Inside Shrek Auditorium.
Ye Tian withdrew the Taiyi Divine Needle in his hand and slowly exhaled.
Lifting his head, he gave a slight nod to Prince Xue Xing standing before him:
"The surgery was successful. Your daughter is out of danger."
"Thank you." Prince Xue Xing's gentle gaze rested on Xue Lanlan, lying on the operating table, as he expressed his gratitude to Ye Tian.
"Don't mention it." Ye Tian smiled faintly and waved his hand.
Having already swindled a large amount of medicinal herbs from Prince Xue Xing, he had profited handsomely.
In a way, they were even.
Originally, Ye Tian hadn't planned to gain anything from Prince Xue Xing.
His intention was simply to have the prince owe Qian Renxue a favor.
But he hadn't expected the long-standing enmity between Prince Xue Xing and Qian Renxue to be irreconcilable.
Thus, he had resorted to demanding rare treasures instead.
Now that Xue Lanlan's injuries were treated, his reason for staying in Heaven Dou City had diminished by one.
Ye Tian planned to visit the Eastern Palace in the afternoon to bid farewell to Qian Renxue.
After that, it would be time to leave Heaven Dou City.
"Prince Xue Xing, I have seven Soul-Restoring Pills here. Take them and administer one to your daughter daily."
"In seven days, Xue Lanlan's injuries should be fully healed."
"My deepest gratitude."
Prince Xue Xing, in a rare gesture, bowed solemnly to Ye Tian.
Though Ye Tian wasn't even a noble and was worlds apart in status from the prince, the fact that he had cured his daughter made him deserving of such respect.
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"
At that moment, a young silver-armored officer rushed in frantically.
"Why are you here?"
Frowning slightly at the sight of the officer, Prince Xue Xing recognized him as the deputy he had planted beside General Luo Feng of the Tiger's Might Army to monitor the city defense forces.
This hidden agent was not to be exposed unless absolutely necessary.
Prince Xue Xing hadn't expected him to show up now.
The silver-armored officer swallowed hard, wiping sweat from his forehead as he spoke:
"His Majesty Xue Ye has passed away! General Luo Feng has mobilized the city defense troops to seal off the entire city!"
"Nonsense!" Prince Xue Xing glared angrily. "I had an audience with His Majesty this morning! How could he possibly have passed away? This must be Luo Feng's rebellion!"
With a sweep of his sleeve, his expression grew anxious. "Quickly, accompany me to the imperial palace to see His Majesty and request the military seal to crush Luo Feng's treason!"
No sooner had he spoken than Prince Xue Xing, without even a glance at Xue Lanlan, turned and strode toward the auditorium exit.
But before he could take more than a few steps, the brightly lit windows of the auditorium were abruptly shut with a series of whooshes.
At the entrance, the clanging of steel armor echoed as a troop of silver-armored soldiers filed in.
"Your Highness, you won't be leaving."
From the ranks of the silver-armored soldiers emerged a gaunt, elderly man with a goatee. His sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed on Prince Xue Xing.
Prince Xue Xing was momentarily startled, but upon recognizing the man, his face twisted in fury. Pointing at the elder, he shouted:
"Luo Feng! How dare you surround this prince with soldiers—are you rebelling?!"
Luo Feng sneered, his goatee trembling as he raised his right hand, clutching an exquisitely crafted jade token.
"The military seal is here!"
"I act on the late emperor's decree to maintain order in Heaven Dou City... with special attention to you, Your Highness!"
"You expect me to believe that?"
Prince Xue Xing's cold gaze swept over the surrounding silver-armored soldiers, showing no fear.
At his signal, his guards drew their swords in unison, pointing them at the silver-armored troops.
A tense standoff ensued.
Luo Feng, however, remained unruffled. His orders were to detain Prince Xue Xing, not kill him.
Waving the military seal, he said calmly, "Your Highness, I advise you to think carefully about who is defying the imperial decree."
"As a prince, you surely know the consequences of resisting the emperor's command."
Prince Xue Xing laughed in anger, jabbing a finger at Luo Feng's head:
"As a general of the Heaven Dou Empire, deeply trusted by His Majesty, how can you betray him on the basis of a mere military seal? If His Majesty knew, how could you face the world?!"
