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

The news released from the palace was that Xu Zihuang, the only son of the Purple Emperor King, had exonerated his father and executed Xu Tianran, who had colluded with evil spirit masters. With the support of Jing Hongchen, the leader of the Mingde Hall, and others, he would ascend the throne in seven days at a sacrificial ceremony in the southern suburbs of Mingdu. Xu Zihuang also directly revoked the status of the Holy Spirit Sect as the state religion and immediately announced that after his ascension to the throne, he would mobilize the entire nation to eradicate these evil spirit masters.

The world was in an uproar.

In the Sun Moon Empire, some were happy while others were worried. Those nobles and officials in the south of the Sun Moon Empire, who had a past relationship with King Zihuang, were extremely excited. Those who had explicitly sided with Xu Tianran, however, were constantly worried about being purged.

Five days passed quickly. The news spread to almost every corner of the three former empires of the Douluo Continent.

This morning, the top officials of the three great empires and Shrek Academy also received invitations to go to Mingdu to witness Xu Zihuang's coronation ceremony.

The dormitory building of the Soul Guidance Department of Shrek Academy.

When He Caitou was researching and making soul tools in the Soul Guidance Department of the Outer Courtyard, he would usually stay in this dormitory building, which was not far from the Soul Guidance Department's experimental area.

It was quite unusual that He Caitou had stayed in his dormitory for the past few days without going out. He neither drew up the design blueprints for the soul tool nor started making it. Instead, he just sat blankly on his bed in the dormitory, staring at the ceiling.

Xu Zihuang had so easily avenged himself on Xu Tianran, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality.

Upon learning that his great revenge had been achieved, He Caitou initially poured out his emotions wildly. But afterwards, he became bewildered, and only today has he come to understand his own heart.

He discovered that the only obsession in his heart was that hatred. Now, he no longer cared about his identity as the former crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire, and hoped to stay at Shrek Academy as He Caitou.

Realizing what was happening too late, He Caitou suddenly stood up, then sat down again with a wry smile.

"Zihuang, so you saw it all along."

It was precisely because Xu Zihuang knew his thoughts that he did not come to find him.

"Your ascension to the throne is a good thing for the academy and for the three great empires that originally belonged to Douluo Continent. At least during the time you are in control of the Sun Moon Empire, this peace will continue."

But what He Caitou didn't know was that Xu Zihuang's ambitions went far beyond that.

Meanwhile, in the conference hall on the first floor of the Poseidon Pavilion.

The long table was filled with the elders of the Sea God Pavilion. The four deans—Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Qian Duoduo, and Cai Mei'er—were also present. Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei sat at the far ends of the table.

As per Elder Mu's dying wish, the Tang Clan will occupy a seat as a member of the Sea God Pavilion.

Bei Bei is now a high-level Soul Saint. At his cultivation speed, he will break through to the eight-ring Soul Douluo realm within the next one to two years, which can be considered as entering the inner circle. Naturally, he will take over the position of member of the Tang Sect's Sea God Pavilion.

Unfortunately, even with the full support of Shrek Academy, the development of the Tang Sect was extremely limited.

Upon learning of the upheaval at the Sun Moon Empire's palace, Elder Xuan's mood noticeably improved.

Elder Xuan waved his hand, looking at everyone with a hint of helplessness, and said, "To be honest, things have developed far beyond my expectations. I never imagined that the only son of the former Purple Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire would survive and successfully assassinate Xu Tianran. Let's all share our opinions."

After a moment's hesitation, Elder Song said in a deep voice, "I have also heard of the Purple Emperor King of the Sun Moon Empire. The southern part of the Sun Moon Empire under his rule was once prosperous and thriving. Back then, he also restrained his troops and never invaded our original Douluo Continent. Considering these circumstances, the news should be correct. The Purple Emperor King was most likely persecuted by Xu Tianran and the evil soul masters. But the most important thing is the attitude shown by the Purple Emperor King's only son. He returned the occupied territory to the Heavenly Soul Empire, which shows that he does not have the wolfish ambition of Xu Tianran."

"I agree with Elder Song's point of view." Yan Shaozhe nodded in agreement, then changed the subject and said.

"But I think that the only son of the Purple Emperor King returned the territory of the Heavenly Soul Empire more for the sake of the current situation. He is already under tremendous pressure for standing so firmly against the Holy Spirit Church, and he certainly does not want the three great empires of the original Douluo Continent to take advantage of the situation to launch a counterattack. Rather than being forced to give up the territory of the Heavenly Soul Empire, it is better to return it voluntarily and do a favor."

