The oppressive aura of three Titled Douluo swept across the imperial square, striking fear into Xue Ye, Ge Long, and the two Education Committee members, Meng Shenji and Zhi Lin. Their faces turned ashen.
Fortunately, the three didn't immediately attack. Both sides remained locked in a tense standoff. Ge Long and the two deans positioned themselves protectively around Xue Ye, their seven Soul Rings gleaming brilliantly beneath their feet.
Xue Ye's eyes scanned the assembled figures—he saw Gu Han and Bibi Dong of Spirit Hall, and Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. In that moment, he understood everything.
His gaze finally landed on Xue Xing, and rage overtook him. His entire body trembled as his eyes turned bloodshot, and he roared furiously:
"Xue Xing! You shameless traitor! For the sake of your selfish ambition, you've colluded with foreign powers, betrayed the royal family, and sold out the Heaven Dou Empire! Have you no honor? No gratitude for Father's nurturing and the legacy of our ancestors?"
But Xue Xing remained indifferent to the accusations. A smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Dear brother," he said, "this throne should have been mine all along. Father always favored you—what choice did I have?"
"Rather than scrape by under your rule, I'd rather take the throne myself and forge a greater empire. I'm no traitor—under my reign, the Empire will be stronger than ever."
"You... all of you—!"
Xue Ye was trembling with rage. His hand shot out to point at those behind the Soul Master army.
"You vile conspirators, aiding and abetting this rebellion! Even if it costs me my life, I'll fight you to the end!"
He drew the sword from his waist, raising it high.
"Attack! Slay the traitors—defend the Empire's honor!"
With a thunderous roar, he charged.
Gu Han, expression unreadable, simply waved his hand and gave the order:
"Kill them all. Leave no one alive."
A piercing screech rang out.
Lingyuan was the first to act. A fiery red phoenix soared skyward, its cry echoing across the heavens, radiating authority and searing heat.
"Eighth Soul Skill—Boiling Blood!"
Countless flaming feathers ignited with extreme fire, descending like snowflakes from the sky.
In an instant, a terrifying blaze engulfed the imperial palace, bathing everything in crimson light.
The rain of fire descended upon the elite imperial guards brought by Xue Ye. Screams of agony rang out as the flames consumed them.
Simultaneously, Guang Ling attacked without mercy.
He drew the Glowing Feather Divine Bow from his back and slowly pulled the bowstring. As an icy-blue magic circle formed in front of it, he loosed the string.
A hail of ice arrows rained down upon Xue Ye's forces.
Silent, razor-sharp, and merciless, the arrows pierced and froze the bodies of the guards where they stood.
Wherever they struck, frost spread rapidly across the ground. Flames and ice clashed—an eerie, surreal battlefield of opposing extremes.
Under this dual onslaught, Xue Ye's forces quickly fell into total disarray.
The imperial guard suffered heavy casualties. Morale collapsed.
"Your Highness, run!"
Ge Long, Meng Shenji, Zhi Lin, and the newly arrived Bai Baoshan realized the situation was dire. Unless they broke through now, death was certain. They surrounded Xue Ye and tried to force a path out.
But before they could take a step, Gu Rong appeared before them, like a phantom, cutting off their escape.
"Go, Your Highness! I'll hold them off! Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul Avatar!"
With a defiant roar, Ge Long unleashed his Soul Avatar. A massive Yazi Beast soared into the air, glowing brightly as he poured all his soul power into one desperate charge.
He became a streak of light, hurling himself at Gu Rong to clear a path for the Crown Prince.
But alas—Ge Long was a Soul Sage, while his opponent stood at the pinnacle of the Soul Master world: a Titled Douluo.
"Heh. You dare challenge the heavens with seven rings?"
Gu Rong raised his hand. A tidal wave of soul power surged forth, crushing Ge Long's advance.
Ge Long felt as if a mountain had landed on him. He couldn't move a single inch despite exerting all his strength.
Pshhk—!
A sharp bone spike burst from the ground and pierced Ge Long's chest in a flash of white light.
His eyes flew wide open. Blood gushed from his mouth, his expression filled with fury and helplessness.
As the bone spike receded, his body collapsed to the ground. His life faded instantly.
"General Ge Long!!"
Xue Ye cried out in despair. His eyes brimmed with tears and blazing anger.
"Run, Your Highness!!"
But there was no time to grieve. Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin pushed forward, suppressing their sorrow, shielding Xue Ye as they battled encircling enemies, desperate to find a way out.
Guang Ling's gaze locked on Xue Ye. A faint smirk formed on his lips.
His fifth Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet, and tremendous soul power surged into his bow.
He drew the string back again.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Arrive Without Obstacles."
With a low chant, his left eye gleamed. Layers of snowflake-shaped crosshairs overlapped within his pupil like a sniper's scope.
Reflected in his gaze—Xue Ye's frantically beating heart.
He released.
A frost-covered arrow shot forth like a meteor.
The very air froze in its path. Ice shards sprayed outward like knives.
Strangely, the arrow seemed to have a will of its own, dodging allies with uncanny precision and heading straight for Xue Ye.
The Crown Prince felt the world turn monochrome. Within the deafening silence, despair engulfed him.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul Avatar!" ×3
The three deans immediately activated their Soul Avatars.
In a flash, Bai Baoshan's Heaven Star Furnace expanded in the wind, radiating blinding light. A powerful energy shield enveloped the group.
Zhi Lin pressed a hand to the ground. Countless thick, resilient vines erupted like dragons, weaving into an impenetrable green barrier.
His Sky Azure Vine gleamed with soul energy, like an unbreakable suit of armor.
Meng Shenji didn't hesitate. Possessed by his Black Goblin Martial Soul, he unleashed a thick black mist filled with snarling phantom beasts, forming a heavy black shield around Xue Ye.
But Guang Ling's arrow—charged with the essence of ultimate ice—was terrifyingly powerful.
It pierced through the Heaven Star Furnace's shield with ease, then slammed into the vine wall.
The vines froze instantly, becoming as brittle as glass. They shattered on contact, scattering into icy fragments.
Next, it struck Meng Shenji's black barrier.
The dark mist crumbled like paper, scattering into black stardust.
A heartbeat later—the arrow pierced straight through Xue Ye's heart.
The extreme cold burst through his entire body. A thick layer of ice quickly formed over him.
His eyes widened in disbelief and rage. His lips trembled, trying to speak—but he could only spit out blood laced with shards of ice.
His body, now a frozen statue, toppled backward with a crash, shattering the frost beneath him.
"Your Highness!!"
All three deans screamed in unison, voices laced with despair.
They had watched helplessly as their prince fell before their eyes.
The imperial plaza fell deathly still.
Only the lingering flames and suffocating cold remained—a silent testament to the brutal battle just fought.
And with Xue Ye's death, the balance of power in this palace coup had completely tipped in Xue Xing's favor.
~~~
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