Douluo Dalu: Immortal Dragon Clan

Empire of the Sun and Moon.

Today, a rare guest arrived in the office of the Hall Master of the Mirror Sect, or rather, the person that Mirror Red Dust least wanted to see: Xu Tianran, the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire.

Jing Hongchen sat upright at her desk, staring unfriendly at Crown Prince Xu Tianran, who was being pushed in by Ju Zi. Her tone was cold but polite: "Your Highness, what brings you here today?"

The person he least wanted to see finally appeared.

The purpose of the other party's trip was self-evident: to win over him, the head of Mingde Hall.

Although the crown prince has powerful backers, a system of checks and balances is still needed to consolidate his power.

The number of titled Douluo in the Royal Guard is limited, and the old elders of the Hall of Worship only ever appear when the empire is in crisis.

Therefore, Xu Tianran set his sights on the powerful force of Mingdetang.

Xu Tianran desperately needed the support of Mingde Hall. Ever since he was made crown prince, the ailing emperor had tacitly allowed him to secretly win over various factions within the empire.

Xu Tianran looked at Jing Hongchen, who had been giving him a cold look ever since he stepped into the Mingde Hall Master's office, and a warm smile appeared on his lips: "Hall Master Hongchen, I, the Crown Prince, have been residing in the Eastern Palace for a long time and have not been able to come to pay my respects sooner. I am truly sorry and hope that you will forgive me."

A cold smile crept into Jing Hongchen's heart, but her face remained calm.

This isn't a visit at all; it's clearly a trap!
The other party, as the Crown Prince, has condescended to come here. His words are humble and polite, but in reality, they conceal a sharp edge. If he does not make his stance clear today, he may have no place to stand in this empire in the future.

Xu Tianran saw that Jing Hongchen was sitting there without saying a word, just staring at him quietly. He knew that if he didn't speak, the old fox would definitely remain silent.

"Master of the Red Dust Hall, what do you think should be done with the Mingde Hall after I become emperor?"

"Your Highness may arrange things as you wish. I am merely the current head of Mingde Hall, not its true master."

Jing Hongchen sensed the hidden threat in Xu Tianran's words, but remained unmoved.

Xu Tianran couldn't help but frown as he looked at Jing Hongchen, who remained calm in front of him, wondering: Does this old guy not know that Jin Tianming is already dead?

"Why don't we test him?"

Thinking this, Xu Tianran casually glanced around and asked curiously, "Master, I heard a few days ago that someone from the academy went missing. Is that true?"

“I’m not too sure about that. I’ve been busy researching soul tools lately and haven’t had time to deal with these trivial matters.” Jing Hongchen shook his head and continued, “If Your Highness is curious, I can send someone to take you to Director Lin. He knows the most about these things, and he is basically in charge of the students’ safety.”

Now, Jing Hongchen has only one thought: to get rid of the Crown Prince Xu Tianran in front of her.

He really didn't want to talk to the person in front of him anymore, and there seemed to be several "rats" watching outside.

Upon hearing this, Xu Tianran frowned slightly.

He truly hadn't expected that this old fox, Jing Hongchen, wouldn't even utter a single word more than necessary. It seemed he had no choice but to get straight to the point.

"Master, you should already know that Jin Tianming is dead. Do you really still want to remain neutral?" Xu Tianran's words left room for interpretation.

These words did not elicit a strong reaction from Jing Hongchen, but Ju Zi behind him was suddenly startled.

She never imagined that Jin Tianming was dead. What should she do now? Should she continue being a double agent?
"Your Highness, what do you mean by that? I'm completely confused and don't understand at all."

"Master, I know what you're worried about, but you must understand that even powerful, reclusive families wouldn't dare openly oppose the empire!"

Xu Tianran suppressed his dissatisfaction with Jing Hongchen's feigned ignorance and gritted his teeth, saying, "I hope Hall Master Hongchen can make a wise choice. Don't push the entire Hongchen family into an abyss of no return."

After Xu Tianran finished speaking, he stared intently at Jing Hongchen, his eyes full of anticipation.

Now that things have come to this point, surely this old man should make a choice?

No matter how powerful a reclusive family is, it wouldn't dare to openly confront a behemoth like the empire. This is the reason why Crown Prince Xu Tianran is so confident.

Looking at Jing Hongchen, he nodded after thinking carefully, and then answered Xu Tianran's question: "Ordinary hidden families do not dare to go to war with the empire, but the premise is that they must be ordinary hidden families. Do you agree, Jin Tianming?"

These words were like a thunderbolt, instantly leaving Xu Tianran's mind blank.

He followed Jing Hongchen's gaze to a certain spot and found a person standing there quietly.

When the man emerged from the shadows, Xu Tianran's eyes widened in astonishment, and he stammered, "You're not dead?"

At that moment, Xu Tianran seemed to understand something.

No wonder Jing Hongchen was so calm and even a little impatient with me today; it turns out that this guy already knew that Jin Tianming was not dead.

Why did Zhongliwu say that Jin Tianming had been killed by his godmother?

Why is he still standing in front of me at this moment?

Could it be that those guys are making a fool of me? Damn Zhongliwu!

Zhongliwu: ? ? ?

“Yes, I’m not dead.” Jin Tianming slowly approached, each step feeling like a blow to Xu Tianran’s taut nerves.

Just as his well-defined knuckles were about to touch the other's shoulder, Xu Tianran's trembling body suddenly froze, his pale purple pupils contracted sharply, and the murderous intent that erupted from him almost solidified: "Then you can die now!"

Before he finished speaking, a surge of immense soul power erupted like a volcano, sweeping across the entire area.

Before Jing Hongchen and Ju Zi could react, nine spirit rings rose from Xu Tianran's body like streams of light, forming a dazzling yet dangerous halo behind him. Who would have thought that this prince, who relied on a wheelchair for many years, was actually a genuine Title Douluo!

In an instant, purple light tore through the air, and a purple dragon claw covered with dark patterns, carrying the force of thunder, went straight for Jin Tianming's heart.

Jing Hongchen's pupils shrank sharply, and he instantly sprang out. However, the dragon claw was as fast as lightning, and the distance between the two had become an insurmountable chasm.

Jin Tianming watched as Xu Tianran suddenly extended his purple dragon claw, which carried a chilling aura and aimed straight for his chest.

At this moment, Xu Tianran was like a mad dog, his soul power surging all over his body.

Jin Tianming remained calm and composed, as if the deadly crisis before him was nothing more than a passing cloud. He showed neither panic nor fear.

Just as Xu Tianran was overjoyed, thinking that this attack was sure to succeed, an unexpected change occurred.

The ecstasy in Xu Tianran's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a blank expression.

(End of this chapter)