At the ball, glasses clinked and conversations flowed, but Ye Wen only lightly sipped his drink as a gesture of acknowledgment.
Even so, the nobles who approached him were visibly flattered.
This was the core rule of the Douluo Continent—strength reigned supreme.
In truth, Ye Wen was merely going through the motions with mechanical indifference. The gap between their levels was simply too vast. If it weren't for his desire to play the long-term "game" of nurturing Huo Yu'er, Ye Wen wouldn't have wasted his time here.
Suddenly, a figure caught Ye Wen's attention.
It was a delicate-looking young girl with long, pale golden hair.
It wasn't her beauty that drew Ye Wen's gaze, but the fact that she was a rare twin martial soul soul master.
Hmm…
Using the word "rare" to describe her might not even be accurate, given that Ye Wen already had two twin martial soul disciples under him.
Ye Wen didn't believe that this era lacked special methods to artificially cultivate twin martial souls. Otherwise, why were there more twin martial soul users now than in Tang San's time?
When the girl approached, the Tianhun Emperor's eyes lit up. He hurriedly brought her before Ye Wen and enthusiastically introduced her.
"Lord Tian Xing, this is my daughter, Wei Na. Once your academy is established, I hope you'll guide her cultivation."
Wei Na was about the same age as Huo Yu'er—twelve or thirteen—but thanks to her elite education, she showed no signs of nervousness despite Ye Wen being a Supreme Douluo. She respectfully stepped forward, lifting the edges of her dress with slender hands and bowing gracefully.
"Greetings, Lord Tian Xing."
"Mm." Ye Wen gave a slight nod in response.
But then, Ye Wen suddenly paused, as if struck by a thought. He studied Wei Na intently for a moment.
Though Wei Na had been impeccably poised since her appearance, even she couldn't help but blush slightly under Ye Wen's charismatic gaze.
After all, some kinds of charm transcended age groups, and Wei Na was at the tender age of youthful infatuation.
The Tianhun Emperor also noticed the subtle shift in the atmosphere. Though eager to win Ye Wen over, he refrained from speaking carelessly, fearing he might offend Ye Wen.
After all, the human heart was difficult to read.
Still, the Tianhun Emperor had prepared for the worst-case scenario: what if Ye Wen turned out to be a lustful fiend? He was well aware of his daughter's worth.
But if offering his daughter could secure the full support of a Supreme Douluo like Ye Wen, the Tianhun Emperor would agree without hesitation. Now, it was just a matter of gauging Ye Wen's intentions.
"Your Majesty…"
Amidst the Emperor's hopeful gaze, Ye Wen finally spoke.
"May I ask if Princess Wei Na already has a teacher?"
Though it wasn't the answer the Emperor had most hoped for, he still picked up on the underlying meaning in Ye Wen's words and quickly responded.
"To be honest, my daughter possesses extraordinary talent, so I haven't rushed to find her a teacher. Might I ask what you mean by this?"
"A twin martial soul user indeed qualifies to become my disciple. The question is, what does Your Majesty think?" Ye Wen said calmly.
Since the Emperor had already used his wife to secure the Body Sect as the guardian sect of the Tianhun Empire, it was only logical that he could use his daughter to bind Ye Wen to their cause. Moreover, having her become Ye Wen's student was a risk-free deal. The Tianhun Emperor nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Though Wei Na had been thrust into this arrangement without her consent, she didn't feel particularly disheartened. From a young age, she had understood her duties as a member of the royal family.
Besides, this teacher was incredibly handsome~
The apprenticeship ceremony took place during the ball itself. Ye Wen's reasoning was simple: he didn't want the royal family to make a grand spectacle of it later, which might cause unnecessary complications. It was better to resolve everything swiftly in this public setting.
While the other nobles were still scheming ways to curry favor with the Supreme Douluo, their Emperor had already played his trump card, leaving them in awe of his decisiveness.
As for the other nobles, they were mere extras. Ye Wen then proposed to the Tianhun Emperor that the empire assist in establishing the Tian Xing Advanced Soul Master Academy.
The Tianhun Emperor naturally agreed. This would further strengthen the bond between them.
However, a disagreement arose between the Emperor and Ye Wen.
"Does Your Excellency mean to enroll not only nobles from within the Tianhun Empire but also commoners and geniuses from other nations on equal terms? But… but there are so few true talents among commoners. Why not focus solely on cultivating prodigies?"
Ye Wen nodded calmly, though inwardly he looked down on the Tianhun Emperor. On the surface, he appeared to be a competent ruler, but he clearly lacked clarity on critical matters.
No, it was no surprise—this was an empire born from the splintering of the Tian Dou Empire, its royal family firmly controlled by the nobility.
"Your Majesty, I understand your ambitions, but my goal is simply to teach and nurture students.
Moreover, I'm sure you've been troubled by the fact that all your available talent consists of nobles. This is an excellent opportunity for you."
The Tianhun Emperor fell silent for a moment. He immediately grasped Ye Wen's meaning and couldn't help but feel moved—and even a little ashamed of his earlier instinctive rebuttal.
In the end, the Emperor accepted Ye Wen's proposal. However, he still hesitated before asking one final question.
"Your Excellency, once the students graduate from the academy, can you guarantee that they will remain loyal to the Tianhun Empire? Otherwise, aren't we essentially cultivating enemies for our own empire?"
At this moment, Ye Wen inwardly cursed the Tianhun Emperor as a fool. He now fully understood the man—he was someone who excelled at superficial gestures and possessed a bit of cunning, but his actual political acumen was abysmal.
In the end, Ye Wen left him with these words:
"Your Majesty, what I am establishing is neither a nation nor a sect—it is merely an academy. The question of whether students remain or leave shouldn't be directed at me but at yourself. If you can truly win their loyalty to the Tianhun Empire, they will naturally stay. Those whose hearts are not here cannot be retained, no matter how hard you try."
Watching Ye Wen's retreating figure, the Tianhun Emperor realized he had angered him. Helpless and bitter, he could only sit there with a rueful smile, lost in thought.
At this moment, the Emperor began to reflect. Why did he always act so foolishly when faced with such simple matters? Finally, he came to a realization.
"Sigh… The pressure has clouded my judgment. Tomorrow, I must sincerely apologize to His Excellency."
Though the Tianhun Empire was located in the rear of the continent's battlefront, this didn't mean it was absolutely safe. Coupled with the endless bizarre issues raised by the nobility, the Emperor often found himself overwhelmed. Despite his genuine desire to govern well, things frequently descended into chaos.
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