Starry Palace.
"You mean that bastard child is back?"
A stunningly beautiful woman wearing a purple-gold crown looked indifferently at the kneeling prince. A hint of surprise and a barely perceptible chilling killing intent flashed in her beautiful eyes.
For so many years, she has lost countless pawns in the Spirit Hall in her quest to find out about that bastard child, all to no avail.
Now, the turtle that had been hiding for five years has finally shown itself, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
Immediately, she frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Your Highness, is this news true?"
The blond youth kneeling on the ground slowly raised his head, revealing a face that was none other than Dai Mubai.
The former Crown Prince, Davis, has been deposed, and Dai Mubai has now inherited the position. Compared to before, Dai Mubai's face has less of a smile and more of a coldness.
Dai Mubai thought for a moment, then said affirmatively:
"It should be true. This news came from my former companions at Shrek Academy. Moreover, after my investigation, I received a reply saying that many powerful Soul Masters have indeed come to Dragon Rising City."
"This news is most likely true."
The stunningly beautiful woman suppressed her inner elation, looked at Dai Mubai with tenderness, smiled faintly, and said softly:
"You have done a great job. If the news is true, you have helped our royal family get rid of a great enemy! Your father will surely reward you then."
However, Dai Mubai showed no joy on his face. He lowered his head and said calmly:
"Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty."
The woman noticed Dai Mubai's disinterest; the gentleness on her face vanished instantly, replaced by coldness. She waved her hand dismissively and said:
"You may leave."
"yes······"
Dai Mubai slowly retreated until he reached the palace gate before turning around. After he walked out of the palace, he looked back at the magnificent harem, and a lingering sadness welled up deep in his heart.
He sighed heavily, and thought wistfully:
"Dai Yao, don't blame me for being ruthless. Blame yourself for your arrogance and carelessness, for revealing your whereabouts and daring to enter the territory of my Star Luo Empire. After you die, I will offer you a sacrifice..."
To be honest, Dai Mubai didn't really hate Dai Yao that much. Although he was defeated by Dai Yao many times, if Dai Yao hadn't defeated Davis, he would never have had the chance to defeat Davis and inherit the position of Crown Prince.
After inheriting the position of crown prince, he finally had the right to live.
For this, all his brothers will die.
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, a smile appeared on his face, and he thought to himself:
"It's been a long time since I've seen my eldest and second brothers. Perfect timing, I'll tell them about Dai Yao..."
Davis was crippled and Dejamin was disabled. Although the two no longer posed any threat to him, they were still his competitors.
To be merciful to the enemy is to be cruel to oneself, so he placed both of them under house arrest. His heart had long since become ruthless, but ruthlessness is an essential quality for an emperor.
The guards outside the palace stood one every ten steps, yet none of them dared to make a sound. They all held their breath and focused their attention, keeping their eyes straight ahead.
Inside the palace, there were thousands of guards, but Dai Mubai felt exceptionally lonely.
A gust of wind sent his golden hair fluttering, and Dai Mubai's gaze turned indifferent and cold once more. The sound of lonely footsteps still echoed in the empty palace, fading into the distance…
The Imperial Palace.
Emperor Xingluo stared at the intelligence report in his hand, his brows furrowing into a deep frown. After a long while, his eyes began to ache, and he finally put the report down, looked outside, and let out a heavy sigh.
But the melancholy in his heart did not dissipate in the slightest.
His hands clenched tightly, veins bulging, and he gritted his teeth, saying:
"The Spirit Hall, what a Spirit Hall!"
This intelligence report, consisting of only one line, clearly states: "The newly enthroned King of the Kingdom of Goodell has established the Spirit Hall as the kingdom's state religion."
What does this mean? It means that the Spirit Hall is interfering in the power transitions of kingdoms, and the major kingdoms and duchies are beginning to break free from the empire's influence and lean towards the Spirit Hall!
The Spirit Hall's wolfish ambitions are gradually becoming clear.
Just then, a pair of delicate hands reached out and gently placed on his shoulders, kneading them. Empress Xingluo, her face full of tenderness, softly said:
"Your Majesty, you must not overwork yourself. You are the backbone of the empire, and if you fall ill, no one can take your place."
Under the Empress's massage, the Star Luo Empire felt much of its fatigue dissipate. It reached out its rough hand and placed it on the Empress's delicate hand on its shoulder, smiling:
"Your Majesty need not worry. I am a Soul Master, after all. This little thing will not trouble me."
