Chapter 374: Qian Renxue's Defeat, Xue Beng's Death, Emperor Xue Ye's Last Decree
Golden feathers rained down from the sky like a storm. Everyone looked up, watching as the figure, glowing like the sun, plummeted toward the ground.
Above, the massive Clear Sky Hammer was gradually shrinking. Its ninth black soul ring consumed all light like a black hole, radiating an aura so terrifying that even the lingering effects of the soul skill, though thousands of meters away, filled people with dread.
This was the Ninth Soul Skill of the Fifth Elder.
"Young Master!"
Serpent Spear Douluo and Porcupine Douluo, seeing Qian Renxue's dire state, were filled with anxiety, shouting in desperation.
They immediately tried to break free from their opponents to rush to Qian Renxue's aid, but the two elders of the Clear Sky Clan had no intention of letting them go. Just moments ago, Serpent Spear and Porcupine Douluo had stopped them from saving the Seventh Elder!
Soul power surged around the Third Elder as his eighth black soul ring lit up. He shot a cold glance at Serpent Spear and Porcupine Douluo, sneering,
"Snake Dragon, Thorn Blood, don't think you can save Qian Renxue now. The tables have turned!"
The threat posed by the two elders left them unable to move; if they attempted to help Qian Renxue, they would be struck by the elders' soul skills, likely leading to severe injuries or even death in the Heaven Dou Empire.
Gritting his teeth in fury, Serpent Spear Douluo glared up at the Fifth Elder, shouting,
"You vile old man! A Title Douluo attacking a Soul Sage and even using the Ninth Soul Skill—have you no shame?"
He lowered his gaze, glaring coldly at the Third and Fourth Elders, and threatened,
"If anything happens to our Young Master, not one of you in the Clear Sky Clan will survive!"
The Third and Fourth Elders exchanged a worried glance. Serpent Spear Douluo was right—if anything happened to Qian Renxue, Qian Daoliu's wrath would raze the Clear Sky Clan to the ground. During their battle, their eyes involuntarily strayed toward the golden figure plummeting toward the earth.
On the ground, everyone watched the falling, wingless angel, each with their own expression.
Some of the Wuhun Hall spirit masters looked on in disbelief, some in despair, while others, though having expected this outcome, still felt a pang of sorrow as it unfolded.
Meanwhile, on Tang San's side, Tang Sect disciples and Clear Sky Clan spirit masters alike were openly overjoyed.
Qian Renxue's defeat meant an additional Title Douluo-level fighter on their side. Without the boost from Qian Renxue's Angelic Domain, Serpent Spear and Porcupine Douluo had no hope against the Clear Sky Clan's two Title Douluos, let alone with the Fifth Elder added to the fray.
Even among the Heaven Dou Empire soldiers on the ground, a realization was dawning. They noticed unfamiliar faces around them—people with extremely high soul power levels. Were these truly soldiers of the empire? Their assault on Emperor Xue Ye was slowing.
As more Heaven Dou soldiers came to their senses, the defensive morale around the imperial palace faltered. The fall of the palace walls was imminent.
Apart from Dai Yao's battlefield, Wuhun Hall was at a distinct disadvantage across all fronts.
The coup at Heaven Dou had already been decided.
Watching Qian Renxue fall, Dai Yao sighed. Although he wasn't willing to risk everything for Wuhun Hall, he wasn't keen on seeing them fail, either. After today, the Clear Sky Clan would surely rise again with the Heaven Dou Empire's support, and Tang San—whom he'd pushed to the brink—would once again become a formidable threat.
"I need to find out exactly where the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud is from Qian Renxue, then use my Chaos Green Lotus martial soul to get it."
Muttering to himself, Dai Yao raced toward where Qian Renxue was falling.
"Old Seven, catch Qian Renxue! Don't let her escape!" the Second Elder shouted.
Qian Renxue was the key to maintaining leverage against Wuhun Hall—they could not let her get away.
