Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 399 Intimacy, Crown Prince Xu Tianran, Conspiracy

Inside the private room, the air seemed to freeze. Gula sat leisurely on the sofa, patiently staring at Ye Guyi.

It must be said that a top-tier martial soul has a huge impact on a soul master's appearance and temperament.

Although Ye Guyi was wearing a seemingly ordinary, even somewhat conservative, long-sleeved and trousered Soul Master robe, it was still impossible to conceal the holy radiance emanating from within and her natural beauty.

Her skin was fair and delicate, her features exquisite like a meticulously sculpted work of art, and her pair of clear, bright blue eyes were fixed on Gula with intense vigilance, inquiry, and a hint of barely perceptible anticipation.

Finally, Ye Guyi broke the silence first, her voice clear and cold, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor:

"Who are you? Why are you contacting me in this way? What do you want? And..."

She raised her hand, revealing the dark red "Evil Buster" in her palm. "Did you make this soul tool?"

“Yes, I did it.” Gula admitted directly, his tone flat.

Ye Guyi became visibly agitated, her breathing quickening. She took a step forward, her voice filled with intense anticipation and disbelief:

"Then...then your martial soul is...?"

Gula nodded, a thought flickering in his mind.

In an instant, a dazzling golden light surged from his body, warm and fiery, filled with a sacred aura that could purify all evil.

A more majestic and holy angelic phantom, seemingly formed from pure light and fire, slowly emerged behind him—the Holy Sun Angel!

Although its form is slightly different from that of a traditional six-winged angel, its essence—a pure and supremely intense light and divine power, even more blazing and powerful than Ye Guyi's martial soul—cannot be faked.

Sensing that sacred aura, which originated from the same source but seemed to be more advanced and pure, Ye Guyi's beautiful eyes widened instantly. Then, large tears rolled down her smooth cheeks without warning.

No one knows how she has survived all these years!

His family was wiped out by evil spirit masters, and he hid alone in the city. His greatest enemy was the Holy Spirit Cult, which had spread all over the continent and had a huge influence.

The only aunt who saved her and gave her some warmth also died from her serious injuries in the battle with Xishuimeng.

She carried a deep-seated hatred, yet she dared not easily reveal her martial spirit, fearing it would attract even stronger evil spirit masters to besiege her. That loneliness, fear, and hatred tormented her day and night.

Today, she finally met a "companion," a companion who also possessed the power of a holy angel, and who seemed to be more powerful than she could have imagined.

If there were a favorability rating display, Gula could see that Ye Guyi's favorability towards him was rising rapidly, soaring directly from unfamiliarity to extreme trust and dependence.

"You...you..." Ye Guyi choked up, instinctively wanting to get closer to Gula, as if to confirm that this was not a dream.

But she had just taken a step when she suddenly stopped, her face showing extreme anxiety.

"You, you haven't revealed your identity, have you?! You absolutely mustn't! The Xi Shui Alliance, there are many evil soul masters hidden within the Xi Shui Alliance. If they know of your existence, they will definitely do anything to attack you."

After being reminded by her, Gula stroked his chin and said in a daze, "Oh, an evil spirit master... If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about it."

He recalled how, after several failed attempts by evil spirit masters against him at Shrek Academy, they had mysteriously fallen silent.

It now seems that they didn't give up, but were brewing something even bigger.

Having arrived in the Sun Moon Empire, it's like "a lamb entering a tiger's den." An attack by the Holy Spirit Cult is probably just around the corner.

In addition, Ye Guyi did not realize that his "martial soul" was actually a spirit, which reassured Gula a lot. It was his paranoia. However, this is also the self-cultivation of an actor, to play every role seriously.

Getting back to the main point, in this era before the birth of the soul system, even if Ye Guyi sensed some subtle differences, she would only think of them as mutations in her martial soul or individual differences, and would not think of anything else.

Their conversation thereafter went smoothly and pleasantly.

Gula told her his name and that he was an exchange student from Shrek Academy, and said that if she encountered any problems she couldn't solve, she could go to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy to find him.

Before parting, Gula even gifted Ye Guyi a trigger-activated level eight defensive soul tool that he was carrying.

"Take this. It might be useful in a pinch to block an attack from a Title Douluo. Protect yourself."

Ye Guyi accepted the precious soul tool, feeling the lingering warmth on it and the other person's undisguised concern. She was deeply moved, and her eyes reddened again.

As Gula took his leave, she stood at the door of the private room, watching him go with reluctance, as if looking at a ray of bright light that had suddenly appeared in her life, afraid that it would disappear again.

