Chapter 427: I Will Avenge You, Father!
With that thought, Xu Tianran instantly channeled his soul power, shattering the Sun Moon Emperor's heart.
In mere moments, the emperor ceased breathing.
To outsiders, Xu Tianran appeared to be nothing more than a crippled man in a wheelchair, frail and powerless.
But in reality, through years of consuming medicinal pills, he had secretly reached the level of a Title Douluo.
Of course, he had never revealed this to anyone.
After all, he had survived an assassination attempt, but it had left him crippled. If possible, he wanted to keep some hidden aces up his sleeve, ensuring his survival in times of crisis.
The very moment the emperor's breathing stopped, Xu Tianran's face twisted into an expression of disbelief.
He let out a heart wrenching wail, his voice trembling with sorrow:
"Father?! Why have you stopped breathing?! Someone, hurry! Help the Emperor!"
Hearing his anguished cries, the powerful figures guarding the palace outside were instantly shocked and rushed into the chamber.
A Title Douluo specializing in support abilities immediately flew to Xu Tianran's side. He was a middle aged man with dark skin, his face serious as he inspected the emperor's condition.
His expression instantly turned grim.
"What happened to my father?!" Xu Tianran asked anxiously.
The middle aged man's voice was filled with bitterness. "His Majesty's heart has been shattered. It's likely that when those assassins entered the palace earlier, they secretly infused their soul power into his heart.
Over time, the lingering soul power gradually built up before detonating.
The techniques these assassins used to control their soul power were incredibly advanced so much so that even when I examined His Majesty's condition earlier, I failed to detect anything.
Your Highness, this is my failure. I await your punishment!"
With those words, he knelt on the ground, bowing his head in shame.
Hearing this, the other Sun Moon experts fell silent.
The emperor's residence had always been protected by a Rank 9 defensive soul barrier, but the intruders had been exceptionally strong.
It hadn't taken them long to break through the barrier and enter the chamber.
For powerful soul masters, soul power could exist outside the body, meaning it was entirely possible for an expert to leave a hidden force within the emperor's heart.
However, failing to detect such a critical threat was an unforgivable oversight on the part of this Title Douluo.
Xu Tianran's eyes turned red, filling with tears. He gripped his father's now lifeless, cooling hand, his voice choked with emotion.
"Father! I swear, I will avenge you!"
"I will bring justice to your spirit in the afterlife!"
Then, he turned to the kneeling Title Douluo.
"Stand up. This is not your fault. The blame lies with these vile assassins!"
"If their mastery over soul power is so profound that even you one of our strongest experts couldn't detect it, then their strength must be on an entirely different level."
"Only a few forces in this world are capable of producing such individuals. These were no ordinary criminals!"
"We must retaliate fiercely!"
"The Douluo Nations and Shrek Academy will be our primary suspects. Investigate them thoroughly! Find out who was truly behind this attack!"
"I will not allow my father's death to go unanswered!"
"The Sun Moon Empire will respond with full force!"
"Understood, Your Highness!" The Title Douluo, deeply moved by Xu Tianran's grace and understanding, stood up slowly.
He had already resigned himself to being dismissed and cast aside.
But Xu Tianran's compassion and wisdom had proven otherwise.
This only reinforced his loyalty for if Xu Tianran ascended the throne, his own future would be bright.
If he had been banished, all his years of effort and loyalty would have been for nothing.
Now, seeing Xu Tianran's vision and magnanimity, he vowed to serve his new emperor wholeheartedly.
The other Sun Moon powerhouses also voiced their loyalty, pledging to hunt down the assassins.
But none of them left the palace immediately.
They remained on guard.
Though the emperor was dead, Xu Tianran was still here.
If the assassins doubled back for another attack, he would be vulnerable.
Meanwhile, at the Soul Engineer Tournament Finals
"Finally, it's over."
Huo Yuhao watched as the representative from Xishui Alliance was declared champion, feeling somewhat indifferent.
Honestly, given his current level of mastery over soul tools and crafting, these competitors seemed unimpressive to him.
If he wanted to, he could have easily crushed the competition and claimed the championship for himself.
But it wasn't necessary.
The tournament's prizes meant nothing to him he didn't lack money, rare metals, or soul tools.
If it weren't for Feng Ling, he wouldn't have even bothered attending.
Right now, Huo Yuhao sat behind Nangong Wan, his gaze locked on Feng Ling.
She had arrived midway through the competition, and now that it was over, she would soon be leaving with the Xishui Alliance members.
That would be his moment to strike.
Feng Ling's lips curled into a smile, pleased with the Xishui Alliance's victory.
Although she hadn't yet found the Holy Son, this victory still brought significant benefits to the Holy Spirit Cult.
Meanwhile, Nangong Wan stood up and approached An Litong of the Aodu Merchant Guild and Shangguan Weier of the Pingfan Alliance.
"An Litong, Shangguan Weier," he said, his tone casual but firm.
"Now that the Xishui Alliance has won the championship, you two will report to our headquarters tomorrow."
"As per the agreement, all smuggling operations involving rare metals will now be under our control."
An Litong and Shangguan Weier's expressions darkened.
The two had teamed up against the Xishui Alliance, but in the end, the championship still slipped through their grasp.
This meant they had now lost their access to the rare metal trade.
But seeing the powerful guards Nangong Wan had brought, they said nothing.
Their faces grim, they turned and left.
Feng Ling offered a few casual words of praise to the Xishui Alliance's competitors before preparing to leave.
She planned to report the results to Zhongli Wu after all, this was a major victory for the Holy Spirit Cult.
Moments later, as she passed through a deserted forest path, Nangong Wan and Ming Lei Douluo exchanged a brief glance.
They were ready to make their move.
Since Huo Yuhao had decided to capture Feng Ling, they couldn't let him take the lead.
Their soul cores were bound by Huo Yuhao's seal defying his orders could mean instant death.
With a sweep of his sleeve, Nangong Wan unleashed a mass of dark green tendrils, twisting through the air as they rushed toward Feng Ling.
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