The Glory of the Sun and Moon in the Peerless Tang Sect

"who is it?"

Wang Qiu'er pursed her lips slightly, a hint of resentment in her expression, but she didn't act willfully. She dressed, her face returning to its usual coldness as she sat down next to Xu Zihuang. It was hard to believe that the person she was now was the same person she had been moments before.

“Vina and Muxue,” Xu Zihuang replied frankly.

As the two were talking, a soft knock came from outside the door.

Xu Zihuang got up and opened the door, and Vina and Muxue's exquisite faces came into view.

However, Vina and Muxue subconsciously looked past Xu Zihuang towards the living room behind him. Noticing Wang Qiu'er sitting on the sofa also looking in their direction, they instantly became flustered.

"???"

They never imagined that the person in the room was not Ning Tian, ​​but Wang Qiu'er, who had not had much interaction with Yu Tianhuang and whose relationship with him was rather strained during the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition.

Xu Zihuang smiled gently and said, "Vina, Muxue, what brings you here?"

Vina and Muxue then came to their senses. Muxue's expression was somewhat subtle, while Vina smiled gently, seemingly completely unaware of what had just happened in the room.

"Tianhuang, may we come in?"

"Please come in." Xu Zihuang stepped aside to make way for him.

Vina nodded gracefully, then passed by Xu Zihuang and sat down on the sofa opposite Wang Qiu'er.

Because of her unique upbringing, she viewed such matters differently from ordinary people. With Wang Qiu'er as a precedent, she became even more confident.

Wang Qiu'er was indeed outstanding in every way, but Vina was confident that she was not much worse than Wang Qiu'er. Yu Tianhuang had no reason to reject her, but accepted Wang Qiu'er instead.

Vina's pretty face always had a gentle smile on it as she took the initiative to greet Wang Qiu'er.

"Hello, Qiu'er. I never expected to meet you here."

Wang Qiu'er glanced at Vina indifferently, knowing full well what was going on, but remained expressionless and silent. When Xu Zihuang and Mu Xue came over, she took Xu Zihuang's hand, seemingly using her actions to subtly defend her position.

The four sat facing each other; Wang Qiu'er was opposite Vina, and Xu Zihuang was opposite Mu Xue. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Despite Wang Qiu'er's cold attitude, Vina showed no sign of embarrassment or anger. Instead, she stood up with a moved expression and bowed to Xu Zihuang.

"Tianhuang, I learned about yesterday's counterattack against the Holy Spirit Cult from my godfather and teacher. On behalf of my father and the millions of people of the Heavenly Soul Empire, I thank you for your help. I truly don't know how to express my gratitude. My father originally intended to reward you, but he thought you certainly wouldn't care about worldly things like money and titles. In the end, my father simply asked me to convey to you that if you're willing, he hopes to have a formal meeting with you in Heavenly Dou City. Furthermore, my father also promised that if you have any needs, as long as the Heavenly Soul Empire possesses them, it will certainly satisfy you."

"Vina, don't be so polite." Xu Zihuang smiled calmly and stood up to help Vina up.

"Didn't I say this a long time ago? I am a citizen of the Heavenly Soul Empire, and it is only right that I contribute my strength to protect my country. His Majesty's promise is a sign of his respect and importance to me, but I do not currently have such a need."

"Tianhuang, Father's promise is valid forever. You can contact me anytime if you need to in the future."

A charming dimple appeared on Vina's pretty face as she sat back down on the sofa.

Wang Qiu'er, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, suddenly spoke up.

"So, is your status as a princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire included in that promise?"

Vina and Muxue's expressions suddenly froze, both stunned by Wang Qiu'er's direct and blunt question.

Would a normal person say that?

However, it wasn't long before Vina's complexion returned to normal, and she stared straight at Xu Zihuang.

“A man as outstanding as Tianhuang would make any girl's heart flutter, and I'm no exception. But that's based on my own desire. If Tianhuang is willing to accept me, I certainly won't hesitate.”

Now it was Wang Qiu'er's turn to be rendered speechless.

