Douluo: The Glory of the Peerless Angel

Chapter 168 A Long-Awaited Marriage Invitation, High-Altitude Detection Soul Guidance Device (4K)

The Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City.

Today is the Star Luo Empire's annual noble banquet, a time for the royal family to unite the empire's core. Star Luo Emperor Xu Jiawei and Princess Xu Jiujiu are both in attendance, while Duke Dai Hao, the White Tiger Duke stationed in the Mingdou Mountains, has sent his eldest son, Dai Yueheng, to represent him.

The bright, warm sun shone down from the sky. A nobleman was dressed in an exquisite suit, his hair so shiny from being treated with oil that it reflected light. A woman sat gracefully in a carriage, and when she saw commoners by the roadside, she couldn't help but give them a friendly smile.

Royal guards opened the gates, revealing lavish and extravagant decor that adorned the faces of the nobles with a gilded hue.

The nobles of Xingluo, dressed in magnificent attire and accompanied by their most beautiful female companions, exchanged pleasantries and inquired about each other's well-being while constantly probing the possibility of an exchange of family interests behind the scenes.

The clinking of glasses rang out as Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujiu each downed their drinks. Xu Jiawei glanced at the assembled nobles of Xingluo, his gaze settling on Dai Yueheng. He patted Xu Jiujiu's fair hand and whispered:

"Royal sister, go and have a chat with Yueheng."

"Um."

After a long while, she picked up a glass of wine and, while skillfully engaging in conversation with the nobles of Xingluo, slowly walked towards Dai Yueheng. But after taking half a distance, she suddenly felt a chill pierce through her body, as if a demon was staring at her.

The princess looked around warily but didn't find anyone suspicious until a chilling breath hit her neck and she turned around abruptly, seeing a young face that she vaguely recognized.

"You are... Viscount Mo Xing?"

A barely perceptible look of disgust flashed in Xu Jiujiu's eyes. Viscount Mo Xing was a notorious scoundrel who bullied men and women and committed all sorts of evil deeds. Xu Jiawei had only tolerated him because of his father's death in battle.

"Your Highness, it's been a long time."

Viscount Mo Xing spoke softly, but another voice came through. He paused for a moment, then his expression changed drastically. Without thinking, he grabbed Viscount Mo Xing's sleeve and dragged him to a secluded corner, exclaiming in shock and anger:

"Ning Bai, are you crazy? This is the most important noble banquet for the Star Luo royal family! There are four Guardian Douluos hiding outside the palace. What if they discover us?!"

"Shattered Star, Heavenly Fiend, Mighty Force, Giant Hammer." Ling Bai recited the four titles one by one. "I met those four once in Star Luo City, but they weren't qualified to see through my disguise."

"The moment the twin soul tools shattered, I set off for the princess's residence. I didn't find you, but I did find Nebula Douluo. According to her, the banquet would last until late at night. I didn't want to just wait around, so I decided to come and attend the palace banquet."

"What about Viscount Mo Xing? Did you kill him?"

"That guy was riding a dragon-scaled horse and rampaging through Xingluo City. By sheer coincidence, he came straight at me. I knocked him unconscious and threw him into the back garden of the palace."

After a long while, he said with frustration, "Why don't you just act like a demonic soul master and kill him? That would save you from constantly tarnishing the royal family's reputation!"

Ling Bai glanced at Xu Jiujiu strangely. Perhaps because she had taken over some of the government affairs, her style of doing things seemed to have become more ruthless, with a dangerous glimmer of hope that she would use the evil soul master to eliminate dissidents.

"Let's get down to business." He steered the conversation back on track. "The Body Sect accepted your bounty?"

"That's a relic of a god and a hundred million gold soul coins!"

When asked about the price paid, Xu Jiujiu looked pained and said, "The Body Sect accepted the mission yesterday and will infiltrate the Sun Moon Empire after some preparation."

They planned to dig a tunnel to catch Mingdetang off guard, so the actual attack would be a little later.

The Body Sect has gone all out this time. Sect Master Poison Undying is personally leading 70% of the sect's elite forces. Furthermore, the Mingde Hall is the headquarters of Soul Masters, harboring several Level 9 Soul Masters. Trying to let the two sides fight while a third party benefits won't be so simple. Be careful.

After a long pause of two seconds, his bright, star-like eyes flickered slightly as he said, "If possible, kill as many people from the Body Sect and the Bright Virtue Hall as possible."

"Using one tiger to devour another?" Ling Bai succinctly revealed the truth.

"Yes."

Xu Jiujiu nodded frankly: "The Sun Moon Empire was originally the common enemy of the three kingdoms of Douluo Continent, and Mingde Hall was the soul guide research and development center of the Sun Moon Empire. The more serious the damage they suffered, the greater the interests of the three kingdoms were in turn."

