"Y-Your Highness!" Juzi cried out in utter terror, her sharp voice seemingly tearing from the depths of her soul. Her entire body trembled in horror—after all, who wouldn't be frightened out of their wits after seeing the person beside them have their heart ripped out?
"Damn it!" Ye Xishui instantly appeared on the podium, her eyes bloodshot with fury, exuding a terrifying aura from her entire body. She was filled with rage—never could she have imagined that someone would dare kill Xu Tianran right under her nose. It was a complete mockery of her! She raised her hand, channeling grey deathly aura, and struck toward the stunning woman who had pierced through Xu Tianran's heart.
All the Sun Moon Empire officials on the platform collapsed to the ground in an instant. What had they just witnessed? A stunning woman in a long black dress with flowing purple hair had appeared out of nowhere behind the Prince Regent—then promptly reached into his chest and pulled out his heart! Horrifying!
But the woman in the black dress was unfazed by Ye Xishui's furious strike. Clenching the heart in her right hand, she squeezed—bang! The still-beating heart instantly burst apart, blood spraying onto the podium floor. At the same moment, she raised her left hand and met Ye Xishui's palm with her own fair jade hand. Ye Xishui's expression changed drastically as she staggered back several steps.
"You... you're not human!" Ye Xishui was beyond shocked—not just because the woman had easily deflected her attack, but because of her aura. It carried a wild, domineering, and untamed force—something Ye Xishui had only ever felt from the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler known as the Evil Emperor. So even though this mysterious woman appeared to be a human girl, Ye Xishui was absolutely certain—she was no human. She was a soul beast!
"Heh." The woman in the black dress didn't even glance at Ye Xishui. Her mission was complete, and she saw no point wasting time on a human. With a wave of her delicate hand and a soft chuckle, her body transformed into a streak of black mist and vanished before everyone's eyes.
Ye Xishui made no attempt to pursue her. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't dare. That woman's strength was at least on par with the Evil Emperor—a beast of that level. She was no match for her. Even if she gave chase, it would be a futile effort, and she might even lose her own life in the process. Not worth it—for a dead man.
Her thoughts were a mess. Everything that happened today was too bizarre, full of questions. Especially that soul beast in human form!
Judging from the aura, she was clearly a dark-attribute beast, and her cultivation was at least 700,000 years. A beast of that level couldn't have just appeared out of nowhere. So where did she come from? Across the entire Douluo Continent, there was only one known dark-attribute beast above 700,000 years old: the Beast God Di Tian.
But Di Tian was male—this was common knowledge. Moreover, the woman's aura even contained traces of death energy. That made her even more mysterious... and more intriguing to Ye Xishui.
Where did she come from? Why did she interfere in human affairs? Or perhaps... how did the assassins manage to enlist a beast of this level to aid them? Strange. Very strange!
"Your Holiness, what do we do now...?" Juzi held Xu Tianran's lifeless body and looked at Ye Xishui in despair, pleading.
"There's no saving him," Ye Xishui replied coldly, not even sparing her a glance. "Since Xu Tianran is dead, our cooperation ends here. You're on your own. Farewell."
She had no intention of getting dragged into the royal infighting of the Sun Moon Empire. It was foreseeable that Mingdu—and the entire Sun Moon Empire—would soon plunge into chaos. She intended to lie low and wait until a new emperor rose to the throne, at which point she could renegotiate terms with them. As for now? Hah! Once she understood who that woman in black truly was, she gave up any idea of fishing in troubled waters.
"Damn it!" Juzi gritted her teeth, staring at Ye Xishui's fading figure. But she quickly pulled herself together and shouted to the remaining ministers, "Let's return to the palace! We must summon His Majesty and Lord Silvermoon to take control!"
"Yes!" A group of people lifted Xu Tianran's body and rushed toward the imperial palace.
Meanwhile, Zhu Ziyang and Ma Xiaotao had witnessed everything from the podium. When the woman in black successfully killed Xu Tianran, they exchanged glances and smiled faintly. They no longer had any reason to stay. While the audience was still in chaos, the two quietly slipped away.
