The Emperor Ascends

The ice in Emperor Xue Ye's eyes melted slightly, but his fury did not subside; it merely shifted targets. He slammed his hand against the armrest of his dragon throne, his voice booming like a thunderclap:

"The Crown Prince speaks the truth! Such despicable conduct is absolutely not the work of a successor! This is a naked attempt to frame and implicate! Its purpose is to sow discord between my Imperial House and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, shaking the very foundations of Heaven Dou!"

His gaze swept across the ministers in the hall like a hawk, finally locking onto the Vice Minister of Justice and the Commander of the City Defense Division with unquestionable majesty and towering rage:

"Ministry of Justice! City Defense Division! I give you three days! Within three days, you must find the true culprit for me! No matter who is involved, no matter who is pulling the strings behind the scenes, I will make them pay the price!"

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly for me! Turn all of Heaven Dou City upside down, dig three feet into the ground if you must, but drag these audacious scoundrels out! Sect Master Ning,"

Xue Ye turned to Ning Fengzhi, whose expression remained grave, his tone softening slightly but remaining heavy, "That this occurred in the Imperial Capital is my dereliction of duty! I will certainly provide you and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with a satisfactory explanation!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ning Fengzhi bowed, his voice tinged with a hoarse mix of grief and gratitude. "Fengzhi trusts in your wisdom, Your Majesty. You will surely restore the innocence of the wronged and bring the true culprit to justice."

His own inner scales were tipping toward the theory of a frame-up, yet with his sect disciples brutally murdered, he needed a result regardless.

Emperor Xue Ye nodded slightly, then his gaze returned to Ye Yang, the imperial majesty in his eyes now carrying a trace of imperceptible, fatherly concern.

He said in a deep voice, "Crown Prince!"

"This son is here," Ye Yang replied with a bow.

"Before this case is solved, the culprit's target is clearly you. They were able to slaughter the disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with such ruthless methods and meticulous planning; they were clearly prepared and utterly audacious!"

"To prevent any unforeseen circumstances and to avoid giving these scoundrels any further opportunities..."

Xue Ye said helplessly, "Effective immediately, you are to remain in the East Palace. Without my decree, you are not to leave! Morning court will continue as usual, but all activities outside the palace are suspended!"

"This son understands," Ye Yang replied.

He paused for a moment, his gaze turning toward Ning Fengzhi and Xue Ye with sincere concern: "Since this case has such grave implications, although I cannot investigate it personally, my heart remains tied to the progress of the case."

"I hope the officials of the Ministry of Justice and the City Defense Division will work together with one heart to capture the true culprit soon, to comfort the spirits of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples, and to restore clarity to Heaven Dou City!"

[Ding! Appropriate response, Acting +1, Majesty +1]

This statement once again won the silent approval of many, including Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi.

The Crown Prince was indeed a man who understood the bigger picture; even while at the center of the storm, he did not forget to soothe the victimized sect or encourage the officials handling the case.

"Hmm." Emperor Xue Ye's expression cleared slightly, satisfied with the Crown Prince's "sensibility." "As long as you understand. Court dismissed! Ministry of Justice, City Defense Division, and Prince Xue Xing, stay behind to discuss this matter!"

"Court dismissed—!"

Following the shrill cry of the eunuch, the morning court concluded.

The ministers exited the Golden Throne Hall with varied thoughts, whispering among themselves.

Under the complex gazes of the ministers, Ye Yang maintained the dignity of a Crown Prince and turned to walk toward the East Palace.

However, the moment he turned, a trace of extremely faint yet incredibly real irritation and murderous intent flashed deep within his gentle, jade-like eyes.

Heh, I'd like to see exactly who is trying to frame me.

That night, after returning to the East Palace.

"Snap!"

A crisp sound echoed. The guards responsible for watching the East Palace, and even the two Title Douluo, Snake Spear and Pufferfish, lurking in the corners, suddenly froze. They were unable to move a muscle, their very consciousness brought to a standstill.

"I have to say, this Zen Seal is truly useful." The gates of the East Palace were pushed open, and a figure in golden armor stepped out—it was Ye Yang, having transformed into the Emperor Hero.

The Zen Seal, a standard technique of the Five Elements Armors, was naturally something the Emperor Armor possessed as well.

The Zen Seal could freeze time in the surrounding area, an incredibly overpowered ability.

"Emperor Colt!" Ye Yang tapped the dial on the right side of his belt. A second later, a card shot out from the belt, and a golden flying vehicle emerged from it.

It was shaped like a dragon's head, entirely golden, and radiated an aura of nobility.

It was the exclusive mount of the Emperor Armor—the Emperor Colt!

"Off you go!"

Ye Yang leaped onto the Emperor Colt, and in the next instant, it shot into the clouds at a speed invisible to the naked eye, heading toward the location of the incident.

Not long after Ye Yang left, the Zen Seal was lifted. The guards at the gate and the two Douluo, Snake Spear and Pufferfish, noticed nothing amiss.

The Emperor Colt tore through the night sky, transforming into a golden streak of light barely visible to the eye, arriving in an instant at the crime scene in the outskirts of the city, which was still permeated with the stench of blood and deathly silence.

Ye Yang hovered in mid-air, the golden Emperor Armor reflecting a majestic and icy luster under the cold moonlight.

He looked down from above, his gaze like a torch, sweeping over the area cordoned off by the City Defense Division soul masters.

The scene was in total disarray; the marked locations of the corpses, the dried and blackened bloodstains, and the trampled, messy vegetation all spoke of the previous night's tragedy.

[Ding! Investigated the scene, Insight +1]

"Hmph, they certainly did a 'clean' job," Ye Yang whispered, his voice carrying a metallic texture through the armor.

With a flicker of his intent, the Emperor Colt descended slowly, landing silently in the shadows of a tree canopy that had remained undisturbed.

He did not deactivate his armor; the super-sensory perception granted by the Emperor Armor spread out like invisible ripples.

Within his field of vision, a cold, sinister aura continued to spread toward the distance.

"I'll see for myself who is responsible for this."

Following the trail of the aura, Ye Yang tracked it step by step, finally arriving in front of a secluded courtyard where the owner of that aura was hiding inside.

"Interesting. Death soldiers? It seems the true culprit is someone else entirely," Ye Yang mused.

The Emperor Colt, hovering in mid-air, suddenly erupted with blinding golden light as its engine emitted a low, majestic dragon's roar!

The next second, it transformed into a brilliant meteor tearing through the night sky, hurtling downward with peerless momentum toward the dilapidated courtyard where the death soldiers were hiding!

BOOM—!!!

A deafening roar, like the descent of divine retribution, shook the earth!

The Emperor Colt smashed directly through the roof of the courtyard!

Amidst the swirling dust and debris, the blinding golden light, like a sun fallen to the mortal realm, instantly dispelled all darkness within the compound!

The Emperor Colt hovered steadily half a foot above the ground, and in the center of the massive crater it had carved out, the Emperor Hero—Ye Yang—stood tall, clad in golden armor shimmering with flowing light, like a god of war stepped out from myth!

The ground beneath his feet shattered into a spiderweb pattern and sank, while the terrifying pressure radiating from his body swept across the entire courtyard like a physical tsunami!

[Ding! Divine descent, Presence +1, Majesty +1!]