He made a subtle hand gesture.
Dai Tianfeng shook his head and rejected the suggestion. "No."
"The entire continent is watching right now. Zhu Zhuyun is a powerhouse personally designated by the ranking. If we make a move against her at this time, it will not only chill the hearts of soul masters across the world, but also give Spirit City, the Heaven Dou Empire, and other hostile forces an opening to exploit. The losses would outweigh the gains."
"Then what does Your Majesty intend to do?"
"First reward, then restrain. Use both favor and authority," Dai Tianfeng said, a calculating glint flashing in his eyes.
"Convey my decree. Confer upon Zhu Zhuyun the title of 'White Tiger Princess.' Grant her one million gold soul coins and a fief of one thousand mu of land, and allow her to mobilize part of the capital's garrison forces."
"At the same time, have Crown Prince Dai Weisi immediately go to the Crown Prince's Hall and jointly discuss subsequent matters with Zhu Zhuyun. In name it is closeness, but in truth it is surveillance."
"Also, closely monitor the movements of the Nether family, especially Zhu Xiao."
"Inform the border commanders to heighten their alert. If the Nether family makes any unusual troop movements, report immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The commander of the Imperial Guard bowed to receive the order, his awe toward the emperor's deep and unfathomable statecraft growing even stronger.
At this moment, inside the Crown Prince's Hall, Zhu Zhuyun had just finished calming the surging soul power within her body when Crown Prince Dai Weisi hurried over.
Dai Weisi was tall and handsome. His Martial Soul was the White Tiger, and his soul power had reached Rank 46 Soul Ancestor. He was the leading figure among the younger generation of the Star Luo Empire.
Seeing the majestic Nether White Tiger phantom behind Zhu Zhuyun, a flash of amazement and envy crossed Dai Weisi's eyes.
"Zhuyun, you really evolved the Nether White Tiger. That's incredible."
Zhu Zhuyun retracted the Martial Soul phantom. The cold elegance returned to her face as she replied calmly, "Just luck. It was entirely the favor of the ranking."
She understood Dai Weisi's temperament well. On the surface he obeyed her in every way, but in truth he was proud and arrogant. Now that her strength had surged so dramatically, there was no way jealousy had not arisen in his heart.
Dai Weisi stepped forward and tried to take Zhu Zhuyun's hand, but she avoided it without a trace.
A hint of displeasure flashed through Dai Weisi's eyes, but he quickly concealed it and smiled. "No matter what, you are now a Rank 50 Soul King and possess the Nether White Tiger Martial Soul. In the future, the two of us working together as husband and wife will surely intimidate all directions and expand territory for our Star Luo Empire."
Zhu Zhuyun looked at his hypocritical smile and sneered inwardly. Having grown up immersed in the arena of power, how could she fail to see through Dai Weisi's true thoughts?
However, she did need the status of Crown Princess for now to stabilize her position. There was no need to tear things apart yet.
"Your Highness speaks rightly," Zhu Zhuyun said calmly.
"However, I have just broken through. I still need time to familiarize myself with my Martial Soul and consolidate my soul power."
"For the next period of time, I wish to cultivate in seclusion. I ask that Your Highness report this to His Majesty on my behalf."
Dai Weisi nodded. "That is only proper. Rest assured, I will have people deliver the cultivation resources you need as soon as possible."
After Dai Weisi left, the calm expression on Zhu Zhuyun's face vanished instantly, replaced by a trace of cold sharpness.
She walked to the window and looked toward the depths of the imperial palace, a glint of understanding flashing through her eyes.
"Father was right. The emperor's mind is unfathomable."
Zhu Zhuyun murmured softly.
"On the surface, His Majesty bestows titles and rewards, but in secret he has probably already grown suspicious of me. And Dai Weisi, how could I not sense his jealousy and resentment?"
At that moment, a black shadow silently appeared in the hall and knelt on one knee.
