Qian Renxue's Defeat, Avalanche and Death, Emperor Xueye's Last EdictGolden feathers rained down from the sky. Everyone looked up and saw a golden figure, as dazzling as the sun, plummeting straight to the ground.
High in the sky, the enormous Clear Sky Hammer was slowly shrinking. On the Clear Sky Hammer, the ninth black soul ring, like a black hole, devoured all light. The terrifying aura, even though it was just the aftershock of this soul skill, still sent shivers down people's spines thousands of kilometers away.
That was the Fifth Elder's ninth soul skill.
"Young Master!"
Looking at Xue Qinghe, whose fate was unknown, Serpent Spear Douluo and Porcupine Douluo were extremely anxious and cried out urgently.
They immediately wanted to shake off their opponents and rescue Xue Qinghe, but how could the two elders of the Haotian Sect let them have their way? Just now, Serpent Spear and Porcupine Douluo had stopped them from rescuing the Seventh Elder!
As the Third Elder's soul power surged, his eighth black soul ring suddenly lit up. He glanced at the Serpent Spear Douluo and the Porcupine Douluo, and sneered:
"She Long, Ci Xue, you won't be able to save Qian Renxue. Now, the tables have turned!"
The two elders of the Clear Sky Sect posed a huge threat, so they dared not move. If they went to rescue Qian Renxue, they would be hit by the elders' soul skills and injured. They might even have to stay in the Heaven Dou Empire.
Gritting his teeth, Serpent Spear Douluo's veins bulged as he glared at the Fifth Elder high in the sky and roared:
"You old scoundrel! A Title Douluo against a Soul Saint, not only is he bullying the weak, but he even used his ninth soul skill! It's utterly shameless!"
Immediately, he lowered his head, coldly staring at the Third Elder and the Fourth Elder, and said in a cold voice:
"If anything happens to the young master, none of you from the Haotian Sect will survive!"
The Third Elder and Fourth Elder exchanged a glance, both seeing the apprehension in each other's eyes. Serpent Spear Douluo was right; if anything happened to Qian Renxue, the Clear Sky Sect would surely be razed to the ground by the enraged Qian Daoliu. During the battle, they couldn't help but look towards the golden figure falling to the ground.
On the ground, everyone stared at the fallen, broken-winged angel, their expressions varied.
Some of the Spirit Masters in the Spirit Hall couldn't believe it, some were devastated, and some had already guessed this ending. But when the ending truly came, they still felt some pain.
On Tang San's side, both the Tang Sect disciples and the Clear Sky Sect Soul Masters were overjoyed.
Xue Qinghe's defeat means that their side has gained another Title Douluo-level combatant. Without the boost from Xue Qinghe's Angel Domain, Serpent Spear and Porcupine were no match for the two Title Douluos of the Clear Sky Sect, let alone with the addition of another Title Douluo.
Even the soldiers of the Heavenly Dou Empire on the ground gradually sensed something was amiss as the battle progressed. The soldiers around them were all unfamiliar faces, and their soul power levels were extremely high. Were these people truly from the Empire? Their attacks on Emperor Xue Ye slowed down.
As the soldiers of the Heavenly Dou Empire gradually regained their senses, their will to defend the imperial city diminished considerably. The fall of the imperial palace was imminent.
Apart from Dai Yao's battlefield, the Spirit Hall was at a significant disadvantage in all other areas.
The outcome of the great battle has been decided.
Watching Qian Renxue fall, Dai Yao sighed softly. Although he wouldn't use his full strength for the Spirit Hall, he didn't want to see them fail. After today, the Clear Sky Sect would surely rise again with the help of the Heaven Dou Empire, and Tang San, whom he had already driven to the bottom, would once again become his greatest threat.
"Now, I must get the details of the Vast Ocean Universe Cover from Qian Renxue, and then use the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul to obtain it."
Dai Yao muttered to himself, then sped off toward the spot where Qian Renxue had fallen.
"Seventh Brother, grab Qian Renxue! Don't let them get away!"
The Second Elder shouted.
Qian Renxue is key to their struggle against the Spirit Hall; they absolutely cannot let her go.
Upon hearing the Second Elder's words, the Seventh Elder was slightly taken aback, then forcefully suppressed the chaotic soul power surging within him and rushed towards the falling Qian Renxue. His gaze, however, was fixed on the masked man running on the ground. He was determined to capture Qian Renxue, and this masked man had to die too!
