original story, Xu Tianran ascended the throne smoothly, and we never heard anything about the other princes.
In the original, the other princes had fought him for the throne and even tried sabotaging both him and the original Huo Yuhao. But they never succeeded.
Forget their personal abilities—just look at their pathetic followers. They didn't stand a chance.
Sure, having two Titled Douluo used to be impressive, say, ten thousand years ago. But in this era, they're just barely above Soul Douluo in terms of value.
Over the past ten millennia, Titled Douluo status had greatly depreciated, especially those like the Sun Moon Empire's, who relied on pills.
The Titled Douluo targeted by Xu Tianran were people like Jing Hongchen—commanders of legions, individuals with top-tier talent, identity, and potential.
The Third Prince's Titled Douluo were just two old green onions. Honestly, it was only because they were weak that Huo Yuhao could take over Xu Tiancheng's body so easily.
And this guy was the second strongest prince after Xu Tianran. It's not that the imperial princes of the Sun Moon Empire were incompetent—it's that Xu Tianran was just too good.
The princes from the original Douluo Continent kingdoms? Never heard of any of them recruiting Titled Douluo.
Good thing Huo Yuhao wasn't here for the throne. He was much more interested in the imperial clan.
But after taking over Xu Tiancheng's body, he didn't start causing chaos right away. Instead, he waited patiently.
That was because Shrek Academy had already arrived in the Sun Moon Empire. It was about time for the White Lotus Cult and Ao Capital Chamber of Commerce to take action.
And sure enough, Huo Yuhao noticed that on the second day after taking over, the Third Prince's mansion was suddenly under surveillance.
But with Huo Yuhao staying completely still, it left many people confused.
Last night, the Third Prince had stirred up such a huge mess—yet today, there was not a peep?
Huo Yuhao: "Oh? Y'all wanna hear some noise?"
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the city!
Everyone in Mingdu heard it. Then they saw a mushroom cloud slowly rising in one corner of the city.
Mingdu was stunned for a moment. Then the city defenses immediately sprang into action, rushing to the explosion site and sealing off the area.
Everyone's nerves went on high alert.
Was Mingdu under attack?!
All factions immediately sent out their spies!
Inside the Third Prince's Mansion.
"Your Highness, a restaurant in the eastern district of Mingdu exploded. Likely caused by a stationary soul-guided cannon shell. As of now, 178 confirmed dead, over 500 injured. Among the casualties… was an exchange student from Shrek Academy."
Huo Yuhao lounged on a soft couch, enjoying a massage from a beautiful maid while his scout delivered the report.
"Oh? A Shrek exchange student got caught in it too? How badly were they hurt?" Huo Yuhao asked casually, as if completely unaware of the incident's seriousness.
The scout hesitated, then replied awkwardly, "Your Highness… they didn't die. Only injured."
"Didn't die?" Huo Yuhao blinked.
"Why is it that so many of my Sun Moon Empire citizens died, yet the only one from Shrek survived?"
"Uh…" The scout broke out in a cold sweat.
Was this even something he was allowed to answer?
A major terrorist attack struck the bustling eastern district of Mingdu. Over a hundred people were killed, and the incident even affected exchange students from Shrek Academy. The news swept through the upper echelons of the Sun-Moon Empire like a hurricane.
The Emperor in the palace was furious!
"A commoner's wrath spills blood within five steps—"
Let alone the wrath of an Emperor?
This wasn't a matter that could be resolved with just anger.
All the princes, including Xu Tianran and Xu Tiancheng, as well as the civil and military officials, were summoned to the palace.
At the same time, the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy was in no way peaceful either.
Fan Yu, the instructor leading the Shrek Academy exchange team, personally confronted Lin Jiayi, the Dean of Instruction at the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, demanding an explanation for Shrek Academy.
"If there's no satisfactory outcome," Fan Yu warned, "this exchange program ends here. There will be no next time."
Lin Jiayi rolled his eyes so hard they nearly reached the heavens. Internally, he cursed: "Your Shrek people brought this on yourselves, and now you want to blame us?"
He had warned them from the start. Still, someone had wandered off alone and left the Academy's jurisdiction.
And it's not like Shrek students died—just injured. The Sun-Moon Empire, on the other hand, suffered over a hundred deaths and more than five hundred injuries. And they were asking for accountability?
Tch! Shameless!
Still, Lin Jiayi knew how to handle the situation delicately. He had already reported the incident to Jing Hongchen and was waiting for his orders.
To his surprise, Jing Hongchen stepped out personally to calm Fan Yu and promised to find the culprits and give Shrek a proper explanation.
Even Jing Hongchen's head was buzzing from the incident. Something this serious hadn't happened in years.
Not because it couldn't happen—but because who would dare?
Even the most unscrupulous evil soul masters wouldn't dare provoke the Sun-Moon Empire. Did they really think the Empire's defensive hand was only aimed at the original three Douluo kingdoms?
No matter who the culprit was, this event was bound to spark a bloodstorm.
With Shrek Academy students affected by the blast, even the Empire had to treat this matter seriously.
Was it truly a coincidence—or was it a premeditated strike?