……

Meanwhile, Jing Hongchen arrived at the palace with a heavy heart, requesting an audience with the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.

In the magnificent palace, which was filled with the smell of medicine, Jing Hongchen saw a middle-aged man lying on a soft couch, pale-faced and plagued by injuries and illnesses—the current Emperor of the Sun and Moon.

Jing Hongchen immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, without saying anything, but first expressed his remorse and regret for introducing such a dangerous person.

The emperor waved his hand wearily and said with difficulty, "I forgive you, stand up and speak."

After Jing Hongchen stood up, he recounted everything that had happened in the laboratory, especially the terrifying soul tools on Gula's body, which were equivalent to dozens of level-eight fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells, as well as his crazy remarks about bombing the academy, bombing the palace, and killing the crown prince...

His Majesty the Emperor, who was already physically weak, almost couldn't catch his breath and was sent away by Jing Hongchen!

He coughed violently, his face flushed red. What was supposed to be a perfectly good exchange activity—learning Shrek's technology and showcasing national power—turned into this?

They actually brought back a humanoid time bomb that can think for itself and could blow the imperial capital into the sky at any time.

But he had already promised to pardon Jing Hongchen, and he couldn't go back on his word now. Besides, strictly speaking, Jing Hongchen couldn't really be blamed entirely; who knew Shrek Academy would send such a madman?
The emperor, panting heavily, finally waved his hand weakly: "I...I understand. We will increase the palace patrols and...and have someone keep an eye on him, ensuring he doesn't approach any important areas...Master of the Red Dust Hall, you...you may leave now..."

He felt he needed to rest immediately and increase his medication dosage. Jing Hongchen bowed and took his leave. After leaving the palace, he went straight to the Crown Prince's residence. This step was perfectly aboveboard, and the Emperor knew it; there was no need to hide it.

Inside the Crown Prince's residence, Xu Tianran was overjoyed to hear that Jing Hongchen had come to visit, thinking he had brought some good news. He even forced himself to go to the door to greet him, giving the Mingde Hall Master a great deal of face.

However, after hearing Jing Hongchen's purpose in the secret room, as well as Gula's statement about "killing the prince" and the terrifying weapons he carried...

Xu Tianran, that cripple, was so angry he almost stood up from his wheelchair.

Although he relied on drugs to cultivate to the Title Douluo level, much of it was unreliable. He couldn't withstand the explosion of hundreds of Level 8 fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells around him; it was like a knife hanging over his head.

His face was so dark it was almost dripping with water: "Master of the Red Dust Hall! Are we just going to let a foreigner like him threaten us, and threaten the Crown Prince of the Empire?!"

Jing Hongchen shook his head with a wry smile: "Your Highness, I... am at a loss for the time being. The risk of taking forceful action is too great, and the academy and Mingde Hall cannot afford it."

"His Majesty has promised to increase manpower to keep a close watch on him and ensure that he has no chance to get close to important areas such as the palace and the Crown Prince's residence."

Upon hearing this, Xu Tianran's expression softened slightly, but his killing intent surged even more intensely.

He barely suppressed his anger, gave Jing Hongchen a few perfunctory words, and then signaled that he could leave.

Jing Hongchen bowed and took his leave.

Watching Jing Hongchen's disappearing figure, the gentleness in Xu Tianran's eyes vanished completely, leaving only cold resentment and murderous intent.

He suddenly spoke to the empty shadows: "Elder Xue, could you... arrange an assassination to get rid of that Gula?"

He could not allow someone who could threaten his life at any moment and had no sense of respect to roam freely.

The shadow twisted and a frail figure silently emerged. It was none other than Xue Chen, the chief guard of the Crown Prince's residence and one of the top experts of the Sun Moon Empire's Hall of Worship.

He slowly shook his head, his voice as dry as withered wood: "Your Highness, according to intelligence, Nagula not only possesses the twin martial souls of ultimate fire and ultimate light, but his angel martial soul also seems to have mastered an extremely advanced elemental soul skill, which can instantly transform his body into an elemental body."

"Unless a Limit Douluo personally intervenes, or there is a special way to counter him, even I have no confidence in completely obliterating all his elements in an instant. If I fail and give him a chance to react instantly... the consequences would be unimaginable. It would be a losing proposition."

Xu Tianran fell silent, his fingers gripping the armrests of his wheelchair tightly. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth: "...Alright, I understand. Then...let's discuss this further."

