RNP Chapter 196 Star Core Gem: A Choice Between Imperial Power and Love
Chapter 196 Star Core Gem: A Choice Between Imperial Power and Love
Chapter 196 Star Core Gem: A Choice Between Imperial Power and Love
Not long after seeing Dai Youheng off, Xu Jiujiu prepared to return to the princess's residence.
Just then, someone from the palace suddenly arrived. Her imperial brother urgently summoned her to the Observatory, as there was an important matter to discuss.
The Star Observatory is a high point within the palace, where the emperor usually cultivates his Star Crown Martial Spirit.
Her brother summoned her, and she dared not delay. She immediately went to the observatory, lifted her skirt, and slowly walked up the steps leading to it. Her brother's urgent summons late at night, and the fact that the location was the observatory, a place usually frequented only by core members of the royal family, made her heart pound slightly, and a strange premonition lingered in her mind.
Two personal maids followed silently behind, maintaining a just-right distance.
Stepping onto the last white marble step, the view from the observatory suddenly opened up. The domed structure faced the night sky, and the night breeze picked up slightly, ruffling the hair at her temples and her light palace dress.
Her elder brother, Xu Jiawei, the emperor of the Star Luo Empire, was not wearing a dragon robe, but only a black casual robe. He stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the platform, gazing up at the boundless starry sky. His figure appeared both lonely and heavy against the backdrop of the vast starry field.
"Royal brother." Xu Jiujiu stopped in his tracks, his voice sounding exceptionally clear on the empty high platform.
Xu Jiawei did not turn around immediately, as if he was lost in his own thoughts.
After a moment of silence, he slowly turned around, his gaze falling on her face with an undeniable intensity. Gone was the warmth he usually displayed in court; instead, there was a deep, unfathomable caution befitting an emperor.
"Jiujiu, you've come." He spoke, his voice steady yet carrying an inherent air of authority. "Do you know why I summoned you here at this moment?"
After a long while, she lowered her head slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I do not know. Please enlighten me."
"It's for Dai Youheng." Xu Jiawei stated bluntly, the name creating an invisible ripple in the silent night sky. He took two steps forward, starlight illuminating half of his profile, his eyes sharp. "His return this time is imbued with a profound aura; even I felt a faint pressure. A sixteen-year-old Soul Emperor, a 100,000-year Soul Ring, a Super Martial Soul, capable of killing a Soul Douluo beyond his level—my imperial sister, his growth rate is too fast, faster than I anticipated, faster than it makes me uneasy."
He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words weigh heavily on his heart.
"He is a sharp blade I have chosen for you and for the empire, unparalleled in its sharpness. If used well, he can clear all obstacles in the path of Star Luo, expand its territory, and even recreate the glory of Star Luo's dominance over the continent ten thousand years ago—that is not impossible." Xu Jiawei's tone gradually rose, carrying a burning anticipation, but then quickly cooled down, his tone shifting, "However, every blade is double-edged; it can wound the enemy, but it can also devour its master. The way of imperial power is most averse to uncontrollable forces. This young man is resolute and determined; he is not one to remain subservient for long. Now that his wings are not yet fully grown, he can still be won over. But if he becomes a Title Douluo in the future, or even reaches that ultimate realm, what will the Star Luo royal family use to restrain him then? Only his infatuation with you?"
Xu Jiawei's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, locked onto Xu Jiujiu's slightly pale face. "I acknowledge his love for you now, but, Jiujiu, people's hearts are fickle! Especially the hearts of the strong. Today he proclaims that he will not marry you and is willing to serve the empire, but what about tomorrow? When he truly possesses the power to overturn the order, who can guarantee that he won't harbor inappropriate thoughts? I cannot gamble with that, nor can I gamble with the Xu family's empire."
After a long while, she felt a tightness in her chest. Her brother's words were like cold needles, piercing the hidden worries deep in her heart that she did not want to touch.
She instinctively wanted to defend Dai Youheng, to say that he wasn't that kind of person, but the rationality of the royal family and the political indoctrination she had been exposed to since childhood made it impossible for her to easily utter these weak and powerless words.
She could only ask softly, her voice trembling slightly, a tremor she herself didn't even realize, "What is Your Majesty's intention?"
"The Covenant of the Stars." Xu Jiawei uttered these four words clearly, each one as heavy as a thousand pounds.
After a long while, he suddenly looked up, his face drained of color, his eyes filled with shock and resistance. "The Star Crown Pact? Royal Brother, this—"
The Star Crown Pact is the most core and oldest secret deeply rooted in the Star Crown Martial Soul. It is one of the most fundamental guarantees of the Xu family's imperial power in the Star Luo Empire. Not all heirs can awaken it; only the most outstanding person in history, who has been truly recognized by the Star Crown, can access this power.
Only two people in the Xu family of this generation have this power: the brother and sister.
A faint warmth emanated from her forehead, as if that invisible crown was responding to the topic.
The core of the Star Crown Martial Soul is called the Star Core Gem, a symbol of imperial power among Martial Souls. Through an extremely sacred and painstaking ritual, the holder can separate a wisp of the most primal starlight and permanently imprint it onto the Martial Soul origin of another Soul Master.
