Rushing all the way, the group arrived at the Bright Capital that afternoon.
Xu Tianhao led his companions back to the Haoyu Palace. After a brief rest, Xu Tianhao went straight to Xu Tianran's Eastern Palace.
Xu Tianran was currently sitting in the main seat of his study, holding a bamboo scroll in his hand. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was deep in thought.
Seeing Xu Tianhao walk in, he finally put down the scroll, a smile appearing on his face: "Tianhao, you're finally back."
"How did things go in Xinyue City?"
Xu Tianhao stepped forward and detailed the process of exterminating the Evil Soul Masters and pacifying the citizens during this trip.
At the end, he shifted the topic and brought up Zhang Lexuan: "Brother, I specifically came to ask, how is Zhang Lexuan doing?"
"Based on my previous suggestion, did you arrange for her to absorb that Hundred Thousand Year Silver Moon Wolf King spirit ring?"
Mentioning Zhang Lexuan, a hint of softness flashed in Xu Tianran's eyes: "Naturally, I arranged it."
"Since she was willing to stay, I would naturally give her the best resources. That Hundred Thousand Year Silver Moon Wolf King has already been absorbed by her as her eighth soul ring."
"Furthermore, I had Elder Kong personally take action to help her stabilize her cultivation and neutralize the risks during the absorption."
Hearing this, Xu Tianhao immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
In the original story, Zhang Lexuan nearly lost her life because she forcibly absorbed a hundred-thousand-year eighth soul ring. Not only was she seriously injured and comatose, but her cultivation progress was delayed for years.
But now, with Elder Kong's assistance, not only was this tragedy avoided, but Zhang Lexuan's talent could be fully utilized.
"With Teacher taking action, then it's foolproof." Xu Tianhao smiled with satisfaction.
"Zhang Lexuan's Spirit shares the same origin as Teacher's. Now, with the boost from the hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone, her strength will surely advance by leaps and bounds."
"Indeed." Xu Tianran nodded, a deep look flashing in his eyes: "The process of her absorbing the spirit ring was even smoother than I expected."
"Her foundation is solid, and with Elder Kong's help, it shouldn't be long before she can completely master the power of the eighth soul ring."
Saying this, Xu Tianran smiled: "Furthermore, her state of mind has also undergone a significant change."
Xu Tianhao's heart stirred, and he quickly asked: "Oh? What kind of change?"
"Initially, she stayed here only because of the hatred in her heart, wanting to use the Empire's power for revenge."
Xu Tianran said slowly: "But now, she has a bit more sincerity toward Elder Kong and me."
"Elder Kong helped her absorb the spirit ring and saved her life; she has already developed a sense of recognition for this bloodline connection in her heart."
"I gave her the hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone, and provided her a platform to perform; she is also filled with gratitude toward me."
"She truly treats this place as her home now and has genuinely given her heart to the Sun Moon Empire."
Hearing this, Xu Tianhao's eyes were full of praise.
This time, they didn't use coercion or bribery. First, they used reality to pierce through Zhang Lexuan's defenses, and then they used treasures like the hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone to completely mend the rift.
This combination of kindness and authority not only won over a fierce general like Zhang Lexuan but also stabilized her heart, killing two birds with one stone.
"As expected of you, Big Brother. These little methods are quite effective." Xu Tianhao gave Xu Tianran a thumbs up.
Hearing this, Xu Tianran gave him a playful, annoyed kick:
"Stop fooling around with me. Besides exterminating the Evil Soul Masters, did you have any other gains on this trip?"
The smile on Xu Tianhao's face vanished, replaced by a serious expression: "The gains were significant. After Guyi purified that group of Evil Soul Masters, she broke through to Rank 40."
"Afterward, she absorbed a ten-thousand-year fourth spirit ring, and her cultivation directly broke through to Rank 47."
"And this is just the beginning. In the future, when dealing with Evil Soul Masters, she will definitely be our number one contributor."
"Rank 47?" Xu Tianran's eyes lit up, filled with surprise: "Ye Guyi's progress speed is simply astonishing."
"Nurture her well; she will surely become a top-tier powerhouse for the Empire in the future. Tianhao, take extra care of her; she is a rare talent."
"Don't worry, Big Brother, I will definitely nurture her well." Xu Tianhao solemnly agreed.
The two chatted for a while longer about the Empire's development and the current state of the Spirit Master's world.
As they talked, Xu Tianran shifted the topic, his tone suddenly becoming suggestive:
"However, I must remind you. Those three young girls—Ye Guyi, Meng Hong dust, and Nana—all seem to have feelings for you."
Hearing this, Xu Tianhao's heart skipped a beat, and the smile on his face instantly froze.
He subconsciously avoided Xu Tianran's gaze: "Big Brother, why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
"What do you mean 'why'?" Xu Tianran arched an eyebrow, his eyes full of playfulness.
"I can see it very clearly. The way they look at you is more than just as partners."
"You've got quite the charm, kid, to be able to move three girls who each have their own unique merits."
Xu Tianhao coughed twice, trying to change the subject: "Big Brother, I just remembered there are some matters at the Haoyu Palace that haven't been handled yet. I'll head back first."
After speaking, he turned and left in a hurry, nearly bumping into the doorframe. His flustered escape made Xu Tianran burst into laughter.
"Stinky brat, you still dare to be so informal with me!" Xu Tianran shook his head with a smile, his eyes full of doting.
"You think I can't handle you? If you trip up over matters like this, just wait and see how I deal with you!"
Xu Tianhao fled all the way back to the Haoyu Palace. Leaning against the doorframe, his heart was still pounding.
He raised a hand to rub his cheeks, feeling both amused and frustrated.
Xu Tianran's words reminded him of the moments spent with Meng Hongchen, Ye Guyi, and Nana.
Meng Hongchen's passionate liveliness, Nana's gentle delicacy, and Ye Guyi's resilient purity—each one had a unique charm.
He certainly liked them, but he was afraid of things spiraling out of control.
If it were one by one, Xu Tianhao could surely handle it easily, but if it were all three together, he didn't dare to be too reckless.
If they started getting jealous, Xu Tianhao would be the one suffering.
Furthermore, he hadn't achieved the second awakening of his Body Martial Soul yet; the 'Innate Primordial Qi' was very important.
Although Douluo Continent didn't have the concept of Innate Primordial Qi, maintaining one's most primitive state was most conducive to completing the second awakening.
So, even if Xu Tianhao wanted to indulge, he had to wait until after the second awakening of his Spirit.
However, that time wouldn't be too far off. With his current foundation, he actually already met the conditions for the second awakening.
The reason he wasn't in a hurry was to wait for Long Aotian.
A Body Martial Soul can only meet the conditions to trigger the second awakening after breaking through to five rings and having sufficient mental force strength.
Although Long Aotian's combat power was explosive, his mental force was a shortcoming.
Though Long Aotian had barely reached the threshold for second awakening with the strength of his ten-thousand-year fourth spirit ring.
But to be absolutely safe, both Xu Tianhao and Long Aotian planned to absorb their fifth spirit rings before completing the second awakening.
Poison Immortal naturally had no objections to this.
For him, with Xu Tianhao and Long Aotian, the future of the Body Sect was secure.
As for the second awakening, a couple of years early or late didn't really make a difference.
On the contrary, the stronger the mental force and physical constitution, the better the effect of the second awakening.
Of course, another prerequisite was being young and having abundant vital energy.
If one waited until they were old and their vital energy had declined, there would basically be no hope of completing the second awakening.