NOVEL WEB Chapter 236: Meeting Xu Chengzhi
Just as Blood Shadow was tidying up the Dragon Valley's Evil Soul Master base, a communication from within the Holy Spirit Sect came through.
"Sir, Star Luo has already negotiated with the Douluo Federation delegation. They are currently mobilizing personnel and will soon attack the Dawn Society's base."
Hearing his subordinate's report, Blood Shadow frowned slightly and waved his hand, "I understand. I will handle the matters here as soon as possible. You may leave."
Originally, he was supposed to be part of the plan to deal with the "encirclement and suppression" by Star Luo and Douluo. However, with the major incident at Dragon Valley, someone had to stay and manage the situation.
Logically, he couldn't leave anytime soon.
But since Dragon Valley itself was no more, there was no point in staying here idly. After arranging the follow-up, Blood Shadow decided to return immediately.
'I wonder if that Holy Son is as powerful as the rumors say...'
Thinking of the Holy Sect's plan, Blood Shadow Douluo revealed a faint smile.
...
When Huo Yuhao returned to Star Luo City, the first person to approach him wasn't one of his own, but Mo Yan, a member of the Dawn Society who had sought him out before.
It seemed the other party had been waiting for his news.
Given that this person had provided information about Dragon Valley, Huo Yuhao agreed to the meeting.
Mo Yan chose a theater as the meeting place.
This theater was a medium-sized one in the city, primarily staging plays from the old calendar, attracting many drama enthusiasts. The history of the Star Luo Empire was long, divided into the old and new calendar periods.
The old calendar referred to the glorious era of the empire on the Douluo Continent, a period filled with legends and glory; the new calendar began after the empire migrated to the current Star Luo Continent, opening a new chapter.
In this theater, audiences could relive the "legendary experiences" of the Star Luo Empire on the Douluo Continent through the scenes of the plays, experiencing that "grand and magnificent" history.
Mo Yan sat in the box on the second floor of the theater, watching the play about to begin, "Do you know what today's play is?"
Today, he wasn't alone when meeting Huo Yuhao. Several Soul Masters with restrained auras followed him, clearly prepared for the meeting, ready for the possibility of the negotiation breaking down.
Huo Yuhao noticed this but didn't pay much attention, only pausing briefly on a certain figure before shifting his gaze.
The Dawn Society being a black glove was expected, so it wasn't surprising that this person would come.
"I heard it's a classic battle where the Star Luo Empire defeated the Sun Moon Empire."
"Correct, it was a battle led by the White Tiger Duke, who led the army to defeat the Sun Moon Empire's forces. Although strictly speaking, it wasn't a major victory that could influence the entire war, for Star Luo, it was a battle worth boasting about."
Mo Yan said, "After all, in the war against the Sun Moon Empire, Star Luo lost more than it won. They needed a hero. However, the White Tiger Duke eventually fell, and not even on the battlefield... If it weren't for his descendant being the current Speaker, this play probably wouldn't have been made."
"Mr. Mo seems to have done quite a bit of research on this history?"
"Just stating the facts. After all, during the Douluo Continent period, the Star Luo Empire was always at a disadvantage."
Mo Yan chuckled and changed the topic, "Let's not talk about this. Have you thought about whether to cooperate with our Dawn Society?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head slowly, his tone calm, "I remember I said before, I am only a member of the delegation, not the representative. I have no authority to represent the delegation in cooperating with you."
"You're joking. With your status, even cooperating in a personal capacity would be possible." Mo Yan narrowed his eyes, hinting, "The current play is very popular in Star Luo. The thoughts of the Star Luo Federation are already embedded in it."
Using the play to metaphorize the current state of Star Luo?
Huo Yuhao naturally understood Mo Yan's hint, his gaze falling on him, "Are you saying Star Luo wants to defeat the Douluo Federation, or that... this country needs a hero?"
Mo Yan's fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the box, the stage lights casting shadows on his face, "There will always be those unwilling to accept it, wanting to break open the gates of the Douluo Federation, avenging the Star Luo Empire's expulsion from the Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago. This is inevitable."
"As for the latter, although I would like to deny it, I must admit that Star Luo indeed needs a hero now, and that... cannot be us."
When a country relies on a hero to save itself, it often indicates that the country is in its most dangerous moment.
Especially when the person playing this role needs to be chosen from another country, it further illustrates their desperation.
"A hero?"
Huo Yuhao pondered the word, then suddenly chuckled, looking at one person behind Mo Yan, changing the topic, "Heroes need to be shaped. Ten thousand years ago, it was the Star Luo Emperor who personally chose and acted. Is Emperor Xu Chengzhi planning to do the same now?"
"Mr. Mo Yan, you have always been critical of the Star Luo high-ranking officials cooperating with Evil Soul Masters. I didn't expect the person you serve to be the Star Luo Emperor. Truly unexpected."
Mo Yan and his companions' pupils contracted.
One of them showed surprise but quickly smiled, signaling the Soul Master beside him to remove the disguise.
Seeing this, Mo Yan suppressed his shock, stood up respectfully, and exchanged positions with him.
The person who removed the disguise was none other than the Emperor of the Star Luo Federation, Xu Chengzhi!
"I wonder how Huo Yuhao saw through the disguise. I thought I didn't expose any details."
Huo Yuhao shook his head slightly, "Simply because I have a good understanding of the Simulation Soul Skill."
Xu Chengzhi showed a look of realization.
He had been careless, using a Spiritual Soul Master's Simulation to conceal his whereabouts but forgetting that the Simulation Soul Skill's notorious reputation in the Douluo Federation was related to the Spirit Pagoda.
This was a piece of gossip brought back by the daughter of the Dai family from the Douluo Federation—
It's unclear which Spirit Pagoda Master started it, but the Simulation Soul Skill was very popular in the Spirit Pagoda, with many Spiritual Attribute Soul Masters choosing the Ice Silkworm as their first Soul Spirit.
After all, Soul Skills from century-old Soul Spirits were rarely useful in the later stages, even after upgrading, but Simulation was obviously an exception. In Star Luo, Ice Silkworms that provided this Soul Skill were also highly valuable Soul Spirits.
However, for the sake of their image, the Spirit Pagoda denied this and shifted the blame to the Body Sect, claiming that the Body Sect was the first to discover the Simulation Soul Skill, and they were just humbly learning... Whether it's true or not is unclear.
But even the Spirit Pagoda's inheritor knows Simulation so well, and even has such a Soul Skill. It's probably false...
Thinking this, Xu Chengzhi stopped doubting and turned to the main topic, saying with a bitter smile, "I apologize for meeting you privately in this manner, but the current situation in Star Luo is such that even I am not very free."
"Now, I want to formally propose cooperation to you in the name of the Dawn Society's leader. Please, based on the smooth progress of the Dragon Valley trip, show us a bit of trust."