Time passed, minute by minute. A quarter of an hour later—
Xu Tianshi looked at Xu Tiannan and said, "Fine. I agree to the cooperation."
Having reached an agreement, the two exchanged knowing smiles. Nothing more needed to be said.
An unspoken understanding had been formed—first, they would eliminate their most powerful rival, the Second Prince, and then the two of them would decide the final victor between themselves.
Soon after, Xu Tiannan and Xu Tianshi began discussing the details of their cooperation within the pavilion—how to act, and how to deal with the Second Prince, Xu Tianyu.
As their discussion grew intense—
Behind an artificial rockery not far away, a figure dressed in the exclusive robes of a Sun Moon Empire Court Offering silently hid in the shadows, watching their every move.
Time flew by, and evening arrived.
Inside the pavilion, Xu Tiannan and Xu Tianshi had finally finished planning their strategy against the Second Prince.
After refusing Xu Tiannan's invitation to stay longer, the Third Prince, Xu Tianshi, left the garden with his guards.
Watching his brother's departing back, Xu Tiannan's eyes flashed with a trace of mockery—
Whether it was mockery of Xu Tianshi's overconfidence in thinking he could contend with him, or mockery of Xu Tianyu's ambitions, no one could tell.
At that moment, the powerful expert who had been standing silently behind Xu Tiannan said, "Your Highness, it's getting late. You should rest here for the night."
Hearing this, Xu Tiannan turned his head toward the man. The fact that he didn't bow slightly displeased him—but remembering that the man was a wandering cultivator, unaccustomed to formalities, he suppressed his irritation.
Smiling, Xu Tiannan replied warmly, "I appreciate your concern, Master Song, but I've just finished discussing matters with Third Brother, and there are things I must handle. I won't be staying."
Then, Xu Tiannan took a seventh-rank flying soul tool from his storage device, activated it, and disappeared into the darkness, flying swiftly toward Mingdu.
(In the original canon during the second Soul Dueling Tournament, Xu Tiannan, at just over thirty, could already wield ninth-rank peak-level soul tools, his cultivation at least near the Contra level. Here, in his early twenties, being able to use a seventh-rank soul tool is perfectly reasonable.)
Watching Xu Tiannan vanish into the night sky, Master Song's eyes widened in shock.
"What incredible speed! That's a seventh-rank soul tool—the Wings of Night!
I didn't expect the Crown Prince to have enough soul power to drive something of that level. It seems my judgment was right after all.
Not only is his wisdom unmatched—even his strength surpasses the rest. The Crown Prince will surely become the Heir, and one day, Emperor!"
After both Xu Tianshi and Xu Tiannan had left, the shadowy figure in the imperial offering's robes quietly departed from behind the rockery, flying toward the imperial palace.
——————————
That evening, inside the Mingde Hall study of the imperial palace.
The Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Jing, sat upright within.
Clad in a magnificent dragon robe, his complexion was pale and sickly, yet his presence radiated power—majestic and imposing, making none dare meet his gaze.
At this moment, he was reading a report sent in by one of his court offerings.
It detailed nothing other than today's secret meeting and alliance between the Crown Prince, Xu Tiannan, and the Third Prince, Xu Tianshi.
As the Emperor—the most powerful man in the Sun Moon Empire—there was nothing in Mingdu that could escape his eyes.
The princes were no exception. Xu Jing needed only to dispatch a single ninth-rank soul engineer skilled in stealth, and he could easily learn everything about their activities.
If he so wished, he could even know the exact times his sons visited the lavatory or what words they spoke in private.
After finishing the report, Xu Jing's expression remained calm, utterly unshaken. He did not seem angered by the princes' scheming.
As the Emperor, he was long accustomed to such things—he himself had once risen to the throne through similar struggles.
To him, such conflict was a good thing. Only the victor of these battles would be the strongest, the one worthy to inherit the throne of the Sun Moon Empire.
Only such an Emperor could continue to strengthen and expand the empire.
If a weakling were to inherit it instead, the Sun Moon Empire's future would inevitably decline.
However… this kind of struggle had to remain within reasonable bounds.
For example—fighting and scheming among princes was fine, as long as it stayed within the rules. But under no circumstances could ninth-rank soul engineers become involved.
If ninth-rank soul engineers were to take sides, and the conflict between princes escalated into open warfare, even violent succession battles—then the involvement of such powerhouses would lead to devastating losses for the empire.
This was something Xu Jing would never allow.
Fortunately, most ministers still had sense and maintained proper distance.
Among them, Jing Hongchen had done particularly well. As the Dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and the Master of Mingde Hall, he refused all invitations and refused to meet any princes seeking alliances.
Xu Jing was quite satisfied with this.
But some of his sons were not so wise.
They truly dared to try anything—courting anyone, making any move.
Though his health was poor, he wasn't dead yet. And they already dared to rope in court officials and ninth-rank soul engineers? What would happen if he fell seriously ill or lost consciousness—would they try to overturn the heavens themselves?
Xu Jing's voice turned cold. "Attend me. Draft a decree."
At his command, several eunuchs entered the study, kneeling on the floor, listening attentively, ready to record the Emperor's words.
Xu Jing spoke slowly:
"Effective immediately, no prince is permitted to make contact with Mingde Hall, the Five Guardian Hands Soul Engineer Corps, or the Imperial Offering Hall.
Any prince who violates this decree shall be expelled from Mingdu and sent back to his fief."
The meaning of the decree was clear—the princes could compete, but the ninth-rank soul engineers were not to be involved.
Any prince who dared disobey would lose the right to compete for the throne—banished back to his lands to live out his days.
After finishing, Xu Jing said to the eunuchs,
"Go. Deliver my decree to the princes."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Outside, night had deepened. The palace was silent, while the soul lamps of the study illuminated the room as bright as day—casting sharp light over Xu Jing's pale, stern face.
——————————
Following the Emperor's decree, both Crown Prince Xu Tiannan and Princes Xu Tianyu and Xu Tianshi were startled.
All of them, openly or secretly, had attempted to court ninth-rank soul engineers. The Emperor's edict was clearly a warning—they had gone too far.
For a time, all the princes felt uneasy, not daring to contact any ninth-rank soul engineer again, fearing the Emperor might strip them of their right to contend for the throne.
Unlike the nervous princes, the ninth-rank soul engineers all sighed in relief—finally free from the fear of being dragged into the imperial succession struggle.
Upon hearing the news, Meng Hongchen ran straight to her grandfather, Jing Hongchen, and asked excitedly, "Grandpa, does this mean I can go see Brother Wang Chen now?"