Vina, being of royal lineage, would naturally not do anything so excessive as to push her luck. After saying this, she smiled and bid farewell to Xu Zihuang.

"Tianhuang, Xue-jie and I won't bother you any longer today. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything."

Her last words were somewhat ambiguous, yet she maintained a sense of propriety.

Mu Xue, who had followed Vina without uttering a word the entire time, had an unusually complex expression in her beautiful eyes. Vina, usually so gentle, was completely out of character today, a far cry from the Vina Mu Xue knew.

Xu Zihuang didn't respond, but simply saw Vina and Muxue out of the room. Vina's personality was completely different from Xu Jiujiu's, and he didn't dislike her. However, he wouldn't take the initiative to do anything. As he said, he had always lacked initiative in matters of the heart.

While male possessiveness is indeed an instinct, Vina is not enough to make him obsessive or to make him feel that he can't live without her.

As soon as Xu Zihuang closed the door, a fragrant breeze entered his arms.

Wang Qiu'er wrapped her arms around Xu Zihuang's waist and back, their faces close together. The two were of similar height, and their eyes met at the same level.

"what happened?"

Helpless, Xu Zihuang placed his hand on Wang Qiu'er's slender, soft, and resilient waist. Wang Qiu'er's pinkish-blue eyes were filled with heat and jealousy, and her red lips were slightly parted.

"continue."

But she had a cold expression on her face, which created a strange sense of contrast.

Xu Zihuang and Wang Qiu'er didn't leave the hotel for the entire morning. It wasn't until the afternoon that they began their journey back to Shrek Academy.

Shrek Academy did not publicize the disappearance of Xu Zihuang and Wang Qiu'er. For more than half a year, the teachers and students of Shrek Academy's inner court simply assumed that Wang Qiu'er had temporarily left the school for her own reasons.

This is extremely common within Shrek Academy's inner court. Many inner court disciples go out for training, often for more than six months at a time. For example, Ma Xiaotao has not yet returned to Shrek Academy.

Therefore, Wang Qiu'er's return caused virtually no stir. Shrek Academy remained as peaceful and tranquil as ever. The situation on the continent was similar. The Sun Moon Empire seemed to have completely fallen silent.

Elder Xuan had also recently begun his secluded cultivation, so Xu Zihuang briefly recounted to Elder Song how he had helped the Body Sect severely damage the Holy Spirit Sect. Ye Guyi, who had returned to Shrek Academy earlier with Ning Tian, ​​had also entered seclusion after gaining some insights.

For a period of time afterward, Xu Zihuang stayed at Shrek Academy, cultivating while also accompanying Ning Tian. He also took the opportunity to learn and improve his abilities at the Soul Master level. With the innate talent of the Golden Eye Martial Soul and the tangible spiritual power of his cultivation realm, he could create Soul Tools with twice the efficiency, unlike ordinary Soul Masters who needed to spend a great deal of time on them.

At his level of cultivation, progress cannot be achieved simply through more arduous training over a longer period. Breakthroughs are more about natural progression, so spending a little time on such training is insignificant.

Moreover, as long as he successfully hunts down the Sea Princess with 600,000 cultivation points and absorbs her soul ring and soul bone, his soul power level will naturally experience another leap forward.

Chapter 484 Three Months and Preparations for the Far North Sea

More than two months have passed since Xu Zihuang returned to Shrek Academy.

The overall situation on the continent remained relatively stable. The Sun Moon Empire seemed to have ceased its offensive, no longer launching further attacks against the weakened Heavenly Soul Empire. The only change occurred in the Mingdou Mountains on the northwestern border of the Star Luo Empire.

With Xu Zihuang's help, the Star Luo Empire had recaptured the Mingdou Mountain Range. However, not long ago, the Imperial Dragon Soul Master Corps and the Terror Claw Soul Master Corps, the guardians of the Sun Moon Empire, launched a swift and unexpected attack on the Mingdou Mountain Range once again.

The Star Luo Empire suffered another defeat, while the Sun Moon Empire reoccupied the Mingdou Mountains, using this natural barrier as a defensive line to build a defensive soul-guided position, thus containing the Star Luo Empire.