The Empress said with slight dissatisfaction:
"But I heard that His Majesty hasn't rested for many days. Even if His Majesty is a Soul Master, his body can't withstand such abuse. Also, for so many years, His Majesty has been calling me Empress. He might not even remember my name anymore."
Emperor Xingluo's face stiffened. He tried to let go of the Empress's hand, but she held it firmly.
Seeing the Star Luo Empire's ruthlessness, the Empress's gentle expression finally crumbled, turning into sorrow and resentment. Since the Star Luo Emperor ascended the throne, the time she had spent alone with the Star Luo Empire could be counted on one hand.
She knew that the Star Luo Emperor's heart was no longer with her.
Perhaps, from the very first moment he saw that woman, the so-called perfect match became a joke.
Emperor Xingluo turned around and looked back at that familiar yet unfamiliar face. His expression suddenly turned cold, and he forcefully pulled his hand away.
He once loved a woman deeply, but no matter how hard he tried to please her, he could not change her mind that she wanted to leave him.
But he wanted to inherit the throne and survive, so he had to make a choice. In the end, perhaps out of resentment at not getting what he wanted, he watched the woman die and coldly observed her child suffering in the cold palace.
So many years have passed, and he has long forgotten that woman.
However, he could not forget the Empress's coercion when he needed help the most. Back then, when he and the then Crown Prince were fiercely competing, the Empress forced him to make a choice because of that woman.
At that time, he was just one step away from defeating the former crown prince and inheriting the throne. But the empress threatened him at that moment, and for the sake of the throne, he was furious, but in the end he compromised.
He abandoned the woman, accepted the Zhu family's help, successfully defeated the former crown prince, and inherited the throne.
He resented his past inability to control everything, and he also hated the empress who had blackmailed him when he needed help the most. After inheriting the throne, his purge began.
Since inheriting the throne and gaining complete control of power, he has never taken the initiative to see the Empress again.
Despite the Empress's repeated pleas, he never took the initiative. Perhaps it was because the Empress had repeatedly been rejected by the Emperor that she grew increasingly resentful of that woman, and by extension, of Dai Yao.
Hearing the Empress's poignant lament, Emperor Xingluo remained unmoved. Indeed, after so many years, he seemed to have truly forgotten the Empress's name.
Her name seems to be... Yue'er?
However, he didn't care about any of that. He said without a trace of emotion:
"Speak, what brings you here? If it's still about love and romance, then you may return to your harem."
The Empress stared intently at the Emperor's face, her beautiful eyes welling up with tears. Over the years, she had cried herself blind because of this man's ruthlessness.
It's all that woman's fault! If it weren't for that woman's appearance, she would never have broken with the Emperor! How sweet it was when she and the Emperor were engaged!
That woman ruined it all!
Since that woman is dead, let her son atone for his sins!
The Empress's face regained its indifference, and she said calmly:
"We've received word that that bastard has appeared in the Star Luo Empire."
"Dai Yao?"
Emperor Xingluo exclaimed in surprise, then asked indifferently, "Where?"
"Longxing City".
What do you want to do?
The Queen gave a cold laugh and said, "I will kill him. He is a traitor to the royal family and has brought shame to the empire. I will use the power of the Elders to kill him!"
Emperor Xingluo pondered for a moment.
"What, you're still thinking about that woman, still wanting to protect that bastard child?"
The empress said sarcastically.
Emperor Xingluo glanced at the Empress indifferently. If he wanted to protect Dai Yao, he would have done so back in the Cold Palace.
Now that Dai Yao has caused their Star Luo Empire to lose so much face, how could he possibly want to protect Dai Yao?
His plan was that since the Kingdom of Goodell had established the Spirit Hall as its state religion, he would eliminate Dai Yao to both deter the various kingdoms and duchies that were eager to make a move and to give the increasingly arrogant Spirit Hall a warning.
He glanced coldly at the Empress and said without a trace of emotion:
"I will have the Elders take action. Dai Yao will definitely not leave the Star Luo Empire alive. Alright, if you have nothing else to do, you may go back."
Seeing that Emperor Xingluo had finally agreed, the Empress smiled with satisfaction, gave the Emperor a deep look, and then turned and left, her long dress trailing behind her.
Several eunuchs, who had been holding their breath and trying to forget everything they had just heard, quickly followed the Empress and helped her leave.
Within half a day, the elders' council in the White Tiger Mountains received the news.
