Dead silence.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the still-warm Headless Corpse, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Time seemed to stop for three seconds.
"Y-Your Majesty!!!"
A shrill scream shattered the silence. The guards who had followed Xu Tianran in finally reacted.
Panic spread in an instant!
"An assassin! Secure the scene!"
"Quick! Lock down the academy! Search for anyone suspicious!"
The guards immediately fell into chaos. Some instinctively surrounded the wheelchair, raising their Soul Tools and warily scanning their surroundings (even though Xu Tianran was already dead, making the gesture pointless). The others rushed out of the conference room, trying to secure the scene.
Kong Deming's gaze immediately fixed on the direction the attack had come from.
In an inconspicuous corner of the sturdy alloy wall was a tiny hole, no wider than a strand of hair.
It pointed straight at the spot where Xu Tianran had been sitting moments earlier.
"The attack came from outside."
Kong Deming's voice was low and calm, instantly steadying the chaotic scene.
He made his decision at once and gave instructions to Jing Hongchen and the teachers beside him.
"Hall Master Jing, you and I will give chase! Everyone else, investigate immediately and secure the scene. Don't miss a single clue!"
Though everyone despised Xu Tianran and had even wished he would die sooner, this was different.
A New Emperor who had just ascended the throne had been killed without explanation inside the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. This was bound to cause a huge uproar!
More importantly, Xu Tianran was the puppet Mu Xuan had personally put in power!
Now that the puppet was dead, no one could predict what that mercurial, terrifyingly powerful man might do in his rage!
Before the words had even faded, Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen shot out like streaks of light, following the tiny hole's trajectory.
Even without being Soul Engineers, both were Titled Douluo. They moved too fast for ordinary people to react.
The instant they disappeared, ripples stirred in the Sea of Consciousness of the three Huo brothers.
"King Ilai, did you notice anything?"
Huo Hao asked urgently. At a moment like this, the only people they could rely on were the three powerful beings in their Sea of Consciousness.
"Hmph. A trifling trick."
King Ilai's arrogant voice rang out, full of disdain.
The next second, a crystal-clear, three-dimensional map in motion appeared in all three of their minds!
A red dot on the map was moving away from the academy at great speed, heading toward the slums of Mingdu.
The terrain and buildings around it—even the pedestrians on the streets—were clearly visible, as if the three of them were looking down from ten thousand meters in the air!
The three brothers drew in sharp breaths.
What... what kind of ability was this?!
It could pinpoint their target's location with such precision, and track them in real time!
"This is essential in war."
King Ilai's voice was matter-of-fact.
"If you can't keep track of the enemy's movements, what's the point of fighting? Are you just going to sit back and take a beating?"
The three were stunned. They were about to tell Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen this important information, but when they looked up, the two experts were nowhere to be seen.
"Oh no! Elder Kong and Hall Master Jing have already gone after him!"
Huo Yuhao said anxiously.
Just then, another gentle, steady voice spoke in their minds.
"Don't worry."
It was Venerable Ilai.
His aged phantom raised a hand with a gentle wave.
"Rest assured. This old man has a way."
Meanwhile, as Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen sped across the skies above Mingdu, a voice suddenly sounded in their minds. It was somewhat youthful, but exceptionally clear.
"Elder Kong, Hall Master Jing, the enemy is moving southeast, toward the slum district. The exact coordinates are..."
A moment later, a moving map identical to the one in the three Huo brothers' minds appeared in their mental perception!
The fleeing red dot was marked with perfect clarity!
The two abruptly slowed, their faces filled with shock.
Was this... Spiritual Detection Sharing?!
And over such a vast area, with such incredible precision!
"...Was that Huo Yuhao's voice?" Jing Hongchen asked uncertainly.
"This is my Martial Soul ability, Spiritual Detection. It can lock onto the enemy's position."
The voice sounded again, explaining everything.
Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen exchanged a glance. Both saw deep shock in the other's eyes.
They knew Huo Yuhao had a Body Martial Soul with a Mental Attribute. But Spiritual Detection at this level... Forget a One-Ring Soul Master—even a Titled Douluo who specialized in spiritual power couldn't do it!
Just how many secrets was this child hiding?
Still, this wasn't the time to dwell on it.
With such precise coordinates, their pursuit would undoubtedly be far more effective!
"Well done, Yuhao! Keep it up!"
Jing Hongchen praised him. The two didn't hesitate, immediately changing course and racing toward the red dot!
Inside the conference room.
The three Huo brothers were once again utterly astonished by their two teachers' abilities.
They had actually managed to send information directly to Titled Douluo far away!
This was beyond anything they could comprehend!
They couldn't help wondering how powerful their teachers had been at their peak.
Perhaps they really could have stopped the war that would engulf the entire continent with ease.
But... there was no going back.
At last, the three turned their eyes back to the mangled corpse.
The stench of blood rushed into their noses, and their faces instantly turned pale.
This was the first time they had seen a corpse from such close range—and it had died in such a brutal way.
The combined visual and psychological shock made their stomachs churn.
Fortunately, personnel arrived soon with a white cloth. They covered Xu Tianran's body and wheelchair, then quickly cleaned up the blood.
But the oppressive atmosphere in the air didn't ease in the slightest.
"If you don't wish to take part in this war..."
Venerable Ilai's voice sounded in the three of their minds.
"This old man can send the three of you to a safe place, far from this turmoil. You haven't yet grown strong enough. Aside from getting yourselves killed, there's little else you can do."
At that, Huo Yu let out a cold laugh.
"Run?"
His voice was quiet, but carried a clarity and coldness beyond his years.
"Where could we even run now?"
"This war will engulf the entire continent. With the Sun Moon Empire's terrifying foundation of Soul Tools, once the fighting begins, the whole continent will be subjected to indiscriminate bombardment."
"When that happens, will there be anywhere safe left?"
That was right...
When the whole world was consumed by war, where could anyone run?
The situation was far worse than they had imagined.
The only way to stop it was to kill Mu Xuan.
But...
That would be even harder. They had heard that the man had the power to single-handedly bathe the entire Sun Moon Empire in blood.
Before you continue