Peerless Douluo: Blood of the Black King Nidhogg!

Chapter 161 Xu Tianran: "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me!" (4K)

Five days later, in the Sun and Moon Empire, in the Ming capital.

"What?! Is everything you said true?!"

Deep within the main hall of Mingde Hall, after hearing what the gaunt, haggard-looking but unusually excited Old Ma, who sat at the lower seat, had to say, Jing Hongchen abruptly stood up and impatiently pressed for an answer.
"Does such a miraculous space really exist in this world?! You're not just making up this lie to deceive me because you failed your mission!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Ma immediately knelt down and hurriedly assured him, "Master! What I've said is true! I really was forced into a mysterious space by the Demon Soul Great White Shark swarm! Yes! I have a stone that I brought out of that space to prove that what I've said is true!"

Jing Hongchen frowned more and more deeply, feeling that his subordinate, who had followed him for so long, didn't seem to be lying, but he still refused to believe it.

After all, what Old Ma said was too bizarre. First, he was inexplicably chased by the Demon Soul Great White Shark, then he accidentally entered a mysterious space, which happened to contain countless treasures, and then he unexpectedly escaped.

None of the processes described here seem like they could happen in this world; they're more like something out of a fantasy novel.

If it hadn't been Old Ma who said those words, he would have slapped him to death long ago.

After speaking, Elder Ma presented the stone he had brought from Nibelungen with both hands. As expected of a top-tier level nine soul master, Jing Hongchen recognized the extraordinary nature of the stone at a glance.

"This...this is actually real?!"

Jing Hongchen immediately stepped forward, carefully took the bronze stone as if it were a precious treasure, and then examined it closely.

The more he observed, the more violently Jing Hongchen's heart pounded. His face flushed, and his eyes were filled with extreme excitement, as if what he held in his hand was not a stone, but a level ten soul tool that he never dared to dream of!
"How is this possible... How could such a substance exist in the world? Even though I used all my mental energy to sense it, I couldn't detect the slightest impurity in it!"

Jing Hongchen held the bronze-colored stone high in a trance, murmuring softly, "Pure, so pure, it's simply an unparalleled treasure for creating soul tools... Even that 100,000-year-old soul beast embryo is far inferior to it..."

"Oh, by the way, what word did you use to describe that world?!"

Old Ma hurriedly and respectfully replied, "It is death; everything inside is death."

Jing Hongchen slapped his forehead, excitedly exclaiming, "That's right! It's death! Only by killing matter at the conceptual level can such a miraculous treasure be created from the most ordinary matter! This is simply a miracle of turning lead into gold!"

After a brief moment of infatuation, Jing Hongchen immediately came to his senses and began to think carefully. The value of this stone goes without saying; for them, as soul masters, it was something they couldn't exchange even for a 100,000-year-old soul bone.

After all, this thing should be able to be used to forge level 10 soul tools, and its power can be increased by several levels when used to forge level 9 soul tools.

Conversely, the higher the value of this stone, the more it demonstrates the terror of that mysterious space. He hadn't forgotten that, according to Old Ma, that space was full of such things.

What kind of powerful being could have created all of this?
God?

"This is terrifying to think about..." Jing Hongchen couldn't help but shudder. He then carefully put the stone into his soul tool, bent down to help Old Ma up, and said gently,

"You did a great job this time. Go and rest. After I report this matter to the Empire, not only will the Empire reward you, but I will also pay special attention to you, Jialiang! Haven't you always wanted to break through to the Title Douluo level? This time you have a great opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Elder Ma burst into tears and hurriedly thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Hall Master! Thank you, Empire!"

After promising his subordinates a rosy picture, Jing Hongchen hurriedly left and headed towards the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

As the head of the Mingde Hall, he naturally had to bear all the responsibility for the last incident where the Body Sect caused a great disturbance in Mingdu. Although the punishment was not severe, at this critical juncture where the situation was unpredictable and volatile, any slight setback could have serious consequences.

Just then, Crown Prince Xu Tianran extended an olive branch again, willing to act as a go-between. Left with no other choice, he had to further deepen his connection with Xu Tianran.

The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, the back garden.

After listening to Jing Hongchen's report, Xu Tianran remained silent in his wheelchair, simply looking at the bronze stone in his hand and gently tapping the armrest with his other hand.

