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

Prince's East Palace.

Xu Tianran did not fall asleep.

He sat upright in his wheelchair, the dim light outlining the calm profile of his face.

He looked in the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. His Title Douluo hearing allowed him to hear a lot of information, but he wasn't sure...

"Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! The Hall of Mental Cultivation..."

A trusted guard practically tumbled in, his voice trembling with extreme terror, "His Majesty...His Majesty has passed away!"

Xu Tianran's body jolted violently, as if struck by an invisible hammer.

"What did you say!!!"

The color drained from his face instantly, his lips trembled, and his eyes were first filled with disbelief and confusion, then quickly overwhelmed by immense grief.

"Father...Father Emperor? No! Impossible!"

Xu Tianran cried out, "Quick! Push me to the Hall of Mental Cultivation!"

The guards hurriedly stepped forward to push the wheelchair.

Throughout the journey, Xu Tianran's body trembled violently, his hands gripping the armrests of the wheelchair tightly.

His eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed down his cheeks like broken beads, while he let out suppressed sobs.

The cries were so heart-wrenching that they moved all who heard them.

Although he didn't know why his father suddenly died, as his son, he had the right to cry, and naturally he couldn't give others any reason to criticize him.

……

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, chaos reigned like a boiling pot of oil.

The piercing alarm from the soul guide device was still wailing, and the colorful protective light net illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime.

Countless palace guards and experts from the Imperial Palace rushed around outside the palace like headless flies, their faces filled with fear and confusion.

"Big brother! Father...how could he..."

The Second Prince, Xu Tianfeng, staggered to the front of the hall, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

He had just met with his father during the day, but now they were separated forever. The shock left his mind blank.

The Third Prince, Xu Tianyao, was utterly distraught, muttering to himself, "Impossible...impossible...Father clearly..."

His eyes were vacant, and he kept muttering to himself, clearly suffering a greater blow, unable to utter a complete sentence.

In stark contrast to them was Prince Xu Tianran, confined to a wheelchair.

"Father... Father! How could you just... just leave your son like this..." Xu Tianran was pushed to the palace entrance, struggling to get out of the wheelchair and into the palace, but he fell back down heavily.

He gripped the cold armrests of the wheelchair tightly with both hands, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. Tears streamed down his bloodshot face like a burst dam.

The cries were so mournful and heart-wrenching that they moved all who heard them to tears.

"Your Highness! Please accept my condolences and take care of your health!"

Xu Tianran's trusted bodyguard commander immediately stepped forward, supporting Xu Tianran while issuing a stern order in a voice loud enough for the entire audience to hear:

"What are you all standing there for? Seal off all palace gates and passageways! His Majesty has passed away, and there are likely treacherous officials causing trouble within the palace! Everything is under the command of His Highness the Crown Prince! Anyone who disobeys will be executed without exception!"

The order was given quickly and urgently. The generals of the palace guard were already disoriented due to the emperor's sudden death, and they almost instinctively began to carry out the order from the crown prince's close attendants.

"As ordered!"

"Seal off the palace gates!"

"Quickly! Take control of all key routes!"

The men that Xu Tianran brought immediately began to operate like precise gears.

A group of elite guards quickly formed a human wall to separate Xu Tianran from the other princes.

The other part, like water droplets seeping into sand, quickly and silently integrated into the chaotic guard command system, taking control of the overall situation with swift and efficient actions, clearly indicating that a pre-planned strategy had been in place.

"Big brother...this..."

The Second Prince, Xu Tianfeng, felt a strong sense of unease as he watched the situation rapidly being taken over by the Crown Prince's forces, and wanted to say something.

Xu Tianran's eyes were red, and although he was grieving, his tone was icy cold: "Second brother, third brother... Father has suffered such a calamity, my heart is breaking!" "However, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can the palace be without a master for a day! With Father's passing, the most urgent task is to stabilize the palace and not give treacherous people any opportunity to take advantage!"

These words, though seemingly eloquent, both expressed his grief and clearly demonstrated his responsibility as the crown prince.

Of course, what's even more important is Xu Tianran's domineering nature!
He wanted to seize this opportunity to completely take control of the entire palace!

Although his princes also had considerable power behind them, these were all external forces.

His own power was mostly concentrated within the palace!

During this period, no external forces dared to interfere, which gave him an excellent opportunity to purge his own forces!
Upon hearing this, Xu Tianfeng and Xu Tianyao were already flustered, and when they saw Xu Tianran's eyes, they shuddered.

Knowing they probably had no chance this time, the two could only leave the palace in a state of panic, surrounded by their guards, filled with resentment.

……

The chaos did not subside with the prince's departure.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the end of the palace road. A group of top imperial officials, led by the Minister of Military Affairs and the Prime Minister, rushed to the outside of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, surrounded by guards.

Shock and worry were written on everyone's face.

Among the assembled officials, Jing Hongchen, the head of Mingde Hall, appeared somewhat silent.

His fat face was also filled with astonishment and grief, blending into the crowd unnoticed.

However, his heart was in turmoil.

"It really was him..."

Jing Hongchen was shocked. Ye Chen's ruthlessness and strength far exceeded his previous imagination.

Amidst the chaos and sorrow, an old man dressed in a simple gray robe appeared silently at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

His hair and beard were all white, his face was calm and still, only his eyes were deep and unfathomable.

The newcomer was none other than Kong Deming, the master of the Imperial Hall of Worship and a leading figure in soul-guided artifacts.

His appearance instantly quieted the noisy scene.

Even Xu Tianran's "weeping" paused slightly.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes focused on this true pillar of the empire.

Kong Deming ignored everyone and went straight to the old emperor's coffin.

He did not kneel and weep like the others; he simply stood there quietly, one hand resting on the old emperor's cold body.

Time seemed to stand still, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Kong Deming, wanting an answer.

After all, the old emperor's sudden death must have been part of a conspiracy.

Kong Deming's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Because he did notice something was wrong.

The emperor had no external injuries, no signs of violent conflict in his internal soul power, and his life force died naturally.

It appears normal, but in reality, this is the biggest anomaly.

He was certain that the emperor did not die naturally, but was interfered with by external forces, but he could not see it, which clearly showed that the other party's methods were extremely sophisticated.

His gaze lingered briefly on Xu Tianran, then swept over the other high-ranking officials and princes in the hall, each with their own distinct expressions, before finally falling silent.

Although patricide is a bit outrageous, since things have come to this point, it's beyond his control.

The Hall of Worship is loyal only to the royal family of the Sun and Moon Empire, ensuring that the foundation of the empire remains unshaken, rather than to any particular emperor.

As long as the imperial power is transferred smoothly and the central government of the empire remains in order, the Imperial Palace will not get involved in this bloody power game.

After all, there's no trace of evil spirit masters involved, and it has nothing to do with them, which is enough.

Kong Deming did not say a word.

He took one last look at the old emperor's body, his eyes filled with complex and unfathomable emotions, then turned and left with several powerful figures from the Hall of Worship.

His departure seemed to be a tacit consent...

(End of this chapter)