This Is All My Fault!

The storm slowly dissipated, leaving behind only a scene of utter devastation and the pungent, acrid stench of poison lingering in the air.

Xiao Yu hovered in the sky, casting a cold glance in the direction where Dugu Bo had vanished. His wings, shimmering with ice and fire, folded gently as he dispersed the water-curtain barrier surrounding him.

The people nearby didn't even dare to breathe, their terrified eyes filled with hope—hope that Xiao Yu would not vent his fury upon them.

Initially, Dugu Bo's sudden, fierce intervention had sparked a glimmer of joy in the hearts of those who had already resigned themselves to death. They had prayed that the Poison Douluo would be able to slay this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, but the result was too much to accept.

The Poison Douluo, a powerhouse among Title Douluos, had been defeated by this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in such a wretched state, his very escape appearing utterly comical.

And this flight of the Poison Douluo was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the tiny flame of joy that had just ignited in their hearts.

Qian Renxue stood below, her fingernails digging into her palms as she clenched her fists, her expression complex to the extreme.

She was shocked by the terrifying growth in Xiao Yu's strength and worried that he had forged a blood feud with the Heaven Dou Empire and Dugu Bo. Yet, there was also a trace of something else... a yearning and a tremor for this power that looked down upon the world, a feeling she hadn't even realized herself.

Xiao Yu no longer paid any attention to the terrified crowd below or the silent Soul Saints in the air.

His gaze swept over Yu Yi and the others, who had finished their revenge, their eyes burning with the flames of excitement.

"Ao—! (Go!)"

With a clear, resonant cry, six streaks of light radiating powerful auras shot into the sky, tearing through the night curtain and galloping toward the Royal Soul Beast Forest, leaving behind a devastated Heaven Dou Imperial Palace and a Heaven Dou City whose understanding of reality had been completely overturned.

It was not until more than ten seconds after Xiao Yu had left that the crowd finally managed to recover.

"We... we survived." It was unclear who spoke, but following that voice, countless soldiers collapsed to the ground one after another, gasping for air.

"Is this a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? To be this formidable."

Their understanding of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts had remained confined to legends; they believed that even if they were strong, there was a limit, and that they were merely rare in number.

But now that Xiao Yu had appeared before them, it completely overturned their past perceptions. The difference between a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and other soul beasts was even greater than the gap between a Title Douluo and a Soul Douluo.

A Title Douluo was not even a match for a single blow before a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. The mere thought that such an enemy could enter and exit the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace at will made them shudder with fear.

It was all the fault of that damned Xue Xing and Xue Beng. Why on earth did they have to provoke a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Now, the entire Heaven Dou Empire had lost all its face.

One hour later.

Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Great Emperor Xue Ye's bedchamber.

The atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive. Great Emperor Xue Ye seemed to have aged ten years overnight; he sat slumped on the dragon throne, his eyes bloodshot and filled with crimson veins.

The sight of Xue Beng's headless corpse and Xue Xing's severed head played over and over in his mind like a nightmare.

"Your Majesty, please restrain your grief..." Below, the four Soul Saint retainers stood with heads bowed, their faces pale with the shock of survival and deep humiliation.

They had witnessed the terror of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast known as "Yu" with their own eyes and had personally experienced the feeling of powerlessness in the face of absolute strength.

That declaration, in particular, weighed upon the hearts of the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Family like an invisible mountain.

"Restrain my grief? How can I restrain my grief!" Xue Ye's voice was hoarse and furious as he slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "My son! My own brother! Right under my very nose, by a beast... by a beast..."

He began to cough violently, unable to utter the words that followed.

"Your Majesty, the most urgent matter is how to respond," a senior Soul Saint said, biting the bullet.

"That soul beast... Yu, its strength is unfathomable. Even the Poison Douluo... was injured and fled. Its declaration is certainly no empty threat. If we provoke it again, I fear we face total annihilation!" His words were filled with deep apprehension.

"Are we just going to let it go?!" Xue Ye growled, his eyes filled with bone-deep hatred and unwillingness. "Where is the dignity of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family? Where is my face!"

"Your Majesty, revenge must be taken, but it requires careful deliberation," another Soul Saint said in a deep voice. "The root of this matter lies with the Fourth Prince and the Prince... they did indeed send people to hunt and kill its companions first."

"Now that it has taken its revenge, it stated in its declaration that 'the blood debt is paid, and the cause and effect are settled.' If we mobilize our armies now and provoke it further, the consequences will be unimaginable. It... it has the ability to come and go as it pleases in the Imperial Palace!"

The last sentence sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Xue Ye fell silent, his chest heaving violently.

How could he not know that what they said was the truth? That aura that looked down upon the world, that terrifying strength that could easily wound a Soul Saint and force a Title Douluo to retreat—all of it made him, an emperor, feel an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.

The flames of vengeful fury had to be temporarily suppressed in the face of cold reality.

He waved his hand wearily: "Pass the order down: seal all information. It is strictly forbidden for anyone to discuss tonight's events! To the outside world... say that they encountered a powerful, unknown soul beast attack. Xue Beng and Xue Xing... have unfortunately perished. Give them a grand burial."

"Yes..." The Soul Saints accepted the order, all feeling a sense of relief in their hearts. This was undoubtedly the wisest, yet most helpless, choice.

"By the way, where is the Crown Prince? Have him come see me!" Suddenly, Xue Ye thought of Xue Qinghe. Xue Qinghe had been with the offspring of that soul beast during this period; perhaps he knew something.

Yes, in Xue Ye's view, the Xiao Yu he had met before was the offspring of today's soul beast. Otherwise, how could he accept that he had once been with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?

Having been waiting outside the door and guessing that Xue Ye would call for her, Qian Renxue heard the voice inside and quickly walked in.

"Father Emperor, I am here." Qian Renxue feigned sadness and bowed to Xue Ye.

Looking at his only remaining child, Xue Ye felt an indescribable sorrow. At this moment, he had many things he wanted to question Qian Renxue about.

For instance, was it you who incited that soul beast to kill Xue Beng, just for the sake of your position as Crown Prince? Or, aren't you on good terms with the offspring of that soul beast? Couldn't you have mediated? He would have been willing to pay compensation.

And...

But after thinking a lot, when he saw the sad face of Xue Qinghe, Xue Ye couldn't say anything, and could only sigh helplessly.

However, just as he was about to tell Qian Renxue to rise, she suddenly knelt down heavily and said with a mournful cry: "Father Emperor, this is all my fault. If I hadn't met that little beast back then, Fourth Brother would never have encountered such a thing."

"If I hadn't failed to notice that Fourth Brother brought a Scarlet Mad Lion to provoke that little beast, Fourth Brother's pet would not have died, and he would not have harbored resentment, nor would he have invited such a catastrophe."