After a long while, Xu Tianran suddenly shook his head slightly and let out a soft chuckle.
"Heh, this is truly a stroke of luck... Master Hongchen, since this strange stone was brought back by Mingde Hall, it should naturally be under the study and care of Mingde Hall. However, I think it would be better if you reported this matter to the Grand Elder for a final decision, since he is highly skilled and should be able to find out more information about this strange stone."

The so-called Grand Elder he mentioned was none other than Kong Deming, the strongest figure in the Sun Moon Empire, revered as the Father of Soul Guidance Devices.

"Thank you, Your Highness! I will report this matter to the Grand Elder shortly!"

"Oh, by the way," Xu Tianran continued casually, "having discovered such a world-renowned treasure, I wonder what the Red Dust Hall Master thinks the Empire should do?"

Without a second thought, Jing Hongchen immediately replied, "Naturally, we must keep the news under wraps, then send people to explore the Ice Sea and firmly grasp this treasure trove! With it, I'm certain that within ten years, the Empire's soul tool technology will advance several levels!"

"The Red Dust Hall Master is right. The treasury must be in the hands of the Empire, but there are two issues we cannot avoid right now."

Xu Tianran held up two fingers. "Firstly, we don't know how to enter or leave that mysterious space. If we were to use human lives to try it, it would undoubtedly cause significant losses. If that were all, it would be fine."

"But the second problem is the real trouble. The Master of the Red Dust Hall must have thought about it too. The person who can possess such a miracle must be very strong, or even a god who lives high in the clouds, or some other mysterious being at the same level as a god."

"This time, your men went in without incident, probably because the homeowner wasn't home, so let's leave that aside for now. But what if the homeowner is home next time we go in? I think nobody likes a thief breaking into their home,"

Xu Tianran spoke softly, but Jing Hongchen couldn't help but shudder when he heard it. Yes, what if the master was home the next time he entered?
In the current situation, that mysterious space is undoubtedly shrouded in mystery, and if one is not careful and takes a wrong step, death might be the best outcome.

Jing Hongchen was already quite old, and naturally, he was very shrewd. He immediately saw through the problem and asked in return, "Then what does Your Highness mean?"

Xu Tianran smiled, a sinister glint flashing deep in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Proactively share the information with the three great Douluo Empires and Shrek Academy, and use some of the rare stones as evidence. Of course, the information will be selectively omitted."

"No matter their purpose, I don't believe they won't send people. When all the powerful figures from Douluo enter that mysterious space, I will ask other powerful figures to take action. No matter what the outcome, whether they encounter the master or not, they will all face death. In this way, we will have people to explore the way, and we can also weaken the strength of the three great Douluo empires."

Jing Hongchen frowned. He could tell that Xu Tianran cared about the mysterious space, but it was unlikely that he cared about the mysterious space.

His true purpose is to weaken and scheme against the three great empires of Douluo and Shrek Academy by any means necessary, all for the sake of his goals.

As a Soul Master, Jing Hongchen didn't really want to spread this matter, but he had no choice; his surname was Hongchen, not Xu.

Not long after, Jing Hongchen left, needing to consult the Grand Elder before making a decision. In the garden, Xu Tianran's smile vanished, his eyes flashing coldly. Jing Hongchen was right; he didn't care much about that mysterious space. All he cared about was unifying the continent and becoming a legendary emperor remembered throughout history.

He turned to the shadow beside him and whispered, "Inform the Holy Spirit Cult of this news, and tell Zhongli Wu in my capacity that we hope to ask Dragon Emperor Douluo and End Douluo to join forces this time. End Douluo failed last time, so we can make up for it with this."

An aged voice echoed from the shadows, "Yes, Your Highness, the End Douluo might agree, but the Dragon Emperor Douluo has always acted willfully..."

Xu Tianran sneered, "Then let the Supreme Sect Leader take action. Don't forget that the Supreme Sect Leader is also a level nine Soul Master. I don't believe she won't be tempted when she hears this news. As long as she speaks, will the Dragon Emperor Douluo not make a move?"

"understood."

The shadows surged silently for a moment, then returned to calm.

Xu Tianran looked up and gazed at the bright sun shining above Mingdu through the clean glass. He narrowed his eyes slightly, concealing the cold light that flickered in them.

His real plan was to lure the powerful figures from the three Douluo Empires and Shrek Academy into that mysterious space together. If the master was not there, the Dragon Emperor Douluo and the End Douluo would kill them all inside without them noticing.

With a level 99 Limit Douluo and a powerhouse equivalent to a Limit Douluo, he didn't believe they could survive without being poisoned to death.