Sometimes, even just a sliver of suspicion is enough to warrant an investigation.
Why all the fuss? Because the Sun-Moon Empire valued this exchange program highly—not only due to Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen being at Shrek, but because this collaboration was vital to a grand national strategy:
The Soul Master System Establishment Plan.
Shrek Academy came hoping to "steal" soul tool technology, but the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had the same idea in reverse.
Having been suppressed by Shrek Academy for years, the Sun-Moon Empire longed to reclaim its pride and was desperate to break its current stalemate.
Unfortunately, soul tool development had stagnated. The only consistent output was more fixed-installed soul cannons. Research into special soul tools had yielded little, let alone any battlefield-ready models. Worst of all, no soul engineers had managed to surpass Rank 9.
What the Sun-Moon Empire lacked wasn't just more Rank 9 soul engineers—it was someone who could exceed Rank 9, someone like Mu En, capable of changing the tides of war.
What truly blocked their path wasn't the original Douluo nations' armies—but the powerful elites gathered under Shrek Academy.
Since they couldn't make a breakthrough in their traditional area of expertise, they decided to pivot: reinforce their soul master system.
The Sun-Moon Empire had its own national conditions and cultural habits—soul cultivation had never been prioritized, and what little there was had become twisted. Most soul masters still relied on pills.
According to Shrek and the three Douluo kingdoms, relying on pills would never produce top-tier powerhouses. The Empire… actually believed that.
Building a new soul master training system from scratch would be extremely costly, complex, and time-consuming.
So the Empire decided—why reinvent the wheel? They'd go learn directly from the source: the Douluo continent.
And if they were going to learn, they'd learn from the best—Shrek Academy.
Other academies didn't even matter—if they couldn't beat the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, what could they possibly teach?
The Empire figured Shrek must be hiding some secret recipe for success.
The problem? Shrek's enrollment standards were strict. Even locals struggled to qualify, let alone someone from the Empire.
It wasn't that the Empire couldn't find such talents, or that it lacked the means to meet the requirements—but sending top talents abroad risked them being brainwashed or defecting. Yet sending average students meant they'd never reach Shrek's core.
Thus, came this exchange program:
If covert tactics won't work, let's do it openly!
Even if we can't learn much this time, we'll go again. Eventually, there'll be gains.
So this exchange was not just an academic collaboration—it was a matter of national strategy and the future of the Sun-Moon Empire.
Whether it was the mass civilian casualties or the potential derailment of the exchange, the Empire's bottom line had been crossed.
Once the real culprits are found—whoever they are—they'll face nothing less than total annihilation.
As for calming the Shrek Academy exchange team, things were quickly smoothed over. Not only were doctors sent, but numerous compensatory conditions were offered.
They even opened up access to high-level soul tool knowledge for the wounded.
Naturally, the Empire knew what Shrek really wanted—and this offer hit the sweet spot. Fan Yu stopped pressing the issue.
In addition to these practical measures, Xu Tianran personally visited the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to offer condolences and reassurance.
Huo Yuhao actually wanted to go too, but this was Xu Tianran's turf. A few polite words from him and Huo Yuhao was turned away.
That didn't mean Huo Yuhao was off the hook. As the Empire's Third Prince, he had to make a public showing.
He could try to slack off—but that would mean giving up his bid for the throne. Even if Huo Yuhao wanted that, Xu Tiancheng's supporters wouldn't allow it. It would also raise suspicions about Xu Tiancheng's involvement.
Every adult prince—Xu Tianran, Xu Tiancheng, and Huo Yuhao included—received the Emperor's order:
Find the real perpetrator.
There was no explicit reward mentioned—but everyone knew the real prize was gaining the Emperor's favor.
Though to be honest… what Huo Yuhao really wanted was the Emperor's heart.
Too bad the old man wasn't about to give that up.
Still, he didn't have many years left. Even if he wasn't assassinated, his body was already in decline.
If it weren't for his Title Douluo strength and the royal family's medicinal resources, he'd probably be dead already.
This incident even made the old man cough up blood.
—
Wobbling slightly, Huo Yuhao arrived at the scene of the crime.
The once bustling street had become deserted after the devastating explosion. No one dared approach, fearing they'd be mistaken as accomplices and arrested.
All the shops on the street were closed. Many store owners and employees had already been taken into custody by the city guards and would be subject to investigation.
The city guard completely sealed off the street. A grim, oppressive atmosphere filled the area, and the guards watching all around had sharp, vigilant eyes.
The incident was simply too serious. If they failed to catch the culprit, the guards responsible for protecting Mingdu would bear the blame. Heads would roll—many heads—just to quell public outrage.
The truth didn't matter. What mattered was the narrative.
Not only was the street sealed, but the entire city of Mingdu was under lockdown. Anyone entering or leaving had to undergo rigorous checks and be registered in detail.
At that moment, squads of city guards were patrolling and investigating the city.
When Huo Yuhao arrived, the guards naturally had neither the authority nor the courage to stop him, allowing him to stroll in effortlessly.
This time, he was accompanied only by two Titled Douluo, posing as honored guests from the Third Prince's residence.
