Chapter 176 The Emperor's Handiwork, Fan Yu Heads to the Heavenly Soul Imperial City.
Inside the Imperial Study, the smoke from ambergris swirled in the air.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor slowly shifted his gaze from the simplified blueprint of "Red Dust Protection" and looked at Liu Yuan. The shock he had felt earlier had transformed into an almost tangible ambition.
"Liu Yuan, the more I think about your plan, the more perfect it seems."
Emperor Tianhun sat back on his dragon throne, his fingernails lightly tapping the table, producing a crisp sound. "However, do you have more specific details about how to accurately target these people's psychological defenses, or the diplomatic pressures that may be encountered during the defection process?"
Liu Yuan stood in the center of the hall, shaking his head with a calm expression: "Your Majesty, I am, after all, just a Soul Master. I usually study Martial Souls and combat techniques. As for how to use official titles and money to gauge people's hearts, and how to use the Empire's intelligence network to pick up people under the watchful eyes of various countries, I haven't thought too much about these specific administrative details."
He paused, the purple-gold light in his three pupils dimming slightly, and added calmly, "Everyone has their own expertise. These plans still require Your Majesty's personal judgment. This disciple is only responsible for providing the most crucial 'bait,' which is the core ninth-level information of Mingde Hall. As long as the 'bait' is tempting enough, the rest should not be difficult in the face of Your Majesty's methods."
Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Soul Emperor was not disappointed at all. Instead, he laughed heartily and said, "What a wonderful example of specialization! In that case, leave the rest to me. As long as those Soul Masters are still on the Douluo Continent, I have a way to find them one by one. With official titles, fiefdoms, gold, and the technical data you have that will drive them crazy, I don't believe I can't take them down."
The Emperor stood up and gestured to Du Busi and Liu Yuan, "Sect Leader Du, Liu Yuan, this matter is of utmost importance. To ensure the smooth running of the rendezvous and subsequent arrangements, I hope you two will stay in the capital for a while. Firstly, so that I can fulfill my duty as host, and secondly, in case of any unforeseen circumstances, we will need the authority of the Body Sect to maintain order."
Du Busi glanced at Liu Yuan, and seeing Liu Yuan nod slightly, he replied in a deep voice, "Since Your Majesty has extended such a warm invitation, then I will trouble you for a few days. It is also a good opportunity for me to see whether these fish will take the bait or not."
...
For the next two weeks, Liu Yuan and Du Busi were placed in Qingfeng Garden, the highest-ranking detached palace in the imperial city.
This place is not only used by the Heavenly Soul Royal Family to receive foreign heads of state, but also because it is backed by the spiritual veins of the imperial city, making the spiritual energy of heaven and earth extremely rich.
To show his sincerity, the emperor ordered that all his food, clothing, housing, and transportation be provided according to his standards.
During this period, Liu Yuan indeed lived a very comfortable life.
Emperor Tianhun specially arranged for Princess Vina to accompany him throughout the entire process.
At this moment, in the imperial garden, Vina, dressed in a light blue court dress, was gracefully pouring a cup of spiritual tea for Liu Yuan.
"Liu Yuan, have you been settling in well in the capital for the past two weeks?" Vina asked softly, her gaze fixed on Liu Yuan's deep, three-pronged eyes, filled with undisguised admiration. As a princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire, she knew all too well what the information Liu Yuan brought back meant for the empire.
Liu Yuan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and glanced at the magnificent palace complex in the distance. He replied casually, "The food, clothing, housing, and transportation are all top-notch, so I'm used to it. However, what I'm most looking forward to is the arrival of Vice Dean Fan Yu."
Vina sat opposite Liu Yuan and asked with some curiosity, "Why do you value him so much? Although he is an eighth-level Soul Master, there seem to be several well-established seniors on our defection list."
"Because he is different." Liu Yuan put down his teacup, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Fan Yu is not only the youngest and most likely genius to become a level nine Soul Master on the Douluo Continent, but he also represents the future of the Soul Guidance Department of Shrek Academy. He has been deeply involved in Shrek for many years, not only mastering all of Shrek's technical secrets, but also serving as the spiritual mentor of that generation of disciples."
Liu Yuan turned to look at Vina, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "If we can recruit him, Shrek Academy won't just lose an eighth-level Soul Master; the very foundation of their Soul Guidance System will be shaken. I imagine Yan Shaozhe and Xuanzi's expressions will be incredibly interesting when they learn that Fan Yu has 'defected' back to the Heavenly Soul Empire. This kind of damage is far greater than simply destroying a laboratory."
As Vina listened to Liu Yuan's analysis, a slight chill ran through her.
She discovered that the young man before her was not only ridiculously strong, but his strategy targeting the very foundation of the opposing forces was also chillingly precise.
...
Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy, thousands of miles away...
The night was deep, but the lights in the Soul Guidance System test area remained bright.
Fan Yu had just finished a full day of intense soul core carving. He rubbed his slightly sore brows and walked out of the laboratory.
Just as he was about to return to his dormitory to rest, the soul communication device in his arms suddenly began to vibrate violently.
Fan Yu answered the call with some confusion.
Within Shrek Academy, few people would contact him via this civilian frequency band, unless it was from his homeland in the Heavenly Soul Empire.
"Hello? Is this Fanyu?" A slightly aged and hurried voice came from the other end of the phone.
"I am. You are…Lord Li?" Fan Yu recognized the voice. It was a city lord from his hometown province, and an old acquaintance from when he was a viscount in the empire.
"Finally, we've made contact with you, Viscount Fanyu. His Majesty the Emperor summons you with extremely urgent and important business." The city lord's voice was low and unusually serious. "His Majesty has issued a top-level secret order, requiring you to immediately and secretly depart for the imperial city to report on your duties. This concerns the life and death of the Heavenly Soul Empire; there is no room for carelessness!"
Fan Yu frowned, and asked hesitantly, "His Majesty summons me? But I'm currently overseeing a crucial project at Shrek Academy..."
"Fan Yu! Don't forget, you are first and foremost a viscount of the Heavenly Soul Empire, and only then the vice-principal of Shrek Academy." The city lord's voice became solemn. "His Majesty said that if you don't go this time, the Heavenly Soul Empire's northern defense line may collapse soon. As the empire's most talented soul master, are you going to just stand by and watch your hometown elders be consumed by war?"
Upon hearing the words "life or death" and "northern border defense line," Fan Yu's patriotism was instantly ignited. Although he had been a member of Shrek Academy for many years, he had always considered himself a member of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
"I understand. I'll pack up right away and leave tonight."
Fan Yu hung up the phone and looked at the familiar scene in the test area. Although he was a little puzzled as to why the emperor was in such a hurry, he believed that as a subject of the empire, he had an inescapable responsibility in times of national crisis.
Without disturbing Xian Lin'er who was in seclusion, he simply left a note for the Soul Guidance Department office saying "returning home to handle urgent family matters," and then, with some of his research notes, left Shrek City overnight, speeding towards the Heavenly Soul Imperial City.
(End of chapter)