Ming City, Sun Moon Imperial Palace.
Now that the old emperor was bedridden, all major and minor affairs in the court were completely handed over to Prince Regent Xu Tianran to manage.
This Prince Regent, sitting in a wheelchair, could be considered extremely diligent, working from dawn till dusk. The lights in the Hall of Diligent Government often stayed lit until the second half of the night, something everyone in the palace had long since grown used to.
However, tonight, an earth-shattering explosion suddenly tore through the peace of the imperial palace.
That loud noise came fiercely and suddenly, like an invisible giant beast descending from the sky, overturning the elegant building of the Hall of Diligent Government along with the surrounding ground.
Gravel and rubble splashed everywhere in the firelight, and thick smoke billowed upward, shaking the roofs of several surrounding side halls so that dust fell in rustling showers.
This Hall of Diligent Government, where Xu Tianran frequently handled government affairs, instantly turned into a ruin at this moment.
But this was far from over; the aftermath of the explosion had not yet dissipated when dozens of figures suddenly emerged around the ruins.
Their movements were swift and neat, with everyone's gazes concentrated in the midst of that ruin.
A figure enveloped by a transparent light barrier was sitting on a wheelchair, with a calm expression, as if the explosion just now, which was enough to crush everything, was nothing more than an insignificant breeze.
That figure was surrounded by nine spirit rings, glowing with an unusual radiance under the reflection of the firelight.
Everyone felt a wave of shock in their hearts. This disabled Prince Regent, who sat in a wheelchair all day long, turned out to be a Titled Douluo?!
Xu Tianran looked at those familiar figures around him, a sneer slowly curling up the corner of his mouth.
His voice was not loud, yet it carried a sense of composure, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time: "You have finally come."
Hearing this, the surrounding people's hearts suddenly sank. His sentence seemed as if he had long anticipated that they would come.
Sure enough, just as Xu Tianran's voice fell, strands of powerful auras suddenly burst forth from the darkness.
Among them were Sun Moon Soul Engineers, as well as Evil Soul Masters with evil auras, but they shared a common characteristic: the auras they emitted were extremely powerful.
And finally, a huge black dragon hovered above the imperial palace, its golden eyes overlooking everything below, like an ancient deity looking down upon ants.
Dragon Emperor Douluo, Limit Douluo Long Xiaoyao, had also made a move!
Everyone who came to assassinate Xu Tianran understood at this moment that they had fallen into Xu Tianran's trap.
This so-called "assassination" was within the other party's expectations from start to finish.
Body Sect Sect Master, Sect Master Du Busi hovered in mid-air, feeling that abyss-like, heavy Limit Douluo pressure shrouding down from above his head.
There was not a trace of fear on his rugged face; instead, he let out a cold snort, his voice carrying undisguised sarcasm: "I didn't expect that the continent-renowned Dragon Emperor Douluo has now become a guard dog for Sun Moon."
The huge black dragon hovering above the imperial palace slightly lowered its head, and Limit Douluo Long Xiaoyao, standing atop the dragon head, cast his cold eyes onto him.
Being described like this, Limit Douluo Long Xiaoyao also spoke in an unkind tone: "If you want to die, then today this old man will grant your wish, and from now on there will no longer be a Body Sect on the continent!"
Compared to Sect Master Du Busi's unyielding toughness, Xuan Zi below was much calmer at this moment.
His gaze swept rapidly around the surroundings, feeling the auras of those powerhouses constantly emerging from the darkness, and he decisively shouted: "We can't accomplish anything now... Retreat!"
The moment his voice fell, several people from Shrek Academy swiftly swept backward without the slightest hesitation.
However, this action made Sect Master Du Busi, who was preparing to fight with all his might, furious. Without Xuan Zi, he alone could definitely not be Limit Douluo Long Xiaoyao's match.
He clenched his teeth, and ultimately swallowed that breath, roaring in a rough voice: "Retreat!"
The people of the Heavenly Soul Empire retreated outward closely behind them, and the powerhouses of the Douling Empire and Star Luo Empire also each sought their own ways out, scattering before those powerhouses could encircle them.
This assassination plan, which the Douluo Three Kingdoms had plotted for a long time, lasted only a short time equivalent to half a cup of tea from the start of the action to the declaration of failure.
Sitting on the wheelchair in the ruins, Xu Tianran looked at those retreating figures, a trace of calm smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.
He then gave the order: "Pursue them, don't let a single one go."
The powerhouses of the Sun Moon Empire and the Evil Soul Masters of the Holy Spirit Cult scattered in pursuit. Figures flashed across the sky above the imperial palace, disappearing into the night in different directions.
Xu Tianran then slightly turned his head, looking at the black dragon still hovering in mid-air, his tone carrying a layer of politeness: "Elder Long, I will have to trouble you regarding the Spirit Pagoda."
Limit Douluo Long Xiaoyao didn't say much, just slightly nodded. Then, his huge dragon body swung in the air, transforming into a dark stream of light, and swept toward the direction of the Sun Moon Spirit Pagoda.
After everyone left, Xu Tianran sat alone in the wheelchair, raising his head to look at the night sky.
Tonight the weather was exceptionally good; the bright moon hung high, and the starlight was sparse yet bright, like a few pieces of broken diamond scattered on a wiped-clean black velvet cloth.
Looking at that clear night sky, he suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
That laughter echoed above the empty ruins, carrying a heartfelt and unrestrained exhilaration.
He did not seem annoyed at all by the assassination attempt just now by the Douluo Three Kingdoms, but rather extremely joyful.
After the laughter gradually subsided, he restrained his expression again and called out: "Ju Zi."
A bright yellow figure slowly walked over from the shadows in the distance. Ju Zi was wearing a bright yellow long dress that swept the ground, outlining her graceful and exquisite figure.
Her footsteps shifted lightly as she moved forward gracefully.
When she walked up in front of Xu Tianran, the other party suddenly reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her entire body into his arms.
Ju Zi let out a low cry caught off guard, and then her cheeks slightly reddened, but she did not struggle.
Holding her, Xu Tianran lowered his head and smiled by her ear: "It was the Douluo Three Kingdoms that sent people to assassinate me. Tomorrow, spread this message throughout Ming City."
Lying in his arms, Ju Zi's gaze flickered slightly, and then she replied in a low voice: "Yes."
She knew that Xu Tianran was preparing to launch a war.
This was indeed a perfect reason to dispatch troops: the Crown Prince being assassinated, the imperial palace being bombed, and the subjects being shaken—what could be more suitable than this to raise the banner of conquest?
Afterward, the smile on Xu Tianran's face gradually restrained a bit. Feeling the strength wrapped around her waist gradually recede, Ju Zi sensibly stood up, stepped back half a step, lowered her eyelids, and waited for the next instruction.
Xu Tianran was silent for a moment, then spoke in a flat tone: "His Majesty should set off on his final journey."
Hearing this, Ju Zi's pupils shrank slightly, and she slightly bowed in response: "Yes."
She then turned and left, her bright yellow skirt trailing a long shadow in the moonlight.
After tomorrow, she probably wouldn't be the Prince Regent's consort anymore, but the Sun Moon Empress!
-------------------------------------------------
A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.