In this life, he had become the person most favored by the heavens.
From the moment he was born, he awakened the memories of his previous life. Through various means, he made his father crush Xu Tianran's family's ambition to collude with evil soul masters and usurp power long before it could take root.
Innate full soul power of level 20, a top-tier spiritual attribute body martial soul—the Golden Eyes—coupled with the mutated top-tier beast martial soul Purple Brilliant Lightning Prison Dragon. On top of that, he possessed astonishing talent as a soul mentor, along with the assistance of the million-year soul beasts Tianmeng Ice Silkworm and Electrolux.
Time and time again, he broke the continent's records, becoming the unrivaled heaven-defying genius of this era.
Sun Moon Empire Imperial Palace, Eastern Palace.
Within the resplendent and extravagantly luxurious palace, Xu Zihuang stood silently before a wide floor-to-ceiling mirror, allowing a group of charming palace maids to dress and groom him.
Tall and upright, he wore magnificent four-dragon sun-and-moon prince brocade robes. The purple-gold patterns perfectly complemented the few strands of purple hair at his temples, while his deep purple eyes exuded an aura of nobility and arrogance, his face filled with unyielding pride and majesty.
Unknowingly, he drew the gazes of these palace maids, causing their cheeks to flush and their hearts to race like startled deer.
In the Sun Moon Empire, there wasn't a single girl of age who didn't harbor dreams about this Crown Prince. His Highness the Crown Prince was simply too perfect.
Top-tier appearance and temperament were merely the surface. In governing state affairs, he had already displayed the qualities of a wise ruler of his generation.
His cultivation talent was even more astonishing—no one in this era could rival him.
At merely twenty years old, he already possessed the cultivation of a Soul Douluo. He even had the terrifying battle record of single-handedly annihilating five Titled Douluo while only at the Soul Sage level.
A slightly petite palace maid took out two peculiar earrings from a brocade box—one styled as a golden sun, the other as a silver moon. These were the symbols of the Sun Moon Empire.
And on this day, at the grand ceremony of conferring the title of Crown Prince, Xu Zihuang, who was becoming the heir apparent, finally gained the qualification to wear these two earrings.
The petite palace maid stood on tiptoes to fasten the earrings onto Xu Zihuang. The golden sun and silver moon shone brilliantly, radiating gorgeous halos of gold and silver light.
Suddenly, a palace maid quickly entered from outside, knelt beside Xu Zihuang, bowed her head, and respectfully said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, His Majesty, and Her Majesty the Empress have arrived. Please proceed immediately to the Heaven-Worshipping Platform."
Xu Zihuang silently walked toward the outside of the palace, and the group of palace maids hurriedly followed behind him.
In this life, after Emperor Xu He's father passed away from illness, considering the turbulent situation of the empire at the time, he did not pass the throne to the young Xu He, who had not inherited the powerful imperial martial soul, but instead to the equally legitimate Purple Brilliant King Xu Zihuang, who held military power.
Originally, Xu Zihuang's father had intended to pass the throne to Xu He in the future. However, over the years, Xu Zihuang, the proud son of heaven, had long won the hearts of the people. Under the expectations of the masses, this long-delayed Crown Prince conferment ceremony, postponed for more than ten years, finally took place.
The moment he stepped out of the Eastern Palace, he encountered another ceremonial guard procession. At the front walked an exquisite beauty wearing a luxurious white-gold palace gown.
The peerless beauty had captivating wine-red long hair, elegantly coiled up, revealing a snow-white jade neck as proud as a swan. One hand gently caressed her slightly bulging abdomen, her beautiful face filled with happiness. Even though she was pregnant, her figure had a mysterious fullness, and her fair skin appeared even more crystalline and translucent.
It was none other than the current Crown Princess of the Sun Moon Empire—Meng Hongchen.
Today was not only Xu Zihuang's Crown Prince conferment ceremony, but Meng Hongchen would also be conferred as Crown Princess. At the same time, it was the wedding day of the two.
They had known each other since childhood and had been inseparable ever since. Under Xu Zihuang's leadership, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy crushed Shrek Academy twice in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, and Meng Hongchen had always been by his side.
They cultivated together, experienced trials together, and grew together. Their feelings for each other flowed naturally. They became the most enviable pair in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy—and even in the entire Sun Moon Empire.
Long ago, they had naturally completed the final step. However, because Xu Zihuang had an epiphany in his cultivation, their wedding had been delayed until now.
"Your Highness." Meng Hongchen's red lips parted slightly as she moved to step forward.
Xu Zihuang raised his right hand and gently stopped Meng Hongchen with an invisible surge of soul power.
"Didn't I tell you many times? Between the two of us, there is no need for so many worldly formalities."
Xu Zihuang's gaze softened as he pulled Meng Hongchen into his embrace, his other hand gently resting on her abdomen.
This was the continuation of his bloodline.
A strange tenderness blossomed deep in his heart, yet it was accompanied by an inexplicable feeling of emptiness.
"Mm." Meng Hongchen nodded lightly, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, thoroughly enjoying Xu Zihuang's doting affection.
