UNRIVALED TANG SECT : Sharing Life With Firefly (Doulou 2)

Liuxing and Liuying were led into a car by Fire Phoenix Douluo. As one of the protectors of the Sun and Moon Empire and the head of the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion, Fire Phoenix Douluo's car was no ordinary soul guide vehicle.

In terms of defense alone, this soul guide vehicle was comparable to an eighth-level defensive soul guide. Moreover, it was equipped with multiple offensive and detection-type soul guides, making its overall cost equivalent to that of a ninth-level soul guide.

Only a wealthy individual like Fire Phoenix Douluo, who was herself a ninth-level soul Engineer, or a high-ranking official of the Sun and Moon Empire could afford to build such a luxurious and powerful vehicle.

This soul guide vehicle was one of Fire Phoenix Douluo's proudest creations. The spacious interior easily accommodated four people.

As Liuxing stepped onto the fiery red carpet, he immediately recognized it as the fur of a rare soul beast. Looking around, he couldn't help but be amazed by the craftsmanship of the vehicle.

The Sun and Moon Empire's soul guide technology was essentially a modified version of the magical technology from his original world.

Although the presence of soul power as an energy source made it unique, in some areas, soul guides even surpassed the convenience of technological advancements from his previous world.

For example, the soul guide vehicle he was currently riding in was an all-terrain model, capable of traversing even the harshest landscapes, including mountainous regions.

Built from rare and high-quality soul guide materials, it was vastly superior to the fragile vehicles of his past life, which could easily break down under rough conditions.

Additionally, since the vehicle ran on soul power, it was both safe and convenient.

When the energy ran low, all one had to do was replace the energy core, a task that could be completed in mere minutes by any competent soul master.

•••••

The heart of Mingdu was especially lively today, a stark contrast to its usual cold and orderly atmosphere. This was because it was the annual awakening day—a time when all children in the capital who had reached the age of six would undergo their martial soul awakening.

Mingdu housed five large Awakening Halls, positioned in the city's center as well as in its four cardinal directions. In addition to these major halls, dozens of smaller Awakening Halls were available, offering free awakening ceremonies for the civilian population.

The large Awakening Halls, however, were reserved for the children of high-ranking officials and nobles.

The royal family of the Sun and Moon Empire organized these ceremonies not only to provide free martial soul awakenings to civilians but also to gather information on the city's new generation of talents. As rulers, it was essential for them to monitor the potential of the officials' descendants.

Allowing martial souls to be awakened privately would mean the risk of overlooking talented civilians.

The Sun and Moon Empire was known for providing the best treatment for its people among all the nations on the Douluo Continent, and it was the only empire that offered free martial soul awakenings to its civilians.

As a result, talented individuals from humble backgrounds frequently emerged within the empire.

Fire Phoenix Douluo and Ice Phoenix Douluo, for example, were originally commoners.

After awakening their martial souls, they received the empire's support, studied at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, and even entered the prestigious Illustrious Virtue Hall. Thanks to these opportunities, they became the powerful figures they were today.

Because of this, even though Luan Yu preferred to avoid the Sun and Moon Empire's internal affairs, she still felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the empire.

When the Sun and Moon Empire was in danger, she would stand by its side without hesitation.

Furthermore, the Sun and Moon Empire was at the forefront of high-level soul guide research. Whenever she was invited to contribute, she would offer her expertise and make significant contributions.

Many of the Sun and Moon Empire's research projects required the collaboration of multiple ninth-level soul Engineers.

No single individual, no matter how skilled, could advance these projects alone.

Because of her contributions, the royal family often turned a blind eye to Luan Yu's detached stance toward political matters.

After all, she was still helping the empire in her own way, especially as the sister of Fire Phoenix Douluo.

At the Awakening Palace in the central district of Mingdu, crowds had already begun to gather.

Parents and guardians led their children into long lines, their faces filled with nervous anticipation.

Those who could awaken their martial souls in this grand Awakening Hall were either wealthy or of noble status.

However, because a Titled Douluo personally oversaw the awakening here, even members of the royal family had to wait in line as a sign of respect.

While the other four large Awakening Halls, in the southeast, south, northwest, and northeast districts, were also important, they were only presided over by Soul Douluo-level soul masters.

As for the smaller Awakening Halls scattered throughout the city, they were overseen by Soul Saints or even Soul Emperors.

Among the crowd, a young girl with short, beautiful purple hair gazed up at her older brother, her big, bright eyes filled with both excitement and nervousness. Holding his hand tightly, she asked in a soft voice,

"Brother, what do you think my martial soul will be?"

