The "Dark Sky Grand Array" was a formation designed to fuse the power of all those casting it in order to break through their limits.
In the cultivation world, such formations weren't rare and were often used by sect disciples in joint training.
The power of the formation depended on the number and strength of the participants.
Here, five Super Douluo formed the array, fusing their soul power and dark attributes to push darkness to its extreme—resulting in the manifestation of "Great Dark Sky."
Xu Jiawei and the Lion King Douluo, despite all their precautions, were instantly swallowed by the darkness. Within it, they gradually lost all perception of the outside world. Their five senses were stripped away one by one, and eventually, they even lost awareness of time and their own existence.
When the darkness lifted, both Xu Jiawei and the Lion King Douluo slumped to the ground, drained and lifeless as though they had just endured long, excruciating torment. Their eyes were vacant, their spirits broken.
In truth, they had only been trapped for less than a minute.
The five Zhu clan elders had shown mercy.
Had they not held back, the two men would have suffered complete mental collapse and death by insanity.
"Seize them!" the Grand Elder commanded.
Two Title Douluo stepped forward with ease, suppressing their soul power and detaining them on the spot.
But the Zhu family members didn't leave. Instead, they waited outside the palace.
This signified that everyone else in the imperial palace had already been dealt with.
Another full hour passed before the doors of the Empress's chambers slowly opened from the inside.
Huo Yuhao strolled out leisurely, smoothing the wrinkles in his clothes.
During that hour, Xu Jiawei had managed to regain some composure. He now glared at Huo Yuhao with hatred in his eyes, though he said nothing, stubbornly clinging to the last of his pride.
Huo Yuhao approached him with a gentle smile. But instead of mockery or persuasion, he simply said,
"Xu Jiawei, your Empress was quite… tender."
"The other concubines and princesses were tender too. I'm very satisfied."
Xu Jiawei's eyes turned bloodshot as he lost control and shouted, "Beast! You animal! You filthy beast!"
His mouth was immediately sealed.
From the madness in his eyes, it was clear—Xu Jiawei had gone insane.
Perhaps he regretted not killing Huo Yuhao when he first saw him as a weak boy years ago.
In some ways, Xu Jiawei had been relatively friendly toward Shrek Academy. He often boasted about studying there in secret.
Even the restrictions he placed on the Academy were within the bounds of imperial authority—he hadn't crossed the line.
But unfortunately, what Huo Yuhao wanted was not a ruler merely friendly toward Shrek Academy.
He wanted a ruler loyal to him.
Thus, as Huo Yuhao's schemes unfolded, Xu Jiawei grew increasingly distant and wary of Shrek.
"Take the former Emperor Xu Jiawei away," Huo Yuhao ordered. "Send him to the Douling Empire. The Death God Envoy will enjoy him."
The Grand Elder nodded with a smile.
Then came the turn of the four other Title Douluo from the Temple of Worship.
Huo Yuhao first turned to the guardian of the Star Luo Empire—Lion King Douluo.
"Lion King, do you surrender?"
"…I surrender," the Lion King Douluo sighed, closing his eyes.
His spirit had been broken. He had no fight left in him.
Besides, from the little Huo Yuhao had revealed, it was clear that the Death God Envoy and the Douling Empire had some connection to Huo Yuhao—and likely to Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy… ruthless people indeed. So well hidden.
Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Huang Jinxu.
"And you?"
"…I surrender as well," Huang Jinxu replied. "I only hope that His Majesty the Ice God—no, Lord Huo—and Shrek Academy will treat the people of Star Luo kindly."
He too assumed that Huo Yuhao's rise was backed by Shrek Academy.
He just hoped the people of the Star Luo Empire wouldn't become food for those zombies.
Huo Yuhao offered no clarification.
"Don't worry. The people of Star Luo will have a proper future. In fact, not just them—everyone on the continent will. This is merely the tremor before the final arrival."
Finally, it was Cheng Gang's turn.
Before Huo Yuhao could even speak, Cheng Gang shouted repeatedly, "I surrender! I surrender! I pledge my allegiance to Shrek Academy!"
But Huo Yuhao looked at Cheng Gang with visible disdain.
The Lion King Douluo had the Golden Lion martial soul with golden bloodline.
Huang Jinxu's Celestial Star martial soul reflected a stellar fate.
What did you have, Cheng Gang?
His martial soul—the Ant King—was purely power-based. At best, it was the pinnacle of the ant-type souls, but it had no potential for future cultivation.
Nothing worth investing in.
"Cheng Gang, I liked you better yesterday when you were defiant and arrogant. Want to go back to that?"