Duke Baihu, the renowned commander-in-chief of the three armies within the Star Luo Empire, was nothing but a joke under the Soul Guidance Technology of the Sun Moon Empire. His supposed undefeated record against the Sun Moon Empire was merely a facade, stemming from internal turmoil within the Sun Moon Empire's royal family over the past twenty years, preventing any real military action against the Star Luo Empire. Once faced with the powerful protective hand of the Sun Moon Empire, Duke Baihu Dai Hao, outwardly impressive but inwardly rotten, was completely exposed.

Xu Jiujiu personally went to Shrek Academy to deliver these messages, but her main purpose was to see Xu Zihuang. Her intentions were self-evident.

However, Xu Zihuang avoided meeting Xu Jiujiu, citing a breakthrough in his abilities at the Soul Master level. This was partly due to his dislike of Xu Jiujiu, and partly because he had a rough idea of ​​the Sun Moon Empire's motives, or rather, Xu Tianran's plan.

Although Xu Zihuang didn't know Xu Tianran's current condition, the extent of the injury—having his arm severed by the Golden Dragon Spear and having most of his life force devoured—was likely irreparable. It was foreseeable that Xu Tianran wouldn't live much longer.

Compared to Xu Zihuang's memories of his previous life, the current Xu Tianran is much more impatient and faces greater pressure. This pressure mainly stems from the issue of succession.

It was obvious to everyone that Xu Tianran was in poor health. If there was no apparent heir, the royal family of the Sun Moon Empire would definitely be restless.

All signs indicate that the Sun Moon Empire does not want to start another war in the near future. Xu Tianran is probably doing this so that Ju Zi can have a child through artificial insemination, thus relieving his pressure in this regard.

Dai Luoli, who was studying in the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy, had her Blood Tiger Martial Soul's origin activated, and her soul power cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds in the past year. She was now a five-ring Soul King. Upon learning of the news from the front lines of the Star Luo Empire, she volunteered to go to the front.

Accompanying Xu Jiujiu to Shrek Academy was Dai Yueheng. Upon seeing Dai Luoli make such a request, he did not refuse on the spot, but instead prepared to leave the matter to Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger for a decision.

Dai Yueheng had little affection for his half-brother, Dai Luoli. Dai Luoli's desire to go to the front lines was none of his business, so he naturally had no reason to stop him.

And so, Dai Luoli returned to the military camp at the front line of the Star Luo Empire with Dai Yueheng.

Although Xu Jiujiu was still unwilling to give up, Yu Tianhuang refused to see her, and she had no other choice. After staying at Shrek Academy for half a month, she ultimately returned home disappointed.

During this period, Ye Guyi cultivated in the underground world of the Sea God Pavilion. She needed a considerable amount of time to process the feedback from purifying Ye Xishui's twelve blood souls.

Xu Zihuang also successfully inscribed eight level-eight core magic arrays, upgrading Ye Guyi's Seven Star Light Flame Sword into a level-eight melee soul tool.

At level eight and above, each core magic array is essentially an aggregation of those core magic arrays. This is because the complexity of a single core magic array has reached its limit. It's not just a simple two-dimensional diagram, but a completely three-dimensional one. Some even involve a sense of four-dimensional space.

However, Xu Zihuang possessed the uniquely gifted Golden Eye Martial Soul, allowing him to complete the inscription process almost flawlessly, without the slightest hesitation. This also meant that his abilities at the Soul Master level had officially reached level eight.

With the enhancement of the Blazing Apricot Blossom Glue and the Heavenly Dragon Horse Crystal, the Seven Star Flame Sword's power can even rival that of a typical level nine melee soul tool. Given Ye Guyi's current cultivation level, it's perfectly suited for use.

The reason Ye Guyi didn't use the Seven Star Flame Sword during that period was because the Seven Star Flame Sword, which was only a level seven soul tool at the time, was not up to par in terms of grade.

Shrek Academy, Soul Guidance Department, Test Zone 3.

