Douluo Continent: Starting with a Heavenly Fire Judgment

Chapter 411 An Assassination That Was Expected

Regarding Ju Zi's concerns, Xu Tianran said indifferently, "It's okay, as long as we don't expose our identities, there will be a result tonight. Even if rare metals are to be smuggled, the profits must be kept in the hands of the royal family. Besides, the Holy Spirit Church has such a big appetite, without this profit, their side will not be stable."

Orange suddenly seemed to want to say something but held back.

"What? Are you worried that my cooperation with the Holy Spirit Cult is like asking a tiger for its skin?" Xu Tianran saw through her doubts at a glance.

Orange nodded slightly and said, "The Holy Spirit Cult is, after all, a sect composed of evil soul masters, not tolerated by the world. Their way of thinking is completely different from ours as normal soul masters. I'm afraid..."

Xu Tianran waved his hand and said, "How could I not know that cooperating with them is like asking a tiger for its skin? But now I have no choice but to do it."

"In terms of the speed of development of soul tools, the three countries that originally belonged to Douluo Continent can't even catch up with us. Our national strength is far superior to theirs. However, in terms of strength, we can deal with a country, but it is extremely difficult to rule the entire continent."

"Why haven't those three countries focused on developing soul tools? It's not just because they lack rare metals, but more importantly, because of their deeply ingrained soul master ideology. The powerful profession of soul master has existed on the Douluo Continent for far too long. For a nation, a powerful soul master is a strategic asset. In terms of the number of soul masters, we are far inferior to these three countries, especially in terms of high-end combat power. Just think, how many Title Douluos does Shrek Academy alone have? Perhaps, a few hundred years from now, our Sun Moon Empire will accumulate enough strength, soul tools, and excellent soul masters to unify the continent. But I won't live that long. A true man seizes every moment. I must conquer the entire continent during my reign as ruler of the empire."

At this point, Xu Tianran's eyes were filled with fervor.

Since that assassination attempt, he has been completely ruined. His only obsession now is to conquer the entire Douluo Continent.

"To conquer the continent, we need allies and high-end combat power to confront those powerful Title Douluos head-on. With sufficient preparation and planning, Soul Masters are not afraid of those Soul Masters, and even far surpass them in large-scale battles. However, a Level 9 Soul Master has almost no chance of winning against a true Title Douluo Soul Master in an encounter. Every Level 9 Soul Master is an invaluable asset to the Empire. Therefore, I will not use them to deal with those Soul Masters and Title Douluos. Under these circumstances, the best option is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit Cult."

"Those evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Cult have endured and accumulated strength for countless years to reach their current scale. In terms of high-end combat power, they are our greatest asset. Since the Holy Spirit Cult itself is composed entirely of evil soul masters, they cannot step into the limelight to do anything. Therefore, they can only remain behind the scenes, leaving me to be the one in the spotlight. My relationship with them is one of mutual exploitation. Their most important request is nothing to me; they simply want to become the state religion of our Sun Moon Empire, with the cult leader holding the hereditary position of Imperial Preceptor. At the same time, after we rule the continent, we must proclaim to the world that they are the orthodox soul masters and abolish the title of evil soul masters."

"So you don't need to worry about anything at all. Even if we have conflicts, it will be after we unify the continent, and by then, I may have accumulated enough strength."

As he said this, a cold glint flashed in Xu Tianran's eyes.

Orange listened quietly, a chill running down her spine. Xu Tianran was far too cunning, scheming against everyone. Her only worry now was whether Ji Lin and the others could leave Mingdu safely. She hoped he would be alright!

Thinking of Ji Lin, Ju Zi felt a mix of emotions. Although she decided to give up her unrealistic hopes, seeing the beautiful women surrounding him still made her feel a pang of sadness. Perhaps in his heart, she was nothing! But she still risked sending a letter, hoping that Ji Lin could leave the great vortex of Mingdu as soon as possible.

Xu Tianran said, "Ju Zi, push me to the window."

"Yes." Ju Zi quickly pushed Xu Tianran's wheelchair to the window and helped him open it.

A night breeze brought a chill; the night sky was dark, and as the night deepened, the light grew increasingly dim. Xu Tianran glanced at the sky and smiled, "If you want to watch the game, you should leave now."

Orange shook her head and said, "No need, I'll stay here with Your Highness."

A rare warm smile appeared on Xu Tianran's face as he said, "I can only feel at ease when I'm alone with you. You're the only person I can completely trust. Unfortunately, tonight I'm destined not to be able to enjoy this beautiful moment in peace. If you're not going to watch the game, remember not to leave my side later. They should be here soon."

Orange asked in surprise, "Who's coming? It's so late."