The conclusion process requires absolute voluntariness from both parties, at least on the surface.
The Star Crown holder must use their own essence and soul power as a guide, devoting themselves entirely to guiding the starlight through the upper dantian, that is, the space between the eyebrows, to implant it into the other party's body. The other party must completely release their martial soul defense and accept this "gift" from the imperial power without reservation.
Once the connection is successfully established, a tiny starlight will appear on the Star Core Gem, like two stars in the night sky, attracting and connecting with each other.
The benefits are obvious: the martial soul of the branded individual will receive the power of the stars, and its attributes may even undergo a positive mutation, gaining a powerful affinity for the stars, automatically mastering a powerful starlight soul skill, and having its cultivation speed increased by the omnipresent power of the stars. It is a transformative gift.
However, what lies hidden beneath the gifts is absolute control and domination.
Through this primal connection, the Star Crown holder can, with a single thought, cause the starlight within the opponent's martial soul to burn intensely, bringing soul-tearing pain that is worse than death; if taken a step further, the starlight can be directly detonated, causing the one who violated the contract to completely dissipate like starlight, leaving not even a trace.
From this day forward, life, death, honor, and disgrace will all be determined by the Star Crown Master's single thought. This is somewhat similar to Dai Youheng's Yin-Yang Reversal Lotus Seed Elixir.
This contract is unique. The source of the Star Heart is limited, and one can only make a contract with it once in a lifetime. Choosing who to contract with is almost the most important decision in a Star Crown Soul Master's life, as it concerns the foundation of the nation and also their own life.
Xu Jiawei's idea was good, but unfortunately, Dai Youheng's dantian between his eyebrows was already very crowded. The power of destiny bestowed upon him by the Emperor Beast, the Seven Deadly Sins God Imprint imprinted here, and in the future, there would be a top-level soul core.
Trying to control him through this method might be a little difficult.
"Brother!" Xu Jiujiu's voice was filled with sorrow. "This matter concerns the very essence of our martial spirits, and even more so, our lives and dignity! Youheng is proud and arrogant; how could he accept such—such shackles? This is tantamount to destroying all the friendship and trust between us!"
"It is precisely because it is him that this contract is even more necessary!" Xu Jiawei interrupted her, his tone resolute and imbued with an unquestionable imperial will. "This is not a shackle, but a guarantee, the empire's greatest investment and trust in him! It can help his martial soul undergo another transformation, further enhance his potential, and make his cultivation path twice as effective. As long as he remains loyal, the Star Crown Contract will be nothing more than a ladder to help him reach the pinnacle, not a cage that binds him."
He approached step by step, his radiance like a torch, as if trying to see through all his sister's hesitation. "Your heart belongs to him, I can see that."
"I do not want you to destroy him. On the contrary, I want you to firmly grasp the reins that will keep him by your side forever, on Xingluo's side!"
"Imperial power often outweighs personal feelings; this is our destiny. If one day he truly harbors rebellious intentions, what will you do then? Will you stand by and watch him overthrow my Xu family's empire, or will you regret your actions only to find that you have no means to control him? What I want is a peerless genius who is absolutely controllable, not a potential threat that could turn against you!"
"If a chess piece doesn't obey, then I'd rather not have it!"
After a long while, she staggered back a step and leaned against the cold jade railing, the chill instantly penetrating her thin clothes. She closed her eyes, and the image of Dai Youheng flashed before her eyes: his burning and honest gaze, his unreserved declaration, "You are the only one in my life," and his unwavering dedication to cultivating himself to be worthy of her.
But then, the teachings she had received since childhood, the phrase "The Xu family's empire is more important than anything else," resounded in her ears.
On one side, there was a quietly growing affection and reluctance; on the other, the cold, heavy responsibility and warning of imperial power. These two forces were tearing her apart, almost suffocating her.
Xu Jiawei's voice rang out again, this time softer. "Jiujiu, think about it from another perspective. If he truly is as you say, with unwavering love for you and absolute loyalty to the Empire, then this Star Crown Pact will be entirely beneficial to him. It will be the strongest bond between you and him, stronger than any vow. Since he has already planned to be with you for life, never betraying you, what's so difficult about accepting this gift and proving your complete trust to him? Isn't this killing two birds with one stone?"
These words were like a magical wedge, precisely driving into the cracks in Xu Jiujiu's heart.
Yes, if he is sincere and has no ulterior motives, then this contract will not harm him; on the contrary, it will help him become stronger.
This twisted logic, amidst the entanglement of power struggles and emotions, surprisingly seemed to make some sense. She tried to convince herself with this explanation, suppressing the waves of unease and guilt welling up inside her.
She slowly raised her head, gazing at the vast starry sky, then at her elder brother, whose gaze was deep and resolute. Struggle, pain, helplessness...
And the last glimmer of hope for that uncertain future ultimately dissolved into a resigned calm in her eyes. Beneath that calm lay an unspeakable sorrow.
She heard her own voice, as light as a breeze, yet carrying the resolute weight of a thousand-pound burden: "Your Majesty, your subject understands!"
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