Douluo Continent: When Huo Yuhao Becomes the Lord of the End

Chapter 118 Generous Promises

Having set the tone, the group then arrived at the palace.

Compared to the architecture of Xingluo, the architecture of Riyue is clearly more modern. This wording is not quite right, but it is the most appropriate.

However, Huo Yuhao felt a great sense of disconnect along the way. Yes, it was disconnect.

At the residence of the royal family, a squadron of soul-guided guards would fly overhead every so often, conducting a 24/7 patrol.

Similar to some parts of the Royal Soul Master Academy, the entire palace's soul power transmission network is formed through a core array inlaid with energy-conducting metal patterns, showcasing the ultimate combination of architecture and steel.

"Steel and Industrial Style" is the definition given by Huo Yuhao. The main characteristic of this architectural style is the combination of soul-guided technology and militaristic features, which contrasts sharply with the traditional architecture of the Douluo Three Kingdoms.
This is why he said there was a sense of disconnect, as if he had suddenly arrived in the industrial and steel age from a feudal dynasty.

As for the energy soul guide shields that secretly protect the entire palace, Huo Yuhao couldn't sense where they were hidden. These were trump cards, related to the safety of the royal family, so naturally they were hidden very deep.

Since it was a summons, those people naturally didn't need to wait. Not to mention Jing Hongchen, the head of Mingde Hall, even Kong Deming behind Huo Yuhao, with such status and background, the royal family couldn't possibly put on airs.

The magnificent palace comes into view, giving people the first impression of luxury, grandeur, and nobility.

The floor was paved with shiny jade, which was used as a tile. Although the walls of the main hall were mostly made of metal, they were decorated with gilded relief murals depicting myths, legends or royal history. Crystal chandeliers hung from the dome, reflecting a dazzling light under the illumination.

Exquisite carpets covered the center of the hall, with intricate patterns. When Huo Yuhao stepped on them, he felt they were exceptionally soft to the touch.

Extravagant, it's just too extravagant! This damned royal life is truly an eye-opener.

After another tedious process and a lot of trouble, Huo Yuhao finally met the legendary Emperor of the Sun and Moon.

Just as he had imagined, he wasn't particularly imposing or unapproachable; he was simply an old man nearing the end of his life. At least Huo Yuhao didn't feel any oppressive aura of an emperor, though he still maintained a facade of respect.

"You are Master Kong's last disciple, the rumored number one genius of Sun Moon Academy. Not bad, you do have a handsome appearance."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao thought to himself, "Who goes on to praise someone's talents and then compliment their good looks?"

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty."

He figured he should just go through the motions; he couldn't be bothered with royalty and nobility. The etiquette was too complicated and a waste of time.

"Ah."

The old emperor coughed twice, praised Xiao Hongchen and her brother in front of Jing Hongchen, and then looked around at the generals and ministers present and said.

"These three children are also part of the team. They represented Sun and Moon in the battle and made great contributions to defeating Shrek Academy. They greatly boosted the morale of the Sun and Moon army and people and crushed the arrogance of Shrek and Star Luo."

"The Master of the Red Dust Hall has already explained to me why you didn't arrive in time, and I can understand."

It was another string of polite and pointless remarks. In fact, even without his introduction, many of the ministers present already knew the names of Huo Yuhao, Xiao Hongchen, and others.

Or rather, in today's Sun Moon Empire, no one is unaware of the name Huo Yuhao.

In the end, perhaps due to the old emperor's health, the process had to be shortened, and a whole host of rewards prepared by the royal family, including gold soul coins, soul tools, and titles, were handed over to Huo Yuhao and his two companions.

Noble titles are something that can be disregarded. Even if Huo Yuhao is not a nobleman, no one would look down on him because of it, not to mention that Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen are from the Hongchen family.

After the emperor finished speaking, he pulled Jing Hongchen aside to talk to him alone. Before leaving, the latter gave Xiao Hongchen a warning look, worried that his grandson might say something inappropriate.

Many ministers gathered around, eager to win over Huo Yuhao, a peerless genius of humble origins but exceptional talent, especially since he had a powerful figure like Kong Deming as his teacher and backer.

Putting everything else aside, just look at the words of the many ministers around Huo Yuhao. They are all either introducing their own granddaughters or talking about how good-looking their daughters are. Huo Yuhao is feeling quite overwhelmed.

Fortunately, our Miss Meng came to the rescue in time, preventing those old guys from succeeding.

Not far away, after the commotion subsided, the Third Prince's faction was still observing, while Crown Prince Xu Tianran had already arrived beside Huo Yuhao.

"Yuhao, how about we go for a walk outside together?"

To be honest, you really can't refuse this easily, otherwise it would seem too ungrateful. After all, they didn't say what they wanted to do, they just said they wanted to go for a walk. If you don't go, that would be disrespecting the Crown Prince of the Empire and the royal family.

"Then thank you very much for your kind offer, Your Highness."