As for the Body Sect... the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Star Luo Empire are ultimately two countries. The Star Luo does not want its allies to be too weak, nor does it want them to be too powerful.

"Speaking of which, you must have a grudge against the Body Sect, right? Last time, you even chased Chen Yu to his hotel bed to kill him."

Ling Bai didn't respond, but just smiled meaningfully.

Xu Jiujiu found that smile quite hateful and wanted to turn around and leave, but he was also worried about letting a super evil Douluo freely move among the Star Luo nobles. What if some important person accidentally offended this guy? Wouldn't the Star Luo Empire suffer losses for nothing?

She rolled her eyes at him, then stood beside Ling Bai for a long time, taking his arm around his wrist. The two of them walked back to the banquet hall together.

As a royal princess, Xu Jiujiu always attended banquets in her most glamorous and dazzling manner. Her long golden hair was styled into soft, wavy curls that draped over her shoulders, and her fishtail evening gown accentuated her graceful waistline, attracting the attention of many noble gentlemen.

To their utter astonishment, the person fortunate enough to accompany Princess Jiujiu was none other than Viscount Moxing, a notorious scoundrel among the nobility, who looked quite unwilling, as if he disliked Princess Jiujiu for being so meddlesome.

Although they were puzzled as to why Princess Jiujiu and Viscount Moxing had become so close, no one dared to ask directly at the palace banquet. Everyone wore a mask of politeness, maintaining appropriate distance and harmony as the palace band played. The men were witty and humorous, while the women were reserved and elegant.

"I feel that being polite is much more tiring than fighting."

Ling Bai sighed. Rather than traveling with a beauty, it was more like traveling with a beauty. Even in the Star Luo royal family, Xu Jiujiu was the most popular one.

With his angelic face and top-notch cultivation talent, countless noble scions coveted this prize. The gazes cast from all directions were like sharp knives, wishing they could stab "Viscount Mo Xing" through the heart.

"Since we're already here, let Lord Death Prison enjoy the Star Luo Palace banquet."

Her pace was moderate, and a mischievous smile played beside her swaying star-shaped earrings.

"Princess Jiu Jiu".

A strong voice broke in, and the light shone on the handsome man, revealing the lines of his muscles beneath his suit. With each step he took, an aura of steely strength swept over you.

Dai Yueheng, the eldest son of the Duke of Baihu.

After the Soul Master Competition ended, Dai Yueheng completed his graduation assessment at Shrek Academy and came to the Star Luo Empire's army to share his father's burdens. Through trials of blood and fire, Dai Yueheng increasingly developed the iron-blooded temperament of Dai Hao, truly embodying the image of a tiger father begetting a tiger son.

Xu Jiujiu took a glass of red wine from a passing waiter, lightly touched the glass in Dai Yueheng's hand, took a sip, and left a faint lip print on the rim of the glass.

"Viscount Mo Xing, I have long admired your name."

Dai Yueheng raised his glass and took a few steps forward, his eyes burning with an inextinguishable blaze. In that instant, Ling Bai realized something: his old classmate seemed to have someone he loved, and that the object of his affection was none other than Xu Jiujiu. He had returned from the army full of joy, only to see his goddess close to a scoundrel. At that moment, his nameless anger was burning fiercely.

"White Tiger, seeing is believing."

The clinking of the two wine glasses was extremely sharp, like a silver needle piercing the minds of those around them. In that instant when the hairs on his head stood on end, Dai Yueheng was completely unaware of anything. His sudden retreat was purely an instinctive reaction, a movement to avoid the threat he had sensed.

Dai Yueheng looked down at the wine stains on his sleeve, his tiger-like eyes gleaming with surprise. "Is Viscount Mo Xing really that sharp? It seems one cannot always trust what people say..."

He had heard that Viscount Mo Xing was an uneducated and incompetent man, but he never expected him to be a hidden, powerful Soul Master. He clasped his hands in a salute and turned to leave.

The White Tiger descendant suffered a setback; was Viscount Mo Xing a master?

The nobles were all speculating, and some even unconsciously began to applaud, the applause rising and falling as if what had just happened was a momentous event worthy of being recorded in history.

The applause gradually subsided, and after a long while, he spoke softly, "My brother wishes to take his relationship with Duke Baihu to the next level."

"Hmm, and then?" Ling Bai took a liking to a deep-sea lobster and led Xu Jiujiu toward the dining area.

"Dai Yueheng and I are about the same age and have similar talents. My elder brother's idea is for the royal family to form a marriage alliance with the Duke of Baihu..."

"Sorry, I ruined your plans."

"Can't you at least make an apology look like an apology?" After a long silence, he added, "At least offer some compensation."

"Sure, what do you want?"

"You still look quite charming..."

"Interested in becoming a princess's husband?"

"Are you so hungry you'll eat anything?" Ling Bai raised an eyebrow. "You're not even sparing evil spirit masters?"