Cheng Gang shook his head frantically. "No! No! I surrender! I truly surrender!"
Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed sharply. "What? You can't even obey my first command, and you claim you've truly surrendered? Guards! Send him to the Douling Empire too—let the Death God Envoy take care of him."
"No!!! I can be defiant! I can be defiant—!"
His mouth was sealed too.
The Grand Elder chuckled. "Mighty Ant King, better luck next life. Oh—wait. You probably don't have one."
Huo Yuhao then issued his final orders. "Anyone who doesn't belong in the palace has been dealt with. Now replace them with our people. The Sun Moon Empire's invasion will be over soon. As for the court and the citizens—handle it. I want the Star Luo Empire united as quickly as possible."
"At once!" the Grand Elder and others replied in unison.
"Oh, and summon the ministers and nobles. Let them meet their new ruler."
——
Xu Jiujing lay on her bed, staring blankly into the darkness above her, just like the bleakness of her future.
Logically, she could've sought help from Huo Yuhao—but she didn't.
She had already betrayed the empire once. She didn't want to do it again. If sacrificing herself could save the Star Luo Empire, she was willing.
And somehow, the chaos in the palace hadn't touched her.
Suddenly, something thudded against her window.
She ignored it at first, until the tapping became more frequent and insistent.
Finally losing patience, Xu Jiujing got up, opened the window—and saw Huo Yuhao throwing pebbles at her window. Even after she opened it, he didn't stop—one of the stones even hit her in the face.
In that moment, all her grief, anger, and sorrow burst forth.
Wasn't he the one responsible for everything she'd suffered?
She couldn't even get a moment of peace anymore?
She stormed out in her robe, ready to challenge him.
But the moment she opened the palace doors, she froze.
Outside, lined up neatly in rows, were Star Luo City's nobles and officials, led by the Lion King Douluo, Huang Jinxu, Man Yi, and the Zhu Clan Patriarch—all gathered outside her palace.
Huo Yuhao appeared behind her and gently draped a golden imperial robe—taken from Xu Jiawei—over her shoulders.
"It's cold. Put on another layer~"
At that moment, the entire court knelt and bowed deeply.
"All hail Her Majesty the Empress! Long live the Empress! Long live, long live, ten thousand years!"
Their voices surged like a tidal wave, deafening in their reverence.
Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire, feeling ashamed in the face of military defeat and unable to face his ancestors and people, abdicated the throne to his younger sister, Princess Xu JiuJiu, and decided to retreat from the world, no longer involving himself in state affairs.
Princess Xu JiuJiu was elegant and intelligent, possessed remarkable talent and strategy, and loved her nation as her own family. She was widely recognized as capable of assuming the throne, receiving unanimous support from both civil and military officials, as well as nobles and members of the royal family. She was to formally succeed the throne in a matter of days.
The news shocked not only the Star Luo Empire but the entire continent.
Previously, the Douling Empire had also seen a female emperor ascend, but that was only because the royal family had been completely massacred, leaving Xue Hui as the sole survivor.
Moreover, anyone paying attention could see that Xue Hui's rule was in name only—she was merely a puppet of the sects and clans of the Douling Empire.
But the situation in the Star Luo Empire was entirely different.
Even if Xu Jiawei abdicated, why was no one else from the royal family considered? What about the princes? Why Xu JiuJiu?
After all, Xu JiuJiu was no Xue Hui.
She had already wielded real power, and although her authority had recently been curbed by Xu Jiawei, her influence remained significant throughout the empire.
If she succeeded the throne, she would unquestionably hold supreme power.
Furthermore, her ascension was supported by officials, nobles, and the royal clan alike.
This cemented her legitimacy.
Could she really have won such widespread support?
Only those involved in the so-called "abdication event" knew the truth:
The truth was simple: anyone who didn't support her… died.
Completely eliminated—down to the roots.
Civil and military officials were the loudest opponents, and consequently suffered the highest number of casualties. Most of the current administrative posts were now held by nobles, particularly those affiliated with the Zhu Clan. The Star Luo Empire was also expediting the selection of new officials.
It didn't matter whether Zhu Clan members were competent. Just having a Soul Saint or Soul Douluo in the position was enough to deter any rebellion.
Among the nobility, the Zhu Clan led the dominant faction—most of whom were devout followers of Huo Yuhao.
The rest had either been exterminated or isolated.
The isolated ones were led by the White Tiger Duke's house. When the news broke, they learned of it too late to act.
