The Distortion of Human Nature, the Decay of Morality

Witnessing Xue Ye being forcibly dragged from the imperial throne at the pinnacle of power.

And then seeing him hanging upside down above the ruins of the Crown Prince's Palace like livestock awaiting slaughter, the entire power structure of Heaven Dou City instantly froze.

Xue Ye's initial feeling was one of utter shock and absurdity. Who was he? He was the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire!

He was the rightful ruler of this vast land! He was Xue Ye, worshipped by countless people, possessing the dignity and majesty of the imperial family!

Yet at this moment, he was like the lowliest prisoner—worse than a prisoner—like a grasshopper lifted by a child on a string of straw.

Before countless onlookers, beneath the horrified gazes of guards, officials, and even some civilians both inside and outside the palace, he hung upside down without a shred of dignity.

The hem of his bright yellow imperial robe dangled absurdly, his crown sat crookedly, and his meticulously groomed beard and hair were in disarray.

He could feel the gazes cast up at him from below. Those eyes held terror and disbelief, but what set his heart and lungs ablaze even more—

was the confusion, doubt, and even a faint, barely perceptible contempt rapidly growing after the iron law of imperial authority had crumbled.

"How dare you! Who are you people? How dare you disrespect His Majesty!" Loyal royal elders and Imperial Guard commanders were beside themselves with rage, trying to gather their Soul Power and soar into the sky.

Yet the moment their roars and Soul Power radiance rose, before they could even approach within a hundred meters of the central area, they were forcibly pressed back by the terrifying divine might shrouding the entire city, like seven divine mountains stacked together!

All Spirit Masters collapsed directly to the ground, their Soul Power scattering until they could not even stand.

Even several royal elders were so overwhelmed by that pressure beyond comprehension that their minds nearly shattered. Before seven peak experts, they were no different from ordinary Spirit Masters, much less capable of fighting back.

Xue Ye wanted to roar in rage, to rebuke them, to preserve the last vestige of an emperor's dignity. But when he opened his mouth, only harsh gasping sounds emerged.

That invisible pressure did not merely suppress his body. It seemed to seize his soul and throat directly, leaving him unable to utter a single complete sentence.

Extreme humiliation and helpless terror gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes.

He looked at the officials and troops below, who had once been utterly respectful toward him but could now only lie trembling on the ground. He looked at his sons, terrified or furious but equally unable to move.

Something called "empire," "imperial authority," and "majesty" was shattering inch by inch before his eyes in the crudest, most direct manner.

After Qian Daoliu finished telling Qian Renxue about "absolute power," he casually waved his hand, and the divine power binding Xue Ye suddenly vanished.

Thud!

The emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire fell straight from the sky in an exceedingly miserable posture, crashing heavily into the rubble below.

Dust billowed up, filth stained his dragon robe, and the prolonged restraint combined with the sudden fall left him dizzy and dry-heaving, utterly devoid of imperial bearing.

Yet what chilled Xue Ye to the bone even more was that Qian Daoliu, who had dragged him out like a deity, had not even looked directly at him once from beginning to end.

There was no judgment, no rebuke, no explanation.

It was as though he had casually picked up an obstructive stone by the roadside, weighed it in his hand, found it useless, and tossed it aside.

No one cared whether he had been hurt or whether he was in pain.

The Seven Elders in the air had already focused all their attention on Qian Renxue, who had begun unleashing Angel Divine Power in an attempt to resist.

The terrifying pressure and energy collision sweeping across the city knocked the newly fallen Xue Ye over again. He rolled several times before curling up in a corner, filthy and dazed.

He lay on the cold rubble, his ears filled with the thunderous roar of exploding energy and the deafening crash of collapsing buildings.

The imperial power he had once regarded as the supreme goal now seemed so laughable, fragile, and... meaningless.

His crown rolled to one side, covered in dust.

And the gods could not even be bothered to lower their heads for a glance.

Qian Renxue looked at the miserable Xue Ye and, for a moment, did not know what to say.

She looked at the highest ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire—the man she had spent years painstakingly pretending to be a "filial son" for, cautiously currying favor with, preparing to secretly poison and weaken, all while laying plans step by step in order to replace him.

Like a helpless chick, he had been casually pulled from the depths of the palace by her grandfather Qian Daoliu and carelessly thrown aside.