The Seventh Elder hesitated briefly at the Second Elder's words, then forced himself to ignore the chaos within his body, charging toward the falling Qian Renxue. Yet his gaze remained locked on the masked man running below. He needed to capture Qian Renxue, but this masked man had to die too!
Raising his Clear Sky Hammer again, the Fifth and Sixth Soul Rings glowed simultaneously, as two Clear Sky Hammers hurled forward, one from the front and one from behind, heading straight for Dai Yao.
Dai Yao glanced over his shoulder, sneering softly.
"The same trick again? It seems the Seventh Elder can't even use his Martial Soul True Body anymore. If that's the case, why should I fear you? It's a shame I can't reveal myself as Dai Yao here; otherwise, the Holy White Tiger Martial Soul would finish off the Seventh Elder with ease."
"But no matter. With his severe injuries, forcing himself to fight will cost him his rank after today, and the Clear Sky Clan will lose another Title Douluo."
With that, Dai Yao's figure vanished from where he stood.
Seeing the masked man disappear again, the Seventh Elder was momentarily stunned. How was he still able to use his teleportation skill? Wasn't he exhausted?
As the Seventh Elder stood in shock, a figure appeared beneath the falling Qian Renxue. Dai Yao caught her, absorbing the impact of her fall. Feeling the damage to her internal organs, he was briefly alarmed.
Her injuries were severe!
Quickly channeling a bit of his soul power into her, he tapped her face—currently the face of Xue Qinghe—and said in a steady voice,
"Wake up, Qian Renxue!"
Qian Renxue's eyes fluttered open, blood trickling from her mouth.
Instead of looking at Dai Yao, her gaze immediately swept over the battlefield within Heaven Dou's palace grounds. Seeing the disadvantageous position of her forces, a trace of pain and regret flashed across her face.
Her emotions surged, and she coughed up more blood.
"Let me go; I can still move," she murmured, clutching her chest in pain. Facing the Fifth Elder's Ninth Soul Skill head-on had proven too much for her; even her own abilities couldn't withstand the full might of a Title Douluo's most powerful attack. In the end, she'd had no choice but to absorb the impact with her body.
Struck by the Clear Sky Hammer, Qian Renxue felt as if her internal organs had shifted.
But now was not the time to dwell on the pain.
Dai Yao slowly released her. To be honest, holding Qian Renxue while she appeared as Xue Qinghe felt quite strange to him.
Flapping her wings, Qian Renxue stabilized herself in mid-air. Dai Yao, unable to use his White Tiger's Eight Wings without revealing his identity, was left to fall back down to the ground under gravity's pull.
Qian Renxue surveyed the destruction below, biting her lip. Her years of patience and effort had been wasted because of her arrogance. Aside from her grandfather, she now had nothing. Even this coup in the Heaven Dou palace, intended to prove her mother Bibi Dong's lack of faith in her wrong and to prove that she could achieve greatness on her own, had now turned into a mockery.
She inhaled deeply, finding the midday air cold, making her lungs ache. Then she opened her eyes fiercely, shouting,
"All troops under the Crown Prince, withdraw from Heaven Dou Palace immediately!"
A shocked murmur spread through the crowd.
While the Heaven Dou soldiers stood in confusion, several Wuhun Hall spirit masters immediately began retreating. Some, seeing that the battle was lost, surrendered, only to be swiftly executed by their enraged allies.
Others, more perceptive to the situation, began pursuing the retreating Wuhun Hall forces.
The palace once again descended into chaos, blood pooling on the ground as bodies lay untouched.
Hearing Qian Renxue's command, Tang San instantly grasped her intent and shouted,
"They're trying to escape! Don't let them get away!"
At Tang San's command, several powerful figures momentarily paused, then launched themselves toward Qian Renxue. With the Third and Fourth Elders occupied by Serpent Spear Douluo and Porcupine Douluo, and the regular soldiers unable to interfere, the only one capable of stopping Qian Renxue was the Seventh Elder.
