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In the Tian Dou City Imperial Palace, Emperor Xue Ye was in a dire state. He appeared to have been poisoned and seemed on the verge of death, frail and weak.
Besides his usual guards, two towering figures now stood beside him—Bone Douluo and Yang Wudi.
Bone Douluo's face was filled with concern and a hint of displeasure. Despite their covert protection of Emperor Xue Ye, he had still been poisoned, and it looked like a life-threatening situation.
"Old Goat, didn't you claim to be an expert in poisons? How can you not even handle this minor toxin?"
Yang Wudi, at this moment, appeared extremely serious. He had already identified the poison afflicting Emperor Xue Ye—it was the forbidden toxin of the Breaking Clan: Seven-Colored Radiance.
Seven-Colored Radiance was a closely guarded secret of the Breaking Clan, passed down only to the clan leader. For years, only Yang Wudi and his missing younger brother, Yang Wushuang, knew how to concoct it.
However, Yang Wushuang had disappeared during the Spirit Hall battle years ago, and Yang Wudi himself would never divulge the formula for Seven-Colored Radiance.
Bone Douluo's expression turned sour: "Old Goat, can this poison really be cured or not? Give me a straight answer."
Yang Wudi snorted coldly: "Others might not be able to cure it, but for me, it's child's play. I'm probably the only one in this world who can do it."
"Fortunately, Emperor Xue Ye was poisoned recently, and the poisoning wasn't too severe. The impact on his future should be minimal."
Without another word, Yang Wudi took out a beautiful flower from his person. The flower was entirely pink, crystal-clear, and translucent—it was the Aromatic Silk Beauty.
Within the range of the Aromatic Silk Beauty, Yang Wudi quickly administered various medicinal herbs to Emperor Xue Ye.
Under the combined effects of the Aromatic Silk Beauty and the antidote, the poison that had been spreading through Emperor Xue Ye's body began to recede. His previously pale complexion started regaining a hint of color.
Bone Douluo was astonished: "Impressive. I didn't expect you, Old Goat, to possess such a treasure. It seems your mastery of poisons rivals that of Old Poison."
Yang Wudi sneered: "That Old Poison merely relies on the toxicity of his martial soul to intimidate amateurs. When it comes to the true art of poison-making, he's far from my level."
Bone Douluo sighed: "I've spent my whole life dealing with hawks, yet I ended up getting pecked in the eye. I suspected everyone else, but never thought Crown Prince Xue Qinghe would dare poison his own father."
"Now, within the entire Tian Dou Imperial Family, he is the sole heir. Why would he go so far as to poison Emperor Xue Ye? And the poison he used is colorless and odorless—it even deceived me. Clearly, Xue Qinghe has harbored ill intentions for a long time."
"There's more. From the ruthlessness of Xue Qinghe's actions, it's likely that Emperor Xue Ye's other three sons also fell victim to him. This Xue Qinghe has committed fratricide and patricide. There's no way this matter is simple."
Yang Wudi shot Bone Douluo a glance: "Old Bones, for someone who handles all the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's underhanded affairs, I'm surprised you're so shaken by a mere Xue Qinghe. Seems your tolerance isn't as strong as I thought."
Bone Douluo's face darkened upon hearing this: "You cunning old goat! Did you foresee Xue Qinghe's poisoning scheme beforehand?"
"Forget about you and me—even our sect leader fell for his act. Xue Qinghe has an impeccable reputation outside, and he's our sect leader's personal disciple. Yet his actions are so ruthless. I suspect our loss in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect battle was partly due to his machinations."
Yang Wudi frowned slightly: "Xue Qinghe is already Emperor Xue Ye's sole son. If he continues to feign innocence, even if Emperor Xue Ye finds evidence, it won't shake Xue Qinghe's position as the Tian Dou Empire's heir. Why take the risk of poisoning his father?"
Bone Douluo shook his head: "This is what confuses me as well. Anyone else in the world might act, but I never imagined Xue Qinghe would stoop so low. Perhaps there's something between him and Emperor Xue Ye that we don't know about?"
At this moment, Emperor Xue Ye finally regained consciousness. His face was filled with sorrow and despair, clearly unable to accept being poisoned by his own son.
Emperor Xue Ye struggled to sit up: "Forgive me for this embarrassment, esteemed guests. I've worked tirelessly my entire life, yet I've been poisoned by my own son. It seems I underestimated the connection between Xue Qinghe and the Spirit Hall."
Bone Douluo quickly interjected: "Your Majesty, why did Xue Qinghe target you? Is he that impatient?"
Emperor Xue Ye shook his head: "It's not Xue Qinghe's impatience—it's the Spirit Hall's. Though they recently announced plans to re-elect the seven great sects, their true aim is likely to bring them all under their control."
"And with the Spirit Hall's ambition, they're not content to remain a mere religious organization or the leader of the soul master world. They likely seek to unify the entire world."
"Their biggest obstacles are insufficient wealth, territory, and disciplined armies—all of which the Tian Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire have accumulated over thousands of years. These assets far surpass what the Spirit Hall has developed in recent years."
Bone Douluo's expression grew grave: "It seems this Xue Qinghe has secretly aligned himself with the Spirit Hall. They must have coveted the Tian Dou Empire for a long time, and their schemes may stretch back over a decade."
"Your Majesty, what are your plans now? After all, Xue Qinghe is your only remaining son."
