Poison Immortal put on no airs of a powerhouse in front of Xu Tianran, his words filled with closeness and protection at every turn.
Firstly, it was because of the bond with his closed-door disciple, Xu Tianhao; secondly, he valued Xu Tianran's talent and future.
Even more so, it was for the deep tie between the Body Sect and the Sun Moon Empire, seeking greater development.
Now that three years had passed, with the help of the Imperial Family, the Body Sect had secretly found many good prospects with Body Martial Souls within the Sun Moon Empire.
Listening to Poison Immortal's earnest and friendly words, Xu Tianran no longer acted overly formal.
He was inherently a decisive person who did not stick to trivialities; excessive politeness would instead seem hypocritical.
He straightened his body and gave a slight nod to Poison Immortal, his tone frank: "Sect Master Du is right, it was my lack of consideration, I was being too distant."
Seeing Xu Tianran being so transparent, Poison Immortal immediately let out a hearty laugh, full of relief and praise: "Good! Good! Let's stop all this talk of being distant!"
"I am here to truly congratulate the Crown Prince on successfully advancing to Spirit Douluo. From now on, there are no obstacles on your path as a Spirit Master. The future is a smooth road, and reaching the realm of Titled Douluo, or even Limit Douluo, is just around the corner!"
Poison Immortal's blessing came from the heart, making the warmth in Xu Tianran's heart grow even stronger.
Just then, the three Ninth-Rank Soul Engineers from the Sun Moon Empire, who had been on strict alert within a several-mile radius to prevent other Spirit Beasts or outsiders from disturbing them, also noticed the movement here. They put away their spirit tools one after another and quickly gathered around.
All three were top-tier powerhouses of the Sun Moon Empire with revered status.
Yet in front of Xu Tianran, the Crown Prince, they remained extremely respectful, bowing in unison:
"Congratulations to the Crown Prince for successfully absorbing the hundred thousand year spirit ring, advancing to Spirit Douluo, and greatly increasing your strength!"
These three Ninth-Rank Soul Engineers were all confidants of the Sun Moon Empire's Imperial Family.
Having witnessed the entire process of Xu Tianran absorbing the spirit ring, their hearts were currently filled with shock and awe.
They admired this young Crown Prince more and more, and became increasingly loyal.
Xu Tianran looked at the three Ninth-Rank Soul Engineers before him, a genuine smile appearing on his face.
That smile was gentle and sincere, lacking imperial majesty and showing only a junior's respect and gratitude toward Elders.
He cupped his hands slightly toward the three, his tone incredibly sincere: "To have such a massive harvest this time is all thanks to Sect Master Du's presence, as well as the constant protection and full assistance of the Elders. This journey has been full of dangers; you have all worked hard."
"After returning to Bright Capital, I, Tianran, will surely provide a great reward. I will never mistreat anyone who contributed!"
Xu Tianran was genuinely grateful to everyone at this moment, so he completely dropped his status as Crown Prince and referred to himself as a junior.
His words were humble and polite, warming the hearts of everyone present.
But who among those present wasn't a shrewd individual?
Poison Immortal was an Old freak who had lived for over two hundred years, and the three Ninth-Rank Soul Engineers were old foxes who had spent their lives struggling in the imperial court and the Spirit Master's world; every one of them was sharp-minded.
Xu Tianran's willingness to drop his status and act as a junior was the Crown Prince's grace and cultivation.
They, however, would never take advantage of the situation and actually treat themselves as Elders to exploit the Crown Prince.
In the Sun Moon Empire, imperial power was supreme. The Crown Prince was the future Emperor; the awe in their hearts had never diminished in the slightest.
Poison Immortal waved his hand with a smile again, his tone respectful and appropriate:
"Your Highness's words are incorrect. I and the Elders have merely contributed a meager effort."
"The reason we could so smoothly hunt the Magic Thunder Tyrannosaurus Rex and perfectly absorb the hundred thousand year spirit ring today ultimately comes down to Your Highness's own deep foundation and extraordinary talent."
