"Your Majesty the Empress, the time is nearly upon us."
At the Prime Minister's reminder, the Empress—dressed in white mourning garments—slowly opened her eyes, her tone unavoidably weary, "Has the Crown Prince arrived?"
"Judging by the time, he should be here soon."
Hearing this, the Empress's heart remained uneasy.
Ever since Dou Ling Emperor Xue Yun had mysteriously contracted a terminal illness and suddenly passed away yesterday, everything had reeked of strangeness.
Combined with the sense of foreboding that had risen in her since yesterday, the Empress felt as if a mountain were crushing her chest, leaving her breathless.
Even if the Crown Prince truly succeeded to the throne smoothly...
She still had to worry about that brother-in-law of hers.
Thinking of this, the Empress turned her gaze to Heavenly Sun Douluo sitting quietly nearby. "Chief Elder, I earnestly hope you can help the new emperor suppress turmoil in the imperial city after the Crown Prince's succession. Given the current situation on the continent, the Dou Ling Empire cannot afford to be severely wounded."
Hearing this, Heavenly Sun Douluo couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
As an elder, he truly did not wish to involve himself in the royal family's various grievances. But in reality, he couldn't simply ignore it.
He could only say helplessly, "Rest assured, Your Majesty."
But just as Heavenly Sun Douluo finished speaking, the great doors to the hall suddenly burst open, and a gust of wind swept in from outside!
This sudden change instantly stunned everyone in the hall; even Heavenly Sun Douluo wore the same expression.
He hadn't detected anything just now!
The thing is, he's a Level 97 Super Douluo!
Whoosh—
The wind blew past, and a dense bloody odor instantly filled the great hall.
When the Prime Minister and the Empire's Marshal saw clearly who had arrived, they were greatly shocked, "Prince Xue Feng (Your Highness Xue Feng)!"
The Empress, seated in the high position, though realizing something was amiss, quickly composed herself as the mother of the nation.
Looking at Xue Feng covered in blood, her voice became indifferent. "Does Uncle know what crime it is to wear armor and forcibly enter the palace without permission?!"
"Of course."
In an instant, Xue Feng stepped into the great hall. His gaze passed over the panicked eunuchs and maidservants, then swept across the Marshal, Prime Minister, and Heavenly Sun Douluo, finally stopping on the Empress.
"Nothing more than a capital crime. However..."
Xue Feng looked at the Empress dressed in mourning white, "This Prince merely heard of my elder brother's passing yesterday and came to pay respects. Nothing more."
"Incidentally..."
Speaking to this point, Xue Feng paused slightly.
He reached back and beckoned. A burly man, similarly clad in armor but with a more robust physique, entered the great hall holding a soul guidance long spear and carrying an exquisite wooden box, reeking of blood. He came to Xue Feng's side and placed the wooden box in his palm.
"I've brought you all a gift."
With that, Xue Feng slowly opened the wooden box.
"Sister-in-law, please look."
The next second, an even denser bloody odor wafted out, causing the Empress and Prime Minister to frown deeply and subconsciously lean back or step back. Only the Marshal and Heavenly Sun Douluo remained expressionless.
But when they glanced at that wooden box...
A human head!
That disheveled, blood-stained object was clearly a human head. Though the features were unclear, it looked familiar.
When the Empress saw it, her heart suddenly clenched.
At this moment, she clearly realized!
Coincidentally, the Marshal had seen clearly now, and the look in his eyes was pure horror! "This... this is the Crown Prince's head!"
At this moment, everyone's thoughts:
!!!
Heavens!
Prince Xue Feng had actually killed the Crown Prince who was about to ascend the throne at this time, not only severing his head but also brazenly presenting it before the Empress who had just lost her husband yesterday!
Even Heavenly Sun Douluo was thoroughly shocked by Xue Feng's ruthlessness, and a chill rose in his heart.
"Chen'er!!!"
The Empress's vision went black, and she nearly fainted.
If she were an ordinary mother, the moment she saw that head, she would have lost her reason. But as the mother of the nation, having weathered great storms, she had long since developed a strong heart. Even in anger, she could maintain her composure.
And now, this composure allowed her thinking to remain unimpaired. Facing Xue Feng's coup and the Crown Prince's death, the Empress quickly thought of a crucial point. What about the other princes?!
She didn't believe Xue Feng would spare them!
"Chief Elder!"
The Empress's grief-stricken tone recalled Heavenly Sun Douluo to his senses.
"I beg you, save my royal children."
At this moment, everyone reacted.
Whoosh—
Heavenly Sun Douluo did not refuse. His face darkened as he swept a glance at Xue Feng, then promptly vanished from his spot.
Xue Feng did not stop him but simply let him leave.
