The Eunuch He Hated Most Was Xu Tianran!

At the entrance to the main hall, Xu Tianran raised a hand. Orange stopped and stepped aside while his personal guards took over, pushing him into the hall.

The moment he entered, Xu Tianran's gaze paused slightly.

The princes had actually all gathered here. This completely contradicted his expectation of being granted authority alone, leaving him inwardly startled.

Yet he was deeply calculating, and his expression remained unchanged as he calmly cupped his hands. "Your son greets Father Emperor."

"Is everyone here?"

The voice from above was aged, yet full of vigor.

Xu Tianran's heart jolted violently. That wasn't Father Emperor!

A man stepped out from the depths of the hall. Upon seeing who it was, the other princes looked confused, while Xu Tianran's heart instantly sank halfway.

Kong Deming.

This head of the Hall of Consecration rarely interfered in court affairs, yet every Rank Nine Soul Engineer currently in the empire was either his disciple or had received his guidance. Coupled with his deep ties to the imperial family, he was practically unquestionable within the Sun Moon Empire.

Though he did not covet power and cared only for the empire's future and the development of soul tools, no one in Ming Capital dared question his standing.

Xu Tianran's thoughts raced. Elder Kong had broken precedent to interfere in the imperial family's internal affairs today; the assassination by evil soul masters must have come to light. Given that boy's imperial bloodline, Elder Kong clearly suspected the princes.

But beneath his shock, a hidden flicker of delight passed through Xu Tianran's eyes.

Since Elder Kong had personally come to demand answers, that meant the evil soul masters had already acted.

He did not believe evil soul masters could possibly fail. As long as that greatest threat was dead, he could accept any price.

As for the Third Prince and the remaining worthless trash, dealing with them was only a matter of time.

Just as Xu Tianran expected, Kong Deming swept his gaze across the crowd and slowly spoke. "You should all have heard that this old man recently accepted a disciple."

Several princes in the hall nodded slightly. Kong Deming had spread word of it a few days ago, so naturally they knew. Although that child carried the bloodline of the previous dynasty's imperial family, aside from the Crown Prince and Third Prince, none of the others had taken him seriously.

Elder Kong had not intervened during the palace coup all those years ago. Why would he now make such a fuss over an orphan of the previous dynasty? If the sky fell, it would be Father Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince who had to worry about it. It had nothing to do with them.

"Yesterday, an ambush took place in the Jingyang Mountain Range." Kong Deming's voice was icy as it echoed through the hall. "Three Soul Douluo and one Titled Douluo. All of them were evil soul masters from the Holy Spirit Cult."

The hall immediately erupted in commotion. The Third Prince and the others looked at one another, clearly knowing nothing about it.

Just as expected!

Xu Tianran rejoiced inwardly, but his face instantly darkened. He slammed both hands down on his wheelchair's armrests and roared, "Those evil soul masters are utterly outrageous! Father Emperor showed them mercy and allowed them to remain in the empire, yet they dare push their luck and attempt to murder imperial blood!"

After speaking, Xu Tianran solemnly cupped his hands from his wheelchair and said loudly to Elder Kong, "Please calm your anger, Elder Kong. Your son will submit a memorial to Father Emperor later and request permission to lead troops in thoroughly investigating this matter. I will certainly uproot these lawless fiends!"

His act was flawless. No one could find fault in his righteous indignation. As long as he could naturally seize control of the investigation, with the dead unable to testify, he could remove himself from the matter completely.

However, Kong Deming's profound gaze settled on Xu Tianran's face for a full three seconds.

Those three deathly silent seconds inexplicably filled Xu Tianran with unease.

"There is no need to trouble the Crown Prince with a thorough investigation." Kong Deming withdrew his gaze, his tone utterly calm. "That child told this old man that he intends to settle this debt personally."

Personally?

Xu Tianran's expression froze as a chill shot up his spine and into the back of his head.

Personally avenge himself? That remnant of the previous dynasty wasn't dead?! Three Soul Douluo and one Titled Douluo had actually failed?!

Just then, the screen at the rear of the hall was pulled aside, and a tall figure slowly emerged.

Short hair as white as fresh snow framed a pair of clear yet deep ruby-red eyes. The youth walked with composure, a faint, ambiguous smile hanging on his lips.

Xu Tianran's hands clenched tightly within his sleeves, his nails nearly digging into his flesh. His back teeth almost shattered from the force of his bite. Yet he forcibly suppressed the horror in his eyes, and his expression returned to normal in an instant. He even managed to force out a gentle smile.