"Yan Shaozhe, you're so old, yet you still judge others with such petty minds." Xian Lin'er showed no respect for Yan Shaozhe and snorted coldly.

"Regardless of whether your conjectures are true or not, the fact that the only son of the Purple Emperor King dared to declare that he would mobilize the entire nation to eradicate evil soul masters is enough to demonstrate his righteousness and greatness. If it were you, would you dare to confront the Holy Spirit Cult, which has two Limit Douluos?"

Yan Shaozhe frowned, about to retort, but was interrupted by Elder Xuan.

"Lin'er, what suggestions do you have?"

Xian Lin'er's attitude towards Elder Xuan changed. She sat up slightly and said seriously, "Elder Xuan, I think if the only son of the Purple Emperor King is truly willing to quell the war, it wouldn't be unreasonable for our academy to send someone to observe the ceremony. Even if we take a step back, the Holy Spirit Cult has been poisoning the continent for years, harming countless lives. The Sun Moon Empire's willingness to eradicate these evil soul masters is undoubtedly a good thing for the entire continent. Even if our academy doesn't provide assistance, we shouldn't take advantage of the chaos."

"Lin'er, haven't you heard the saying, 'One should always be wary of others'?" Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but remind her.

"That only son of the Purple Emperor has remained silent for so many years without a single word leaking out. His forbearance and courage are already extraordinary. Such a person is definitely not as simple as you think."

Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei, being relatively inexperienced, obviously wouldn't participate in such a debate. The other senior members, however, would occasionally offer their opinions.

Finally, Elder Xuan made the final decision, bringing silence back to the conference hall on the first floor of the Sea God Pavilion.

"What Shao Zhe and Lin'er said makes sense. One should always be wary, but the Sun Moon Empire's purge of those evil soul masters from the Holy Spirit Cult is indeed a righteous act. To deal with these evil soul masters, the Sun Moon Empire won't have the resources to invade our original Douluo Continent for a long time to come. Furthermore, returning the territory to the Heavenly Soul Empire shows considerable sincerity towards our original Douluo Continent. How about this, I'll personally lead a group to see the future ruler of the Sun Moon Empire. If all goes well, the three great empires of our original Douluo Continent should have received invitations as well. When our powerful figures from the original Douluo Continent gather, it should be the Sun Moon Empire that needs to worry."

Since Elder Xuan, the head of the Sea God Pavilion, had spoken, no one dared to refute him. Moreover, what Elder Xuan said made perfect sense. Under those circumstances, the Sun Moon Empire certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to clash with so many powerful figures originally from the Douluo Continent near its capital. After all, a battle of this magnitude could very well implicate the entire Ming Capital.

As the meeting drew to a close, Zhang Lexuan asked Elder Xuan with some concern, "Elder Xuan, is there still no news about Tianhuang?"

She genuinely cared for Yu Tianhuang, a rising star whose excellence even made her feel somewhat inferior. Moreover, she had promised Elder Mu that she would protect Shrek Academy together with Yu Tianhuang in the future.

Elder Xuan shook his head, then smiled and comforted him, "Tianhuang annihilated Zhongli Wu and a group of Title Douluo evil soul masters in Dragon City. He must have cultivated a second soul core that complements Yin and Yang to possess such terrifying combat power. With a Yin-Yang complementary dual soul core and Title Douluo-level cultivation, there is probably no one on the entire continent who can threaten him. Don't worry, given Tianhuang's personality, he must have been delayed by something else. Perhaps this kid was thinking about completing the soul rings for his second martial soul, which is why he didn't return to the academy in time."

"Speaking of which, the only son of the Purple Emperor King is also a person of extraordinary talent, and he actually managed to assassinate Xu Tianran. Although I don't know his specific cultivation level, I suppose he is still no match for the Heavenly Emperor." Bei Bei was also deeply moved, her expression full of emotion.

Since they first met ten years ago, Yu Tianhuang had gradually widened the gap between them. He had personally witnessed Yu Tianhuang's growth.

At the same time, the royal families of the Heavenly Soul Empire, the Star Luo Empire, and the Dou Ling Empire also received invitations from the Sun Moon Empire.

Inside the main hall of the Heavenly Dou City Imperial Palace.

