The Old King's Demise, Su Changge's Gambit

Haagen-Dazs Royal City.

During the time Su Changge and Pufferfish Douluo were away, the faction supporting the Thirteenth Princess fell into chaos, having lost their backbone in Su Changge and being unable to bring the Thirteenth Princess, Rose, out of the palace to take command.

Had he not known that they had a Title Douluo as a final safeguard, Su Changge would never have left so easily.

The Thirteenth Princess's faction would have long since scattered to the winds.

This turmoil reached a breaking point on the ninth night of Su Changge's absence.

The old King was dead.

He had died several days earlier than expected.

Yet, those few days of anticipation completely disrupted everyone's plans.

The Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Seventh Princess!

These three candidates with the greatest claim to the throne immediately ordered their respective armies to march toward the Royal City.

Since no one was willing to submit to the others.

Then they would decide the victor amidst a tragic song of iron and blood, and rebuild the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom.

"Kill... kill the Thirteenth Princess. Once our King ascends the throne, you shall be granted the title of Count."

Deprived of the old King's protection, the Thirteenth Princess was like a weak chick, exposed to the fangs and claws of the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Seventh Princess.

Had the Thirteenth Princess's faction not provided timely support, this little white flower would have been blasted into a bloody mist by several spirit skills the moment she stepped out of the palace gates.

"Hold them back! Even if we all die here, we must get the Thirteenth Princess out safely!!!"

Guarded by over a hundred spirit masters and thousands of soldiers, the Thirteenth Princess's party fought their way south.

As for the Princess's residence, it was likely already a trap laid with nets of heaven and earth; to return now would mean one thing... death!

However, this path of escape was paved with countless blood and bones.

Almost every second, spirit masters and soldiers loyal to the Thirteenth Princess fell in battle.

Every step was paid for with an unimaginably painful price.

When the Thirteenth Princess's group crossed half the city and reached the southern gate, nearly all of the thousands of common soldiers had been killed, leaving only thirty-some spirit masters and a few high-ranking officials to guard her.

"Your Highness Rose, it is quite surprising that you made it this far."

"Unfortunately, your journey ends here."

Just as the remnants of the Thirteenth Princess's guard prepared to protect Rose in a final, desperate struggle to break out of the city, several terrifying auras spread from above the gate, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived before Rose and the others.

Those individuals wore the crest of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects, embroidered on their chests, and beneath their feet, seven spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—floated in the air!

The Spirit Saints of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had arrived.

"Is it the Seventh Royal Sister who wants me dead!?"

The Thirteenth Princess, Rose, turned deathly pale from terror.

Though she was a delicate little flower, after more than a month of baptism by fire, she had gained a profound understanding of the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Seventh Princess.

The top-tier power standing behind her Seventh Royal Sister was none other than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

"No, Your Highness Rose, that is not quite how it works."

"The Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Seventh Princess have all deployed heavy troops at the four gates of the Royal City. It was merely by chance that you fled to the south gate controlled by the Seventh Princess. To be precise... you delivered yourself to our doorstep."

Despair! Fear! Helplessness! All sorts of negative emotions spread through the air.

Facing several top-tier spirit masters from the Upper Three Sects, these remnants had no possibility of breaking through the encirclement.

Not a single chance.

"Don't kill me, I am a Spirit Emperor, I am willing to surrender... I am willing to pledge my loyalty to the Seventh Princess!!!"

In an instant, nearly half of the spirit masters chose to defect.

However, they forgot that in the critical moment of a struggle for the throne, those who waver like grass in the wind are often the first to die.

Under the spirit skills of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Spirit Saints, these defectors were killed one after another in less than a few minutes, not even leaving behind a complete corpse.

"Fight these bastards from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan! Swear to protect Her Highness to the death!!!"

Seeing that the Spirit Saints of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would not spare them, the remaining spirit masters and officials hardened their resolve and began a desperate counterattack.

However, this seemingly tragic, life-or-death struggle... was utterly useless.

Fifteen people!

Ten people!

Five people!

Three people!

In the end, only the Thirteenth Princess remained, overwhelmed by terror and lost in her confusion.

"Your Highness, Lord Changge... where are you?"

"Hurry... come and save Rose!"

Watching the many Spirit Saints of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan walking toward her, the Thirteenth Princess collapsed into the rain, letting out a shrill, mournful cry.

The moment the Thirteenth Princess's voice fell, the calm expressions of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Spirit Saints shifted abruptly.

In the distant sky, a terrifying aura swept across half the city, pressing down like a collapsing firmament.

"Do it, kill her."

The Spirit Saints of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wore expressions of horror.

Who could have imagined that among the four candidates for the throne, the weakest, the Thirteenth Princess, had such a terrifying existence standing behind her?

However, before the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's members could strike, the figures of Pufferfish Douluo and Su Changge appeared before them.

Pufferfish Douluo's nine spirit rings hovered in the air as he unleashed several spirit skills, instantly beating the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Spirit Saints to the brink of death.

To the side, Su Changge swung his Ruyi Staff, manifesting thousands of staff shadows to deliver the finishing blows, nearly slaughtering and consuming the Spirit Saints of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The entire process was incredibly smooth and fluid, just as they had agreed.

Rumble!

Deep within the clouds, thunder raged, illuminating Su Changge's profile with striking clarity.

As for the Thirteenth Princess, Rose, the moment she saw Su Changge, she could no longer suppress the emotions in her heart; like a bursting dam, she threw herself into Su Changge's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"They're dead... they're dead, Lord Changge. To protect me, they all died."

"Thousands of people, all slaughtered by the lackeys of my royal brother and sister... Rose is so scared, truly so scared."

Feeling Rose's delicate body trembling with fear, Su Changge sighed and reached out to embrace the Thirteenth Princess. "Your Highness, I am sorry... it is Changge who arrived late."

"However, rest assured. With me and the senior here, no one will ever be able to hurt you again."

Seeing Su Changge's hands wandering over the Thirteenth Princess, Pufferfish Douluo curled his lip and silently turned his back.

Who knew which deep-thinking, black-bellied, and shameless fellow had deliberately staged this entire scene, using all the lackeys of the Thirteenth Princess's faction as sacrifices just to seize control of the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom.

After a long while, seeing that Su Changge still hadn't stopped, Pufferfish Douluo finally couldn't help but offer a reminder, "Princess, we should go."

"If we don't leave now, the reinforcements sent by your Seventh Royal Sister will be here."

"Ah!?"

Hearing Pufferfish Douluo's reminder, the Thirteenth Princess seemed to snap back to reality, though her hands remained tightly locked around Su Changge.

It was as if only this could provide her with a sense of absolute security.

"It is time to go!"

"However, we will return. When we return, you will be the new Queen of the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom... my noble Princess Rose!"

Su Changge's peripheral vision swept over the Thirteenth Princess's nearly submissive gaze without leaving a trace, and the corners of his mouth curled upward.

It seemed that before long, he would become the Queen's man.