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Although Emperor Xue Ye had issued his command, an eerie silence enveloped the Tian Dou Imperial Palace. Everyone exchanged glances, unsure whether they should obey the order.
As Xue Qinghe had said, Emperor Xue Ye was now old, while Xue Qinghe—still in his prime—was the sole heir to the Tian Dou Imperial Family. His future prospects far surpassed those of Xue Ye.
Over the years, as Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe had recruited numerous talents, binding many to his cause. For these individuals, there was no turning back.
The people present quickly divided into two factions: one supporting Emperor Xue Ye and the other backing Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Notably, Xue Qinghe's faction included a high proportion of soul masters, even several advanced ones. A massive battle was on the verge of erupting.
Xue Qinghe shouted loudly: "Emperor Xue Ye has been controlled by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect! They intend to seize control of the imperial family and hold Xue Ye hostage. Everyone, kill the traitors of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and rescue Emperor Xue Ye!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't expected that, even at this stage, Xue Qinghe would still dare to resist.
As the words of both Emperor Xue Ye and Xue Qinghe echoed, the entire palace descended into chaos. Armies and soul masters began attacking one another.
Both Emperor Xue Ye and Xue Qinghe had many capable subordinates. Especially Xue Qinghe, who over the years had arranged for numerous Spirit Hall personnel to infiltrate the Tian Dou Imperial Family, some even occupying high positions. These individuals held no loyalty to Emperor Xue Ye.
In the chaotic battle within the Tian Dou Palace, the decisive factor wasn't the ordinary soldiers but the top-tier experts.
Originally, both Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang were being suppressed by Title Douluos, while Tai Tan and Zhao Wuji had sustained significant injuries.
However, after Emperor Xue Ye appeared, the four Title Douluos abandoned their current battles and swiftly moved to protect Xue Qinghe.
Compared to defeating enemies, ensuring Xue Qinghe's safety was paramount. If anything happened to him, everyone would face certain death.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao quickly joined Tang San, as did Yu Xiaogang and the others.
Xiao Wu, too, was deeply worried about Tang San's condition and insisted on checking his injuries despite Ning Rongrong's attempts to dissuade her.
Xue Qinghe sneered: "A bunch of stray dogs barking madly. Elders, Uncle Qian Jun, Uncle Jiang Mo—leave no one alive here. As for Yang Xiong, leave him to me."
Besides the four Title Douluos, Xue Qinghe was also surrounded by many other powerful individuals, all experts from the Spirit Hall.
Upon receiving their orders, the four Title Douluos turned their menacing gazes toward their opponents, clearly intent on swiftly defeating them.
Qian Jun Douluo and Jiang Mo Douluo once again targeted Tang Hao, determined to kill him before relenting.
Tang Hao's expression turned icy: "Qian Jun, Jiang Mo, you're only relying on your numbers to bully me. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
Qian Jun Douluo sneered: "Whether you're alone or have ten men, we brothers always fight together."
At this moment, a figure appeared beside Tang Hao with incredible speed, seemingly teleporting directly to his side—it was Bone Douluo.
Bone Douluo sneered coldly: "I've seen shamelessness, but never such bullying through sheer numbers. Let me witness the might of your twin dragon staffs."
Aside from Bone Douluo, no one else on the scene could contend with Qian Jun Douluo and Jiang Mo Douluo. After all, both brothers were level 96, just like Bone Douluo.
Massive coiling dragon staffs smashed down, but Bone Douluo transformed into a colossal bone dragon, enduring their attacks head-on.
Even Qian Jun Douluo and Jiang Mo Douluo were astonished. Though they knew Bone Douluo was a formidable defender, hailed as the strongest defensive soul master in the world, they hadn't expected his defense to be this overwhelming.
Seizing the opportunity, Tang Hao gripped his Hao Tian Hammer and engaged Qian Jun Douluo and Jiang Mo Douluo.
If it were just Tang Hao alone, he might still be suppressed by the two brothers. But with Bone Douluo's assistance, he no longer feared these two elders.
Especially with Tang Hao and Bone Douluo working in tandem—one attacking, the other defending—they displayed remarkable coordination.
Gui Bao Douluo attempted to bypass Tai Tan and Zhao Wuji to directly kill Tang San.
But Tai Tan and Zhao Wuji fought with desperate resolve, unleashing their martial soul True Bodies .
Just as the two seemed on the verge of defeat, a massive soul-crushing spear abruptly blocked Gui Bao Douluo's path.
Yang Wudi's eyes revealed a hint of disdain: "Old Gorilla, what good does following this brat do? You nearly got yourself killed."
Tai Tan roared angrily: "I don't need your help! Even if I die in battle, I won't grovel to you."
However, under the combined assault of the three—including Yang Wudi—the tide of battle instantly reversed. Though Gui Bao Douluo was a Title Douluo, Yang Wudi's combat strength was now on par with his.
Add to that Tai Tan and Zhao Wuji, both top-tier power-type Soul Douluos with incredibly strong constitutions and formidable defenses, and they were barely able to withstand Gui Bao Douluo's attacks.
In contrast, Yu Xiaogang and Tang San's group appeared somewhat outmatched. Besides Ling Yuan Douluo, many others had ganged up on the golden iron triangle. Moreover, Tang San himself was only a Soul Emperor, far from being able to contend with true experts.
