Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

……

"Back to your old ways?" Xu Hong was taken aback.

"In his past life... or rather, in his original understanding and experience, he was an assassin of the Tang Clan." Xuanming did not explain the meaning of "past life" in detail, but Xu Hong could roughly understand that it was a metaphor, referring to Tang San's past special experience related to killing.

“His upbringing shaped his extraordinary way of thinking. I will not judge him by worldly morality; that would be meaningless.”

Xuanming paused, then continued, "But now, he is the Blue King of the Heavenly Dou Empire, an envoy representing the empire's honor. His identity, status, and responsibilities are all different. Under these circumstances, when faced with temptations or choices, will he still make the same choices as before? I'm quite curious."

"Besides, he is the nephew of a friend of mine. I will give him a chance for the sake of that friend."

"As for whether he can seize the opportunity and how he can seize it, that is his own business."

Xu Hong felt a chill run down his spine after hearing this.

He understood that Xuanming's attention to Tang San was not out of appreciation or hostility, but rather more like a condescending observation with a hint of amusement.

He gave Tang San an "opportunity" to access soul tools and explore another possibility, but behind this opportunity lay tests and choices.

As for what exactly this "opportunity" is, and how Tang San will choose, only time will tell.

"Understood, Your subordinate." Xu Hong asked no further questions, bowed respectfully, and quietly withdrew from the side hall.

Silence returned to the hall.

Xuanming remained standing by the window, his icy blue eyes as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

He did indeed give Tang San an opportunity—an opportunity to come into contact with soul tools and the "new world" presented by the Spirit Empire. If Tang San was smart enough to see the bigger picture, perhaps he could have found a different path.

But the prerequisite is that he must let go of the hatred that is already deeply rooted in his bones, and his obsession with the past.

This is difficult. Xuanming knew it very well.

But he still gave him the opportunity. Partly because of Tang Yuehua and Xiao Wu's relationship, and perhaps partly because it was just a trivial...boring act in his long life.

He didn't care about the outcome. Ultimately, one has to walk their own path.

……

The main hall of the Papal Palace.

The hall was brightly lit, but it felt less somber than usual, and more like a busy place where government affairs were being handled. A mountain of scrolls and documents was piled on the enormous desk.

Hu Liena sat upright in the secondary seat on one side of the desk, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, intently reviewing memorials. She wore the exclusive dress of the Holy Maiden of the Martial Soul Empire, exuding both nobility and majesty, and her once charming eyes now held a calm and capable air.

Since returning from Seagod Island and being officially appointed as the Holy Maiden of the Martial Soul Empire and the first in line to inherit the throne, her identity and status have undergone earth-shattering changes, along with an immense workload.

After confirming that Hu Liena was capable of shouldering great responsibilities, Empress Bibi Dong unceremoniously entrusted her with two-thirds of the empire's daily affairs, euphemistically calling it "training."

Bibi Dong herself retreated behind the scenes, focusing more on mastering the Asura Demon Sword and refining her own power.

At this moment, Bibi Dong stood by the window of the main hall, holding in her hand the dark red demonic sword that exuded endless killing intent—the Asura Demon Sword. Her fingertips gently brushed across the blade, feeling the terrifying power contained within, a complex emotion flashing in her purple-gold eyes.

After a period of dedicated training and adaptation, she has become quite proficient in using the Asura Demon Sword and can mobilize most of its power.

However, she could always sense a faint sense of distance, as if the sword did not fully acknowledge her as its master.

She knew the reason—the divine power of the Rakshasa God still existed within her.

The Asura God, who wields judgment and slaughter, represents a destructive force that represents a relative "order".

The Rakshasa god symbolizes the darkest evil thoughts and depravity in people's hearts, and is the embodiment of chaos and evil.

These two divine powers are inherently conflicting and mutually repulsive. The Asura Demon Sword instinctively repels the portion of power belonging to the Rakshasa God within her body. This repulsion prevents her from truly achieving the highest state of unity between herself and the sword, where they can be used as one.

