The female Soul Sage put away the seventh-rank defensive soul tool in her hand, glanced at the nearby Xu Tianran and the five powerful assassins, and immediately turned and ran for her life.
A husband and wife are like birds sharing the same forest—when disaster comes, they fly apart.
What's more, she and Xu Tianran had only known each other for half a month and weren't even married yet. There was no emotional bond between them.
She desired Xu Tianran's status and power; Xu Tianran desired her body.
But before the face of death—what use was the title of Crown Prince?
Seeing this, several of the maids also fled together with the female Soul Sage.
Only a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl named Juzi remained in place, unmoving.
Juzi had long, slender legs, a graceful figure, delicate features, and a head of jet-black hair. Her large, bright eyes were filled with life. Her skin was pale and smooth, tender and flawless—like a ripe fruit that would yield water at a single squeeze.
Juzi had been born in an ordinary small town.
After losing her parents, she left her hometown filled with a single thought—to avenge them against the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire.
By chance, she met Xu Tianran. Seeing that she was a Soul Master with some talent, Xu Tianran took her in and sent her to study at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Now, since the Academy was on break, Juzi stayed by Xu Tianran's side, serving as his attendant.
Looking at the bloodied Xu Tianran, Juzi thought to herself,
Run? Where could we possibly run?
If Xu Tianran, the Crown Prince, dies here, everyone present will be buried with him.
Rather than live a few moments longer only to die anyway, it's better to stake everything for a chance at survival.
I have to find a way to protect Xu Tianran. As long as rescue arrives, as long as he's still alive, there will be rich rewards waiting.
Countless thoughts flashed through Juzi's mind. Her heart pounded with both fear and excitement.
While the female Soul Sage and the maids fled one way, Juzi moved in the exact opposite direction.
Clutching the Fifth-Rank Invincible Barrier Soul Tool in her hand, determination filled her eyes.
A gamble!
If I lose, I die. But if I win, I'll earn my chance to take revenge on the White Tiger Duke!
Father, Mother… please bless me from the heavens…
——
As the explosion of the two Eighth-Rank Fixed Installation Soul Guidance Shells finally faded—
Wang Yan, Song Zhan, and the others saw that although Xu Tianran was grievously injured, he was still alive.
Without saying a word, they immediately raised their long-range soul tools to finish him off right there.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Five streaks of light cut through the air, flying straight toward the legless Xu Tianran.
Xu Tianran's bloodshot eyes stared at the incoming attacks.
An overwhelming will to survive and an even stronger thirst for revenge surged in his heart—he refused to die here.
Even if crippled… even if he had lost his legs… even if he had lost his manhood—he would still climb to the throne by any means necessary!
Ignoring the searing pain from the lower half of his body, Xu Tianran burned his soul power and even his very life essence.
Driven purely by will, he forced his ruined body into flight, relying on his Soul Sage-level cultivation to struggle through the air, desperately dodging the incoming attacks.
But even with all his effort, his heavily wounded body couldn't avoid every strike. Two of the attacks were completely unavoidable.
One beam of soul power, sharp as a blade, shot straight into his chest, piercing a hole clean through it—stopping only an inch short of his heart. The blow nearly shattered it entirely.
The second attack came directly for his head. If it struck, Xu Tianran would die instantly.
Watching the deadly light approach, Xu Tianran's eyes were filled with despair and unwillingness.
He was the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire—just one step away from the throne!
How could he accept dying here, at this very step?
At that critical moment, a slender figure suddenly threw herself in front of him.
Juzi gripped the Fifth-Rank Invincible Barrier with both hands, pouring all her strength into it.
A faint golden light instantly enveloped her body.
The oncoming attack slammed heavily into the barrier, causing its glow to flicker violently and emit a piercing, ear-splitting shriek.
The Fifth-Rank Invincible Barrier possessed remarkable defensive power—it could withstand the full-strength attack of a Soul Douluo for three seconds.
If it had been an ordinary Soul Douluo's strike, the barrier could easily have blocked it.
However, this attack had come from Song Zhan.
As the Second Prince's grandfather, his strength far surpassed that of an average Soul Douluo.
After enduring for barely one second, the Invincible Barrier shattered with a resounding crack.
The now-weakened attack still blasted unimpeded into Juzi's body.
Her small frame was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, drawing a crimson arc of blood across the air.
"Pffft!"
Juzi coughed up a mouthful of blood, the crimson mist scattering through the air.
She crashed heavily to the ground, her body curling up from the agony, trembling uncontrollably.
Her once-bright eyes grew dim, and she teetered on the edge of death.
Even heavily weakened, a Soul Douluo's strike was not something a mere young attendant could withstand.
But because Juzi had blocked that blow, Xu Tianran—whose head should have been pierced through—survived by the slimmest of margins.
Gasping raggedly, Xu Tianran lay on the cold ground, sucking in great lungfuls of air.
Wang Yan, Song Zhan, and the others stared at the scene, momentarily stunned.
They hadn't expected that a mere servant girl would possess such courage.
But their surprise didn't slow them down.
Each of them bore countless lives and obligations on their shoulders.
If they dared to assassinate the Crown Prince, why would they hesitate to kill a maid?
Once again, beams of light and soul-guided shells surged toward Xu Tianran.
Just as Wang Yan and the others were certain he was doomed—
A golden light streaked through the sky like a falling star.
It was Xu Tianyuan, commander of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion.
A blazing crimson screen of heat instantly materialized before Xu Tianran, blocking the assassins' attacks.
As the soul power beams and cannons struck the fiery barrier, they vanished like stones sinking into the sea.
Hovering high in the air, Xu Tianyuan gazed down at the carnage below.
His face darkened like thunder.
The Crown Prince's injuries were this severe?
These assassins truly had the audacity of heaven itself!
Xu Tianyuan's furious roar echoed through the air:
"How dare you! You actually attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince!"
His voice reverberated across the battlefield, filled with boundless authority and rage.
The oppressive aura of a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse instantly blanketed the area, making even the air feel heavy.
Wang Yan, Song Zhan, and the others paled as they recognized the newcomer.
The commander of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion—one of the Sun Moon Empire's princes—Xu Tianyuan!
Realizing the situation had turned dire, they knew that if they didn't flee immediately, they'd never leave alive.
The agility-type Soul Douluo Li Fei exploded with full speed, grabbing Wang Yan, Song Zhan, and the others, and the group retreated rapidly, vanishing amid clouds of dust.
Lying on the cold ground, Crown Prince Xu Tianran looked up at the sky—at Xu Tianyuan's towering golden figure suspended above.
Tears welled in his eyes, glimmering with raw, trembling emotion.