Inside the cold and damp cell, Xiang Shuai hung weakly with both of his hands chained to the stone wall. His body barely had the strength left to stand.
His serpent tail hung heavily on the floor. The iron chains around his wrists had worn away the flesh, exposing white bone in several places.
He no longer even knew how long he had been trapped in that place.
Day and night no longer had meaning.
Pain had become something… ordinary.
Strangely, Xiang Shuai no longer cared much about the torture he endured.
Only one thing truly hurt his heart.
He regretted it.
He regretted that he was not strong enough.
If only he were as powerful as Lin Yuan.
Or at least close to Lu Xiao's strength.
Among Xue Yunxue's husbands, he was the weakest.
He had even failed to protect that girl once before.
He wanted so badly to see her face again—the beautiful face with those captivating eyes and that mischievous, confident smile.
He regretted that he might never see Xue Yunxue again.
The thought made him laugh quietly to himself.
A bitter laugh.
Now he could only see Yunxue's face in his memories.
And somehow… that was enough to comfort his heart in this dark place.
It had been more than a year since he fled the Shelua Empire.
He had run away to escape his own brother—the Third Prince, Xiang She.
But his escape had never truly solved the problem.
Xiang She had always believed that Xiang Shuai inherited the royal heirloom—an ancient artifact known as the Serpent King's Pearl.
It was said to be hidden in the tomb of the Serpent King, the resting place of their most powerful ancestor.
But in truth—Xiang Shuai had never known the location of that tomb.
Although he had once been the beloved grandson of the Serpent King.
Only his grandfather knew the location of the tomb, and he had never told anyone.
Not even Xiang Shuai's father or mother knew.
But Xiang She never believed that.
When the coup happened—Xiang Shuai's parents were immediately arrested.
So Xiang Shuai returned to Shelua deliberately.
He surrendered himself.
Hoping Xiang She would release his parents.
But now—
he was only a prisoner who was tortured every day.
Xiang Shuai slowly closed his eyes.
His body was extremely exhausted.
His consciousness was fading.
At the edge of unconsciousness—he suddenly saw something.
From the dark ground…
golden vines appeared.
Vines he knew very well.
Vines belonging to…
Xue Yunxue.
Then—he saw her face.
The stubborn face he knew so well.
But now—tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Xiang Shuai looked at her.
His golden pupils trembled.
Was this…
a hallucination?
Or just a dream appearing before he died?
He smiled weakly.
If this was a dream—
then it was a very beautiful one.
"…Xue'er…"
His voice was extremely faint.
Almost like a dying breath.
But before he could say anything more—
a pair of soft hands suddenly held his face.
Warm.
Real.
And a voice he knew so well trembled beside his ear.
Xue Yunxue's voice sounded very close.
"I came to take you home."
The girl was wearing a veil, but he immediately recognized her from her unique, beautiful eyes.
The heart that had long been cold and numb suddenly felt warm again.
But that warmth only lasted for a moment.
His consciousness returned.
His eyes suddenly widened.
"What are you doing here?!"
His voice was hoarse and weak, yet filled with panic.
"This place is extremely dangerous! If Xiang She finds you—"
Xue Yunxue did not retreat even a little.
She was still holding Xiang Shuai's face with both hands.
"Don't worry."
"I didn't come alone."
"I'm here with Yun Wu, Lu Xiao, and Lin Yuan."
Her hand then moved toward the chains binding Xiang Shuai's wrists.
Golden vines emerged from the stone floor.
The iron chains snapped instantly.
As soon as Xiang Shuai's hands were freed—Xue Yunxue clearly saw the wounds on his wrists.
The flesh was torn.
Some parts had even turned black from infection.
Her heart felt as if it were being crushed.
Xiang Shuai saw that expression.
He felt slightly relieved.
At least this girl had not come alone recklessly.
"What exactly happened to you?" Yunxue asked softly.
Her hand gently caressed Xiang Shuai's pale cheek.
The man's body suddenly collapsed weakly into her arms.
She was about to take out a healing potion from her storage space.
But suddenly—
Xiang Shuai's hand grabbed her wrist.
"I don't want that potion."
"It tastes terrible."
Xue Yunxue froze.
"What?"
Xiang Shuai looked at her. His eyes, which were usually arrogant and mischievous, now appeared… fragile.
"I want to feel your healing power."
His voice was low. There was something in his eyes that Yunxue had never seen before.
A pleading look.
