"It took over ten thousand years for our Star Luo ancestors to rise to the status of chess players in the game of fate. But to fall from player to pawn—it's only taken half a month."
Star Luo Imperial Capital
In the vast palace hall, a single white strand drooped from Xu Jiawei's temple. His expression was tinged with melancholy.
Once the hegemony of one of the Three Great Nations—stepping over Heaven Soul and punching Dou Spirit into submission—the Star Luo Empire had once been magnificent. But now, with the White Tiger Duke's rebellion and the Sun Moon Empire smashing through Ming Dou's defenses as if in a no-man's-land, the final veil of Star Luo's dignity had been ripped away.
Though he still sat on the imperial throne, the royal family's prestige had plummeted to nearly zero.
"Xu Cheng… truly the nemesis of my life." He gently tapped the armrest, gazing down at Xu Jiujing in silence.
"Jiujing, I abolished the old and reformed the system to cure the rot of the nobles. I pushed soul tools forward to give Star Luo hope for resurgence. What did I do wrong? Why would Heaven treat me like this?"
Only two people remained in the hall.
Morning court was over. The ministers had filed their routine reports half-heartedly and returned to their posts for a quick nap. But Xu Jiawei couldn't sleep.
How could anyone sleep when the legacy of the Xu family teetered on the brink?
"You've done your best…" Xu Jiujing sighed softly.
Her beautiful eyes looked up at her brother, still seated on the throne—visibly propping himself up by sheer will, though inwardly he was already hollowed and exhausted. While he had his flaws, his talent was undeniable—his vision, decisiveness… all beyond ordinary. But against that godlike man, it seemed defeat was inevitable.
"Enough, perhaps it's just Star Luo's fate. If the enemy returns, I will simply die on the battlefield." Xu Jiawei let out a long breath.
"That's why I must seize every opportunity now to salvage Star Luo. Coincidentally, there's a chamber of commerce offering investment opportunities. Even Shrek Academy has invested. We've still got over 500 million gold soul coins in liquidity, and if we sell some soul bones and rare treasures, we can raise more."
His tone grew slightly impassioned.
"If we can replenish the treasury and build our national strength—and resell those soul tools being smuggled into Star Luo territory—perhaps we'll gain enough time to develop!"
"The shame suffered by Star Luo must be repaid with the blood of the Sun Moon Empire!" he growled, his voice rising with fury.
"But…" Xu Jiujing opened her lips to speak but gently closed them again.
Facing Xu Jiawei's questioning gaze, she shook her head. "Whatever Brother decides."
Something about all this felt off to her, but she couldn't pinpoint what. Even the Dou Spirit royal family and Shrek Academy had gotten involved. If Star Luo didn't seize a share now, they might fall irreversibly behind.
Such opportunities, tied to the nation's fate, come only once.
Outside the Palace
Xu Jiujing, mask removed, strolled lightly along a wooded path toward the Star Luo Royal Academy. The sunshine fell on her flawless face, as if sculpted by the heavens.
To outsiders, she was always the princess—elegant, beautiful, composed. Rarely did anyone see this sprightly side of her.
At the Star Luo Royal Academy
Xu Jiujing scrutinized a newspaper.
Nowadays, she spent more time at the academy than the palace, training with her senior and junior sisters. It offered brief escape from Star Luo's political quagmire.
But since the academy was under royal jurisdiction, politics couldn't be entirely avoided.
Case in point: this evening edition.
Star Luo Royal Weekly – Latest Issue
"Citizens once blinded by Tang San's 'Sea God Savior' image are waking to disillusionment. Statues of the Sea God are being destroyed (see photos). Towns once devoted to him are now erecting 'Anti–Tang San Monuments,' inscribed with his crimes: slaughtering innocent soul beasts, persecuting allies, and more."
"Shrek Academy is split into the 'Tang Supporters' and 'Reckoners.' Just days ago, Inner Court teacher Wang Yan publicly accused Tang San of falsifying the school's history."
"The Spirit Hall has been re-evaluated as a 'pioneer of soul master welfare.' Bibi Dong's statue has replaced Tang San's as a pilgrimage site for poor soul masters—many even declare: 'I'd be Her Holiness's dog,' due to how lifelike the statue is…"
"Zhuge Divine Crossbow revealed to require sacrificing infant souls as core material. International boycott led to discontinuation of such Tang Sect weapons, precipitating its current decline…"
"Star Luo Royal Family exposes Tang San's secret support for Dai Mubai's coup, resulting in the slaughter of the former Crown Prince's line, sparking a Dai family civil war."
"The once 'Epic of Heroes' is now 'Tang San's Criminal History.' Tragic and pitiful. Star Luo Royal Weekly brings you frontline coverage."
Xu Jiujing's eye twitched.
She could still make sense of the first few claims… even those declaring they'd be the Pope's dog. But the rest? Outrageous.
Sacrificing infant souls for a crossbow?
Please. The Zhuge Divine Crossbow had gone through dozens of redesigns. It was practically mass-market now. Anyone doing even basic research would know this. Infant soul sacrifices? That's something evil soul masters would do—just a cheap stunt for attention.
Her fists clenched.
She wanted to storm the Weekly's editorial office and punch the editor square in the forehead. If they'd had even a couple side dishes while writing this garbage, maybe they wouldn't have been this drunk.
She had actually read this tabloid faithfully for years.Screw it. Unsubscribed.
But…
"Gather copies of all well-known papers from Shrek, Heaven Soul, and Dou Spirit—every edition from the last half-month."
At her soft command, a shadow behind a tree silently vanished.
