When Jing Hongchen shouted in fury, the smile on Xu Tiannan's face gradually faded, replaced by an icy coldness.
"Well then," he said flatly, "since you insist on being direct, I'll do the same. I came here for one reason — to kill Wei Xuan. He must die."
His voice carried an unmistakable murderous intent.
When his gaze shifted to Jing Hongchen, however, it softened slightly.
"But you, Hall Master Hongchen," Xu Tiannan said in a coaxing tone, "if you swear allegiance to me, you can live. You'll remain the all-powerful master of Mingde Hall — and when I ascend the throne, your authority will only grow. Your Hongchen family will prosper because of you."
Killing Wei Xuan while keeping Jing Hongchen would not only erase suspicion of his involvement, but also secure a valuable ally within the imperial court. It was, in his eyes, a perfect arrangement.
If it weren't absolutely necessary, he truly didn't want to kill Jing Hongchen.
But if the man refused to yield… then eliminating him was safer than leaving a threat alive.
Jing Hongchen's face darkened, his expression unreadable save for the anger burning behind his eyes.
"Hmph, what a fine scheme," he sneered. "And I suppose if I do surrender, you'll want me to kill His Highness myself as a token of loyalty?"
"Ah, truly worthy of your reputation," Xu Tiannan said, clapping mockingly. "You guessed it right — that would indeed be your first task."
His tone was one of amusement, as though he were playing a game rather than plotting treason.
Jing Hongchen said nothing more. He turned toward Wei Xuan, his gaze firm and full of resolve.
"Your Highness," he said quietly, "I'll buy you time. Run — run as far as you can. Don't look back. Maybe… maybe you'll make it out alive."
Wei Xuan looked back at him, seeing the sincerity and determination in the older man's eyes — and for the first time in this life, felt a faint warmth in his heart.
"Don't be afraid," Jing Hongchen said, crouching slightly to meet Wei Xuan's eyes. "You must be strong now. You'll live. I believe that."
He mistook Wei Xuan's calm for the fear of a child — which, at eight years old, would have been natural.
"This is an eighth-tier flying Soul-Guided Device," Jing Hongchen continued, taking out a dark red contraption shaped for the back. "It's pre-charged — you just need a little Soul Power to activate it. Once airborne, head due south. If you reach the army stationed outside the Jingyang Mountains, you'll be safe."
Xu Tiannan watched them with mild amusement, making no move to intervene.
With four ninth-tier Soul Engineers and an Ultimate Douluo on his side, Wei Xuan had no escape. Letting him struggle for a few more minutes was almost entertaining.
Wei Xuan accepted the device, then gave a helpless little smile.
"Hall Master Hongchen, there's no way I can escape," he said quietly.
Those Soul Engineers aside, that Ultimate Douluo alone could stop him with a thought. Even a ninth-tier flying device wouldn't save him.
Jing Hongchen's heart sank further. He opened his mouth to insist, but Wei Xuan interrupted him.
"Even if I could run," Wei Xuan said, "I won't use your death to buy my life. That's not a price I'll ever pay."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
This wasn't pride — it was conviction. To flee at the cost of another's sacrifice would wound his soul itself. It would make cultivation — his true path — impossible to continue.
"Your Highness, this isn't the time to think like that!" Jing Hongchen said desperately.
Wei Xuan shook his head, returning the device to him. "I have a way for both of us to make it out alive."
"What…?" Jing Hongchen froze, torn between disbelief and exasperation.
That tone — that unshakable certainty — he knew it well. Wei Xuan had already decided. There would be no changing his mind.
"Ah, perhaps this is just fate," Jing Hongchen muttered bitterly, resigning himself. "Then let us die together."
He clearly didn't believe in any miracle of survival.
Wei Xuan stepped forward, his eyes cold as ice.
"I thought after what happened with the Crown Prince, you'd have learned restraint," he said evenly. "But it seems you're still as reckless as ever."
Xu Tiannan's expression turned grim.
"If you weren't such a threat," he hissed, "I'd have no need to act. But with your inventions, your new alchemical formulas — you've earned the support of seventy percent of the court! Even Kong Lao himself backs you!"
"At this rate, the ministers would crown you emperor within a few years! I can't let that happen — not while I live!"
His voice rose with fury and desperation, the veins at his temples throbbing.
Wei Xuan's face remained calm. "I have no interest in the throne," he said. "And I am only a foster son."
His path was cultivation — not politics. Power, wealth, rulership… all of it was nothing but burden.
"Ha!" Xu Tiannan laughed bitterly. "No interest in the throne? Spare me your hypocrisy! Who could resist that temptation?"