Xue Yunxue was surprised.
"You know about that?"
Since when?
She had always believed she had been careful enough to hide it.
But Xiang Shuai only gave a weak smile.
"Not only me… Lin Yuan and the others know about it too."
Xue Yunxue fell silent for a moment.
Then she finally sighed.
"Alright."
She no longer tried to hide it.
Her hand slowly rested on Xiang Shuai's chest.
A golden-green energy slowly flowed out from her palm.
The energy was stronger than before.
Denser.
More vibrant.
The healing energy seeped into Xiang Shuai's body.
Slowly—the wounds on his body began to close.
The whip marks disappeared.
The bleeding stopped.
The infection that had blackened his scales gradually faded.
However, some scales that had been torn out did not immediately grow back.
The healing energy could only stabilize his condition.
It could not restore everything at once.
Even so—the changes were enough to make Xiang Shuai's body feel much lighter.
But Xue Yunxue could still sense something.
The man's body was extremely weak.
He had not eaten properly for a long time.
He was far thinner than before.
Xue Yunxue clenched her teeth.
Her eyes turned slightly red.
"They treated you like this…"
Her voice became extremely cold.
Suddenly—
the sound of footsteps echoed from the dark corridor.
Xue Yunxue's eyes immediately turned vigilant.
Xiang Shuai's body was still too weak.
If guards came now, she would have to protect him.
As the footsteps drew closer—
a sharp plant thorn suddenly appeared in Yunxue's palm and shot toward the corridor.
The figure emerging from the darkness easily avoided it.
"Xue'er… are you trying to kill me now?"
The voice sounded very familiar.
Lu Xiao.
Behind him, Yun Wu and Lin Yuan also appeared from the shadows of the prison corridor.
Xue Yunxue and Xiang Shuai both let out a sigh of relief.
But when the three men saw Xiang Shuai's condition—
they all fell silent for a moment.
The snake prince who was usually arrogant, elegant, and always well-dressed…
now looked more miserable than a street beggar.
His body was covered in wounds.
His face was pale.
His silver hair was messy and dirty.
Even the scales on his tail were torn in many places.
"Yun Wu," Xue Yunxue said quickly.
"Help me carry Xiang Shuai."
Yun Wu immediately stepped forward without saying much.
He supported Xiang Shuai's body and helped him stand.
Xiang Shuai's serpent tail slowly transformed back into human legs, though his body still trembled weakly.
But before they moved—
Xiang Shuai suddenly spoke in a soft voice.
"I… can't leave yet."
Everyone turned toward him.
"My parents are still imprisoned here."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Lu Xiao and Lin Yuan exchanged glances.
Then Lu Xiao said casually,
"We'll go get them."
Lin Yuan snorted softly but did not argue.
"You leave first with Xue'er."
Xue Yunxue quickly took out several teleportation tokens from her storage space and handed them to them.
The two men accepted the tokens.
The next second—
their bodies turned into thin mist and disappeared into the prison corridor.
Meanwhile, Yun Wu took a soldier's uniform from the unconscious guard.
He helped Xiang Shuai put on the clothes as a disguise.
After that, Yun Wu supported Xiang Shuai on his shoulder.
Xue Yunxue then took out two other teleportation tokens.
These tokens were different from the previous ones.
More complex.
More powerful.
They could teleport the user even from underground.
She handed them to Yun Wu and Xiang Shuai.
"Use these now."
Without wasting time, they immediately activated the tokens.
A teleportation light flashed.
In an instant—
Yun Wu and Xiang Shuai disappeared.
A few seconds later, they appeared inside a small wooden house beneath the mountains, far from the center of Shelua's capital.
The place was quiet.
The area looked more like farmland rarely visited by people.
A fairly safe hiding place for now.
Yun Wu lowered Xiang Shuai onto a wooden chair.
Then he stepped outside the house and scanned the surroundings vigilantly.
Several minutes passed.
But Xue Yunxue did not appear.
Yun Wu's brows slowly furrowed.
An uneasy feeling began to grow in his chest.
Did that girl have another plan?
Or had she entered the teleportation coordinates incorrectly?
Anxiety slowly crept into his mind.
But Xiang Shuai was still too weak.
He could not leave the man alone now.
If he returned to the palace while carrying Xiang Shuai—
it would only put the snake prince in danger again.
Yun Wu quietly clenched his teeth.
----------
Meanwhile—Xue Yunxue had intentionally returned to the underground prison.