In this way, most of the obstacles to his unification of the continent will be removed.

But if the owner is home... well, sorry, then everyone should just die.

Thinking of this, Xu Tianran smiled grimly.
"Ning to teach me to bear the people of the world, and to quit teaching the people of the world to bear me!"

He never truly trusted the Holy Spirit Cult, just as the Holy Spirit Cult had always harbored ulterior motives towards the Sun and Moon Empire.

Two hungry wolves are side by side; it remains to be seen which one is more ruthless and will ultimately devour the other...

……

Several days later, as night deepened, on the top floor of the dormitory of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

Zhang Lexuan nestled intimately in Ye Xuan's arms, gazing quietly at the dazzling starry sky. Mo Yuan, in his spiritual form, gently stroked the smooth hair that fell across his chest, remaining silent.

He came to keep the appointment; after all, he couldn't just kiss his senior sister and then disappear, could he?

After a moment of tenderness, Zhang Lexuan finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked the question she had wanted to ask for a long time. She sat up straight, staring intently at those exposed dark eyes, and asked seriously,

"Ye Xuan, who was the girl who appeared with you in the Star Dou Great Forest a couple of years ago?"

Hmm? Is this a question for Gu Yuena? Did Vina inform Shrek Academy?
Mo Yuan was taken aback by what he heard, then fell silent, pondering how to respond. After a long period of contemplation, a good idea came to mind.

He slowly began to speak, “I would call them friends, or more accurately, allies of the organization behind me.”

"Hmm?" Seeing Ye Xuan mention his background for the first time, Zhang Lexuan's eyes lit up and she immediately asked, "What do you mean by the organization behind you? Are the allies you're referring to the soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest? Is that girl also a soul beast?"

“That’s right. It’s fine to tell you and Shrek Academy this news now. Anyway, I’m already traveling on the continent, and it’s only a matter of time before I’m reborn.”

Zhang Lexuan remained silent, simply waiting for what would happen next.

Mo Yuan raised his head and looked up at the sky, then slowly said, "The organization behind me is called the Secret Party. It is a very ancient organization. We were established in the era of the first Angel God. Our members are bound together by blood, and it is managed by an elder council composed of twelve top experts. I am one of the elders in this generation."

Zhang Lexuan was stunned. The sheer volume of information overwhelmed her, leaving her mind blank. After a long while, when she came to her senses, she couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"I never imagined that such an ancient and mysterious organization existed in the shadows of the mainland, existing since the time of the first Angel God. It's simply unbelievable..."

She didn't doubt Mo Yuan's words, after all, there were many hidden forces on the continent, such as the Body Sect before.

This also explains why Ye Xuan was so strong when he appeared, yet the world couldn't find any information about him.

Zhang Lexuan then continued, "Then why have you all been in seclusion for so long, only to suddenly reappear on the mainland?"

Mo Yuan pretended to ponder for a long time before speaking slowly, "Find someone, find the successor of the Lionheart Society in this generation. This is the most important thing in the tens of thousands of years of my Secret Party's existence."

His statement was not only to provide background for Ye Xuan's alias, but also to cover up his true identity.

After all, he hadn't forgotten that Ning Tian had already linked Ye Xuan with himself. Better safe than sorry, he wanted to patch up the loopholes as soon as possible to avoid causing more trouble.

Zhang Lexuan wanted to continue asking who Ye Xuan was looking for and what the Lionheart Society was, but before she could speak, Mo Yuan suddenly noticed something.

He suddenly turned his head to look at the sky, and a familiar aura was rapidly approaching Mingdu.

Zhongli Wu? Why is he suddenly back in Mingdu? No, that's not right, there's something even deeper hidden...

Mo Yuan's eyes widened slightly, and a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.

"Yexuan——"

"Wait, people from the Holy Spirit Cult have arrived. I need to go back and deal with them now." After saying that, Mo Yuan instantly disappeared from the spot.

Zhang Lexuan stared at the empty eaves beside her, opened her mouth but said nothing. She didn't think much of it, after all, the situation was indeed urgent, and she was already very happy that Ye Xuan had taken the initiative to come to her this time.

In the conference room on the top floor of the Qingquan Hotel, as soon as Mo Yuan appeared and took a clear look at the situation inside, his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly before returning to normal.

"Sect Leader Zhongli," Mo Yuan greeted Zhongli Wu beside him, then looked at the black figure in front of the French windows and spoke.
"Long time no see, Dragon Emperor Douluo."

(End of this chapter)