Xue Beng: Your Majesty, Rest in Peace. I've Claimed This Throne!

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely forbidden!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider! You are of inestimable worth; how can you risk your life yourself!"

"Spirit City is a den of dragons and tigers; if..."

In the magnificent imperial court, as soon as Xue Ye finished speaking, the crowd below erupted into chaos.

Every single one of the civil and military officials knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces, earnestly pleading with him.

The scene was so grand that anyone who didn't know better would have thought the emperor was about to die.

However, the Xue Ye, seated on his dragon throne, was in no mood to listen to such clichés.

His face was ashen, his eyes were bloodshot, and he exuded a volcanic rage about to erupt.

He suddenly waved his dragon sleeve, pointed in the empty direction outside the palace, and roared hoarsely.

"Enough!"

"Shut up, all of you!"

"You want me to reconsider? Then who will think about the half-empty treasury for me!"

"That's the wealth accumulated by me, the Heaven Dou Empire, over thousands of years!"

"Now it's gone just like that! You've left me here waiting?!"

The Xue Ye grew increasingly angry as he spoke, his chest heaving violently, and his finger pointing at the ministers below trembled slightly.

"What have I received while I wait here for news?"

"Sect Master Ning and Sword and Bone Douluo have vanished without a trace! The entire Heaven Dou Empire has become a laughingstock across the continent!"

"I've had enough!"

The emperor's thunderous wrath made the temperature in the entire hall seem to drop to freezing point.

All the ministers were silent, bowing their heads even lower, fearing they might be the next to incur His Majesty's wrath.

However, right in this deathly silence...

There was one person whose mindset was completely out of sync with this oppressive atmosphere.

Xue Beng.

The fourth prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the only surviving biological son of Xue Ye.

He knelt among the crowd, head bowed, shoulders trembling slightly, looking as if he were worried about his father's safety, and was shaking with fear.

But in reality, his face, hidden in the shadows, was now adorned with an uncontrollable, ecstatic smile!

Cool!

That was fucking awesome!

More than half a month ago, she learned that her Big Brother Xue Qinghe, who had been like a nightmare weighing on her head, was actually Qian Renxue, the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, in disguise.

Furthermore, after absconding with half of the empire's treasury, this woman fled back to Spirit City.

Xue Beng made me feel like my whole life had suddenly become clear!

The mountain that had been pressing down on us is gone!

That "Big Brother" with gentle eyes, yet who always instilled fear in him from the bottom of his heart, is finally gone!

He no longer has to live in constant fear, pretending to be crazy, lest one day he be "accidentally" disposed of by the other party!

And now!

Now his father, who clearly has more than ten years to live, is actually going to Spirit City in person?

Go to the headquarters of the Spirit Hall, that ruthless and bloodthirsty place?

Xue Beng's heart began to pound uncontrollably, an indescribable excitement and anticipation coursing through his body like an electric current.

Just in case...

He meant just in case!

What if Father Emperor's health is not good on this trip, and he unfortunately encounters some "accident"...

Then, in this vast Heaven Dou Empire, he is now the only legitimate prince left!

In addition, there was his uncle, Prince Xue Xing, who held a high position and had always supported him.

What will happen next?

Oh dear, this is so hard to guess!

The thought of ascending to the supreme throne and ruling the world caused Xue Beng's lips to curl into a wild smile that he couldn't suppress.

He could even imagine that the first thing he would do after ascending the throne was to turn the palace of that hypocritical "Big Brother" Xue Qinghe into a latrine!

Upon realizing this brilliant idea, Xue Beng couldn't resist.

"Pfft..."

A very faint laugh, yet incredibly clear in the deathly silent hall, escaped from his lips.

The air in the entire hall seemed to freeze instantly.

All eyes, including the furious Xue Ye on the dragon throne, turned sharply towards the source of the sound, like swords piercing through the darkness.

The laughter, like Xue Beng, came to an abrupt halt.

He suddenly raised his head and met his father's eyes, which were filled with astonishment and confusion, and then were consumed by boundless rage.

It's over.

In Xue Beng's mind, only these two words remained.

"Treason!!!"

A roar filled with endless disappointment and anger exploded out!

