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"Fourth Grandfather, I'll have to trouble you. Set up an ambush on the road the Star Luo Crown Prince must take to reach the Heaven Dou Empire. When Davis and Ye Lingling pass through, capture them in one stroke!"
After sending Xue Beng away, Xue Qinghe felt a splitting headache rapidly forming. His brows tightened as he stared in the direction Xue Beng and Dugu Bo had left, even though their silhouettes were already out of sight.
He had never imagined that this useless younger brother—whom he had always ignored—would suddenly cause such a massive problem.
Back when he first infiltrated Heaven Dou City, Xue Qinghe had already taken care of the Second and Third Princes of the Heaven Dou Empire. Originally, he had planned to eliminate Xue Beng as well. But after the deaths of the Second and Third Princes, suspicion had already begun to form around him.
If he killed Xue Beng too, even Emperor Xue Ye would likely become suspicious. That loss outweighed the gain, so Xue Qinghe decided to leave Xue Beng alive.
Fortunately, Xue Beng had displayed every trait of a spoiled, incompetent wastrel, which gradually caused Xue Qinghe to lower his guard.
He had intended to quietly get rid of Xue Beng after taking the throne. Yet now, unexpectedly, Xue Beng had grown a conscience—and worse—had gone to request the Star Luo Empire's imperial doctors for help. This placed Xue Qinghe in an extremely awkward position.
"I finally managed to put that old fool Xue Ye into a coma, and I've just begun shifting military and political authority into my own hands. If Xue Ye wakes up now, all of my preparations will be wasted.
At such a critical moment, I cannot allow that rat, Xue Beng, to disrupt the Crown Prince's plan. Fourth Grandfather, I'm counting on you!"
"No problem! Leave it to me, Young Master!"
With that, the Lion Douluo turned into a streak of crimson light, soaring into the skies. His figure blurred into a blood-colored trail as he shot forward with hurricane force, rushing toward the Star Luo Empire.
Although he was a Power Attack Super Douluo, his speed was like lightning. In mere moments, he had already vanished dozens of miles away.
After the Lion Douluo departed, the one hiding behind the screen—Lightfeather Douluo—swung his small feet playfully and chuckled.
"Young Master, do you want me to go and eliminate that useless Xue Beng instead?"
As he spoke, a majestic longbow materialized in his hands, radiating the cold aura of ice and the brilliance of light—the Lightfeather Longbow, his martial soul.
Lightfeather Douluo's lips curved into a handsome, youthful smile. His ice-covered left eye narrowed slightly, as if already seeing Xue Beng returning to his residence.
"With just a light pull of my bowstring, I can—"
Before he could finish, Xue Qinghe cut him off.
"Fifth Grandfather, not yet."
Xue Qinghe shook his head. "With Dugu Bo protecting him so closely, even you may not be able to guarantee a clean kill."
"That is indeed…"
Lightfeather Douluo's face darkened.
"I tested his strength earlier. As expected, that old monster is frighteningly powerful. His spirit power is already at rank ninety-five. Even Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo might not be his match. And his poison… it's unbearable to deal with."
"Exactly. So we cannot act rashly. And even if Fifth Grandfather could kill Xue Beng with a single arrow, he only just left the Crown Prince's Manor. If he suddenly died for no reason, the officials and citizens of Heaven Dou City would undoubtedly suspect me. That would be extremely detrimental to my plan to seize full control over the Heaven Dou Empire."
As he spoke, a sharp determination and ambition flashed through Xue Qinghe's eyes.
"I will seize every last inch of Heaven Dou's land. I will make every single person in this empire bow before me. And with my own strength, I will prove my worth to that woman!"
"Sigh…"
While Xue Qinghe burned with ambition, Lightfeather Douluo—hidden behind the screen—let out a long sigh.
As someone from Qian Daoliu's direct lineage, he naturally knew the truth about the past.
But it was precisely because he knew too much that he could not tell Xue Qinghe. Revealing it would only hinder him.
Meanwhile, Xue Beng returned to his residence in high spirits. For the first time in his life, he had gained an advantage in a confrontation with Xue Qinghe. Just thinking about Xue Qinghe's expression—like he had swallowed a fly—made Xue Beng want to laugh.
"Prince Xue Beng, even though you gained the upper hand today, you must not become careless," Dugu Bo suddenly reminded him.
"The priority now is to notify Prince Xue Xing. He must dispatch patrol troops to guard you closely. If Xue Qinghe resorts to underhanded methods, things will become dangerous. Do not forget the fate of your two brothers."
The mention of his brothers' strange deaths instantly sobered Xue Beng. His smile disappeared, and he bowed respectfully.
"Senior Dugu, your reminder is right. I grew too complacent."
He immediately wrote a letter to Prince Xue Xing and sent a trusted guard to deliver it, urging him to dispatch protection immediately.
Upon learning the full plan, Prince Xue Xing's eyes lit up.
He instantly sent out his patrol troops, surrounding Xue Beng's residence in multiple layers like an iron fortress. No one could enter or leave without notice.
He even dispatched ten Soul Emperors to guard the courtyard, alongside Dugu Bo's personal protection.
To prevent any possibility of poisoning, Prince Xue Xing went as far as personally acquiring all food supplies. For the next month, Xue Beng would eat, drink, and live entirely within the courtyard—almost like house arrest, but also the safest arrangement.
Conveniently, Xue Beng used this period to focus on cultivation.
Looking toward the direction of the Star Luo Empire, he murmured softly:
"Prince Davis… I'm counting on you."
A month passed quickly.
After parting ways with Xue Beng, Davis returned to the Star Luo Empire at the fastest possible speed, bringing with him Zhu Zhuyun and the other three women.
Originally, he only planned to bring Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing.
But with Dugu Bo occupied with protecting Xue Beng, Tang Yuehua and Anna remaining at the Ice–Fire Yin Yang Well would be unsafe.
Thus, he brought them all back.
After half a month of hurried travel, they successfully returned to Star Luo City.
Davis then informed Emperor Dai Po Jun of his plan.
Both Dai Po Jun and Dai Tianxing fully supported Davis' proposal.
Davis then contacted Ye Lingling and Yang Wudi, requesting their cooperation in his plan to "weaken Heaven Dou and acquire the Vast Sea Cosmic Shield."
The two agreed readily.
To ensure their safety, Davis additionally brought along Gengjin Douluo Lin Qiuyang and the Sixth Elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Wenze.
Ning Wenze, an auxiliary-type Spirit Douluo, had reached rank eighty just a month earlier. His martial soul, the Eight-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, made him second only to Ning Fengzhi within the Seven Treasure–Blue Lightning Alliance. His support abilities were extremely formidable, and he was proficient in the Divided Mind Technique and Ring-Fusion Secret Arts.
With Ning Wenze accompanying them, the group's overall combat strength increased dramatically.
After finishing all preparations, the entire group embarked on their journey.
They did not take hidden routes.
Instead, they openly traveled along the official roads—intentionally leaving themselves visible.
After all, their goal was to lure Xue Qinghe into making a move, weaken his forces, and provoke a conflict between him and Xue Beng.
This would destabilize—and ideally divide—the Heaven Dou Empire.
If Heaven Dou truly fractured, Davis would not only acquire the Vast Sea Cosmic Shield, but the Star Luo Empire would also reap enormous benefits.
(End of Chapter)