Schemes Within the Imperial Palace

Schemes Within the Imperial Palace

"Chen Ming said his poison came from a fortuitous encounter. It seemed that was indeed true. The world was vast, and countless fortuitous encounters existed. Every year, quite a few soul masters were transformed for all sorts of reasons. Among the Titled Douluo throughout history, there was no shortage of those who had encountered extraordinary opportunities in their youth. Who would have thought that Heaven Dou Royal Academy would receive such a lucky youngster this year?"

The four-foot-tall Bai Baoshan spoke first. His eyes held a trace of envy, but no other negative emotions.

"Heroes under heaven are countless, and all kinds of things have never been uncommon. It is only that most people do not reveal them. The three of us have reached this point today, and we each have had a few encounters that ordinary people would consider extraordinary. But wasn't it mostly through hard work that we came this far?"

Stroking his beard, Zhi Lin echoed his words.

The people of Douluo Continent had explored only a tiny part of the continent, while soul masters' research into Martial Souls had never ceased.

When humans had only just awakened Martial Souls, they did not know how to cultivate Soul Power. Only geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power could absorb Soul Rings. It was only after humanity discovered how to increase Soul Power that the profession of soul master was truly born.

Ten thousand years ago, soul masters whose third and fourth rings were both yellow Soul Rings were everywhere. It was normal for the fifth ring to be purple. Back then, anyone who could absorb a purple Soul Ring as their fourth ring was considered a genius.

But through the research and experiments of generations, soul masters now understood that the third Soul Ring could be a Thousand Year Soul Ring. Soul masters with outstanding talent could attempt a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring as their fifth ring.

No one could say how much of the progress over these ten thousand years had arisen from fortuitous encounters.

Since ancient times, there had been countless soul masters who gained fortuitous encounters for one reason or another. Which high-level soul master did not have secrets of their own?

There were indeed some teachers on the continent whose hearts were filled with jealousy. Even when their own students encountered a great opportunity, they would feel deeply resentful and seek every possible way to transfer that opportunity to themselves. However, the three Education Committee Members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy were not such people.

Even across the entire soul master world, the three of them could be called highly respected. Over the decades they had served as Education Committee Members, they had taught countless students and earned the respect of countless people. Their pupils were spread throughout the land.

After learning that Chen Ming had encountered a great opportunity, their first thought was to protect him and allow him to cultivate properly, so that he could become a high-level soul master in the future.

If anyone wished to reach out and test Chen Ming, the three of them would not mind flexing their muscles a little and breaking those hands that should not have been extended.

After discussing the matter, the three came to an understanding regarding Chen Ming.

Though it was already late, none of them had any intention of resting. Instead, under cover of the night, they quietly began working throughout the academy.

Meng Shenji organized Chen Ming's records, Bai Baoshan entered the palace to meet Xue Ye, and Zhi Lin was responsible for inspecting the academy and arranging the final deployment of teachers.

Half an hour later, Chen Ming's records were delivered to Xue Ye's desk. Having learned that a special new student had enrolled, Xue Ye, who should have been selecting consorts in his bedchamber, instead sat in the Study Room, reading through Chen Ming's records beneath the light of a soul guide lamp excavated from some ruins.

Xue Ye lightly tapped the desk with his fingers as he pondered Chen Ming's affairs. Various emotions flashed through his eyes before he finally set the documents in his hand gently onto the desk.

"Biluo City, the Chen Family... A genius actually appeared in that godforsaken place of Biluo City. It is truly unbelievable. But the poison is remarkably potent... Could he be the next Poison Douluo?"

"Geniuses, fortuitous encounters. There are countless affairs beneath heaven, countless geniuses, and countless fortuitous encounters, but how many can enter the service of my Heaven Dou Empire... No, my imperial family, my Xue Family?"

"In a hundred years, there have been over twenty with Innate Full Soul Power, yet how many became Titled Douluo? I have seen plenty who seemed destined for a title, but which of them ever made it... Enough. Enough."

"Absorbing a Thousand Year Soul Ring as his second ring across ranks, and undergoing Martial Soul Evolution to reach king-grade... I hope you truly possess the potential of a Titled Douluo, rather than merely seeming to possess it."

After simulating Chen Ming's poison in his mind, Xue Ye's gaze could not help turning sharp.

Although Dugu Bo had never displayed his deadly poison on a battlefield, Xue Ye and Xue Xing had secretly run countless simulations. They understood very well the theoretical extent of Dugu Bo's poison's destructive power.

If an ordinary Titled Douluo's role on the battlefield was equivalent to ten thousand fully equipped elite soldiers, then the Poison Douluo's role was at least equivalent to ten Titled Douluo or two hundred thousand elite soldiers.

Poison might not be particularly effective against high-level soul masters, but against armies composed mostly of ordinary people, it was extraordinarily lethal. The Poison Douluo's military strength alone was equivalent to a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Yet although Dugu Bo was nominally a retainer of the Heaven Dou Empire and close to Prince Xue Xing, as an Emperor, Xue Ye could not place complete trust in Dugu Bo because of that.

Rather than relying on Dugu Bo, Xue Ye hoped more that the Heaven Dou Empire could nurture a Poison Douluo of its own.

"Eunuch Tang, send someone to safeguard Chen Ming's records, then order the Shadow Guards to go to Biluo City... Do not alert them. Do not reveal that the imperial family is investigating them..."

"Yes." The aged eunuch bent at the waist and respectfully replied to Xue Ye.

"And..."

Xue Ye narrowed his eyes, seeming to ponder something. In the end, he still sighed helplessly.

"Send a copy of Chen Ming's records to Qinghe. As Crown Prince, he should understand what I mean."

Xue Ye, as Emperor, was naturally aware that Xue Qinghe might have harmed his other brothers solely to ascend to the position of Crown Prince. Unlike those who merely suspected it, Xue Ye did not know how Xue Qinghe had done it, but he was completely certain it had something to do with Xue Qinghe.

However, Xue Qinghe had performed very well after becoming Crown Prince, handling everything superbly in every respect. In Xue Ye's eyes, aside from being somewhat immature in temperament and offending nobles over the affairs of mere commoners, he had no flaws worth mentioning.

Though he disliked him emotionally, rationally, Xue Ye believed that Xue Qinghe would surely surpass him with ease and lead the Heaven Dou Empire into an era of great brilliance.

As for Xue Beng...

Xue Ye did not think his wastrel son could compare to Xue Qinghe. Though he might possess a little cleverness, and in some ways seemed to be deliberately hiding his abilities, compared to Xue Qinghe's performance, that little cleverness might as well not exist.

Moreover, as a prince, Xue Beng was far too close to Prince Xue Xing. Rather than seeming like a prince, he seemed more like the prince's son. His respect for Xue Xing even surpassed that for Xue Ye, his own father.

Xue Ye disliked this greatly. It was one thing for him, the Emperor, to be close to a prince, but for his son, a prince, to be close to a prince...

Xue Ye slumped in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he sighed softly to himself.

He trusted Xue Qinghe deeply, believing that Xue Qinghe would understand the Emperor's intentions.

Yet he was also somewhat worried. If Xue Qinghe's power as Crown Prince expanded further, how was he, the Emperor, supposed to conduct himself?

He was still in his prime. Forget living another thirty or fifty years; he would at least live another twenty. But in another twenty years, the Crown Prince's power...

Xue Ye could only hope that the decision he made today would not leave his future self with regrets.

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