He leaned forward in his chair, eyes burning with greed. "And this talk of being a foster son — who can say you're not Father's bastard child? Ask Hall Master Hongchen — even he doubts your story."
Jing Hongchen said nothing. Truthfully, even he had wondered. The emperor's affection for Wei Xuan was too deep for mere adoption.
Realizing Xu Tiannan wouldn't relent, Wei Xuan gave up on reason. He turned instead to the silver-haired elder beside him — the man radiating silent, crushing power.
"Senior," he said softly, smiling faintly, "we've met before, haven't we?"
The old man — Long Xiaoyao — glanced at him, a hint of surprise flickering across his eyes.
Wei Xuan continued, his tone calm. "It was a year ago, in my father's palace."
This was his only chance. If he couldn't sway this Ultimate Douluo, they were both doomed.
He could gamble his life — but not Jing Hongchen's.
He could unleash forbidden techniques, burning his spirit to annihilate them all… but that would also erase his soul, leaving no chance for rebirth. That was a last resort.
If he could instead shift Long Xiaoyao's allegiance, the crisis might be defused.
Xu Tiannan stiffened, shooting Long Xiaoyao a wary glance.
The elder noticed, and said mildly, "We've met, yes. Once. Nothing more."
Xu Tiannan exhaled in relief, smirking. "Trying to beg for mercy by pretending acquaintance?"
Wei Xuan ignored him.
"Senior," he said quietly, "you're helping Xu Tiannan… because of the Holy Spirit Cult, aren't you?"
A faint flicker of surprise crossed Long Xiaoyao's features, followed by reluctant admiration.
"You really do live up to your reputation," he murmured.
Xu Tiannan snorted. "No need to hide it. You're right, boy — Long Huang is helping me because of the Holy Spirit Cult."
He grinned proudly. "I paid dearly to bring him here. Once I ascend the throne, the Empire and the Cult will join hands."
Wei Xuan's lips curved slightly. "Then you've sold your soul cheaply."
He looked straight into Long Xiaoyao's eyes. "Senior, I can do more than ally with the Holy Spirit Cult. I can redeem it."
That single word — redeem — made Long Xiaoyao's pupils contract.
Wei Xuan's tone grew firm.
"I can help the Cult regain its rightful name. I can make it so that Evil Soul Masters no longer need to hide in the shadows — so that they can walk under the sun again."
Long Xiaoyao froze. His breath quickened. He took a single step forward — and in an instant, vanished.
When he reappeared, he was crouched before Wei Xuan, staring at him eye to eye.
"Is that true?" he demanded hoarsely. "Can you really remove the corruption that drives Evil Soul Masters mad?"
Jing Hongchen tensed, pointing a Soul-Guided Cannon at the elder, while Xu Tiannan's expression twisted in panic.
If Long Xiaoyao turned against him now, everything was lost.
"Dragon Emperor, don't be fooled!" Xu Tiannan barked. "He's just a child! How could he possibly cure the evil nature of a Soul?"
He gestured sharply to the others, signaling them to strike — but Long Xiaoyao's cold voice cut through the air.
"Don't move," he warned, his tone deadly calm. "If you act before I'm done speaking with him, don't blame me for what happens next."
A crushing aura burst forth from his body.
Even Xu Tiannan and the four ninth-tier Soul Engineers buckled under the sheer weight of it, their bodies trembling, their breathing labored.
Only Wei Xuan stood unaffected.
The might of an Ultimate Douluo — enough to suppress five ninth-tier Soul Engineers single-handedly.
Xu Tiannan's face contorted with fury and fear.
"I have no reason to lie," Wei Xuan said steadily. "If I say I can solve the problem, I mean it."
Long Xiaoyao's eyes burned with a desperate hope. "Tell me, then," he urged. "Tell me how. If I believe you, I'll protect you."
"Don't forget our deal!" Xu Tiannan roared, his voice cracking with tension.
But Long Xiaoyao ignored him completely.
Wei Xuan took a deep breath.
"Evil Soul Masters kill because the dark nature of their Martial Souls corrodes their minds," he began. "If that corrupt influence can be contained, their sanity can return. They'll no longer be driven by bloodlust or hatred."
"Once their reason is restored, they'll be no different from ordinary Soul Masters — just with darker powers. Then, by guiding them to do good, over time the world's perception will change."
He paused, then added calmly, "Of course, those who choose murder for the sake of strength — they must still face judgment."
Long Xiaoyao's eyes gleamed with light — real, hopeful light.
Most so-called Evil Soul Masters were victims, not monsters. Their minds twisted by the very power they were born with.
If what Wei Xuan said were true…
Then perhaps, one day, they could indeed walk beneath the sun again.
And for the first time in many years, Long Xiaoyao allowed himself to believe it.
(End of Chapter)