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A few days after the battle in the forest, news that shook the entire Heaven Dou Empire spread from deep within the Imperial Palace. Emperor Xue Ye had suddenly contracted a severe illness, and his condition was critical!
Instantly, panic spread throughout the Empire. People were worried, and many important officials began to make secret plans. Everyone knew that the moment for a new ruler to take the Imperial Throne might be very close.
At this moment, inside a remote but heavily guarded hall in the Imperial Palace, Qian Renxue stood by a window. She had her hands behind her back and was looking at the gloomy sky outside. Her eyes were becoming cold and hard. Behind her, two powerful men stood respectfully. They were Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo.
Porcupinefish Douluo bowed slightly. His voice sounded like he was proud of himself as he whispered, "Young Lord, that old man Xue Ye was poisoned by a special venom I made. The poison has already moved into his lungs and organs. No medicine in the world can save him now. In my opinion, he will certainly die within three to five days."
At this point, his voice changed, and a look of worry appeared on his face. "However, even if Xue Ye passes away, taking the Imperial Throne might not be easy."
"That Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, acts like he is a lazy person who only cares about fun, but he might be smarter than he looks. He also has Prince Xue Xing supporting him. Most importantly, Marshal Ge Long, who leads the Empire's military, is very close with Prince Xue Xing. The army only listens to the true royal family. With them around, Young Lord, your path to becoming the ruler will probably face some trouble and resistance."
Snake Lance Douluo nodded his head. He clearly agreed with this. Even though the biggest obstacle, the Emperor, was almost gone, there were still hidden enemies. The attitude of the army was still a very big danger to their plans.
Hearing this, Qian Renxue slowly turned around. The gentle and kind face of Xue Qinghe was now gone. Her expression was like ice, and she had a very cold smile on her face.
"Trouble? Resistance?" she said softly.
She repeated those words as if she were thinking about them. Then she let out a mean laugh and said, "Hmph, then why don't we just catch them all at once?"
"Catch them all at once?" Snake Lance Douluo was surprised. He asked in a confused voice, "Young Lord, what do you mean? Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing always have guards around them. Also, Ge Long is always staying with the army. Trying to get rid of all of them at the same time will not be easy."
Qian Renxue walked over to a desk. Her finger tapped the smooth wood. A smart and dangerous look flashed in her eyes as she spoke in a deep voice.
"It is not difficult at all. We just need to find the right chance. For example, we can say the Emperor is very sick and they need to visit him. Or we can say we need to talk about urgent national business. We will invite all of them to the Imperial Palace for a meeting."
"Once they enter this palace and come to the place we control, we can decide if they live or die. It will be up to us."
"We will eliminate all the people who want the throne and the people who support them in one single move! After that, who in the court would dare to stand against me? The Imperial Throne will naturally be mine!"
This plan was simple and direct, but it was also very cruel. She would use her fake identity to trick her enemies into coming to a place where they could not escape. Then, she would use her power to kill them all and remove every obstacle in her way.
Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo looked at each other. They both felt a bit of fear but also some excitement. They realized that the Young Lord was just as brave and ruthless as Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong.
"Yes! We understand! We will go and make the arrangements right now," the two men replied together.
Meanwhile, far away from Heaven Dou City, deep inside a quiet forest, two large and powerful men were hugging each other tightly. They were holding on so hard it seemed like they were trying to make up for twenty years of being apart. They wanted to share all their worries and love in that one hug.
One of them was Tang Xiao, the Sect Master who had come down from the Clear Sky Sect. The other was Tang Hao. He looked tired and old, and his face showed that he had lived a very hard life.
After a long time, the two brothers slowly let go of each other. Their eyes were a little red from crying. Tang Xiao patted Tang Hao's arm. His voice was shaking a little as he said, "Brother Hao! You have suffered so much these past few years!"
Tang Hao looked at his older brother. Tang Xiao looked much older than he remembered, but he still looked very strong. Tang Hao's lips moved, but he could only let out a heavy sigh.
"Big Brother, I failed the Sect, and I failed our Father," he said sadly.
The two brothers found a flat tree root and sat down to talk. Tang Xiao told him everything that had happened. He talked about how the Sect had been closed for years, how the Elders were angry, and how the disciples felt trapped. He also told him how much everyone missed Tang Hao.
Tang Hao listened without saying a word. His eyes, which used to be full of fire and power, were now full of guilt and pain. He felt bad for what had happened in the past.
"Brother Hao," Tang Xiao said, his voice becoming very serious. "Come back! Return to the Clear Sky Sect with me! The world has changed a lot. Spirit Hall is showing how evil they are. They have already destroyed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
"Our Clear Sky Sect has decided to work with the Heaven Dou Empire. We will open the Sect again and fight Spirit Hall! The Sect needs you! And I, your big brother, need you too!"
However, Tang Hao slowly shook his head. He looked very sad and shook his head as he spoke.
"Big Brother, I know what you want. But I am not the same Tang Hao I used to be. I am hurt and weak now. I am a sinner. It was my fault the Sect had so much trouble. I don't have the courage to go back."
His voice was very low. He sounded like a man who had given up on everything. The death of his wife, Ah Yin, and the closing of the Sect were like two heavy weights crushing him.
Tang Xiao looked at his brother and felt very frustrated. He stood up suddenly and raised his voice. He sounded like he was disappointed in someone who wasn't trying hard enough.
"Brother Hao! You are being foolish!"
"Yes, you made a mistake! But do you really want to stay sad and keep running away like this forever?"
"Do you know about your other son, Tang Chen? He is not just acting strange, he is incredibly bold! He secretly went into the Sect. He pretended to be me and the Elders! He tricked us into giving him Ring Explosion! That is the most secret technique of our Clear Sky Sect that has been passed down for generations!"
"What?" Tang Hao suddenly looked up. His eyes were wide with shock. "The Ring Explosion technique was tricked away by that rebellious son?"
"That's right!" Tang Xiao said with a lot of anger. "Doing something like that to your own family and masters is the biggest insult our Clear Sky Sect has ever faced! He is your son. Since he committed such a terrible crime, are you just going to sit here? Are you not going to help us fix this and clear the Sect's name?"
He stepped closer to Tang Hao. His words were heavy and aimed right at Tang Hao's heart.
"Brother Hao! If you keep hiding, you are letting that son ruin the Sect's reputation and steal its treasures! Tell me, when you die, how will you face our Father in the afterlife? How will you look at the ancestors of the Clear Sky Sect?"
"And how am I supposed to face them in the future?"
These questions hit Tang Hao like a bolt of lightning. His body shook. In his eyes, which had been dull for a long time, a new fire began to burn. There was pain and struggle, but finally, his sense of duty came back. The pride of the Clear Sky Douluo was waking up!
He slowly stood up. He looked tall and strong again. A powerful energy, heavy like a mountain, started to come from his body. He looked at Tang Xiao and spoke with a very firm voice.
"Big Brother, you are right."
"I have been confused and lost for way too long."
"The shame of the Sect and the regret of our Father are my responsibility!"
"I will go back with you! We will find that son and fix the damage he has done to the Sect!"
When Tang Xiao heard this, he was very happy. His eyes lit up with joy. He hugged his younger brother again. "Good! Good! With the two of us working together, we don't need to fear Spirit Hall! We will bring back the glory of the Clear Sky Sect!"