Zhu Ziyang left the God Position inheritance ground with the Angel God God Position and returned to the Moon God Shuttle.
"Huh? Why is Jiang Nannan meditating?" Zhu Ziyang looked at Jiang Nannan, who was meditating with her eyes closed, with some surprise, and asked Zhang Lexuan and Qian Lingyi.
"She is refining the reward from the Yin-Yang Seven Trials," Zhang Lexuan replied.
"Huh?" Zhu Ziyang was startled, then asked with some confusion, "Why so sudden? Hasn't the Silver Moon Spirit Fish King not yet become Jiang Nannan's Soul Spirit? How is the seventh trial considered complete?"
"I'm not sure, and Jiang Nannan herself isn't sure either," Zhang Lexuan said with a helpless wave of her hand. "Perhaps, as long as the Silver Moon Spirit Fish King submits willingly, the trial is considered complete."
"That's certainly possible!" Zhu Ziyang nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, saying, "We'll ask Jiang Nannan what exactly happened when she wakes up."
Jiang Nannan quickly refined the trial reward, opened her eyes, and her beautiful eyes sparkled with joy and excitement.
"How is it? What's the reward for this seventh trial?" Zhu Ziyang immediately asked upon seeing her.
"Ah! Brother, you're back!" Jiang Nannan was first surprised to hear Zhu Ziyang's voice, then excitedly said, "The reward for the seventh trial is a ten percent increase in God Position affinity, a one-level increase in spirit power, and a one-thousand-year increase in the lifespan of all spirit rings. It's no different from the previous rewards."
"Is that so? Then your spirit power has also reached level 78, that's good." Zhu Ziyang pondered for a moment after hearing this, then continued, "By the way, Jiang Nannan, Sister Lexuan, what are the contents of your eighth trials?"
"Let me see!" Jiang Nannan immediately checked her eighth trial and quickly learned its content. A surprised expression involuntarily appeared on her pretty face as she said, "Oh! My eighth trial is to complete my Spirit Bones, Brother, just like you said before!"
"Is that so? That's quite a simple matter," Zhu Ziyang's eyes also lit up upon hearing this, because completing Spirit Bones might be a very difficult task for other Spirit Masters, but for Jiang Nannan, if the compatibility of the Spirit Bones wasn't considered, she could complete her Spirit Bones immediately.
"Uh-huh! I didn't expect the Yin-Yang Eight Trials to be so simple," Jiang Nannan replied with a playful smile.
"Sister Lexuan, what about the content of your trial?" Zhu Ziyang then looked at Zhang Lexuan and asked.
"The content of my trial, how should I put it?" Zhang Lexuan's expression was a bit strange. After pondering for a moment, she slowly began to speak, "My eighth trial is to make me the Empress of the Sun Moon Empire!"
"Ah, huh?" Zhu Ziyang's expression also became strange. He said, "In that case, doesn't the 'Empress's Advent' plan now have an additional, mandatory reason to succeed? This, it could be considered killing multiple birds with one stone!"
"Alas! Who says it isn't?" Zhang Lexuan also sighed, saying, "Now, it truly is 'divine right of empresses'!"
"Then in that case, Sister Lexuan and I can't complete the trials together, which is a bit sad," Jiang Nannan said with a look of regret.
"It's alright, we were going to temporarily separate once we returned to the Continent anyway. You need to prepare for the Soul Master Competition, and I also need to prepare to seize the throne," Zhang Lexuan comforted her.
"Alright, let's first return to the Silver Moon Spirit Fish tribe's territory, and then head back to the Yue Nan Islands!" Zhu Ziyang said.
The Moon God Shuttle quickly entered the territory of the Silver Moon Spirit Fish tribe. Jiang Nannan made an agreement with the Silver Moon Spirit Fish King: when Jiang Nannan reached the Spirit Douluo realm, she would come to find it, and it would arrange all matters within its tribe during that time.
After this, they left the Spirit Fish Sea. The Moon God Shuttle traveled eastward, and before long, they arrived at the Yue Nan Islands.
Looking at the Yue Nan Islands, which were within reach, the four people on the Moon God Shuttle all showed expressions of joy, excitement, and exhilaration. After a year, they had finally returned to the Yue Nan Islands, returned to the Douluo Continent.
On April Island, the four of them, Zhu Ziyang, stepped onto the island's land, filled with emotion. Instead of rushing to the Marquis Manor to find Old Song or Xu Jianwei, the four of them leisurely strolled through the island's market for half a day before returning to the Moon Southern Marquis Manor.
"Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Le Xuan, you're back?!" Old Song was very excited to see the four of them, Zhu Ziyang, and immediately came before them. Then she was shocked by Zhu Ziyang's aura. A look of astonishment appeared on her face as she said, "Ziyang, you, you've reached Titled Douluo?"
"Mm! I was lucky enough to break through," Zhu Ziyang said with a smile.
"This, this..." Old Song was at a loss for words for a moment, remaining stunned for a long time before saying, "It truly makes this old woman ashamed! When this old woman achieved Titled Douluo, she was already nearly forty years old. Ziyang, you're only nineteen, aren't you? Alas, there's truly no comparison!"
