Palace Coup

Circulating the Sun Moon Meditation Method once more, soul power flowed through the meridians, carrying a scorching yet heavy aura. Every wisp of soul power was exceptionally refined, and its circulation grew much smoother.

Though the cultivation speed was slow, under these conditions, every wisp of soul power he gained possessed very high quality.

A little slower is fine. As long as I can cultivate.

Xu Tianming did not mind. Cultivation was inherently a process of accumulation; the sturdier the foundation, the further one could walk in the future.

Spending extra time now to hone his soul power would also grant him a much firmer foundation. To put it bluntly, this was presumably what they called an emperor-grade foundation.

Of course, Xu Tianming had never actually seen what a true emperor-grade foundation looked like.

Besides, the truly difficult period for an Ultimate Martial Soul was between level thirty and level seventy. That was when progress became truly agonizing; right now, it was nothing.

Xu Tianming closed his eyes again and continued operating the Sun Moon Meditation Method, golden specks of light gathering once more within the room.

The Sun Martial Soul hovered behind him, its golden flames burning quietly, casting a bright glow over the entire room.

The soul power within his body still improved slowly, yet after every circulation, it grew even more condensed.

Xu Tianming quieted his mind, letting time flow by gently.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. That evening, the interior and exterior of the War Prince's Residence were much quieter than usual.

Taking advantage of the maidservants' inattention, Xu Tianming climbed the back courtyard wall onto the roof, sitting upon a high, upturned eaves ridge as he gazed far off toward the Imperial City.

The night wind swept across the skies above Mingdu, carrying a faint, bloody scent.

The Imperial City over there blazed with light.

As soon as Xu Tianming settled himself, the air beside him rippled slightly, and a figure appeared without a sound.

Karna stood on the other side of the ridge, a mere few steps away from him.

He wore a form-fitting black combat uniform, the fabric covered in dark golden patterns that outlined his slender, upright figure.

His pauldrons and chestplate were cast from gold, their edges set with sharp spikes, and a crimson gemstone was embedded in the center of his chest.

A fiery red cape draped from behind his shoulders.

Karna possessed short, messy, silver-white hair, the strands fluffy and disheveled with a few locks hanging before his forehead. His face was a cold, pale white with distinct contours, and his eyes were a translucent, jade-green. His expression was calm, showing almost no emotional fluctuation.

The golden earrings upon his ears emitted a faint glow in the night—that was a divine gift bestowed upon him by the Sun God, and also a part of the Golden Armor.

Karna stood in the night wind, making no unnecessary movements. He was calm to the point of detachment, yet merely standing there gave off a pressure akin to a blazing sun suspended in the sky.

"Master."

"Hmm?"

"Tonight, all the venerated elders of the War Prince's Residence are absent."

Xu Tianming turned to look at him.

"All of them?"

"They have left the residence."

Karna raised his head to look at the Imperial City.

"Within Mingdu, the auras of many powerhouses have gathered, and most of them carry a sense of evil and bloodshed."

Xu Tianming narrowed his eyes.

"They're finally making their move."

His climb onto the roof tonight was precisely to observe the situation over at the Imperial City. Since all the residence's elders had left, and neither Xu Mo nor Xu Tianran was around, the answer was already obvious.

The palace coup had begun.

Xu Tianming retrieved a soul tool from his storage soul tool. The item was only the size of a palm, resembling a telescope in shape; its barrel was crafted from silver metal, and fine crystals were embedded along the edges.

He channeled soul power into it, causing the lenses to light up. The distant Imperial City rapidly drew closer, and the previously blurry palace walls grew clear.

Xu Tianming looked toward the upper reaches of the Imperial City.

Between the palace walls and roofs, quite a few figures had already fallen. Many soldiers clad in armor were searching everywhere, the soul tools in their hands emitting cold gleams, while occasional ripples of soul power pulsed from deep within the palaces.

The battle had not yet ended, but the situation was evidently already under Xu Mo's control. Xu Tianming recognized the armor worn by those soldiers.

They were troops of the War Prince's Residence.

"They certainly move fast."

He lowered the telescope and looked toward the four quarters of Mingdu instead. To the south, the Flame Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion should be stationed.

To the west was the Evil Lord Soul Engineer Legion.

To the east and north, the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion and the Terrorclaw Soul Engineer Legion were stationed respectively.

These four soul engineer legions were responsible for guarding the outer perimeter of Mingdu to prevent foreign invaders. Logically speaking, with such intense combat erupting in the palace, they should have acted long ago.

Yet at this moment, all four directions were abnormally quiet. There was no activation of soul tools, no assembly of soul engineers, and no sign of any reinforcements heading to the palace.

Xu Tianming looked once more toward the aristocratic district on the outer perimeter of the Imperial City; there was likewise no movement there.

The Imperial City blazed with light, the sounds of slaughter carrying across long streets. Ripples of soul power rolled wave after wave, and the roofs of several palaces were even blown off by formidable forces.

Yet the surrounding aristocratic manors remained tightly shut. No one led troops toward the Imperial City, and no one stepped forward to support the Emperor.

"My dear uncle really is devoid of popular support."

Xu Tianming shook his head. That uncle of his possessed an overly gentle personality, lacking grand ambitions while placing far too much value on familial affection.

He held insufficient guard against Xu Mo, and likewise lacked constraints regarding the other princes.

Even though he knew crown prince Xu He had not awakened the imperial family's three legacy martial souls, he still prepared to hoist this only son onto the throne.

Outwardly, he appeared far too weak.

The Sun Moon Empire had endured in forbearance for many years, long accumulating sufficient strength. Both the military and the royal family were waiting for a tougher leader to lead the empire in taking back what it had once lost.

Yet the Emperor still clung to that treaty of defeat, maintaining a so-called peace. To ordinary people, this peace might be a good thing.

To those powerful nobles grasping armies and soul tools, however, it represented stagnation and humiliation. What they required was an emperor with ambition, methods, and the daring to act.

Rather than an indecisive emperor who valued familial affection and yearned for peace, which meant his uncle's fate today was destined from the start.

If he were not the emperor, but merely a prince living out his days in stability, perhaps no one would say a word.

Yet he happened to sit in that position. Not just anyone could be an emperor; for some who sat in that seat, they enjoyed power, while for others who sat there, they paid with their lives.

Xu Tianming raised the telescope once more.

Above the imperial city, a soul engineer clad in black armor raised a hand to release a soul tool, blasting open a side door of the palace. Several palace guards collapsed upon the steps, and the remaining individuals quickly retreated into the hall.

Xu Tianming did not continue watching. The outcome held no more suspense; the four soul engineer legions remained silent, the nobles sat by and watched, and the prince's troops had already entered the imperial city.

Xu Mo clearly had made thorough preparations long ago.

"Let's go. There's not much point in continuing to watch."

Xu Tianming patted his backside and stood up.

Mingdu remained brightly lit, though pedestrians on the streets had grown much fewer. The roar of a soul tool occasionally echoed from afar, causing the tiles on the eaves to tremble lightly.