A month of quiet, self-imposed house arrest had given Xu Xuandong something he desperately needed: time.
Sitting at his mahogany desk, he dipped his quill into deep blue ink and put the final flourish onto a thick, hand-bound leather manual.
He blew gently on the wet ink, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.
“Finally finished,” he murmured to himself.
“Now, what to call it?
Gaming God Canon…
Sounds good enough.” The manual was nothing short of a masterpiece—a hybrid cultivation art he had crafted by weaving together the absolute core mechanics of his unlocked classes.
The Monk class served as the rock-solid foundation for internal Qi cultivation; the Sorcerer class unlocked the secret knowledge required to refine and elevate ancient bloodlines; and the Necromancer class provided the forbidden blueprints to forge and cultivate the soul.
By simply cycling this technique, a practitioner’s soul power, bloodline density, and spiritual essence grew in perfect, harmonious unison.
With the careful assistance and deep insights of three Title Douluo, Xuandong had successfully mapped the cultivation art all the way up to the legendary Nine Rings.
He had generously shared a modified copy with the three elders, though he stripped away the soul and bloodline chapters, leaving only the pure Qi foundation.
Exposing the full Gaming God Canon to the outside world wouldn’t just turn heads—it would ignite a continent-wide war.
SWOOSH.
A sudden, blinding flare of sacred light burst open in the middle of the room.
“Come on!
For once, can’t you just knock on the door?!” Xuandong barked, throwing his hands up in sheer exasperation.
As the radiance faded, a towering golden figure stepped out of the light.
It was Ye Guan—now a Rank 97 Title Douluo following his recent breakthrough.
But there was no lingering pride in the Holy Angel’s demeanor today.
His expression was grim, his face set in stone.
Seeing the severe look on the elder’s face, Xuandong instantly dropped his antics.
He sat up straight, his eyes narrowing.
“What’s wrong?” “Lu Wang is dead,” Ye Guan said flatly.
Xuandong’s eyes widened slightly.
He sank back into his chair, falling into deep, rapid thought.
“What about his clan?
The Lu Clan?” Ye Guan uttered a single, heavy word: “Wiped.” A cold chill ran down Xuandong’s spine.
The air in the study felt instantly heavier.
He let out a slow, heavy sigh.
“It was my uncle, wasn’t it?” Ye Guan nodded slowly.
“Xu Gongfeng personally exposed Lu Wang’s secret financial transactions and treasonous ties with the Three Empires to the court.
Before anyone could question the man, Prince Xu Gongfeng mobilized his forces and annihilated the entire Lu Clan for high treason.
Not a single soul was spared.” “A message,” Xuandong muttered, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk.
“He’s showing his resolve.” In that moment, an old memory echoed in Xuandong’s mind—the day he first met Hall Master Kong Deming, when the old man had looked at him and remarked that both Xuandong and his uncle were cut from the exact same ruthless cloth.
Now, the terrifying truth of that statement was crystal clear.
Xuandong had previously engineered a high-stakes play that almost dragged the entire continent into a full-fledged war just to put his uncle in check.
In response, his uncle was now willing to trigger a bloody civil war within the Sun Moon Empire just to keep Xuandong in check.
Still…
wiping out the Lu Clan feels off, Xuandong analyzed internally.
Why be this desperate?
He still had plenty of political room to maneuver.
“Why do you think your uncle made such a drastic move?” Ye Guan asked, watching the Crown Prince intently.
“Maybe he’s just throwing a massive tantrum,” Xuandong offered with a deadpan stare.
Ye Guan’s brow twitched.
“Your Highness, this is hardly the time for jokes.” “I’m not joking,” Xuandong replied, his gaze darkening as he leaned forward.
“Think about it.
He knows someone pulled the strings to expose Lu Wang to us in the first place.
By completely razing the Lu Clan to the ground and backing himself into a corner, he might be trying to force a civil war early—just to drag whoever is pulling the strings out from the shadows.” Ye Guan’s mouth twitched again, a mixture of disbelief and utter exasperation crossing his face.
The uncle-nephew dynamic between these two was utterly insane: one was entirely comfortable staging a continent-spanning conflict to suppress his uncle, while the other was actively willing to ignite an internal civil war just to smoke out an unseen enemy.
