"Order the Ministry of Revenue to allocate three million gold soul coins as military supplies for the expedition!"
"Furthermore, an imperial edict has been issued, calling upon all those with ambition throughout the land who wish to join the Prince on his expedition. All are welcome to sign up!"
"I will also select five hundred elite soldiers from the Royal Soul Master Corps and bestow them upon the Prince!"
Xu Huang's plan was incredibly elaborate.
Give money, give people, give fame.
On the one hand, I am genuinely happy and hope to send this great deity as far away as possible, preferably never to return.
On the other hand, sending more people in would not only make him appear benevolent as emperor, but also allow him to plant some spies.
It may not be useful, but at least it's a gesture.
...
Half a month later, on the shore of the East China Sea.
The sea breeze howls, whipping up thousands of piles of snow.
Dozens of massive, jet-black soul-guided warships, gleaming with a cold metallic light, lay silently on the sea like steel behemoths.
The main gun muzzles of each warship emanated a chilling surge of soul power.
This is the culmination of the Sun Moon Empire's most advanced technology, and it is also the source of Xu Zhao's confidence in conquering the Douluo Continent.
On the dock, banners obscured the sun.
Emperor Xu Huang, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, led civil and military officials to personally see off Prince Ōri.
Xu Yu, dressed in military uniform with his red hair flying, looked at his elder brother, whom he had fought with for decades, with a complex expression in his eyes.
The two dismissed their attendants and stood side by side at the very front of the dock.
"Second brother, this journey will take many years, the sea is vast and the outcome is uncertain."
Xu Huang patted Xu Yu on the shoulder, his tone surprisingly tinged with a hint of wistfulness.
Without the life-or-death struggle of power, that faint blood ties seemed to resurface.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty."
Xu Yu looked at the vast and magnificent sea in the distance and laughed heartily.
"My son Xu Zhao has the potential to become an emperor!"
The vast ocean cannot stop us.
"But my elder brother, the fate of the Sun Moon Empire will now rest entirely on your shoulders."
Xu Huang's eyes reddened slightly as he gripped Xu Yu's hand tightly and said emotionally:
"Second brother, you used to be the older brother..."
Sigh, better not to say anything!
Go ahead and take the plunge!
"If things aren't going to be easy on that continent, as long as I'm still on the throne, your Great Sun Royal Palace will always have a place in this Sun Moon Empire!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Xu Yu grasped Xu Huang's hand in return, and at that moment, the two brothers seemed to have returned to the days when they fought side by side in their youth.
Although both men were well aware that behind this "brotherly affection" lay a compromise of power and an exchange of interests.
But at least at this moment, the sorrow of parting is real.
Not far away, on the deck.
Xu Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, the sea breeze blowing his robes, making them flutter.
Xu Zhao looked down at the two elders putting on a show of "brotherly love and respect" and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"That's politics..."
Xu Zhao murmured to himself.
Even mortal enemies can become brothers if their interests align.
However, all of this was no longer relevant to him.
A deafening whistle rang out.
"set sail--!!!"
The massive soul-guided warship spewed out a powerful tail flame.
Pushing aside layers of waves, it sailed majestically towards the Douluo Continent.
The vast and boundless sea, with its endless blue waves.
Two and a half months have passed since the fleet of the Great Sun King's Palace left the port of the Sun and Moon Empire.
During this period, apart from the occasional attacks by a few ignorant sea spirit beasts that were easily killed by the soul-guided cannons on the periphery of the fleet, the journey was tedious and long.
However, at noon that day, the largest flagship in the center of the fleet—
Inside the main control room of the "Chiyang" ship.
A powerful yet gentle surge of soul power suddenly erupted.
This fluctuation was not sharp and aggressive; rather, it was like a bottomless pool of water, carrying immense spiritual pressure, which instantly swept across the entire warship and even caused strange ripples to appear in the surrounding seawater.
On the deck, Xu Zhao, who was on patrol, suddenly stopped and turned his gaze to the cabin where his mother was in seclusion, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"This aura... it's my mother!"
Almost simultaneously, a crimson figure flashed past like lightning, and Xu Yu's deep laughter rang out:
"Hahaha! It's done! Yan'er has finally taken that step!"
The father and son arrived at the cabin door to protect each other with perfect understanding.
After about fifteen minutes, the turbulent soul power gradually subsided, becoming more restrained and profound.
The hatch slowly opened, and Kong Yan, dressed in a light gold dress, walked out radiantly.
At this moment, although her appearance remained unchanged, her overall demeanor underwent an indescribable transformation.
