The view returned to Heaven Dou City.
Inside the Crown Prince's Mansion, the situation was now excellent, and Qian Renxue's long-suppressed mood brightened considerably, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon.
Most of the high-ranking officials and nobles in Heaven Dou City who could argue with her in the imperial court had already been secretly assassinated by her. At this moment, Heaven Dou City, although nominally not belonging to the Spirit Hall, was in reality almost entirely under their control.
Facing the emperor's throne that was now within arm's reach, it would be a lie to say Qian Renxue was not excited. She had lurked for more than ten years precisely for this day. Once the Heaven Dou Empire was in hand, the Spirit Hall's strength would rise to another level. At that time, unifying the continent would truly become only a matter of time.
Azure Luan Douluo walked out from the shadows behind her and said softly:
"Miss, all the personnel have been fully prepared. They are currently under the command of Salas, the Hall Master of the Heaven Dou City Spirit Hall branch. Once the operation begins, they will carry out a massacre of all the old faction nobles in Heaven Dou City and its surrounding areas, ensuring that not a single one is left alive…"
After a pause, Azure Luan Douluo continued:
"As for those nobles who stand on your side…"
Here, "you" naturally referred to Qian Renxue's surface identity as the Crown Prince.
Qian Renxue thought for a moment before speaking softly:
"We'll talk about it later. Those guys are typical cowards. As long as the benefits are sufficient, they can even betray their own country without reservation. Such people will still have some use after we take over the Heaven Dou Empire. It won't be too late to deal with them after we've squeezed out all their value…"
Azure Luan Douluo nodded gently, then turned and left, quickly disappearing into the shadows.
Qian Renxue raised her head and looked at the still overcast sky, but in the distance, there seemed to be signs of clearing. Sunlight poured down through the clouds, like a divine descent…
"All this damned mess is finally coming to an end…"
Qian Renxue's eyes were complicated. Looking back on the past ten-plus years, it seemed she had not felt this calm in a very long time. The long period of endurance had changed her temperament considerably. The only thing that remained unchanged was probably this suffocating world…
…
Inside the hotel.
Shen Han Yu stood by the window, holding a sheet of golden letter paper. After a moment, he handed it to the people behind him, then sighed softly and said:
"Everything belonging to the Heaven Dou Empire will eventually vanish into the long river of history. Today is destined to be an extraordinary day…"
"Aunt Shui, I'll trouble you later to bring Lingling and Elder Ye back. Also, warn the other elemental academies and the forces that have good relations with us not to get involved, no matter what happens. If they lose their lives, don't blame us for not warning them…"
Shui Ning Bing nodded gently and said:
"I will handle all of that properly. Also, Little Yu, do you think we should return to Elemental City as well? The situation is so chaotic now, and I'm a bit worried about the academy's side…"
Shen Han Yu was slightly stunned, then smiled lightly and nodded:
"Indeed, it's about time we went back. The competition can no longer continue, and there's no point in staying in Heaven Dou City. Once Qian Renxue finishes her business, we'll set off immediately…"
Shui Ning Bing breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and went down to arrange other matters.
Shen Han Yu swept his gaze over the others present and said:
"After we return to Elemental City, all of you must start cultivating hard. Especially Ah Yu and Bing'er, you need to reach the Soul Douluo and Soul Saint levels as soon as possible. Only then will I have the means to let your strength enter a period of rapid growth. The others cannot slack off either. I hope that the next time we go out, the lowest among you will have reached the Soul King level…"
Everyone looked at each other, then nodded firmly…
…
Imperial Palace.
Qian Renxue stood in front of the palace gates, looking up at the gates she was already extremely familiar with. A trace of heat and emotion appeared in her eyes as she walked in quickly amid the greetings of countless maids and guards.
Returning once again to the familiar sleeping chamber, Qian Renxue's mood suddenly calmed down. Looking at the old man lying on the bed who was already on his last breath, Qian Renxue removed her disguise and returned to her original appearance.
Two lamps were burning in the hall, the curtains were not fully drawn, and a few books were placed by the bedside. Qian Renxue stepped forward and tucked the quilt around Xue Ye, Great Emperor one last time, then quietly waited for him to wake up.
