Peerless: The Evil Soul Master's Guide to Saving the World

"I've said it before, the future of the Sun Moon Empire lies in the stars and the sea," Xu Cheng said with a smile.

"You mean... the world outside Douluo Continent?" Jing Hongchen tapped the table lightly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. This continent has existed for so long that there are still many things left over from ancient times that have not been discovered by humans.

Similarly, throughout its long history, many people have made contact with another world.

Although people cannot explore more information about other worlds, they are aware of their existence.

“That’s right, but that’s a bit far off. Our immediate priority is to resolve another crisis,” Xu Cheng said with a smile.

"what?"

"The Abyss Dimension..."

"..."

"Wouldn't that be four or five years from now? That is, not long after the next All-Continent Soul Master Academy Tournament ends?" Jing Hongchen's eyes widened.

A plane from the depths of the universe—this is no small target, and it is far beyond the reach of the scum and rotten fish and crabs of the original continent.

“That’s right.” Xu Cheng nodded slightly.

He had completely forgotten about the college competition.

After all, it's uncertain whether the tournament will be the Continental Academy Tournament or the Sun Moon Empire Academy Tournament four years from now...

"Don't worry, as long as we can build the linked soul-guided cannon for the interstellar warship, the eleventh-level soul-guided device will be enough to deal with those guys," Xu Cheng said, waving his hand.

"As for the energy shield and warp drive of the interstellar battleship, with the blueprints in hand, you and Elder Kong should be able to handle it, right?"

“Yes, I just checked. With me and Elder Kong setting the tone, and reducing other production capacity to focus on the interstellar warship manufacturing plan, we can produce the first true interstellar warship in three years at most. Frigates aren’t too difficult to build, and we can build them along the way. Then, with experience, we can start mass production gradually, like dropping dumplings into boiling water,” Jing Hongchen said thoughtfully.

"But putting that aside... your blueprints are truly amazing. I've been working through them for ages and can't find a better solution. Both the cost and soul power consumption are practically minimized." He sighed, glancing at Xu Cheng, "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were designed by a god..."

"Is the cost high?" Xu Cheng frowned slightly.

Currently, the Starlink Railway is also starting to extend from Mingdu to more than twenty provinces. These are all money-burning projects, and don't expect to make a profit in the short term. This thing is inherently intertwined with political and military attributes.

"It's not that high," Jing Hongchen shook his head.

"Most of the materials needed are available in the Sun Moon Empire, which can be self-sufficient. The national treasury also has a considerable amount, enough to build at least two ships. As for the other metals that are not available, substitutes can be found. The price of one ship, at most, is more than 400 million gold soul coins."

"Of course, I'm thinking of building one interstellar warship first, followed by four escort ships as the first fleet. The military can also start preparations, selecting suitable personnel for training. After all, three years is a short time, just a blink of an eye..."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble. I'll take care of the military matters." Xu Cheng nodded slightly.

It can only be said that the Sun Moon Empire is extremely rich in metal resources, even accounting for more than three-fifths of the current total of the continent. Otherwise, trying to build interstellar warships with the power of a single nation would be nothing short of a joke.

"Hehe, for the sake of the empire, what's the hardship..." Jing Hongchen chuckled.

Even if it's tiring, there's always hope in your heart.

He also hoped that the Sun and Moon Empire, under their watchful eyes, would stride into the stars and into the true universe…

……

Prince's Mansion.

The interior of the house is antique and elegant.

After a long while, he looked around with some curiosity at the calligraphy and paintings, porcelain, and some artifacts that Xingluo had never seen before.

Is this where he usually lives?

The girl thought to herself.

The events of that night in the room during the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament a year ago flashed through his mind.

At the time, she presumptuously tried to persuade him, but she never expected that her brother's seemingly unbreakable defense would be broken down one by one by him, and he would leave calmly. That dashing figure must not only be engraved in her heart, but also in the hearts of countless girls present.

only……

After a long while, her pretty face fell.

Thinking of her brother's words of advice, her emotions grew even stronger.

She used to present herself as the noble Star Luo Princess when she was with him, including when they met at the Shrek Auction.

But now... what identity should she assume? A princess of a fallen kingdom?

No, she probably wasn't even a princess of a fallen kingdom; she was just a poor, down-on-her-luck heiress.

Thinking of this, she pursed her red lips for a long time.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps.

Nana's whisper came from outside the door, as if she were explaining something to the person who entered. The person nodded slightly, and the door opened...

"I wonder what brings Your Highness here?" Xu Cheng sat in the main seat, smiling as he observed her for a long time.

