Changes in the Imperial Palace

He circulated the Sun Moon Meditation Method once more. As soul power flowed through his meridians, it carried a scorching, heavy aura. Every strand of soul power was exceptionally condensed, and it flowed more smoothly as well.

Although his cultivation speed was slow, under these circumstances, every bit of soul power he gained was of high quality.

"Slow is fine. As long as I can cultivate."

Xu Tianming did not mind. Cultivation was a process of accumulation to begin with. The firmer his foundation, the farther he would go in the future.

Spending more time tempering his soul power now would also give him a more stable foundation. To put it plainly, this was probably what people called an Emperor-level foundation.

Of course, Xu Tianming had never seen what a true Emperor-level foundation looked like.

Besides, the truly difficult period for an ultimate martial soul was from rank thirty to rank seventy. That was when cultivation became truly slow. His current situation was nothing.

Xu Tianming closed his eyes again and continued circulating the Sun Moon Meditation Method. Golden specks of light gathered in the room once more.

The Sun Martial Soul floated behind him, its golden flames burning quietly and illuminating the entire room.

The soul power within his body still increased slowly, but after every circulation, it became even more condensed.

Xu Tianming calmed his mind and let time pass slowly.

Three days passed in a flash. That night, the War Prince's Residence was far quieter than usual, both inside and out.

Taking advantage of the maid's inattention, Xu Tianming climbed onto the roof along the wall of the rear courtyard. He sat on a high upturned eave and gazed toward the imperial palace in the distance.

The night wind swept over Mingdu, carrying a faint scent of blood.

The imperial palace was brightly lit.

Xu Tianming had barely settled down when the air beside him rippled slightly, and a figure appeared without a sound.

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

He wore a fitted black combat suit, its fabric covered in dark golden patterns that outlined his tall, lean frame.

His shoulder and chest armor were forged from gold, their edges lined with sharp spikes. A crimson gem was set into the center of his chest.

A fiery red cloak draped down from behind his shoulders.

Karna had long, tousled silver-white hair, with several strands hanging over his forehead. His skin was pale and cold, his features sharply defined, and his clear turquoise eyes were calm, showing almost no emotional fluctuation.

The golden earrings on both ears glimmered faintly in the night. They were divine gifts bestowed upon him by the Sun God, and also part of the Golden Armor.

Karna stood in the night wind without making any unnecessary movements. He was calm to the point of indifference, yet simply standing there gave off the oppressive presence of a blazing sun hanging overhead.

"Master."

"Hmm?"

"None of the retainers in the residence are here tonight."

Xu Tianming turned to look at him.

"None of them?"

"They left the residence."

Karna raised his head toward the imperial palace.

"Many powerful auras have gathered in Mingdu. Most of them carry an evil, bloody feeling."

Xu Tianming narrowed his eyes.

"They're making their move."

He had climbed onto the roof tonight precisely to observe the situation at the imperial palace. Since all the retainers of the residence had left, and neither Xu Mo nor Xu Tianran was present, the answer was already clear.

The upheaval in the imperial palace had begun.

Xu Tianming took a soul tool from his storage soul tool. It was only palm-sized and resembled a telescope, with silver metal tubes and several tiny crystals embedded along its edges.

He poured soul power into it, and the lenses lit up. The distant imperial palace rapidly drew closer, and the previously blurred palace walls became clear.

Xu Tianming looked above the Imperial City.

Many figures had already fallen between the palace walls and rooftops. Armored soldiers searched everywhere, the soul tools in their hands emitting a cold gleam. Occasionally, ripples of soul power came from deep within the palace.

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

They were all soldiers of the War Prince's Residence.

"He moved quickly enough."

He lowered the telescope and looked in the four directions of Mingdu. To the south should have been the Flame Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion.

To the west was the Evil Lord Soul Engineer Legion.

The Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion and the Terrorclaw Soul Engineer Legion were stationed in the east and north respectively.

These four great soul engineer legions were responsible for guarding Mingdu's outskirts and preventing foreign invasion. Logically, with such a fierce battle erupting in the imperial palace, they should have acted long ago.

Yet at this moment, all four directions were abnormally quiet. No soul tools had been activated, no soul engineers had assembled, and there was no sign of anyone going to support the imperial palace.

Xu Tianming looked once more toward the noble district outside the Imperial City. There was no movement there either.

The Imperial City was ablaze with lights. The sounds of slaughter carried across the long streets, and waves of soul power rose one after another. The roofs of several palaces had even been torn open by powerful forces.

Yet the surrounding noble residences remained tightly shut. No one led troops toward the Imperial City, and no one stepped forward to support the emperor.

"My uncle really wasn't loved by the people."

Xu Tianming shook his head. His uncle's personality was far too gentle. He lacked great ambition and placed too much importance on family bonds.

He had not been sufficiently wary of Xu Mo, nor had he placed enough restrictions on the other princes.

Even though he knew that Crown Prince Xu He had not awakened the imperial family's three inherited martial souls, he still intended to place his only son on the throne.

In dealing with outsiders, he had also appeared far too weak.

The Sun Moon Empire had endured in silence for many years and had long accumulated sufficient strength. Both the military and the imperial family were waiting for a tougher leader, one who could lead the empire in reclaiming what it had once lost.

Yet the emperor still clung to that treaty of defeat, preserving the so-called peace. For ordinary people, this peace might have been a good thing.

But to the powerful nobles who commanded armies and soul tools, it represented stagnation and humiliation. What they needed was an emperor with ambition, means, and the courage to act.

Not an indecisive emperor who valued family bonds and longed for peace. Therefore, his uncle's fate today had actually been decided long ago.

If he had not been emperor, and had merely been a prince living a quiet life, perhaps no one would have said anything.

But he had happened to sit in that position. Not just anyone could be emperor. Some people sat on that throne and enjoyed power; others sat on it and paid with their lives.

Xu Tianming raised the telescope again.

Above the Imperial City, a soul engineer in black armor raised his hand and unleashed a soul tool, blasting open a side door of the palace. Several imperial guards fell on the steps, while the rest quickly retreated into the hall.

Xu Tianming did not continue watching. The outcome no longer held any suspense. The four great soul engineer legions remained silent, the nobles watched without acting, and the soldiers of the War Prince's Residence had already entered the Imperial City.

Xu Mo had clearly made thorough preparations long ago.

"Let's go. There's no point in watching any longer."

Xu Tianming brushed himself off and stood.

Mingdu remained brightly lit, but there were far fewer pedestrians on the streets. The occasional roar of soul tools came from afar, making the roof tiles tremble lightly.