After a long while, she revealed a beautiful, twilight-like smile: "The essence of the world is equivalent exchange. To enjoy royal prestige, one must pay for the interests of the empire."

My elder brother didn't truly understand the White Tiger lineage. Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger was upright and incorruptible, and Dai Yueheng was just like his father. There was no need to be overly kind to them; they would both dedicate themselves to the Star Luo Empire. Not for anything else, but simply because this was the homeland they had protected for over ten thousand years. Whether I marry him or not was actually irrelevant.

But you are different. You are young and have unlimited potential. The master of the Star Luo Offering Hall is too old and is about to die. Even the Immortal Doctor Douluo can't keep him alive.

Logically speaking, the Star Luo Empire desperately needs a protector. If I can bind you with my own power, it would be a blessing for both me and the empire.

As for feelings, Dai Yueheng grew up in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and Shrek Academy. I had never even met him before the last competition. There's no real affection between us. At least you saved me in the Youyao Forest and entered my palace..."

Xu Jiujiu's face flushed slightly: "This is an excellent opportunity to use Viscount Mo Xing's identity to clear the name of the evil soul master. From now on, you will still be the fearsome evil soul master Death Prison Douluo in the outside world."

In the Star Luo Empire, you are the princess's consort and Viscount Mo Xing, while I am the only one besides my elder brother who inherited the Star Crown Martial Soul. If you secretly do some things for the empire, you will at least be on par with Duke Baihu in the future.

Her gaze toward Ling Bai seemed to contain a myriad of emotions: the shyness of actively seeking love, the madness of colluding with evil spirit masters, and the uncontrollable ambition to climb higher.

A young, super evil Douluo, possessing ultimate attributes and an infinite future—this blade is simply too sharp. If given the chance to grasp it, no one would want to let it slip away.

With the support of the Death Prison Douluo, the Star Luo Empire and Xu Jiujiu could easily implement their plans and target certain enemies. The indiscriminate killing by the evil soul masters was merely a smokescreen.

The royal band played their hearts out, and the people strolling and socializing on the dance floor all looked radiant, like sparkling jewels under a spotlight. She clenched her fists for a long time, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ling Bai's face, the face of the black-faced viscount. She could almost hear her own heart pounding like a drum.

"no."

Ling Bai slowly but firmly shook his head. The benefits of agreeing to this matter would be great. Xu Jiujiu was the second most important person in the Star Luo Empire after Xu Jiawei. Having her would allow him to mobilize nearly half of the Star Luo Empire's resources. However, if they took the most intimate step, his identity would probably be exposed.

If Xu Jiujiu were to propose a choice between the Star Luo Empire and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, things would become very complicated. It could easily backfire, causing the Star Luo Empire to become the complete adversary. Therefore, it is better to maintain a purely interest-based relationship.

Upon hearing this, Xu Jiujiu's eyebrows shot up in anger, and she retorted, "I practically begged you to marry me, and you still won't agree!"

She thought her identity, status, appearance, talent, and the hidden relationship between the two were enough to make Death Prison Douluo's heart flutter. Who would have thought that Death Prison Douluo was truly a determined man whose arms could support a horse!

After a long and furious outburst, he struck several times, but seeing Ling Bai's unyielding attitude, his momentum gradually weakened, and he sighed:

"Fine, if you don't want to agree, then I'll ask you for a favor."

"It's been over two years, and Your Highness's political acumen has improved considerably."

There's an old saying that if you want to open a door, you have to ask to open a window first.

The princess and her consort opened the window, and after being rejected, they took the opportunity to speak again, figuring out that the Death Prison Douluo probably wouldn't reject them twice in a row.

"Lord Death Prison is wise and powerful; nothing can escape your discerning eyes."

The princess offered a few words of flattery, then picked up a piece of clam meat and offered it to Ling Bai's lips. A young nobleman who had been eyeing Ling Bai for a long time saw this and couldn't help but bite his handkerchief, tears streaming down his face.

"It seems you're up to something big, otherwise you wouldn't be so attentive," Ling Bai said casually, biting into the tender, juicy clam meat.

"I need the blueprints for a Level 9 high-altitude detection soul guide device. It's stored in a secret room in Mingde Hall. Ideally, I'd like to bring back a physical one."

"They've got quite the appetite; they're eyeing level nine soul tools."

"There's something even bigger," Xu Jiujiu said with a smile. "The Star Luo Empire also has connections in the Mingde Hall. A few days ago, we spent 30 million gold soul coins to buy five words from them."

Humanoid soul-guided device.

Xu Jiujiu deliberately made her voice sweet: "If you can bring it to the Star Luo Empire, you will be the Duke of Moxing, the number one contributor to the Star Luo Empire in ten thousand years."

Even if Shrek Academy hunts you down, we'd risk the world to protect you. How about it, want to consider it...?

(End of this chapter)