The Clear Sky Hammer was raised again, and the fifth and sixth spirit rings lit up simultaneously. The two Clear Sky Hammers attacked Dai Yao one after the other once more.
Dai Yao glanced around slightly and gave a soft hum:
"The same old tricks again. Has this Seventh Elder become unable to use his Martial Soul True Body? If that's the case, then why should I fear you? It's just a pity that I can't reveal Dai Yao's identity. Otherwise, I could have dealt with the Seventh Elder here using the Sacred White Tiger Martial Soul."
"However, it doesn't matter. The Seventh Elder was seriously injured, but he disregarded his injuries and forcibly used his soul power. After today, he will definitely fall in cultivation level, and the Haotian Sect will lose a Title Douluo."
Immediately, his figure disappeared from the spot.
Seeing the masked man disappear again, the Seventh Elder was somewhat stunned. How could this guy still use teleportation skills? Wasn't he exhausted?
Just as the Seventh Elder was stunned, a figure appeared below where Qian Renxue had fallen. Dai Yao caught Qian Renxue, absorbing the force of her fall, and was somewhat shocked to feel the damage to her body.
This injury is too severe!
He quickly infused some soul power, patted Qian Renxue's face (or Xue Qinghe's face), and said in a deep voice:
"Wake up, Qian Renxue!"
Qian Renxue slowly awoke, blood involuntarily spilling from the corner of her mouth.
But she didn't look at Dai Yao; instead, she immediately swept her cold gaze across the battlefield of the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace. When she noticed the disadvantages on each battlefield, a hint of pain and regret flashed across her face.
Overwhelmed by her emotions, she coughed up blood again.
"Let me go, I can still move."
Qian Renxue clutched her chest in pain, having clashed head-on with the Fifth Elder's ninth soul skill. Clearly, her soul skill was no match for a Title Douluo's full-force attack, so she could only defend against the Fifth Elder's assault in various ways. In the end, she even used her body to withstand the final, devastating blow.
After being struck hard by the Haotian Hammer, Qian Renxue felt as if her internal organs had shifted.
But now is not the time to pay attention to these things.
Dai Yao slowly released Qian Renxue. To be honest, it felt a little strange for a big man to be holding Qian Renxue, who looked like Xue Qinghe.
With a gentle flap of her wings, Qian Renxue remained suspended in the air, while Dai Yao, unable to use the White Tiger Eight Wings that would reveal his identity, could only fall downwards under the influence of gravity.
Qian Renxue stared at the devastated state of the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace below and bit her lip tightly.
Because of his arrogance, decades of lurking and forbearance had all vanished. He had nothing but his grandfather. Even though he came to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace to carry out the plan to overthrow the Heaven Dou Empire, it was both to prove that his biological mother, Bibi Dong, was wrong for not cherishing him, and to prove that he could make a name for himself on his own.
But after today, all of this will be nothing but a joke.
She took a deep breath, and for the first time, she felt the warm midday air was incredibly cold; a burning pain shot through her lungs. She then abruptly opened her eyes and coldly shouted:
"Those under the Crown Prince, immediately withdraw from the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace!"
As soon as he finished speaking, an uproar erupted.
While the soldiers of the Heaven Dou Empire were still in a daze, some Spirit Hall Soul Masters immediately began to retreat, while others, seeing that the situation was hopeless, chose to surrender. This immediately enraged the loyal Spirit Hall Soul Masters, who swiftly killed these traitors with a single blow.
Some clever soldiers of the Heaven Dou Empire, who already understood the reason for the situation, immediately began to pursue the Spirit Hall's Soul Masters.
Chaos erupted once again within the palace, blood flowing silently on the ground, and no one paid any attention to the corpses lying there.
Upon hearing Qian Renxue's words, Tang San immediately understood her thoughts and roared:
"They're trying to escape! Don't let them get away!"
Upon hearing Tang San's words, the several powerful figures were slightly taken aback, and immediately rushed towards Qian Renxue's direction. The Third Elder and the Fourth Elder were held back by the Serpent Spear Douluo and the Porcupine Douluo, and the ordinary soldiers were of little use. Therefore, the only one capable of stopping Qian Renxue from escaping was the Seventh Elder.