“Call Hall Master Kong Deming here,” Xuandong suddenly ordered, breaking the silence.
Ye Guan blinked, caught off guard.
“Why?” A dangerous, brilliant spark flared in Xuandong’s eyes.
“Because it’s time I teach him how to build a nuke.” Over the past month, Kong Deming had practically abandoned his private research workshop, spending more time inside Xu Xuandong’s bedchamber than in his own official quarters.
Using his peculiar ‘Steam Deck’ martial soul as a convenient cover for his earth knowledge, Xuandong had begun quietly spoon-feeding modern Earth science and physics to the empire’s leading Soul Tool authority.
While the Sun Moon Empire appeared technologically advanced on the surface, its foundation was built almost entirely on mystical soul power rather than actual scientific principles.
To the people of this world, a Wind-element Soul Master was fast simply because “the wind is swift and free.” They had zero comprehension of atmospheric drag, friction, or aerodynamics.
Physics, thermodynamics, and mass energy equivalence were completely alien concepts.
Xuandong had changed all of that.
He stripped away the poetic mysticism and systematically laid out the absolute laws of Earth’s modern science.
The results were terrifying.
According to Kong Deming’s frantic calculations, Xuandong’s ‘theoretical models’ had instantly shaved off decades of trial-and-error development for multiple top-secret imperial soul tool projects.
But among all the mind-bending theories Xuandong had shared—from structural engineering to electromagnetism—nothing had shattered the Hall Master’s worldview quite like the concepts of nuclear physics, atomic mass, and mass-energy equivalence.
The sheer, apocalyptic potential of nuclear fission had fundamentally terrified Kong Deming.
It was that exact, terrifying revelation that had instantly cemented the veteran Title Douluo as Xu Xuandong’s unquestioned, number-one supporter.
And now, with the threat of a civil war looming on the horizon, it was time to bring that theoretical nightmare to life.
Ye Guan stepped back, his expression shifting as his heightened senses caught an approaching presence.
“I shall take my leave, Your Highness.
We have unexpected guests arriving at the main gates.” With a subtle flicker of golden light, the holy elder vanished from the study.
A moment later, the heavy wooden doors clicked open.
Ying Yue stepped quietly into the room, holding her hands neatly before her.
“Your Highness,” she said softly, a gentle warmth lingering in her golden-tinted eyes.
“Her Majesty’s order has expired.
Your grounding period is officially over.” “Finally,” Xuandong chuckled, tossing his quill onto the desk and standing up to stretch his stiff back.
“Freedom at last.
Let’s get some fresh air.” As they stepped out into the grand imperial corridor, a sudden huff echoed from down the hallway.
Standing a few paces away was his twin sister, Xu Xia.
Her arms were tightly crossed over her chest, her cheeks slightly puffed out, and her glare directed straight at Xuandong.
Xuandong stopped, genuinely puzzled.
Wait…
in anime, don’t little sisters usually get moody and dramatic when the protagonist brings home a new girl?
He looked down at Ying Yue, then back at his sister’s stormy expression.
“Are you throwing a fit because of Little Yue?” Xuandong rarely used Ying Yue’s full name, intentionally calling her by her personal name to help rebuild her shattered sense of identity and self-worth.
Upon hearing his guess, Xu Xia simply turned her head away with a sharp hmpf, completely ignoring him.
Ying Yue’s shoulders tensed.
A heavy flicker of guilt washed over her face as she immediately stepped forward, bowing her head deeply.
“It is this servant’s fault for causing discord between Your Highnesses!
Please…
punish me, Princess Xu Xia!” “No!
Stop!
It’s not your fault at all!” Xu Xia blurted out instantly, her icy exterior melting as she frantically waved her hands to stop the crimson-haired girl.
Truth be told, Xu Xia had a massive soft spot for Ying Yue.
The moment she had seen the girl’s hollow, vacant eyes on their birthday, she had recognized the exact same haunting expression her twin brother used to carry during his dark, silent existential crisis before his martial soul awakened.
She couldn’t possibly stay mad at her.
Xuandong massaged his temples, letting out a dry laugh.
