Douluo Continent: The Ice Dragon King Martial Soul, Ma Xiaotao is Addicted

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen fell silent, but eventually nodded.

Although he felt helpless, he knew he had no other choice.

People have to bow their heads under the roof.

Although he had considered this situation of being unable to control his own destiny, he did not expect it to happen so quickly.

The only thing we can do right now is to gamble with Ye Chen.

Ye Chen was very strong, but he still felt that the royal family had a stronger foundation.

He was still somewhat uneasy about fighting against the entire royal family all by himself.

He still hoped that even if Ye Chen failed, he would at least escape.

As long as Ye Chen isn't caught, no one will suspect him.

"I have another question..."

Jing Hongchen seemed to have thought of something, looked up at Ye Chen, and asked curiously.

"Speak," Ye Chen said calmly.

"If you truly possess such strength..."

Jing Hongchen asked, each word filled with bewilderment, "Why choose to support Xu Tianran?"

He stared intently at Ye Chen, trying to discern something from his calm and composed expression.

If Ye Chen could truly ignore the defenses of the imperial patrons and top-tier soul tools, and assassinate the emperor while escaping unscathed... such strength would be enough to place him among the strongest on the continent.

If Ye Chen wanted to, supporting even a useless prince with no foundation would be a piece of cake.

Xu Tianran is a man of deep thoughts and ruthless methods, and is by no means an easy person to control.

He simply couldn't understand why Ye Chen would support a "poisonous snake" like Xu Tianran.

"support?"

Ye Chen repeated the word, as if he had heard something interesting.

He chuckled and shook his head, saying, "You're overthinking it, Master Hongchen. I've never intended to support anyone. Everyone is just a tool in my eyes. Xu Tianran just happens to have considerable resources and is currently the most useful tool, nothing more."

"The reason I asked you to support Xu Tianran was simply to give you a chance, so that you could have a more legitimate reason to act in the chaos to come..."

Ye Chen's voice was light and airy, sounding relaxed and carefree.

But to Jing Hongchen's ears, it was deafening.

"!!!"

Jing Hongchen felt a chill instantly surge from his tailbone throughout his body, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his limbs and bones stiff and cold.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Ye Chen's methods were simply too ruthless.

Unexpectedly, Ye Chen not only wanted to kill the old emperor, but also Xu Tianran.

In Ye Chen's eyes, the supreme imperial power of the Sun Moon Empire was nothing more than a tool that could be picked up at will and destroyed after use!

This goes beyond ambition or ruthlessness; it's an absolute display of cold-bloodedness and cruelty!
For the first time, Jing Hongchen realized with such clarity that the young man before him was far more terrifying than he had imagined—a hundred or even a thousand times more ruthless and cruel!
Moreover, Jing Hongchen could also sense the confidence in the other person's tone.

It seems that accomplishing these things is as simple as eating and drinking for him.

Jing Hongchen had no idea what level Ye Chen's true strength had reached.

Fear, dread, and awe surged into his mind.

He thought of himself, and of the Hongchen family.

What is their position in Ye Chen's eyes?
Is it another slightly better tool?
Jing Hongchen didn't even dare to think further.

Not only him, but also his granddaughter Meng Hongchen—in Ye Chen's eyes, was she also the kind of tool that could be discarded at will...?

The more Jing Hongchen thought about it, the more frightened and horrified she became.

It seems that letting Meng Hongchen follow Ye Chen is not a good thing...

Just as Jing Hongchen's mind was racing, Ye Chen's voice rang out again: "You don't need to worry about Xiao Meng."

Ye Chen looked at Jing Hongchen, his tone low and deep, as if he had completely seen through her thoughts: "I will not let her get involved in these things, I will protect her."

As Ye Chen spoke, a gentler tone appeared in his voice, the previous indifference and frivolity gone.

"Thank you..."

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Ye Chen didn't seem to be the kind of cold-hearted person.

He simply knew far too little about Ye Chen, and Ye Chen was far too powerful, which led him to think in the worst possible light.

Ye Chen nodded, and then his figure instantly disappeared from the spot.

Silent and without a trace of soul power fluctuation, it was as if Ye Chen was a phantom and had never appeared.

"An opportunity..."

Jing Hongchen watched Ye Chen's departing figure and murmured to herself.

Perhaps this is a really good opportunity.

Although he didn't know what Ye Chen's plans were, he was certain that with the old emperor's death, Xu Tianran would stand out among the princes.

If he supports Xu Tianran again, Xu Tianran's chances of winning will be even greater.

Once Xu Tianran ascends the throne, he and the Hongchen family will gain a greater status and more benefits than they currently have.

Although he wasn't entirely at ease with Xu Tianran's character, Xu Tianran's ambitions certainly didn't extend to the entire Sun Moon Empire.

