Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

"Ah~ Mother—!"

Kong Tinghuan tried to awaken his mother's love and planned to open a spatial passage to hide next to Aunt Cain, but was instantly knocked down by Xu Jiujiu's heavy crown.

"Add one more rule: each of you must have a match with Xiao Ai and Xiao Wan, and you're not allowed to stay hidden in the small space all the time," Kong Qiu'er added, delivering the final blow.

Kong Tinghuan was on the verge of tears.

Cheers erupted again in the training ground.

……

"Nine years have passed, and it still tastes the same. I miss this taste every moment. I hope my junior brothers are doing well."

The Empire of Sun and Moon, Snow Salt City, on the coast.

The salty sea breeze diluted some of the lingering stench of blood in the air. Under the starry night, a burly man in an animal skin cloak, surrounded by armored warriors in the cold light, swallowed the last bite of grilled fish in his hand, then plunged the bamboo skewer into the bloody, mangled throat of the rough-clothed humanoid figure at his feet.

His tone was extremely slow and lyrical in remembrance, but his face, so thin it was almost skin and bones, was contorted with a vicious grotesque expression, and with his messy, graying temples, he truly resembled an old tortoise demon.

The divine tortoise is long-lived.

"Your Majesty, that woman said, she said, the place the Sun and Moon Thief will inevitably pass through on his southern tour and the location of this grilled fish stall are exactly the same place. This is heaven's help for my fight against the spirits!"

A short figure resembling a eunuch trotted over.

Xu Sanshi waved his hand indifferently, "Then don't make things difficult for that woman and her child."

"Huh?" The short eunuch looked up in surprise.

"Let them reunite as a family."

"Yes." The short eunuch glanced at the flesh and blood under the bamboo skewer and had no further objections.

Chapter 418 Conspiracy

Southern tour.

This is the story of how the Holy Emperor Kong Tianxu killed a god as a sacrifice to the country and saw all five thousand cities in a single day. Every four years, he would go on a pilgrimage to Heaven to inspect the affairs of the Holy Spirit, the affairs of the world, and the injustices.

Since the unification of the empire, the Southern Tour has become the most solemn and regular ceremony of the Sun and Moon Empire. During each tour, the people spontaneously sweep the streets and hang colorful lanterns, decorating every city along the way as if it were a New Year's celebration. This is not only out of reverence for the royal family, but also out of heartfelt support for the Holy Emperor who, with a mortal body, slew gods and ended ten thousand years of chaos.

Wherever the procession of the Southern Tour passed, the various branches of the Holy Spirit Church had to begin rectifying their affairs three months in advance, and local officials dared not slack off in the slightest.

During his last southern tour, seven city lords were dismissed or even executed on the spot for failing to properly maintain the sacred monuments in their jurisdictions. None of them escaped punishment. His ruthless methods are still a warning passed down among officials at all levels.

Of course, the most important task is to patrol the Star Dou Great Forest to check on its stability.

Emperor Tianshou was beheaded, but the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest was largely fenced off by the Sun Moon Empire, prohibiting anyone from entering and not allowing any development.

The blockade line, constructed with the linked soul-guided array, stretches for hundreds of miles, with a sentry tower every three miles. The sentry towers are equipped with the latest energy detectors and spatial fluctuation monitors.

The outer perimeter of the blockade was also guarded by Xiong Da and Xiong Er, whose strength was arguably the strongest ferocious beasts on the continent. These two were also the true kings of the Star Dou Great Forest, and they had both recently broken through 200,000 years of cultivation.

Amidst much speculation, only a handful of people, including Xu Tianzhen, knew the terrifying existence slumbering at the bottom of the Lake of Life in this ominous place. Ensuring that it wouldn't be disturbed and awakened prematurely by any villains was the primary purpose of the southern tour.

Naturally, the City of Heavenly Conquest, adjacent to the Star Dou Great Forest, also known as the old Shrek City, became a must-pass place for the Sun Moon Empress's inspection tour, and also her first stop. Thanks to the expanded application of the super-large humanoid mecha soul tool, long-distance transfers for multiple people no longer require the reliance on flying soul tools. With the Sun Moon royal family's soul tool foundation, the journey from Mingdu to the City of Heavenly Conquest takes only an hour.

However, the secrets hidden beneath the Lake of Life are not exclusive to the Sun and Moon Royal Family.

"Dong'er, I'm going out to collect the fishing nets. I've already eaten the porridge and eggs in the pot, so you don't need to save any for me."

Before dawn, Huo Yuhao had already packed up the equipment he used to set up his fish-catching and grilling stall, which had accompanied him all over the country. He put on his rubber boots and straw hat, and crouched down in front of the thin wooden door, giving instructions in a soft voice.