Sensing the gaze beside him, Xue Ye Great Emperor struggled to open his already somewhat cloudy eyes. What met his sight was not his familiar eldest son, but an ice-cold, peerlessly beautiful woman.
"You… who are you? Why are you here…"
Xue Ye Great Emperor asked in a deep voice. His voice was extremely weak, yet it still carried the dignity unique to an emperor.
"My dear Father Emperor, you can't even recognize your own subject anymore? That truly makes me a little sad…"
Qian Renxue chuckled softly, but her voice was that of Xue Qinghe.
Xue Ye, the Great Emperor's pupil, shrank violently. Then, with some disbelief, he said:
"Qinghe… how did you become like this…"
"No… You are not Qinghe. Who exactly are you…"
Qian Renxue sat down on the chair beside the bed, ignoring Xue Ye Great Emperor's words, and spoke calmly:
"Let me tell you a story. A story that began a very long time ago—so long that I've forgotten the exact time…"
"Back then, not long after the previous Pope of the Spirit Hall passed away, his only daughter unfortunately contracted a serious illness and also passed away. From then on, the Angel lineage of the Spirit Hall completely disappeared from the eyes of the world. What the Spirit Hall chose to reveal to the public was Bibi Dong, who had just ascended to the throne…"
"But in reality, the previous Pope's daughter did not die. She perfectly inherited the continent's number one god-level martial soul, the Six-Winged Angel, as well as the super talent from her parents. In her increasingly worsening relationship with her mother, she chose to accept one of her mother's plans in a fit of pique…"
"The name of this plan is… the Usurpation Plan…"
"Or perhaps even you, an emperor who has sat on the throne for decades, never noticed that your usually gentle and refined eldest son had somehow become so scheming. Even if you did notice, you only thought it was caused by the excessive pressure of imperial succession…"
"And the departure of one prince and princess after another caused you unbearable pain, so you could only shift more attention to your eldest son, allowing him to live safely and inherit the great throne of the Heaven Dou Empire after your death, thereby continuing to resist the Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire…"
"But what you will never think of until your death is that the eldest son you painstakingly nurtured and protected was, from the very beginning, the origin of all this. He was never your son at all, but the daughter of the Spirit Hall's Pope, the sole successor of the Spirit Hall's Angel lineage, and the terminator of this ancient empire that has been passed down for thousands of years…"
"Xue Ye, throughout your life, you were undoubtedly a qualified emperor, but you were not a qualified father. It is precisely this point that prevented you from discovering in time that your own flesh and blood had been secretly replaced. It caused you to overlook any abnormalities in any prince or princess, and in the end, you could only endure the pain of white-haired parents sending off black-haired children…"
"But now… all of this is about to end. Your life will be completely terminated today, and your empire will be buried with you. All the victory and glory will belong to my Spirit Hall and Qian Renxue…"
With that, Qian Renxue seemed to lose all interest. She stood up somewhat wearily, forcefully stuffed a black pill into Xue Ye Great Emperor's mouth, then used her soul power to seal his senses and speech. After letting out a heavy breath, she stood up and quickly walked out of the sleeping chamber…
Standing at the entrance of the sleeping chamber, Qian Renxue's appearance instantly attracted the attention of a large number of patrolling soldiers nearby. Qian Renxue took a deep breath. Six soul rings rose beneath her feet, and a golden light pillar shot into the sky. Amid countless rays of light and shadow, the Six-Winged Angel slowly descended. For a moment, almost everyone around fell into a daze.
Accompanied by a gentle breeze, the nearby patrolling knights and soldiers clutched their throats in pain one after another, then died on the spot.
Azure Luan Douluo's figure appeared behind Qian Renxue, calmly watching everything below.
In just a short moment, the entire imperial palace fell into extreme chaos. Countless black-robed powerhouses from the Spirit Hall rushed in, almost slaughtering all the soldiers. The maids who had no ability to resist were collectively subdued.
At the same time, various sounds of killing and screams rang out throughout Heaven Dou City. Countless black-clothed figures surged into nearly every minister's mansion and began a ruthless massacre without distinction.