But a dangerous glint flashed in his lowered eyes as he silently repeated four words in his mind: Angelic Martial Soul…

On this day, the Imperial Palace and the Crown Prince's Residence simultaneously increased patrol intensity and alert level to an unprecedented degree.

This tense atmosphere spread rapidly, leaving many nobles and high-ranking officials in Mingdu bewildered, but they also subconsciously strengthened their own guards, and undercurrents surged throughout the upper echelons of Mingdu.

To avoid causing widespread panic and riots, both the emperor and Xu Tianran strictly ordered a news blackout, leaving the outside world with no way of knowing the truth.

Nighttime, the Crown Prince's study.

A dark figure appeared before Xu Tianran without warning, emanating a cold and eerie aura.

The newcomer was dressed in a black robe, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood. He was none other than Zhongli Wu, the vice leader of the Holy Spirit Sect and a super Douluo with a cultivation level of ninety-eight.

His attitude was far from respectful, even bordering on condescending, but he maintained a semblance of politeness.
"Your Highness, what urgent matter brings you to summon me here so late at night?"

The Holy Spirit Cult and the Crown Prince have a cooperative relationship, not a superior-subordinate relationship. However, the Holy Spirit Cult needs something from him, so they are much more lenient with Xu Tianran.

Xu Tianran was already used to Zhong Liwu's attitude. He was annoyed but couldn't show it, since his plan still needed the strong military support of the Holy Spirit Cult.

He said with a grim face, "I need you to kill someone for me."

"Oh?" Zhongli Wu seemed to have become somewhat interested, and said calmly:
"Who is so blind as to anger His Highness the Crown Prince? Helping with the killing is no problem, but... shouldn't His Highness also fulfill some of the conditions he already agreed to? In a transaction, there should be give and take."

Xu Tianran had anticipated his demands and calmly replied, "Sect Leader Zhongli, there's no need to rush. Once I ascend the throne, the Holy Spirit Sect will become the state religion of the Sun Moon Empire, and you will be the Imperial Preceptor, enjoying boundless honor. Why be in such a hurry? Besides..."

He then changed the subject, saying, "The person we're going to kill this time is one of the biggest threats to your Holy Spirit Cult."

Zhongli Wu was already immune to Xu Tianran's empty promises, but upon hearing the second half of the sentence, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Oh? Who is it?"

Xu Tianran's lips curled into a sinister smile as he slowly uttered two words: "Gula. The owner of the Angelic Martial Soul. He is currently in Mingdu."

"What?! He dares to come to the Sun Moon Empire?!" Zhongli Wu's voice instantly became sharp and full of killing intent, and his body surged with evil energy.

Angelic Martial Souls—those are the absolute mortal enemies of their Holy Spirit Cult! Last time, he sent out three Title Douluos, thinking it would be foolproof, but to his utter surprise, Shrek Academy went even further, sending Xuanzi, a level 98 cultivator, to personally lead the team, resulting in a fruitless return. The evolution chart they brought back could not be replicated, which infuriated him greatly.

Zhongli Wu originally intended to take a long-term view, after all, what good is the Angelic Martial Soul? It takes time to grow, otherwise it would just be a four-ring Soul Master.

However, that doesn't mean he'll let go of prey that's delivered to his doorstep. Upon suddenly hearing that Gula was in Mingdu, Zhongliwu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, filled with murderous intent.

Xu Tianran briefly explained the exchange activities organized by Jing Hongchen, as well as Gula's current identity and location. He didn't mind causing Jing Hongchen any trouble.

When Gula is killed, Shrek Academy will be furious and seek revenge. As the main person in charge, Jing Hongchen will be held responsible. He can take this opportunity to use his methods to completely subdue Mingde Hall and Jing Hongchen.

In this back-and-forth, he seemed to be turning a potentially fatal crisis into an opportunity to consolidate his power.

"Good! Very good!" Zhongli Wu's voice was chilling. "He chose the path to hell over the path to heaven. Your Highness, rest assured, this man is a mortal enemy of my Holy Spirit Sect, and we will kill him without hesitation. This time, I will personally take action!"

Having said that, he didn't even bother with any more pleasantries. With a flick of his black robe, his figure vanished without a trace, as if disappearing into the shadows.

Xu Tianran sat alone in his wheelchair, gazing at the deep night outside the window, a gloomy and smug smile on his face.

He was obsessed with the power that came with it, the ability to decide the fate and life or death of others with his words and actions.

(End of this chapter)