The beauty remained, still in the prime of her youth, but her expression... seemed to carry a deep weariness.

Is the Star Luo Empire in a complete mess because it was swindled out of hundreds of millions by itself?
Xu Cheng pondered for a moment.

"Your Highness...it's been a long time." Xu Jiujiu quickly stood up and bowed slightly to the newcomer in the court etiquette.

"Sit down. You know I don't like these formalities. Let's get straight to the point." Xu Cheng waved his hand and said, "My time is also precious. If I hadn't heard from Ju Zi that you were here, I wouldn't have come back."

After a long pause, he took a deep breath. "Your Highness, my elder brother entrusted me with this task because he wants to admit defeat to the Sun Moon Empire."

“A loss is a loss. As a neighboring country of the Sun Moon Empire, Xingluo simply has no ability to resist the Sun Moon army. Moreover, the fact that they were attacked to the Xingluo capital last time already proves everything. Xingluo is unwilling to be Shrek's pawn again, nor is it willing to be driven by them…”

"So you mean, Xingluo wants to sue for peace?" Xu Cheng tapped the armrest of his chair lightly, his eyes closed.

I wasn't wrong.

After all, in the original work, Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire "returned" the country to Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger. It can be foreseen that the latter is still very "flexible". The strength of the Sun Moon Empire has far exceeded their imagination. Once the recuperation is over and the war begins, that will be the time for the Star Luo Empire to perish.

Seeking peace and stability is in line with his style.

“It’s not about seeking peace.” Xu Jiujiu gently shook his head. “Brother wants to hand over Xingluo to you, and our Xu family will return to our sect. If possible, we also want to submit to you like the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.”

"Hmm?" Xu Cheng looked surprised and opened his eyes to look at the girl.

Is Xu Jiawei really that sensible?
Handing over the entire Star Luo Empire would mean that the Sun Moon Empire's territory would instantly double in size, and its complete, undamaged social system, along with all its ordinary civilians, would fall under its control—making it an invaluable resource.

"interesting……"

Xu Cheng stood up slightly and looked at the sincere-looking girl opposite him.

He slowly took a few steps forward.

He stared at it for a long time.

She seemed to be getting closer, feeling the breath so close, she bit her red lips gently for a long time, her pretty face flushed, and she turned her head away, her heart pounding.

But a large hand grabbed his chin, forcing him to look straight ahead.

"Really?" Xu Cheng looked into her eyes and asked with a smile.

"Really, really..." Xu Jiujiu's breathing became rapid.

"Hehe." Xu Cheng gently stroked the beauty's soft chin, and seeing that the latter's expression was clearly both shy and annoyed, he laughed heartily, let go of her hands behind his back, and returned to his seat.

“Go back and tell your brother, I’m not interested.” “What?!” Xu Jiujiu’s beautiful eyes widened as she looked at Xu Cheng in disbelief.

She acknowledged the Sun Moon Empire's strength, even suggesting it was the future leader of the continent.

But surely a complete and intact Star Luo Empire shouldn't be so unwelcome?

"Your brother must be frantic right now, having just lost several hundred million gold soul coins. Star Luo's finances are in disarray, and there are plenty of parasites within the organization waiting to devour this giant tree. It's naive of him to expect me to take over this mess," Xu Cheng said, shaking his head.

For a long time: "..."

The beauty remained silent, for everything Xu Cheng said was true.

The towering tree of Xingluo is now severely decayed internally, not to mention it has just suffered a major blow.

To say that it was handed over to Xu Cheng is less accurate than saying that he was dumped with a mess.

"Well... I'll take my leave now." Xu Jiujiu clenched her fair hands, her face somewhat pale.

"Hey, where are you going?" Xu Cheng said with a smile.

“You’re not…” Xu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Xu Cheng.

"Come here, sit here!"

Xu Cheng smiled and pointed to his side.

"Ah..." Xu Jiujiu's pretty face turned even redder.

I subconsciously looked around and saw that there was no one there.

Only then did he take small, quick steps, walking towards Xu Cheng.

But as she approached his side, her arm was grabbed and she was pulled into Xu Cheng's arms.

"Mmm~" The beauty blushed, not daring to look at those around her, and instinctively dodged into the almost empty space.

"Go back and tell your brother that I will help him deal with a few corrupt officials and just make sure that Xingluo doesn't collapse."

……

Feeling the lingering warmth on my fingers.

Xu Cheng slowly walked out of the courtyard. Xu Jiujiu had already left, leaving only Nana guarding the door without leaving.

He looked up at the sky, feeling quite relaxed.

