After Feng Piaoling departed, a slightly hunched elder emerged from the shadows.
"Old Xue, what do you think?" Xu Tianran asked in a deep voice.
The elder, addressed as Old Xue, replied gravely, "Strategically, there isn't a single issue. However, his strength is still too weak. Whether he can actually succeed depends on his power after he promotes to a Titled Douluo and a Class 9 Soul Engineer. If he cannot shake a Transcendent Douluo, then no matter how perfect the plan is, it will all be in vain."
Despite the skepticism, Xu Tianran showed a rather surprised expression. One must understand that this Old Xue was none other than the Shadow Douluo, Xue Chen. He had achieved the rank of Titled Douluo even earlier than the Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen. He was a man who rarely offered praise or evaluations of anyone. For the Shadow Douluo to speak of him this way was clearly an exceptionally high evaluation.
At this thought, Xu Tianran couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. "Ten thousand years ago, both twin soul users on the Douluo Continent became gods. I am starting to look forward to seeing just how far Piaoling can go."
......
Sun Moon Empire Imperial Palace, Consecration Hall
The Enshrinement Hall was the gathering place for the Sun Moon Empire's soul engineer elite. Its members possessed top-tier soul tool technology and, together with the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Legion, formed the two great pillars of the imperial family. Their primary responsibility was maintaining imperial stability and responding to major crises, and their functions included handling specialized Soul Master affairs.
After walking out of Crown Prince Xu Tianran's palace, Feng Piaoling arrived here holding the Crown Prince's Token. Before he could even enter, he was blocked by the guards.
"Please stop. The Enshrinement Hall is a restricted area. Without a summons, no one except His Majesty or the Crown Prince himself may enter. Furthermore, the Hall Master has stated that unless His Majesty personally orders it, he will not accept you as a disciple."
They completely ignored the Crown Prince's Token in Feng Piaoling's hand. One of the guards glanced at Feng Piaoling and spoke in a cold, indifferent tone.
Feng Piaoling didn't mind. "Please go in and report that during this recent trip abroad, Feng Piaoling discovered someone who possesses the same martial soul as Elder Kong."
The Imperial Consecration Hall had never participated in the power struggles of the imperial family. The reason Hall Master Kong Deming refused to take him as a disciple was precisely because he was one of Crown Prince Xu Tianran's men. Regarding this, Xu Tianran's stance was that it didn't matter if he was accepted or not; they only needed to maintain a good relationship as much as possible. Of course, if Kong Deming truly took Feng Piaoling as a disciple, that would be for the best, as it would help stabilize his position as the Crown Prince.
"Please wait a moment." The guard froze. After a slight hesitation, he turned and walked into the Consecration Hall
A moment later, the guard emerged. The previous official business-like demeanor was gone, replaced by a tone that held a hint of flattery. "Please, come in."
Feng Piaoling said nothing and walked straight inside.
Half an hour later, inside the Enshrinement Hall's assembly hall.
Feng Piaoling sipped fragrant tea, waiting quietly. Within the massive assembly hall spanning over a thousand square meters, he was currently the only person present. Thinking back on how he had been walking on thin ice all these years, he couldn't help but feel a bit lost. Now, he finally had the chance to possess a backer he could rely on. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about being bullied by the powerful in the open.
The three-meter-high metal doors opened, and a majestic yet calm voice echoed from outside. "Stand guard outside. No one is to disturb us without my command."
"Yes."
Feng Piaoling snapped out of his melancholy, stood up, and looked toward the doors.
As the doors opened, an elder walked in. He was very tall, with gray-white short hair that stood up straight. He was wearing a bright yellow robe—a color reserved exclusively for the imperial family. The aura radiating from him was incredibly terrifying, no less imposing than that of a Transcendent Douluo.
"Keep it short. You had better guarantee that what you say is the truth, otherwise, I won't care if you are the Crown Prince's man or not."
The elder was none other than the Hall Master of the Sun Moon Empire's Enshrinement Hall, Kong Deming. In the original story, he was the only individual who, as a Rank 94 Titled Douluo, was capable of going toe-to-toe with a Transcendent Douluo. Later, he broke through to Rank 95 and became a Class 10 Soul Engineer, becoming a peerless existence in the era of Douluo II.
Feng Piaoling said, "Elder Kong, I was ordered to gather intelligence at Shrek Academy. It so happened that a teacher from Shrek's Outer Courtyard died mysteriously, causing great panic within the academy. To protect the safety of the Outer Courtyard students, Shrek Academy dispatched a large number of Inner Courtyard disciples to patrol. One of them caught my attention."
Kong Deming did not speak; he merely looked at Feng Piaoling silently, signaling for him to continue.
"Zhang Lexuan, the Eldest Senior Sister of Shrek's Inner Courtyard. Twenty-four years old, martial soul: Moon, an eight-ring Soul Douluo. She has led Shrek Academy in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Elite Competition twice. If you don't believe me, Elder Kong, you can simply have someone check the records of past competitions."
Twenty-four years old, eight rings, Moon martial soul?
Hearing Feng Piaoling's words, a flash of interest flickered in Kong Deming's eyes. But then, as if remembering something, he shook his head.
"Putting aside whether she is a member of my clan, even if she is, she likely moved there during the imperial turmoil thousands of years ago. Not only is the bloodline distant, but she has already taken root in Shrek. She won't return to the Sun Moon Empire."
"What if the death of her parents was related to Shrek?" Feng Piaoling asked in return.
"What do you mean?" Kong Deming looked at him with confusion.
Feng Piaoling explained, "According to my investigation, Zhang Lexuan was originally a noble of the Heaven Soul Empire. Later, she was persecuted by another noble, and her entire family was wiped out. Only Zhang Lexuan, who was hiding under a bed at the time, survived. Afterward, she was picked up in the outskirts by Shrek's Transcendent Douluo, Mu En. Mu En saw her talent and, under the guise of helping her get revenge, made her a 'child bride' for his great-great-grandson and made her swear lifelong loyalty to Shrek. Interestingly enough, not long ago, Mu En fought another Transcendent Douluo and sustained extremely heavy injuries. He doesn't have many years left to live."
"Don't you find this curious? An entire family is slaughtered, yet they happen to leave behind one little girl under a bed? Isn't checking under the bed the most basic step during a massacre? And that Mu En—he was beaten to the brink of death and only has a few years left. Instead of staying home to recover, he happens to wander off to the Heaven Soul Empire and just happens to encounter the survivor Zhang Lexuan?"
"He used her desperation to force a debt of gratitude. Tsk tsk. Elder Kong, would you say the death of Zhang Lexuan's parents really has nothing to do with Shrek Academy?"
Listening to Feng Piaoling's words, Kong Deming fell into deep thought. Due to the cruel imperial struggles, he was currently the only one left of the imperial bloodline who possessed the Moon martial soul. If he died, this martial soul would likely become extinct. Now that he heard of another Moon martial soul's existence, he naturally couldn't let the opportunity pass.
As for whether it was a coincidence or a plot by Shrek, it didn't really matter. All that mattered was whether she could be brought back to the Sun Moon Empire.
At this point, Kong Deming's attitude toward Feng Piaoling softened slightly. "Speak. What do you want? I will state this upfront: it is impossible for me to take you as a disciple."
Feng Piaoling smiled. "I know the rules of the Consecration Hall There is no need for discipleship. I only ask that you provide me with some protection at critical moments. Of course, if I encounter problems regarding soul tools that I don't understand, it would be wonderful if Elder Kong would be willing to offer a bit of guidance."
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