But there was nothing she could do about it. The power of the Rakshasa God had long been deeply integrated with her, an indispensable part of her power system, and the foundation upon which she relied for survival and revenge in her desperate situation. She could not give it up.

Now, she is like a collection of contradictions, controlling both the Rakshasa power that breeds evil thoughts and the Asura sword that judges evil thoughts.

These two diametrically opposed forces achieved a delicate and dangerous balance within her.

Perhaps only through the combination of these contradictory forces can she truly master the vast and complex machine of the Martial Soul Empire, balance the various factions, and implement the radical and risky new policies.

She sighed softly and put down the Asura Demon Sword. Turning to look at Hu Liena, who was working at her desk, her gaze softened.

"Nana," Bibi Dong walked to the desk, casually picked up a document she had reviewed, glanced at it, and asked in a casual tone, "How have things been between you and Xuanming lately?"

In the past, she would never have asked such a private question so bluntly.

But now, having experienced so much, she has long since let go of those unnecessary inhibitions and awkwardness.

Upon hearing this, Hu Liena paused slightly in her hand, raised her head, and a helpless smile appeared on her usually cool face: "Teacher, why did you suddenly ask this?"

She put down her pen, rubbed her slightly sore wrists, and said frankly, "What else can I do? Same as before."

"The same?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Hu Liena sighed, “Don’t you know Xuanming? He’s completely clueless about romance, let alone being affectionate with girls. Most of the time, he’s passive, or you could even say… oblivious.”

She paused, her tone tinged with a hint of complaint and heartache: "Moreover, ever since the Divine Trial began, he's been so busy he's barely had time to breathe. He's either dealing with the Divine Trial tasks or studying those profound rules and powers. He barely has any time to rest, so how could he possibly have the mind and energy to think about those romantic things?"

After hearing this, Bibi Dong was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh and shake her head: "That's true... why would I worry about him in this regard?"

She walked to the head of the table and sat down, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, her eyes somewhat unfocused: "That guy is indeed greedy and a womanizer at heart, which stems from the unfillable emptiness and lack of love he had in the past. Therefore, it is difficult for him to harden his heart and refuse those who are genuinely good to him."

“However,” Bibi Dong’s tone shifted, a hint of understanding in her voice, “being irresistible doesn’t mean he’ll take the initiative. For Xuanming, even if he accepts you girls deep down, the actual way he interacts with you probably won’t be much different from before.”

She even smiled with some suspicion: "Sometimes I wonder if he treats girls like Xiaowu and Ayin simply as children who need to be taken care of."

Xuanming's boundaries in the realm of emotions have always been blurred and chaotic.

He didn't possess much of a clear, passionate love between a man and a woman.

As far as she knew, perhaps only she and Gu Yuena could reach that level.

As for the others, it's more of a habitual closeness and dependence on "family," or an attachment to the older sister and a preference for the younger sister.

Xiao A Yin is the most obvious example. Xuan Ming treats her purely as an older brother taking care of his younger sister, and Xiao A Yin completely regards Xuan Ming as an irreplaceable older brother.

These intricate emotional connections cannot be fully encompassed by the narrow term "love."

It is precisely because Bibi Dong clearly understands this that she has long lost interest in so-called "jealousy and rivalry".

Because she understood that Xuanming was probably incapable of even comprehending emotions like jealousy, let alone dealing with them.

In his complex and chaotic emotional world, there exists a unique set of operating rules that are difficult for outsiders to understand.

Hu Liena listened to her teacher's words and nodded thoughtfully. She had to admit that her teacher's analysis was correct.

Xuanming's way of treating them was indeed more like the tolerance and protection of "his own people" than the traditional romantic love between men and women.

“So, teacher,” Hu Liena picked up her pen again, a helpless yet relieved smile playing on her lips, “instead of thinking about all that nonsense, we should just finish dealing with the current administrative matters. Hoping he’ll suddenly become enlightened is like hoping the sun will rise in the west tomorrow.”

"That's right. Then... let's get back to work." (End of Chapter)