As for why he refused Xu Jiawei... it's because Xingluo was already in his hands (a large number of industries in the capital had flowed into his hands, which meant that he controlled the economic lifeline of Xingluo. In addition, Xingluo's defense forces were almost exhausted, so Xingluo was already in his pocket. Letting Xu Jiawei clean up his mess was a way of showing his loyalty to him.)
"You refused?" Nana asked, puzzled.

"If an empire wants to develop rapidly, it can only seize the 'essence' of other countries to nourish itself."

“Now, we have seized a portion of the ‘essence’ of Xingluo, and the rest… are basically in the hands of those nobles. If we were to take it all over, it would only hinder the empire’s progress. Moreover, truly accepting and assimilating most of Xingluo’s commoners would require a great deal of time and energy, and gaining their approval would be even more difficult…”

"So I sent Xu Jiawei to fill those holes. As for what to use to fill them, humph, that's none of my business," Xu Cheng chuckled.

"So our purpose in dealing with those nobles... is to extract the remaining essence?" Nana suddenly realized.

At the same time, some people felt sorry for Xu Jiawei.

They really took advantage of us completely.

"It is an honor for the Star Luo Empire to be able to board the great ship of the Sun Moon Empire. Filling these holes is just a test. If he can pass, I will naturally not treat the Xu family unfairly. If he fails... then my evaluation of him is nothing more than this."

Xu Cheng certainly wouldn't be so blunt.

He promised Xu Jiujiu a boat ticket.

The Xu family, as a sect, received their ticket to board the interstellar warship of the Sun Moon Empire...

"Nana, give the Holy Spirit Cult the order to summon Wuyun, Zhang Peng, Uncle Ye, and Gaidu. They are to gather in my courtyard tomorrow at noon. I need to go to the Haotian Sect," Xu Cheng said softly.

But to Nana, it sounded like murderous intent, and the atmosphere around them became solemn.

"You want to launch a counterattack?" Nana asked in surprise.

"I wouldn't call it a counterattack, since I didn't go with the intention of blowing up the Haotian Sect. But it's only polite to return the favor, so since they've come all the way to Mingdu, I should naturally pay them a visit in return..." Xu Cheng said with a faint smile.

"And oranges..."

Seeing Ju Zi just walk in, Xu Cheng called out to her.

"Go and inform the Fire Phoenix, the Royal Soul Guidance Corps, and the Evil Lord to each send out three battalions and assemble at Lingyin Town near Mingdu by noon tomorrow. Take the equipment from the military armory. Remember, do not make a fuss, be quick, and keep your whereabouts secret," Xu Cheng instructed.

"Yes!"

Orange's beautiful eyes narrowed, and she hurriedly left again.

"call……"

Xu Cheng sat on a jade stool in the courtyard and waved his hand: "Where is the map of Haotian Sect?"

“Here…” Nana quickly unfolded a map.

It contains detailed records of rivers, mountains, and the heartland of the sect.

This is a map drawn from the sky from a great distance away by a high-level reconnaissance soul tool dispatched by the Haotian Sect.

Not only the Haotian Sect, but also Shrek Academy and the Star Luo Empire have it all.

Only the Body Sect, due to its steep terrain, surrounded by mountains and forests, did not have a complete topographical map.

"According to the reply from the Ming Dynasty to Mu En, this last fragment is placed in the Treasure Pavilion, which is guarded by Title Douluos, and like the Back Altar, it is located in the true core of the Haotian Sect..."

Xu Cheng glanced at the map.

The three characters "藏宝楼" (Treasure Pavilion) are clearly visible.

There was also a stack of pictures pasted on top, showing various angles and perspectives of the treasure house.

"..."

As expected of a level nine high-altitude detection soul guide device...

Xu Cheng smacked his lips.

At an altitude of nearly 10,000 meters, without being noticed by Da Ming and Er Ming, they took in the entire Haotian Sect.

Even now, the Ming Dynasty probably still thinks the Haotian Sect is as solid as a rock, relying on its unfathomable fortifications to believe it is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

But little did they know...

Sir, times have changed!
"In that case, several Soul Guidance Corps and Holy Spirit Cult members will launch a feint attack from the east and west to draw the firepower of the Ming and Erming forces, while I will take advantage of the chaos to sneak in and take this last fragment of the super artifact."

“Bibi Dong,” Xu Cheng said calmly.

"Hmph, I will act on my own when the time comes, no need for you to remind me."

Within one's consciousness, an indifferent voice resounded.

"That would be perfect..." Xu Cheng smiled. (End of Chapter)