“Alright, if it’s not Little Yue, then what is it?
Look, I’m neither omnipotent nor omniscient.
I can’t read your mind, Xia’er.
How am I supposed to fix whatever’s wrong if you just give me the silent treatment?” Xu Xia glared back at him, her eyes flashing with indignant annoyance.
“You don’t even know why I’m mad!” Xuandong’s playful demeanor vanished, his tone turning grounded and direct.
“Xia’er, I’m standing right here, fully willing to communicate and understand what’s bothering you.
But ignoring my effort and acting like I owe you some massive debt isn’t going to solve anything.” “You DO owe me a debt!” Xu Xia snapped back, her hands stomping onto her hips.
Xuandong raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious now.
“Oh really?
What heinous crime did I commit?” “DON’T YOU EVEN REMEMBER LEADING A MARCH OF RATS AND DRUNKEN NOBLES THROUGH THE CAPITAL ON OUR BIRTHDAY?!” she screamed, her voice echoing down the silent corridor.
Xuandong blinked.
The memory of his max-level Bardic Inspiration chaotic disco party flashed through his brain.
He rubbed his chin, looking at her innocently.
“…Didn’t you have fun?” Xu Xia froze dead in her tracks.
The angry words died in her throat.
Her face went completely blank as her mind betrayed her.
The truth was…
she had an absolute blast.
She had ended up dancing wildly with Ye Xing, laughing harder than she ever had in her life, and completely throwing imperial etiquette out the window for one glorious, chaotic night.
Her shoulders slumped.
She looked down at her silk slippers, her defensive anger completely deflating.
“Sorry…” she muttered in a tiny, embarrassed whisper.
Seeing her deflate, the full picture suddenly clicked in Xuandong’s mind, and a wave of genuine guilt hit him.
While he had thrown the party of the century for himself, he had inadvertently ruined hers.
Imperial twin birthdays were traditionally supposed to feature an elite Young Soul Engineer Exhibition—a prestigious showcase where royal talents showed off their custom-crafted soul tools.
Xu Xia had spent months meticulously preparing her flagship project, eagerly waiting to show off her brilliance in front of their imperial parents.
Instead, her brother had unleashed a wave of musical madness, turned the court into a neon club, and led an army of kitchen rats out into the streets.
Xuandong let out a soft, regretful sigh.
“I’m sorry, Xia’er.
I really am.
I got completely carried away and ruined your moment.” Xu Xia peeked up at him through her bangs.
Even though she was still trying to hold onto her pout, her eyes sparkled with cautious expectation.
“I’ll make it up to you,” Xuandong promised, smiling warmly.
“You can have my allocation for the Class 9 soul tool from the Virtuous Hall of Royal Engineers.” Xu Xia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
She gasped, taking a step back in utter shock.
“W-What?!
No way!
A Class 9 soul tool allocation?!
That’s…
that’s way too precious!
You can’t just give that away!” Xuandong stepped forward, reaching out to pat her head gently.
“A piece of metal is just a tool.
You’re my sister—you’re far more precious than any Class 9 soul tool in the empire.” Xu Xia’s breath caught in her throat.
The words hit her right in the chest, completely shattering her remaining composure.
Hot tears swelled in the corners of her eyes, and before Xuandong could react, she dove forward, throwing her arms tightly around his waist and burying her face in his chest, sobbing happily.
Xuandong stood frozen, his arms hovering awkwardly in the air, a look of profound confusion washing over his face.
Wait a minute…
he thought, his brain completely short-circuiting.
According to standard anime logic, isn’t she supposed to turn bright red, call me an idiot, and hit me then run away?!
Why is she crying?!
Ying Yue stood quietly to the side, watching the twin royals embrace.
A faint, soft smile touched her lips as the morning sunlight bathed the peaceful corridor.
Xuandong mentally shook his head, a wry smirk tugging at his lips.
Why am I even trying to apply anime logic to this?
She’s a living, breathing sister made of flesh and blood, not a moving 2D PNG.
He patted her head gently until her tiny sobs subsided.
“Alright, alright.
What were you up to before I accidentally ruined your mood?” Xu Xia pulled back from his embrace, rubbing her wet eyes with the back of her sleeve.