Qian Renxue's mind went blank.

Xue Ye's terrified struggles, his fluttering dragon robe, the mixture of fury and fear on his face... all of it was like a mirror suddenly smashed apart, reflecting the absurdity and ridiculousness of the past decade or so of her life.

Those painstaking calculations in the dead of night...

That feigned respect and concern she had to show before "Father Emperor"...

Those secret attempts to win over and guard against the empire's powerful ministers...

Every bit of effort she had poured into maintaining Xue Qinghe's perfect image...

Even... the occasional flickers of complicated, indescribable feelings she had felt toward this "father"...

At this moment, before the crushing display of her grandfather's absolute power, as effortless as a child's plaything, they all became weightless illusions that would shatter at a touch.

She had lurked and endured, played another person, and spent the most precious years of her life. Was it not all for the day when she could take control of this empire without bloodshed?

But what did she see now?

With her grandfather here... did she need to lurk? Did she need to endure? Did she need all those schemes and careful calculations?

From the very beginning, her grandfather could have easily taken the Heaven Dou Empire.

What did this so-called empire, this so-called imperial authority, this so-called inheritance... amount to?

They likely would not even be able to muster the thought of resistance before kneeling beneath the sacred radiance and offering up everything.

What had she been doing all these years? Other than wasting time, what had she truly gained?

"I..." Qian Renxue opened her mouth, only to find her voice dry and hoarse. Her usual quick wit and disguise had vanished, leaving only the most primitive bewilderment and shock. "Grandfather, I was wrong. These past years... what exactly..."

Qian Daoliu saw the violently wavering, nearly shattered light in his granddaughter's eyes. A trace of reluctance passed through his heart, but the urgency of the divine oracle and the crisis of the continent's drastic upheaval before them hardened his resolve.

Facing the few of them was still better than being crushed by the Pokemon World at the Prodigy Arena.

"Xiao Xue, your choices were nothing more than a child's game. But now, it is time to wake from your dream."

Qian Daoliu interrupted Qian Renxue's daze. His voice grew heavier, carrying an unquestionable command. "Put away those useless thoughts! Feel the power within you! Then try to defeat us!"

Before his words had even faded, Golden Crocodile Douluo let out a low roar and struck first!

His Martial Soul Avatar activated. The giant crocodile's claws tore through the air and came crashing down at Qian Renxue with a dull roar!

Though it was merely a test, its might was enough to make an ordinary Super Douluo tremble!

As the attack descended upon her, the surging yet unfamiliar divine power within Qian Renxue instinctively erupted in response!

Her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul blossomed with blinding light, and a sacred shield hastily condensed before her.

Golden Crocodile Douluo's claw slammed into the shield, erupting with an earth-shaking boom!

The shield shook violently and cracks spread across it. The tremendous force sent Qian Renxue staggering backward, her blood and energy churning as the ground beneath her feet fractured inch by inch!

In an instant, the Light Divine Power healed her injuries, and her physical strength visibly rose.

The sharp pain and impact jolted her awake from her confusion, replacing it with an instinctive fighting spirit and a sense of pent-up frustration stirred by the attack!

Qian Renxue raised her head and looked at Golden Crocodile Douluo, then at her expressionless grandfather and the other elders in the air, and finally at Xue Ye, who had been kicked aside like a stray dog.

Her gaze became resolute once more. "This time, I will not be wrong again. I have already set foot upon the most correct path."

Qian Renxue poured all the grievances, anger, and confusion she had suffered over the years into this sudden, uncontrollable power!

The light of the nine soul rings around her body blazed brilliantly. Pure, vast Angel Divine Power erupted like a volcano, taking the initiative to meet the combined assault of Xiongshi and Azure Luan, the two elders attacking immediately afterward!

Above Heaven Dou City, sacred golden light and divine powers of every color collided madly, as though the end of the world had arrived.

Below, Xue Ye, who had been hanging upside down, fainted amid the surging energy aftershocks. The crown symbolizing worldly power looked so dim and fragile before God Rank might.

Lu Feng watched the entire scene of this "loving grandfather and filial granddaughter" act caused by gods through the Distortion World, then shook his head and sighed.

"A centenarian old man and his six brothers beat up his own granddaughter. Is this the distortion of human nature, or the decay of morality?"