Atop Giant Tree Peak, Xiao Yu—now evolved into a Spirit Feather Divine Guard—hovered quietly.
Starlight flowed over him. His ice-blue and crimson feathers radiated a suffocating pressure, and his deep eyes, like a cold pool, reflected the distant outline of Heaven Dou City as its lights began to glow.
The icy killing intent in his gaze made Yu Yi and the others, prostrate below, shudder with fear.
The alarm bells in Qian Renxue's heart had already rung out loud. Forgetting all decorum, she unleashed her Soul Power and hurried to the foot of the giant tree, shouting up at Xiao Yu, "Yu! Wait!"
Qian Renxue's voice carried an urgency she had never shown before. "I know what you're going to do! But you can't go to Heaven Dou City!"
Xiao Yu's gaze fell on Qian Renxue. The pressure that came from his higher level of existence made the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul within her let out an uneasy whimper.
He gave a slight nod. "This has nothing to do with you."
After becoming a Spirit Feather Divine Guard, Xiao Yu had gained a second ability from his bloodline—mental communication.
Hearing the hearty male voice in her mind, Qian Renxue shuddered and stared at Xiao Yu in shock. But before she could speak—
"Aw—!" A clear, long cry rang from Xiao Yu, carrying an unquestionable will.
Yu Yi, Yu Er, Yu San, Yu Si, and Yu Wu raised their heads on the platform and answered in unison!
The formidable auras of the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts erupted without restraint, resonating with Xiao Yu's aura and forming a terrifying might that shook the entire core region of the Royal Soul Beast Forest.
Qian Renxue's face turned deathly pale. There was no time to be shocked by Xiao Yu's words. He was determined to go to Heaven Dou City and demand an explanation.
She hurriedly called out, "Yu! Think about the consequences! The Heaven Dou Imperial Family won't just sit by! Titled Douluo will intervene! You'll—"
But before she could finish, Xiao Yu vanished from before her eyes, along with his bone-chilling gaze!
Six streaks of light shot from Giant Tree Peak, heading straight for Heaven Dou City.
"Oh no!" Qian Renxue's heart sank.
She looked sharply toward Heaven Dou City and set off after them without hesitation, moving as fast as she could.
She had to stop them—or at least arrive before disaster struck!
Inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, in Xue Beng's residence.
Xue Beng paced back and forth in agitation, his expensive velvet carpet marked with a mess of deep footprints.
He grabbed the crystal goblet from the table and hurled it against the wall. Shards and crimson wine flew everywhere.
"Useless! All of you are useless!" he snarled, his face twisted. "That old Xue Xing! He sends out a Soul Emperor, and he still manages to botch the job! Now Father's been alerted, and the whole Royal Forest is surrounded like an iron barrel!"
His anger had nothing to do with worry for Xiao Yu. As far as he knew, Aoris had led a team out as a Soul Emperor. That Soul Beast couldn't possibly have survived.
He was terrified that Xue Xing's actions had been exposed! In his fury, Emperor Xue Ye had ordered a thorough investigation, and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had personally sealed off the scene.
If the investigation led back to Xue Xing, then Xue Beng, who knew about it and had encouraged him, would inevitably be implicated!
"Damn beast! Even dead, you're still causing me trouble!" Xue Beng ground his teeth. "And Xue Xing! You're good for nothing but making a mess! And Father, too. It's just a Soul Beast forest—why does he care so much?"
"And you, Xue Qinghe! Couldn't you just enjoy your leave? Why get involved in this? It's just a beast!"
Xue Beng cursed everyone he could think of, as if that might ease his guilt and panic.
"It's fine. It's fine." When he was done cursing, he began to mutter to himself. "Uncle's a prince. He definitely won't have left any evidence. It's fine."
As if he had convinced himself, Xue Beng let out a long breath and was about to call for someone to clean up.
But just then—
"Boom—!!!"
A deafening explosion rang out above the residence like a crack of thunder!
The entire study shook violently.
"What's going on?! Are we under attack?!" The impact made Xue Beng stumble. He rushed to the window in shock.
The sight before him made his pupils contract.
The main hall of the residence had been reduced to rubble.
Amid the billowing dust, a massive, elegant figure hovered in the air. Destructive patterns of ice blue and crimson flowed along the edges of its wings, which blotted out the sky, while its sacred feathers seemed draped in the depths of the starry universe.
The eyes gazing down at him were as cold as ice that had endured for ten thousand years. Their tangible killing intent pinned him in place!
Xiao Yu had already caught Xue Beng's scent earlier, but instead of attacking outright, he had announced his arrival.
Xue Beng's pupils shrank to pinpoints. His mind went blank, and his lips trembled uncontrollably. "N-no... Impossible... This is an illusion... It has to be!"
Like a man who had seen a ghost, he stumbled backward and knocked over the chair behind him.
Though Xiao Yu's appearance had changed drastically from when he had been Leo, Xue Beng recognized him at a glance. This was the Soul Beast that had suddenly attacked his residence.
But hadn't it already died? Its attacker had been a Soul Emperor! And that still hadn't been enough to kill it? How was that possible???
Besides, even if it hadn't died, how could it have appeared here? This was the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace—the most important place in the entire Heaven Dou Empire! A Soul Beast had just barged right in???
Where were the soldiers? The palace protectors? And Father—did none of them know what was happening?
A shadow of terror and confusion fell over Xue Beng. He couldn't accept this.
But now there was no time to keep wondering. After announcing his arrival, Xiao Yu flew toward his study.
"D-don't come any closer!!" Xue Beng scrambled through the window and hurried to run away, as if he could escape.
But he had forgotten that this was the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. Behind his study, there was nothing but a storeroom and a tall wall.
Xue Beng had only run a few steps before he was trapped. All he could do was stare in terror as Xiao Yu slowly flew toward him.
"Isn't this our Prince Xue Beng? What happened? You look like a wreck after just a few days." Xiao Yu gazed mockingly at Xue Beng, who reeked of urine.
The voice in his ear made Xue Beng shudder. Who?! Who was speaking?!
"Stop looking around. I'm the one talking." Xiao Yu's voice sounded again. Instead of calming down, Xue Beng stared at him in even greater terror.
"You can talk? A Soul Beast can talk? A-are you a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?!" As far as Xue Beng knew, only Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts could speak.
He was stunned. He was breaking down. This was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and he had provoked one? Was he dreaming?
A second later, Xue Beng dropped to his knees before Xiao Yu, stripped of every trace of princely dignity.
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