The moment the question registered, her melancholic mood evaporated, replaced instantly by bright excitement.
“I was on my way to prepare for my first soul ring!” Xuandong’s eyes lit up.
“The Silver Wolf gave birth?” When Xuandong had hunted for his own first soul ring, he had secured a rare Elemental Silver Wolf for his sister.
However, discovering the beast was pregnant, they had agreed to delay the hunt until after she gave birth.
“Yes!” Xu Xia nodded enthusiastically.
“Good.
I’m keeping the cub,” Xuandong stated casually.
Xu Xia immediately puffed her cheeks out, her hands flying to her hips.
“Hey!
Why do you get to keep it?!
I want it!” Xuandong gave her a deadpan stare.
“Because I own an entire Mithril mine in my name.
Can you afford to feed a beast that literally eats expensive magical ore for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?” Xu Xia froze.
The staggering reality of her twin’s ridiculous wealth hit her like a brick.
He was literally richer than most mid-tier noble clans in the empire.
She let out a frustrated hmpf, turning her nose up.
“Fine!
I’ll allow it!
But only because you gave me your Class 9 soul tool allocation!” She shot him a triumphant side-eye, entirely unaware that Xuandong was looking at her like she was the biggest fool on the continent.
If only she knew…
Kong Deming would craft me a custom Class 9 soul tool for free and cover all the raw materials himself if I just asked.
At the Imperial Beast Arena, the atmosphere was quiet.
Inside the reinforced cage, the Elemental Silver Wolf lay on the straw, visibly weakened from the recent labor.
The stable keepers carefully handed the newborn cub to Xuandong.
Meanwhile, Xu Xia knelt softly outside the cage, looking into the mother wolf’s tired, glowing eyes.
“Don’t worry,” Xu Xia whispered with absolute sincerity, her voice filled with gentle warmth.
“Your cub is in good hands.
I promise you, we will make sure it grows up safe, strong, and healthy.” As if echoing the pure, untainted intent in Xu Xia’s soul, the Elemental Silver Wolf’s eyes suddenly flashed with brilliant light.
A vibrant red flame of pure spiritual energy erupted around the mother wolf’s body.
Before anyone could react, the wolf’s physical form dissolved into a swirl of soft silver light, floating directly toward Xu Xia and forming a glowing, golden-tinged yellow ring around her body.
A voluntary sacrifice!
Xuandong’s jaw dropped slightly in genuine shock.
Wait…
a sacrifice?
I thought only 100,000-year spirit beasts possessed the intelligence to perform a spirit sacrifice.
Or can all spirit beasts actually do it, but only 100,000-year beasts are smart enough to choose a host and execute it deliberately?
Tears spilled down Xu Xia’s cheeks as the golden-yellow ring settled smoothly around her.
She turned to her brother, her voice trembling.
“Xuandong…
take good care of the cub.
If you neglect it even a little bit, I’m taking it back!” Xuandong gave a solemn nod, staring down at the tiny, fluffy silver creature squirming in his arms.
I wonder…
Xuandong thought, staring blankly at the pup.
…can spirit beasts eat regular Earth dog food, or will it give him diarrhea?
Xu Xia watched her brother gaze intently at the cub with a dead-serious expression.
A wave of pride washed over her, fully convinced he was making a silent, sacred vow to protect the newborn with his life.
Satisfied, she closed her eyes to begin absorbing her new soul ring.
Back in his private residence, Xuandong set the cub down on a plush velvet pillow.
The pup’s incredible vitality was no accident.
After Xu Xia had begun cultivating the high-tier Sun and Moon Scripture provided by the royal family, her innate talent and body potential had skyrocketed.
Consequently, a standard 300-year-old soul ring would have been far too weak for her upgraded physical foundation.
To boost the mother wolf’s age and quality before the harvest, the royal handlers had spent weeks pumping high-grade Mithril into her diet, pushing her cultivation boundary straight up to the 600-year mark.
On top of that, Xuandong had secretly fed the pregnant mother several of his Druid class Goodberries.
Infused with pure, condensed life force, the magical berries had done wonders.
A massive portion of that concentrated nutrients and life essence had flowed directly into the unborn pup.
