Xue Tianyu stood beside Qian Renxue and immediately felt a wave of warmth.
The feeling was familiar and comforting.
'So this is the sensation of spirits from the same source?'
The Angel Spirit.
Across from them, Bone Douluo's expression changed drastically.
He abruptly stood up, his voice filled with disbelief. "Spirit Hall?!"
No wonder Spirit Hall had been stirring recently, showing signs of an ambition to swallow the world whole.
So they had been planning this for over ten years!
If Heaven Dou Empire fell into Spirit Hall's hands, the entire continent would be on the brink of disaster!
Bone Douluo's face was grim. "You're committing open rebellion like this—aren't you afraid that I'll expose everything?"
"When the truth is made known to the world, you will become the enemy of all!"
"Is that so?"
Qian Renxue cast a sidelong glance, her commanding aura surging forth.
"I nearly forgot about you."
She smiled indifferently. "First, aside from Xue Qinghe, the Heaven Dou imperial family has no other heirs."
"Second, I, Qian Renxue, assassinated Xue Ye. What does that have to do with Crown Prince Xue Qinghe? If Spirit Hall assassinated the Emperor of Heaven Dou, what does that have to do with Xue Qinghe?"
"The people will only pity the now-isolated Xue Qinghe even more. They will only rally behind his rule even more tightly."
"And besides…"
Qian Renxue looked at Bone Douluo with an expression as if she were staring at a dead man. "Do you really think anyone who attended tonight's banquet can leave alive?"
"I have spent over a decade in hiding—all for this night."
Bone Douluo felt his blood run cold.
He had only come to accompany Ning Fengzhi for a meal—how had he ended up entangled in the most dangerous coup possible?!
Not only him, but Emperor Xue Ye was also in shock.
Spirit Hall's scheming ran so deep that they had begun their plans over ten years ago, and yet, all these years, he had failed to notice that his own son had been replaced by a woman!
A perfect case of a cat replacing a prince!
Xue Ye felt as if he had fallen into an ice cavern, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. He knew that escaping tonight's ordeal was nearly impossible.
Ten years of planning—all for tonight—to ensure his complete downfall.
By now, some of the imperial palace's guard captains had noticed that something was wrong and called for reinforcements.
However, with Emperor Xue Ye still in Qian Renxue's grasp, they dared not act recklessly.
Enduring the searing pain of the poison eating away at his body, Xue Ye gritted his teeth and crawled toward Bone Douluo.
"Take me away."
Bone Douluo took a deep breath.
Right now, their only hope was to rescue Emperor Xue Ye and neutralize the poison in his body.
Just as he was about to act, Qian Renxue pulled out a signal flare and fired it into the sky.
A unique firework shot up, exploding in the air.
As the sparks faded, the emblem of Spirit Hall formed in the sky.
All the people Spirit Hall had secretly planted in Heaven Dou City over the years saw the signal and immediately launched their attack on the palace!
Meanwhile, within the imperial guards, a portion of soldiers loyal to Qian Renxue quietly drew their blades and struck down their fellow guards.
In an instant, the palace guards were thrown into chaos.
They couldn't even distinguish who among them was a hidden agent of Spirit Hall.
Then, the elite unit under Qian Renxue's command suddenly struck, slaughtering the already-confused imperial guards.
For a moment, the guards didn't know where to direct their weapons.
However, the spies and Qian Renxue's forces had special means of recognizing each other.
The battle quickly turned one-sided.
Even the soldiers stationed outside the palace, though aware of the turmoil inside, found themselves locked in combat with Spirit Hall's forces, unable to come to the rescue.
That night—
Flames blazed throughout the imperial palace.
The sounds of clashing blades, cries of agony, and shouts of battle wove together into a harrowing symphony of carnage.
Sensing the urgency of the battle around him, Bone Douluo unleashed the full force of his Titled Douluo aura.
Xue Tianyu followed suit, summoning his spirit rings.
Eight red, one gold!
Bone Douluo nearly stopped breathing.
Seeing it in person was far more shocking than just hearing rumors.
'What kind of monstrous spirit ring combination is this? Eight red, one gold—is that even something a human can possess?!'
Qian Renxue and Xue Tianyu stood side by side, their gazes fixed on Bone Douluo.
At that moment, two powerful Douluo auras soared into the sky.
Snake Snake Spear Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo broke through the battlefield and rushed to Qian Renxue's side.
At that moment, Qian Renxue took Xue Tianyu's hand.
"Tonight, we fight together."
Her eyes shone with joy. "For so many years, I've always been alone. It's been so long since I've felt this."
"Tianyu, thank you for staying with me tonight. I'm really happy I don't have to face all of this alone."
Qian Renxue's heart softened.
'Tianyu, from now on, I won't let you be alone either.'
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Xue Tianyu wrapped an arm around Qian Renxue's waist, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.
"Uh…"
Snake Spear Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo exchanged looks.
They had rushed over thinking Qian Renxue needed backup, only to land and witness a scene of pure affection.
'What do you mean you've been alone all these years?'
'Do we not count as people?'
At that moment, Bone Douluo, realizing he was outnumbered, grabbed the severely poisoned Emperor Xue Ye and fled.
Qian Renxue and Xue Tianyu instantly sprang into action.
By now, the remaining palace guards had dealt with the hidden agents and turned their attention to blocking Bone Douluo's escape.
Qian Renxue reached out. "Angel's Sword!"
A delicate golden sword of light appeared in her hand.
Xue Tianyu also brandished his Ice God Spear.
To avoid slowing down their pursuit, Qian Renxue held off the imperial guards while Xue Tianyu chased after Bone Douluo.
"Third Soul Skill—Bone Assimilation!"
Bone Douluo spun around, his left arm transforming into a massive bone spike, stabbing toward Xue Tianyu.
"Biting North Wind—Frozen Sandstorm!"
Xue Tianyu's powerful soul energy burst forth, the extreme frost aura of the Ice God Spear slashing through the air.
The giant bone spike Bone Douluo had formed was instantly frozen.
Then, it shattered into countless pieces!
Bone Douluo was utterly shocked.
Only after fighting personally did he realize just how terrifying Xue Tianyu was.
He was even stronger than the rumors suggested!
A sliver of fear crept into Bone Douluo's heart.
His instinct screamed at him—he needed to flee faster!
Xue Tianyu frowned. Bone Douluo was only focused on escaping.
If he managed to take Emperor Xue Ye away, things would become troublesome.
With that thought, Xue Tianyu thrust his spear forward—its shaft suddenly extended!
Bone Douluo was caught off guard and impaled through his entire right arm.
Emperor Xue Ye and Bone Douluo's severed arm both fell to the ground.
At that moment, Qian Renxue, having cut down the guards blocking her path, arrived at Xue Tianyu's side.
Bone Douluo's heart filled with terror.
He was already no match for Xue Tianyu alone—now, with Qian Renxue here, he was doomed.
"Bone Douluo… take me… cough…"
Xue Ye coughed up a mouthful of black blood, his body on the verge of collapse.
The poison was terrifyingly potent.
Bone Douluo glanced at the dying Emperor Xue Ye on the ground but didn't hesitate for even half a second.
He turned and ran.
"..."
Xue Ye watched Bone Douluo's retreating figure, despair and the terror of death consuming him.