Sword Points to Xue Xing and Xue Beng

"Sister Xue, Sister Bing." Lang Lei beamed and waved at the arrivals. The newcomers were none other than Snow Empress and Ice Empress, who had just settled in.

At this moment, Lang Lei's heart swirled with a thousand emotions. He finally understood why some people enjoyed throwing their weight around—having backing like this was truly reassuring.

"Lang Lei, if something like this happens again, remember to tell us sooner." Snow Empress, usually so aloof, actually spoke first this time, a hint of concern in her tone.

Lang Lei felt a warmth in his chest and quickly nodded. "Got it, Sister Xue."

In truth, Lang Lei hadn't actively notified Snow Empress and Ice Empress. It was through the special connection of the [Life Silk] that they sensed his location had abruptly shifted from Heaven Dou Royal Academy to Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. Realizing something was off, they rushed over to check.

Snow Empress's gaze slowly fell on the two ice sculptures. Her eyes swept over them like a biting wind, chilling anyone who met them. Her willow brows furrowed slightly, as if displeased.

Her movements were graceful and casual, as if this were nothing at all. But the moment she waved her hand, a flash of cold light streaked through the air like lightning. In the blink of an eye, the two ice sculptures shattered, scattering into a pile of ice chunks.

Snow Empress—the sovereign of the Extreme North, the leader of its soul beasts—possessed unfathomable power. Over tens of thousands of years, she had killed countless soul masters, likely numbering in the thousands if not tens of thousands. Those who managed to stand before her were invariably elites among elites; in her eyes, even a Soul Douluo was merely the lowest tier.

Now, facing opponents who were only at the Soul Douluo level, Snow Empress naturally dismissed them entirely. Her strength far surpassed the ordinary soul master's scope. Against such foes, if they hadn't provoked Lang Lei, she wouldn't even have bothered. Crushing them was trivial.

Ice Empress stood nearby, knowing she wasn't suited for handling this kind of situation. She chose to stay quietly at Lang Lei's side, guarding against anyone who might try some underhanded trick. Her gaze swept warily over the surrounding crowd, missing no potential threat.

The nobles and aristocrats nearby watched the scene, stunned into silence. They were close enough to see every detail clearly. Those two Soul Douluos hadn't even had a chance to fight back before they were frozen into ice sculptures without warning, then instantly shattered into countless fragments scattered across the floor.

Only a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse could accomplish such a feat. The nobles marveled inwardly. Though they held high status, before a peerless expert like Snow Empress, they couldn't help but feel their own insignificance and helplessness.

But unfortunately, none of them were Titled Douluos.

"Your Excellency, Heaven Dou Empire respects your strength, but to show such disregard for our empire—is that not a bit too arrogant?" Xue Ye's voice was calm and steady, seemingly unprovoked by Lang Lei's words. Seated on his dragon throne, he watched Lang Lei with cool eyes, already plotting his response.

Xue Ye knew that since Lang Lei dared to kill within Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he must have backing. The power behind him was certainly not to be underestimated.

His son Xue Qinghe's teacher was none other than Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. That sect not only boasted two Titled Douluos but also Ning Fengzhi, the continent's top auxiliary-type soul master. With such strength, they could indeed handle most enemies on the Douluo Continent. This was Xue Ye's confidence.

If Lang Lei had known that an empire's ultimate reliance was a single sect, he would have been shocked—but for now, he wasn't interested.

Yet Xue Ye didn't back down. As the emperor of Heaven Dou, he had his own pride and dignity. He took a deep breath.

"I originally thought that Heaven Dou Empire, which values civil governance, would be more reasonable than Star Luo Empire, which prizes martial might. But the result is deeply disappointing." Lang Lei made no effort to hide his disdain, letting out a cold laugh. "If I didn't have some background, I doubt I'd even have the chance to stand here right now, would I?"

His gaze was piercing, fixed straight on Xue Ye as if challenging his authority.

Xue Ye caught the implication in Lang Lei's words. His hand unconsciously tightened on the armrest of his dragon throne. He understood that Lang Lei was hinting that without sufficient backing and strength, he himself would have been dealt with long ago.

Xue Ye was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly. "But as I understand it, you took lives wantonly within Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Is that not your fault?" His voice remained calm, but the authority within it was impossible to ignore.

"I only admit to excessive self-defense. They were the ones who provoked me first. To be honest, the fact that I didn't wipe out all those who joined in the jeering is me showing restraint." Lang Lei spread his hands with a helpless look.

He knew well that hormones affected his emotions far more than he'd imagined. Since he'd been thoroughly enraged and possessed such overwhelming power, those reckless fools who dared to provoke him naturally had to pay the price for their actions.

"You could have sought help from a teacher instead of handling it yourself. I am well aware that a teacher was present at the time!" The emperor frowned, his tone stern.

Lang Lei sneered in rebuttal. "Oh, you mean that peacemaker? If he'd done his duty as a teacher in time, things wouldn't have escalated to this point."

His words dripped with dissatisfaction and disappointment toward that teacher. If that teacher had stepped in to stop the provocations after Fleke's challenge, this conflict might never have happened.

"Oh, right, Your Majesty. There's one more thing I don't quite understand." Lang Lei suddenly shifted the topic, looking at Xue Ye. "If a noble kills a commoner, and a commoner kills a noble, are the consequences the same? Would the empire's iron laws deliver the same verdict to both?"

Xue Ye's face instantly darkened. He glared at Lang Lei and snapped, "How can you conflate the two!"

"Is that so? So you admit that nobles hold a higher status. Insulting one's superior should indeed be severely punished." Lang Lei nodded thoughtfully, as if in agreement.

Seeing Lang Lei follow his lead, Xue Ye's expression eased slightly. But Lang Lei's next words made his face drain of color.

"Then, Your Majesty, could you tell this humble subject: if someone were to harass a ninety-ninth-level Peerless Douluo and a ninety-eighth-level Super Douluo, what crime would that person be guilty of? And those who shielded him—should they be charged with the same offense?"