Before Xu Tianran conquered the continent, his position was absolutely unshakeable. Thinking of this, Jing Hongchen felt a slight surge of excitement.

……

……

Meanwhile, on the other side.

In the dead of night, the imperial palace of the Sun and Moon Empire, devoid of the daytime hustle and bustle and majesty, was shrouded in a heavy, deathly silence.

The cool moonlight shone on the white marble steps and dark glazed tiles, casting long shadows.

Only the orderly, heavy footsteps of the patrolling guards and the occasional clanging of armor rhythmically shattered the tranquility, adding to the somber atmosphere.

Within this seemingly impenetrable defense, a figure effortlessly slipped into the palace.

The person who arrived was Ye Chen.

Ye Chen used his spatial teleportation ability to enter the palace.

However, Ye Chen did not do it secretly, but openly and honestly.

Ye Chen's spiritual power has already reached the Divine Origin Realm, so naturally he has many uses for it.

One of these methods is to use mental energy to shield one's own aura and voice, while simultaneously distorting light to interfere with the vision of others; this can also be described as hypnosis.

Just as a higher-dimensional being looks down upon lower-dimensional creations, resulting in absolute domination.

Soul Masters below the Title Douluo level simply lack the mental perception to penetrate this level of interference.

Ye Chen stood openly in the center of the palace corridor, while three or four patrolling soldiers marched past him in orderly steps.

The soldiers scanned their surroundings warily, including where Ye Chen was standing, but there was nothing unusual in their eyes as they walked straight past him, as if they hadn't seen anything at all.

Of course, it wasn't just a visual deception; Ye Chen mainly blocked those soul-detecting devices.

The soul-guided device detects abnormal soul power fluctuations, but it cannot detect Ye Chen's spiritual power.

Ye Chen could easily locate each soul-guided probe and then shield it.

"The soul tool technology of the Sun Moon Empire is indeed far superior to that of the three kingdoms of Douluo Continent..."

Ye Chen had to admit in his heart how advanced the soul guidance technology of the Sun Moon Empire was.

Especially in places like the imperial palace, the function of the soul guide device was almost brought to its limit.

……

Ye Chen walked with ease, as if strolling in his own backyard.

Soon, Ye Chen arrived at the Emperor's bedroom, the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation is located deep within the palace, and its security level is at its peak.

Among them were a Title Douluo powerhouse, a Soul Douluo, and several Soul Emperor-level powerhouses, making it a heavily fortified defense.

Not only are there soul guides, but the most important defense is the massive array of soul guides deployed around the palace.

The roof of the palace is inlaid with three level-nine defensive and offensive soul tools, which, once activated, are enough to unleash devastating power instantly.

Surrounding the palace, densely packed like stars, embedded in the walls, ground, and eaves, are more than two thousand low-level soul tools.

They do not operate independently, but are connected in an extremely ingenious way to form a huge composite soul-guiding array covering the entire palace area.

This magic array has multiple functions, including detection, defense, trapping enemies, and attack, and its energy circuit is complex and efficient.

Ye Chen was certain that even a level 95 Super Douluo would be at risk of perishing if trapped in this formation.

Unfortunately, these seemingly impregnable defenses were useless in Ye Chen's eyes.

Ye Chen arrived at a distance of about 100 meters from the emperor's bedroom, his gaze falling on the brightly lit main hall, and then he looked into the palace.

The interior of the palace was luxuriously and imposingly furnished, with an old man sitting behind a huge desk.

This is Xu You, the current emperor of the Sun Moon Empire and the ruler of the Xu royal family.

This was the first time Ye Chen had ever "observed" the monarch of the most powerful empire on the continent at such close range.

The old emperor was indeed old.

Time has left a deep mark on him.

His hair was almost entirely white, sparsely combed at the back of his head, revealing a broad forehead covered with deep wrinkles.

The other person had a thin face, slightly protruding cheekbones, and loose, sagging skin.

But those eyes, deep-set in their sockets, remained sharp as an eagle's, radiating the majesty of an emperor.

"Peak of Contra... It's a pity he reached that level by taking drugs; his potential is exhausted."

Ye Chen instantly determined the old emperor's actual soul power cultivation level.

Ye Chen generally does not kill the old, weak, sick, or disabled.

However, this old emperor's cultivation level was at the peak of the Soul Douluo realm; he was neither weak, nor sick, nor crippled.

Therefore, Ye Chen felt no guilt whatsoever when he killed the other party.

Moreover, it's not like they're without any grudges or enemies.

In the early stages of the Tang Clan's development, when trading with the Sun Moon Empire, that old man implemented some policies, deliberately raising tariffs and even frequently obstructing the Tang Clan's caravans.

Moreover, this old emperor won't live for many more years.

Ye Chen sent the other party to be reincarnated early for free, which can be considered as forming a good karmic connection.

(End of this chapter)