Not that they didn't want to act—but the next day, the empire's guardian, Lion King Douluo, personally stationed himself at their gate, watching them closely. They didn't dare lift a finger.
As for the royal clan—there weren't many to begin with, and now even fewer remained. The survivors? Mostly "furnaces" left behind by Huo Yuhao.
All across the land, some nobles and officials were displeased with the transition—some even contemplated rebellion.
But the moment such thoughts surfaced, entire families would mysteriously "commit suicide" overnight. Their bodies were never found, alive or dead.
The only "evidence" was the suicide notes they supposedly left behind.
Right afterward, new officials would step up in Star Luo City to assume the roles temporarily, pending formal appointments.
People slowly came to realize—Xu JiuJiu didn't rise through popularity. She rose through ruthless, iron-fisted means.
Far more ruthless than Xu Jiawei!
It wasn't an abdication—it was a power grab.
Otherwise, how could it be that during the day, news came that she was being sent off in a political marriage, and by that very evening, Xu Jiawei abdicated the throne? The cognitive dissonance was too much.
Yet among the people, Xu JiuJiu was genuinely popular.
Partly because she had introduced policies benefiting the commoners.
More importantly, under her "efforts," the Sun-Moon Empire halted its invasion of Star Luo—and no humiliating treaty was signed.
That alone—no treaty of national disgrace—was enough to solidify her position among the populace.
Soon after, on an auspicious day, Xu JiuJiu was enthroned.
In truth, the entire transition took only a little over a week.
From this rapid power shift, it was clear how different Star Luo was from the Douling Empire.
Because in this event, no sect or outside power had a chance to intervene.
In Star Luo, sects outside the capital had no influence over the court.
Of the three great empires—Star Luo, Heavenly soul, and Douling—Star Luo was the most centralized, with the most powerful royal family.
Thus, with power in her hands, Xu JiuJiu became one of the most noble women on the entire Douluo Continent.
Her status even surpassed that of Xue Hui, the female emperor of Douling.
The only thing Xu JiuJiu lacked now—was power.
So that very night after her coronation, Huo Yuhao began intensive training with her.
In fact, this had already been the norm for the past week.
From the moment Xu JiuJiu was confirmed to ascend, the dragon energy surrounding her had steadily grown, her dragon might rising daily. Even her [Starlight Fate] fate soul was glowing brighter, on the verge of transforming.
Finally, during her official coronation, her [Starlight Fate] transformed into the [Purple Star Emperor Fate]!
It could be said that through Huo Yuhao's intervention, Xu JiuJiu had completely defied fate.
This thrilled Huo Yuhao.
First the Sun-Moon royal family, then the Douling royal family, and now the Star Luo royal family—so much dragon energy and imperial fortune had been devoured by him, raising his "Fate Seizing Art" to the peak level this continent could sustain.
As for his martial spirit—its effects weren't directly visible.
The true manifestation of fate and dragon energy was in the transformation of Huo Yuhao's bloodline and the appearance of mystical phenomena.
His bloodline soul rings—or rather, blood energy soul rings—had now reached eight in total:
Two for the White Tiger bloodline
Two for the Sky Dragon bloodline
Two for the Black Tortoise bloodline
Two for the Phoenix bloodline
These four bloodlines, along with their corresponding mental visualization avatars, had all matured and transformed.
Four great phenomena followed:
Visualizing the White Tiger gave him a third eye—naturally imbued with divine power, capable of perceiving fate. The Evil God Spear resided within.
Visualizing the Heavenly Dragon gave him dragon scale tattoos—true dragon power that repelled evil.
Visualizing the Black Tortoise granted him a Xuan Snake protector—useful for defense, offense, scouting, and breaking seals.
Visualizing the Phoenix gave him an immortal heart—his phoenix blood refined to its core, merged into his heart; even in death, he could rise again, so long as his heart remained whole.
Thanks to the Phoenix visualization and bloodline, his recovery and vitality had drastically increased. Unless his heart was destroyed, he had the potential to resurrect from death.
Though other bloodlines were also incubating, none had formed soul rings yet—partly because he hadn't cultivated them, partly because he sensed the existing four were beginning to resonate and fuse.
Adding more now would only be counterproductive.
In fact, he was considering purging the extraneous Behemoth and Violet Flame Destruction Dragon bloodlines from his body.
Still, it would be a waste to discard them—better to gift them to worthy recipients.
Naturally, those recipients had to be insiders—at the very least, they'd have to make a trip into the Hao Sovereign Banner!
Now, all of Huo Yuhao's bloodline and power was entering a state of simplification—refining the many into one.
