Mingde Hall.
In an office located in a core area.
Xu Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, a contemplative look on his face.
The situation had finally "temporarily" stabilized.
In this facade of a "prosperous age," countless hidden clans were beginning to migrate to the Sun Moon Empire—this was the result of his final chess piece being played. His earlier schemes—publicly announcing at the tournament his support for the "surrendered general" Huo Yuhao to lead troops in razing the Mingdou Mountain Range to avenge his mother, and even handing him over to the Body Sect—were all moves to showcase the Sun Moon Empire's "magnanimity" to the world.
As long as you come, all past grievances can be forgiven.
And now, results had begun to show. In just half a month, tens of thousands had already poured into the Sun Moon Empire's borders, including nearly ten thousand soul masters—many arriving as entire clans. Their martial soul names were so obscure that even Xu Cheng had to take a moment to process them—true hidden clans.
Naturally, when these people arrived, they brought heavy baggage filled with resources—whether it be gold soul coins, pills, soul bones, or spirit herbs—all of which would eventually flow into the Sun Moon Empire's markets, either directly or indirectly.
This was the true goal of that battle Xu Cheng orchestrated days ago.
Although he hadn't personally led the army, he'd heard some updates from Xu Jiangnian—particularly regarding Juzi. His evaluation: "Still a bit immature, but shows signs of being a good commander."
Getting praise from Xu Jiangnian was no small feat. The man rarely complimented anyone, and that one comment said it all—recognizing Xu Cheng's efforts in cultivating Juzi, seeing her potential, and affirming Xu Cheng's own vision.
Of course, commanding a large army wasn't as simple as it seemed in his past life.
There's a lot of strategy involved—logistics, troop deployment, officer appointments, and so on.
Han Xin could lead as many troops as possible because he was a true genius. But in this world, things were simpler—like turning the game difficulty from "Hell" to "Easy."
Smaller numbers, faster movement, convenient communication—even logistics weren't a problem anymore (thanks to milk bottles and storage soul tools).
Back when Xu Cheng read the original novel, Juzi's military tactics were admittedly a bit charming, even giving the "I could've done that too" vibe. But hey—it's the Douluo Universe. If you know, you know.
That particular God King's portrayal of large-scale battles was just too childish—it all felt like a game of pretend.
So even though Juzi had talent for warfare, her potential ceiling had been stifled by the invisible rules of that world.
Was it a rebellion suppressed under the protagonist's halo? Maybe…
Xu Cheng sighed lightly. Carrying the responsibility of one capital and twenty-seven provinces on his shoulders was no easy feat. But ultimately, the capital was the key focus.
He had a very specific strategy for Mingdu: gradual "encroachment," silent and unnoticed. He didn't want fanfare—ideally, by the time everyone realized what happened, he'd already be the one in charge.
To truly seize control of Mingdu, it wasn't enough to have control over the military and Mingde Hall.
He needed to reach deeper.
Mingdu was like a towering tree seen from the surface—if you only noticed the lush branches and thought that was the whole picture, you'd be quite naive.
Now that things were going smoothly, his earlier moves—not only toppling the Fourth Prince but also reclaiming control over the underground trade in soul tools—had funneled all that profit into the Mingdu Auction House.
Even powerful, destructive soul tools like the Grade 9 Soul Cannons, though now rarely seen, could appear there in a "controlled" and "legitimate" fashion.
And a while ago, Xu Zhen had entrusted Xu Cheng with the important chess piece that was the Mingdu Auction House. It was as if the old fox had always known what Xu Cheng was aiming for. It made Xu Cheng marvel—so much for being old, frail, and confused. If you really bought into that act, you'd be the joke.
With the Mingdu Auction House in hand, Xu Cheng had finally entered the corrupt world of Mingdu "legally."
From this point on, he finally had true personal assets, bringing in over seven million gold soul coins in net profit per month. Not bad at all.
But the more he got involved, the more he realized how deep the water ran.
Even though he'd standardized the soul tool trade, rare metals were still being traded on the black market. He didn't dive in recklessly—instead, he launched investigations.
The web of connections was intricate and deeply rooted. The three major underground forces were even potentially tied to people like Xu Jiangnian. Of course, what he could confirm was only their subordinates or blood relatives—whether they themselves were involved… perhaps they just turned a blind eye.
In short, this couldn't be handled with brute force—it would be too easy to offend his current allies.
"Then there's Zhongli Wu… That old man seems to have his eye on the profit as well." Xu Cheng rubbed his chin, frowning slightly.
Zhongli Wu had two titanic backers. If he wanted in, it might very well be with Ye Xishui's blessing. And if two Limit Douluo really reshuffled the underground world, it'd become a fortress—and trying to break in later would be tough.
"In the original story, they set a five-year agreement, culminating in a continent-wide Soul Master Academy Tournament. While the academies fought, the forces behind them contested for control of the spoils (a time-honored tradition). If it hadn't been for Huo Gua and He Caitou stepping in for the Xishui Alliance, defeating Ye Guyi and winning the tournament, the ultimate winner would probably have been a certain red-clad noblewoman."