Clutching his Clear Sky Hammer with his single remaining arm, the Seventh Elder swung it down toward Qian Renxue, who was struggling to keep herself aloft.
Qian Renxue froze for a split second as the hammer approached. Although it wouldn't be fatal, being struck by this blow would definitely leave her gravely injured. Gritting her teeth, she used the few remaining unbroken wings to shield herself, crossing her arms in front of her body.
But even this wouldn't prevent her from sustaining serious injuries. Already weakened by the Fifth Elder's Ninth Soul Skill, her internal organs were dislodged. If the Seventh Elder's hammer connected, her injuries would only worsen.
Just then, a figure appeared in front of her—Dai Yao had teleported.
Seeing the Clear Sky Hammer so close, Dai Yao felt a pang of frustration. If he were alone, he could easily teleport away. But with the severely injured Qian Renxue behind him, his teleportation couldn't take her with him.
He took a deep breath and steadied his God-Slaying Spear.
Buzz
The God-Slaying Spear spun out of his hand, and Dai Yao grunted, grabbing the still-stunned Qian Renxue and saying,
"Let's go!"
He pulled her down onto a palace rooftop just as a flurry of projectiles whistled toward them. Startled, Dai Yao quickly shielded Qian Renxue, positioning her behind him and blocking the incoming hidden weapons.
His gaze turned cold as he spotted Tang San in the center of the battlefield. With a slight squeeze, he shattered dozens of the hidden weapons in his grip, and his eyes grew icy as he muttered a single name:
"Tang San..."
"Tyrant Shura, don't think you can escape!" Tang San met Dai Yao's gaze and sneered. Now that both Dai Yao and Qian Renxue were on the run, their plan had failed. He had won the trust of the Heaven Dou Empire, and with the support of the empire, both Tang Sect and the Clear Sky Clan would grow rapidly.
Looking at Tang San's murderous expression, Qian Renxue's heart filled with regret. She gritted her teeth and murmured softly,
"When I recover, I'll make sure Tang San dies by my hand."
Dai Yao glanced at Qian Renxue, who still bore the face of Xue Qinghe. He knew well that in a previous life, Qian Renxue's obsession with defeating Tang San had become her fixation, even until her death as the Angel God. She had only found peace in the end.
Turning back to Tang San, Dai Yao shouted coldly,
"Tang San, don't think you've won!"
Tang San merely scoffed, dismissing the Shura Tyrant's words as empty threats. He watched as Dai Yao slowly raised his right hand and clenched it. For some reason, a sudden sense of dread gripped Tang San's heart, and he turned to look at Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing.
They were standing on the roof of the Fourth Prince's palace.
Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing, who had been watching the reversal of fortune with joy and envisioning a bright future, suddenly clutched their chests in pain and collapsed to the ground.
The surrounding guards rushed forward to assist them, but as cries of alarm broke out around him, Tang San felt his heart sink.
With his heightened Purple Demon Eye, he confirmed that Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing had lost all signs of life. Although he had convinced Emperor Xue Ye of Xue Qinghe's true identity and gained his support for Xue Beng, now Xue Beng was dead, and even Prince Xue Xing had fallen.
Qian Renxue had escaped, Emperor Xue Ye was on the brink of death, and the great Heaven Dou Empire now had no heir.
What use was the Emperor's support now?
Grinding his teeth, Tang San glared at the masked Shura Tyrant, feeling a deep-seated hatred as if facing a mortal enemy. Every step he took seemed to have been predicted by this man.
"Who...who are you?"
But Tang San's question would not receive an answer from Dai Yao. However, from those cold, unyielding eyes, Tang San could clearly see his murderous intent.
Clutching Qian Renxue tightly, Dai Yao turned and dashed toward the palace gates. Fortunately, there were still several Wuhun Hall forces stationed at the gate, and with their assistance, he quickly found an exit in an area not surrounded by Tang Sect disciples. After all, with only a few thousand Tang Sect members, they couldn't surround the entire palace.
