"I, Shui Bing'er, swear never to marry Xue Beng!"
Her soul-powered voice echoed through the palace, and even the commoners on the streets outside could hear.
Now things got interesting—at the wedding, the bride publicly refused the prince. Would he ever be able to show his face again? Countless commoners secretly laughed.
"Shui Bing'er, you dare! Do you really think I won't kill you?" Emperor Xue Ye finally lost his composure.
He had tolerated the palace roof being destroyed and even a Clear Sky Elder being crippled, but this public humiliation was too much.
If he tolerated this, the Star Luo Emperor would laugh at him for days.
"Old fool, what are you shouting for? You want to kill, but can you?" Tianlin stood before Shui Bing'er. "From the moment you let your son frame Shui Bing'er, you became a dog emperor. If you want a fight, fine. Let's see if your million-strong army can kill me—or if I'll slaughter them all first!"
"You—you...!" Emperor Xue Ye was furious. Even Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin had never dared insult him like this.
"Traitor! You dare insult His Majesty? Die!" The empire's top general, Marshal Ge Long, finally couldn't hold back and leaped out. He was a powerful 86th-rank Soul Douluo.
"Get lost!" Tianlin casually slapped him aside, sending him flying and crashing through several golden pillars before he was buried in rubble.
To others, a Soul Douluo was strong, but to Tianlin now, it was nothing.
Tianlin hadn't used full force—Ge Long wouldn't die, but he'd be bedridden for months.
"Tianlin, you mustn't disrespect His Majesty!" Even the three elders were truly angry now, unleashing their top martial souls and eight soul rings each.
Bai Baoshan sighed, "Tianlin, why go this far? Turning against the empire does your sect no good. Don't forget, Spirit Hall is your true enemy. Please, don't meddle further. With your power, no one can stop you from leaving."
"Elder, you once taught me that soul masters shouldn't only care about benefits. Some things are more important—like justice and integrity!" Tianlin countered. "That's what the previous crown prince taught you. Have you forgotten everything since he left?"
"Qinghe was a good prince. If he were real, he'd bring prosperity. Alas..." Meng Shenji sighed. "You're right. We won't stop you, but we have our own duties. Today, we must prevent you from taking the crown princess!"
"I understand. You still honor Brother Xue. I promise, no matter what happens, I won't hurt you three. But I must ask you to sleep for a while." With a flash, Tianlin struck Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin in the abdomen, knocking them out.
Meng Shenji tried to activate his martial soul, but Tianlin appeared behind him and chopped his neck, knocking him out instantly.
"Sorry, elders. I have no choice. I'll apologize at the academy later," Tianlin said softly.
The Elemental Academy's Huo Wu, Feng Xiaotian, and their deans were stunned.
Tianlin had appeared, instantly defeated Lieyang Douluo, slapped Marshal Ge Long away, and knocked out the empire's three strongest elders—all without using a single soul skill.
This strength defied logic! It reminded them of the two unrivaled Douluo who once dominated the spirit master world.
The deans of Blazing Fire and God Wind Academies exchanged glances, instantly reaching a tacit agreement—they needed to change allegiances.
"Hey, old fool, anything else to say? If not, I'm leaving," Tianlin pointed his sword at Emperor Xue Ye.
"Wait, Tianlin. You said soul masters need justice and integrity. Where's your justice? Your integrity?" Emperor Xue Ye, seeing he couldn't win, tried to reason.
"You're just taking Shui Bing'er's word for it? I suspect she's the one deceiving my son and stirring up trouble between your sect and my empire."
"That's right! Tianlin, I swear she agreed willingly—she's just trying to sow discord now!" Xue Beng agreed, grabbing at any excuse.
It was a classic "he said, she said" with no evidence. If Xue Beng stuck to his story, he might even garner sympathy.
"You shameless!" Shui Yue'er nearly cried in frustration.
"Who says I'm only listening to Shui Bing'er? I have a witness proving Xue Beng is lying." Tianlin grinned.
Xue Beng froze. His plan had only been discussed with a trusted subordinate—it was impossible for them to betray him.
Relaxing, he challenged, "Where's your witness?"
Tianlin pointed to himself. "It's me. I overheard your plan at the academy—early morning, by the swan statue."
Xue Beng was dumbfounded. Tianlin sounded convincing, but the actual plan had been made at dusk, by the dormitory—not the statue.
Yang Wudi was also puzzled—wasn't the vice sect leader in seclusion at the time? Did he have super hearing?
Seeing Tianlin's smirk, Xue Beng realized—they were both lying with straight faces.
He was crown prince, but Tianlin was a Titled Douluo, equal to an emperor. To outsiders, Tianlin's word was probably more trustworthy than his own.