Xu Zihuang sat at the matte metal table, piecing together the last level-eight core magic array into the interior of the Seven Star Light Flame Sword. He then stood up and grasped the hilt of the golden-white slender sword. With the infusion of soul power, a halo of light condensed on the sharp blade, instantly transforming it into something as clear as crystal.

Two rhomboid crystals are inlaid on the hilt of the sword, one crimson and the other shimmering with a faint golden light. The energies contained within them maintain a special balance, ensuring that the Seven Star Flame Sword does not leak any energy when soul power is injected into it.

Only when the energy within these two 100,000-year-old soul beast power crystals is deliberately activated will their true power be fully revealed.

Furthermore, because the core magic array inside the Seven Star Flame Sword was inscribed by Xu Zihuang using the Gold of Life, this Seven Star Flame Sword also possesses the effect of the Blade of Life's Guardian. Firstly, this melee soul tool is directly endowed with life force by the Gold of Life, making its quality far superior to other soul tools of the same level.

The reason why soul tools of level seven and above are difficult to make is that they need to possess their own life, or rather, soul, to some extent.

The Blade of Life's Watch is forged from the Gold of Life, its very essence being life itself. The true power it bestows upon the Seven Star Flame Sword is called Judgment. It can judge the life force of all objects, excluding living things, and is effective only against metals and inanimate objects.

In other words, this Seven Star Flame Sword possesses the ability to suppress all soul tools. Of course, this suppressive effect is limited. After all, this ability originates only from the carving knife, the Blade of Life's Watch, rather than from the Life Gold itself.

He Caitou was standing not far behind Xu Zihuang. Upon seeing this scene, a genuine smile appeared on his dark face. However, his smile lacked its usual naivety; instead, it conveyed a sense of profound wisdom.

But this feeling was fleeting. The moment He Caitou's eyes met Xu Zihuang's, he immediately realized what was happening.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Yu. Even if the teacher himself were to create the eight level-eight core magic arrays needed for this Seven Star Flame Sword, I don't think he could do it any better than you."

"All the hard work these past few days hasn't been in vain. Let's go, Senior Brother." Xu Zihuang smiled calmly and walked out of Test Zone No. 3 side by side with He Caitou.

This third test area was specially reserved for the two of them by the Soul Guidance Department of Shrek Academy. Xian Lin'er, Qian Duoduo, and Fan Yu, the three deans of the Soul Guidance Department, occupied the first and second test areas in front, busy making the second level-nine fixed-mount soul guidance cannon.

However, Shrek Academy's Soul Guidance Department ultimately lacked some foundational strength. Despite the experience of successfully creating a level-nine fixed-position Soul Guidance Cannon, it would likely take at least six months to create a second one. This would be with the combined efforts of three people.

The walkways in the experimental area were deserted, with only the footsteps of Xu Zihuang and He Caitou echoing through the air.

During those two months, Xu Zihuang and He Caitou spent a lot of time together. Although he never revealed anything, He Caitou should have known what he was thinking.

As they approached the exit of the experimental zone, Xu Zihuang glanced at He Caitou beside him with a deep look in his eyes.

"Senior Brother, the situation on the mainland may undergo earth-shattering changes within the next five years."

He Caitou paused for a moment, then a barely perceptible glint flashed in the depths of his eyes as he silently watched Xu Zihuang's retreating figure.

A pale, cold moon hung high in the sky, where a young girl in a silver dress was already waiting. The silver dress was a slightly loose style, embroidered with elegant gold patterns, which further accentuated the girl's fair and radiant skin.

Her long, platinum-blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, fluttering in the wind. The girl looked to be around twenty years old, but her delicate features possessed an exceptionally captivating charm, and the bulge in her lower abdomen was already quite noticeable.

The young woman was Ning Tian. All told, she was nearly six months pregnant. After consuming the Narcissus Jade Bone and Muscle Plant, her soul power cultivation had also greatly improved, and she wasn't far from breaking through the level 70 bottleneck.

As Ning Tian saw Xu Zihuang walking towards him, a slight smile appeared on his lips. He stepped forward with a beaming smile and rested his head against Xu Zihuang's chest.

"Tianhuang".