This wasn't just the principle of the Grand Dao's simplicity—it was the very fruit of the path Huo Yuhao had been seeking!
Once he achieved it, he would shed his mortal shell, ascend to Arhat status, break free of the cycle of reincarnation, eliminate all worldly suffering, and receive the full offerings of heaven and earth!
When Huo Yuhao walked out of Xu JiuJiu's bedchamber, he felt utterly transcendent.
Not only did he feel this himself—even the Skydream Iceworm noticed something different.
There was a newfound divine solemnity about him—one that set him apart from the mundane.
"Brother Hao, is this your... sage mode?" Skydream Iceworm asked curiously.
"Brother Tianmeng, my path has borne fruit!" Huo Yuhao straightened his back and smiled.
He continued, "To attain the true fruit of the Dao, one must endure three tribulations and nine hardships. I was born under destiny's favor—the nine hardships are irrelevant. I need only face the three tribulations."
"I've come to understand my three tribulations—they correspond to the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man."
"Man's tribulation is the strife of the world's blades—it does not concern me."
"Earth's tribulation is the disasters of the land—they are under my control."
"Only the Heaven's tribulation—foreign invaders from beyond this world—shall be my final battle!"
Skydream Iceworm: "...I don't get it. Please speak in Douluo Continent-ese!"
"..." Huo Yuhao paused, then simplified, "Brother Tianmeng, I'm about to ascend. I'm preparing to found my own divine kingdom—and bring all of you with me."
Skydream Iceworm: "Heck yeah~ヾ(▽)ノ" Huo Yuhao had no intention of occupying the Douluo Divine Realm.
There were two reasons for this:
First, security. Second, ownership.
The security issue was easy to understand. The Douluo Divine Realm was at risk of being swept away by turbulent time-space flows—clearly not a safe place.
As for ownership, in order to truly control the Douluo Divine Realm, one would have to take over its central control system.
Currently, the central control of the Divine Realm required multiple God Kings working together just to maintain stability.
Even if Huo Yuhao could take sole control of it—so what?
The Divine Realm already felt cramped with just over a hundred gods. How could it possibly contain Huo Yuhao's ambitions?
In fact, the Divine Realm was never like this to begin with. According to the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent, the original Douluo Divine Realm—or rather, the Dragon God Domain—was much vaster. It could expand on its own and wasn't susceptible to time-space turbulence.
The current state of the Divine Realm likely had to do with the Dragon God's fall and the chaos that ensued within the Divine Realm back then.
As for the so-called central control system, only the true Dragon God could fully and completely command it.
Without the Dragon God, the Divine Realm was like a magical artifact without its spirit—greatly diminished in both power and spirituality, incomparable in value to its former glory.
To restore the Divine Realm, one would need to either obtain the powers of the Silver Dragon King and Golden Dragon King and reconstitute the Dragon God's power—or wait for the Dragon God's return.
But either way, until Huo Yuhao could acquire the power of the Dragon God, he would only be a caretaker or administrator of the Divine Realm—not its rightful owner.
And Huo Yuhao didn't want to be anyone's steward.
If he was going to do it, he would be the master of a new world!
Planning for the Dragon God's power would take a long time and involved massive risks. Most importantly, Huo Yuhao didn't want his actions to lead to the return of the Dragon God—nor did he want to inherit the Dragon God's divine seat.
Let's not forget, the Dragon God isn't fully dead yet.
When that moment comes, facing a being who surpasses even the Supreme God King realm, there's no way such an existence would give up everything willingly just to let Huo Yuhao succeed.
In the original work, Tang Xuanyu inherited the Dragon God's legacy and divine seat only after great effort and relying on many external aids.
Moreover, if Huo Yuhao truly inherited the Dragon God's divine seat, the influence of that seat might damage his still-unformed Dao Fruit. If it affected his future potential, wouldn't that be a case of losing the forest for a tree?
Thus, Huo Yuhao decided to carve out a Divine Kingdom of his own.
So then—what does it take to create one's own world?
Drawing from the knowledge of the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent and the cultivation path of Electrolux, after much discussion, they concluded that reaching the demi-god level was enough to touch upon the opportunity to create a world.
However, even if one exhausted all power, what could be created would only be a demi-plane at best.
Just like Electrolux's Undead Demi-Plane.
It was similar to a divine secret realm.
That demi-plane had already been fused into the second soul ring of the Hao Emperor Banner Martial Soul, becoming part of the Undead World.
This alone showed the power of the Hao Emperor Banner. Even before it was fully formed—back when it was just a soul banner—it already contained a space similar to a demi-plane.
