Fury! Wei Qing!

Just as Huo Yuhao finished burying Huo Yuner, inside the Duchess's residence...

"You said Hua Bin provoked that mother and son? And Hua Bin was injured?" Xu Xingling looked shocked, but what she cared about more was the latter part—that her son had been beaten.

"That pair of beasts dared to lay a hand on my son? They're courting death!" With that, Xu Xingling stopped caring about anything else. She rose at once, gathered a large number of servants, and charged toward the side quarters, intending to teach that mother and son a proper lesson.

Inside the side quarters.

Huo Yuhao was still immersed in the grief of Huo Yuner's death when another piece of terrible news struck him the very next second.

"Brother Liu Ju, y-you... what's happening to you?" Seeing Liu Ju's body growing increasingly illusory, Huo Yuhao panicked. He had already lost his mother. If he lost his brother too, he truly would have no reason left to live.

"My energy has been completely exhausted, Yuhao. I'm sorry. You'll have to walk the road ahead on your own. I could have stayed with you for another two years, but now... there isn't enough left."

"No! Don't! I've already lost Mom—I can't lose you too, Brother!" Huo Yuhao rushed toward Liu Ju in panic, but as a spirit himself, he passed straight through Liu Ju's body.

"It's useless, Yuhao. I've already begun to disperse. Let me do one final thing for you!" As he spoke, Liu Ju summoned his last bit of spiritual power and poured it all into Huo Yuhao's body.

"No! I don't want this! I only want you to stay with me!" Eight-year-old Huo Yuhao hated partings, but Liu Ju turned a deaf ear. This was something he had to experience in order to grow.

As the power entered him, Huo Yuhao's bloodline was affected by Liu Ju's strength. The blood of the Chinese people now flowed smoothly through his body, and he felt power surging within him.

Yet Huo Yuhao was not happy at all, because Liu Ju before him had already dispersed, vanishing completely from his sight. On this day, Yuhao had lost far too much.

His eyes were utterly vacant; the blow had clearly left him shattered beyond repair. Then, a furious roar came from outside the room!

"You little bastard, you bitch! Get out here!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Huo Yuhao's vacant eyes turned scarlet. Flames of fury burned through his entire body as he slowly walked outside.

Seeing someone emerge, Xu Xingling looked disdainful. Staring at the small figure who had come out, she sneered, "What? You came out? Where's that damned mother of yours? Why isn't she coming out?"

Hearing Xu Xingling's insults, Huo Yuhao could no longer suppress his rage. The power enhanced by Liu Ju erupted instantly, and a longsword appeared in his right hand.

"Hm? You brat actually have Twin Martial Souls!"

Xu Xingling had initially only intended to teach him a lesson, but now she wanted to kill him. The potential of Twin Martial Souls was not something a White Tiger Martial Soul could compare to.

As Huo Yuhao poured Soul Power into the Human Emperor Sword in his hand, a massive figure slowly emerged behind him the next second.

"Wh-what is that?" Xu Xingling was stunned. This little bastard had hidden himself so deeply. She waved her hand, signaling for the servants to attack first.

The servants were already shocked, but under Xu Xingling's icy gaze, they could only tighten their grips on their clubs and charge toward the frail figure before the house.

Watching the group rush at him, Huo Yuhao poured every last bit of Soul Power in his body into the Human Emperor Sword. Raising the blade high, he brought it down with all his strength at the people before him.

"Human Emperor Sword, First Form: Imperial Might Shatters Mountains!"

A towering golden sword aura shot toward the advancing servants at high speed. Their forward momentum made it impossible for them to dodge, and they were swept up by the sword aura. Sword wounds opened across their bodies as blood sprayed through the air.

Several servants were even flung in Xu Xingling's direction. Seeing the bodies flying toward her, Xu Xingling did not even spare them a glance. Two yellow, two purple, and two black Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet.

With only a small amount of Soul Power, she flicked her right hand and sent the incoming bodies flying aside. She remained completely unaffected. Looking at Huo Yuhao, whose face had turned pale after that strike, the killing intent in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

"You little bastard, your Soul Power is exhausted, isn't it? I only planned to teach you a lesson, but since you have such talent, don't even think about staying alive."

As she spoke, Xu Xingling raised her hand and drew upon the Stellar Power she had accumulated over the years. The first yellow Soul Ring beneath her feet flashed.

"First Soul Skill: Starlight Guiding Technique!"

Starlight flickered around Xu Xingling's body. Guided by her Soul Ring, it began to gather power. When the charge reached its peak, several beams shot forth and streaked toward Huo Yuhao.

Seeing the beams rapidly approach, Huo Yuhao wanted to dodge, but he had little Soul Power left in his body. He could not move at all.

"Damn it! Is this the end? I haven't taken my revenge yet!"

Just as the beams were about to strike Huo Yuhao, the enormous figure behind him suddenly solidified. Several flashes of sword light swept through the air, followed by several crisp clangs.

The attacks meant for Huo Yuhao were all blocked by a tall figure. Huo Yuhao looked at the person before him in confusion, yet he somehow felt reassured—not only in his heart, but also by the stirring in his bloodline.

"Uncle? You... who are you?"

"Who are you?" Xu Xingling was also stunned in place by the figure that had appeared. She had thought Huo Yuhao was certainly dead, yet another twist had emerged.

"A general of the Han Dynasty, General of Chariots and Cavalry! Grand Marshal! Commander-in-Chief! Wei Qing!"

As a chill spread from his body, a man clad in blue-black Han Dynasty armor stood there, a gray cloak drifting behind him. His eyes, like those of a hunter watching prey, fixed upon Xu Xingling.

"Han Dynasty? Hmph! Some obscure little state! This is not a place for your Han Dynasty to run wild. This is the Star Luo Empire!" As she spoke, Xu Xingling's fifth black Soul Ring flashed.

"Fifth Soul Skill! Chains of Stellar Punishment!"

Several streams of starlight appeared around Xu Xingling. The next moment, chains burst from within the starlight and shot toward Wei Qing like slithering snakes.

Facing the incoming attack, Wei Qing did not panic. He slowly drew a longsword from his waist and readied himself. Though Wei Qing did not fear the person before him, this was not his peak state.

When Liu Ju gave his power to Huo Yuhao, he had also sealed power within Huo Yuhao's body. As Yuhao's cultivation rose, it would gradually recover. But right now, Wei Qing had strength he could not use!

The chains flew toward him, and his sword flashed rapidly. Crisp clangs echoed throughout the side quarters. Wei Qing truly lived up to his name. Though his greatest displays were on the battlefield commanding troops against enemies, his swordsmanship was anything but weak.

Seeing how formidable he was, Xu Xingling felt like recruiting him. "You're not weak. How about following me? That bastard behind you is no good master. Follow me, and I'll grant you wealth and glory. What do you say?"

Though Xu Xingling made it sound appealing, Wei Qing turned a deaf ear. Huo Yuhao behind him was someone Crown Prince Liu Ju had acknowledged, and Liu Ju had entrusted them with protecting this sworn younger brother of the crown prince.

"Hmph! Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit! Since you're courting death, I won't hold back!" The next second, Soul Emperor-level cultivation erupted, sending waves of force spreading outward.

Just as Xu Xingling was about to destroy both the spirit and the boy where they stood.

A furious roar rang out!

"Xu Xingling! You're courting death!"