"Xiaofeng, how are you planning to get out of here?"
Qian Renxue's eyes held a trace of worry.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be too concerned.
But right now, with so many palace guards stationed outside, every person entering or leaving the palace was bound to be thoroughly investigated.
Even for someone like Qian Renfeng, going unnoticed wouldn't be easy.
Qian Renfeng shrugged.
"I don't have a choice."
"It's not like I'm a god—I can't just vanish at will, can I?"
"And on top of that, I can't risk exposing your identity, which makes this even harder."
Qian Renxue bit her lip, as if making a serious decision.
"How about this—I'll say I'm going to meet with Emperor Xue Ye, and you try to escape while I'm away?"
"But even so, someone might see you leaving the Crown Prince's East Palace."
"There's still a chance my identity could be exposed…"
"If only Elder Stinghog were still here."
"At least he could draw some attention away from us—we wouldn't be so passive!"
Seeing her troubled expression, Qian Renfeng smiled.
"Sis, if you could get some of the guards to leave with you…"
"I think I can handle the rest."
"As for drawing attention? Even without Elder Stinghog…"
"Your brother is more than capable of causing a distraction."
Qian Renxue's eyes lit up.
"You? By yourself?"
"You'd better not be bluffing your sister!"
"Relax, Sis. I won't put you in a difficult position."
"Just keep your composure when you meet with Emperor Xue Ye. That's all I need from you."
He waved confidently, full of ease and charm.
"Fine then…"
Though Qian Renxue felt uneasy, trusting Qian Renfeng was the only option she had left.
Disguised as "Xue Qinghe", she walked out of the Crown Prince's East Palace and made her way toward the emperor's private chambers.
A large escort of guards followed her, leaving less than one-fifth of the soldiers stationed in front of the East Palace.
After all—
With the Crown Prince gone, what was the point of keeping so many guards behind?
If not for the fear that someone might sneak in and lie in wait…
The East Palace might have been left completely unguarded.
"Xue Qinghe" arrived at the gates of Emperor Xue Ye's sleeping quarters, adjusted her appearance, and instructed calmly:
"Please announce me."
"Tell His Majesty that the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, seeks an audience."
Standing at the entrance was a man dressed like an eunuch, who bowed slightly upon seeing the Crown Prince.
This man was one of Emperor Xue Ye's most trusted attendants—and a formidable Soul Douluo, with spirit power at level 89.
He was just one step away from becoming a Titled Douluo.
However—
Due to physical limitations, he would likely never attain that rank in this lifetime.
"Is His Highness here to report the assassination attempt from last night?"
"Were you injured?"
"Please tell this old servant, so I may inform His Majesty and let him pass judgment."
"Xue Qinghe" shook her head.
"I wasn't injured. I just don't know who the assassins were—I leave it to Father to decide."
The Soul Douluo eunuch nodded. He had even felt the overwhelming pressure from last night.
The enemy had to be a high-level Titled Douluo, possibly even stronger than Dugu Bo.
"Xue Qinghe" glanced subtly in the direction of the East Palace, her eyes tinged with concern.
Had that brat gotten out safely?
Two quarters of an hour later...
At the main gates of the imperial palace—
A sudden intruder appeared.
She held a longsword with alternating hues of crimson and silver, her lower body wrapped in a short red skirt.
Without hesitation, she charged directly at the palace guards.
"Second Spirit Ability — Angelic Step!"
Her silver boots stomped fiercely onto a Soul Sect-level guard.
The violent impact launched him into the air, snapping multiple ribs.
A huge footprint was imprinted on his chest.
While her strength couldn't match Qian Renfeng's, it was still comparable to a Soul Douluo who wasn't strength-type.
That single blow was enough to knock the guard unconscious.
Without pausing, the angelic female guard pressed forward, charging toward the palace gates.
The Heaven Dou Empire respected soul masters, but even so, true experts weren't heavily concentrated at the front gate.
Only one Soul Emperor had been assigned to guard the area.
He never imagined that someone would forcefully break into the imperial palace!
Just as he released his martial soul—
The angelic female was already on his face.
"Fourth Spirit Ability — Holy Sword!"
A sword of blazing flame appeared between them.
With a sharp whoosh, it pierced directly through the Soul Emperor's chest, ending his life on the spot.
Chaos erupted inside the palace.
Countless guards rushed toward two critical locations.
The first: Emperor Xue Ye's chambers—the very heart of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The second: the palace gates, the point of the breach.
Rage surged in the hearts of Heaven Dou's soldiers.
Who would dare break into the imperial palace?!
Who would so brazenly trample on the dignity of the Heaven Dou army?!
But none of them received an answer.
Everyone who saw the angelic female guard had already "contributed" to justice with their lives.
She didn't press further into the palace.
Instead, she stood her ground, sword in hand, ready to face all incoming challengers alone.
"Fifth Spirit Ability — Wings of the Heavens!"
Her pure white wings unfolded behind her, and hundreds of snow-white feathers launched forward like arrows.
One by one, soldiers collapsed in agony!
"Formation! Form up!"
"She's a mighty soul master! We must use a battle formation to bring her down!"
A high-ranking imperial guard commander shouted furiously from within the crowd.
Many soldiers had been momentarily stunned by the sight of those holy white wings.
They had forgotten she was the enemy.
They stood there, staring blankly.
Only when the commander roared did they snap out of it, quickly regrouping and forming a battle formation.
At this moment, many of the imperial soul masters began converging on the scene.
While the Heaven Dou Empire didn't have any Titled Douluo, it still had several Soul Douluo-level experts.
Otherwise, its position as a great empire wouldn't be so stable.
A Soul Douluo leapt into view—holding a violet-gold longsword—landing gracefully in front of the angelic guard.
Eight spirit rings gleamed around his body:
Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black.
He had excellent natural talent and extremely good luck.
He possessed the optimal spirit ring configuration!
The violet-gold sword in his hand radiated an oppressive pressure, even accelerating the energy drain in the angelic guard's body.
But despite his arrival—
He didn't attack immediately.
Instead, he stared at her with a look of confusion.
He didn't doubt her strength.
But…
Why didn't she have any spirit rings on her body?!
(End of Chapter)
Let me know if you'd like:
The next chapter is translated
An explanation of the angelic female guard
A breakdown of the spirit abilities used in this battle
Or details on the Soul Douluo, formations, and their role in the Heaven Dou Empire
I'm ready whenever you are!