Xu Cheng fell into thought.
If he wanted to blend in seamlessly, the best way would be to embed himself in one of the three underground forces and use the identity of a local to maneuver among the others.
First, the Xishui Alliance was out. While he was the Holy Son of the Holy Spirit Cult, it was obvious to outsiders that he and their leader Zhongli Wu had internal conflict.
The Oduo Chamber of Commerce was backed by one of Xu Jiangnian's brothers. Xu Cheng even suspected his father might be the true mastermind—so he wouldn't touch that either.
That left only…
"Your Highness!" Na Na pushed the door open. "One of the leaders of the three underground forces—Shangguan Weier of the Pingfan Alliance—is here to see you."
"Oh?" Xu Cheng smiled. Speak of the devil, and here she is. "Let her in."
--------------------
"Mother, did you and Uncle Long really need to come in person for this 'supply run'? It's just Shrek Academy—your son is already very familiar with it."
In the sky, dozens of dark figures flashed by.
Their overwhelming auras weren't concealed in the slightest. It was like a thief heading to a homeowner's house with an arrogant air, rolling up their sleeves, as if planning not only to steal but also to slap the homeowner across the face a few times while at it.
Zhongli Wu looked at the two figures beside him, the smile on his lips impossible to hide.
This is how the Holy Spirit Cult should be!
Repressed for thousands of years, driven out of Shrek Academy to the Sun Moon Empire, and at first even rejected by the Empire itself, forced to set up camp in the Demonic Forest. Now, the Holy Spirit Cult's name ought to inspire fear across the continent!
"Don't underestimate Shrek Academy. There are deep waters in there. If it were as fragile as fallen leaves in the wind, it wouldn't have taken a single call to arms four thousand years ago to defeat the Sun Moon Empire," Ye Xishui said lightly, cloaked in black.
"You mean…" Zhongli Wu hesitated.
"It was once the Ascension Ground," Ye Xishui replied tersely.
"Yes," Zhongli Wu nodded slightly. After all, everyone knew something strange happened in that war four thousand years ago. But few dared to speak of it—perhaps because Shrek had always maintained ties with the gods.
"When we arrive, head straight for the targets. According to the spies you placed in the Outer Court, there's a boy who can release black flames, a girl with an undead skeleton martial soul, and… eleven people in total. Bring them all back to the sect. I'll handle Xuanzi and make sure he can't interfere," Ye Xishui said offhandedly.
Eleven people, covering all year groups of the Outer Court.
Among them were some true prodigies. If they fell to the dark path and were nurtured with blood and soul, one might even grow into someone akin to Yan Feng.
"If we get another Xu Cheng out of it, that'd be a real win," Zhongli Wu said expectantly.
Long Xiaoyao glanced at Zhongli Wu like he was an idiot and said nothing.
Half an hour later—
Around twenty powerful members of the Holy Spirit Cult arrived at Shrek Academy.
In the distance stood towering city walls, as grand as those of Mingdu. No wonder it was known as the second-largest city on the continent.
"Remember, don't get sentimental. You have only half a quarter of an hour. If you can't find the targets, retreat immediately! Got it?" Ye Xishui spoke indifferently.
"Yes!!!"
One after another, black-robed figures floated in the sky, their auras billowing like a vast ocean. They dyed half the sky black, like storm clouds pressing down upon a city, as they forcefully bore down on Shrek City.
"Mu En, this Shrek Academy you treasured so much—I won't destroy it immediately. No, I'll drag it step by step into the abyss, so you, trapped within the Golden Tree, can watch it fall apart with your own eyes!" Ye Xishui's voice carried a trace of chilling menace.
"Sigh… was it really necessary to come to this?" Long Xiaoyao looked at the fleeing civilians below and shook his head helplessly.
Though they weren't here for a massacre, but rather to "steal" people—
Such a grand and ostentatious entrance was, in essence, stomping on Shrek's dignity, utterly humiliating them.
More insulting than outright murder.
Treating them like a fresh blood bank…
"Shut up!" Ye Xishui shot a cold glance at Long Xiaoyao.
He sighed lightly and fell silent. Once the strongest on the continent, he now followed orders like a dog without dignity.
But seeing this, Ye Xishui wasn't pleased at all. Instead, she gritted her teeth in growing anger.
She would rather Long Xiaoyao resist her—with dignity. Perhaps then, she might respect him a little more. But this man didn't. Back in the day, he clung to her like a shadow, insisting on staying by her side, yet didn't even have the guts to touch her…
So many years, and only once.
She was proud, arrogant. If she wanted to use Long Xiaoyao, she absolutely could not take the initiative herself.
Otherwise, the web she had woven for years would start to unravel.
Why don't you take the initiative? If you climbed into my bed in the middle of the night, do you really think I'd kick you out?!
Ye Xishui took a deep breath, casting her gaze toward Shrek City.
Only then did she barely manage to suppress her fury....
(End of Chapter)