When they reappeared, they were in a mountain range outside Mingdu. There, they encountered a group of Titled Douluo from Xu Tianran's faction—those who had previously pursued the assassins. But now they were in poor shape... and more importantly, they also saw the people being hunted.
"Ziyang, Xiaotao, you're here!" One of the pursued individuals turned out to be Zhang Lexuan. Upon seeing them, she rushed forward.
"Sister Lexuan, Elder Zhu, First Senior Sister, Third Senior Brother," Zhu Ziyang greeted with a smile. Alongside Zhang Lexuan were Dean Xian Lin'er, Vice Dean Qian Duoduo, and Elder Zhu from Tianyuan Pavilion. Also with them were Zhu Ziyang's soul spirits—Xue'er, Bing'er, Shuang, and Luo'er.
Oh, and let's not forget—bound and gagged on the ground was the Hall Master of Mingde Hall, Jing Hongchen. He was the only one among the pursuers still alive. The others had been decisively dealt with by Zhang Lexuan and the four soul spirits.
Why hadn't they killed Jing Hongchen too? Naturally, because he was special. As the Hall Master of Mingde Hall and patriarch of the Hongchen Clan, a living Jing Hongchen was far more valuable than a dead one. If Zhang Lexuan wanted to take control of Mingde Hall with minimal effort and cost, he was the perfect leverage.
Right now, the Hall Master had his eyes closed, silently accepting whatever fate awaited him. But Zhu Ziyang and the others paid him no mind.
Zhang Lexuan and the others gathered around. The soul spirits greeted Zhu Ziyang, then returned to his spiritual sea.
"Ziyang, how did it go? Is Xu Tianran dead?" Zhang Lexuan asked.
"He's dead. Very dead," Zhu Ziyang chuckled. "Quan'er handled it. If he survived her, we might as well all go home and wait for him to kill us."
"That's wonderful!" Upon hearing the news, Zhang Lexuan and the others cheered. They all knew Quan'er's identity—an apex soul beast with an 800,000-year cultivation. With her involved, there was no way Xu Tianran could survive!
Jing Hongchen opened his eyes in disbelief and sorrow. Though Xu Tianran had a sinister personality, he had been an excellent ruler. Yet he hadn't even had the chance to prove himself before dying like this. Was this fate's way of dooming the Sun Moon Empire? Two tears slid down his cheeks.
"Alright, Sister Lexuan, it's not time to celebrate yet," Zhu Ziyang interrupted, "Wait until everything is settled first. Sister Lexuan, proceed as planned."
"Mm, no problem!" Zhang Lexuan collected herself and nodded seriously. "Great-Aunt and Elder Song should be ready by now. Let's rendezvous with them and take over the Mingdu military district."
"Good." Zhu Ziyang nodded. "I'll leave Quan'er with you to deter the Holy Spirit Sect."
As he spoke, a stunning woman in a long black dress with purple hair appeared. She was Zhu Ziyang's fifth soul spirit, the Netherwitch—Quan'er. The very one who had killed Xu Tianran.
"Quan'er, stay with Sister Lexuan for now," Zhu Ziyang instructed.
"Yes." Quan'er nodded. With Zhu Ziyang's strength rising, his soul spirits could now remain independent for up to a year within the boundaries of the Douluo Continent. Meaning he could station them anywhere as needed.
"Ziyang, we'll go first!" Zhang Lexuan took Quan'er's hand and soared off toward the southwest of Mingdu.
"Ziyang, we'll go too!" said Xian Lin'er and Elder Zhu.
Qian Duoduo was last, dragging the 'playing dead' Jing Hongchen. With a mischievous grin, he said, "Ziyang, see ya!"
"See ya!" Zhu Ziyang replied, watching him drag away Jing Hongchen. He couldn't help but sigh. This man—once equal in status to Shrek Academy's Pavilion Master—after today... could he still face Shrek again?