He stood in the great hall, confronting the Empress. At this moment, the entire hall fell into a strange silence.
Until...
"Your Majesty, I apologize."
Heavenly Sun Douluo returned, his expression slightly heavy.
He had arrived too late.
Counting the Crown Prince, all three direct-line princes had died at Xue Feng's hands. Even the other three concubine-born princes had not been spared by Xue Feng, all completely exterminated in a single night.
Ruthless!
How utterly ruthless!
In Heavenly Sun Douluo's view, their Prince was completely no less ruthless than Xu Tianran of the Sun Moon Empire, and had hidden himself far too deeply.
Hearing Heavenly Sun Douluo's words, the Empress felt as if her head had exploded, her mind going blank. Grief, anger... countless negative emotions filled her mind like floodwaters, constantly breaching the dam of her rationality.
"Xue—Feng—"
Through gritted teeth, the Empress's eyes were red.
Seeing this appearance, she seemed as if she wanted to eat his flesh and sleep on his skin!
"Seize him for this Palace!"
The command rang out before others could react.
"Your Majesty the Empress!"
Ge Hong stepped forward with his spear, his tiger eyes wide as he shouted sternly: "This humble one requests that Your Majesty have His Majesty draft an edict, abdicating the throne to Prince Xue Feng!"
Have His Majesty draft an edict?!
The Empress nearly laughed in anger!
Who among the important people in this hall didn't know that His Majesty had passed away?! And now he still wanted to put on a show of pretense!
"Impossible!"
The word caused Ge Hong's gaze to turn fierce.
He tightened his grip on the long spear, "Your Majesty the Empress, if you refuse the toast only to drink the penalty, don't blame this humble one for giving you a dignified end!"
"How dare you!"
At this moment, Heavenly Sun Douluo seemed to have made his decision.
He had been pondering one thing just now: whether Prince Xue Feng ascending to power would be beneficial to the Dou Ling Empire. The conclusion was: Prince Xue Feng would hinder the current overall situation.
In other words, Xue Feng could not ascend!
At least not now!
Heavenly Sun Douluo slowly rose, attracting everyone's attention while also proving with his actions that he did not agree with Xue Feng's succession.
The Empress, seeing this, immediately showed joy!
But just at this moment, a bright light suddenly filled the great hall, and the next second, before others could react, a female figure actually blocked before Heavenly Sun Douluo.
"Who are you?!"
When Heavenly Sun Douluo spoke these words, the owner of this figure said with a seemingly smiling expression: "Bright Phoenix Douluo—Shui Xiye."
...
The next day.
"Long live Your Majesty! May you live ten thousand years!"
The Dou Ling Empire inherited from the Tian Dou, with the Xue family as rulers, naturally followed old systems and old rituals. Xue Feng was now wearing a golden-red robe, a golden diamond crown dazzling to the heavens, sitting upon the imperial throne.
"All ministers, rise."
Xue Feng looked down at his subjects bowing, and suddenly felt immensely heroic.
At this moment, the joy in his heart welled up naturally. After decades, he had finally ascended to this throne he had dreamed of!
At this moment, the power of the Dou Ling Empire was entirely in his hands!
And at this moment, his deeply buried ambitions burst forth entirely!
Gazing toward the west, that was the direction of the Tian Hun Empire. Similarly, it was also the ancient capital of Tian Dou of their Xue family thousands of years ago.
What his ancestors had lost, he would take back all at once!
Xue Feng gazed, murmured, felt immensely heroic, "Elder brother, watch. Under my leadership, Dou Ling will return to Tian Dou's throne. My future Tian Dou will far surpass your Dou Ling!"
...
"Many thanks, Your Majesty Minghuang (Bright Phoenix)."
After completing the coronation ceremony and ending the court session, Xue Feng came to a side hall and met Bright Phoenix Douluo Shui Xiye.
Yesterday, Heavenly Sun Douluo's sudden move had completely exceeded Xue Feng's expectations. But what exceeded his expectations even more was that a Limit Douluo he completely didn't know would act on his behalf.
Though he didn't know why, with Bright Phoenix Douluo Shui Xiye's assistance, he was able to continue implementing his plans as desired.
First, he successfully forced the Empress to draft an edict in the late emperor's name, indicating that his Xue Feng's ascension was the late emperor's will before his departure.
Second, with Bright Phoenix Douluo's backing, Xue Feng didn't hesitate to borrow the tiger's might. Going even further, under the Empress's gaze that seemed to want to devour someone, he pinned the crime of rebellion on the Crown Prince he had killed and those other princes, thereby indicating that the slaughter Xue Feng had raised in the night was justified.
Finally, he placed the Empress under house arrest in the palace, and similarly placed Heavenly Sun Douluo and those other elders under house arrest in the Worship Hall.
