Douluo Continent: The creation of Jixia Academy made Bibi Dong drool with envy.

Chapter 153 The Crown Prince's Choice, A Night Talk in the Eastern Palace Decides the Fate

Crown Prince Xu Yun's invitation was like a stone thrown into a lake, stirring up quite a few ripples in the small group of Tang Clan.

"No good banquet ever!" Bei Bei was the first to object. He shielded Huo Yuhao behind him and warily watched the respectful royal attendant outside the door. "The Crown Prince invited Yuhao alone. Who knows what his intentions are? I think this is a trap. We can't go!"

Tang Ya nodded in agreement, her delicate brows furrowed: "That's right. We just caused the White Tiger Duke's Mansion a great loss, and now the entire Star Luo City is watching us. His Highness the Crown Prince's invitation to Yu Hao at this time is definitely not for anything simple."

Huo Yuhao was also filled with trepidation. Although he longed to prove himself, the sheer difference in status between him and the crown prince made him instinctively fearful.

Just then, Shangguan Wan'er's clear and melodious voice slowly rang out.

"Go, why not go?"

She looked at Huo Yuhao, her clear eyes, which seemed to see through people's hearts, carrying a hint of encouraging smile.

"Your Highness has not invited a helpless young man who escaped from the Duke's mansion, but a disciple of my Jixia Academy, a representative of the Tang Clan who is now rising to fame."

"What he wants to see is our attitude, our strength, and even more so... the power behind us."

"This is a test, and also... a game. Junior Brother Huo, do you have the courage to come with me and meet this future monarch of the Star Luo Empire?"

Shangguan Wan'er's words were like a morning bell, instantly waking Huo Yuhao.

Yes, he is no longer the Huo Yuhao who was bullied by everyone.

Behind him are the Tang Clan, the Jixia Academy, the dean who is like a god, and even more so, the First Emperor who reigns supreme over the world!
What does he have to fear?!

"I go!"

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, and the timidity in his eyes vanished, replaced by an unprecedented determination.

……

That night, the Eastern Palace was brightly lit.

Inside the luxurious palace, only a small banquet table was set up.

Crown Prince Xu Yun of Xingluo had already dismissed all the servants and was waiting outside the palace himself.

When he saw Shangguan Wan'er and Huo Yuhao appear in front of the palace gate, he immediately put on his warmest and most sincere smile and took the initiative to greet them.

"Miss Wan'er, Mr. Huo, it is truly an honor for your presence in my Eastern Palace."

Xu Yun adopted an extremely humble posture, showing none of the airs of a crown prince.

The three sat down, and after a few rounds of drinks, Xu Yun stopped beating around the bush. He put down his glass, looked intently at Huo Yuhao, and said bluntly:

"Mr. Huo, I have taken the liberty of inviting you today because there is something I would like to discuss with you."

"Your Highness, please speak."

"I witnessed Mr. Huo's performance on the field today." Xu Yun's eyes were filled with undisguised admiration. "Guiding the entire game with soul power and deciding the outcome by the smallest of margins. Such command ability is rare in this world! Not to mention, your family's miraculous hidden weapon skills have truly broadened my horizons!"

He paused, his voice becoming incredibly sincere: "I know that there is a deep-seated grudge between your family and the White Tiger Duke's mansion. And I, like Dai Hao, am irreconcilably at odds with him!"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Xu Yun suddenly stood up from his seat and bowed deeply to Huo Yuhao.

"I wish to form an alliance with the Tang Clan!"

"I can promise that as long as the Tang Sect is willing to lend me a hand in eliminating Dai Hao, this traitor to the nation, when I ascend the throne in the future, I will surely honor the Tang Sect as the number one sect in Xingluo, enjoy unparalleled glory, and live in harmony with the nation!"

boom!
His Highness the Crown Prince's words struck Huo Yuhao's heart like a thunderbolt from a clear sky!

Alliance with the Crown Prince? Eliminate Dai Hao? Become the number one sect?

This...this is practically a chance to rise to the top in one step!
Huo Yuhao's heart pounded wildly at this sudden and immense temptation.

However, just as he was feeling excited and almost subconsciously nodded in agreement.

Shangguan Wan'er's clear and melodious voice, like a clear spring, gently rang in his ears.

"We appreciate Your Highness's kindness."

She put down her teacup and looked at Xu Yun with a smile. Her clear eyes, which seemed to see right through people, made Xu Yun's heart skip a beat.