With its mud walls, tiled roof, and drafty wooden doors, this rented house had fallen into disrepair over the years. The corners of the walls were always damp, and during the rainy season, a thin layer of water would seep onto the ground. In winter, cold wind would blow in through the cracks in the walls, so there was no soundproofing whatsoever. You could even hear each other breathing inside and outside the house.

However, Huo Yuhao waited outside the door for a long time but did not receive any response from Wang Dong'er.

Silence seemed to be another constant in this room, besides the dampness.

Touching the small pocket sewn three layers inside the inner placket, Huo Yuhao pursed his lips and, unusually, waited a little longer.

Even though Dong'er was ignoring him because she was in a bad mood, he was still very content with this peaceful and tranquil life as long as he could feel Dong'er's presence at the door before going to work every day.

Although Huo Yuhao and Dong'er had no marital relationship or wedding ceremony, he had long regarded her as his wife. They had been together for nine years, and although life was hard, they supported each other. Even though there had been some recent conflicts, Huo Yuhao was still very grateful for their life together.

But today is different.

after all……

Thinking of the secret meeting last night, Huo Yuhao's chest seemed to rise and fall slightly. His coarse linen clothes, covering his tall and extremely thin body, looked empty as if the wind was blowing, and his eyes dimmed even more.

Nine years of poverty had stripped away the last bit of flesh from his body, leaving only his skeleton, a thin layer of skin, and eyes that were much more cloudy than those of ordinary people.

Huo Yuhao struggled to lift the load and fish basket, opened and locked the door, and glanced at the sky.

The eastern horizon was still a deep, inky blue.

The night and my temples are both covered in stars.

He is not yet thirty years old this year.

I walked silently out of the alleyway; the streets of the city were already bustling with activity.

Various banners and colorful lanterns, intended to welcome the emperor's arrival, have already been hung high, in red, yellow, and gold, adorning the entire main street like a flowing river of light.

The streets were repeatedly splashed and scrubbed with clean water, the stone slabs were washed so clean that they reflected people's images, and a refreshing mist wafted from every crevice. People dressed in new clothes began to gather on both sides of the street, some carrying children on their shoulders, others holding small flags and bouquets, all with expectant smiles on their faces.

The city guards and white-robed deacons of the Holy Spirit Church moved through the crowd, maintaining order, with someone occasionally shouting reminders of precautions. A scene of peace and tranquility unfolded.

Even Huo Yuhao had to admit that, based on his own observations from years of traveling and hiding, the living standards of the people on the Douluo Continent under the rule of the Sun Moon Empire were indeed far superior to those of the past.

The war is over. The territorial disputes, sectarian infighting, and aristocratic separatism that had never ceased for millennia have all come to an end under one regime.

The Sun Moon Empire's legal code unified the continent's laws, and the Holy Spirit Cult's Martial Soul Awakening Monument allowed every eligible child to awaken their Martial Soul for free. The application of Soul Guidance Technology brought about revolutionary changes to agriculture, water conservancy, transportation, and communication. Journeys that once took months on foot can now be completed in a few days by Soul Guidance Train; Soul Guidance Lighting, once reserved for nobles, is now available even to ordinary farmers; and slums that once froze to death every winter now have unified heating systems.

These are things that Shrek Academy has never given to this continent.

Huo Yuhao lowered his eyelids, unwilling to continue thinking about it.

The Holy Spirit Cult is truly hateful!

"Hey, Brother Zhongxian is here? Come over here, come over here! Your brother's secret-recipe grilled fish is the best in the eastern part of Tianzheng City. I've saved you a good spot near the front. When His Majesty comes, if you like the taste, you'll be set for life!"

A white-robed Holy Spirit Church deacon smiled and waved to him, his attitude warm and natural. He even offered to help Huo Yuhao lift the fish basket and pointed to a good spot not far ahead, right next to the corner of the main street.

"Thank you for taking care of me, sir. I will never forget it."

With a resentful glance at the white-robed men maintaining order, Huo Yuhao's expression changed from wooden to serious. He subtly put away his fish basket, forced a fawning smile, and the wrinkles around his eyes made him look at least twenty years older than he actually was.

After bowing and scraping, Huo Yuhao, using the alias Huo Zhongxian, set up his stall, took out a few freshly caught grass carp from the fish basket, and skillfully slaughtered, gutted, cleaned, marinated, and set up the rack, beginning preparations for the welcoming ceremony for the Sun Empress's arrival.

Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes, leaving only a tiny slit. Only in this way could he barely use some of the abilities of his Spirit Eye. The Holy Spirit Cult members were used to the old man's strange way of grilling fish and didn't bother him.

