At the head of the group walked a young man in his twenties, moving with a confident, commanding stride. A self-assured smile lingered on his face. Behind him followed a short, stout old man whose half-closed eyes had been scanning every corner of the room since entering.
"Your Highness," Zhongli Wu greeted first.
"No need for such formality, Church Master Zhongli," the young man replied lightly. "Just call me Tiannan."
Standing behind the Nightmare Douluo, Lin Xiao observed the two newcomers. The speaker was surely Xu Tianran—the very man who would one day ascend as Emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire.
Xu Tianran took a seat to the side without saying a word, his sharp gaze sweeping across the assembled crowd.
"Your Highness can rest assured," Zhongli Wu said smoothly. "Everyone here is among the Church's finest."
"I trust the Church Master," Xu Tianran replied, then gestured behind him. "Allow me to introduce someone. This is Jing Hongchen, currently the Deputy Head of the Illustrious Virtue Hall."
Xu Tianran's tone toward Jing Hongchen was notably courteous. It was clear that although Jing Hongchen was involved in this matter, he was acting for his own purposes, not out of loyalty to Xu Tianran.
Jing Hongchen inclined his head slightly in greeting to the others.
"Church Master Zhongli," Xu Tianran continued, "Hall Master Hongchen is the key I mentioned earlier—our passage into the imperial palace."
"The great formation and soul-tool defenses of the palace were all designed by the Illustrious Virtue Hall. With Hall Master Hongchen's help, your Church can enter the palace undetected. However, the palace guards answer only to the Emperor, and two ninth-rank soul engineers stand watch. For them, we will have to rely on your Church's strength."
Zhongli Wu lowered his head in thought. "Does Your Highness have any information regarding these two ninth-rank engineers?"
"I've prepared everything." Xu Tianran produced several scrolls. "Please, Church Master, have a look."
"Hm." Zhongli Wu studied the contents, nodding slowly. "This will be simple enough. I'll lead the strike personally—it won't take long."
"Excellent." Xu Tianran's smile widened. "Once the palace affair is concluded, my father will immediately lead the army into Radiant City. After that, you need only await our signal. I promise, the Church will be rewarded handsomely."
He paused, lowering his voice. "One more thing, Church Master—there's a favor I must ask."
"Please speak, Your Highness."
"When you act," Xu Tianran said coldly, "do not leave a single survivor."
Zhongli Wu's eyes flickered. He hadn't expected the young prince to be even more ruthless than the evil Spirit Masters themselves. The imperial palace held thousands, yet Xu Tianran wished to slaughter them all.
Countless thoughts flashed through Zhongli Wu's mind. The man before him was already heir to a princely title, likely to become crown prince—and one day Emperor. With such a heartless temperament, the Sun and Moon Empire would change dramatically under his rule.
For the Holy Spirit Church, that was very good news.
Whether the empire thrived or fell mattered little to Zhongli Wu. If it hadn't, he would never have agreed to regicide in the first place. What mattered was that under Xu Tianran's rule, the Holy Spirit Church would rise to prominence.
As he looked at Xu Tianran's smiling face, Zhongli Wu wondered whether the young man's cruelty was an act to win their favor—or a true reflection of his heart. Either way, the Church Master quietly made his decision.
"Very well," Zhongli Wu said softly. "No time to waste. Second, Third, Fourth—you'll enter the palace with me. Third and Fourth, deal with the two ninth-rank soul engineers. Second, hold off the palace guards."
"The rest of you," he ordered, "divide into four teams—east, south, west, and north. Stop anyone from approaching the palace, and see that no one escapes."
"Yes."
Zhongli Wu turned to Xu Tianran. "We'll rest today and act tomorrow night. What does Your Highness think?"
"Agreed," Xu Tianran said with a nod, rising to his feet. "Hall Master Hongchen and I will make our own preparations within the Illustrious Virtue Hall."
They left as swiftly as they came. Only when Xu Tianran's aura had faded completely did Zhongli Wu speak again.
"Enough. Elders, you know what to do. The disciples below you should scout Radiant City and prepare for tomorrow night's operation."
Lin Xiao glanced at the Nightmare Douluo, who met his eyes and said, "Follow the Church Master's orders. No need to settle anywhere yet. After tomorrow night, the Church will have new arrangements in Radiant City."
Lin Xiao nodded and left with the others.
Outside, dawn had already broken. Walking down the bustling streets, he saw the city alive with people—the shops open, customers browsing within.
Towering buildings lined both sides, and soul-tools gleamed everywhere. As the capital of the Sun and Moon Empire, Radiant City thrived on technology; soul devices had become part of daily life.
It wasn't as advanced as the cities in the other world he remembered, but its growing skyline carried the same spark of progress—along with innovations unique to this realm.
Perhaps, if soul-tool development continued, it would one day achieve miracles just as great.
The day passed swiftly. Lin Xiao spent it quietly observing the convenience and energy of the soul-tool-driven world. By the time night fell, the air was heavy with tension.
Though he knew he had little role in this plan—the outcome rested with the Titled Douluos—and though memory told him the mission would succeed, the weight of what was coming pressed on him.
At the eastern gate, he and the Nightmare Douluo waited in the shadows. Soul Masters patrolled the streets in pairs, well-equipped and disciplined—not soldiers, but trained private guards, likely in the pay of nobles dissatisfied with the current regime.
The Nightmare Douluo had been right. It wasn't just Xu Tianran and the Holy Spirit Church seeking to overturn the empire; many nobles and officials had grown restless as well.
Time crept by. The operation progressed even more smoothly than Zhongli Wu had expected. With several Titled Douluos leading the assault, no one outside could breach the palace defenses.
Gradually, the fluctuations of spirit power from within began to fade. Lin Xiao guessed that the matter had been settled. But then—a small figure stumbled out through the eastern gate of the palace.
A child.
Though the boy tried desperately to conceal his presence, no amount of stealth could hide him from a Spirit Master's senses.
Lin Xiao instinctively turned to look beside him—but the Nightmare Douluo was gone, having already moved to intercept the reinforcements approaching the palace.
"Stop! Who goes there?"
The private guards on patrol had noticed too. Though their perception was duller than Lin Xiao's, they had seen the boy.
At that moment, the Nightmare Douluo's voice echoed suddenly in Lin Xiao's mind.
"Take that child and get him out of Radiant City."
(End of Chapter)