"Otherwise, even with a heaven-sent opportunity and our assistance, the absorption might not have been such smooth sailing."
"All of this is Your Highness's own fortune and strength!"
The other three Ninth-Rank Soul Engineers stood to the side, shocked upon hearing this.
They hadn't expected that Poison Immortal, who usually seemed honest, simple, and poor with words, would be even more fluent and appropriate at speaking complimentary pleasantries than those of them who frequented the imperial court.
He praised the Prince without appearing sycophantic; it was practically perfect.
The three immediately took the hint and stepped forward to agree, their tones full of sincere praise and awe: "Yes! Sect Master Du is absolutely right!"
"This is all due to the Crown Prince's immense luck and heavenly mandate, allowing for such a heaven-defying opportunity!"
"The Crown Prince's talent is the greatest in the Sun Moon Empire, rare throughout history. Absorbing a hundred thousand year spirit ring is naturally a matter of course!"
"When Your Highness ascends the throne in the future, you will surely lead our Sun Moon Empire to the pinnacle and dominate the continent!"
Listening to the continuous compliments and praise from the crowd, Xu Tianran quickly waved his hand.
With a gentle look of restraint on his face, he said in a steady tone:
"The Star Dou Great Forest is fraught with danger. The commotion from hunting the Magic Thunder Tyrannosaurus Rex has likely already alerted the nearby top-tier Spirit Beasts. We shouldn't linger here; let us leave quickly."
Everyone was well aware of the terror of the Star Dou Great Forest, especially the core area, which hid several powerful Great Beasts.
Retiring after success was the wisest choice at this moment.
As his voice fell, the group said no more and began to move.
Poison Immortal and the three Ninth-Rank Soul Engineers joined forces to begin dismembering and packing the Magic Thunder Tyrannosaurus Rex's massive, mountain-like corpse.
As a hundred thousand year top-tier Spirit Beast, every part of the Magic Thunder Tyrannosaurus Rex was a supreme treasure.
Dragon Tendons, dragon scales, dragon bones, dragon blood, Dragon Marrow...
Every single one was an excellent material for refining spirit tools, worth a fortune, and not a bit could be wasted.
The group moved with extreme speed, and in just a few moments, they had properly processed the Magic Thunder Tyrannosaurus Rex's body and stored it in storage spirit tools.
After completing all this, the group vanished from the spot.
...
Half an hour quietly passed. Xu Tianran's group concealed their auras and moved rapidly along a set route, proceeding quite smoothly.
Just as they were about to step into the outer regions of the Star Dou Great Forest, a series of deafening booms suddenly erupted from deep within the dense forest several miles ahead.
Accompanied by the roars of beast spirits, the intense combat fluctuations instantly caught everyone's attention.
That combat aura was extremely powerful, mixed with the violent pressure unique to hundred thousand year Spirit Beasts.
Adhering to the idea that since they were already here, they might as well take advantage of any profit,
Poison Immortal immediately gave Xu Tianran a slight nod, indicating he would go investigate.
Poison Immortal said, "Your Highness, I'll go take a look."
Xu Tianran nodded: "Be careful."
Poison Immortal didn't waste words, silently blending into the shadows of the dense forest without leaking a single trace of spirit power fluctuation.
The battle ahead was in full swing, making it impossible to detect his approach.
His goal was clear: if it was a fight between Spirit Beasts or Spirit Masters fighting over resources, he would just treat it as a show.
But if it was a situation where one side's strength was greatly depleted or both sides were injured, with their group's top-tier combat power, they could completely sit back and reap the benefits like the fisherman in the fable.
Whether it was harvesting spirit rings and Spirit Bones or snatching opportunities and treasures, it was a guaranteed win.
Poison Immortal was never a saint; if he encountered an opportunity to pick up money, he wouldn't let it pass.