Arriving at the crime scene…
The entire tavern had been blown to pieces. The explosion had affected several nearby buildings, all now collapsed and reduced to rubble. The epicenter of the explosion was pitch black, with a crater carved into the ground. Bloodstains and scraps of clothing clung to the surrounding debris.
The bodies had already been dealt with.
Victims weren't buried. Instead, they were collected and preserved in one place, waiting for the coroner's examination.
Injured survivors were being treated and monitored, just in case the real culprit was hiding among them, trying to slip by unnoticed.
City guards combed the wreckage carefully, searching every piece of rubble in hopes of finding a clue.
Gazing at the devastation, Huo Yuhao's expression was unreadable, but a faint emotion stirred within him.
"Not bad. Next time, maybe hit the armory."
Yes, this entire event had been orchestrated by Huo Yuhao himself. Unfortunately, he couldn't file an anonymous tip to claim credit.
His method? Simple. Find a Soul Engineer—not even a strong one, a level four would do—then take control of their mind. Strap a few fixed soul-guided bombs to them and send them out as a suicide trooper. The results? Excellent.
In the underground world, there were all kinds of factions—not just the three major powers. Countless smaller groups existed too. Finding such a soul engineer wasn't difficult. In fact, there were plenty of them.
People thought all Soul Engineers lived comfortably?
Top-tier techniques were always hoarded by the elite. Without talent or connections, being a level four or five Soul Engineer after a lifetime of effort was already impressive.
Becoming a Soul Engineer was expensive. Not every family could afford that path.
As for pursuing the route of a pure Soul Master? In the Sun Moon Empire, Soul Engineers had a naturally higher status.
And don't forget: even drugs cost money.
There were plenty of Soul Masters and Engineers unwilling to spend their lives in mediocrity. Many of them joined underground forces for one big gamble, hoping for a breakthrough opportunity.
Huo Yuhao created this big "news story" not just to intimidate Shrek Academy's exchange delegation or to scare the academy and the Sun Moon Empire.
His true goal? To stir the pot—to draw the snakes out of the grass.
He was never great at scheming. If he couldn't strike with pinpoint precision, then nobody should sit comfortably.
It was like fishing with explosives. On the surface, the lake looked calm, but throw in a few bombs and you'd see all kinds of big fish float up. The waters would churn.
Of course… maybe you'd blast up a crocodile… or even a diver.
But if you didn't throw the bombs, you'd never know just how lively it was down there.
Since he wasn't invited to the table, he might as well flip the whole table over. Then all the meat that falls would be his!
Once Mingdu descended into chaos, he could move even more freely, stir up even more trouble—and achieve even greater goals!
As Huo Yuhao surveyed the scene, a bright voice called from behind—a young man.
"Third Brother, you came too, huh?"
Turning around, Huo Yuhao saw the source of the voice. The speaker was a ruggedly handsome man with dark skin, broad shoulders, and dressed in finery. His expression was solemn, but obviously fake.
Beside him stood another man, just as handsome and graceful, also dark-skinned, who looked genuinely sorrowful—a much more convincing act.
Huo Yuhao glanced at his own skin tone.
"Ah, looks like we're all the same shade."
Trailing the two young men were a pair of attendants—both Soul Emperors, clearly just errand boys.
Seeing the two, Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and spoke:
"Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother, of course I came. This is an assignment from Father, after all."
The two men froze when they saw Huo Yuhao's smile.
Wait… everyone's supposed to be mourning. Why is he smiling?
Is this guy not even trying to pretend?
This was a golden opportunity.
"Third Brother, what's with the smile?" asked the fourth prince, narrowing his eyes. He ignored Huo Yuhao's words and went straight for the smile—demanding an explanation.
"What, my smile's not charming? Want me to try a different style?" Huo Yuhao shot back.
The fourth and sixth princes thought their third brother had gone mad.
Before they could press further, Huo Yuhao cut them off:
"Alright, I've seen enough. Time to get back to business. You two carry on."
Without giving them a chance to respond, he left with his two Titled Douluo in tow.
Leaving behind the dumbfounded Fourth and Sixth Princes, who stared after him in silence.
Finally, the two exchanged glances.
"What's with Third Brother today?" asked the sixth prince. "Doesn't feel like him at all."
"Hmph. Who cares? Does he really think backing from the royal clan makes him invincible?" The fourth prince was already considering how to use Huo Yuhao's smile to ruin his standing with their father.
Smiling at a disaster site? That's not how a future ruler should behave.
The sixth prince sighed.
"What if he actually discovered something? What if he ends up taking the lead?"
The fourth prince's face tensed, eyes flickering as he began to contemplate something deeper.
Clearly, in their minds, this explosion wasn't just an incident—it was a battlefield in the ongoing struggle for the throne.
The identities of the two were easy to guess:
They were Xu Tianyong, Fourth Prince of the Sun Moon Empire, and Xu Tianchong, the Sixth Prince.
Originally, six princes had real chances of competing for the throne, from Crown Prince Xu Tianran down to the sixth prince.
The younger princes were too far behind in age, and the powerful factions had already placed their bets. Unless all six senior princes died, the younger ones had no shot.
As for princesses? They were never even considered.