Huo Yuhao remained silent, shaking off specks of pale pink as he repeatedly rinsed the sauce.

The first time he cooked, his fingers trembled slightly.

……

The main street of Tianzheng City was already crowded with eagerly awaiting crowds. White-robed priests maintained order among the people, and every now and then someone would stand on tiptoe to look up at the sky.

The sun rises very quickly.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced the dawn, a small dot appeared in the distant sky.

The small dot gradually enlarged, and a large, gold and silver ship, like a shuttle, slowly descended from the sky. It was a giant soul-guided flying ship, hundreds of feet long, with gold and silver as its main colors. Countless exquisite soul-guided patterns were engraved on the ship's hull, converging at the tail to form a silver full moon. Moonlight-like radiance shone from the moon, leaving a long silver trail behind the flying ship.

A huge cheer suddenly erupted from the crowd, making Huo Yuhao's eardrums buzz. He was too far away to see clearly, but he could see that the bright yellow canopy was layered like clouds, the golden banners were fluttering in the morning breeze, and the honor guard was dressed in uniform silver-white armor. The halberds in their hands gleamed with a cold light in the sunlight, exuding a powerful aura that inspired awe.

Beads of sweat immediately appeared on Huo Yuhao's forehead. He lowered his head, not daring to look any longer. But he could feel the cheers around him growing louder and closer. The southern inspection team was slowly making its way along the main street, heading in his direction.

After a long while, the crowd finally parted. A very spirited young woman dressed in gorgeous clothes walked out.

It wasn't a traditional palace dress, but a well-tailored outfit. The dress was moon white with gold dragon patterns embroidered on it, and the collar and cuffs were trimmed with fine red gold. The girl's appearance inherited her father's deep features and her mother's delicate features. Although there was still a hint of childishness between her brows, she already exuded an unassailable majesty.

She held the hand of a little girl with sea-blue hair, who looked like a porcelain doll. She would occasionally bend down to ask her surroundings something, sometimes pointing to the buildings on both sides of the street, and sometimes whispering in the little girl's ear, making the little girl giggle.

Hearing the surrounding chatter, Huo Yuhao realized that this was Kong Tianxu's daughter.

He stared blankly at the two girls, a very subtle emotion welling up inside him.

So, that person already has children, and they're so outstanding, and not just one?

Huo Yuhao didn't know how he felt.

He thought of himself. If those things hadn't happened back then, would he and Dong'er have had a child? How old would their child be now? Would it be a boy or a girl? Would it look like him or Dong'er? He shook his head, trying to banish these thoughts from his mind.

The next moment, a stunning figure in white emerged from the crowd.

Huo Yuhao was startled. A piece of half-cooked fish fell into the charcoal fire.

Although time has passed, nine years have added maturity and dignity to her face; although a veil covers most of her face, revealing only a pair of calm, watery eyes, he still recognized her at a glance.

This is... this is...

Huo Yuhao lowered his head and buried his face deeply in the rising steam from the grill.

While he was still in a daze, an official from Tianzheng City began to introduce him to Kong Tingxi as he approached:

"Your Highness, this is a famous old grilled fish restaurant nearby. Their skills are excellent. My son especially loves it and asks for one every few days. May I be so bold as to buy one for Your Highness to try?"

The official, with a forced smile, led Kong Tingxi toward Huo Yuhao's stall as he spoke.

Kong Tingxi followed the official's finger and looked at the man opposite him.

According to his mother, he was not yet thirty years old, but his face showed no signs of youthful vigor. Instead, it was marked by the scars of hardship, with a dark complexion, bulging eyes like those of a consumptive, and a small but very noticeable scar on one side of his face, which made his already ordinary face look even uglier.

Is this Huo Yuhao, the sinner from mainland China?

Kong Tingxi pondered for a moment, but nodded with a smile on his face.

"Then I'll trouble you."

Huo Yuhao suppressed the turmoil in his heart, lowered his head, and began skewering, placing, flipping, brushing on sauce, and sprinkling seasoning.

His technique remained skillful, but the more he grilled, the more uneasy he felt. Standing next to Kong Tingxi, Tang Wutong seemed to read his mind. Her pale golden eyes swept over his movements, over the almost imperceptible pink powder under his fingernails, and over the increasingly dense beads of sweat on his forehead. An indescribable sense of oppression intensified.

These actions, which had been repeated countless times in the past, became exceptionally difficult at this moment.

It's alright, it's alright. My third senior brother assured me repeatedly that this stuff is colorless and odorless, and it definitely won't be detected anytime soon...

But... but...

He kept trying to convince himself, but the inexplicable fear in Huo Yuhao's heart kept growing.

For some reason, after seeing Tang Wutong, the image of Dong'er kept swirling in his mind.