Following Tang San's gaze, Emperor Xue Ye also saw Xue Beng's lifeless body, his pupils contracting sharply. The significance of Xue Beng's death was clear to him. Feeling his last remaining strength drain away, he sank to the ground.
Already critically ill, the shock of Xue Beng's death pushed him into the final moments of his life.
"Your Majesty!"
The Second Elder and Tang San rushed to support Emperor Xue Ye, their voices filled with urgency.
Coughing painfully, blood flecked his lips. He looked at Tang San, then at the soldiers who had realized the truth and now stood guard around him. With labored breaths, he managed to say,
"Tang...San...heed my command..."
"Tang San is here!" Tang San quickly knelt on one knee.
Hearing the Emperor's command, everyone around understood this to be his last decree. With the Emperor's passing imminent, they all knelt in reverence.
"Princess Xue Ke is virtuous and gentle... I hereby decree her betrothal to Tang San. One month from now, Xue Ke shall ascend the throne. Tang San shall be titled Marquis of Lan Hao and act as regent of the empire. The Clear Sky Clan...cough...shall serve as the empire's national sect..."
In his last decree, Emperor Xue Ye gave four orders:
He bestowed Princess Xue Ke's hand in marriage to Tang San, declared her the new empress of the empire, appointed Tang San as Marquis Lan Hao and regent of the empire, and named the Clear Sky Clan as the national sect of the Heaven Dou Empire.
With all heirs gone, Xue Ke was the sole option for succession.
However, unlike Xue Qinghe, Xue Ke had no established faction to support her claim to the throne, and there would undoubtedly be resistance from those who still held ties to Wuhun Hall.
To ensure the empire would not fall into Wuhun Hall's hands, Emperor Xue Ye made Tang San regent, effectively transferring all imperial authority to him. To give Tang San a solid foundation in politics, he also established the Clear Sky Clan as the national sect.
With the strength of the Clear Sky Clan, any opposition would have to reconsider their stance against Xue Ke and Tang San.
Lastly, by decreeing Xue Ke's marriage to Tang San, even though he was given considerable power, the empire's future heirs would still bear the bloodline of the Xue family.
In the end, this was the best choice Emperor Xue Ye could make, given the dire circumstances. Perhaps in a few generations, power would return to the Xue family.
As the Emperor finished, the guards knelt and shouted in unison,
"We shall obey His Majesty's decree!"
The Second Elder was taken aback, then overjoyed. With the Clear Sky Clan established as the national sect, they would no longer have to fear Wuhun Hall. And now, with their future patriarch, Tang San, holding the title of regent and soon-to-be royal consort, it meant the Clear Sky Clan would be the future ruling power in the empire.
"We shall obey His Majesty's decree," the Second Elder replied hastily, worried that the Emperor would not have enough strength left to finish.
Seeing Tang San standing motionless, he tugged his sleeve, urging,
"Xiao San, hurry and accept!"
Emperor Xue Ye struggled to open his eyes, his voice weak,
"Tang...San, do you have any objections?"
Tang San bit his lip, conflicted. His heart belonged to Xiao Wu; how could he marry anyone else? Seeing his hesitation, the Second Elder urged him again.
A fierce internal struggle ensued in Tang San's mind. He had thought Xiao Wu was gone forever, but he had recently seen her in Dragon Rising City, meaning she might still be alive. How could he marry someone else?
But if he refused Emperor Xue Ye's proposal, would the Emperor truly trust him?
The responsibilities weighed heavily on his shoulders—the Clear Sky Clan, Tang Sect, his parents, Xiao Wu's vengeance. Without the empire's support, he would never be able to topple Wuhun Hall. The crushing weight of responsibility bore down on him like a mountain.
Finally, he forced out four words:
"Tang San accepts the decree."
Hearing Tang San's acceptance, Emperor Xue Ye relaxed, letting out a final breath. His withered hand fell limply to the ground, twitching slightly before becoming still.
The era of a great emperor had come to an end.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10