“ROAR!” The miniature, tinny dragon screech echoed from the glowing glass screen of the Steam Deck held above Xu Xuandong’s face.
Tucked comfortably into his plush velvet bed, his thumbsticks flicked with effortless, rhythmic precision.
He moved like a seasoned speedrunner who had spent far too many sleepless nights memorizing hitboxes, carefully positioning his character behind the colossal, immobile dragon’s back to exploit the bleed build glitch.
In the bottom right corner of the HUD, the rune counter ticked up like a broken slot machine: 6,525,918.
“Young Master, breakfast is ready.” The soft, polished voice broke his trance.
Xuandong tilted his head over the edge of the mattress, catching sight of Ying Yue standing near the door.
Her fiery red hair shimmered under the morning light, her vibrant golden eyes calm and dutiful.
Shangguan Wei’er had gifted her to him on his seventh birthday, and she had been managing his daily life with terrifying efficiency ever since.
Xuandong let out a low, grumbling groan into his pillow.
“Is it morning already?” “It is, Young Master,” she replied with a gentle, practiced bow.
“Give me a minute.
I’ll be right down.” Ying Yue bowed again and quietly retreated into the corridor.
Xuandong sat up, stretching his aching shoulders as he looked back down at the screen.
“Well, Greyoll, we’ll continue our farm later.” Hours of straight grinding had left his brain feeling like overcooked porridge.
An intrusive thought suddenly popped into his mind: What would actually happen if I drank an FP flask in real life?
Focusing his spirit power, the dark metallic frame of his Steam Deck martial soul shimmered with a soft blue light, reconfiguring its physical shape into a sleek, crystalline bottle filled with shimmering azure liquid.
Because of his martial soul’s strict operational limitations, Flask for some reason wasn’t count as consumables, it couldn’t just be pulled from a menu—it had to be manifested as tangible physical items.
He uncorked the blue flask and took a long swig.
An instant, refreshing wave of icy mental clarity surged through his meridians, instantly sweeping away every trace of sleep deprivation and mental fatigue.
“Damn, that hits the spot,” he muttered, wiping his mouth.
Stepping out of his bedchamber, he found Ying Yue waiting patiently beside the arched doorway.
He tossed her a light grin.
“Let’s go.” When they arrived at the imperial dining hall, his twin sister, Xu Xia, was already seated at the massive mahogany table, absentmindedly poking at her breakfast.
Xuandong slid into the chair right beside her.
As he sat down, his thoughts drifted to his newly awakened Numen bloodline—the ancient Shaman heritage from Elden Ring.
In lore, Numen flesh possessed the unique, innate ability to harmonize seamlessly with the physical and spiritual essence of others.
Since I became a Numen, he pondered silently, could I theoretically perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with literally anyone?
My flesh naturally harmonizes…
I’m at least eighty percent sure I could pull it off with anyone possessing a plant-attribute martial soul.
He snapped out of his monologue when he noticed Xu Xia staring blankly into her teacup, her small brow furrowed in visible distress.
“What’s wrong with you?” Xuandong asked, grabbing a fresh pastry.
“Nothing,” she murmured softly.
Xuandong scoffed.
“Xia, we came out of the same womb.
I know you better than you know yourself.
Why even try to hide it?” Xu Xia let out a heavy, defeated sigh, slumping her shoulders.
“My first soul skill…
it isn’t what I expected from a six-hundred-year Elemental Silver Wolf.” “Oh?” Xuandong raised an eyebrow, taking a bite.
“What is it then?” “Light Control,” she whispered.
Xuandong waited.
Three seconds passed in complete silence.
“…And?” Xu Xia pouted, her cheeks puffing out in frustration.
“And nothing!
It’s useless!
It’s not strong enough for direct combat!” “Are you serious?” Xuandong looked at her like she had just claimed the moon was made of green cheese.
“Xia, Light Control is ridiculously versatile!
You can use it offensively to blind enemies, defensively to bend light rays and create optical illusions or total invisibility, and defensively to construct hard-light barriers!
Most soul masters’ first two soul skills become completely obsolete once they hit Spirit Sage rank, but yours?
Yours will remain top-tier even when you become a Title Douluo!” He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
“And don’t even get me started on Soul Engineering.
If you focus that light into a microscopic point, you have the ultimate, hyper-precise carving knife for spirit guidance arrays.
It’s a goldmine.” “What’s a goldmine?” A sharp, confident voice chimed in as their eldest sister, Xu Mie’er, walked up to the table, sweeping her long hair over her shoulder.
Xu Xia quickly explained her new soul skill and Xuandong’s breakdown.
Mie’er’s eyes lit up with instant, professional intrigue.
As a dedicated Soul Engineer, she immediately recognized the terrifying potential of micro-light array engraving.
