In mid-air, Bai He looked down at the Fire Leopard Sect castle below, his gaze heavy and complex.
In the incident where the previous emperor was attacked, he had tipped off Tang Hao in advance. This matter was enough to plunge the Speed Clan into a state of eternal damnation.
However, the new Emperor did not pursue it, but instead gave them a chance to atone for their crimes.
Tonight, the Speed Clan acted as the vanguard, responsible for dropping secret weapons into the Fire Leopard Sect castle to blast open the city gates.
"Drop!" Bai He ordered, his voice carrying a trace of determination.
With his order, the disciples of the Speed Clan acted swiftly, dropping barrels of gunpowder from the air, landing precisely inside the Fire Leopard Sect castle.
"Boom—!"
The next moment, a heaven-shaking explosion sounded, flames soared into the sky, followed by a series of sounds of collapsing houses and screams.
Inside the Fire Leopard Sect, fire and smoke intertwined, and the castle instantly fell into chaos.
Bai He was stunned for a moment by the scene before him, then came back to his senses and ordered sternly, "Drop! Keep dropping!"
He hadn't expected the power of these gunpowder barrels to be so terrifying, no less than the fourth soul skill of a Soul Ancestor.
The disciples of the Speed Clan quickly dropped the gunpowder barrels in their hands, and a series of explosions sounded again inside the Fire Leopard Sect.
"Thieves, daring to sneak attack the Fire Leopard Sect, die!"
Huo Yanbao's roar came from below, his voice filled with anger and killing intent.
His seventh soul ring lit up instantly, Martial Soul Avatar possessed him, and his whole person turned into a huge fire leopard, pouncing fiercely toward Bai He in the air.
"Retreat!"
Bai He's pupils shrank suddenly, and he hurriedly flapped his wings, narrowly avoiding Huo Yanbao's sharp claws.
However, a disciple of the Speed Clan couldn't dodge in time and was torn in half by Huo Yanbao.
"Little Five!" Bai He shouted painfully, his eyes full of grief and indignation.
His face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot, and he ordered through gritted teeth, "Quick! Drop all the gunpowder barrels!"
The disciples of the Speed Clan quickly dropped all the remaining gunpowder barrels. Then, without hesitation, they soared into the air and retreated.
"Damn it!"
Huo Yanbao roared, and several elders activated their Martial Soul Avatars with him, using their bodies to block the explosion damage of the gunpowder barrels.
The explosion lasted for half an hour. Most of the buildings in the Fire Leopard Sect collapsed, and countless Soul Masters were killed or injured.
The wounded lay scattered on the ground. The Soul Masters who could still stand up were at least Soul King level experts, and almost all were injured.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
Just then, outside the Fire Leopard Sect, another group of men in black rushed in. Their movements were swift and murderous, obviously prepared long ago.
"Jie jie jie!"
The leading man in black laughed three times, waved the long spear in his hand, and directly pierced the body of a Soul Saint elder.
"Yang Wudi!"
Huo Yanbao looked at the newcomer, his eyes bloodshot.
Although the other party covered his face, he recognized his identity at a glance.
Huo Yanbao never dreamed that the little Emperor would actually dare to attack the Fire Leopard Sect. Was he not afraid of the counterattack from other sects?
The man in black straightened his body and said sternly, "Hmph, this old man is Yang Wushuang of Spirit Hall!"
As his voice fell, the long spear in the black-clothed man's hand flickered with a gloomy cold light. The fourth, fifth, and sixth soul rings lit up simultaneously, stabbing toward Huo Yanbao's chest.
Facing this unreserved strike, Huo Yanbao's pupils shrank suddenly.
He clearly felt that he couldn't block this spear. He quickly used a defensive soul skill, while retreating rapidly, trying to mitigate the opponent's attack power.
"Bang!"
With a muffled groan, Huo Yanbao flew backward, his upper body leaning back completely, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His body crashed heavily into a house, which collapsed instantly.
The black-clothed man's eyes were cold. His eighth soul ring shone, and overwhelming spear shadows instantly swallowed Huo Yanbao's body.
"Kill, leave no one alive!"
Inside the Imperial Palace, candlelight flickered, illuminating Lu Feng's cold face.
"Bang!"
He slammed the teacup in his hand onto the ground. The sound of porcelain shattering was particularly ear-piercing in the empty hall.
"What is Spirit Hall trying to do! Are they going to attack the Star Luo Imperial Palace tomorrow!" Lu Feng said coldly, his tone carrying suppressed anger.
Zhu Zhuqing stood aside, rolled her eyes at him, and said helplessly, "Alright, there's no one else here. Who are you acting for?"
Hearing this, the anger on Lu Feng's face instantly dissipated, replaced by a cunning smile. "Zhuqing, acting requires deceiving yourself first. Otherwise, how can you deceive others?"
Zhu Zhuqing snorted lightly, walked to his side, and said with some worry, "Lu Feng, I think you are a bit too hasty. We have plenty of time to slowly integrate the major forces of Star Luo. Why be so radical?"
Lu Feng shook his head and sighed. "Zhuqing, you are wrong. On the contrary, what we lack most now is time."
