Chapter 417: The Origins of the Netherwhite Tiger (Part One)

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament had reached its final stages, and the competition had turned white-hot. Those who remained were without question the strongest young Soul Masters of their generation.

The Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, in particular, had shown everyone just how far a Soul Master's potential could truly reach.

Of course, this was assuming no one knew the real ages of the entire Shrek Seven Devils.

After dinner, the students of Shrek Academy returned to their respective rooms to rest.

Spirit Hall had arranged the accommodations very well. Each person had a single room to themselves. Tomorrow's opponent would be decided by a draw before the match. But no matter who they faced, maintaining peak condition was never a mistake.

Tang San was just about to begin meditating when someone knocked on his door.

"Who is it?" he asked with some surprise. Everyone had just returned to their rooms—so who could it be? Xiao Wu, perhaps?

"Me." A low voice gave Tang San his answer.

Opening the door, Tang San looked at Dai Mubai, whose complexion was still somewhat pale. "Mubai, shouldn't you be resting and recovering your Soul Power? Why are you here?"

Dai Mubai let out a soft sigh. "I wanted to talk with you."

"Come in." Tang San stepped aside and let Dai Mubai into his room.

Walking inside, Dai Mubai settled onto the sofa by the wall. His expression had calmed considerably by now. When Tang San closed the door behind him, Dai Mubai sighed and said, "Xiao San, thank you."

Tang San smiled faintly. "If you're going to thank anyone, you should thank everyone. It was the combined efforts of us all that won this match. Besides, between brothers, is there really any need for the word 'thank you'?"

Dai Mubai leaned back against the sofa with a look of relief, smiling. "Xiao San, you've probably already guessed something, haven't you?"

Tang San's smile remained. "What do you think, Your Highness? Apart from a royal family, I truly cannot think of any clan whose internal competition could be this fierce—even to the point of brothers trying to destroy each other. The clan inheritance you spoke of should be the throne, shouldn't it?"

Dai Mubai sighed. "Were you testing me? There's nothing to hide between us brothers. That's right—I am the third prince of the Xing Luo Empire. Dai Weisi, whom we defeated today, is my eldest brother. His strength, talent, and age have all made him the first-in-line heir. Actually, what Zhu Zhuqing said today was a bit exaggerated. If I lost the competition, I might not necessarily be killed, but my Soul Power would certainly be crippled, and I'd be exiled to some remote border region to live out my days in confinement."

Tang San frowned slightly. "How is that any different from death? Is the royal family truly that cruel?"

A cold smile touched Dai Mubai's lips. "You're not from a royal family, so you don't understand how complicated it is. Of the two great empires on the continent, do you know how they compare in strength?"

Tang San shook his head blankly. Political matters were something he had never concerned himself with.

Dai Mubai said with a cold laugh, "If Spirit Hall hadn't been stirring up trouble in the middle, perhaps this whole world would already be ours. In terms of national strength and military power, our Xing Luo Empire far surpasses the Tian Dou Empire. Although we do have several kingdoms within our borders, our imperial authority is nothing like the scattered royal power of the Tian Dou Empire. And that comes directly from this special system of competition within our royal family. Though this method is cruel, every generation of emperors who have risen through it have been outstanding. Not something the Tian Dou Empire can compare to. The Tian Dou Empire's only advantage is that the headquarters of the Three Great Clans are located within its borders. Among the Three Great Clans, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family and your Clear Sky School never involve themselves in political struggles, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has always supported the Tian Dou Empire. And between the two great empires, Spirit Hall stands in the way. Otherwise, war might have broken out long ago. Only in recent years has the Tian Dou Empire's development accelerated somewhat. Meanwhile, our Xing Luo Empire has run into some internal problems. The balance of power between the two great empires has started shifting back toward equilibrium."

Tang San said, "That must be exactly what Spirit Hall wants to see."

Dai Mubai's lip curled. "Of course. For an existence like Spirit Hall, keeping the two great empires balanced is what benefits them most. The number of Soul Masters that Spirit Hall commands is truly terrifying. The two great empires combined don't have as many. But if the two great empires merged into one unified, powerful empire, Spirit Hall wouldn't ultimately be able to survive. After all, no centralized imperial power would allow such an organization to exist."

Tang San said with some surprise, "Even if the two great empires united, would they really be able to deal with Spirit Hall? Don't they have a massive number of Soul Masters? On a battlefield, a Soul Master force with overwhelming numbers should be able to directly determine the outcome of a war."