“He’s right, Xia’er!
That precision is priceless!
Come to my workshop later, I’ll personally guide you on how to apply it to tool design!” Xuandong smirked, turning back to his twin.
“By the way, Xia, later today I want to try attempting a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with you.” Xu Xia brightened up, nodding eagerly.
“Sure!
We can try it right after school.” Xuandong froze mid-chew.
His brain completely short-circuited.
“…School?” He mentally calculated his schedule.
Since his Martial Soul awakened, his total attendance at the Royal Sun Moon Academy added up to a grand total of…
three days.
He had completely forgotten the institution even existed.
Trying to smoothly shift the topic, he cleared his throat.
“Right…
school.
By the way, what happened to Ji Juechen?” The sheer mention of that battle maniac brought a bizarre mix of memories.
Xu Xuandong had only spent two days total with Ji Juechen, but both were unforgettable.
The first was when Xu Xuandong got lost in the lower slums after being ambushed by Evil Soul Masters on his way back from the underground flea market.
The second was when they ran into Xu Tianran—Ji Juechen had walked out of nowhere and verbally obliterated Xu Tianran with such cold, ruthless insults that Xu Xuandong almost choked to death trying not to laugh out loud at his arrogant cousin.
At the mention of Ji Juechen’s name, Xu Xia’s face instantly darkened.
She let out an annoyed huff.
“Don’t even get me started on him!” she huffed.
“That idiot managed to get himself expelled from the Royal Sun Moon Academy…
even though he wasn’t even a enrolled student there!
And then, do you know what he did?
He actually took that official expulsion letter to the Radiance City Academy, used it as proof of his ‘exceptional talent,’ and successfully enrolled there!” Xuandong’s lips twitched.
I was literally joking when I told him an expulsion letter would work as an entry pass…
I didn’t think the crazy bastard would actually do it.
“And because you got expelled too,” Xu Xia continued, glaring at him, “Ye Xing left the academy, claiming he was going to follow you!
But then Ji Juechen ran into Ye Xing, realized how strong his Holy Angel martial soul was, and has been dragging him into non-stop sparring matches ever since!” Xuandong blinked.
He wasn’t surprised that Ji Juechen had dragged someone else into becoming his personal human punching bag.
What surprised him was Xu Xia’s tone—she was huffing and stomping like an annoyed wife whose husband kept sneaking out to hang out with other women.
Xu Mie’er caught it too and immediately burst out laughing, leaning over to tease her younger sister.
“My, my, Xia’er…
listen to you!
You sound just like a jealous girlfriend whose man is spending all his time with someone else!” Xu Xia’s face flushed a violent, dark crimson.
She stomped her foot, swatting at Mie’er before turning desperately to Xuandong.
“Xuandong!
Say something!
You always love annoying Mie’er!” Xuandong raised his hands in absolute surrender.
“Can’t do it, Xia.
I promised Mom this morning that I wouldn’t bully Big Sister Mie’er until at least dinner.” “Pfft!” Mie’er giggled loudly as Xu Xia groaned and buried her burning face in her hands.
Right on cue, the youngest triplets—Xu Xi, Xu Ying, and their third sister—came tumbling into the dining hall, filling the room with energetic noise.
Xuandong glanced around, noticing two empty seats.
“Where are the elder twins?” he asked Mie’er, referring to their sisters who were younger than Mie’er but older than himself.
“They left early this morning,” Mie’er replied, taking a sip of juice.
“They went to our maternal grandfather’s estate to help him manage his territory’s administrative accounts.” Xuandong nodded in understanding.
A moment later, the heavy double doors opened, and their parents—Emperor Xu and the Empress—stepped into the hall.
The room instantly quieted as the Emperor held up a hand, a broad, radiant smile gracing his face.
“Children, your mother and I have an announcement,” Emperor Xu declared warmly.
The Empress stepped forward, resting a hand gently over her stomach.
“I am pregnant.” A breathless silence fell over the hall for a single second before erupting into absolute chaos.
His sisters cheered, rushing forward to congratulate their mother with hugs and bright laughter.
Xuandong, however, sat frozen in his chair, his mind instantly dropping into a deep, analytical void.
Pregnant…
She’s pregnant with Xu He—He Caitou.
In the original canon timeline, Xu He was a tragic figure.
Much like Huo Yuhao, he was pushed onto a brutal path of bloodshed and revenge after their uncle usurped the throne, only to take a complete U-turn midway through his arc just to pick up a girl—Xiao Xiao.
His entire character arc was supposed to be about reclaiming his birthright and avenging his slaughtered family, yet he accomplished neither, settling into comfortable obscurity instead.
Xuandong stared at his glowing, happy mother, his eyes narrowing with cold, unshakeable resolve.
Not this time.
