Intrigue in the Palace

Chapter 47 Intrigue in the Palace

One of the three great sects, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, which once dominated the world, was thus destroyed. Not to mention the members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect; even the royal knights who followed Zhong Li into battle and the soul masters who were loyal to the royal family all felt a sense of unreality.

Once upon a time, the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire and the elders of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan were equals. If they were to actually meet, Emperor Xueye would probably have to bow down before Yu Yuanzhen.

However, Zhong Li had already arrived in front of Yu Yuanzhen's corpse. With a wave of his hand, several crystalline objects detached from Yu Yuanzhen's body and fell into Zhong Li's hand. Seeing this, many Soul Masters of the Heaven Dou Empire felt a slight warmth in their hearts.

After Yu Yuanzhen died, five soul bones exploded from his body, a truly spectacular explosion. No wonder he was the sect leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan!

Apart from his left leg bone, he already possessed all the soul bones he needed. Moreover, all of them were over ten thousand years old, with the highest quality "Silver Armored Earth Dragon" torso bone even reaching the level of ninety thousand years old.

It is precisely because of this that, although both are at level 95, Yu Yuanzhen's combat power is definitely much stronger than Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo of the Spirit Hall, and slightly stronger than Gu Rong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

However, even such a powerful being was slain by Zhong Li. The crowd was filled with shock and reverence.

The empire's expeditionary force then "inspected" the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan's treasury. Although they were mentally prepared, they were still stunned when they actually entered.

Needless to say, there are all sorts of gold, silver, jewelry, and antiques. In fact, these things are kept in the outer area of ​​the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan's treasury.

Inside, there are various rare ancient soul tools; weapons made from the bones of soul beasts that are ten thousand or even a hundred thousand years old; and armor made from leather and beast scales. Judging from the forging techniques, they were likely all created by "divine craftsmen." Although they are not of much help to truly powerful individuals, they are absolutely priceless to soul masters with lower cultivation levels.

"Just how many soul bones does the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan possess?"

Dugu Bo paced back and forth in the treasure vault, marveling at the sights. The soul bones that Yu Yuanzhen dropped after his death were all at the ten-thousand-year level; and in this treasure vault, there were quite a few soul bones at the thousand-year level, probably intended as rewards for outstanding junior disciples.

For the vast majority of Soul Masters, obtaining a thousand-year-old Soul Bone is something to be very grateful for. In fact, some particularly unlucky Soul Emperors and Soul Saints don't even have a single Soul Bone when they reach that level.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect alone has amassed so many resources. If they wanted to carve out a territory and tear the empire apart, it would be a matter of a single thought. In the past, when the empire faced the Star Luo Sect, it suffered repeated defeats, and the shadows of these powerful sects were often behind it."

An old retainer of the Heavenly Dou Empire sighed deeply, his voice tinged with melancholy.

Once upon a time, the Heaven Dou Empire also had the opportunity to unify the continent, end the chaos, and usher in a new era of peace. At that time, the Star Luo Empire had not yet unified the southern part of the continent, and the Heaven Dou Empire was the most powerful. It also had an ambitious emperor on the throne who had swept away many duchy kingdoms within its borders and besieged and killed several troublesome soul beast kings. It was the time to make great strides and establish merit.

The Star Luo Empire, though beginning to rise at that time, expanded and conquered extensively through brutal and ruthless methods. Wherever it went, nine out of ten houses were deserted, the local population was drastically reduced, and the hearts of the people in the newly expanded areas were completely disregarded. When the Heavenly Dou army first marched south, it won battle after battle and was about to reach the gates of Star Luo City.

At that time, the Spirit Hall was still called the "Church," and the conflict between it and the Heaven Dou Empire was not as great as it is now. It also tacitly supported the Empire's unification of the continent.

As a result, the top experts of the three upper sects, including six titled Douluo, attacked simultaneously. The Heavenly Dou Emperor died suddenly overnight; the army that conquered the south also suffered a crushing defeat a few days later, fleeing back to the Heavenly Dou Empire in disarray. It was through this great victory that the Star Luo Empire truly rose to power, laying the foundation for its bloody and cruel hegemony.

At this time, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan was destroyed, and its wealth and resources accumulated over a thousand years became spoils of war for the Heaven Dou Empire. The soul masters of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan were also escorted by the imperial army to Heaven Dou City to await further distribution and arrangements.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan is destroyed. Qinghe, what are your thoughts?"

In a study filled with an air of nobility within the imperial palace of Tiandou City, the elderly emperor stood with his hands behind his back before a magnificent vase and asked a question.

Standing behind Emperor Xueye, Qian Renxue couldn't see the old emperor's expression. After a moment's thought, she respectfully bowed and said, "Father, this is a monumental achievement, an unparalleled feat! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, relying on its status as one of the three upper sects, has been disrespecting the royal family for quite some time. They've even done countless things, both openly and secretly, that have harmed the empire's interests, but back then we had no choice but to swallow our anger."

Emperor Xueye nodded, but did not answer.

"Father, are you perhaps worried that this merit is too great to be rewarded? If Father has this concern, why not appoint my fifth brother as Crown Prince? If it is my fifth brother, as the elder brother, I will accept it wholeheartedly."

Xue Qinghe bowed again, head bowed, and said.

"No."

This time, Emperor Xueye's voice suddenly became incredibly resolute and heavy.

"On the contrary. After the Soul Master Competition ends, I will appoint you as Crown Prince. Not only will I appoint you as Crown Prince, but I will also appoint you as General Who Conquers the South, commanding the troops of twenty-two provinces. Even Marshal Ge Long will have to obey your command."

Qian Renxue's pupils contracted slightly.

"Father, what... what is the reason for this?"

Originally, Qian Renxue should have been very happy to hear this. She had been infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire for so many years; wasn't this exactly her goal?

However, for some reason, she felt a dryness in her throat at that moment.

"Qinghe, do you really want to ask me this question?"

Emperor Xueye did not turn around, and said calmly.

"My first test for you is to relieve your sister, the Shadow Princess, of her military command. Then, maintain close contact with your teacher. If necessary, you can relinquish some of the Empire's interests. What he originally wanted—the right to operate the salt industry in the three coastal provinces, the mining rights in the northern provinces, and the slave rights in New Alfred Province—can all be given to him."

The voice of the Snow Night Emperor now carried a chilling undertone.

"Your subject understands."

At this moment, Qian Renxue had calmed down, and her mind became crystal clear, understanding many things. She nodded and answered in a calm voice.

"And also, regarding the Spirit Hall. Bishop Salas, if you wish to contact them, then go ahead. If... they have that kind of intention, you don't need to report to me anymore. Do whatever you want. Anyway, if I'm not mistaken, you're already an expert at it. Heh."

Emperor Xueye's words seemed mocking, yet they contained not a trace of sarcasm. He himself had experienced the same things back then.

"Finally, remember these words from your father. For a ruler, what he can control is his weapon; what he cannot control, no matter how sharp, is merely a sword hanging over his head, posing endless danger. Go forth."

After saying that, Xueye waved her hand, seemingly a little tired.

Xue Qinghe bowed and then silently withdrew from the study. A decision seemed to have already flashed in her eyes.

(End of this chapter)