Wearing a purple-gold crown and a magnificent, elegant palace dress, Vina sat on the throne, with civil and military officials standing on both sides of the palace.

At that moment, Vina was reading a handwritten letter from the 'only son of the Purple Emperor King'. There was only one sentence on the letter, but upon seeing it, she was struck dumb and abruptly stood up.

“Vina, now you can tell me your choice again.”

Chapter 524 The Arrival of Court Guests and the Ceremony for the Enthronement of the Throne

Xuanming City, in the south-central part of the Douling Empire.

Xuanming City is the largest city in the south of the Douling Empire, and its prosperity is in no way inferior to that of the capital, Lingdou City.

Back then, the royal family of the Heavenly Dou Empire was forced to retreat eastward by the rebellious forces of several kingdoms and duchies. It was only after establishing the Douling Empire that they rebuilt it, using the vast eastern territories of the Heavenly Dou Empire as their foundation.

The Douling Empire is geographically located relatively far north, and for strategic reasons, its chosen capital, Lingdou City, is also in the north, where the climate is harsher than that of the capitals of the other three countries on the continent. As a result, in recent millennia, Lingdou City's development has lagged behind that of Xuanming City in the south.

Xuanming City is famous on the continent not only for its prosperity, but also for another reason: the reclusive sect Xuanming Sect is based here.

The Xuanming Sect's lineage can be traced back ten thousand years. Although it cannot compare to top sects like the Haotian Sect and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, its foundation is still extremely profound. It boasts more than one Super Douluo-level powerhouse.

The city lord's mansion in the center of Xuanming City. Strictly speaking, the Douling Empire was the legitimate successor to the former Tiandou Empire, and the architecture in most of its major cities is in a retro style.

Especially the towering pavilion inside the city lord's mansion, which is both ancient and majestic.

A young man dressed in fine clothes stood quietly on the windowsill of the central room on the top floor of the attic, overlooking the entire Xuanming City.

The young man was tall and handsome, with neat, short, dark red hair. He was none other than Xu Sanshi, who had returned to the Douling Empire and been made crown prince. Perhaps he should now be called Xue Sanshi.

The direct bloodline of the Douling Empire's royal family is dwindling, and the current emperor of the Douling Empire only has a young daughter. In order to stabilize the royal family's rule, Xu Sanshi was tricked by his mother, Xue Lingxun, into changing his surname and then being adopted by the Douling Empire's royal family.

Xu Sanshi was already quite handsome, and with age and increased cultivation, he had become noticeably more composed. Furthermore, his long stay in the Douling Empire's palace, interacting with government affairs and key officials, gave him an air of quiet authority and dignity.

It has been proven that no one can avoid being influenced by their surroundings.

Inside this spacious and luxurious room, four white-haired elders of varying statures guarded Xu Sanshi. These four elders were all renowned Title Douluo powerhouses of the Douling Empire, with the leader being none other than the Heavenly Sun Douluo, whose soul power cultivation reached level ninety-seven, making him the strongest on the Douling Empire's side.

Since receiving the invitation from the Sun Moon Empire, the Douling Empire has decided to send Crown Prince Xu Sanshi to Mingdu to attend the ceremony. This level of escort demonstrates Xu Sanshi's current status within the Douling Empire.

Xu Sanshi gazed aimlessly at the diverse people in Xuanming City, letting the lively noise fill his ears, his eyes momentarily dazed.

Given his personality, he would actually prefer to stay at Shrek Academy and study freely, where he could banter with Bei Bei whenever he wanted. He only compromised because of the unstable situation in the Douling Empire and because he didn't want his mother, Xue Lingxun, to worry.

However, after learning about the cruelty of war, his kind nature led him to want to protect the civilians within the Douling Empire from the ravages of war.

Xu Sanshi is currently experiencing this kind of contradictory feeling.

Just then, Xu Sanshi's gaze suddenly froze on a beautiful figure in the city center. Her simple clothes could not conceal the radiance emanating from this purple-haired woman; her exquisite face seemed to glow with the light of the sun and moon, dazzling the senses. Her exquisite figure was perfectly proportioned, every graceful curve of her body just right.

The only drawback was that the woman had some difficulty walking on her left leg. But her pretty face was beaming with a genuine smile of happiness as she affectionately linked arms with a middle-aged woman.