"Miss, the Duke has given orders. You must act with extreme caution. His Majesty has already sent people to monitor the Crown Prince's Hall, and there are also unusual movements among the imperial clans."
Zhu Zhuyun nodded, her tone firm. "I understand. Tell Father to remain calm. The glory of the Nether family must never be ruined by anyone."
"As for His Majesty and those clansmen, if they want to scheme against me, we will see whether they truly have the ability."
In her hand, the soul power of the Nether White Tiger quietly gathered, a resolute glint flashing in her eyes.
Now that she held the Nether White Tiger Martial Soul and had reached the Rank 50 Soul King realm, she was no longer a chess piece to be manipulated at will.
Whether it was the emperor's suspicion or the calculations of the clans, she was confident she could resolve them one by one.
The news of Zhu Zhuyun entering the rankings was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, setting off massive waves across the continent's various forces and triggering a chain of reactions.
...
Inside the Papal Palace of Spirit City, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe. Bibi Dong sat upon the Papal Throne, crimson eyes flashing with icy light as her fingers slowly rubbed the gem atop the papal staff, producing faint scraping sounds.
"The Star Luo Empire is quite lucky."
Bibi Dong's voice was icy to the bone, carrying undisguised killing intent.
"The Nether White Tiger was originally a dual Martial Soul fusion technique. Now it has become Zhu Zhuyun's single Martial Soul. At Rank 50 she can already display such might. If she is allowed to grow, she will become a stumbling block to Spirit City's unification of the continent."
Ghost Douluo Gui Mei emerged within the hall like a phantom, shadows surging around him. "Your Holiness, Zhu Zhuyun is now a key protected figure of the Star Luo Empire. The Crown Prince's Hall is heavily guarded, with multiple Soul Douluo stationed there. Eliminating her in secret would be extremely difficult."
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, having just broken through to Rank 96 and brimming with confidence, stepped forward upon hearing this. "Your Holiness, I am willing to make a trip to the Star Luo Empire."
"Zhu Zhuyun is only a Rank 50 Soul King. Even with the Nether White Tiger Martial Soul, she is no match for me."
"Give me a chance, and I will definitely kill her and eliminate this hidden danger for Spirit City."
Bibi Dong shook her head and rejected the proposal. "No. You have just broken through, and your soul power has not fully stabilized yet. Moreover, your status on the Goddess List is far too eye-catching. Once you appear in the Star Luo Empire, it will immediately put them on high alert."
"At that point, not only would you fail to kill Zhu Zhuyun, you might even fall into an encirclement."
She paused, then continued. "The Star Luo Empire is currently at the height of its power. It is not wise for us to confront them head-on."
"Pass down my order. Have our agents embedded within the Star Luo Empire closely monitor Zhu Zhuyun's movements, especially her cultivation progress and travel patterns."
"At the same time, send people to contact opposing forces within the Star Luo Empire. Incite conflicts between them and the Nether family and let them tear each other apart."
"Additionally, send a secret letter to the Heaven Dou Empire, informing them of Zhu Zhuyun's strength and the Star Luo Empire's ambitions, and stir them into applying pressure on Star Luo."
"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits. We only need to sit back and watch the tigers battle, waiting for the best moment to strike."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
Gui Mei and Yue Guan bowed at the same time and turned to leave.
Only Bibi Dong remained in the Papal Palace. She looked toward the direction of the heavenly curtain, greed and ambition flashing in her eyes.
"The Goddess List, the Martial Soul List, the Soul Beast List. What kind of power lies behind all this, that it can so easily raise soul power and evolve Martial Souls?"
"If I can control this power, unifying the continent will be only a matter of time."
At the same time, atop the buildings of Heavenly Path Academy, Li Tianyi, Chi Yang, Xuan Shuang, and the others were also watching the developments within the Star Luo Empire. (TL/N: Reminder, Chi Yang is fire dragon king and Xuan Shuang is Water/ice dragon king)
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