"Hmph! I only know that I am following the late emperor's decree!" Luo Feng's brow furrowed, his expression unyielding.
As a warrior, his foremost duty was loyalty to the emperor of Heaven Dou.
Who the emperor was—that was beyond his control.
Seeing that his words had no effect on Luo Feng, Prince Xue Xing realized that Emperor Xue Ye's death was likely true.
Now, his only option was to fight his way out.
A desperate struggle might offer a sliver of hope.
If he waited passively, given his history with Xue Qinghe, the best he could expect was lifelong imprisonment.
For a man of his stature, that was unacceptable.
With this in mind, Prince Xue Xing turned to Ye Tian and bowed deeply:
"Ye Tian, I entrust my daughter to you!"
As Xue Qinghe's lifesaver, Ye Tian would remain unharmed no matter how chaotic the situation became.
Without waiting for a response, Prince Xue Xing straightened and faced Luo Feng again.
Cracking his knuckles, he chuckled grimly:
"It's been decades since I've fought for my life."
"Very well—let this prince's blood boil once more!"
"Guards, charge!"
"Yes!"
Prince Xue Xing's guards were all death warriors raised from childhood.
Though outnumbered by the silver-armored troops, not a trace of fear showed on their faces.
"Attack!" Prince Xue Xing led the charge, his soul rings lighting up one after another.
Then, manifesting his Swan Spirit Avatar, he lunged at Luo Feng.
"Your Highness, forgive me!"
Luo Feng brandished a long spear, planting his right foot firmly as its tip aimed straight at Prince Xue Xing.
Not far away, Ye Tian watched the scene with a furrowed brow.
He had heard everything clearly.
"Emperor Xue Ye is already dead?"
A chill ran down Ye Tian's spine.
At this point in time, Emperor Xue Ye's health shouldn't have deteriorated to the brink of death.
His sudden demise could only mean one thing:
Qian Renxue had taken matters into her own hands.
The thought made Ye Tian click his tongue in admiration.
Truly, Qian Renxue.
The Ice Snow Valkyrie wasn't just a title—her methods were as formidable as they came.
After a decade of patience, she had slain her father and brother.
Boom!
Suddenly, the auditorium trembled violently.
A shockwave from an explosion sent Ye Tian staggering.
To his surprise, both Prince Xue Xing and Luo Feng were Spirit Douluo-level powerers.
A battle between such experts threatened to blow the roof off the auditorium.
"Looks like it's time to leave."
Glancing at the fierce clash ahead, Ye Tian quietly retreated.
But then he remembered Prince Xue Xing's plea.
His eyes fell on the still-unconscious Xue Lanlan.
With a resigned sigh, he muttered, "Ah, my heart remains too kind."
Gritting his teeth, he hoisted Xue Lanlan over his shoulder and dashed toward the backstage area.
---
Outside the Clear Sky Clan's perimeter.
By the chained cliff, a temporary tent had been set up.
Inside, Bibi Dong sat sipping tea with an air of calm.
Just then, Yue Guan hurried in and bowed:
"Your Holiness, the hot air balloons and troops are ready."
"However, the wind direction isn't favorable at the moment."
Here, Yue Guan hesitated slightly.
"The Clear Sky Clan lies to our north, but the wind is blowing northeast."
"Tests this morning confirmed the balloons can carry a squad of soldiers, but their direction is nearly uncontrollable."
Bibi Dong's brow furrowed. Zhou Long had indeed mentioned this limitation, but she hadn't paid it much mind.
After all, wind directions changed.
If it blew northeast now, it might shift south in a few days—allowing them to assault the Clear Sky Sect effortlessly.
But she had overlooked one variable: interference from other factions.
According to intelligence, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was secretly rallying other sects to send elites to aid the Clear Sky Sect.
Once these forces gathered, the assault would become far more challenging.
Time was of the essence.
The Clear Sky Sect had to be taken swiftly.
"I have an idea, though it's untested," Hu Liena suddenly spoke up, meeting Bibi Dong and Yue Guan's gazes.