I won’t let him become an exiled, homeless orphan running for his life.
I’ll make sure my little brother lives a damn good, peaceful life.
“Xuandong?” The Empress noticed her son staring off into space with an intense, solemn expression.
She smiled gently.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Xuandong broke out of his trance, instantly melting back into his playful facade.
He let out a dramatic, mournful sigh.
“Mother…
I just realized I have way too many absolute god-tier jabs at Big Sister Mie’er dropping straight from the heavens right now, but I promised you I wouldn’t annoy her until dinner!” The entire hall erupted into boisterous laughter, while Xu Mie’er picked up a bread roll and hurled it directly at his head.
Before the laughter could die down, an imperial servant quietly entered the hall, rushing up to the Emperor and whispering urgently in his ear.
Emperor Xu’s smile faded, replaced by a grave, majestic calm.
He stood up immediately.
“Xuandong, come with me,” the Emperor commanded quietly.
Xuandong wiped his hands on a napkin and followed his father down the quiet, guarded corridors leading to the sovereign’s private study.
Upon stepping inside, Xuandong found three powerful figures already waiting.
Sitting around a low tea table were Duke Yang, Hall Master Kong Deming, and Senior Ye Guan, quietly sipping hot tea alongside Imperial Elder Ye Guan.
Xuandong strolled in casually, bowing slightly.
“Do you old gentlemen need some snacks to go with that drink?” Kong Deming chuckled softly.
“Take a seat, Your Highness.” Xuandong pulled out a chair, looking between them with a puzzled frown.
“Alright, what’s going on?
Why call me?
I’m just a weak, frail six-year-old child.” “It is not a matter of raw strength, nephew,” Duke Yang spoke up, his expression dead serious.
“We require your imperial decree.” Xuandong’s eyes flickered.
He instantly remembered the special gift his father had given him on his seventh birthday—a blank, stamped imperial decree scroll that carried absolute royal authority.
“For what?” Emperor Xu stepped up to his desk, his voice grim.
“Your uncle, Prince Xu Gongfeng, has initiated unsanctioned military skirmishes along the border of the Star Luo Empire.
If this continues, an all-out continental war will break out prematurely.” He looked at his son deeply.
“Because of complex court politics, if I issue a direct royal edict recalling him, it will force him into a corner and trigger an immediate civil war.
But a decree issued under your name changes the political framing entirely.” Xuandong’s lips twitched.
He saw right through his uncle’s moves.
Prince Xu Gongfeng was backed into a corner and making a desperate, high-stakes gamble.
What the hell pushed my uncle this hard to make such a reckless move?
Xuandong leaned back, crossing his arms.
“Wouldn’t it be vastly more efficient to just blast him into fine dust with a Grade 9 fixed-station soul missile?” Kong Deming nearly choked on his tea.
“Your Highness, this is no time for jokes!” “I’m not joking,” Xuandong deadpanned.
“There aren’t many political problems in this world that a Grade 9 tactical missile can’t fix.
But fine.” He looked at Duke Yang.
“I don’t mind using my blank decree to solve this, but I expect proper compensation.” Emperor Xu smiled faintly.
“You may pick any single treasure from the Imperial Treasury.” “Deal,” Xuandong agreed instantly.
He tapped his fingers on the table.
“Here is how we write the decree: We use it to officially confiscate the entire Lu Clan’s accumulated wealth directly for the state treasury.” The three elder powerhouses froze mid-breath.
Contextually, Xu Gongfeng had recently exposed his own father-in-law, Lu Wang (the head of the wealthy Lu Clan), for treason, executing him on the spot.
Xu Gongfeng had then quietly absorbed the Lu Clan’s colossal financial reserves into his own faction’s pockets under the legal excuse that his son, Xu Tianran, was the last surviving bloodline of the Lu family.
“Wait…” Duke Yang’s eyes widened as the realization hit him like a thunderbolt.
“The Lu Clan was convicted of high treason against the Sun Moon Empire!
Treasonous assets are legally state property!
Xu Gongfeng had zero legal right to claim that wealth for his private estate!” “Precisely,” Xuandong smirked.
“We aren’t attacking my uncle for his border skirmish.
We are legally reclaiming stolen state assets.
If he resists, he isn’t just disobeying a prince—he is openly admitting to embezzling treasonous state funds.” Kong Deming stared at the six-year-old prince in sheer awe, facepalming softly.
“How…
how in the world did none of us think of that?!” Without missing a beat, Xuandong pulled out his blank scroll, dipped his brush in imperial red ink, and wrote the decree on the spot.
The Southern Border Military Encampment.
Inside the primary command tent, Prince Xu Gongfeng sat before a tactical map.
The flap opened, and a breathless servant stumbled inside, holding a sealed imperial letter.