Setting the newspaper down, her brows furrowed.
As a princess, her political instincts were sharper than most.
This Weekly wouldn't have dared publish such content without her brother's approval. Which meant Xu Jiawei had officially shifted from "reverent, nominal believer" to openly severing ties with Tang San.
For thousands of years, even as nations warred, all paid respect to Tang San. Be it myth or tool of propaganda, his legend served as a unifying belief. The annual "Epic of Heroes" performances were state events. Actors portraying Tang San were honored like royalty. Countless books praised him, to the point she was sick of hearing how he was "the sun that brought light to the Douluo Continent."
And in all that time—not a single negative report.
This wasn't just societal brainwashing—it was state censorship. Criticizing Tang San could get you jailed.
But now?
The "god" had fallen. Was her brother trying to forge a new sun? Himself?
Xu Jiujing pondered.
Soon, she received the papers she requested—"Shrek Evening News," "Dou Spirit Digest," "Heaven Soul Daily"—more than a dozen in all.
They had different formats, but she found one phrase repeated everywhere: "collapse of reputation."
Criticism across the board targeted Tang San.Whether due to mob mentality or genuine dissatisfaction, all blame was falling on him.
Some even speculated:
"Had Spirit Hall unified the continent, would the Sun Moon Empire have ever risen?"
It was as if the nations, failing in war, had found a scapegoat in Tang San—to soothe their angry people and disgruntled nobility.
This gave rise to a flood of "creative works"—titles like "The Tang San Conspiracy" and "What Was His Ten-Thousand-Year Plan?" flooded the media.
One report in Heaven Soul Daily caught her attention:A centenarian, snow-haired, Level 8 soul engineer, published a paper titled "On the Inevitability of Soul Tools Replacing Martial Souls."
It was buried in the torrent of current events—but it hit her hard.
Many of these reports subtly portrayed the Sun Moon Empire as powerful and mysterious. Though reviled by royal families, in the public eye it had become a mythic promised land.
Especially for Star Luo, who had been thoroughly beaten—It couldn't be that they were just weak, right?
No, by the logic of equilibrium—it must be that Sun Moon was just too strong.
Thus, a wave swept across the Three Nations:
"The Moon of the Sun Moon Empire really is rounder."
People yearned to join the Sun Moon Empire like fervent pilgrims—while sneering at their own outdated systems and lands.
Meanwhile, Xu Cheng had already arrived in the Heaven Soul Empire.
At dawn, the city of Heaven Soul stirred atop the green-backed ridges of the Heaven Soul Mountains.
Its hundred-zhang-high walls were forged from Stellar Steel, etched with the twin-headed Heaven Kite—glowing with silver-blue light beneath the sun. Each feather in the winged totem seemed steeped in history. The moat shimmered like a reversed Milky Way, cloaked in mist that hinted at the city's grandeur.
Xu Cheng had been here once—to save Tang Ya, a rushed visit.
But now, standing at the gates looking up, he felt true awe.
If Ming Dou resembled a cyberpunk city, then Heaven Soul was a venerable black tortoise—time-scarred and immovable.
"What bullsh*t—Zhuge Crossbow needing baby souls?! I'll kill whoever wrote that!!"
Having just snuck into the city, Tang Ya fumed.
She had gone out on Xu Cheng's orders to buy a paper, and now she was livid at the scandalous headlines.
"You can slander Tang San, fine—but don't drag my Tang Sect's weapons into it!Didn't you see the movie?! Tang San stole my Tang Sect techniques!!"
"Pointless…" Xu Cheng sipped his tea with a smirk.
Glancing at the paper, he saw endless conspiracy theories and blame on Tang San.
This world loved to idolize and destroy heroes. When praise piled up, backlash always followed.
Whether the conspiracies were true didn't matter. He just wanted Tang San dead.
From the looks of it, the original Three Nations were ready to dump all war failures onto Tang San's back…
He stroked his chin.
With Tang San's reputation trashed, scapegoating him would be easier.
He also noticed some familiar trends from his past life—pessimism toward soul master systems, obsession with the Sun Moon Empire, and some strong "certain country" vibes.
In just over half a month, Elder Jing would host the Sun Moon Empire Royal Academy Tournament, inviting many hidden families that had defected.
It would be the Sun Moon Empire's grand message to the world…
Was this a "mutual pursuit"?
Xu Cheng chuckled.
He used to find these people unbearable. Now he found them strangely likable.
"After all, few commoners can afford movies—recording crystals cost a gold soul coin just to watch. Most people rely on hearsay." Xu Cheng pulled Tang Ya close, not even glancing at the paper anymore.
When a nearby table mocked her, she nearly pulled out her Tang Sect weapons to teach them a lesson.
"Hmph!"
She sat, still fuming.
"Alright, alright, let's go visit your ancestors and drop by Shrek Academy to check on my buddy A-Xiao," Xu Cheng said, sipping tea.
Since Xiao Hongchen had gone off to Shrek Academy in a dramatic farewell, he hadn't returned—especially now that tensions were high and surveillance tight.
They were afraid he'd sneak back.
Xu Cheng had avoided visiting before because of Ayin's presence in the Golden Tree. Her awakening—even as a soul fragment—would've been trouble.
Fortunately, he'd recently signed a contract with the Silver Dragon King, gaining a summonable true god.
Even in a weakened state, Ayin could guarantee his safety.
As a brother, it was time to visit his little brother-in-law.No big deal.
He wondered how the kid would react when he found out Ah Meng had literally taken on his form and become part of the wedding dowry.
He'd probably be thrilled…
(End of Chapter)