It was a tranquility that returned to simplicity, as if she stood there and became one with the surrounding heaven and earth.
"Congratulations, Mother Consort, on your new title!"
Xu Zhao stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled, his joy radiating from the bottom of his heart.
Xu Yu was even more excited, grabbing his wife's shoulder and looking her up and down, his mouth practically stretched to his ears:
Level 90!
It really is level 90!
Yan'er, you are not only an eighth-level Soul Master, but now you have become a Title Douluo!
Throughout the entire history of the Sun Moon Empire, you are an extremely rare woman who, as a Soul Master, has cultivated to the level of a Title Douluo!
Kong Yan looked at her excited husband and son, smiled gently, and the heroic spirit between her brows turned into tender affection.
"It was also good luck. I've been stuck at this bottleneck for so many years, but I never expected to break through it on the high seas."
Xu Zhao nodded, quickly calculating in his mind, his tone filled with excitement:
"Father, Mother."
Originally, our team consisted of Father, a level 98 Super Douluo, and your son, as well as two accompanying elders and two titled elders, Brother Yan and Sister Ping.
Now that Mother has also successfully broken through, the high-level combat power of our expeditionary force has increased from six Title Douluos to a full seven!
Seven titled Douluo!
If this number were placed in the Douluo Continent, apart from the Spirit Hall, no other force could rival it in terms of numbers.
Moreover, they possessed cutting-edge soul-guided technology.
And the method of using 'Soul Cores' to increase the individual combat power of Soul Masters!
Xu Zhao had condensed two soul cores within his body, representing his twin martial souls, the sun and the moon.
A soul core formed by the convergence of two extreme attributes.
In addition, Xu Zhao combined the Sun Meditation Method and the Moon Meditation Method to create a new and top-notch meditation method.
The two soul cores, like the yin and yang fish in a tai chi diagram, are endlessly regenerating.
When the Sun and Moon Soul Cores come together, they create an effect greater than the sum of their parts.
In addition, there are several 100,000-year soul rings and 100,000-year soul
Although Xu Zhao's soul power is only level 94, he is confident that he can defeat a typical level 98 peak Douluo in the Douluo Continent.
Yes, I'm talking about you, Golden Crocodile Douluo!
"Seven Title Douluos... Good! Excellent!"
Xu Yu clenched his fists, the fire of ambition burning even brighter in his eyes.
"With this strength, once we reach the Douluo Continent, let's see who dares to underestimate us!"
In his excitement, Xu Yu couldn't help but ask with some curiosity:
"But Yan'er, you've been stuck at level 89 for three or five years now. Why did you break through at this time, on this barren sea?"
Upon hearing this, Kong Yan's smile faded slightly, and her gaze, looking through the porthole, drifted westward toward her homeland, which was no longer visible. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes.
She sighed softly and said gently:
"Perhaps it's because... I can't bear to leave my homeland."
"Huh?" Xu Yu and Xu Zhao were both puzzled.
Kong Yan turned around, looked at the father and son, and explained softly:
"For the past two months, watching my hometown gradually disappear below the horizon, I have always felt a faint sense of sorrow and longing."
This sadness actually relaxed my usually tense nerves.
In the past, he was so focused on studying soul-guiding arrays and managing the affairs of the royal palace that he neglected the cultivation of his inner state.
As she said this, she raised her hand, and a faint wisp of light danced at her fingertips.
"This sadness of parting has given me a new understanding of the word 'willingness to let go'."
You have to give up something to gain something. Leaving the familiar homeland and severing the ties of the past, my mind became clear and serene.
In that moment of relaxation and tension, the bottleneck that had plagued me for so long naturally... shattered.
After listening to her mother's reflections, Xu Zhao nodded thoughtfully.
In the path of cultivation, one's state of mind becomes increasingly important as one progresses.
Although reluctant to leave her hometown, the mother resolutely chose to follow her husband and son on their grand ambitions. This decisiveness and deep affection may well be the catalyst for her breakthrough.
"Your Majesty's understanding is profound; I have learned a great deal," Xu Zhao said respectfully.
Xu Yu laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively:
"Forget about the sorrow of parting, as long as I've made a breakthrough, that's a good thing!"
This shows that our expedition is in accordance with the will of Heaven!
Even God is on our side!
Send the order: the entire ship will have an extra feast tonight to celebrate the Princess's breakthrough to the Title Douluo level!
Let everyone share in the joy!
"yes!"
The guards outside the door responded loudly, and the good news quickly spread throughout the entire fleet.
(End of chapter)