"Seeking death!"
Zhou Long's face turned ashen.
In the next moment, the Sky Tungsten Sword appeared in his hand.
The old servant was now in his grasp. If he struck and killed the old man with a single blow, the crisis facing Dai Ya would naturally be resolved.
Although Zhou Long still wanted to extract some information from the old servant, intelligence was incomparable to Dai Ya's safety.
After a fleeting thought, Zhou Long made his decision.
Just as he raised his sword to strike, a chrysanthemum suddenly floated in front of Dai Ya.
"Ghost Shadow Binding!"
Countless ghostly shadows and chains emerged from nothingness and enveloped the area between Black Blade and Dai Ya.
The Chains tightly gripped the exposed martial soul of Black Blade Douluo and relentessly shattered it.
In the end, the countless threads clamped down hard, stopping the black blade mid-air as it flew toward Dai Ya.
"How is this possible?!"
The old servant's murky eyes widened in shock and disbelief as the black blade came to an abrupt halt just half a meter away from Dai Ya.
"Break for me!"
The eerie voice of Gui Mei rang out again.
With a downward press of his broad palm, the threads generated by the chrysanthemum abruptly tightened. The trapped black blade was instantly sliced into fragments.
The destruction of the martial soul directly backlashed onto the old servant, causing him to vomit several mouthfuls of blood.
"Pfft—"
Despite his weakened state, the old servant's face still bore an expression of utter disbelief.
He stared at Dai Ya in shock.
"...I never expected you to have so many powerful experts by your side!"
"I... miscalculated with the Black Blade..."
The old servant looked up at the sky in despair, as if steeling himself for something.
However, Zhou Long, who was holding him, noticed his suicidal intent and acted first.
"Hmph, thinking of killing yourself? Not so easy!"
With a swift motion, Zhou Long struck the back of the old servant's neck with the hilt of the Tianwu Sword.
The sheer blunt force of a Title Douluo instantly knocked the old servant unconscious.
"Big sister, were you scared?"
Ye Tian walked up to Dai Ya and gently grasped her slightly cold wrist with his broad hand.
Feeling the warmth from Ye Tian's palm, Dai Ya felt a surge of comfort in her heart.
She shook her head lightly and smiled. "I'm fine, see?"
"If something had happened, it would've been too late."
Ye Tian pursed his lips.
He knew Dai Ya was saying this to reassure him.
For this, Ye Tian felt deeply apologetic.
Before finding her, it was one thing for Dai Ya to face danger.
But now, even by his side, she had still been put at risk.
This weighed heavily on his heart.
"Young master, what should we do with this old thing?"
Zhou Long stepped forward, lifting the unconscious old servant slightly.
Gui Mei, standing nearby, cast an intrigued glance at the old man and chuckled lightly.
"I recognize this man. He's the Second Elder of the Star Luo Empire's Council of Elders, known as Black Blade, a Title Douluo-level expert."
"Though his combat experience is rich, his age has caught up with him. He's from the same era as Grand Worship Qian Daoliu."
Hearing this, Ye Tian frowned and pondered for a moment before pulling Dai Ya behind him.
He waved at Gui Mei and said,
"Elder Gui Mei, please summon Sea Witch."
"Understood."
Gui Mei hesitated briefly but complied.
He didn't quite understand Ye Tian's intentions.
After all, an old-timer like Black Blade valued loyalty more than life itself—he would never surrender.
If they weren't going to kill him, what use was keeping him alive?
Before long, the poised and dignified Sea Witch approached, her high heels clicking against the ground.
She first glanced at the unconscious Black Blade Douluo lying beside Zhou Long before walking up to Ye Tian with a gentle smile.
"You needed me for something?"
Ye Tian pointed at Black Blade Douluo and asked,
"Can your domain affect him?"
"A 91st-ranked Tool Soul Master, lower level than me—it'll have some effect."
Sea Witch answered without hesitation.
"But if there are major flaws in the illusion, or if it touches upon something he strongly resists, the illusion will fail."
Black Blade Douluo was, after all, a Title Douluo. Experts of this level were difficult to deceive for long.
After Sea Witch's explanation, Ye Tian had a clearer idea.
He nodded lightly and said,
"Construct a scene from Black Blade Douluo's memories—the Star Luo Imperial Palace. Disguise me as the Star Luo Emperor."
"That's simple."
Sea Witch smiled faintly and snapped her fingers lightly.
Instantly, the surrounding scenery transformed.
The once-clear sky was now shrouded in gray mist.
Seeing this, Gui Mei looked around in confusion and asked,
"Why can't I see the palace? All I see is mist."
