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*****
"The inheritance of the Progenitor of Sub-Dragons..."
"Indeed," the Master of the Blazing Sun Hall continued. "While no one knows exactly what rank of godhood that progenitor held, it undoubtedly belonged to the class of Divine Beasts. Even though its race was wiped out by the Dragon God, some remnants of its legacy must have survived; otherwise, the Sun Moon Imperial Family wouldn't exist as it does today."
"However, at the end of the day, it is the legacy of a dead Divine Beast. Even with an inheritance, not much could remain after such an immense passage of time."
"But—"
The expression of the Blazing Sun Hall Master turned grim, and a shadow of worry crossed the face of the Cold Moon Hall Mistress as well.
"In the past, we weren't concerned about the Imperial Family gaining too much from this legacy. However, recent reports suggest that the Crown Prince has finally located the core of the Progenitor's inheritance."
Inheritances are divided into the peripheral and the core. In the past, the Imperial Family likely only possessed the unimportant, superficial fragments. The true essence had remained out of reach. Now, this Crown Prince, Xu Tianyou, has emerged—the greatest genius and possessor of the purest bloodline the Imperial Family has seen in centuries.
"Ever since he awakened his Martial Soul, Xu Tianyou has never consumed any external resources. To maintain the purity of his bloodline and the thickness of his soul power, his cultivation has always followed the traditions of the soul masters from your continent. Not only does he rely solely on himself for soul power, but his soul skills weren't even configured to facilitate becoming a Soul Tool Designer or to accommodate the use of soul tools."
"Every one of Xu Tianyou's soul skills is perfectly matched to his own Martial Soul's combat system. Yet, using his own raw talent—excluding the enhancements brought by his Martial Soul—he has managed to advance just as quickly in the study of Soul Tools. He crafts his own specialized soul tools to amplify his various soul skills."
"In that regard, his path actually aligns perfectly with your philosophy, Master Su."
Su Wen frowned, interrupting the Hall Master. "I heard that Xu Tianyou's soul tools were custom-made by the Imperial Family's top designers."
The Mistress of the Cold Moon Hall gave a soft, slightly awkward chuckle. "That was a rumor spread by the Temple... an attempt to suppress the Crown Prince's rising prestige at the time."
By any objective standard, the Crown Prince crushed either of the two Saint Sons individually. Unless the two Saint Sons utilized their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, they were simply no match for him at the same level. Even now, having received the divine inheritances of the two gods, the Saint Sons did not feel any relief; instead, the pressure radiating from Xu Tianyou only seemed to intensify.
"Xu Tianyou has definitely secured the core legacy. The Imperial Family's decision to completely break ties with us now stems from their own needs as much as ours. We suspect they intend to abolish the Temple and have the Crown Prince absorb the faith of the entire continent to reconstruct the Godhood of the Progenitor of Sub-Dragons."
Su Wen nodded as the Hall Master shared their theory. It was logically sound. However, if he didn't have that specific ring in his possession, Su Wen might have believed it entirely.
That ring in my hand is likely a key component. Therefore, the Crown Prince definitely hasn't obtained the 'true' inheritance of the Progenitor.
Su Wen wondered if there was anything in that dragon's legacy that could attract him. To his surprise, there was.
Destruction!
The Purple Radiance Heaven-Exterminating Dragon commanded the power of destruction. Su Wen was naturally interested, though simply copying the Martial Soul wouldn't satisfy him. The Progenitor of Sub-Dragons was deemed too destructive even by the Dragon God; its mastery over the laws of destruction must be profound.
The ultimate goal of the Heavenly Book's evolution was: One book, one world; one page, one universe. Every page was to become a miniature world. And for a world to have life, it must also have an end. Only then can the cycle be eternal.
"If Master Su is interested in the Progenitor, perhaps you can use it as a bargaining chip with the Imperial Family," the Cold Moon Mistress suggested with a faint smile. "With our Temple on board, the Imperial Family's cooperation with the Academy is now a foregone conclusion. They either join or get swept away by the tides of the era."
The situation had changed since Su Wen first broached the subject with the royals. By failing to agree immediately, they had lost the initiative. Now that the Temple had taken the lead, the Imperial Family would be the ones begging to join the Academy to gain access to the Academic Realm.
Su Wen gave the Mistress of the Cold Moon a deep, knowing look. Her suggestion wasn't necessarily entirely for his benefit, but she wasn't wrong.
"I will establish the headquarters of the Academy in a northern valley. It will serve as the heart of the Academy on the Sun Moon Continent."
"The Sun Moon Temple naturally has no objections."
"You may collect your Soul Seals yourselves when the time comes."
Having spent half a day on the Sacred Mountain, Su Wen hadn't been idle; he had already set up the Soul Seal Registry.
"Will Master Su not stay as our guest for a while longer?"
"No. I must establish the Academy as quickly as possible. I have other matters to attend to." Su Wen waved his hand.
His most urgent priority was condensing his seventh spirit ring. That required immense preparation. By setting up the Academy and spreading the Academic Realm across the entire Douluo Star, he could complete his current trial and free himself for his own cultivation.
The Imperial Welcome
Su Wen left the Sacred Mountain and headed back toward Mingdu. However, as soon as he reached the foot of the mountain, he found the elderly representative of the Imperial Family waiting for him.
"Master Su, our Imperial Family—"
"Elder, the situation today is not what it was yesterday," Su Wen interrupted.
The old man gave a bitter smile. It was true; the Imperial Family had hesitated. But in reality, it was the fastest they could move. Establishing a new "Sacred Land" was a monumental event, and without a living god to guide them, they had to carefully weigh every potential impact on the Empire's future.
The Sun Moon Temple could simply follow the orders of their gods. The Imperial Family didn't have that luxury.
"Whatever Master Su requires, the Imperial Family will do its utmost to satisfy your needs."
The old man's only hope was that Su Wen wouldn't take this opportunity to demand their secret Soul Tool records. After gaining a basic understanding of the Academic Realm, how could he not know what the Academy's most precious asset was?
For a Spirit Master, the Registry of Ten Thousand Methods was priceless. For a Soul Tool Designer, it was even more so! Designers often wasted vast amounts of energy on research; the Registry was practically tailor-made for them, saving time while allowing them to master techniques that compensated for the soul power cultivation they lost to their craft.
Currently, the only way to obtain the Registry was through Su Wen's direct bestowal or through exchange. The Imperial Family's greatest leverage was their data on Super Soul Tools and Peak-tier Soul Tools. If Su Wen demanded those now, the Imperial Family would truly suffer a devastating blow.
Fortunately, as soon as Su Wen spoke, the old man breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn't the Soul Tool records he wanted.
(End of Chapter)