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Now that only two soul bones and twenty million gold soul coins have been lost, it's already considered a good outcome.
As for the Icebound Forest and Sunset Forest, even if Emperor Xue Ye has explicitly forbidden soul masters from the Star Luo Empire to enter these two spirit beast forests, can't they still sneak in anyway?
Regarding Canghui Academy, it isn't under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Dou Empire. Besides, they brought this upon themselves. If Shi Nian hadn't assassinated the prince of the Star Luo Empire, how could things have ended up like this?
After the negotiations ended, Emperor Xue Ye's envoy hurried back to the Heaven Dou Empire. After a week of travel, the envoy finally arrived at the imperial palace.
"Report!!"
Seeing the man he sent out return, Emperor Xue Ye immediately stood up from his throne and asked urgently, "How did it go? Was it completed?"
"Your Majesty, this humble servant did not fail in the mission!" The envoy quickly handed over the document written by Dai Po Jun to Emperor Xue Ye and reported the results of the negotiation.
Learning that the Heaven Dou Empire had to offer twenty million gold soul coins and two ten-thousand-year soul bones, Emperor Xue Ye couldn't help but frown slightly.
Twenty million gold soul coins were acceptable, but two ten-thousand-year soul bones posed more of a problem. The Heaven Dou Empire was no match for Spirit Hall and didn't possess that many soul bones of such caliber.
In the national treasury of the Heaven Dou Empire, there were no more than five ten-thousand-year soul bones. Losing two at once was a significant loss for the empire.
Still, compared to going to war with the Star Luo Empire, trading two soul bones for peace was clearly the option that best served the empire's interests at the moment.
"I heard that the Star Luo Crown Prince is currently staying at Shrek Academy in Heaven Dou City. Have Dean Flender pass these two soul bones to him."
Having made his decision, Emperor Xue Ye ordered men to retrieve the soul bones from the treasury and deliver them to Shrek Academy's camp.
…
Meanwhile, inside Moon Pavilion, to Dai Weisi's surprise, Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing came looking for him—accompanied by Li Hu and Lin Qiuyang.
"Zhuyun, Zhuqing, what brings you here?" Seeing the two women arrive, Dai Weisi smiled and gently embraced them.
"Isn't it because that coward Dai Mubai died? Zhuqing and I were worried you'd be upset, so we came to check on you." While enjoying Dai Weisi's hug, Zhu Zhuyun smiled faintly and then leaned into his ear with a grin, whispering, "And also, I wanted to bring you some good news."
"Good news?"
Dai Weisi squinted at Zhu Zhuyun in surprise, wondering what kind of good news she could possibly have for him. But as he gazed at her curvaceous figure, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Zhuyun, did you break through?"
"That's right! I'm now a level-60 agility-attack type quasi-Soul Emperor! So, what do you think? Surprised? Happy?"
Over the past year, in addition to dedicating most of her time to practicing the fusion ring secret technique, Zhu Zhuyun didn't neglect her cultivation. Her spirit power had now reached level 60—just one spirit ring away from becoming a true Soul Emperor.
"Coincidentally, I still need to obtain my sixth spirit ring. I wanted to ask you for your advice. What do you think? No problem, right?"
"Hehe, of course it's no problem. You're my wife—it's only natural." Dai Weisi wrapped his arm around Zhu Zhuyun's waist and smiled. "Then shall I take you to Sunset Forest to get your sixth spirit ring?"
"Wait a moment. Besides getting my spirit ring, Father also asked me to give you this." With that, Zhu Zhuyun handed Dai Weisi the handwritten letter from Dai Po Jun.
Dai Weisi immediately opened it and read through the contents. The letter detailed the results of the negotiation between Dai Po Jun and the Heaven Dou Empire, instructing Dai Weisi to receive the two soul bones and twenty million gold soul coins. As for the members of Canghui Academy, their handling was also entrusted to him.
From this moment onward, Canghui Academy would be the Star Luo Royal Family's foothold in the Heaven Dou Empire!
"Canghui Academy, huh..." Dai Weisi recalled the seven members from the original story who had appeared during the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament and fought against the Shrek Seven Devils.
Those seven had used a powerful seven-in-one fusion technique called the Seven Asura Illusion Realm. If it hadn't been for Tang San's Purple Demon Eye, which could specifically break illusions, the Shrek Seven would've likely perished at the hands of Canghui Academy.
"The Seven Asura Illusion Realm... It's worth studying."
Dai Weisi muttered to himself. He especially remembered that during the finals, Yu Xiaogang had developed the Shrek Seven's own fusion technique based on this concept.
That technique could channel the soul power of all seven members into Tang San, temporarily boosting his strength to the level of a Soul Saint. It even allowed him to activate his martial soul avatar and defeat the combined forces of both Kamikaze Academy and Blazing Academy in one fell swoop.
Since Yu Xiaogang could develop a fusion technique for the Shrek Seven, there's no reason he couldn't figure out the seven-in-one fusion technique as well. If he could concentrate the soul power of seven powerful soul masters into his own body, it might allow him to reach the level of a Soul Douluo—or even a Titled Douluo—if only for a short time.
"The rest of Canghui Academy can be eliminated. As for those seven… let them live, for now. I'll need them when I develop the seven-in-one fusion technique..."
"Brother Dai!"
As Dai Weisi was deep in thought, a playful and sweet voice suddenly rang out from outside the door. Ning Rongrong had arrived on the fifth floor of Moon Pavilion and entered the room he was in.
Seeing it was Ning Rongrong, Dai Weisi smiled and said, "It's Rongrong? Come in!"
He then stood up, welcomed her inside, and asked with a grin, "Rongrong, what brings you here today?"
"What? Can't I just drop by to see Brother Dai for no reason?"
"Hehe, of course you can. You're always welcome here, anytime you want."
"Hehe, I knew Brother Dai was a good person. Actually, I do have something for you this time." As she spoke, Ning Rongrong took out a black card and a large iron box and handed them to Dai Weisi with a sigh.
"Dean Flender asked me to give this to you. It's Emperor Xue Ye's compensation to Boss Dai and the Star Luo Royal Family."
Emperor Xue Ye had entrusted both the gold soul coins and soul bones to Flender to pass on to Dai Weisi. But because Flender was still mourning the loss of his students, he asked Ning Rongrong to deliver them instead.
"Then thank you, Rongrong." Dai Weisi accepted the black card and the soul bones, then asked, "So, what are your plans next?"
"Our plans? Sigh." Ning Rongrong sighed helplessly. "Boss Dai, Fatty, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling are all dead. We don't even have seven members anymore. We're planning to return to Shrek Academy and prepare for the next spirit master tournament."
"Good. Then I hope you win the next tournament!" Dai Weisi encouraged her, though he thought to himself—five years from now, the Spirit Hall's Soul Hunting Operation would begin. Whether the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could survive that calamity was still uncertain.
"Giggle. Then I'll take your kind words as a blessing, Brother Dai." With a laugh, Ning Rongrong bid farewell and left, heading back to Shrek Academy.
Dai Weisi, eager with anticipation, opened the iron box and took out the two soul bones. He had to admit—Emperor Xue Ye was quite generous to have sent a skull bone and a torso bone.
They were the 30,000-year Reverse Light Invisibility Skull Bone and the 10,000-year Soul Power Conversion Torso Bone.
(End of Chapter)