Zhang Peng tore apart the dragon's shadow before him with a claw, then lowered his head to survey the situation below.
He saw that the cannon fodder he had brought along had been wiped out. It seemed the mission had been accomplished, and there was no point in dragging things out.
If reinforcements from Shrek Academy arrived, it would only make their escape harder.
He looked toward the two elders still fighting Elder Song and sent them a voice transmission. "Fall back, now. Shrek's people are coming!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his fourth Soul Ring lit up. Endless black mist billowed from him, and beneath the cover of night, his figure vanished in an instant. His aura was completely concealed, and he disappeared without a trace.
This was his fourth Soul Skill, Stealthy Infiltration. He could use it to launch surprise attacks in battle, or, of course, to escape.
The two Titled Douluo fighting Elder Song saw that the mission had been accomplished and Zhang Peng had already fled. They stopped fighting and each tossed a quick-deploy smoke bomb into the air.
By the time the smoke cleared, they had vanished without a trace.
Qian Duoduo had rushed over as fast as he could, but he was still a step too late. Every Evil Soul Master who had ambushed them that night had already escaped.
Elder Song released her Martial Soul Possession and descended straight in front of Qian Duoduo, seemingly about to ask him something.
Qian Duoduo nodded solemnly, indicating that none of the students had been hurt and everyone was safe.
Only then did Elder Song breathe a sigh of relief. She glanced at the ruins and the wrecked carriage on the ground, then decided not to linger.
She immediately ordered Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo to gather the children. Once Shrek's reinforcements arrived, they would set off for Shrek at once.
Before long, several bright streaks flashed across the sky. A piercing phoenix cry rang out, and Yan Shaozhe arrived with members of the Shrek City Guard.
After joining Elder Song and Qian Duoduo, Yan Shaozhe quickly got the gist of what had happened. Under their escort, the whole party set off for Shrek Academy in a grand procession.
As the group traveled, Xu Tianyao sat alone in the carriage at its center.
His expression was heavy, his thoughts in turmoil. It was obvious something was weighing on him.
Before long, the carriage curtain was gently lifted, and a breathtaking figure ducked inside. It was Meng Hongchen.
From the end of the battle until now, Xu Tianyao had not said a word, and his expression had remained grim.
Unable to put her mind at ease, Meng Hongchen had come to check on him.
"Yao, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Though Meng Hongchen was usually lively and playful, she was especially thoughtful and considerate whenever something happened.
She sat beside Xu Tianyao and gently brushed his cheek with her soft hand, worry filling her eyes.
Feeling the coolness against his cheek, Xu Tianyao raised his hand and firmly caught hers, clasping it tightly in his palm.
He shook his head lightly and managed a faint smile. "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired and want to rest quietly for a while. Don't worry about me."
"Are you really just tired?" Meng Hongchen clearly didn't believe him, but she didn't want to press him and add to his worries. She only nodded obediently.
"If you're tired, lean on me and rest. I happen to know how to massage, so I can help ease your fatigue."
Looking at the considerate beauty beside him, Xu Tianyao felt a little warmth in his heart. He turned toward her, rested his head quietly in her arms, and closed his eyes, drawing on her warmth to calm his scattered thoughts.
Even now, the perilous ambush still left him shaken.
He was one hundred percent certain that the ones who had attacked them were members of the Holy Spirit Cult.
He had expected that the Holy Spirit Cult might seize an opportunity to strike. What he couldn't let go of was how precise their ambush had been—nearly perfect.
He hadn't received so much as a hint or a whisper about it beforehand. He had been kept completely in the dark.
They had clearly prepared with care. They knew their personnel deployment inside and out, and had even sent a Soul Emperor specifically to restrain and assassinate him.
Thinking back to their exchange, he hadn't felt confident at all. After all, he was three major cultivation realms below his opponent.
And the Soul Emperor's attacks had been vicious, without the slightest restraint. Every strike had been aimed at his life.
If he hadn't had enough trump cards and reacted quickly, he might well have died in that encounter!
The thought filled Xu Tianyao with fury and confusion.
The Holy Spirit Cult's targeted ambush couldn't possibly have been arranged on a whim.
The mission's handover time and the route they were taking were both Empire secrets. Outsiders had no way of learning them.
Unless someone on the inside had deliberately leaked the information, the Holy Spirit Cult couldn't possibly have set such a precise ambush—or targeted him so directly.
The most suspicious person, and the one who knew the most, could only be Xu Tianran. Xu Tianyao was almost certain of it!
But if Xu Tianran knew, why hadn't he given even the slightest warning beforehand? Why had he let Xu Tianyao walk into a death trap without giving him a chance to prepare?
Had he even tacitly allowed the other side to send a powerful enemy three major realms above Xu Tianyao to assassinate him?
Questions surged through Xu Tianyao's mind.
Was Xu Tianran simply overconfident, certain that Xu Tianyao could survive thanks to his own trump cards?
Or had he hidden people nearby, watching and protecting him from the shadows?
Or... had Xu Tianran tacitly approved this assassination from the start, perhaps even secretly encouraged it?
At the thought, Xu Tianyao felt his chest tighten and his whole body grow cold.
Everyone at court and throughout the land had witnessed the bond between him and Xu Tianran.
All these years, he had devoted himself to supporting Xu Tianran, winning over Mingde Hall and Kong Deming, advising him time and again on matters inside and outside the court, and even traveling to Shrek of his own accord to lay plans for him.
He had done his utmost and given everything, never harboring a second thought or betraying his imperial elder brother's trust.
But what about this imperial elder brother? Xu Tianyao couldn't help but wonder!
After the assassination attempt, he had finally been able to sit down and think it through. Gradually, many things became clear.
His grandfather had warned him long ago, making his dissatisfaction with Xu Tianran plain and urging him to be on guard.
He simply hadn't taken it seriously at the time. Looking back now, it had all been wishful thinking on his part.
Xu Tianran had never truly trusted him.
Xu Tianran had never shared any of his plans, the Empire's true military strength, the schemes hidden at court, or even the secret ties binding him to the Holy Spirit Cult. He had never revealed any of these core secrets to Xu Tianyao.
Everything Xu Tianyao knew came from his memories of his previous life.
Without those memories, he would have been nothing but a tool in Xu Tianran's hands, a chess piece for him to move and manipulate as he pleased.
The imperial elder brother he had wholeheartedly supported had been deliberately hiding things from him and guarding against him all along.
What an emperor! No wonder he sat high upon the throne, supreme above all—alone in the world!
Xu Tianyao felt that he understood now. Though he couldn't be completely certain yet, the seed of suspicion had already been planted in his heart.
All it needed was the right opportunity, and soon that seed would grow into a towering tree.
Before you continue