Only upon achieving godhood could a demi-plane be perfected and transformed into a full-fledged plane.
This meant that the inner world could begin a self-sustaining cycle.
From a third-rank god to a God King, one could continuously perfect the created plane. With sufficient power, that plane could evolve into a small world capable of nurturing life independently.
The Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent provided knowledge in this field. On some planets, divine beings had achieved this level, calling their created worlds Divine Kingdoms.
Within these Divine Kingdoms, one could gather the souls and power of their believers to strengthen the realm. In turn, the Divine Kingdom would empower its creator, allowing continual ascension.
Some powerful Divine Kingdoms were even as large as entire planets.
Fortunately, within the serpent's inherited memories, there was knowledge on how to create such a Divine Kingdom.
But a Divine Kingdom is not the final goal.
When one reaches the Supreme God King Realm, they can begin absorbing the planets and space of the material universe into their own domain—shaping a personal realm, much like the former Dragon God Domain.
While the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent knew of such things and had even witnessed the creation and flourishing of the Dragon God Domain, it lacked understanding of the specifics.
That knowledge likely belonged exclusively to Supreme God Kings.
So, Huo Yuhao decided to start from scratch—to build his own Divine Kingdom, or rather, a Buddhist Kingdom.
And that began with the creation of a demi-plane.
Instead of relying on the already-formed Hao Emperor Banner—which, while powerful, was still an external artifact and better suited for stabilizing fate—he chose a different foundation.
His focus was now on his left palm.
To be precise, the (Pot-Heaven) that had merged into him after absorbing the remnant of the Skydream Iceworm.
Though Pot-Heaven had started as merely a storage space, it had the potential to become a demi-plane.
Now, the Pot-Heaven within his palm was no longer a remnant from the Skydream Iceworm but part of Huo Yuhao's own body—a divine ability. Its potential and limits were entirely dependent on him.
And using one's own body to host a demi-plane made it much easier to draw power from it.
"If you can pull this off, in the future your left palm strike will contain the might of an entire world. Even a God King won't easily withstand that."
—Even the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent was astonished.
Of course, that assumed the opponent didn't have their own Divine Kingdom to counter it.
As his father once said, "Use magic to defeat magic." So, the only thing that can defeat a Divine Kingdom is a stronger Divine Kingdom.
Similarly, the five God Kings of the Divine Realm Committee didn't need to build Divine Kingdoms themselves. They could simply rely on the power of the Douluo Divine Realm to engage in battle.
And so, Huo Yuhao began his seclusion and cultivation.
The day after gaining insight into his Dao Fruit, he entered closed-door cultivation in a secret chamber within the Star Luo Palace.
Electrolux passed on his experiences with opening the Undead Demi-Plane, while the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent filled in key details. Huo Yuhao also studied the interior of the Hao Emperor Banner and unleashed his Holy Eye Martial Soul at full strength—even activating his third eye.
And then, within just one hour, Huo Yuhao successfully transformed Pot-Heaven into a true demi-plane.
The process went more smoothly than expected—and was surprisingly straightforward.
No need for lengthy descriptions. Those who know, know.
From now on, Pot-Heaven should be called the Pot-Heaven Demi-Plane.
Built on Huo Yuhao's cultivation as its foundation, and infused with the thirteen elemental attributes he had comprehended, it was fully formed!
From its very inception, its scale and quality already surpassed the Undead Demi-Plane.
Skydream Iceworm, Electrolux, the Holy Spirit Feathered Serpent, Ah Hui, the Golden Xuanwu, He Caitou, Ah Tai, Blue Silver Emperor, Evil Emperor, Jin Qiu'er, Cain… they all took a tour.
Everyone who visited agreed—it was spectacular.
Both souls and physical bodies could enter and move about freely.
Was it just his imagination? Huo Yuhao felt like his left palm had grown noticeably heavier.
"Now that the demi-plane is complete, it's time to find a target to test its power on."
Wouldn't you agree, Duke White Tiger's Mansion?
And besides, the person Huo Yuhao had been waiting for… had finally arrived.
The night was dark, and the wind howled.
But within the White Tiger Duke's estate, the atmosphere was tense and solemn.
The Duchess sat in what used to be Dai Hao's study. Tilting her head and rubbing her temples, she felt a persistent throbbing—like a harbinger of doom.
In truth, she had been plagued by this feeling ever since Lion King Douluo took up station in front of the White Tiger Duke's estate. She had long grown accustomed to the sensation.
At this moment, the Duchess was reviewing recent events, attempting to trace where things had gone wrong and what crucial detail she might have overlooked.