His gaze was profound, his tone solemn. "Ten years. Within ten years, earth-shaking changes will definitely occur on the continent. If we don't hurry, I'm afraid we won't even be able to protect ourselves."
A trace of doubt flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes. "Are you worrying unnecessarily? With the strength of the Star Luo Empire, even if the Heaven Dou Empire and all the duchies joined forces, they wouldn't be our match."
She paused, pondered for a moment, and asked uncertainly, "Are you worried about Spirit Hall?"
Lu Feng nodded, his tone heavy. "Correct. The power controlled by Spirit Hall is absolutely beyond everyone's imagination."
"As far as I know, the connection between several major duchies and Spirit Hall is not small. Their secret collusion has long been no secret."
Changing the subject, his tone carried a bit of deep meaning. "And, the most important point..."
"What is it?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, her eyes full of doubt.
Lu Feng's face darkened slightly, whispering, "Human power has limits, but what about gods?"
"Gods?" Zhu Zhuqing was stunned, obviously not expecting Lu Feng to mention this.
"Correct. Spirit City is the place where the Angel God ascended."
Lu Feng's tone was solemn. "As far as I know, the Angel God left a divine trial. As long as one passes the test, they can inherit the Angel God's position. By then, the power of Spirit Hall will be unmatched."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's small mouth opened slightly, her eyes full of shock. "The legend is actually true?"
"Mhm." Lu Feng nodded, then his face returned to a smile, his tone relaxed a bit. "But you don't need to worry. You can always trust your husband."
"Our gunpowder guns have started mass production, and siege cannons are also under research. When the time comes, even a Titled Douluo, we can wear him down to death."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, strange brilliance flashing in her eyes. "I really can't believe your weapons can allow a commoner to possess the attack power of a Soul King level. Lu Feng, you are really amazing!"
Hearing this, a cunning smile curled the corner of Lu Feng's mouth.
He pulled Zhu Zhuqing into his arms and whispered in her ear, "You haven't seen your husband's most powerful weapon yet. Do you want to see it tonight?"
"Pah." Zhu Zhuqing spat lightly, a blush appearing on her face.
She broke free from Lu Feng's arms and pushed him away. "You'd better think about how to face the major families next. Anyway, I don't want to deal with those old foxes."
The corner of Lu Feng's mouth turned up slightly, his tone carrying a bit of confidence. "Hmph, you overestimate their unity. Maybe some of them are secretly rejoicing."
Meanwhile, inside the Star Crown Sect.
Xu Wuchang sat in the main seat, saying nothing, frowning tightly, seemingly pondering something.
Aside, Feng Bailong walked back and forth anxiously, his face full of irritability.
"Brother Xu, say something!" Feng Bailong finally couldn't help speaking, his tone carrying a bit of urgency.
"Just give the order, and the Wind Sword Sect will rebel against him! The Fire Leopard Sect has been destroyed. If we don't act, the next one to suffer might be us!"
Xu Wuchang shook his head, his tone calm. "Brother Feng, calm down. Just as the little Emperor said, destroying the Fire Leopard Sect requires at least four Titled Douluo. In my opinion, there must be something strange about this matter."
"Aiya!" Feng Bailong stomped his foot, his tone carrying a bit of dissatisfaction.
"Brother Xu, at a time like this, stop speaking in riddles. Maybe that little Emperor is already mobilizing troops, preparing to deal with us!"
Just then, a steward hurried in, holding a secret letter in his hand, and handed it respectfully to Xu Wuchang. "Clan Master, an edict has come from the palace."
Xu Wuchang took the secret letter, unfolded it, and saw only five short words on it: "Dividing land, come quickly."
Feng Bailong leaned over to take a look, frowning tightly. "What does this mean? Dividing land? What trick is that little Emperor playing again?"
Xu Wuchang was silent for a moment, a sharp light flashing in his eyes, and slowly said, "Brother Feng, it seems our previous guess was correct. The destruction of the Fire Leopard Sect may not be a bad thing."
"What do you mean?" Feng Bailong looked puzzled.
Xu Wuchang smiled slightly, his tone carrying a bit of deep meaning. "With the Fire Leopard Sect destroyed, their territory and resources naturally need to be redistributed. The little Emperor is telling us that as long as we are obedient, the benefits will not be small."
Feng Bailong was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized. "You mean, the little Emperor is killing the chicken to scare the monkey, and at the same time trying to win us over?"
Xu Wuchang nodded, his tone calm. "Correct. The Fire Leopard Sect has always been unruly. The little Emperor used them as an example, establishing his authority and giving us a warning. Now, he throws out bait to make us actively move closer."
Feng Bailong was silent for a moment, his tone carrying a bit of unwillingness. "Are we just going to submit like this?"
Xu Wuchang shook his head, his tone carrying a bit of deep meaning. "Brother Feng, a wise man submits to circumstances. Instead of making an enemy of him, it is better to go with the flow and get a share of the pie."
"There are no ten-thousand-year dynasties in the world, but there are ten-thousand-year noble families. This is exactly the reason."
Feng Bailong sighed and finally nodded. "Fine, I'll listen to Brother Xu."