"Liena, speak quickly. Time is critical," Yue Guan urged.
Hu Liena hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure it'll work."
She continued, "The solution is simple."
"We don't need the balloons to ascend. Instead, we deploy them from here into the canyon."
"The canyon's terrain is treacherous, with mountains blocking wind on all sides, minimizing its impact."
"Even if the wind shifts, we can use ropes anchored to the cliffs to steer the balloons."
"Brilliant!"
Yue Guan clapped his hands, grinning.
"The Clear Sky Sec tmight anticipate us scaling the cliffs or chains, but never an attack from the canyon!"
"Plus, the mist around their stronghold provides perfect cover!"
"Your Holiness, I believe Liena's plan is viable!"
Bibi Dong rose, leaning on her scepter.
Her serene gaze swept beyond the tent as she declared, "Order the troops to rest today. At dawn tomorrow, I lead 20,000 elites to crush the Clear Sky Sect!"
"As you command!" Yue Guan bowed deeply.
---
Heaven Dou City. Ning Residence.
As Xue Qinghe's mentor, Ning Fengzhi owned a scenic estate in the capital.
But at the moment, he was in no mood for scenery.
Pacing by the lakeside, he awaited news.
"Patriarch, we have word!" Sword Douluo strode over, handing Ning Fengzhi a letter.
"The soldiers flooding the streets are there because the Heaven Dou Emperor has died of illness!"
"To prevent chaos, Xue Qinghe ordered General Luo Feng to lock down the city."
"Of all times for Emperor Xue Ye to die!" Ning Fengzhi sighed, accepting the explanation.
Despite being the crown prince's teacher, he had no unrestricted access to the palace.
Much of his intelligence came secondhand—like now.
For posterity's sake, Qian Renxue had attributed Xue Ye's death (from rage-induced heart failure) to illness.
But the cause of death didn't alter Ning Fengzhi's assessment.
"With Emperor Xue Ye gone, Heaven Dou won't spare troops to aid the Clear Sky Sect."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head ruefully.
Sword Douluo said firmly, "Having visited the Clear Sky Clan, I know the path is shrouded in mist, with bottomless chasms beneath the chains. Even Spirit Douluos must tread carefully—one misstep, and not even bones remain."
"Though Bibi Dong commands 50,000 troops, overcoming such terrain is nigh impossible."
"My guess is she plans to besiege the clan, cutting off supplies to force them into open battle."
"But the Clear Sky Sect's resources can last a year or more."
"We still have ample time."
Ning Fengzhi's gaze turned distant. "Better safe than sorry. The Spirit Hall's deep reserves may hold hidden methods—we must prepare. Let's muster our forces swiftly."
"Any word from Bone Elder?"
Upon hearing of Bibi Dong's plans, Ning Fengzhi had sent Bone Douluo Gu Rong to seek aid from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
Sword Douluo smiled wryly. "Gu Rong sent a message this morning. The Blue Lightning Sect seems... uncooperative."
"They claim ties with our sect ended at East Sea City."
"Petty grudges at a time like this? I misjudged Yu Yuanzhen!" Ning Fengzhi's sleeve swished angrily.
Infighting among the top sects was a gift to the Spirit Hall.
Rubbing his temples, Ning Fengzhi sighed.
"Trusting others leads only to disappointment. Regardless, we must aid the Clear Sky Sect."
"Sword Elder, take a contingent of our elites there in secret."
"I'll handle the external chaos."
"So be it." Sword Douluo nodded.
Suddenly, Ning Fengzhi's head snapped up. "Where's Rongrong? Has anyone seen her?!"
"With the city in turmoil, she could be in danger!"
Ning Rongrong was the clan's treasure—not a hair on her head could be harmed.
Even a scratch would haunt him.
His precious daughter!
Sword Douluo recalled, "The scouts reported her with Dai Mubai and friends two days ago."
"She's likely at Shrek Academy. With Flender and the others there, she should be safe."
"No—I must fetch her myself!" Ning Fengzhi rushed toward the gates.
Recently, Prince Xue Xing's daughter had nearly died during training.
His Ning Rongrong would suffer no such fate.
(End of Chapter)