Emperor Xue Ye didn't answer Bone Douluo directly but instead turned to Yang Wudi: "Master Yang, how is the poison affecting me now? What impact will it have on my future? What kind of poison is it? Not only is its toxicity potent, but it's also colorless, odorless, and completely undetectable."
Yang Wudi remained silent for a moment before speaking: "To be honest, this poison is anything but ordinary. It's a blend of seven deadly toxins, known as Seven-Colored Radiance, a forbidden poison of my Breaking Clan."
"However, I find it strange. In theory, aside from myself, only my younger brother Yang Wushuang knew how to concoct Seven-Colored Radiance."
"But during the Hao Tian Sect battle years ago, Yang Wushuang fought to the death and should have perished at the hands of the Spirit Hall. So how does Seven-Colored Radiance appear now?"
Emperor Xue Ye and Bone Douluo suddenly understood. No wonder Yang Wudi had been so solemn yet managed to cure the poison so swiftly—an almost unbelievable feat.
Emperor Xue Ye gritted his teeth: "Master Yang, if I'm correct, your younger brother was likely captured by the Spirit Hall during the Hao Tian Sect battle. That's how they obtained Seven-Colored Radiance."
"If that's the case, then the Spirit Hall must have been plotting against the Tian Dou Empire for twenty years. Their ambition knows no bounds."
"Master Yang, how is my condition now? Will this poison affect my future?"
Yang Wudi shook his head: "The toxicity of Seven-Colored Radiance is intense—it's called a forbidden poison for a reason. Even disciples of my Breaking Clan aren't privy to its secrets; only successive clan leaders inherit the knowledge."
"Emperor Xue Ye, you were fortunate this time. I personally assisted in treating you, and the Aromatic Silk Beauty played a critical role. Most of the poison has been neutralized. With treatment from a top-tier Soul Sage in the future, you should fully recover."
Emperor Xue Ye nodded: "Thank you, Master Yang. With enough time, the Tian Dou Imperial Family still has hope. The Spirit Hall's conspiracy will be shattered."
"Lord Bone Douluo, Guard Captain, what is the current situation outside?"
A guard standing beside Emperor Xue Ye quickly responded: "Your Majesty, the situation outside is dire. Xue Qinghe has taken control of most of the imperial family's soul masters. Taking advantage of your poisoning, he has seized large numbers of troops and is wreaking havoc across Tian Dou City, eliminating dissenters. The city has become a battlefield."
Emperor Xue Ye let out a bitter laugh: "I once thought Ning Fengzhi was overreacting, but it turns out I was naive. If we hadn't prepared in advance, the Tian Dou Empire might have fallen into the hands of the Spirit Hall."
"I always knew there was a mole within the Tian Dou Imperial Family, but I never suspected Xue Qinghe. It seems I've truly grown old."
At this moment, Emperor Xue Ye appeared utterly heartbroken, a far cry from the lofty ruler he once was.
Yang Wudi suddenly spoke: "Your Majesty, have you considered that Xue Qinghe might have been controlled by the Spirit Hall? Or perhaps this Xue Qinghe is an imposter?"
Emperor Xue Ye and Bone Douluo were both startled—they had never considered the possibility of Xue Qinghe being an imposter.
Emperor Xue Ye questioned: "Impossible. Even if his appearance could be faked, his martial soul cannot. I've seen his martial soul multiple times—it's a swan."
Bone Douluo added: "That shouldn't be possible. While I've heard of martial souls with mimicry abilities, like Oscar's Mirror Sausage, none can sustain such transformations for long periods or completely alter their martial soul."
Yang Wudi shook his head: "Recently, I discussed martial souls with Yang Xiong. Ordinary martial souls might not achieve this, but some spirit bones can. It's said that the Spirit Hall possesses a set of heritage spirit bones called the Angel God Set, the strongest spirit bones in existence, with effects similar to this."
Bone Douluo's face paled: "I've heard of the Angel God Set—a set of spirit bones passed down by the Spirit Hall. Its value far exceeds the heritage spirit bones of the three great sects. It's said these spirit bones are ancient and require exceptional talent to utilize. They're a true legacy of the Angel God, considered the ultimate treasure in the soul master world. If a soul master could fully absorb them, the enhancement would be terrifying."
"But these spirit bones are priceless and cannot be easily handed down. Only those of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul bloodline could possibly wield them."
Emperor Xue Ye gasped: "That makes sense. Legend has it that there's another inheritor of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul—the only daughter of the former Pope, Qian Xunji. Unfortunately, she disappeared at a young age."
"All these years, Xue Qinghe has avoided women, even rejecting several marriage alliances I arranged for him. Perhaps it's because she's pretending to be a man. That would explain why he avoids women."
…
After much discussion, Emperor Xue Ye suddenly became resolute: "Regardless of whether this Xue Qinghe is real or fake, the Tian Dou Empire cannot allow the Spirit Hall to covet it. I cannot become a sinner of the Tian Dou Imperial Family."
"Guard Captain, prepare for me. It's time I met with this son of mine."
The Guard Captain swiftly made arrangements, while Yang Wudi remained silent, visibly shocked.
Many of today's revelations had been hinted at by Yang Xiong in past conversations. It seemed Yang Xiong had anticipated this situation long ago. Otherwise, how could Yang Wudi, with his sharp mind, have suspected Xue Qinghe of being an imposter—or even conceived of the existence of the Angel God Set?
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