Just as Blood Shadow was cleaning up the Dragon Valley evil soul master base, a communication from within the Holy Spirit Cult came through.
"Sir, Xingluo has already negotiated with the Douluo Federation delegation. Personnel are being mobilized. They will soon attack the Dawn Society's base."
Upon 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 withdraw."
The originally planned response to Xingluo and Douluo's "surround and annihilate" plan had included him. But now, something major had happened on the Dragon Valley side, and someone had to handle it.
Logically, he could not get away for the time being.
But since Dragon Valley itself was gone, there was no point in them guarding here empty handed. After arranging the follow-up, Blood Shadow decided to return immediately.
He wondered if that Holy Son was as powerful as the rumors said.
Thinking of the Holy Cult's plan, Blood Shadow Douluo showed a smile.
...
When Huo Yuhao returned to Xingluo City, the first person to seek him out was not one of his own, but Mo Yan, the Dawn Society member who had approached him before. It seemed he had been waiting for news of him.
Given that this man had provided information about Dragon Valley, Huo Yuhao agreed to the meeting.
The location Mo Yan chose for the meeting was a theater. This theater was a medium sized theater in the city, mainly performing Old Calendar plays, attracting many drama enthusiasts. The history of the Xingluo Empire was long, divided into two phases: the Old Calendar and the New Calendar.
The Old Calendar referred to the glorious years when the empire was on the Douluo Continent, a period full of legend and honor. The New Calendar began after the empire migrated to the present Xingluo Continent, opening a new chapter.
In this theater, audiences could relive the Xingluo Empire's "legendary experiences" on the Douluo Continent through one wonderful play after another, feeling that "magnificent" history.
Mo Yan sat in a box on the second floor of the theater, looking down at the play about to begin. "Do you know what today's play is?"
Today, when he came to see Huo Yuhao, he was no longer alone. Behind him followed several soul masters with reserved auras. Clearly, unlike the first time, this time he had come prepared, seemingly ready for the possibility of negotiations breaking down.
Huo Yuhao noted this but did not care much. His gaze merely lingered on a certain figure for a moment before shifting away.
The conjecture that the Dawn Society was a Black Glove had long been expected. That this person would come was not surprising.
"I heard it is a classic battle where the Xingluo Empire defeated the Sun Moon Empire."
"Yes. That was a battle where the Xingluo Empire, led by the White Tiger Duke, led a legion to break through the Sun Moon Empire's army. Although strictly speaking, it was not a major victory that could affect the entire war situation, for Xingluo, it was a battle Worth Writing About."
Mo Yan said, "After all, in the war against the Sun Moon Empire, Xingluo always lost more than it won. They needed a hero. However, the White Tiger Duke ultimately fell, and not even on the battlefield. If his descendant were not the current Speaker, this play probably could not have been performed."
"Mr. Mo seems Quite Knowledgeable about this period of history?"
"I am merely stating the facts. After all, the Xingluo Empire was always at a disadvantage during its time on the Douluo Continent."
Mo Yan chuckled lightly and changed the subject. "Let us not discuss this. Have you decided whether to cooperate with our Dawn Society?"
Huo Yuhao slowly shook his head, his tone flat. "I remember I said before that I am only a member of the delegation, not its representative. I have no authority to cooperate with you on behalf of the delegation."
"You flatter me. With your status, even cooperating in a personal capacity is fine." Mo Yan narrowed his eyes, speaking meaningfully. "The play before us is very popular in Xingluo. The Xingluo Federation's thoughts are already contained within it."
Using a play as a metaphor for the current situation in Xingluo?
Huo Yuhao naturally understood Mo Yan's implication. His gaze fell on him. "Are you trying to say that Xingluo has ambitions to defeat the Douluo Federation, or that this country needs a hero?"
Mo Yan's fingers lightly tapped the box's armrest. The light and shadow from the stage cast shadows on his face. "There will always be those who want to knock open the Douluo Federation's gates, to avenge the Xingluo Empire being driven off the Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago. That is unavoidable."
"As for the latter, although I very much want to deny it, I must admit that Xingluo truly needs a hero now, and that cannot be us."
When a country looks to a hero to save it, it often means that country is at its most dangerous moment.
Especially when the person playing that role has to be chosen from another country, it further shows their helplessness.
"A hero?"
Huo Yuhao chewed on this word, then suddenly chuckled lightly. He looked at one person behind Mo Yan and changed the subject. "Heroes need to be shaped. Ten thousand years ago, the Xingluo Emperor personally chose and made them. Does His Majesty Xu Chengzhi also intend to do it himself now?"
"Mr. Mo Yan as well. Previously, you were always quite critical of the Xingluo high ranking members cooperating with evil soul masters. I never expected that the person you serve is actually the Xingluo Emperor. Truly unexpected."
The pupils of Mo Yan and the people he brought with him contracted sharply. One of the figures showed surprise, but quickly smiled and had the soul master beside him remove his disguise.
Seeing this, Mo Yan put away his shock, stood respectfully up, and swapped places with him.
And this figure who removed his disguise was the Emperor of the Xingluo Federation, Xu Chengzhi.
"I wonder how you saw through my disguise, Lord Huo Yuhao. I believe I did not expose myself in any details."
Huo Yuhao shook his head slightly. "It is simply because I have a sufficient understanding of the Imitation spirit ability."
Xu Chengzhi showed a look of realization.
He had been careless. Having a spiritual soul master use Imitation to conceal his whereabouts, but forgetting that Imitation was Notorious in the Douluo Federation precisely because of the Spirit Transmission Tower.
This was an interesting tidbit that the Dai family's daughter had brought back from the Douluo Federation. He did not know which Spirit Transmission Tower Tower Master had started it, but in any case, Imitation was very popular in the Spirit Transmission Tower. Many spiritual attribute soul masters chose iceworms as their first spirit souls.
After all, the spirit abilities of century spirit souls were rarely useful in the later stages, even after spirit elevation. Imitation, however, was good. In their Xingluo, iceworms that could provide this spirit ability were also very valuable spirit souls.
However, for the sake of its own image, the Spirit Transmission Tower refused to admit this and shifted the Blame to the Body Sect, saying that the Body Sect was the earliest sect to discover the Imitation spirit ability, and they were just Learning Humbly. Who knew if it was true?
But since even the Spirit Transmission Tower heir was so familiar with Imitation and even had such a spirit ability on him, it was probably false.
Thinking this, Xu Chengzhi no longer had any doubts. He turned to serious matters. He only smiled bitterly and said, "I am very sorry to meet with you privately in this identity. But this is the current situation in Xingluo. Even I am not very free."
"Now, I would like to formally propose cooperation with you in the capacity of the Dawn Society's leader. Please, in light of the smooth Dragon Valley trip, grant us a little trust."
***
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