Xue Ye abruptly stood up from his dragon throne, trembling with extreme rage.

He stretched out his hand, trembling, and pointed directly at his son below, who was completely terrified.

"You... you can still laugh?!"

"Excellent! Excellent! He truly is my good son!"

"Could it be that you're planning for me to die in Spirit City so you can rightfully inherit the throne? Is that it?!"

"You wish!"

Xue Ye trembled with rage, pointing at the Xue Beng and roaring.

"You! Come with me!"

He was already exhausted because his most favored crown prince was an undercover agent, and now his only son was laughing out loud at this time. It was like stabbing him in the heart!

"Father... Father! I didn't! I didn't do it!"

Terrified by Xue Beng avalanche, he scrambled to his knees in the center of the hall, clung to the legs of the Xue Ye, and wept bitterly.

"Your Majesty, I simply believe that with Your Majesty's personal presence, the Spirit Hall will certainly not dare to be negligent, and the lost items in the national treasury will definitely be recovered. Your Majesty is... I am happy for Your Majesty!"

He cried as he frantically tried to console himself.

"Moreover, Father, you are the most honored ruler. It is far too dangerous for you to personally venture into the lion's den! Your Majesty's safety is of utmost concern. Just now, I was... I was so angry that I lost my temper!"

After listening to Xue Beng's earnest and heartfelt explanation, the raging fire in Xue Ye's heart finally subsided somewhat.

He panted heavily, sat back on the dragon throne, and looked at his good-for-nothing son at his feet with a complicated expression.

Finally, he waved wearily.

That's enough.

"Issue a decree: summon Poison Douluo Dugu Bo to accompany me to Wuhun City to protect me!"

While the royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire was in turmoil, the center of the storm— Spirit City —was peaceful and serene.

Outside the Maple Dye Pavilion.

Night had fallen, but the lively atmosphere at the barbecue stalls was even hotter than the midday sun.

"Sizzle--" The grease dripped onto the scorching charcoal, bursting into a burst of sparks. The rich aroma of meat, mixed with the domineering scent of cumin and chili, instantly swept across the entire street.

A dozen or so titled Douluo, whose mere stomp could shake the continent, were now shamelessly gathered around several grills, their eyes fixed on the sizzling skewers of grilled meat, their Adam's apples bobbing uncontrollably.

In the very center of the crowd, a slender figure, looking utterly dejected, skillfully flipped the skewers, sprinkling them with cumin and chili powder.

Ning Rongrong, who had been promoted to "Chief Barbecue Grandmaster of the Spirit Hall" and who would occasionally take a sip of water from the kettle around her neck.

However, at this moment, the focus of the entire audience was not on her.

Everyone's gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, drifted toward a table not far away.

There, a figure was feasting with great gusto.

She was holding a handful of glistening lamb skewers in her left hand and a pitcher of ice-cold beer in her right.

Two bites per skewer.

Three sips per glass of wine.

His eating manners were even wilder than those of the most rugged Demon Bear Douluo present.

"Hiccup~"

She let out a long burp, picked up another skewer of golden-brown chicken wings, and opened her mouth to take a bite.

However, as soon as she opened her mouth, her body jolted violently, as if a pause button had been pressed.

The next second.

An aura of holiness and nobility emanated from her.

Those eyes, which had originally held a hint of wickedness and arrogance, instantly became cold and holy.

She spoke in a voice filled with strong dissatisfaction, even a hint of grievance.

"Alright, alright! Rakshasa, you've gone too far!"

"We agreed on a ten-for-one exchange, and you've already eaten eleven!"

"My turn!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to have completely taken control of her body. She picked up the chicken wing and, imitating the Rakshasa God from before, began to frantically stuff it into her mouth.

Their eating manners were in no way inferior to those of the Rakshasa God from before.

This scene caused the eyes of the surrounding Title Douluo to twitch violently.

Ghost Douluo moved closer to Chrysanthemum Douluo, nudged him with his elbow, and muttered in a low voice.

"I'm telling you, Yue Guan, do you understand now?"

"This... this is damn good! Whether they eat it or not, it all goes into the same mouth and the same stomach, doesn't it?"

"What's there to argue about?"