Xu Tianran sneered, "Some people won't give up on their foolish decisions just because it's sooner or later."

Just then, an old voice suddenly rang out in the air, "Since you're all here, stop hiding and come out."

A large number of guards rushed out instantly, surrounding Xu Tianran's study completely. Suddenly, a white light shone in the sky, illuminating the dark night sky with every detail.

A figure hovered proudly above Prince Xu Tianran's study, his black robes fluttering gently in the night breeze.

He stood there expressionless, stepping into the air, yet his aged face held an indescribable pride, as if the entire world had submitted to him.

"When did the Dragon Emperor Douluo become someone's lackey for guarding their home? People's hearts have changed so much!" A strange voice rang out, and the sky seemed to suddenly crack open. A thick, dark green cloud appeared out of nowhere. As the green cloud unfolded, a figure walked out from it.

Somewhat comically, this old man was bald, but he had a head of long, dark green hair at the back of his head.

Indeed, the one hovering above Xu Tianran's study was none other than Long Xiaoyao, the Dragon Emperor Douluo, also known as the Dark Holy Dragon.

At this moment, the one who stepped out of the green mist was none other than the Sect Master of the Body Sect, a level 98 Body Douluo, Du Bu Si, who was close to the Limit Douluo level.

Only a powerhouse of his caliber would dare to face Long Xiaoyao, a Limit Douluo level expert, head-on.

Looking at the green-haired Poison Undying, Long Xiaoyao snorted coldly, "Your brother was seriously injured by Mu En back then. Today, if you also want to stay here and sever your lineage, I will grant your wish."

Poison Immortal narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Long Xiaoyao, stop acting like an old man. If I remember correctly, you were originally from the Heavenly Soul Empire. Now you've not only fallen to the point of joining the Evil Soul Master sect, but you've also become a lackey of the Sun Moon Empire. I, the sect master, despise you."

Upon hearing the words "Heavenly Soul Empire," Long Xiaoyao's expression shifted slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Has your Body Sect truly submitted to the Heavenly Soul Empire?"

Poison Undying scoffed, "What do you mean by 'surrender'? We're cooperating. Our sect is now the guardian sect of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Long Xiaoyao, if you still consider yourself a citizen of the Heavenly Soul Empire, then get out of the way."

Although he claimed to be invincible, he would still face immense pressure if he were to truly confront a powerhouse like Long Xiaoyao, a Limit Douluo-level expert. If he could manage to intimidate Long Xiaoyao, that would naturally be the best outcome.

Don't be fooled by the fact that there's only one step between level 98 and level 99; the difference between the two is actually worlds apart. Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't have easily compromised when demanding the technology to create Sacred Marks in Shrek City, even when facing Dragon God Douluo Mu En and Red Kite Douluo.

Even when facing a Limit Douluo, he dared not act recklessly. Even the half-crippled Elder Mu could suppress him, let alone the fully-powered Chi Yuan and Long Xiaoyao.

Long Xiaoyao shook his head and said calmly, "Considering that you helped the Heavenly Soul Empire, I will spare your life today. There's no point in wasting time talking nonsense. You should understand the rules of a Title Douluo. When it comes to worldly disputes, we should talk in the heavens. Xuanzi, come out too. Today, I will meet you all together."

As he spoke, Long Xiaoyao swayed and instantly rose into the air thousands of meters above the ground, with figures appearing behind him.

Among them were Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng and the mysterious Grand Tutor of the Sun Moon Empire, as well as more than a dozen other figures. Undoubtedly, these were all powerful individuals at the Title Douluo level or above. Some were elders of the Holy Spirit Cult, and others were ninth-level Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Empire.

In the world of Soul Masters, there is an unwritten rule: whenever a Title Douluo-level expert gets involved in worldly conflicts, the sky is their battlefield to avoid widespread bloodshed. Only the victor has the right to attack anyone below the Title Douluo level on the opposing side. As long as the opposing side still has one Title Douluo remaining, these Title Douluo-level experts cannot participate in worldly battles.

War inflicts the greatest harm on civilians, and when a powerful figure like a Title Douluo unleashes their full power, slaughtering an entire city is not difficult. This restriction has significantly reduced casualties in wars over the past ten thousand years. The rule proposed by Long Xiaoyao stems from this very reason.

Neither he, the Limit Douluo, nor the original sect master, Du Busi, would break the rules.

They all knew very well that if they broke the rules, the other side would also break the rules, and then the entire continent would probably be plunged into chaos. Therefore, for whatever reason, they could only set up the battlefield in the sky, and the only way to attack the palace was to rely on those powerful individuals below the ninth ring.

(End of this chapter)