Currently, throughout the Sun Moon Empire, it was common knowledge that the Emperor was gravely ill and his days were numbered. The responsibilities of overseeing and governing the state had long been handed over to Crown Prince Xu Tianran and the Pillar of the State, Kong Deming.
Barring any unforeseen accidents, the next Emperor would most likely be Xu Tianran, and the transfer of power would occur without much turbulence.
However, one can never be too sure—especially now, as the Sun Moon Empire was in a critical phase of accumulating strength in preparation for war.
Under such circumstances, if any issues arose or the power transition faltered, causing the three nations of the Douluo Continent to become vigilant, it would undoubtedly increase the cost of the future war.
Therefore, His Majesty the Emperor needed to step forward and present an image of relative health to stabilize the hearts of the people.
Dressed in a deep blue formal suit, Huo Yuhao had his hands pulled by Meng Hongchen and Xu Tianzhen on either side. Under the startled gazes of the civil and military officials, he was led into the main banquet hall.
Looking up, Huo Yuhao glanced toward the high platform.
There sat a middle-aged man in dragon robes. His complexion was ruddy, his expression kind, and while he showed slight signs of aging, he sat upon the magnificent dragon throne with an aura of absolute majesty.
The current Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.
This wasn't the first time Huo Yuhao had seen the Emperor. Last time, his teacher had brought him to the palace, and the Emperor had generously granted him the title of Earl with a simple wave of his hand—he was nothing if not bold.
However...
His Majesty's physical frame truly didn't have many years left.
Sensing the life force beneath that healthy, glowing facade—which could only be compared to that of a small child—Huo Yuhao reached his conclusion.
Bowing, Huo Yuhao spoke: "Your Majesty."
"Oh, it's Yuhao. You're late. Quickly, take your seat; the banquet is about to begin."
His tone was gentle, like an elder chatting with a junior. Though he didn't say much, it clearly showed the high regard he held for Huo Yuhao.
The two girls beside him also offered their greetings. Meng Hongchen's tone was respectful, while Xu Tianzhen's was respectful yet playful. Naturally, the Emperor only smiled indulgently at his favorite daughter's antics, clearly enjoying them.
Leading Meng Hongchen and the seat-snatching Xu Tianzhen, Huo Yuhao sat down next to Jing Hongchen.
With two girls of different styles sitting to his left and right, paired with Huo Yuhao's excessively handsome appearance, the trio became the most eye-catching scenery in the banquet hall.
Ignoring the surrounding gazes, Huo Yuhao calmly conversed with Jing Hongchen about trivial matters and some soul tool technicalities.
After a while, on the high platform, His Majesty the Emperor suddenly picked up a wine cup and stood up from the dragon throne.
Instantly, the chatter in the hall died down, and all eyes converged on the platform.
The Emperor smiled, raised his cup, and began: "I—"
"Apologies for the interruption, everyone."
The Emperor's words were cut short by this sudden voice. Before he could react, Kong Deming, standing beside him, lunged forward with a thunderous shout:
"Protect the Emperor!"
In an instant, every Rank 9 Soul Tool Engineer present drew their weapons, aiming them at the three figures who had suddenly appeared.
These three figures made no attempt to hide their presence—and the aura of each one was comparable to a Limit Douluo!
A terrifying pressure swept through the entire hall. The sheer weight of the aura easily knocked unconscious the civil officials who possessed little strength. Even the many powerful Titled Douluos present couldn't help but feel their hands tremble when facing three Limit Douluos.
"Who are you three? What business do you have in our Sun Moon Empire?"
Even facing three Limit Douluos, Kong Deming showed not a shred of fear. His eyes were locked onto the trio, ready to fight to the death at a moment's notice.
"Don't be nervous, Old Mister Kong. The three of us are only here because we wish to strike a deal with the Sun Moon Empire."
The figure in the lead walked forward slowly, speaking in a flippant tone.
"A deal?" Kong Deming frowned, his heart filled with suspicion.
Three Limit Douluos show up at the door, and you tell me this is a 'deal' and not a coup?!
"I know words are cheap. So, Old Mister Kong, please take a look at this."
The figure pulled a bright silver object from a storage soul tool ring and tossed it directly toward Kong Deming.
Ye Yulin, wearing his Spirit-Refined Battle Armor, lunged to intercept the unknown silver object. However, the moment it touched his hand, Ye Yulin realized something was wrong and froze instantly.
After a moment of hesitation, Ye Yulin brought the object to Kong Deming and handed it over.
The moment he touched it, Ko
ng Deming's expression changed.
As a top-tier soul tool engineer, identifying metals was the most basic of skills, yet the metal in his hand was entirely different.
Is this Essence Silver that has been sublimated into Spiritual Metal? No... both the toughness and strength of this metal are several times higher than normal metal! It's practically a sublimated version of Spirit-Refined Essence Silver!
Just by feeling its properties through a probe of soul power, countless designs for soul tools based on this metal naturally flooded Kong Deming's mind!
"What is this?"
Kong Deming's expression shifted slightly. While remaining on guard, he used a voice transmission to relay the metal's properties and condition to the Emperor.
The leading figure smiled faintly:
"This material is called Spirit-Forged metal. It is obtained by hammering metal through a specialized forging method. I wonder, is this sufficient to trade with the Sun Moon Empire?"
At this moment, the entire hall fell silent.
Three Limit Douluos showing up was a display of their strength and foundation—the "stick." Tossing out a piece of Spirit-Forged metal was the "carrot."
It was an old tactic, but a highly effective one.
Kong Deming's expression was grave as he turned to look at the Emperor.
After a long silence, the Emperor walked calmly to the front of Kong Deming. He looked down at the assembled officials and said in a heavy voice:
"Clear the hall."
At that moment, his voice was carried outside the hall via soul power. Palace guards, receiving the order, entered and began escorting the invited guests out.
"Yuhao, take Meng, Xiao... and the Princess, and leave first."
Jing Hongchen, who already held the Hongchen's Blessing in his hand, spoke to Huo Yuhao behind him.
Huo Yuhao nodded without hesitation. Grabbing Meng Hongchen's hand with one hand, he called out to Xu Tianzhen and Xiao Hongchen to make their escape.
Before long, under the protection of the palace guards, they exited the main banquet hall.
Only then did the group breathe a sigh of relief.
"Those three just now were at least at the Super Douluo level; otherwise, Grandpa wouldn't have looked like that."
Xiao Hongchen's face showed a trace of worry. Having been raised by Jing Hongchen, how could he not care for his grandfather?
"Relax, Xiao. Teacher will be fine."
After all, those three were sent by Huo Yuhao. How could Huo Yuhao not know if they were going to be okay?