When she helped Xiang Shuai escape earlier, her spiritual energy had sensed something strange.
There were far too many life auras in that place.
Far more than what should exist in Xiang Shuai's private prison.
Xiang Shuai had been locked in a separate cell, far away from the other prisoners.
Because of that, Yunxue hadn't noticed the presence of the other prisoners when she first infiltrated the dungeon.
She had been too focused on Xiang Shuai.
But after leaving that cell—
she realized something.
There were at least a hundred people imprisoned in this place.
Now Xue Yunxue stood alone in an empty prison corridor.
Silent.
So silent that she could hear the dripping water from the damp stone ceiling.
She took a slow breath.
Her eyes sharpened.
But at the very next second—
WOOOONGGG—!
The prison alarm suddenly roared loudly.
The sound echoed through the entire underground corridor like the roar of a giant monster awakening.
The crystal lamps on the walls began flashing red.
The guards in other sections of the prison immediately panicked.
"Alarm! Alarm!"
"A prisoner is missing!"
"The prison has been breached!"
The sound of hurried footsteps soon echoed from multiple directions.
Xue Yunxue let out a short sigh.
It seemed her quiet time had run out.
She glanced once more at the dark corridor.
Vines sprouted from the floor and walls, helping her move quickly through hidden gaps and passages unknown to the guards.
Within minutes—Xue Yunxue had already escaped the underground prison complex.
She immediately activated the last teleportation token in her hand.
A soft light wrapped around her body.
The next second—
she vanished.
----------------
Meanwhile, in another section of the underground prison—
Lin Yuan and Lu Xiao finally found the cell where the Emperor and Empress were being held.
Their condition was far worse than expected.
The Emperor's body was covered with old wounds.
His breathing was weak.
The Empress was barely conscious.
Her body was thin and pale like that of a living corpse.
Lu Xiao narrowed his eyes.
"Xiang She truly has no intention of letting them live."
Lin Yuan did not respond.
He immediately used his mental power to shatter the chains binding Xiang Shuai's parents.
"There's no time to talk."
"The alarm has already been triggered."
Without another word, Lin Yuan lifted the Emperor with one arm, while Lu Xiao supported the Empress.
The two of them then activated the teleportation tokens given by Xue Yunxue.
Black mist and blue light appeared at the same time.
In an instant—
they disappeared from the underground prison.
A few seconds later—they appeared in a small wooden house beneath the mountains, far from the center of Shelua's capital.
The place was quiet.
The night wind blew gently across the grass fields surrounding the house.
In front of the small house—Yun Wu stood with a tense expression.
The moment he saw them appear, he immediately walked over.
His eyes immediately fell on the Emperor and Empress, who looked nearly lifeless.
"How are they?" Yun Wu asked.
"Bad," Lu Xiao replied.
They laid the Emperor and Empress down in a small room inside the wooden house.
The room was simple—there was only a wooden bed, a small table, and a dim crystal lamp hanging from the ceiling.
Xiang Shuai sat on the floor beside the bed.
His body was still weak, though far better than before.
His back leaned against the wall.
His usually arrogant eyes were now dark and heavy as he looked at his unmoving parents.
Their bodies were thin.
Their faces pale like paper.
Their breathing was so weak it was almost impossible to hear.
Xiang Shuai said nothing.
But the cold aura slowly emanating from his body made the air in the room feel heavy.
Not long after—the door of the house opened.
Xue Yunxue had finally returned.
Her steps were slightly unsteady.
She looked exhausted.
After rescuing the prisoners earlier, she had also treated most of them—giving medicine, food, and emergency care before finally returning to this hideout.
The moment Yun Wu saw her, he immediately stood up.
"Where have you been?"
His tone sounded more tense than usual.
Lin Yuan and Lu Xiao also looked at her, clearly waiting for an explanation.
Xue Yunxue removed the veil covering her face.
She let out a short breath.
"I went back to the prison."
"There were more than a hundred prisoners still there."
She briefly explained what she had done—
how she freed the prisoners, moved them to the mountains, and treated them before returning here.
The three men fell silent for several seconds after hearing this.
Lin Yuan finally snorted softly.
"Will ignoring other people actually kill you?"
However, his tone was not entirely reproachful.
Xue Yunxue did not respond.
She immediately looked around the room.
"Where are the Emperor and Empress?"
"They're inside," Lin Yuan replied.
"Their condition is very bad."