She absolutely refused to believe that Xu Jiujiu possessed the power to turn the world upside down!
Back when the Star Luo Empire lost its war against the Sun Moon Empire and stood on the brink of collapse, a group of nobles had approached the Duchess in secret. They wanted the White Tiger Duke's estate to push for peace talks with the Sun Moon Empire.
Logically, the White Tiger Duke's estate should have never agreed to such a thing. For all its flaws, the estate's loyalty to the Star Luo Empire was unquestionable.
The Duchess herself was loyal to the Empire.
But those nobles had presented her with one compelling argument.
Back in the day, when the Sun Moon Empire had grievously wounded the Star Luo Empire, the White Tiger bloodline had been forced to abdicate the throne to the Xu line. Now that the Empire had been weakened once more, perhaps it was the perfect opportunity for the White Tiger line to reclaim the throne.
The visiting nobles all pledged their support to restore the White Tiger line.
And the best—and only—candidate to inherit the throne was none other than Dai Huabin.
The Duchess may not have been a good person, but she was unquestionably a good mother. Their proposal moved her heart.
Dai Huabin carried the blood of two imperial lines—why shouldn't he ascend to the position of emperor?
Besides, even if peace talks with the Sun Moon Empire failed and something went awry, Shrek Academy would surely step in.
Could Shrek Academy really stand by and watch the Douluo Continent fall under the Sun Moon Empire's rule?
Worst case scenario, the Sea God's Pavilion could issue another Summoning Order, rallying all the continent's Title Douluos to collectively oppose the Sun Moon Empire.
Of course, the Duchess wasn't foolish either. She didn't put the White Tiger Duke's estate in the spotlight but worked from the shadows, leveraging its name to rally more nobles. Eventually, they succeeded in forcing Xu Jiawei to compromise and agree to peace talks with the Sun Moon Empire.
All they needed was for Xu Jiawei to make a mistake—and they could pressure him into abdicating.
With the support of numerous nobles, the throne would return to the White Tiger line.
As for the trustworthiness of those nobles? That wasn't a concern. If they dared deceive the Duchess, they would face the combined wrath of the White Tiger Duke's estate and the royal family.
After all, the Duchess had once been a royal princess. Her scheming to restore the throne to her own family was, arguably, just a matter of moving treasure from her left hand to her right.
Everything had been going smoothly. Even better, Xu Jiujiu, for some reason, was sent away to marry for political alliance, which conveniently eliminated a significant headache for the Duchess.
The only thing that disappointed her was that the Zhu family still refused to reconcile with the White Tiger Duke's estate. But she wasn't too concerned—once Dai Huabin ascended the throne, the Zhu family would surely come to their senses.
And when that day came, she would be the one to set the rules—for Zhu Lu and the Zhu clan alike.
But then, all it took was one night.
A large number of nobles who supported the White Tiger Duke's estate were suddenly dead. Then came the shocking news from the palace—Xu Jiawei had abdicated the throne.
Next, Lion King Douluo seated himself in front of the White Tiger Duke's estate, keeping everyone within too terrified to even leave their doorstep.
The Duchess could only watch as Xu Jiujiu united the entire Star Luo Empire, refused negotiations with the Sun Moon Empire, and finally ascended the throne, becoming the first Empress in the history of the Star Luo Empire.
There was nothing the Duchess could do.
Where had it all gone wrong?
Even now, the Duchess could not understand how Xu Jiujiu had acquired such overwhelming power—or how she had won the support of Lion King Douluo.
Still, the Duchess had found one peculiar detail.
Before her were several intelligence reports. One in particular noted that Huo Yuhao had arrived in the Star Luo Empire the day before the negotiations.
And during the negotiations, he did not utter a single word.
On the surface, nothing seemed out of place.
But in all subsequent reports, there was no further mention of Huo Yuhao. It was as if he had remained in the palace and never appeared again.
Was this reasonable?
Clearly not!
Either something had happened to Huo Yuhao...
Or—he had been involved in the Star Luo Empire's affairs.
Or rather—Shrek Academy and the Sea God's Pavilion had been involved all along!
The Duchess couldn't make sense of it, and the spies she had dispatched had uncovered no useful leads. Those sent to Shrek City had yet to report back.
Now, each day was torment for the Duchess and everyone in the White Tiger Duke's estate. Still, they weren't too worried about suffering the same bloody fate as the other nobles.
The estate's position in the Star Luo Empire was unique. At most, the Empress would weaken their power and influence. She wouldn't dare go so far as to wipe them out completely.