"The principle of the Illusion Domain is to interfere with the target's brainwaves," Sea Witch explained with a light chuckle, shrugging.
"So, only in Black Blade Douluo's eyes will the surroundings appear as a grand palace."
"The gray mist is just to block out external distractions beyond the domain's influence."
Gui Mei nodded, seeming to understand but not entirely.
He then asked, "Do we need to step aside?"
"No need."
Sea Witch waved her hand. "My illusion has already excluded you all."
"As long as you don't use soul power, you won't be detected."
"That's for the best." Zhou Long nodded.
If they left and Black Blade Douluo sensed something amiss, Young Master Ye Tian could be in danger.
"Alright, everyone, remain silent. I'm going to wake Black Blade Douluo now."
Sea Witch took a few steps back.
Purple light emanated from her body as her soul rings lit up one after another.
The purple glow gradually connected her and Black Blade Douluo.
Before long, Black Blade Douluo on the ground began to stir.
His gaze was initially dazed, but when it landed on Ye Tian, he instantly snapped to attention.
Bowing respectfully, he said, "Your Majesty!"
"Mm."
Ye Tian's expression was calm and composed.
As someone familiar with the plotline, he could easily mimic most of the Star Luo Emperor's mannerisms.
Though prolonged imitation would inevitably reveal flaws, deceiving Black Blade Douluo for a short while was manageable.
"How goes the task I assigned you?"
Ye Tian spoke indifferently, his words deliberately vague.
Yet, this caused Black Blade Douluo's expression to darken.
"Your Majesty, I... I failed."
"I never expected that wretched girl to have Title Douluo protecting her."
"Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Despite being far older than the Star Luo Emperor, Black Blade Douluo didn't dare even breathe too loudly in front of the imposing ruler.
He knew all too well the emperor's methods.
Defiance wouldn't just mean his own death—it would mean the annihilation of his entire family.
At 221 years old, Black Blade Douluo had descendants who were nearly old enough to become fathers themselves.
His family, spanning generations, numbered over a thousand—a truly flourishing clan.
This was precisely why Black Blade Douluo remained unwaveringly loyal.
One misstep, and over a thousand lives would be lost.
Hearing Black Blade Douluo's fearful words, Ye Tian understood.
The assassination attempt on Dai Ya was indeed ordered by the Star Luo Emperor.
He hadn't expected his sister to still be seen as such a significant threat that the emperor would spare no expense in sending a Title Douluo to eliminate her.
"Useless!"
Ye Tian channeled the Star Luo Emperor's temper and roared angrily.
With his hands behind his back, he glared coldly at Black Blade Douluo and demanded,
"How many Title Douluo does the other side have?"
"At least... two!"
Black Blade Douluo reported truthfully.
At the same time, he felt slightly relieved.
He knew that the emperor's fury meant he was safe—at worst, he'd face a reduction in salary.
But to a Title Douluo like him, such a penalty was negligible.
Ye Tian's expression softened slightly as he asked, "How many Title Douluo can the Council of Elders currently mobilize?"
Without a doubt, Title Douluo were strategic assets of a nation.
If they were to take action against the Star Luo Empire, the number of Title Douluo was a crucial factor to ascertain.
Facing the "Emperor's" inquiry, Black Blade Douluo bowed without hesitation and replied:
"Including the recently promoted Iron Chain Douluo, there are five in total."
"However, the Grand Elder suffered damage to his origin while attempting to break through to the 97th rank some time ago and is unlikely to participate in battle."
"So that means four, then."
Ye Tian frowned, silently calculating in his mind.
Adding the Star Luo Emperor himself and the patriarch of the Nether Civet family, the Star Luo Empire's Title Douluo forces numbered seven in total.
This didn't even include the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which had long maintained friendly relations with the Star Luo Empire.
It had to be said—the strength of an empire was not to be underestimated.
Seeing the "Emperor" remain silent for a long time, Black Blade Douluo cautiously asked:
"Your Majesty, do you still intend to take action against that wretched girl?"
"If the entire Council of Elders mobilizes... wouldn't that expose our hidden strength?"
In truth, the Star Luo Empire's Council of Elders only had two publicly known elders.
Keeping their strength concealed was also a precaution against being targeted by the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire.
Hearing Black Blade Douluo's concerns, Ye Tian paid them no mind.
With an authoritative tone, he pressed further:
"We have received intelligence that the Council of Elders has embedded a large number of officers in the new army."
This was, in fact, a complete fabrication.
Ye Tian's goal was simply to probe whether the Star Luo Empire was secretly expanding its military in preparation for war.