After all, with the late emperor newly deceased, he didn't dare to defy the will of the people by also killing the Empress; otherwise even a fool could see something was wrong. As for the elders of the Worship Hall, Xue Feng naturally wanted to make them serve him, so the house arrest was temporary.
Though Bright Phoenix Douluo was powerful, standing at the peak of the continent, her origins were unknown, and Xue Feng dared not trust her lightly.
So no matter what you say, your own people are still more reliable.
And precisely because of Bright Phoenix Douluo's inexplicable assistance, Xue Feng had doubts in his heart. After all, he had neither done her any favors nor was he confident he had the charm to attract her attention, so why did she help him? Could it be for free?
He didn't believe that.
In the end, it was probably still profit driving this.
So he came.
To meet Shui Xiye personally and talk with her.
"Congratulations to Your Majesty on your initial ascension to the great treasure."
Since Xue Feng was polite, Shui Xiye didn't lack courtesy either. An instinctive smile made this Limit Douluo even more charming.
But Xue Feng, who valued the empire more, remained unmoved. Instead, when Shui Xiye spoke, he raised his vigilance to the highest.
As for beautiful women...
Xue Feng had only this thought in his heart:
She's already a Limit Douluo, she must be an old woman!
Then, in his mind emerged Shui Xiye's supposed true appearance: white hair all over, wrinkles on the forehead, full of crevices.
Though his thoughts were presumptuous, he performed all the surface courtesies properly. After simple pleasantries and having tea served, only Xue Feng and Shui Xiye remained in the side hall.
"Your Majesty truly possesses the gall of a dragon."
"I am the emperor, so naturally I possess the gall of a dragon."
Xue Feng accepted Shui Xiye's praise as a matter of course.
"But this seat does not see it that way." Shui Xiye took a sip of tea, a trace of reminiscence appearing in her eyes, "This seat has seen three generations of Dou Ling Emperors, but not one had Your Majesty's boldness."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Xue Feng secretly calculated while also thinking: Could she have even seen my grandfather?
Xue Feng's composure was taken in by Shui Xiye.
Had she really seen them?
No.
But when you're out in the world, identities are all self-made.
Moreover, the three generations of emperors she mentioned were all dead. Even if it were false, who could jump out to verify it?
She was betting on there being no proof since the dead can't testify!
Shui Xiye continued: "Thinking back, when these three emperors ascended, this seat went to see them alone, wanting to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with them. Unfortunately, those three emperors lacked boldness and refused."
"So that's how it was."
Did Xue Feng believe it?
Nonsense!
He didn't believe it at all.
To be precise, he wouldn't believe it completely.
After all, now his grandfather, father, and elder brother were all dead—who else could prove whether this matter was true or false?
But even so, the necessary probing had to continue.
"What exactly is the cooperation Your Majesty speaks of? Also, why does Your Majesty only seek cooperation with our Dou Ling Empire's emperor, and not the Tian Hun, Star Luo, or Sun Moon Empires?"
Shui Xiye didn't answer but instead asked, "Does Your Majesty know what a Limit Douluo like me, at level 99, still wants?"
Xue Feng frowned, not responding.
Seeing this, Shui Xiye couldn't help but shake her head.
"Since Your Majesty doesn't know, then forget it. Let's return to the previous topic. This seat doesn't seek the other three empires; it's just that the Dou Ling Empire's emperor is more suitable. And what this seat wants in cooperation is: this seat helps you, but all the people of the nation must worship this seat."
Shui Xiye didn't continue the topic she had asked about earlier but instead proposed her cooperation, which also interrupted Xue Feng's train of thought.
The moment Xue Feng heard Shui Xiye's words:
Impossible!
Three words were about to blurt out.
But he forcibly swallowed them back.
At this moment, Xue Feng stared at Shui Xiye. No wonder she was rejected—this was impossible for any emperor to agree to!
Worship you?
Then where does that place the emperor?
Also, the other three empires' emperors aren't suitable?
This was indirectly saying the Dou Ling Empire's emperor was the most cowardly! Because only the most cowardly person would agree to this cooperation!
Suppressing the urge to curse his mother, Xue Feng took a deep breath.
And Shui Xiye seemed to see through Xue Feng's heart. Without waiting for him to speak, she opened her mouth: "Your Majesty probably thinks this is an act of cowardice. But in this seat's view, this requires great boldness."
Xue Feng's face was calm, indicating he was all ears.
"Why do you say this?"
"Because this faith of mine requires a prerequisite." Shui Xiye looked at Xue Feng, seeming to see through his eyes into his heart, enunciating word by word: "Uni—fy—the—Con—ti—nent!"
Four words shocked Xue Feng's mind.
His pupils couldn't help but contract, and then he slowly rose...
This conversation seemed to end here.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)