Unveiling Qian Renxue's Identity, Dugu Bo is Shocked: Martial Soul Hall Wants to Usurp the Throne?! (Seeking Follow-ups!)

In his view, Emperor Xue Ye was simply old, his bodily functions deteriorating; this was the mandate of heaven, irreversible by human effort.

"Aged and frail? A natural ailment?"

Yu Nan let out a cold, utterly contemptuous sneer from within the Sea of Consciousness, as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world:

"Old Poison Freak, and to think you've played with poison your entire life. You can't even recognize that kind of complex, chronic, slow-acting poison? It's no wonder, though; the culprit's methods are extremely sophisticated, using not just a single toxin. Instead, it is a colorless and odorless poison formed within the body through a combination of specific substances found in incense, food, and daily contact. This poison has an incredibly long incubation period, causing the victim to appear increasingly weak without any detectable cause."

"Poi... poisoned?!"

Dugu Bo's expression changed drastically. As the Poison Douluo, how could someone have poisoned the Emperor right under his nose without him noticing a thing?

"Who is it? Who could have such methods and be able to contact the Emperor without anyone knowing?"

"Far away, yet right before your eyes."

Yu Nan's voice rang out eerily, carrying a hint of playful mockery:

"It is none other than that Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe—the one who is usually gentle and refined, unfailingly filial to Emperor Xue Ye, and hailed as the future hope of the Heaven Dou Empire."

"What?!"

"The Crown Prince?!"

This time, it wasn't just Dugu Bo; even Dugu Yan, standing to the side, couldn't help but cry out in shock.

Her beautiful eyes were wide, her face full of disbelief.

Xue Qinghe's reputation in Heaven Dou City was impeccable; he was humble, polite, treated his subordinates with respect, and was quite deferential to Dugu Bo.

Could a person like that really be the culprit poisoning his own father?

"This... how is this possible?"

Dugu Bo felt his mind go numb, instinctively retorting:

"Even a tiger won't eat its cubs, and a son shouldn't kill his father. Even if Xue Qinghe is a bit deep-thinking, there's no need to be in such a rush, is there? The throne will be his sooner or later; why would he risk universal condemnation to do such a thing?"

"What if..."

Yu Nan's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a bone-chilling intensity:

"What if this 'Xue Qinghe' isn't even Emperor Xue Ye's son at all?"

BOOM!

These words struck like a bolt of lightning, exploding directly in the minds of the grandfather and granddaughter.

Dugu Bo felt his scalp tingle, a wave of cold air rushing from the soles of his feet straight to his crown.

Not Emperor Xue Ye's son?

Then who was he?

"Sen... Senior, what do you mean by that?"

Dugu Bo's voice was incredibly dry. He vaguely sensed that he had stumbled upon a shocking secret capable of overturning the entire landscape of the continent.

"The real Xue Qinghe died many years ago; his bones have likely rotted away by now."

Yu Nan, never one to shy away from a bombshell, slowly unveiled the truth hidden beneath layers of mist:

"The person currently sitting in the position of Crown Prince is an impostor. Her true identity is the daughter of the former Martial Soul Hall Pope Qian Xunji, and the granddaughter of the current Grand Elder Qian Daoliu—Qian Renxue!"

"Mar... Martial Soul Hall?!"

Dugu Yan covered her mouth, her eyes filled with terror.

Dugu Bo swayed, nearly losing his footing.

Qian Renxue?

That descendant of the Qian family who possessed the legendary god-tier martial soul—the Six-Winged Angel?

She had actually disguised herself as the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire?

And she had kept up the ruse for so many years, deceiving everyone—including Emperor Xue Ye, including Ning Fengzhi, and including him, Dugu Bo!

"This... how could she have possibly kept it hidden?"

Dugu Bo muttered to himself, still finding it impossible to believe:

"Xue Qinghe's martial soul is a Swan, while the Qian family's martial soul is the Six-Winged Angel...

Once a martial soul is released, the aura is completely different; how could the disguise be so perfect?"