Without waiting any longer, Xue Yunxue quickly walked into the room.
As soon as the door opened—
she saw Xiang Shuai still sitting on the floor beside the bed.
The man slowly turned when Yunxue entered.
His golden eyes looked dim.
"Xue'er…"
His voice was hoarse.
"Will you help them?"
His voice was extremely soft.
Xue Yunxue did not answer with words.
She simply walked to the bed.
Her hand slowly rested on the Emperor's chest first.
Golden-green energy once again flowed from her palm.
The energy entered the Emperor's body and then flowed into the Empress.
Old wounds began to close.
Whip marks faded.
Their breathing slowly became more stable.
But the longer Yunxue channeled that energy—
the paler her face became.
She had used her healing power far too many times today.
Cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
Yet she forced herself to continue.
Several minutes later—the Emperor's eyes finally opened slowly.
The Empress regained consciousness a few seconds afterward.
Even so, they were still extremely weak.
Their wounds had healed—
but severe malnutrition left them with almost no strength to speak.
Xue Yunxue finally withdrew her hand.
Her body swayed slightly.
Xiang Shuai quickly stood and caught her shoulder before she fell.
"Don't push yourself too hard. You've already done more than enough."
Xiang Shuai's voice was low.
His eyes looked complicated as he gazed at Yunxue.
"Thank you."
---------
Meanwhile—
in the Imperial Palace of Shelua.
Xiang She's fury erupted like a storm that destroyed everything in its path.
Someone had broken into the imperial underground prison—right under his own nose.
It was an insult he could not tolerate.
The main hall of the palace turned into a sea of blood.
The long sword in Xiang She's hand flashed each time it swung.
Anyone who happened to be in his path—servants, soldiers, even palace guards—were killed without hesitation.
Screams echoed briefly… then fell silent.
Servants hid behind stone pillars.
Soldiers lowered their heads, not daring to move.
No one dared approach him.
The white marble floor of the palace was now stained with fresh blood.
The thick smell of blood filled the air.
Xiang She's killing aura could even be felt outside the palace.
Even the guards standing at the outer gates felt the suffocating chill in their chests.
Finally, Xiang She stopped in front of a massive surveillance screen.
The screen displayed images from every corner of the palace, including the underground prison.
The recording of the earlier incident began replaying.
On the screen appeared the figure of a veiled girl.
Alongside three men whose faces had been disguised.
Xiang She narrowed his eyes.
He could not see the girl's face.
But when the camera captured a pair of eyes behind the veil—
he froze for a moment.
Those eyes…
were beautiful.
But not merely beautiful.
There was something else within them.
Determination.
Courage.
And an unusual strength.
Xiang She stared at the screen intently.
He felt as if he had seen those eyes before.
But his memory could not find the answer.
His gaze grew sharper as the recording continued.
He saw how the girl teleported more than a hundred prisoners using teleportation tokens.
How she controlled the rare plant element.
And even—
how she used healing energy on Xiang Shuai.
The corner of Xiang She's lips slowly lifted.
A cold and cruel smile appeared on his face.
"Interesting…"
He leaned slightly back in his chair.
"How did Xiang Shuai come to know a girl like this?"
His eyes burned with a strange desire.
Not only anger—
but also fascination.
"I must have that girl."
Xiang She's voice sounded calm.
But everyone in the room knew—
that sentence was not merely a wish.
It was an absolute command.
He turned to the generals standing with their heads lowered.
"Find this girl."
"Across the entire empire."
The generals immediately knelt.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
In a very short time—
a massive search began across the entire Shelua Empire.
Imperial troops spread in every direction.
Every city was inspected.
Every inn was investigated.
Every foreign guest was monitored.
Then Xiang She issued another order—one far more extreme.
The entire empire was sealed by a gigantic energy barrier.
The shield formed a massive dome covering the entire nation.
It seemed the legendary military power of Shelua was not just rumor.
Their forces were indeed among the strongest.
The sky above Shelua shimmered with a transparent layer of energy that was almost invisible.
No one could leave.
No one could enter.
Even the merchants and foreign guests who had come for the coronation ceremony were forced to remain within the empire's territory.
Soon the entire nation learned one thing.
The future emperor was searching for a mysterious girl.
And whoever succeeded in finding her—
would receive an enormous reward.
---------
The Shelua military moved extremely fast.
All illegal teleportation routes within the empire were immediately blocked.