After all, the Star Luo royal family might not have the guts…
But that didn't mean the Sun Moon Empire didn't.
Suddenly, cries of battle rang out across the White Tiger Duke's estate. Then came the sounds of fighting and roaring flames that lit up the once-tranquil grounds.
The Duchess's expression changed drastically.
A guard came rushing in to report.
His anxious voice sounded from outside the door:
"Madam, it's terrible! The Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Regiment from the Sun Moon Empire is attacking! Lord Lion King is already fighting their commander, but the rest of the Regiment is assaulting the estate—AAAH!"
Before he could finish, a scream erupted. Blood sprayed against the door of the study. Through the door and windows, the flickering flames outside cast a ghastly light into the room.
The Duchess's heart lurched into her throat. There was no time to dwell on the causes. She urgently summoned her Star Crown Martial Soul, revealing nine perfectly configured soul rings, and equipped her full set of soul tools, ready to fight to the death.
The White Tiger Duke's estate lay outside Star Luo City, making reinforcements unlikely to arrive anytime soon. They were, effectively, isolated and alone.
Inside the study, the Duchess held her breath and stood at the ready, eyes locked on the door.
But the enemy didn't kick the door down.
Instead, they knocked politely.
Knock knock knock~
"Is the Duchess in? I'm coming in~"
And with that, the door was pushed open from the outside. Four figures stepped into the study.
At the front was a youth of unrivaled beauty—Huo Yuhao.
Behind him stood three young women:
Juzi, Zhu Lu, and Zhu Yuwen.
Zhu Yuwen had once been one of the original Seven Devils, the least seen of the group. She hailed from a powerful noble family in the Star Luo Empire. After graduating, she returned to her clan and had now succeeded in turning it into a loyal supporter of Huo Yuhao.
Xu Jiujiu hadn't come—she had yet to rise from her royal bed, and besides, she had no desire to witness the downfall of her own royal sister.
When the Duchess saw the four of them standing together, everything became clear.
Her expression twisted into a grimace as she glared first at Zhu Yuwen, shouting in fury:
"So it was a fraud from the very beginning!"
Indeed, the noble house that had first approached the Duke's estate and proposed the plot to claim the throne was none other than Zhu Yuwen's clan. At the time, it had even been Zhu Yuwen herself, as young clan leader, who had come to plead her case.
Back then, the Duchess had seen only sincerity.
But now, looking back—it had all been a trap from the start.
And the victor… was still her.
Faced with the duchess's interrogation, Zhu Yuwen simply smiled without responding, clearly not placing the duchess in her eyes at all.
The Duchess gradually calmed down. She cast a cold glance at Huo Yuhao and mocked, "As expected, Shrek Academy is filled with ambitious wolves—always siding with the victors. Has Shrek Academy now aligned with the Sun Moon Empire? I suppose the Star Luo Empire will soon be absorbed into the Sun Moon Empire, won't it?"
"That's none of your concern," Zhu Lu replied, her voice cool. She found it laughable that the duchess was still trying to sow discord at this point, just like Xu Jiawei.
"Wench!" the duchess spat venomously at Zhu Lu.
The Zhu family had separated from the Dai family—clearly, they had pledged allegiance to someone else. The duchess suspected Zhu Lu of betraying her son and wished she could tear her face apart.
Juzi sneered, "There's no need for you to worry, Duchess. I'm here for only one thing: to destroy the White Tiger Duke's Mansion!"
The Duchess's eyes narrowed. Although she couldn't yet discern the full extent of the factions acting against the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, she knew this much—everyone wanted the Duke's family dead. That included the royal family, the nobility, and Shrek Academy. The army of the Sun Moon Empire was simply the executioner's blade.
"My royal sister is truly bold," the Duchess sneered in return. "She'd better not have invited the wolf into the house."
No one responded.
In the very next moment, the Duchess suddenly made a break for it, smashing through the study's roof in an attempt to flee.
But just as she left the study, a orange fruit was thrown ahead of her, landing right next to her.
It exploded instantly, unleashing a tremendous shockwave that slammed her back down to the ground.
Although the Duchess wasn't injured, her route of escape had been sealed.
Juzi walked out from the study, holding her martial soul—a glowing orange in her hand. Around it hovered nine soul rings in this sequence: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red, red.
Juzi's martial soul was a food-type soul, the Juzi (orange). In theory, it shouldn't have offensive soul skills, and indeed it did not. However, her martial soul had gained a life attribute, which she used to develop a self-created technique.
Vitality wasn't just for healing or regeneration—it could be inverted, unleashing devastating destructive force, akin to the self-detonation of a soul beast or soul master.