"That is because she possesses a special spirit bone, the Bone of Disguise from the Angel Set."

Yu Nan explained indifferently:

"This spirit bone allows her to perfectly alter her physique, appearance, and even simulate the aura of other martial souls.

Unless a powerhouse at the Title Douluo level inspects her closely in person, or a spirit-type powerhouse with a rank far exceeding hers investigates, it is impossible to spot any flaws."

"What a massive game of chess..."

Dugu Bo took a deep breath, struggling to calm the raging waves in his heart.

He finally understood why Yu Nan called Prince Xue Xing a waste.

Compared to this earth-shattering scheme of Martial Soul Hall to "usurp the nation," the petty political maneuvering of Prince Xue Xing was nothing more than children playing house!

"Martial Soul Hall... they actually intend to annex the Heaven Dou Empire without shedding a drop of blood!"

Dugu Bo's eyes were filled with shock:

"If that fake crown prince successfully ascends to the throne, the entire Heaven Dou Empire will fall into the hands of Martial Soul Hall without anyone ever noticing.

By then, with one of the two great empires gone, the Star Luo Empire will be left standing alone and unable to hold its ground...

This world will truly belong to the 'Wu'!"

Thinking of this, Dugu Bo could not help but break out in a cold sweat.

Although he usually acted in ways that were neither strictly righteous nor evil, and he held little loyalty toward the imperial family, the thought that he had been calling such a terrifying imposter 'brother' for so long—and had even nearly been used by her—made his skin crawl.

"Grandfather, what should we do?"

Dugu Yan asked, somewhat flustered:

"Should we go and expose her?"

"Expose her?"

Yu Nan let out a scoff:

"Silly girl, what are you going to use to expose her?

Just your words?

Not to mention that no one would believe you, even if they did, do you think we have the strength right now to withstand the wrath of that old monster, Qian Daoliu?"

"That is a ninety-ninth-rank Limit Douluo; killing you would be like crushing an ant."

"Furthermore, Qian Renxue has two Title Douluo lurking in the shadows to protect her year-round—those two fellows, Pufferfish and Snake Lance."

Upon hearing the names of these two, Dugu Bo's expression turned even uglier.

Pufferfish Douluo was the very existence that perfectly countered his poison arts!

"Then, what is Senior's meaning..."

Dugu Bo asked cautiously.

"Pretend you don't know."

Yu Nan's tone was calm, as if he were speaking of an insignificant trifle:

"Our goal is only the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud and to reap sufficient benefits in this chaotic era.

As for who becomes the emperor, what does that have to do with us?"

"However, now that we know this secret, it has become a bargaining chip in our hands."

"After returning to Heaven Dou City, you are to detoxify Xue Ye."

"Although that poison is hidden, with your current Geng Metal Poison Energy and your understanding of medicine, it will not be difficult to neutralize."

"As long as Xue Ye does not die, Qian Renxue's plan will be continuously delayed."

"The more impatient she becomes, the more flaws she will reveal."

Yu Nan paused, and a flash of shrewdness flickered within the phantom of the Dragon Soul:

"Moreover, by saving Xue Ye's life, you will be ruining Qian Renxue's good work.

When the time comes, we can play both sides.

While holding the imperial family's national treasure, we can also...

Hehe, perhaps we can even strike a deal with that 'Crown Prince' in the future."

Dugu Bo listened, dumbfounded, his awe for this mysterious senior deepening even further.

Not only was his strength terrifying, but his schemes and depth of character were truly unfathomable!

After learning of such a heaven-defying conspiracy, not only was he not the least bit flustered, but he had instantly thought of how to utilize this secret to maximize their gains.

"This junior understands!"

Dugu Bo took a deep breath, the terror in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by the excitement and greed of one who had grasped a core secret.

Since they were going to play, they might as well play for high stakes!

"Back to Heaven Dou!

This old man will go 'treat' the Emperor, and while I'm at it, I'll take that Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud back for Yan'er!"