Ordinary teleportation tokens could no longer be used to leave Shelua's territory. Any attempt to teleport would instantly be detected by the imperial energy shield network.
This forced Xue Yunxue to change her plan.
She could no longer move around freely.
Fortunately, she had been wearing a veil at the time, so no one could immediately recognize her face.
Xiang Shuai led everyone to a large underground cave, hidden far from the military patrol routes.
The cave was deep and winding, with a high stone ceiling and a small river flowing through it.
Xue Yunxue quickly scattered various aura-concealing powders throughout the entire area.
Their body scent was disguised. Their spiritual energy was hidden.
Then Yunxue caused thick vines to grow around the cave entrance, sealing every crack in the stone like a natural curtain.
From the outside, the place looked like nothing more than an ordinary cliff covered in wild vegetation.
No one would suspect that a hidden refuge lay behind it.
-----------
The condition of the Emperor of Shelua gradually began to improve.
His face was no longer as pale as before. His body was slowly regaining strength after Yunxue gave him nutritional elixirs.
He looked at everyone inside the cave one by one.
His gaze eventually stopped on Xue Yunxue.
"Thank you for saving us."
The emperor's voice was still heavy, but far more stable now.
The aura of power within his body had also begun to return.
"I do not know how to repay such a great favor."
Xue Yunxue simply gave a faint smile.
"There's no need to be so formal."
"After all… everyone here is family."
The word family caused the atmosphere in the cave to fall silent for a moment.
Xiang Shuai, who was standing near the wall, suddenly lowered his gaze.
Family.
Throughout his entire life in the palace, that word had almost no meaning.
His brothers had never treated him as family.
To them, he had only ever been a rival.
Their eyes had always been filled with vigilance and hostility.
But the girl standing before him now… spoke that word so naturally.
The only person who had ever truly treated him like family…
might only be Xue Yunxue.
-------------
Meanwhile, the old emperor looked at Yunxue with careful scrutiny.
He had already heard from Xiang Shuai that this girl was his partner.
In terms of status, she did not seem to have any clear noble background.
But the emperor was no fool.
He could see something deeper.
This girl was intelligent.
Calm under pressure.
And her abilities…
were extremely interesting.
Plant element.
And on top of that—
a rare healing ability.
The old emperor narrowed his eyes slightly.
He was certain this girl was no ordinary woman.
She had even managed to restore his body after he had been poisoned for so long by Xiang She.
The Emperor of Shelua had actually reached the early stage of the Taigu realm.
But when the coup happened—
he had already been poisoned by Xiang She for years.
The poison had weakened him to the point where he could not fight back when his third son trapped him.
His eldest son—Crown Prince Xiang Zhenlong—had been killed by Xiang She during the coup.
That was the greatest wound in the emperor's heart.
Even now, he still could not understand how Xiang She had obtained such terrifying power that he could overthrow him.
Meanwhile, Xiang Shuai's condition had stabilized significantly.
His body was recovering.
However, the Empress's condition was far more difficult.
The woman had long suffered from a congenital heart condition.
The torture she endured in prison had only made it worse.
Her body was far too weak to endure a large amount of healing energy.
Because of that, Xue Yunxue could only treat her slowly.
Each day, she transferred a small amount of healing energy—just enough to stabilize the empress without overburdening her heart.
This treatment continued almost without pause for two full days.
During those two days—
the Shelua army continued its search across the entire empire.
The hundred prisoners freed by Xue Yunxue were now hiding in a remote mountain range in the outer territory of the Shelua Empire.
The place was far from trade routes and military patrol paths.
Only dense forests, steep cliffs, and thin mist that almost constantly covered the surrounding valleys.
For the moment—
they were safe.
Some of them built temporary shelters inside natural caves.
Others gathered water from mountain springs and searched for wild plants to eat.
Although their bodies were still weak, their spirits were slowly beginning to recover.
The prisoners saved by Yunxue were not ordinary people.
They were former noble families, personal guards, palace servants, and loyal aides of the emperor who had been arrested after the coup.
Xiang She had deliberately imprisoned them to destroy the old network of power that remained loyal to the emperor.
Because of that, most of them were people who had once held important positions in the imperial court.
============
On the third day, the search for the mysterious girl was finally forced to stop.
Not because Xiang She had given up.
But because that day was the coronation day of the new Emperor of Shelua.
All of the empire's attention was now focused on the ceremony.
The Shelua military stood on full alert around the palace. Rows of armed soldiers guarded every gate, tower, and outer wall.