Zhu Ziyang turned his gaze in the direction Zhang Lexuan had gone, emotions surging within him. What came next depended on the choices she and her team made. Killing Xu Tianran was merely the first step in her path to becoming Empress. The road ahead was long, and he couldn't help her with all of it.
If she couldn't handle the rest, then even if she claimed the throne, she might not truly rule the Sun Moon Empire.
I hope everything goes well for you, Sister Lexuan, he thought silently.
Behind him, Ma Xiaotao stepped forward and clutched his arm. "Ziyang, let's go too. Sister Lexuan and the others will definitely succeed."
"Let's hope so." Zhu Ziyang nodded, then shook his head. "No rush. Let's wait for news from the Body Sect and the Star Luo Worship Hall."
Before long, Du Busi arrived with several Titled Douluo from the Body Sect, and Xu Luo brought others from the Star Luo Worship Hall. After joining up with Zhu Ziyang, they gave a brief report: everyone on the assassination list had been taken out. The Mingdu military was now in total chaos, leaderless. Without a timely intervention from the upper echelons, a mutiny was likely.
Du Busi and Xu Luo were both delighted. This meant the Sun Moon Empire wouldn't stabilize for at least a year—precious time for both the Star Luo and Heaven Soul Empires.
This assassination mission had ended in perfection. All sides had gained what they wanted. Who would be the ultimate winner? Only time would tell.
Zhu Ziyang parted ways with Du Busi and Xu Luo. He took Ma Xiaotao and sped northward, planning to enter the Heaven Soul Empire through the Sun Moon Empire's northern border, visit his parents in Anyang City, and then return to Shrek Academy. Over the next year, he planned to enter seclusion and cultivate until he broke through to Rank 95—reaching the realm of Super Douluo.
But just as they got less than a hundred li from Mingdu, a burst of terrifying energy erupted from the Sun Moon Mountain Range to the west of the city. Zhu Ziyang and Ma Xiaotao immediately felt it.
"That's divine power!" They exchanged shocked glances. They instantly recognized the energy's origin—and that's what shocked them. Because that divine power clearly didn't come from anyone undergoing a godhood trial.
Something was wrong.
"Let's go check it out!" Zhu Ziyang decided on the spot. "There might be a divine miracle!"
"Mm! Let's go!" Ma Xiaotao didn't hesitate either. The two turned and rushed toward the Sun Moon Mountain Range.
But before they could leave the area, they felt an invisible pressure pressing in from all directions. They weren't amateurs—they knew instantly: ambush!
Without hesitation, both released their martial souls. The pressure on them immediately lessened.
"Come out," Zhu Ziyang said coldly, gripping the Stillness Fate Ending Scythe.
"Quite sharp, aren't you?" came a voice. A tall, muscular man with long green hair stepped out. His entire being radiated a chilling, bone-deep aura. His face showed no emotion, and he didn't seem at all bothered by Zhu Ziyang's ridiculous soul ring configuration. His tone was indifferent—like speaking to ants.
"Who are you? You think you can ambush us alone?" Ma Xiaotao shouted angrily.
"Sister Xiaotao, this man's no simple figure. Be careful." The man gave Zhu Ziyang an unfathomable feeling. His instincts screamed danger. Zhu Ziyang pulled Ma Xiaotao close, ready to send her into the Holy Law Demiplane at a moment's notice.
"Sigh..." the man sighed and muttered, "I didn't want to hurt you. But you've angered him. So today... you must die."
"Him?" Zhu Ziyang immediately caught the hidden meaning. "Who is he? And who are you?"
"...Very well. Let me grant you clarity before you die." The man looked helpless as he spoke, "My name... is Niu Tian."
As his voice fell, a massive shockwave burst from his body. Then, behind him rose a soul ring configuration that stunned both Zhu Ziyang and Ma Xiaotao:
Black, black, black, black, red, red, red, red, red, red!
Ten soul rings!
Divine Rank!
(End of Chapter)
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