These black-clothed people were well-trained, and their soul power was generally above the Soul Emperor level. The leaders were even at the Soul Douluo level. The guards raised by those ministers' families could not mount any effective resistance at all. Before long, the entire Heaven Dou City was already flowing with rivers of blood.
The more sensible residents hid in their homes, trembling, and remained unharmed. Those who were curious or tried to flee the city were killed one by one by powerhouses hidden in the shadows. Under such bloody suppression, even though countless people were terrified, no one dared to run around anymore. For a time, the Spirit Hall forces had completely taken control of the entire Heaven Dou City's situation.
On the hotel terrace, Shen Han Yu held a wine cup and watched expressionlessly as black-clothed figures constantly flashed across the streets below. Listening to the screams coming from afar, he felt almost no emotion.
Shui Bing'er and Ye Lingling, standing beside him, both sighed softly. In such a large-scale purge, the number of deaths by tomorrow would certainly be an extremely terrifying figure. In addition to their shock and emotions, they could not help but admire Qian Renxue's perseverance and decisiveness. In this regard, the cunning Qian Renxue was indeed far superior to them.
…
At this moment, inside the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School.
The huge commotion in Heaven Dou City quickly attracted the attention of Sword and Bone, the two Title Douluos. Ning Fengzhi walked in quickly from outside the hall with a grave expression and said:
"Sword Uncle, Bone Uncle, something terrible has happened. Powerhouses belonging to the Spirit Hall have begun a massacre in Heaven Dou City. According to the sect disciples who escaped back, it is estimated that the entire imperial palace and even Heaven Dou City have already fallen…"
Bone Douluo slammed his hand heavily on the small table carved from luxurious jade beside him, his face full of shock and anger:
"It's the Spirit Hall?"
"How could they be so bold as to openly slaughter people in the imperial capital of a nation? Isn't this clearly declaring war on the Heaven Dou Empire head-on…"
Sword Douluo's eyes were also full of astonishment. Then his face turned as gloomy as if water could drip from it, and he said in a deep voice:
"Fengzhi, this time things might really be disastrous. The Spirit Hall's actions mean they already have complete confidence. Once they fully control Heaven Dou City, we, who are closest to it, will definitely become their first target…"
Ning Fengzhi also suddenly came to his senses and said:
"It can't be that fast. The Spirit Hall is already taking a huge risk by acting within Heaven Dou Empire territory. It's impossible for them to immediately choose to deal with us right after taking control of Heaven Dou City. We don't have much time left. Now, Sword Uncle, go and arrange for the disciples to prepare for defense or evacuation. Also, have the disciples outside return to the sect as quickly as possible…"
"Bone Uncle, you go protect Rongrong and the few most outstanding geniuses of the sect. If any uncontrollable accident occurs, immediately take Rongrong and the others and leave Heaven Dou Empire. Head to the Clear Sky School within the Star Luo Empire's territory, or simply flee far away to some hidden place to nurture Rongrong and the others. No matter what, the sect's flame must not be extinguished. They are the seeds for the future resistance against the Spirit Hall. Otherwise, we would be unworthy of our ancestors…"
As soon as Ning Fengzhi finished speaking, Bone Douluo was the first to speak:
"No, Fengzhi, you are the sect, and even more so the core of the entire sect. How can there be no one protecting you? In that case, I have the advantage in speed. I'll go arrange everything outside. Let Old Sword protect you and Rongrong and the others…"
Before Bone Douluo could finish, Ning Fengzhi directly interrupted him.
"Bone Uncle, now is not the time to worry about whether I'm safe or not. The sect and Rongrong are far more important than me. Don't argue anymore. Otherwise, once the Spirit Hall comes knocking, we won't have time to prepare…"
Bone Douluo slammed his fist heavily onto the stone pillar beside him. A pitch-black hole the height of a person suddenly appeared in front of him, and his figure instantly disappeared from the hall.
Sword Douluo slowly stood up, patted Ning Fengzhi on the shoulder, stepped onto the Seven Kill Sword, and quickly left the hall as well. Only Ning Fengzhi was left standing alone in the hall, his figure inexplicably lonely and desolate.
