After absorbing his first soul ring, Kong Deming wasted no time in taking Xu Tianyao back to Ming Capital, back to his private laboratory.
Over the next year, Kong Deming and Xu Tianyao would vanish from the entire Empire. By the time he emerged again, the Empire would have undergone earth-shaking changes.
One year later...
Ming Capital, Imperial Palace!
"Your Highness, we've discovered men belonging to the Second Prince and Third Prince at the east and north gates. Your prediction was correct—they're preparing a coup!"
The moment the hand atop Ming Capital's largest clock tower passed midnight, a dazzling white light tore across the sky, and countless soldiers surged through the city gates.
The cold presence of Soul Tools blanketed the entire imperial palace. The Empire was about to be reborn!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions rang out, and the entire imperial palace was swallowed by flames.
Xu Tianran stood atop the great hall normally used to receive court officials, watching the Soul Masters and soldiers below desperately slaughter one another.
His two imperial brothers were each leading their own Soul Engineer Legions in battle against the Royal Soul Engineer Legion under his command.
Countless nobles and officials had placed their bets on the three princes, staking everything they had on them.
That was what made this rebellion unprecedentedly brutal and bloody!
All the Soul Douluo at Xu Tianran's side had already been dispatched to intercept those who had come to assassinate him.
Only two people remained standing beside him. One wore a mask, concealing his appearance.
Yet from his aura alone, it was clear that he was an immensely powerful Titled Douluo.
The other was the true authority of Mingde Hall in this era—Xu Tianyao's maternal grandfather, Jing Hongchen, Hall Master of Mingde Hall.
Jing Hongchen watched the battlefield below with a grave expression, while remaining constantly wary of the strangely imposing figure beside Xu Tianran.
If Jing Hongchen's guess was correct, that man was stronger than him—and an Evil Soul Master.
"Hall Master Hongchen, look at my two imperial brothers. They truly are remarkably capable. They actually managed to divide the Royal Soul Engineer Legion personally commanded by Father Emperor, turning it into their claws for rebellion!"
Xu Tianran stared down below with a sinister expression, then turned an unreadable gaze toward Jing Hongchen.
"Hall Master Hongchen, do you think my two imperial brothers will succeed in today's palace coup?"
Jing Hongchen's expression shifted slightly. He respectfully bowed to Xu Tianran. "Your Highness is safeguarding His Majesty's safety and has rendered great service to the state. Victory will always stand with the righteous."
Jing Hongchen truly had no desire to involve himself in this matter. A coup for the throne was the sort of thing where one wrong step could lead to eternal damnation.
But his beloved granddaughter had insisted that he come protect her husband.
Unfortunately, he had searched everywhere without finding his grandson-in-law. Left with no choice, he could only stand on His Majesty's side and join Xu Tianran in suppressing this rebellion.
And so, he had no choice but to board the war chariot of Xu Tianran and Xu Tianyao.
Xu Tianran did not mind Jing Hongchen's unwillingness to state his position clearly. Having Jing Hongchen standing at his side was already enough.
Come to think of it, Tianyao had truly done him an enormous favor back then. Through marriage, he had bound Jing Hongchen to their war chariot.
Xu Tianran glanced at the hand on the clock tower. A full four hours had passed since the palace coup began.
The fires and explosions within the imperial palace had never ceased.
"Dawn is about to break. Sun and moon are about to trade places. The first light of a new day for the Sun Moon Empire is about to arrive."
"It is time to end this farce."
Xu Tianran took a deep breath and signaled to the black-clad man beside him. The man nodded to Xu Tianran, then vanished into the night.
A streak of light cut across the sky, and a majestic dragon silhouette appeared overhead.
It was the symbol of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, hailed as the Hand of Imperial Protection!
Xu Tianyuan, one of Xu Tianran's most trusted men, had successfully taken command of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion before the palace coup.
He had also brought it back to the Empire to rescue the sovereign and protect the throne!
Xu Tianyuan gripped the Sun Moon Sword and led the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion into battle from both the ground and the air.
Xu Tianyuan himself had already unleashed his full firepower.
Two yellow, two purple, and four black soul rings rose around him, while a red sun rose from the darkness of the imperial palace.
"By order of the Crown Prince!"
"Rescue the sovereign and protect the throne! Exterminate the rebels!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Amid the roaring cries of battle, Xu Tianran unclasped his cloak, revealing a black dragon robe beneath.
Under Jing Hongchen's watchful gaze, he slowly ascended the steps that symbolized imperial authority, climbing one step at a time toward the place where his father waited.
He reached the highest point in the imperial palace and pushed open those doors.
His father, the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, lay there barely clinging to life, his eyes vacant as he watched his son approach step by step.
By the time Xu Tianran reached the Emperor's bedside, the cries of battle outside had already ceased.
The battle cries had stopped. That meant the two rebellious princes, four imperial clan princes, and tens of thousands of rebel soldiers had all been executed, with none escaping.
Outside the palace, the scene had become a living hell.
Covered in blood, Xu Tianyuan strode to the entrance of the hall, dropped to one knee, and reported into the palace.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, reporting to the Crown Prince: all traitors and rebels have been executed. Not one has escaped. This servant wishes Your Majesty imperial peace!"
As Xu Tianyuan's words fell, a trace of grief finally flashed through the old Emperor's eyes. He shut them in pain.
A violent coughing fit seized him. Only after a long while did he manage to murmur, "Tianran... why did it have to come to this... why..."
Xu Tianran knew that he knew. The Emperor also knew that Xu Tianran knew.
Xu Tianran had been too aggressive, and with Kong Deming, the foremost Soul Engineer, backing him, he posed a threat to the imperial princes, the imperial uncles, and even the Emperor himself.
The Emperor knew of his second and third sons' intentions. He had once sternly ordered the imperial clan prince not to harm his eldest son's life, only to imprison him at most. Then he tacitly allowed their actions, even providing them with support from part of the Royal Soul Engineer Legion.
Even though he had planned it himself, witnessing his sons slaughter one another and his brothers turn against each other was still more pain than this Emperor, long exhausted in body and spirit, could bear.
After his coughing fit, the Emperor collapsed weakly onto the bed.
The bedchamber of Taiji Palace fell silent. Xu Tianran, whose body had not been stained by a single drop of blood, withdrew his gaze from his father, disappointment filling his eyes.
Xu Tianran looked at his father, the Emperor who had ruled the Sun Moon Empire for thirty years, and said coldly:
"Your son respectfully asks Father Emperor to abdicate, rest and recuperate, and enjoy his remaining years in peace!"
The Emperor raised his head listlessly. Nothing remained in his sickly pale eyes but emptiness.
He agreed numbly. With only this one son left, what else could he do?
Xu Tianran turned and left the palace, walking toward the Imperial Zenith Hall that symbolized power, one step at a time, one step at a time.
At last, Xu Tianyao arrived as well. He had succeeded. With Kong Deming's full support, he had successfully condensed the Sun-Moon Soul Core in a year and a half. His Soul Power had now broken through level twenty, making him a level 24 Soul Grandmaster.
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