"Qian Ran, so it really was you meddling behind the scenes!"
Xu Tiannan's face was ashen.
Previously, he had only suspected Qian Ran, but now he was almost certain. Though Qian Ran had always been bold, he had never dared to flaunt his arrogance so blatantly.
Xu Tiannan couldn't fathom what Qian Ran had promised the Holy Spirit Sect to make them abandon their long-standing alliance.
He had offered the sect so many benefits over the years, fostering a cooperative relationship for more than a decade. Yet now, they wouldn't even grant him a meeting before quietly severing ties.
What had Qian Ran done to cause this?
The Sun Moon Empire was critical to the Holy Spirit Sect's survival. Without its backing, the sect would never have been able to operate so brazenly on the Douluo Continent, where dark soul masters were universally reviled.
This mutual dependency had long been the foundation of their alliance.
Yet Qian Ran had dangled an even more enticing prize before the sect: the possibility of godhood.
For dark soul masters at the Super Douluo level and above, this was the ultimate temptation. These were people who would sacrifice anything—even their own sect—to achieve power.
It was no different from Soul Heaven Emperor's willingness to blood-sacrifice the entire Soul Clan in Battle Through the Heavens.
If godhood was within reach, abandoning Xu Tiannan was a trivial price to pay.
Even if most of the sect hadn't yet benefited from Qian Ran, Ye Xishui's breakthrough served as undeniable proof of what was possible. It only made them cling to Qian Ran all the more fervently.
"Your Highness, I don't know what you're talking about."
Qian Ran leapt gracefully from the rooftop, landing effortlessly across from Xu Tiannan. Taking a seat without waiting for an invitation, he casually extended a hand, pulling one of Xu Tiannan's maids into his arms with a flick of his wrist.
Xu Tiannan might be incompetent, but the maids in his household were stunningly beautiful.
Ah, the decadent lives of nobles.
Of course, Qian Ran wasn't exactly in a position to criticize. His own lifestyle was hardly any less indulgent.
The difference was that he enjoyed it without pretense.
Xu Tiannan's inability to appreciate such beauty was nothing short of wasteful. A man who had to outsource procreation was hardly deserving of such fine company.
The maid, dressed in elegant palace attire, turned pale with fright, struggling weakly in Qian Ran's arms. But her limbs trembled, and she was far too soft to escape his grasp.
"Don't move, sweetheart," Qian Ran whispered, holding her tighter. His breath brushed against her ear as his hands roamed freely over her trembling body. The maid, overwhelmed, lost all strength to resist.
Her heart raced in confusion.
As a maid serving the crown prince, she was accustomed to a certain level of deference. Even high-ranking nobles treated her with respect, knowing her position within the palace hierarchy.
But this man…
"Qian Ran, how dare you?!"
Xu Tiannan erupted in fury. Already on edge, watching Qian Ran brazenly toy with his maid pushed him over the edge.
A single maid was of no consequence to Xu Tiannan, but the blatant disrespect was intolerable.
It wasn't about the maid—it was about face.
How dare Qian Ran act like he owned the place, treating Xu Tiannan's maids as his personal playthings? Did he think so little of him?
Dark energy began to radiate from Xu Tiannan, filling the room with a suffocating aura. Despite his physical limitations, Xu Tiannan's cultivation had reached the level of a Titled Douluo—a remarkable achievement in the Sun Moon Empire, where such experts were rare.
"What a powerful aura. I didn't expect His Highness to be so strong," Qian Ran remarked, utterly unfazed. Having faced far mightier opponents, including Ye Xishui, Xu Tiannan's display barely registered.
"But Your Highness, wouldn't it be unwise to draw attention to the palace with such antics?"
Xu Tiannan hesitated, the oppressive aura around him diminishing slightly.
"Perhaps the palace guards would like to join us and learn what's happening here?" Qian Ran smirked.
His words struck a nerve. Xu Tiannan's expression darkened further, but his aura retreated entirely.
"Fine. The palace guards can take you straight to your execution!" Xu Tiannan sneered, though his tone betrayed a hint of restraint.
"If your competitors learn that your support from the Holy Spirit Sect is gone, would that bode well for you, Your Highness?" Qian Ran asked nonchalantly.
Xu Tiannan's face twitched.
For years, he had relied on the Holy Spirit Sect to eliminate his rivals within the royal family. While his own cunning played a role, the sect's backing was his greatest advantage. Even his local allies within the empire were swayed by the sect's influence.
If news spread that the sect no longer supported him, the opportunists among his allies would undoubtedly switch allegiances.
Xu Tiannan's fury cooled, replaced by grim calculation.
"Damn it…"
He clenched his fists, swallowing his rage. To achieve his ambitions, he had to endure even this humiliation. After all, hadn't he already sacrificed so much—including his dignity—by allowing others to "assist" with producing heirs?
Seeing Xu Tiannan back down, the maid in Qian Ran's arms was utterly dumbfounded.
How is this possible?
Her entire understanding of the world had been turned upside down. How could someone flaunt such power and influence that even the crown prince would yield?
She dared not resist any further. If she angered Qian Ran, she feared Xu Tiannan would take out his frustrations on her later.
Xu Tiannan glared at Qian Ran, his nails digging into his palms.
"What is your connection to the Holy Spirit Sect? What lies have you fed them?" he demanded, his voice trembling with suppressed fury.
Qian Ran chuckled. "Oh, I'm not close with them at all."
Technically, he wasn't lying. Aside from Ye Xishui, he hadn't even met most members of the sect.
As for the shift in their allegiance? That was entirely Ye Xishui's doing, not his.
(End of Chapter)