He gripped the Haotian Hammer tightly with one arm and smashed it down on Qian Renxue, who was maintaining her body in the sky in front of him.
Qian Renxue stared blankly at the Haotian Hammer hurtling towards her. Being hit by this hammer would not kill her, but she would certainly be seriously injured. She gritted her teeth and used her few remaining wings to barely protect herself, then crossed her arms in front of her.
Even so, it couldn't change her fate of being severely injured. Because she had already been struck by the Fifth Elder's ninth soul skill, causing her internal organs to shift, if she were to be hit by the Seventh Elder's Clear Sky Hammer, her injuries would inevitably worsen.
But just then, a figure blocked her way.
Teleportation!
Dai Yao stared at the Clear Sky Hammer before him, feeling a bit troubled. If it were him, he could simply teleport away. However, behind him was the severely injured Qian Renxue, and his teleportation couldn't take Qian Renxue with him at the same time.
He took a slight breath and held the God-Slaying Spear horizontally.
Buzz—
The God-Slaying Spear slipped from Dai Yao's hand. He grunted, grabbed the still somewhat dazed Qian Renxue, and said in a low voice:
"Walk!"
He immediately pulled Qian Renxue down onto the roof of the palace. Just then, with a whooshing sound, Dai Yao was startled and immediately pulled Qian Renxue behind him to protect her from the sudden attack of the hidden weapon.
His gaze sharpened as he located Tang San in the center of the battlefield. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip, snapping dozens of hidden weapons in two. Dai Yao's eyes were icy cold as he uttered two words:
"Tang San..."
"Asura Emperor, you won't escape!"
Tang San met the Shura Emperor's icy gaze and gave a cold smile. Now, the Shura Emperor and Qian Renxue were nothing but stray dogs. They had not only thwarted the Spirit Hall's conspiracy but also gained the trust of the Heaven Dou Empire. With the support of the Heaven Dou Empire, his Tang Sect and Clear Sky Sect would surely grow rapidly.
Qian Renxue weakly gazed at Tang San, whose face was filled with murderous intent. A wave of endless regret washed over her. She gritted her teeth slightly and softly said:
"Once I recover, I will definitely kill Tang San."
Dai Yao glanced at Qian Renxue, who resembled Xue Qinghe beside him, and couldn't deny it in his heart. In his past life, Qian Renxue had the same mentality, making conquering Tang San her obsession. Only in the end, when the Angel God fell, did she find peace.
Looking at Tang San again, Dai Yao shouted coldly:
"Tang San, don't think you've won!"
Tang San was somewhat disdainful. The Asura Emperor was already at his wit's end; he was just spouting threats. What good would that do? In his vision, the Asura Emperor slowly raised his right hand and slowly clenched it. For some reason, Tang San's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately looked in the direction of Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing.
That's the roof of the Fourth Prince's Palace.
Originally overjoyed by the turn of events and looking forward to the future of Avalanche and Prince Snowstar, he now clutched his chest in pain and slowly collapsed to the ground.
The surrounding guards rushed forward to help the two up, but the occasional gasps of surprise made Tang San's heart sink to the bottom.
His discerning Purple Demon Eyes confirmed that Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing had lost all signs of life. He had indeed made Emperor Xue Ye see Xue Qinghe's true colors and turn to support Xue Beng. But now, Xue Beng was dead, and even Prince Xue Xing was dead.
Xue Qinghe escaped, and Emperor Xue Ye was on the verge of death. The vast Tian Dou Empire couldn't even find a successor.
What's the point of him gaining the support of Emperor Xueye?
He gritted his teeth, staring at the mask of the Asura Emperor, feeling a sense of mortal antagonism. It was as if this guy had anticipated his every move.
Who exactly are you?
However, his question was destined to receive no answer from Dai Yao. But Tang San could clearly see the unstoppable killing intent in those eyes.
Dai Yao gripped Qian Renxue tightly and turned to run towards the palace gates. Fortunately, there were still a large number of Spirit Hall forces at the gates. With their help, they easily escaped from a spot where the Tang Sect disciples hadn't yet surrounded them. After all, the Tang Sect disciples numbered less than a few thousand; how could they possibly surround the entire palace?
