Heaven Dou City, inside the Four Seasons Inn.
"Moonlight Pavilion is closed again today. It seems Madam Yue Hua still hasn't recovered from her fourth uncle's death." Xue Beng sat on the sofa, peeling an orange, and spoke to Xue Hen, who was sitting by the window, basking in the sun.
"Mm." Xue Hen nodded and said nothing more.
Seeing this, Xue Beng asked curiously, "Royal Brother, the Sky Screen once showed scenes from the future. Bibi Dong questioned Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo, saying they'd been bought off by you with an Immortal Herb—the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum—and had even agreed to help you hunt Soul Beasts. Why didn't they come see you when they arrived in Heaven Dou City this time, or ask you about that herb? Did they not want it anymore?"
"I don't know," Xue Hen replied.
"Royal Brother, I heard that Madam Yue Hua's fourth uncle—the elder from the Clear Sky Sect—was actually a Titled Douluo. Doesn't the Clear Sky Sect only have Xiaotian Douluo and Clear Sky Douluo, the two Soul Masters above Level 90? They even had a third one. That's truly astonishing." Xue Beng ate his orange and continued gossiping with Xue Hen.
"Don't be surprised. They have a fourth and a fifth as well." Xue Hen gazed at the passersby outside the window and spoke calmly.
"Ugh..." Xue Beng choked, struggling before he finally swallowed the orange. He stared at Xue Hen in disbelief. "There are more? Royal Brother, how do you know that?"
Xue Hen didn't answer his question.
Seeing this, Xue Beng wisely let the matter drop and asked instead, "Then how many Titled Douluo do they have altogether?"
"Five, not counting Tang Hao," Xue Hen said.
"Hiss—" Xue Beng drew in a sharp breath.
Before the Clear Sky Sect sealed off its mountain, it had only had two Titled Douluo. Afterward, it had gained so many more. How terrifying, how truly terrifying!
But...
Remembering the performance of the Clear Sky Sect's Fourth Elder in the battle where Spirit Hall destroyed one of the sect's branches, he couldn't help shaking his head.
The Fourth Elder was a Titled Douluo, but his level didn't seem very high. Never mind that he'd been beaten to death while fighting two enemies at once. During the battle, someone had seen him clash with Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan using their sixth Soul Skills. Yue Guan was unharmed, but the Fourth Elder had been sent flying.
What did that prove?
That he was weaker than Yue Guan!
After all, they had both used their sixth Soul Skills.
Xue Hen glanced at Xue Beng out of the corner of his eye. From his little gestures and the expression on his face, he guessed what Xue Beng was thinking and simply told him, "Apart from Tang Xiao, the Clear Sky Sect's Titled Douluo are all below Level 95 in Soul Power. They're every bit as strong as Dugu Bo, but they can't compare at all to Ghost Douluo and Yue Guan, who have already reached Level 95."
"I see. So there's a gap in their Soul Power levels." Xue Beng nodded, thinking that matched his own guess.
But...
"Royal Brother, isn't the Clear Sky Hammer said to be the world's number-one Tool Martial Soul? Can't it make up for some of the difference?" Xue Beng asked Xue Hen.
"Every Martial Soul that lets its Soul Master reach the Titled Douluo level is exceptional. Just because it's the best in the world doesn't mean everyone else's is trash. Making up for a gap of several levels in Soul Power is only possible below Level 40."
"Oh." Xue Beng put on a look that said he'd learned something.
Then he looked at Xue Hen. He actually had another question, but thought it wouldn't be appropriate to ask, so he held it back.
He wanted to ask Xue Hen: the Emerald Swan was the finest Healing System Martial Soul, so the Imperial Power Sword, born alongside it as a twin Martial Soul, must also be the finest Power Attack System Martial Soul. So which was stronger, the Imperial Power Sword or the Clear Sky Hammer?
He kept the question to himself and considered it. In the end, he decided that perhaps, probably... the Clear Sky Hammer was still a little stronger? After all, it was recognized as the best in the world.
Xue Beng didn't yet know that before long, a great battle would reveal the answer to his question.
Meanwhile, in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
"Did Xue Beng go to see Hen'er again today?" Emperor Xue Ye sat upright in the seat of honor and asked Prince Xue Xing below him.
Prince Xue Xing smiled and placed his right hand over his left chest as he replied, "Yes, Imperial Brother. Over the past month, the brothers have grown much closer. Whenever Xue Beng goes to see Xue Hen, he opens the door and lets him in."
"Mm." Emperor Xue Ye nodded with satisfaction and said happily, "That boy finally did something worthwhile. He isn't completely useless after all."
"Imperial Brother, in my opinion, it won't be long before Xue Beng persuades Xue Hen to return to the imperial family. Then our Heaven Dou Imperial Family will have a Level 98 Super Douluo. Even if Spirit Hall weren't torn apart by internal strife, we wouldn't need to fear them so much." Prince Xue Xing pressed his advantage, hoping to improve Emperor Xue Ye's opinion of Xue Beng a little more.
After all, times had changed. Before, the uncle and nephew had feared that 'Xue Qinghe' would try to kill them, so they'd had no choice but to pretend they were hopeless wastrels. But now their relationship with Xue Hen was going well—one might even say it was getting better and better—and Xue Hen knew that 'Xue Qinghe' was behind the plot. So the two of them needed to change their strategy and move from protecting themselves to competing for power.
They would use Xue Hen as their torch to snatch the heir's position from Xue Qinghe!
"If that happens, I'll reward him handsomely!" Emperor Xue Ye said expectantly.
"Your younger brother thanks you on Xue Beng's behalf, Imperial Brother."
"Mm. Oh, right, I heard Poison Douluo left?" Emperor Xue Ye suddenly remembered something and asked Xue Xing.
At the question, the smile on Prince Xue Xing's face abruptly stiffened. He nodded somewhat awkwardly and replied, "Yes. He saw that Xue Beng and I were growing closer to Xue Hen and thought we'd turned our backs on him. He ignored the fact that his granddaughter had been injured by Xue Hen, her meridians damaged so badly that she'd struggle even to use her Soul Power in the future."
"Hmph!" Hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye snorted and defended Xue Hen. "His granddaughter is overbearing and vicious, always poisoning people at the drop of a hat. Hen'er is such a broad-minded child. Even when Kundera treated him that way, he didn't lay a hand on him. The Soul Masters from the Martial Soul Holy Temple were all within his reach to kill, but he spared every one of them. For such a good child to treat his granddaughter so harshly, the man should be reflecting on whether he failed to raise her properly. Instead, he blames you and Xue Beng. What utter nonsense!"
"Forget him. He's nothing but a Level 91 Titled Douluo. We don't need him!"
"We have our own treasured child, my good nephew. That's enough. If he wants to leave, let him. Let that Dugu fellow go as far away as he likes."
"Yes, Imperial Brother." Prince Xue Xing sighed inwardly and bowed his head.
He knew his imperial brother was speaking in anger. Never mind that Xue Hen hadn't yet returned to the imperial family; even if he did, who would complain about having more Titled Douluo on their side?
The truth was, Dugu Bo had already left, and there was no chance of persuading him to stay. So Emperor Xue Ye had simply said a few words to vent his frustration and console himself, so he wouldn't feel the loss too keenly.
As for where Dugu Bo went after leaving the imperial family, Prince Xue Xing had sent people to investigate and discovered... he might have gone to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Before you continue