Four streaks of light shot into the sky and sped towards Longxing City.
Apart from the Grand Elder, who was a Title Douluo-level expert, the other four elders joined forces.
The fact that four Soul Douluos and thousands of elite soldiers were involved demonstrates how much they valued Dai Yao. They wanted to see what abilities Dai Yao possessed that allowed him to escape the Star Luo Empire even with the combined might of the four Soul Douluos.
······
Gengxin City.
An ordinary-looking carriage spun in, and just as the guards were about to lift the curtain to check, a large, rough hand holding a token reached out.
Upon seeing the token, the guard was initially somewhat disdainful, as he didn't know its meaning. Just as he was about to reprimand him, the Spirit Hall member beside him quickly stopped him.
Looking at the token, the Spirit Hall personnel swallowed hard, their arrogant expressions vanishing instantly. Their straight backs bent like a broken tree trunk.
His head was almost touching the ground as he fawned, saying:
"His Excellency the Platinum Bishop has arrived. I was unaware of his arrival. Please forgive me."
A deep voice came from inside the carriage:
"Do not tell anyone where I am, or I will hold you accountable!"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The man nodded repeatedly, afraid of being too slow in agreeing.
He quickly let the carriage pass. After the carriage passed, the guards looked at the man with suspicion. In their impression, this man was always extremely arrogant because of his identity as a member of the Spirit Hall.
Now that they're acting so obsequious at the sight of a token, who exactly is the person in the carriage?
"Sir, what happened just now?"
One of the guards asked tentatively, and the guards around him also cast curious glances.
After the carriage had driven far away, the man straightened up, raised his head, and looked arrogantly at the guards around him, saying disdainfully:
"Are these things your business to ask? If any of you dare to reveal what happened today, you will all lose your heads!"
Everyone was horrified and quickly shut their mouths. Compared to their curiosity, their lives were more important.
The man stared in the direction the carriage had gone, still shaken. He knew very well that the person inside was far too noble to be able to establish a connection with such an important figure.
After all, that token was the Platinum Token of the only two Martial Soul Temples!
The carriage discreetly entered Gengxin City. Inside, Ning Rongrong looked out the window at the scenery and said with some worry:
"The Spirit Hall's power is growing increasingly arrogant. They've even taken control of the gate guards of Gengxin City. Countless cities across the continent have fallen under the Spirit Hall's control."
Dai Yao smiled and said:
"The trend of the Spirit Hall unifying the continent is basically impossible to stop, unless an unexpected event occurs. However, Rongrong, you don't need to worry. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will definitely be fine. I will do my best to protect the sect in this chaotic world."
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong was deeply moved, and she had no doubt about Dai Yao's words.
Back then, Dai Yao served in the Spirit Hall without any reward, and risked his life to speak out for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School without her knowledge. This is what changed the objective of the Soul Hunting Operation.
Beside her, Dugu Yan let out a coquettish snort, saying with a hint of sourness:
"Hmph, I will definitely protect the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Dai Yao. If you say such things to me, I'd die willingly..."
As Dugu Yan spoke, she leaned her delicate body against Dai Yao, her face filled with anguish.
Dai Yao knew Dugu Yan was faking it, and pushed her away with some disgust, saying helplessly:
"Alright, stop pretending. The Bilin clan has already joined the Qinglian Sect, and you are still the acting sect leader. We are all in the same boat, so there's no need to say such things."
"Besides, haven't I said enough sweet nothings to you?"
Dugu Yan chuckled, completely unconcerned about Dai Yao's attitude. Her narrow eyes darted around, revealing a hint of cunning.
Since opening her heart to Dai Yao, Dugu Yan seems to have unleashed her true nature, displaying a quirky and mischievous personality that is completely at odds with her mature and sophisticated appearance.
She looked at Ning Rongrong and said with a mischievous smile:
"Rongrong, your Grandpa Jian really bullied my grandpa back then, hehe. After you officially marry Dai Yao, I will definitely help Dai Yao bully him back in bed."
Back then, in order to save Dai Yao, Sword Douluo and his party nailed the Azure Serpent King, which was actually Dugu Bo, into the earth with a single sword strike.
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong was stunned for a moment, then blushed deeply. She immediately thought of her wedding day with Dai Yao in the illusion of bygone years, and a blush rose to her face as she said shyly:
"Sister Yan~"
Dai Yao said helplessly:
"Yanyan, stop teasing Rongrong." (End of Chapter)