Xuandong poked the tiny, surprisingly dense silver pup, watching it let out a squeaky little bark.
“Well, little guy,” Xuandong muttered, pulling out a chunk of raw Mithril ore and a bowl of condensed nutrient milk.
“Let’s see just how strong a super-mutated Silver Wolf can get.” Xuandong’s eyes suddenly widened as a crucial realization struck him.
Turning toward Ying Yue, he asked, “Do you have a martial soul?” Since she was two-thirds spirit beast, he genuinely wondered if her unique anatomy allowed for one.
He recalled the terrifying lore of the Stormwind Demon Wolf from Soul Land 1—beasts that raided human villages to breed with women before devouring them.
Their hybrid offspring, known as Wolftaken, lacked martial souls entirely, though they could still drop spirit bones upon death.
Ying Yue gave a quiet, respectful nod.
“Would Your Highness like to see it?” “Show me,” Xuandong said, leaning in.
Ying Yue stepped back and softly circulated her inner energy.
A radiant burst of light enveloped her form as her martial soul unleashed.
Xuandong’s breath caught in his throat.
Her martial soul wasn’t a tool or a separate beast—it was a true Body Martial Soul representing her raw, exalted heritage.
Her lower half transformed into a glistening, elegant mermaid tail, but her pale skin was delicately overlaid with iridescent dragon scales.
Sprouting gracefully from her back were a pair of sweeping, majestic dragon wings.
It was a breathtaking fusion of aquatic elegance and draconic majesty.
“It’s the most beautiful martial soul I’ve ever seen,” Xuandong remarked candidly.
However, as he inspected her glowing spirit rings, his brows furrowed.
They were completely empty—void of any soul skills.
“Why don’t you have any soul skills bound to your rings?” he asked, his tone darkening.
Ying Yue lowered her head, her voice serene yet matter-of-fact.
“People like me were never meant to become strong, Your Highness.
We were only trained to pleasure, serve, and entertain.” Xuandong narrowed his eyes, a spike of cold anger flickering deep within him, though he chose to remain silent.
He stared at her martial soul, his sharp mind dissecting its core nature.
Isn’t the Charm attribute just a specialized, hyper-focused branch of the Mental attribute?
A wild, revolutionary thought suddenly sparked in his mind.
If I took her to the Star Dou Forest right now, she could potentially contract with the Skydream Ice Worm instead of Huo Yuhao!
Honestly, she’d be a far better host.
Her foundation is leagues ahead of early-stage Yuhao, and her native Water attribute is a flawless catalyst for the Ice attribute Skydream bestows.
Xuandong shook his head, instantly snuffing out the tempting tangent.
He let out a low sigh, running a hand through his hair.
Focus, Xuandong.
You’ve got an impending civil war to neutralize and a nuclear-armed Hall Master to tutor.
You don’t have time for a Star Dou Forest field trip right now.
“Time to get my second ring,” Xuandong muttered, snapping his fingers.
He unrolled a detailed map of the continent across his desk, resting his hand over the parchment.
Activating his Cleric/Druid spell Guidance, a subtle pulse of divine insight flowed through his fingertips.
A specific area near the center of the map flared with a soft, golden shimmer.
Xuandong grinned.
“Jackpot.
The Sun Moon Forest.” However, his smile quickly faded as he ran into a massive logistical hurdle.
He had no top-tier powerhouse to act as his bodyguard while hunting.
His current lineup of Title Douluo allies was completely tied down: Ye Guan had to remain inside the Imperial Palace at all times to guard the throne and watch court movements.
Duke Yang was stationed at the northern border, commanding troops against external threats.
Kong Deming was currently locked inside his workshop, frantically scribbling down advanced physics and nuclear formulas.
He sighed heavily.
“Guess I’ll just swap to my Druid class once I’m out there.
I can make spirit beast guard me while I absorb the ring.” The real problem wasn’t the hunt itself—it was the cover story.
Requesting an official royal escort or imperial guards was a complete non-starter.
The imperial guard unit was riddled with political spies; the moment he stepped foot outside the city with a royal battalion, the entire court—and his uncle—would know his exact coordinates.
How could he disappear from the imperial capital without raising a single red flag?