Her brother, a tall and handsome young man with long purple hair, looked down at her with a reassuring smile. His fair skin and elegant features made him stand out even among the noble families present.

"I can't say for sure," he replied gently. "It all depends on luck. But our family's martial souls are all excellent. No matter which one you awaken, it will be something to be proud of."

Though he spoke with confidence, he knew that martial soul inheritance was not always predictable.

Their family had experienced cases of martial soul mutation before, and not every sibling awakened the same powerful spirits their lineage was known for. Still, he hoped that his little sister would inherit one of their family's top-tier martial souls.

However, as long as his sister awakened one of their family's top martial souls, her innate soul power would not be low. Even if she failed to awaken any soul power, he would still make sure she was happy and never let her suffer because she couldn't become a soul master.

The purple-haired young man silently made up his mind. He gently patted his sister's head and smiled.

"No matter what kind of martial soul you awaken, you will always be my sister, the little princess of our family."

Little girl's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I hope I can awaken the same martial soul as you, brother!"

She was filled with anticipation, eagerly awaiting her turn for the martial soul awakening.

Time passed, and as the sunlight grew more intense, the purple-haired young man suddenly spotted Luan Feng and Luan Yu arriving with Liuxing and Liuying. His eyes lit up with surprise, and he quickly led his sister toward them.

"Under Lady Fire Phoenix, Lady Ice Phoenix, are you also bringing juniors to awaken their martial souls?"

His gaze lingered on Liuxing and Liuying with curiosity.

As far as he knew, neither Fire Phoenix Douluo nor Ice Phoenix Douluo had ever married, and because they were from civilian backgrounds, they had no known family descendants. Why, then, had they brought two children to the Awakening Hall today?

Fire Phoenix Douluo turned toward the purple-haired young man and also looked at him with some confusion.

"Ah, Your Highness! Are you here to have the princess awaken her martial soul?"

Her tone carried a hint of surprise. As a child of the royal family, the purple-haired young man, and by extension, the little princess at his side, should have had no need to come to a public Awakening Hall.

The royal family had dedicated awakening masters who provided private ceremonies for noble children.

However, after a brief moment of thought, she understood.

His father, was a high-ranking military commander who wielded significant influence over the empire's army, likely wished to make a statement by having his children undergo the standard awakening process.

Fire Phoenix Douluo and Ice Phoenix Douluo had similar reasons for bringing Liuxing and Liuying to the Awakening Hall.

Although they could personally conduct the awakening, doing so privately might raise suspicions within the royal family.

After all, while private awakenings were not illegal in the Sun and Moon Empire, those in positions of power who chose to awaken their juniors in secrecy could be accused of hiding martial souls or innate soul power.

This could attract scrutiny from the royal family, which was not a risk worth taking.

Both Xu Tianran and his sister had chosen to awaken their martial souls in the Awakening Palace to publicly demonstrate their family's loyalty to the Sun and Moon Empire's emperor.

By doing so, they made a clear statement that their father, the prince, harbored no rebellious intentions.

Whether this display would actually influence the emperor's opinion was uncertain, but taking action was necessary nonetheless.

Realizing this, Fire Phoenix Douluo quickly pulled Liuxing and Liuying closer before introducing them.

"These two little ones are the children my sister adopted. I brought them here to awaken their martial souls."

Then, she turned to the children and said, "Liuxing, Liuying, this is the Prince and Princess, Their Royal Highnesses."

Liuxing and Liuying had been living on the Douluo Continent for two years. Although they didn't particularly care for noble customs, they understood the importance of maintaining proper etiquette to avoid bringing trouble to Aunt Feng and Aunt Yu. With a slight bow, they greeted the royal siblings politely.

"Your Highness, the Prince. Your Highness, the Princess."

The purple-haired young man smiled gently and said, "My name is Xu Tianran. You can just call me Brother Tianran."

However, Fire Phoenix Douluo's expression darkened. Her voice turned stern.

"Your Highness, the proper ceremonies must not be neglected."

Xu Tianran, still smiling, chuckled. "No need for such formality, Fire Phoenix Douluo. These two little ones seem kind, and they're the same age as my sister. It would be good for them to interact more in the future."

Liuxing's eyes narrowed slightly. Aunt Feng clearly didn't want them to have too much contact with Xu Tianran. A prince and a princess , this meant Xu Tianran was the nephew of the current emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire.

Royal families rarely had genuine familial affection. Even if they did, it was often fragile and fleeting. No wonder Aunt Feng was wary. If she became too close to Xu Tianran, it would undoubtedly arouse the emperor's suspicion.