The sky above the palace was filled with aerial sentries, while elite troops patrolled among the crowds of citizens and royal guests.
All of this was done to prevent infiltrators or spies from other kingdoms.
Inside their hidden cave, the old emperor appeared far calmer than everyone else.
He sat leaning against a stone chair, his face regaining its former dignity even though his body had not fully recovered.
It was as if he did not care at all that Xiang She would ascend the throne today.
Lin Yuan stood near the cave entrance with his arms crossed.
His blue eyes sharpened as he looked at the emperor.
"Old Emperor," he said coldly.
"Aren't you worried that your throne will be taken by that criminal?"
His tone carried no politeness whatsoever.
Lin Yuan had never liked the Emperor of Shelua.
In the past, the emperor and Lin Yuan's father—Lin Tianhai, the King of the Eastern Sea—had indeed been old friends.
But that did not mean Lin Yuan felt obligated to show respect.
The old emperor merely smiled faintly.
"There is no need to worry."
His voice was calm.
"After all…"
"Xiang She will never be able to become the Emperor of Shelua."
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
But the old emperor did not answer.
He simply gave a faint smile, as if he already knew something that others did not.
Meanwhile—
Xue Yunxue, Xiang Shuai, and Lu Xiao were already outside the city.
They stood on a rocky hill far from the palace, observing the coronation ceremony from a distance.
Today Yunxue was not wearing a veil.
Instead, she wore a dark hooded cloak that covered most of her face, leaving only a small portion of her eyes and nose visible.
She had also altered Xiang Shuai's appearance.
Using a dye potion, his distinctive silver hair—the symbol of the royal bloodline—had been turned into a deep red.
His appearance was now far harder to recognize.
As for Lu Xiao, he remained as he always was.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Yet the cold aura around his body caused people nearby to unconsciously keep their distance.
The three of them blended into the crowd like ordinary spectators among the citizens gathered to witness the ceremony.
The coronation ceremony was held in an open square in front of the palace.
A massive stage had been erected in the center of the square.
Standing on the stage—
was Xiang She, dressed in black and gold imperial robes.
His long robe trailed behind him, and his massive snake tail coiled across part of the stage floor like a symbol of absolute authority.
The coronation ceremony was about to begin.
Not long after—
an old man in white robes slowly walked toward the stage.
He was the Royal Priest of Shelua.
The moment he appeared, the entire square fell silent.
The old man was deeply respected throughout the empire.
The powerful aura emanating from him was profound and awe-inspiring, causing even the imperial generals to lower their heads.
In his hands, he carried the Royal Scepter of Shelua.
The scepter was the true symbol of imperial authority.
Without it, a ruler would never be recognized as the legitimate emperor.
The priest raised the scepter toward Xiang She.
"Take the royal scepter."
"And receive the blessing of the Shelua Empire."
Xiang She gave a cold smile.
He reached out to take it.
But—
the moment his fingers touched the scepter—
a powerful energy suddenly erupted from it.
Xiang She's body jerked violently as if struck by lightning.
His hand was thrown backward.
He could not hold the scepter.
His face immediately turned pale.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"What happened…?"
"Why can't he hold the scepter?"
Xiang She glared at the priest with a dark expression.
"What does this mean?"
The old priest only smiled faintly.
His voice remained calm as he replied,
"It means…"
"that you are not worthy of becoming the Emperor of Shelua."
The entire square exploded into chaos.
Xiang She's face twisted with fury.
In anger, he slapped the scepter aside, sending it clattering onto the stage floor.
"Get out of my sight, old man!"
His voice echoed coldly across the entire square.
"With or without that royal scepter…"
"Today—I will still become the Emperor of Shelua."
A few seconds later—
a group of men wearing black and red robes walked onto the stage.
Xue Yunxue immediately tensed.
She recognized the symbol on their clothing.
It was the emblem of the Rebel Army.
Her eyes narrowed.
Had Xiang She been secretly cooperating with the rebels all along?
But the shock did not end there.
Someone else stepped onto the stage.
A tall man with a cold and terrifying aura.
The moment Xue Yunxue saw his face—
her breath caught.
Noctar.
Why was he here?
Beside her, Lu Xiao's eyes instantly flashed with fury.
The vampire's aura darkened.
Xiang Shuai immediately sensed the change in atmosphere between them.
He looked sharply at the man on the stage.
"Do you two know that man?"