Black Blade Douluo's face paled in shock.
"Your Majesty, the Council of Elders is utterly loyal to you! We would never dare interfere with military authority—"
Before he could finish, his expression shifted from shock to grim realization.
The Council of Elders had always been the Emperor's sharpest blade, mutually reliant on His Majesty.
Unless there was concrete evidence, the Emperor would never say something so damaging to their relationship.
At this thought, Black Blade Douluo abruptly released his spiritual power.
In an instant, the surrounding palace shattered like glass, replaced by swirling gray mist.
Seeing this, Black Blade Douluo's anger surged, and he spat out several mouthfuls of blood.
Then, he let out a bitter, furious laugh.
"Hahahaha!"
"To think that I, Black Blade Douluo, would be fooled by all of you in the end!"
With that, he lowered his gaze to his own calloused hands, clenched his teeth, and made a resolute decision.
"Your Majesty... I, Black Blade, have failed you!"
The next moment—
Bang!
His calloused palm struck his own vital point.
Blood instantly poured from his seven orifices.
Black Blade Douluo—dead.
Watching the Title Douluo take his own life before him, Ye Tian turned away calmly.
Though death was not something he was unfamiliar with, the loyalty Black Blade Douluo had shown was worthy of respect.
"Bury him with honors here in Elephant Armored City," Ye Tian said with a wave of his hand.
"Understood."
Zhou Long nodded and summoned a few members of the Polaris Squad to carry away the body.
Before long, one of the squad members returned.
He respectfully handed Ye Tian a spatial ring.
"Young Master, we found this on Black Blade Douluo's person."
Hearing this, Ye Tian examined the ring with interest.
Since it was now ownerless, he easily unlocked it.
Inside, he found only a modest amount of gold spirit coins and rare herbs—nothing particularly valuable to him.
He retrieved the herbs and coins and handed them to Zhou Long.
"Distribute these among the Polaris Squad members who participated in this mission."
Zhou Long accepted them with a smile.
"Then I'll thank you on behalf of the soldiers."
Just as Ye Tian was about to discard the spatial ring, something caught his attention beneath where the coins had been stored—a tattered map.
Pulling it out, he noticed that while the paper was old, the markings on it were freshly written.
In red ink, it read:
"Traces of divine inheritance found in the Radiant Forest—Iron Chain Douluo."
Above the text were red markings on the map—some locations crossed out with an "X," others marked with a "✓."
Seeing this, Ye Tian pieced together a rough understanding.
Based on Black Blade's earlier words, Iron Chain Douluo had likely discovered the divine inheritance while hunting for a 100,000-year soul ring after his promotion to Title Douluo.
This was not good news for Ye Tian.
If the Star Luo Empire obtained a divine inheritance, the Spirit Hall's current dominance over the continent could be overturned in an instant.
In this era, the power of a god was undeniably overwhelming.
And this wasn't mere speculation—Ye Tian, familiar with the original plot, knew that Dai Mubai eventually ascended to godhood as well.
"It seems that after dealing with Qianjun Douluo, a trip to the Radiant Forest is necessary," Ye Tian murmured to himself.
Then, he raised his gaze to Huyan Li, who was hesitating in the distance.
"Young Master Huyan, I have a question for you."
Huyan Li, who had been too nervous to approach earlier, now hurried over eagerly.
A wide grin spread across his face as he thumped his chest.
"Lord Ye, ask away! I, Huyan Li, will hold nothing back!"
Ye Tian smiled faintly. "It's nothing too difficult. Do you know of the Radiant Forest?"
"Pfft—is that all?"
Huyan Li relaxed immediately and retrieved a roughly drawn map of the Star Luo Empire from his storage space.
"The Radiant Forest is a large woodland near Star Luo City. It's home to many rare spirit beasts."
"Most spirit masters from Star Luo City go there to hunt for soul rings."
Ye Tian took the map graciously and gave a slight bow.
"Thank you for the guidance, Young Master Huyan."
Huyan Li stared blankly as Ye Tian pocketed the map, his hand frozen mid-air, unsure where to put it.
In this era, maps were strategic resources.
For commoners, possessing one privately was a serious crime.
Even the Elephant Armored Sect only had two incomplete maps of the Star Luo Empire.
Now that Ye Tian had taken one, Huyan Li felt like he'd suffered a colossal loss!
Yet, given Ye Tian's status, Huyan Li didn't dare complain—let alone ask for it back.
With a pained smile, he forced out:
"L-Lord Ye, you're too kind... Consider it a gift."
(End of Chapter)