Xu Sanshi was lost in thought until the figures of the woman and the middle-aged woman disappeared from his sight for a long time before his pupils gradually focused.

Everything has already been let go.

Xu Sanshi smiled with relief, his lips moving slightly.

"Perhaps this ordinary yet happy life is the most suitable for her."

He is the crown prince of the Douling Empire, and she is an ordinary civilian in Xuanming City. Both of them have a bright future.

Suddenly, a gentle yet somewhat reproachful voice rang out, interrupting Xu Sanshi's thoughts.

"Sanshi, your stubborn old man has finally agreed."

A tall, beautiful middle-aged woman entered the room from the back. She wore an elegant long dress, and although she was not young, she still retained her charm. Xu Sanshi's appearance bore at least six or seven parts resemblance to her.

The beautiful woman was Xu Sanshi's mother, and also Princess Xue Lingxun of the Douling Empire.

"Mom, what did Dad say?"

Xu Sanshi turned around and looked at his mother.

Xue Lingxun pouted in annoyance.

“He’s not going; your great-uncle will accompany you to Mingdu.”

"Grand Uncle?" Xu Sanshi was taken aback at first, but quickly realized what he meant.

His father, as the current sect leader of the Xuanming Sect, was certainly not suitable to appear in that kind of situation. However, this great-uncle was quite powerful, a Super Douluo with a soul power of level 96, and the undisputed strongest in the Xuanming Sect. With the powerful defensive capabilities of the Xuanming Shield Martial Soul, it was even capable of briefly withstanding attacks from level 97 or even level 98 Super Douluos.

In fact, this can be seen as a statement of the Xuanming Sect's attitude.

Just like the relationship between the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School and Xu Zihuang, the die is cast, and neither side can sever their ties. The same applies to the relationship between Xu Sanshi and the Xuanming School; Xu Sanshi's father can't very well disown him as his son.

"Your Highness." Tianyang Douluo, along with the other three Title Douluos from the Douling Empire, bowed slightly to Xue Lingxun. Title Douluo-level experts would receive the highest level of courtesy in any country on the continent, so there was no need for them to kneel and perform such a grand ceremony to Xue Lingxun.

"I didn't expect it would be Brother Xu who personally intervened." Tianyang Douluo was surprised, but a hint of joy also appeared in his eyes. In this way, their Douling Empire's lineup became much stronger.

Although Xue Lingxun is usually quite lively when she's with Xu Sanshi, she doesn't put on airs like a princess in front of Tianyang Douluo.

"Your Majesty, there is no need for such formalities. We will be relying heavily on Your Majesty this time."

"That's only right." Tianyang Douluo stroked his beard and nodded with the composure of a powerful figure.

Xue Lingxun seemed to think for a moment, then continued, "Without delay, we should set off immediately to Shrek Academy to join the other forces. News has already come from Shrek Academy that Elder Xuan, the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, will personally lead the team. The Heavenly Soul Empire will be led by His Majesty the Body Douluo, and Empress Vina will also be going. Finally, the Star Luo Empire will be led by Elder Yang, the Chief Elder of the Star Luo Empire's Royal Hall of Worship, and Princess Jiu Jiu will also be accompanying him."

The chief retainer of the Star Luo Empire's royal family, Elder Yang, has a title that indicates a connection between his martial soul and the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear. However, Elder Yang's martial soul is not the true Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, but a weakened version of it.

Both the Dark Gold Bear and the Devil Claw Bear are subspecies of the Dark Gold Devil Claw Bear, each inheriting a portion of its abilities. The Dark Gold Bear inherits the powerful physical and bloodline strength of the Dark Gold Devil Claw Bear, while the Devil Claw Bear only inherits its pair of terrifying claws. Of course, the Devil Claw Bear's claws are far less terrifying than those of the Dark Gold Devil Claw Bear.

Comparatively speaking, the Dark Gold Bear's bloodline is most similar to that of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, and it is far stronger than the Terrorclaw Bear. Except for lacking a pair of terror claws, it possesses almost all the abilities of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

"Will Empress Vina also be going?" Everyone thought the other news was normal, but this was the only thing that caught their attention.

Xue Lingxun frowned slightly as she explained her perspective.

"After all, the only son of the Purple Emperor King returned all the territories of the Heavenly Soul Empire, showing sufficient sincerity. Empress Vina must have decided to go to Mingdu in person based on this."

At this point, Xue Lingxun's gaze became intense again.