"Haha, Old Song, stop praising me, I'll get carried away," Zhu Ziyang said, laughing heartily.
"Teacher, I'm back," Jiang Nannan came to Old Song's side, affectionately hugging Old Song's arm, a look of attachment on her face.
"Mm! It's good you're back! It's good you're back!" Old Song finally recovered from her surprise at Zhu Ziyang's breakthrough to Titled Douluo. Looking at Jiang Nannan, who was hugging her, and then at Zhu Ziyang, Zhang Lexuan, and Qian Lingyi, a deep sense of relief appeared on her aged face as she said repeatedly.
"Old Song, tell us what has happened on the Continent in the past year," Zhu Ziyang asked.
"Mm, alright, you all sit down, I'll tell you slowly," Old Song nodded and said.
Over the next hour or so, Old Song meticulously recounted all the major and minor events that had occurred on the Douluo Continent during the year that Zhu Ziyang and the others had been away, everything she knew and had heard, to the four of them, Zhu Ziyang.
First, there was news from the academies. Since the establishment of the First Tian Yuan Academy in Anyang City, more than a dozen junior Spirit Master academies within the borders of the Douluo Three Kingdoms had successively been taken over by Shrek Academy and reorganized into new Tian Yuan Academies. Although the number of these Tian Yuan Academies was less than one percent of all junior academies, it was a sign of the smooth implementation of Shrek Academy's Tian Yuan Plan.
At this rate, Shrek Academy could control at least fifty percent of the junior academies before the ruling class of the Douluo Three Kingdoms became aware. By then, even if the original Douluo Three Kingdoms began to implement countermeasures, they would be unable to shake the implementation of the Tian Yuan Plan.
Oh, and the executive director of the Tian Yuan Plan is Cai Meier, the head of the Martial Soul Department. To facilitate the Tian Yuan Plan, Shrek Academy has lifted some restrictions on admissions this year. For example, if one's cultivation exceeds level eighteen, they can enter Shrek Academy even without a city lord's letter of recommendation.
Secondly, there was news from the Sun Moon Empire. Crown Prince Xu Tianran of the Sun Moon Empire suddenly made a move, taking control of the Mingdu Garrison Zone that guarded Mingdu, directly seizing two-fifths of the Sun Moon Empire's army. This was very bad news for the factions within the Sun Moon Empire that had ambitions for the throne.
At the same time, there was even worse news. This news was sent back by Huo Yuhao, who was on an exchange study program at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. The Sun Moon Royal Family had close ties with the Holy Spirit Church. Combined with the academy's intelligence department's investigation and monitoring of Xu Tianran, they concluded that there was a ninety percent chance that Xu Tianran had reached a cooperation agreement with the Holy Spirit Church. This was a very severe challenge for Zhang Lexuan, who wanted to seize the throne.
Finally, Old Song told the four of them, Zhu Ziyang, a piece of neither good nor bad news: the format of the Pan-continental Elite Soul Master Competition, which was about to be held in Mingdu of the Sun Moon Empire, had changed. The participating units were no longer limited to Spirit Master academies; Sects and religious groups could also participate in this Soul Master Competition.
Upon hearing this news, for some reason, the Tang Sect was the first thing that came to Zhu Ziyang's mind. This sudden change in the competition format, he feared, was specifically prepared for the Tang Sect, wasn't it?
While Old Song was informing the four of them, Zhu Ziyang, Xu Jianwei also walked in.
"What are your plans next? Are you preparing to return directly to the academy? Or continue traveling on the Continent and return to the academy when the competition approaches?" Old Song finally said, "Wu Ming and the others have already been sent back to the academy by me, and the Empress plan has already reached its third step. So only I and Old Zhu are left on the Yue Nan Islands."
"Old Song, Great-grand-aunt, Ziyang and I have already discussed this on our way back," Zhang Lexuan said. "I will stay and work with you to carry out the final step of the plan. Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, and Yi Yi will return to the academy to prepare for the Soul Master Competition."
"That's wonderful!" Xu Jianwei immediately showed a surprised expression upon hearing Zhang Lexuan's reply, saying, "Xuanxuan, in the year you've been gone, our Moon Lineage has made very thorough preparations. Not only have we taken control of the South Sea Fleet, but even the Imperial Moon Soul Engineer Legion has been moved to the southern front by Xu Qianxuan, very close to us. We control two-fifths of the Empire's army; all that's missing is a princess who can lead the army and ascend to the throne!"
"Great-grand-aunt, don't worry, I'm back!" Zhang Lexuan also showed a joyful expression upon hearing this, and replied.
"Alright then, it's decided!" Old Song said, "You all rest for a night, and tomorrow you'll each take action. The three of you, Ziyang, will immediately leave the Sun Moon Empire and return to the academy, while Old Zhu and I will stay to assist Le Xuan."
"Yes!" Zhu Ziyang had no objections and nodded in agreement.