Watching the clouds drift by, Xu Jiujiu was reviewing the mission her imperial brother had assigned her before she left. At a certain moment, a figure approached her side. "Princess Jiujiu?"
Xu Jiujiu paused for a moment, reining in all her personal emotions. She turned around, a flawless, polite smile appearing on her face. "What is it, Miss Meng?"
Meng Hongchen smiled and said, "It's just about the advancement of our cooperation after we arrive in the Sun Moon Empire, as well as some details regarding your itinerary during your stay. I simply wanted to confirm them with you."
A flash of surprise crossed Xu Jiujiu's eyes, but she quickly returned to normal, her tone gentle. "I appreciate your trouble, Miss Meng."
"It's nothing," Meng Hongchen waved her hand, but her gaze unconsciously drifted toward another part of the cabin.
There, Kong Mingan sat in a comfortable chair. On his lap, a petite girl in a white and green dress was curled up boredly in his arms, her eyes tightly shut, sleeping exceptionally peacefully and sweetly, looking utterly satisfied. Nearby, a certain princess was puffing out her cheeks, watching the scene with a resentful gaze, the wisps of resentment around her almost turning solid. Even further away, a blonde girl with red eyes seemed to be working hard at her cultivation, yet she also cast complicated and hesitant glances from time to time. Such a small area was so eventful. Meng Hongchen sighed silently in her heart, withdrew her gaze, and added to Xu Jiujiu, "...Anyway, I don't have anything else to do right now."
Her tone carried a hint of helplessness. Xu Jiujiu blinked, looking at the various girls with their different expressions, feeling a bit confused for a moment. Was the atmosphere here in Sun Moon so strange?
Xu Jiujiu felt like she had stumbled upon some very strange intelligence.
At the center of everyone's attention, Kong Mingan's expression was calm. One hand rested gently on the slender, soft waist of the Ice Empress in his arms, holding her lightly, looking perfectly content to act as a body pillow. However, his heart was full of helplessness. Previously, within the Divine Kingdom of Order, he had been dragged into intense Dual Cultivation by the Ice Empress for several days, ostensibly to consolidate their cultivation and clear away any "unusual scents." During that time, aside from making himself roll his eyes repeatedly, the Ice Empress had been very satisfied—yes, very full and satisfied. In short, after the Dual Cultivation ended, the Ice Empress's cultivation was consolidated and her aura was more refined, but she was exhausted, so tired she didn't want to move a finger. He had suggested using space teleportation to take her directly back to Sun Moon to rest, but she refused, insisting on taking the flying spirit tool back with the main group. He wanted to decline, but she whined and made a fuss, so he had no choice but to agree. Then... after seeing Xu Tianzhen, Qiu'er, and the others board the aircraft, she forced herself to use her last bit of energy to dominantly curl into Kong Mingan's arms. She then lifted her tired golden eyes and coldly swept her gaze over the surrounding girls who were watching like hawks, clearly declaring her sovereignty through her actions, leaving everyone in silence. Once on the aircraft, she was even more direct, adjusting her position to curl up comfortably in Kong Mingan's arms to sleep, firmly occupying the best spot and giving no one else a chance to get close. One could only say that as expected of the Ice Empress, she was the best at guarding her food.
Kong Mingan felt a bit helpless, but he felt he could still handle this kind of scene for now. The only problem was that his intuition told him this probably wouldn't be a one-time thing; it would likely happen repeatedly in the future... As the Sun Moon Team embarked on their journey home, on the other side, in the study of the Crown Prince's residence in the Mingdu of the Sun Moon Empire.
A young man with regular features and a hint of kindness and gentleness in his expression was bent over a large desk, focused on reviewing a pile of documents. If one observed closely, they would notice that one of his hands was always covered by a tight glove. As he moved, an extremely faint mechanical sound, different from that of flesh and blood, would emanate—smooth, yet possessing an inhuman precision and a sense of resistance.
This person was none other than the current Crown Prince of Sun Moon, Crown Prince Xu Tianran.
At one point, Crown Prince Xu Tianran's movements suddenly halted. In his field of vision, a stream of information that only he could see quietly emerged. This was not the "Spiritual Pivot Network" that covered the entire Sun Moon Empire, but a "Dark Net" he had secretly built using his own power and resources, cleverly Parasite-ing it under the massive architecture of the "Spiritual Pivot Network." It was a private tool completely under his control, undetected by the "Spiritual Pivot Network," specifically used for gathering secret intelligence and transmitting top-secret orders.
With a thought from Crown Prince Xu Tianran, the information expanded, revealing its contents: "The Sun Moon Team has returned. Princess Xu Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire has accompanied them back, showing a strong intention for cooperation. Follow-up matters will be handled entirely by the Vice President of the Kong Family Chamber of Commerce, Meng Hongchen."
Crown Prince Xu Tianran looked at the message in silence, his eyes dark and inscrutable.
The Kong Family Chamber of Commerce... currently the largest commercial giant within the Sun Moon Empire. It controlled countless core spirit tool technology patents, and its wealth had accumulated to a staggering level, forming a de facto monopoly in many cutting-edge industries. Furthermore, the chamber had recruited a large number of the Empire's top talents and maintained an extremely close direct cooperative relationship with the Imperial military, providing them with weapons and equipment. Of course, this alone was not enough for the Crown Prince to be so concerned. The key lay in the fact that the honorary president of this chamber was the pillar of the Sun Moon Empire, Limit DouluoKong Deming. The president was Kong Deming's own grandson and the founder of the "Spiritual Pivot Network," Kong Mingan. The vice president was the granddaughter of Illustrious Virtue Hall's Hall Master Jing Hongchen, Meng Hongchen. These two were childhood sweethearts with a deep relationship, and there was a high probability they would become partners in the future.
It could be said that the Kong Family Chamber of Commerce was essentially a private industry led by the Kong Family, with the Hongchen Family as its vassal. It maintained a delicate independence from both the imperial family and the nobility. In any other Empire, such a power would never be allowed to exist, as it was a potential threat to imperial authority. However... it couldn't be helped given the existence of Kong Deming. This pillar of the nation had reached the pinnacle of both spirit tool technology and personal strength, especially after his Breakthrough to Limit Douluo, which further extended his lifespan. Kong Deming had also proven his absolute loyalty to the Sun Moon Empire and the Emperor over the hundred-plus years of the first half of his life. This forced everyone who coveted the Chamber's power to suppress their desires and instead choose to cooperate with it to get a share of the profits. Honestly, setting aside total control, if the Chamber could even just support him from behind, the throne would be within his grasp, given its vast resources, advanced spirit tool technology, and close ties with the military. But unfortunately, he knew this was impossible. Kong Deming's position dictated that he would never allow anyone to shake the Chamber's independence, especially when it involved his precious grandson.
The engagement ceremony was already on the schedule; there wasn't much time left for him...
A haze of gloom flashed through Crown Prince Xu Tianran's eyes. After a slight pause, with a thought, he sent an encrypted command through the "Dark Net."
(End of Chapter)
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