Being able to meet, know, and walk together with Xu Zihuang was the greatest fortune of her life.
The warm sensation of their skin touching and the pleasant fragrance emanating from Meng Hongchen quickly covered that faint illusory feeling.
Xu Zihuang naturally lowered his head and captured those soft lips. Although they had practiced this countless times before, a trace of shyness still appeared in Meng Hongchen's eyes.
Only after a long while did he personally help the slightly panting Meng Hongchen board the dragon carriage waiting outside the Eastern Palace.
The dragon carriage was draped in bright yellow silk with a pattern of four dragons soaring amid the sun and moon, but in all the important core positions, the pattern was that of the sun and moon vying for brilliance.
The gauze curtains around the dragon carriage were drawn up, revealing the figures of Xu Zihuang and Meng Hongchen. Xu Zihuang was noble and solemn; Meng Hongchen was magnificent and graceful.
Since it was called a dragon carriage, naturally, it was pulled by a dragon-type soul beast.
When Xu Zihuang and Meng Hongchen boarded the dragon carriage, the golden dragon lying prostrate on the ground slowly rose. Though it had no wings, its entire body was covered in dense golden scales.
It exuded a rich aura of light. This light aura invisibly purified the air, making people feel warm and comfortable.
This was a ten-thousand-year Golden Earth Dragon King, a ground dragon soul beast with pure light-attribute dragon bloodline. If it had been successfully cultivated for one hundred thousand years, it would be enough to become a beast king-level existence.
This Golden Earth Dragon King was also one of Xu Zihuang's opportunities in recent years. All the luck of this world seemed to be gathered upon him alone.
Amid low dragon roars, the dragon carriage slowly began to move.
Several thousand elite soldiers clad in golden armor led the way ahead, followed closely by the Golden Earth Dragon King pulling the dragon carriage. The palace maids who served Xu Zihuang and Meng Hongchen followed behind the carriage.
At the southern suburbs of Mingdu, more than ten million citizens of the Sun Moon Empire had gathered around a massive altar.
The altar itself was a peculiar platform. The left side was circular, and the right side was crescent-shaped, positioned close to each other.
The circular altar covered more than ten thousand square meters and stood ten zhang tall. Upon the platform, there were seven layered tiers, each shrinking as they rose. The topmost platform was only a thousand square meters.
All seven tiers, from bottom to top, were colored red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—representing the colors of the rainbow, encompassing all the colors of heaven and earth.
Four sets of stone steps around the altar led step by step to the top.
The area was already packed with one hundred thousand troops and more than ten million citizens of the Sun Moon Empire. Soul guide weapon positions were constructed in all four directions of the altar, guarded by the most powerful forces of the Sun Moon Empire's national protectors—the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Corps and the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineering Corps.
At this moment, the sky was fully bright, and sunlight shone upon the majestic Sun Moon Altar, reflecting dazzling seven-colored clouds of light. From afar, it was an extremely spectacular sight.
A majestic middle-aged man wearing a purple-gold crown with nine dragons holding pearls stood on the top tier of the altar, basking in the cheers of the citizens and soldiers.
"Long live! Long live! Long live!" Under the unified command of soldiers waving their spears, tsunami-like cheers resounded through the skies.
The middle-aged man was the current Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire and Xu Zihuang's father, the former Purple Brilliant King, Xu Zhengxuan.
On the second tier of the altar, a beautiful woman in palace attire waited quietly with a faint smile on her face. She was the current Empress of the Sun Moon Empire, Yu Qing'er, who came from the Heavenly Dragon Sect of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Because of this connection, and because Xu Zhengxuan vigorously promoted ties between the Sun Moon Empire and the original three empires of the Douluo Continent after ascending the throne, the relationship between the Sun Moon Empire and the Heavenly Soul Empire had entered a honeymoon period, and relations with the Star Luo Empire and Dou Ling Empire had also eased considerably.
One of the measures was to publicize that mixed blood between the people of the Sun Moon Empire and the original three empires of the Douluo Continent made it easier for geniuses to appear.
Xu Zihuang and Shrek Academy's Inner Court eldest senior sister Zhang Lexuan were the best examples. In this life, Zhang Lexuan's bloodline origin had been confirmed—her Silver Moon martial soul was also a powerful martial soul inherited from the Sun Moon Empire side.
The continent had entered an unprecedented period of peace.
But this was only the surface appearance. Behind the scenes, the high levels of the four great empires all had their own plans.
Only when the continent had one unified nation could true peace be achieved.
From the direction of Mingdu, a procession entirely in bright yellow slowly approached the Heaven-Worshipping Platform.
The cheers became even more fervent—these were shouts that came from the deepest hearts of the Sun Moon Empire's people.
This father and son pair would surely lead the Sun Moon Empire to prosperity and usher in a brand-new golden age.
Under the gaze of tens of millions, the dragon carriage finally arrived at the edge of the Sun Moon Altar.
Xu Zihuang held Meng Hongchen's jade hand and, amid countless fervent gazes from citizens and soldiers, walked toward the higher levels of the altar amid cheers.