Following Tang San's gaze, Emperor Xue Ye also saw Xue Beng lying on the ground, his pupils shrinking sharply! He certainly understood the significance of Xue Beng's death. As if all his strength had been drained, he collapsed to the ground.
Already on the verge of death, he was further traumatized by the avalanche and immediately entered the countdown to his own demise.
"His Majesty!"
The Second Elder and Tang San quickly helped Emperor Xue Ye up, and said anxiously.
He coughed painfully a few times, glanced at Tang San, then at the soldiers who had already understood and were guarding him, and said intermittently:
"Tang San... obey my command."
"Tang San is here!"
Tang San quickly knelt down on one knee.
Upon hearing Emperor Xueye's order, everyone realized it was his will; the emperor had passed away, and everyone quickly knelt on the ground.
"Princess Xue Ke, of virtuous character... is betrothed to Tang San. One month later, Xue Ke ascends the throne of the Empire. Tang San is granted the title of a prince of a different surname, with the honorific title... Lan Hao. Within the Empire, he holds a rank three levels higher than any other official, serving as the Regent of the Empire. The Haotian Sect... cough cough... is dedicated to saving the nation from collapse, and has become the state religion of the Empire..."
The Snow Night Emperor's words contained four commands.
He betrothed Xue Ke to Tang San, and then made Xue Ke the Empress of the Empire. He then made Tang San the Blue Sky King, and finally made the Clear Sky Sect the state religion of the Heaven Dou Empire.
With all the heirs dead, Xueke is the only option to inherit the throne.
Unlike Xue Qinghe, who had cultivated his power over many years, Xue Ke's ascension to the throne would face countless secret oppositions, especially from those secretly colluding with the Spirit Hall.
To prevent the empire from falling into the hands of the Spirit Hall, he specifically bestowed upon Tang San the title of Blue Sky King and made him the empire's regent. In other words, Emperor Xue Ye entrusted all power to Tang San. To ensure Tang San had political support, he also designated the Clear Sky Sect as the state religion.
Given the strength of the Clear Sky Sect, even those who oppose Xue Ke and Tang San have to restrain themselves.
Finally, Xue Ke was betrothed to Tang San. Even though the empire's power was given to Tang San, the future heir to the throne would definitely be Tang San and Xue Ke's offspring, or a descendant of the Xue family.
This was the best choice Emperor Xueye could make in this desperate situation.
Perhaps after a few generations, the power of the Heaven Dou Empire will return to the Xue family?
After Emperor Xueye finished speaking, the many kneeling guards simultaneously shouted:
"I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"
The Second Elder was slightly taken aback, then his face lit up with joy. Emperor Xueye had directly designated their Clear Sky Sect as the state religion. With the support of the Heaven Dou Empire, they no longer needed to fear the Spirit Hall so much! Moreover, their future sect leader, Tang San, had become the regent of the empire and the future empress's husband. Didn't that mean that their Clear Sky Sect would be the future leaders of the empire?
"I will obey Your Majesty's decree."
The Second Elder quickly agreed, as he was very worried that Emperor Xueye might suddenly kick the bucket.
Seeing Tang San standing there dumbfounded, she tugged at his sleeve and urged him:
"Mistress, hurry up and agree."
Emperor Xueye struggled to open his eyes and said with difficulty:
"Tang...San, is there anything else you disagree with?"
Tang San gritted his teeth. His virginity belonged only to Xiao Wu; how could he marry someone else? Seeing Tang San hesitate, the Second Elder urged him quickly.
Tang San was caught in a huge internal struggle. He had thought Xiao Wu was dead, but he saw her in Longxing City, which meant that Xiao Wu might still be alive! How could he marry someone else?
But if he doesn't agree to Emperor Xueye's conditions, can Emperor Xueye trust him?
Now, he carries the hatred of the Clear Sky Sect, the Tang Sect, his father, his mother, and Xiao Wu on his shoulders. Without the help of the Heaven Dou Empire, he would never be able to destroy the Spirit Hall! The heavy burden of responsibility, like a mountain, weighs heavily on his head, trying to push him down.
Finally, he managed to utter four words:
"Tang San receives the imperial decree—"
Upon hearing Tang San's agreement, Emperor Xueye's tense breath finally dissipated. He slowly closed his eyes, his withered hand fell limply to the ground, twitched twice, and then he lost his breath.
A great emperor has passed away. (End of Chapter)