News of Xu Tianran's death had yet to spread through Ming Capital like a plague.
Yet Xia Ming's figure was already knocking on the doors of the Level Nine Soul Engineers one by one like a phantom.
The first person he sought out was Ye Yulin, the Starry Sky Douluo and current master of Mingde Hall, who had succeeded Jing Hongchen.
The Soul Tool lamps in the laboratory flickered erratically. The instant they illuminated the visitor's outline—
Ye Yulin's hand froze as he held his pen, its tip drawing an abrupt streak of ink across the intricate blueprint.
"You are... Xia Ming?"
His throat tightened, and his voice came out dry.
As a Peak Level Nine Soul Engineer within the Sun Moon Empire's inner circle,
he had not participated in the central conspiracy, but he knew perfectly well what Kong Deming and the Royal Soul Engineer Legion had been doing.
Now that Xia Ming had appeared here as though no one could stop him, the implications were self-evident.
The encirclement that had gathered the Empire's finest strength had likely failed completely.
"Xu Tianran is dead."
Xia Ming got straight to the point. His tone was as calm as if he were stating something utterly trivial, yet his gaze pierced Ye Yulin like icy awls.
"Starry Sky Douluo, I will only ask once. Do you want to die, or do you want to live?"
Before his words had faded, an invisible pressure spread through the room like a cold tide.
A chill ran down Ye Yulin's spine, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly formed at his temples.
He had no doubt that the slightest suspicious movement would turn him to dust in the next instant.
"Oh, right." Xia Ming seemed to recall something and added,
"The new emperor will be