Xu Tianran dismissed his trusted confidants and handed his wheelchair to Huo Yuhao. And wouldn't you know it, Old Huo had the honor of being called a 'successor' for once. When Huo Yuhao later becomes a supreme powerhouse, the fact that the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Palace was once pushed in his wheelchair by Huo Yuhao will be a good reason to boast. Uh... naturally, that's for the Crown Prince.

The two walked and talked, and soon disappeared from the sight of the courtiers in the main hall. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen looked at each other, wondering if something had happened to Yuhao.

However, this worry only lasted for a moment. What could possibly happen in the palace? Without Huo Yuhao here, Xiao Hongchen quickly let loose, which made Meng Hongchen's eyelids twitch.

You idiot, just wait until Grandpa gets back and deals with you.

Xu Tianran and Huo Yuhao had already arrived at the Imperial Study, which was Xu Tianran's usual center for handling government affairs. It was not only equipped with a level nine soul tool for protection, but also secretly guarded by many trusted and powerful individuals.

In the later stages of the war, this place served as Xu Tianran's temporary command center.

During their conversation, Huo Yuhao roughly guessed Xu Tianran's idea: to win him over, hoping to use him as a springboard to bring the Hall of Offerings on his teacher's side into his camp.

It is important to know that both Xu Tianran and the princes knew that Mingde Hall and Gongfeng Hall were the key to their future power. Whoever could gain the support of these two forces would have a secure throne.

Xu Tianran, in particular, is indeed a crown prince, but due to his physical defect, many ministers and even the emperor are not very willing to get close to him. In order to gain such support, in addition to the Holy Spirit Church, his own methods also deserve a lot of credit.

In a sense, if we set aside Xu Tianran's suspicions and extreme methods, he would indeed be a good successor to the Sun and Moon Sect.

As for his cold-blooded and selfish personality and his scheming methods that use everything as a bargaining chip, these are actually advantages rather than disadvantages for someone who did not become the heir to the throne.

The old emperor also seized the throne through coercive means. Regardless of how many outrageous things the former royal family, namely He Caitou's father, did, the old emperor was competent after ascending the throne.

However, she has lost her former glory and is now plagued by illness every day. She spends most of her time recuperating in the palace and is unable to handle the heavy political affairs.

As the crown prince, Xu Tianran was nominally the legal heir of the old emperor, but the old emperor had limited trust in him because Xu Tianran was disabled and had a disadvantage in the succession.

The old emperor had been ill for a long time and neglected state affairs. Xu Tianran gradually took control of the military and the soul tool research and development system, and continued to infiltrate the empire's power. In fact, he had already nominally sidelined the emperor's power.

This is why there are still princes competing with him; it's all thanks to the old emperor's support. After all, if Xu Tianran were free from any constraints, his next target would be the throne.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Huo Yuhao. He only had one thought: he would not get involved in things that would waste his time improving his strength.

Perhaps sensing Huo Yuhao's thoughts, Xu Tianran smiled gently.

“Yuhao, you have the best talent on the continent. You are very smart. I think there are some things that Master Kong has already told you.”

"The empire appears powerful, displaying its strength to the original Douluo Three Kingdoms, but in reality, it has many internal weaknesses."

His tone was gentle, and those who didn't understand his true character were easily moved by his words.

After saying so much, Xu Tianran finally got to the point.

"I heard that His Majesty Poison Undying of the Body Sect seems to value you highly. That's good. The Body Sect is the pinnacle of the hidden sects on the continent, and it is not inferior to Shrek Academy."

"I am willing to promise you that if you, Yuhao, are able to inherit the mantle of Master Kong in the future, or take over the Body Sect, the Empire is willing to offer you the throne when I ascend the throne!"

If he could win over Huo Yuhao and wait for him to grow up and inherit the legacy of the Body Sect, then the troublesome matter of the Holy Spirit Sect would no longer be a problem.

Moreover, Huo Yuhao has more than just the Body Sect behind him; he also has the Hall of Offerings.

It can be said that if Huo Yuhao can be brought to one's side, it means that one can gain the support of both the Body Sect and the Hall of Worship in the future.

With his throne firmly secured, even if he were to declare war on the entire continent, he was confident that he could ultimately achieve unification and fulfill the empire's millennia-long dream.

Would the Sun and Moon Royal Family trust the Body Sect?
To be honest, from a trust perspective alone, this is unlikely. After all, the Body Sect is the guardian sect of the Heavenly Soul, and the possibility of the Body Sect helping the Sun Moon Sect is extremely slim.

Another factor is a sense of belonging. At least from the perspective of the current sect leader of the Body Sect, betraying the Heavenly Soul to help the Sun and Moon Sect is highly unlikely.

So why did Xu Tianran offer such generous terms, even willing to offer the throne to win over Huo Yuhao? The key lies in the word "inheritance."

If Huo Yuhao fails to become the sect master of the Body Sect, then he has said nothing. However, if he inherits the Body Sect, then the Body Sect in Huo Yuhao's hands and the Body Sect in Du Busi's hands will be two completely different concepts.

(End of this chapter)