…
Xue Qinghe stared coldly at Yang Xiong: "Young Master Yang, we've interacted so many times. It seems you've suspected me all along. And orchestrating such a grand scheme—this must be your doing, right?"
Yang Xiong chuckled: "Miss Qian Renxue, let's not put it that way. You, a girl pretending to be the Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire—it was only natural for you to be exposed. Not being exposed would have been strange."
"I'm actually a bit curious—how did you manage the inconvenience of posing as a man? For instance, didn't your maidservants ever suspect anything?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue clenched her teeth furiously: "Young Master Yang, I should thank you. It was your suggestion that prompted both Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi to arrange numerous marriage alliances with noble families for me."
Yang Xiong replied: "There's no need to thank me. How about you show me your true face instead? Perhaps I'll accidentally let you go."
Qian Renxue's expression darkened with anger: "Are you so certain this coup will fail? Even if I lose, I'll make sure to teach you a lesson first, you insolent brat."
Yang Xiong's expression turned serious: "Then let me see the true strength of the so-called number one genius in the world—the true inheritor of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul."
In an instant, Qian Renxue appeared before Yang Xiong, her hands glowing with golden light imbued with purifying power. The force behind it was evidently immense.
But Yang Xiong merely flicked his palm outward. When their palms collided, Qian Renxue felt a tremendous force surge through her body. Even her purifying energy seemed to dissipate, and she was sent flying several meters.
Yang Xiong shook his head slightly: "If this is your current state, you'll never defeat me. Show me your true strength, or this fight will be utterly meaningless."
Qian Renxue seemed to grasp the gap between them and sneered: "Fine. I want you to understand why you're wrong. Let me show you what a true expert looks like and the real difference between us."
Golden light erupted from Qian Renxue's entire body, dazzling and impossible to look at directly.
When the light faded, the previously refined young man had transformed into a golden-haired woman.
This woman was tall and elegant, appearing to be in her early twenties. Her skin was snow-white, her nose straight, and her phoenix-like eyes slender yet commanding. Her beauty was striking, exuding an aura of grace and valor.
As she stepped forward, eight soul rings gradually emerged around her body—two yellow, two purple, and four black. Even Yang Xiong was taken aback. He hadn't expected Qian Renxue to have reached the Soul Douluo level.
Behind her, a massive angelic martial soul manifested—a holy and radiant six-winged angel. Under its divine glow, it seemed as though even souls were being soothed.
The countless people around them gazed in awe at the towering six-winged angel, many unable to resist kneeling in reverence.
The Six-Winged Angel martial soul was hailed as the strongest in the soul master world and symbolized justice, righteousness, and light. Its unparalleled status commanded deep respect.
Qian Renxue laughed loudly: "Yang Xiong, I must thank you. Without the Narcissus Jade Bone you gave me, I wouldn't have advanced to the Soul Douluo level so quickly."
Upon revealing her true strength, even Bone Douluo and Tang Hao were astonished.
The Six-Winged Angel martial soul was renowned as the highest-quality martial soul in the soul master world. Judging by Qian Renxue's current state, even Title Douluos were affected. This was due to the Angelic Domain awakened with the Six-Winged Angel martial soul. The golden light contained purifying power that even Title Douluos couldn't withstand.
Yang Xiong merely snorted coldly. His body turned blood-red, covered in golden patterns, and eight soul rings emerged—two yellow, one purple, two black, and two blood-red.
This was the first time Yang Xiong had revealed his soul rings to outsiders. The appearance of the two blood-red rings shocked even the most skilled experts present.
Tang San and the others were stunned. They had never imagined Yang Xiong's soul ring configuration would look like this.
Back when Yang Xiong was at Shrek Academy, he was only at level 40 and hadn't yet obtained his fourth soul ring.
In just over five years, Yang Xiong had reached the Soul Sage level, with a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring and a hundred-thousand-year sixth soul ring.
Yu Xiaogang was perhaps the most shocked. He had meticulously compiled a table of soul ring years, but Yang Xiong's configuration now was terrifying. He even doubted how Yang Xiong had acquired a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring.
As for the two blood-red hundred-thousand-year soul rings, they left everyone utterly astounded.
Hundred-thousand-year soul rings were considered the ultimate treasures in the soul master world. Yet Yang Xiong possessed two of them. Moreover, hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts always produced spirit bones—did that mean Yang Xiong now had two hundred-thousand-year spirit bones?
Even Ling Yuan Douluo was astonished. She had witnessed Yang Xiong's soul ring configuration during the Spirit Hunt. She hadn't expected that in such a short time, Yang Xiong had gained another hundred-thousand-year soul ring. Did that mean Yang Xiong now truly possessed combat strength equivalent to a Title Douluo? During the Spirit Hunt, Yang Xiong had fought Devil Bear Douluo to a standstill.
Xiao Wu was equally shocked. Though she knew Yang Xiong had sought out the Three-Headed Thousand-Pound Ant Emperor, she was aware it wasn't a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast.
So what about Yang Xiong's seventh soul ring? Had he found another hundred-thousand-year spirit beast?
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