The greater the vitality, the more powerful the explosion.
This move was named Life Bomb Orange—Juzi's only offensive soul skill.
Juzi looked coldly at the Duchess and asked slowly, "Duchess, do you know why I've come here personally to destroy the White Tiger Duke's Mansion?"
The Duchess had no intention of wasting words. She turned and tried to flee again, activating an eighth-level flying soul device.
Even in the Star Luo Empire, eighth-level flying soul devices were rare—ninth-level ones were nearly unheard of. The Duchess had obtained this one through the Duke Mansion's influence and secret channels.
She had acquired it for emergencies such as this.
But just as she reached the perimeter of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, she realized to her horror that a massive barrier surrounded the entire estate, sealing everyone inside.
She unleashed attacks, hoping to shatter the barrier, but even as a Titled Douluo, her strikes didn't leave a mark.
Even more despairing was the sight above: the Lion King Douluo—who was supposedly supposed to be battling the Fire Phoenix Legion's commander—was instead flying alongside Luan Feng, calmly watching as fire and slaughter consumed the White Tiger Duke's Mansion below.
"This is the Duchess?" Luan Feng sized her up and then said to the Lion King Douluo, "She's quite beautiful and graceful indeed. No wonder she was fit to be the Duke's wife."
Despite their opposing sides, Luan Feng had always admired Dai Hao and even acknowledged that the Duchess was a remarkable woman.
Well... just a little less remarkable than her, of course.
Even in middle age, the Duchess remained a stunning beauty, exuding a mature charm that younger women lacked. Her figure was flawless—slender waist, full hips. Though she looked disheveled now, her usual noble grace still shone through.
She was also a Titled Douluo. Although she had only recently broken through, her soul power was stable—among her peers, she was one of the best.
"She was, after all, a royal princess once cherished by the late emperor," sighed the Lion King Douluo beside her.
He had watched her grow up, even guiding her cultivation. Yet in the end, she had become a failure.
The Lion King Douluo had no intention of interfering. As the Empire's Guardian, he couldn't meddle in royal affairs.
Simply watching was already honoring the late emperor's memory.
Otherwise, with the empress having surrendered already, he ought to have obeyed her orders.
"Grandpa Lion King, please—save Little Yuer!" the Duchess pleaded emotionally, hoping to gain his help. "Little Yuer" was her childhood nickname, earned for her delicate and precious looks. Her full name was Xu Qiudi.
However, the barrier also blocked sound. The Lion King Douluo saw her plea but shut his eyes silently.
Xu Qiudi sank into utter despair.
At that moment, Juzi's calm voice echoed from behind her.
"Duchess, where are you going in such a hurry? We're not done talking yet~"
Xu Qiudi turned around and saw Juzi flying toward her, casually peeling a golden-skinned orange—clearly conjured from her martial soul. She wore no soul devices, just a sharp rose-colored general's armor.
Despite the carnage and fire engulfing the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, the two women seemed untouched.
As firelight danced across her armor, Juzi landed atop a nearby building and spoke again, "Let's continue our conversation. You see, I didn't come to destroy the White Tiger Duke's Mansion because of an order from the Sun Moon Empire, nor because the Star Luo Empire requested it. In fact, I should thank the Star Luo Empire for giving me this chance."
"Because I finally get to take revenge!"
Xu Qiudi's brows furrowed.
"Let me tell you a story..." Juzi began softly, revealing a secret she had buried for over a decade.
Juzi had once lived a happy life in the Star Luo Empire. Her father was a famous chef in town. But due to Dai Hao's forced conscription campaign, her father was sent to war and died, leaving Juzi's family shattered. She was the only one left.
Still just a child, Juzi wandered aimlessly until she ended up in the Sun Moon Empire, where she received aid. Once her talent for soul devices was discovered, she finally saw a glimmer of hope for revenge.
"Dai Hao is dead, and my greatest enemy is gone. Originally, I wanted revenge on the Star Luo Empire. But now, I think wiping out the White Tiger Duke's Mansion is the most fitting retribution!" Juzi said coldly.
"Duchess, let's duel. If you win, I'll withdraw the army and spare your people!"
"I swear it upon my father's name and my martial soul!"
She threw away the orange peel, her eyes sharp as blades.
Faced with such a "no-choice" choice, Xu Qiudi felt humiliated.
But she had no choice.
"Fine!" Xu Qiudi gritted her teeth and accepted.
Lion King Douluo: Royal conflict has always been this way. Not interfering is already a mercy.