The lower five tiers of the altar were filled with the most influential figures of the Sun Moon Empire—major noble families, high-ranking military officials, and members of the imperial family.
The higher one stood, the higher their status.
When he reached the fifth tier, Xu Zihuang saw many familiar faces.
There was Yao Yang, who had been conferred the title of Marquis Yuenan, wearing a warm spring-like smile; Jing Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen, grandfather and grandson, whose faces were filled with gratification and fanaticism.
After today, the Hongchen family's power in the Sun Moon Empire would reach its peak.
The five great national protector soul engineering corps leaders, all the imperial worshippers, and the Hall Master of the Worship Hall, Kong Deming.
Kong Deming's eyes were filled with pride. He didn't care about the title of future Imperial Tutor; he was purely proud of the Sun Moon Empire's prosperous future.
Next were the imperial family members—various princes of the imperial clan, as well as Xu Tianran and several of his brothers, whose eyes flickered and dared not meet his gaze.
Although Xu Tianran's family's ambitions had been crushed, their status and titles had not been stripped.
Since they had lost all power and every move was under surveillance, there was no need to earn the infamous reputation of slaughtering one's own kin.
Finally, there was Xu He—or rather, He Caitou—who wore a calm expression. Though his skin was dark, his original appearance was still handsome and refined.
"Go, Zihuang."
He Caitou smiled and nodded in encouragement. He had never coveted the throne. Xu Zihuang was far more suitable to become the heir to the Sun Moon Empire's throne.
Xu Zihuang protected Meng Hongchen as they ascended, his steps not fast but steady.
When he reached the sixth tier and saw the beautiful woman in palace attire, his gaze involuntarily dazed for a moment, and he unconsciously released Meng Hongchen's hand.
Meng Hongchen naturally walked to the beautiful woman's side. Both women looked at Xu Zihuang with eyes full of tenderness.
Mother and wife—these were the two most important women in his life.
The top tier of the altar was engraved with numerous gorgeous patterns. A huge six-pointed star glimmered faintly golden under the sunlight. At the center of the star, the sun and moon patterns shone dazzlingly.
The sun was golden, the moon was silver—echoing the pair of earrings Xu Zihuang wore.
He slowly walked to Xu Zhengxuan and slightly lowered his head.
The emperor Xu Zhengxuan personally placed the Sun Moon Purple-Gold Crown, symbolizing the Crown Prince, upon Xu Zihuang's head, completing this first transfer of power.
Xu Zihuang's entire body was bathed in golden and silver light.
"Woo—woo—woo—" A long horn sound resembling the low roar of a giant beast rang out. Xu Zihuang restrained the trace of daze deep in his eyes and accepted the golden phoenix crown that Xu Zhengxuan handed him.
He turned and walked toward Meng Hongchen, yet a strange, illusory feeling rose in his heart.
Power, status, strength—he was about to reach the peak. He and Meng Hongchen even had the continuation of their bloodline. As a person, reaching this point seemed to be the pinnacle of life.
In the future, touching that realm was not impossible.
Yet why did he feel lost?
With the beautiful woman's support, Meng Hongchen bent slightly at the waist and lowered her head, a happy smile on her lips.
However, Xu Zihuang never placed the crown upon her.
"Zihuang?" The beautiful woman in palace attire couldn't help but lightly frown and softly remind him. Yet what she saw in Xu Zihuang's eyes was a depth that seemed capable of swallowing everything.
Xu Zihuang's deep purple eyes instantly turned brilliant gold. Circle after circle of soul rings rose from beneath his feet.
Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Gold! Red!
Eight soul rings displayed his Soul Douluo-level cultivation, but this terrifying soul ring configuration was enough to shock anyone. The bewitching blood-red and noble brilliant-gold lights reflected upon the snow-white skin of the beautiful woman and Meng Hongchen.
The entire venue erupted in uproar, not understanding what His Highness the Crown Prince intended.
Meng Hongchen, sensing something amiss, raised her head. Confusion, grievance, and various other emotions flickered in her beautiful eyes.
"This is indeed everything I ever desired, but unfortunately, it is only an illusion." Xu Zihuang murmured to himself as memories of countless previous reincarnations began to resurface.
Under a special enlightenment, his Golden Eyes martial soul seemed to undergo ascension.
A huge Golden Eyes phantom enveloped his body. In the next instant, the golden pupil phantom flashed several thousand meters high in the sky, and his figure appeared with it.
Looking down from above, he clearly saw countless scenes.
Scenes of the vicissitudes of time—images of the future.
"Void? Future sight?"
And at that moment, the surrounding space began to shatter, and Xu Zihuang's consciousness sank once more.
In the illusory space, everything around was filled with dreamy colors.
One gold and one silver—two figures quietly hovered there.
The silver-robed man smiled awkwardly.
"Do you think imprinting our divinity onto his martial soul like this might be a bit against the rules?"
"He merely passed the trial and obtained the reward he deserved," the gold-robed man replied indifferently.
"Tang San is too selfish. If he takes control, it will only bring disaster to the God Realm. Only if you and I, with similar power, create the sixth God King of the God Realm can the situation be broken."
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