"However, Your Highness seems to have... made a mistake."

"Oh? Please enlighten me, Miss Wan'er." Xu Yun's heart skipped a beat, but she forced a smile and asked.

"My Tang Clan, or rather, my Jixia Academy," Shangguan Wan'er's tone remained gentle, but the weight contained in her words seemed to freeze the air in the entire hall. "We have never needed to form an alliance with anyone."

"because…"

She looked at Xu Yun and said clearly, word by word:
"We only accept... submission."

Chapter 155 A Shocking Turn of Events: The Second Prince's Demise
Surrender?!
When those two words were lightly uttered from Shangguan Wan'er's gentle red lips, the air in the entire East Palace seemed to freeze instantly!
The smile on Crown Prince Xu Yun's face froze completely.

He had imagined countless possibilities, but he never expected that the other party would be so arrogant!
To make him, the crown prince and future emperor of the Star Luo Empire, submit to a mysterious academy whose origins are unclear?!

This is simply the most ridiculous thing in the world!

"You...what did you say?!"

Xu Yun's voice became somewhat sharp due to extreme shock and anger.

"Miss Wan'er, do you know what you're saying?!"

"Of course I know."

Shangguan Wan'er's face still held that calm and elegant smile.

“Your Highness, you are a wise man and should be able to see the current situation on the mainland.”

She slowly poured herself a cup of tea and said calmly, "Whether it's Xingluo, Tiandou, or even the Spirit Hall that's already in decline, in the face of true power, they are nothing more than... rotten wood about to be overturned by the tide of the times."

"And my Jixia, and... the great power it represents that is enough to create a new era, is the only future of this continent."

A strong sense of crisis and... an irrepressible excitement surged into Xu Yun's heart at the same time.

He knew he was standing at a crossroads... a crossroads that could determine the future of himself, and even the entire empire!
Is it a choice to decay along with the old order, ultimately being mercilessly crushed by the torrent known as "Jixia"?

Or... should we seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and take a gamble?

“I…I need to know your sincerity.”

After a long while, Xu Yun finally spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse.

"Sincerity?" Shangguan Wan'er chuckled upon hearing this.

With a gentle wave of her jade-like hand, an ink brush appeared out of thin air. In the void, with flowing strokes, she wrote a message filled with iron will and ruthless intent—

The word "kill"!

The word "kill" transformed into a streak of blood-red light and instantly disappeared into Xu Yun's brow!
Xu Yun felt a sudden jolt in his mind!
The next second, countless images flooded into his mind like a tidal wave!
That's evidence of Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger Cult's collusion with the Holy Fire Cult! It's a list of all the traitors within the Empire! And even more so... all the evidence of his younger brother, the Second Prince, secretly training a private army with the intention of rebellion!
"What...what are these?!"

Xu Yun was utterly terrified and chilled to the bone as he looked at the incredibly detailed intelligence reports in his mind, as well as the earth-shattering secrets that could overturn the entire empire!

"This is the sincerity of Jixia Academy."

Shangguan Wan'er's voice rang out again, but it carried a hint of icy coldness.

"Your Highness, do you choose to continue being a puppet crown prince, kept in the dark and potentially replaced at any moment?"

"Or...choose to cooperate with us, wield the thunder, cleanse the universe, and become the true...ruler of this Star Luo Empire?"

Xu Yun's breathing became extremely heavy. He looked at Shangguan Wan'er, his eyes shining with an unprecedented light.

Finally, he slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "Fine! I... will cooperate with you!"

……

That night, in Xingluo City, at the residence of the Second Prince.

The lights were bright, and the atmosphere was peaceful and prosperous.

The Second Prince, Xu Wei, was embracing several beautiful concubines, enjoying the dancers' performance, his face filled with a smug smile.

He had received a secret report that his father's cooperation with the evil spirit master did not seem to be going smoothly, and his elder brother Xu Yun had recently encountered setbacks at every turn.

He felt that his chance to ascend the throne had come.

However, he was unaware that several ghostly figures had already quietly descended upon the shadows of his mansion.

"Yuhao, it's up to you now," Beibei whispered.

Huo Yuhao nodded, and a flash of purple light appeared in his spiritual eyes. In an instant, he had a clear understanding of the entire Second Prince's mansion's defensive deployment.

(End of this chapter)