“Message from the capital, My Lord!” Xu Gongfeng scoffed in disdain, taking the parchment.
“Another toothless warning from my foolish brother asking me to return?
He wouldn’t dare move against me—” He broke the seal and read the contents.
Halfway through the page, Xu Gongfeng’s eyes bulged out of his head.
His breath hitched, and he nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood in pure, unadulterated rage!
“WHAT IS THIS?!” he roared, slamming his fist onto the war table, splintering the heavy oak in half!
Confiscation of the Lu Clan’s state assets?!
This single decree didn’t just ask him to retreat—it directly cut off his entire political war chest!
Without the Lu Clan’s astronomical wealth, he couldn’t pay off his noble allies, fund his private Soul Engineer regiments, or maintain his campaign to ascend the throne!
There is no way in hell that brat Xu Xuandong came up with this!
Xu Gongfeng thought wildly, his veins popping on his forehead.
Whoever wrote this edict just ruthlessly severed my entire financial lifeline!
His mind raced backward, connecting the dots to a secret theory he had discussed with Lu Wang months ago.
They had theorized that there was a secret third prince, conceived in total privacy by the late Emperor and the infamous Evil Soul Master Ye Xushi.
That theory was the only logical explanation for why the Holy Spirit Cult had suddenly cut off all communication with Xu Gongfeng!
Back then, Xu Gongfeng had deliberately leaked that fake theory to Lu Wang to make the old man panic and contact the three Douluo empires—giving Xu Gongfeng the perfect staged excuse to execute his father-in-law for treason and seize his wealth!
But now?
The imperial court had flipped his own trap against him!
“My Lord?” the servant squeaked out, trembling on the floor.
Xu Gongfeng grit his teeth so hard they nearly cracked, his eyes burning with helpless fury.
“Order…
order an immediate retreat!
We are returning to the capital!” Crown Prince Majestic Faction Headquarters (Xu Xuandong’s Bedchamber).
Xuandong sat cross-legged on his velvet bed, looking at the three grand old men—Kong Deming, Duke Yang, and Ye Guan—who were awkwardly squeezed into his room.
Xuandong sighed, rubbing his temples.
“We really, really need to find a better secret meeting place.” The three titans chuckled softly.
Hall Master Kong Deming stroked his beard, admiring the room.
“Your Highness, the concealment barrier surrounding this chamber is truly exquisite.
Even with our cultivation, if we didn’t step inside physically, we wouldn’t detect a single anomaly.” Xuandong merely smirked.
It wasn’t a standard Soul Tool barrier—it was his Druid magic, seamlessly weaving the ambient aura of the room into the living rhythm of nature itself.
To anyone scanning from the outside, his physical presence appeared completely normal, backed by a decoy spirit power signature he had left lingering near the window.
Duke Yang leaned forward, his eyes burning with curiosity.
“Your Highness, why have you summoned the three of us here in secret?” They all looked at the boy.
His raw cultivation strength was currently pathetic, but his strategic mind, political foresight, and revolutionary ideas were nothing short of terrifying.
“My uncle believes there is a third party operating in the shadows,” Xuandong stated directly, laying out the board.
“He thinks a hidden player is actively trying to provoke a full-scale civil war between his faction and my father’s.
However, he doesn’t know who to suspect.” He paused, letting the information sink in.
“Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit Cult abruptly severed all contact with my uncle.
Why?
Because the sudden, mysterious death of Zhongli Wu is somehow linked to my uncle’s territory.
The cult suspects my uncle betrayed them, so they are keeping their distance.
My uncle, on the other hand, thinks the cult betrayed him to support this hypothetical third party.” Ye Guan’s sharp golden eyes narrowed as he processed the logic.
“That…
is remarkably plausible.” Kong Deming nodded slowly.
“The absolute best scenario for us is if both sides continue to suspect each other.
However, that mutual distrust will only last until they finally manage to sit down and exchange raw details.” “And the moment my uncle realizes Zhongli Wu is truly dead,” Duke Yang added grimly, “he will immediately blame our imperial faction for the assassination, even without a shred of evidence.” “Exactly,” Xuandong agreed, his gaze turning icy.
He knew better than anyone how the human psyche worked, especially when dealing with unhinged monsters.
With or without hard evidence, that batshit crazy supreme elder, Ye Xushi, would unleash her absolute, full-force vengeance upon the capital.
You only truly realize something’s worth after you’ve lost it, Xuandong thought quietly, staring out at the moonlight.
While Zhongli Wu was alive, Ye Xushi treated him with total coldness because he was conceived by force.
She took his existence completely for granted.
But now that her only son is dead?
Her twisted, repressed maternal grief will turn into pure, unadulterated madness.
And when a Title Douluo Evil Soul Master goes mad…
blood will flow.