After slowly finishing the absorption of all the life force within the silver wolf devoured by the Golden Dragon Spear, the Auspicious Beast walked calmly toward the remains.
By now, with its life energy entirely consumed and its abdomen pierced clean through by the Golden Dragon Spear, not a single drop of blood remained. The body had withered into what looked like nothing more than a wolf pelt. All the flesh and vital essence had vanished without a trace. The only thing left that still hinted at its former strength was a deep purple soul ring, slowly rotating around the remains.
Standing before the corpse, the Auspicious Beast frowned as she examined the silver-streaked fur, crouched down, and touched it, muttering,
"Metallic texture... but it's soft inside."
She glanced down at her battle-worn, tattered cloak and seemed to consider something. Then she began fiddling with the silver wolf pelt.
Before long, a silver wolfskin cloak had taken shape in her hands. Draping it over her shoulders, she felt the softness on the inside and the slick, metallic sheen of the fur outside. It looked stylish and offered decent protection. She nodded in satisfaction.
In truth, the fur of a silver wolf of this cultivation level was incredibly valuable in the Sun Moon Empire. Its metallic fibers made it premium material for constructing soul tools. Just this one pelt could probably buy her ten different sets of noble garments from the finest tailoring shops in Mingdu.
Of course, the Auspicious Beast had no idea. She was perfectly pleased with her simple handmade attire. Humming confidently to herself, she marched out of the forest with a spring in her step. The only regret she had about this battle was that the wolf's flesh had been completely drained dry—she couldn't even enjoy a decent meal afterward.
"The cuisine of the human world, here I come! I wonder what kind of delicious stuff this country has to offer?"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Clearly, she wasn't that disappointed.
---
Sun Moon Empire, Eastern Border — Wangyue City
At that moment, a most distinguished guest had arrived at the Earl's estate in Wangyue City.
To receive this guest, both Earl Xu Rong, the master of the estate, and his superior—the third prince of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Tianfan—were present in the estate's reception hall.
The guest, an elderly woman dressed in ancient, elegant robes, sat calmly in the main seat of the hall. Her expression was composed and reserved. Beside her, Prince Xu Tianfan sat with a look of mild respect on his face. Earl Xu Rong, the host of the estate, was relegated to the second seat.
"Honored Elder, you've traveled far to reach this place. Truly, your journey must've been arduous. Please allow me to toast to you."
The third prince beamed with courtesy as he raised his cup and downed it in one gulp. The old woman simply nodded and took a slow sip of her tea.
This elder was none other than Elder Song, known as the Divine Eagle Douluo, a powerhouse from the Sea God's Pavilion of Shrek Academy. A ninety-seventh rank agility-type Super Douluo.
The results of Xu Muchen's recent diplomatic mission to the Douluo continent's three nations had exceeded all expectations. Agreements had been secured with both the Star Luo and Heavenly Soul Empires. If a civil war for succession broke out in the Sun Moon Empire, those two countries had promised to support the third prince with at least three titled Douluo—and possibly more depending on the situation. The Dou Ling Empire, on the other hand, declined to get involved, as it shared no border with the Sun Moon Empire and wanted to stay out of the mess.
What surprised Prince Xu Tianfan even more was that Shrek Academy's Sea God's Pavilion had agreed to send Elder Song herself as a long-term bodyguard stationed at his side. A Super Douluo of her level was a benefit he'd never imagined possible.
Of course, this didn't come without cost. The prince had already leaked many top-level soul tool schematics from the Sun Moon Empire to the Douluo nations and Shrek Academy as bargaining chips. He was betting everything—either he ascended the throne and ruled the empire, or he failed and was executed for treason.
As for Shrek Academy, they didn't agree to this arrangement just for soul tool blueprints or to ensure peace in the Douluo region. A major reason was that Ma Xiaotao was still in the Sun Moon Empire. With Elder Song nearby to keep an eye on her, Shrek could feel far more at ease.
Even though Elder Mu had extended his life with the Golden Tree's energy, the academy had already lost Xuan Zi, their other key Super Douluo, who had disappeared without a trace. The threat posed by the Sun Moon Empire had forced Shrek Academy to abandon its neutral stance and begin openly supporting the Douluo nations.
After setting down her teacup, Elder Song finally spoke.
"Your Highness, you've spoken much about this so-called war for the throne. But from where I stand, this so-called power struggle has made no waves at all. Not even a ripple."
Her tone was blunt and unyielding, but all the third prince could do was laugh nervously. The strongest guards he had were merely ninth-level soul engineers—nowhere near capable of opposing a Super Douluo.
"Senior Song, well... the truth is, my royal father was unwell some time ago, and the internal court situation was volatile. That was when I decided to contact your esteemed academy. But over the past few months, it seems his condition has somewhat stabilized. The political situation has calmed again. But I assure you, it won't last long. Given his current health, he can't possibly live another two years."
Elder Song chuckled lightly and didn't respond. A prince who eagerly awaited his father's death... even if it aligned with Shrek Academy's interests, she still found it difficult to respect such a man.
"Heh... whether the fighting starts tomorrow or not, it's all the same to me. According to the agreement, my only task is to ensure your safety—and eliminate as many evil soul masters as I can."
Truth be told, the only reason Elder Song had agreed to come to the Sun Moon Empire was to use this opportunity to hunt down members of the Holy Spirit Cult. Working with the prince offered a steady stream of intelligence on cult activity—something Shrek Academy found invaluable.
In fact, the reports about Xu Tianran's collaboration with the Holy Spirit Cult were what solidified Shrek's decision to support the Douluo nations and abandon any illusions of peace.
"Senior Song is absolutely right. Shrek Academy is worthy of its title as the number one academy on the continent. Your efforts to root out those irredeemable evil soul masters truly earn my deepest admiration."
Elder Song didn't react to the flattery—letting it go in one ear and out the other. When Xu Tianfan finally ran out of words, she asked coolly,
"Has the arrangement for me to enter Mingdu been finalized?"
Xu Tianfan felt a trace of cold sweat trickle down his neck. To let someone like Elder Song enter the imperial capital... honestly, it terrified him.
"Ahem... Senior Song, you see, the area around Mingdu is heavily guarded by soul tool detection arrays. Even someone of your caliber would have difficulty entering or leaving unnoticed. Could I ask for just a little more time?"
"...Make it soon. I don't like waiting."
(End of Chapter)
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