…
While the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School quickly took action, the bloody massacre inside Heaven Dou City had also come to an end.
The powerhouses belonging to the Spirit Hall had already taken control of every city gate and important facility in Heaven Dou City. Additionally, large numbers of Spirit Hall powerhouses were rushing along the roads, preparing for the complete takeover of the Heaven Dou Empire.
At the same time, on the border between the two empires, the situation that had been like fire and water had undergone a subtle change. Due to the instigation of certain interested parties, local conflicts had gradually escalated into small-scale wars. But the Heaven Dou Empire troops stationed here would never have imagined that, under such circumstances, their own crystal had been stolen from the inside, and the other side had even moved in openly…
Of course, even if they realized it now, it would be too late.
In such a dilemma, no matter what choice they made, they would place themselves in a dangerous position.
If they returned to aid Heaven Dou City, the border would be completely exposed to the Star Luo Empire. If they continued to confront the Star Luo Empire, their main force would be occupied, and supplies of grain and various consumables could not be replenished in time. In other words, they were still the last remaining forces of the Heaven Dou Empire scattered outside. Once they disappeared, the entire Heaven Dou Empire would probably fall completely into the hands of the Spirit Hall.
On the other side, Qian Renxue was furiously reprimanding the two Super Douluos, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, in front of her.
"You two good-for-nothings, trash! Xue Xing is only a Soul King, and Xue Beng is only a Soul Ancestor. How could two low-level soul masters escape from the hands of you two Super Douluos? Tell me, I gave you such an easy task, and you still managed to mess it up. No wonder that madwoman Bibi Dong always drags her feet, no matter what she does. You subordinates are to blame…"
Beside her, Azure Luan Douluo and the other three Worshippers also looked at the two with gloomy faces. For a moment, Chrysanthemum and Ghost truly had no way to argue.
After a long while, seeing that Qian Renxue's expression seemed to have eased a little, Chrysanthemum Douluo finally said cautiously:
"Miss, you really can't blame the two of us for this. Xue Xing has always been known for his cunning and alertness. After we chased them out of Heaven Dou City through the secret passage, their auras had completely disappeared. Even after we searched all the nearby villages and forests, we didn't find the slightest trace of them. This matter is truly somewhat strange…"
Qian Renxue snorted coldly, immediately startling Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had been about to repeat himself. After he returned to his original position, Qian Renxue then said:
"Sixth Grandfather, Seventh Grandfather, I'll trouble the two of you to go search outside the city along the secret passage. The area around Heaven Dou City is now filled with our people. No matter what special methods they have, they can't have run far. Once you find any trace, do not hold back, kill them directly to avoid leaving any future trouble…"
Qian Jun and Demon Subduing Douluo nodded in agreement, exchanged a glance, then turned and flew out of the city.
"As for you two…"
Qian Renxue's gaze then turned to Chrysanthemum and Ghost, who were desperately trying to lower their presence. After thinking for a moment, she said:
"Since the two of you have nothing to do, go to the Star Luo Empire for me. There are a few sects there that previously had the idea of secretly submitting to my Spirit Hall. Now, it's time to make it official…"
"Additionally, we have someone in the Star Luo imperial court. He is very important and will do his best to push for the outbreak of war in the near future. At that time, my Spirit Hall can reap the benefits as the third party…"
"This matter must be carried out secretly and must not be known to outsiders. It is also an opportunity for the two of you to atone for your mistakes. I hope you will not disappoint me… otherwise…"
At the end, Qian Renxue smiled slightly, but the icy killing intent in her smile made Chrysanthemum and Ghost shiver. They hurriedly nodded in agreement.
Qian Renxue's expression eased slightly. She took out a letter from her soul tool and threw it to Chrysanthemum Douluo, then turned and said:
"After arriving in the Star Luo Empire, go to a shop named Moonfall Pavilion in Star Luo City. Someone will take you to see that person, and your mission will be mostly complete…"
"Also, Star Luo is not like Heaven Dou. There are still several Title Douluos in their empire's Worship Hall. Although according to intelligence they are already old with withered qi and blood, they cannot be underestimated. This trip must not have even the slightest accident, understood?"
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master 40 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon 40 Advance chapters."
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