"So you are Elder Kong's newly accepted prodigy? I have long admired your name. To escape unharmed from evil soul masters at such a young age, you truly are an exceptional youth!"

Ye Chenxing did not respond. He stopped and simply stared at Xu Tianran with a half-smile. Those beautiful red eyes, in the eyes of others, made Xu Tianran feel as if a sharp blade were slowly peeling away his hypocritical mask.

Only after a long while did Ye Chenxing put away that amused look and politely cupped his hands. "Your Highness flatters me. I was merely fortunate."

The smile on Xu Tianran's face did not change, but cold sweat had already soaked his back. A Titled Douluo had been reduced to such a miserable state beneath the gaze of a mere Great Spirit Master. That instant of humiliation drove his hatred for Ye Chenxing to its peak.

Kong Deming looked around the hall and said coldly, "This old man does not care how you fight among yourselves in private, but no one may touch the interests of the Sun Moon Empire. My disciple has his roots in the empire, and he is also a cornerstone of its future. If anyone reaches too far for that throne, or even seeks to join outsiders in severing the empire's future..."

Kong Deming's voice suddenly turned harsh. The terrifying pressure of a Rank Ten Soul Engineer instantly swept across the hall, leaving several princes struggling to breathe.

"This old man would not mind personally cutting off every finger of the claw he extends!"

Crash—clang!

Inside the Crown Prince's hall, shattered porcelain littered the floor once more. Ever since Ye Chenxing had appeared, Xu Tianran's treasured antiques had become the first victims of his rage.

"Trash! Trash! Every last one of you is trash!"

Xu Tianran's eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed the last jade cup at hand and smashed it viciously onto the floor, growling through gritted teeth, "Father Emperor actually said he still needed to rely on those evil soul masters to deal with Shrek! Three Soul Douluo and one Titled Douluo, yet they couldn't even handle a mere Two-Ring Great Spirit Master! With that pathetic ability, if they actually faced Shrek, they'd probably get beaten so badly they'd be crawling around looking for their teeth!"

The maids and guards had long since been driven out by him. In the vast Eastern Palace, Orange was the only one standing quietly behind his wheelchair, watching him vent his madness.

Only after Xu Tianran had nothing left to smash did Orange step forward and gently soothe him. "Please calm your anger, Your Highness. There is no need to harm your health over an orphan of the previous dynasty. No matter how monstrous Ye Chenxing's talent may be, he is ultimately only a Two-Ring Great Spirit Master for now. You have already entered the realm of a Titled Douluo, and your martial soul is the powerful Purple Radiant Annihilation Dragon. By the time he truly grows up, you will already have inherited the throne and rule the world."

Orange paused, her tone gentle but analytical. "Besides, he is now under Elder Kong's tutelage. Elder Kong has dedicated his life only to the empire's future. Under his guidance, Ye Chenxing may gradually become a sharp blade in Your Highness's hands, one that can expand your territory."

Listening to Orange's analysis, the violent rise and fall of Xu Tianran's chest finally eased somewhat.

Rationally, he knew Orange was right. A genius who had not yet matured truly posed no threat.

But he simply could not swallow this anger!

Ever since he had been assassinated years ago and lost the most fundamental ability and dignity of a man, his mind had become increasingly twisted and paranoid under the daily weight of dark resentment. He could not tolerate any variable beyond his absolute control, much less allow a potential imperial rival—one perfect in every way, monstrously talented, and even favored by Elder Kong—to remain alive in this world.

That was a thorn lodged in the most sensitive part of his heart!

And there was another point. Whether it was Father Emperor's rise to power or his own authority, neither could be separated from the help of the evil soul masters—the Holy Spirit Cult. To him, these people were disgusting, but they were still a useful blade.

The conflict between the Sun Moon Empire and the Three Douluo Kingdoms was fundamental. They could coexist peacefully now only because the Three Douluo Kingdoms and Shrek Academy possessed enough top-level combat power to prevent the Sun Moon Empire from acting rashly. Yet the Three Douluo Kingdoms were catching up in soul tool technology. In a hundred years, or a thousand years, they would eventually make the Sun Moon Empire pay for the war caused by the continental collision a thousand years ago.

Therefore, he needed the strength of the evil soul masters. Yet now, the imperial family had produced a bloodline from the previous dynasty with twin ultimate attributes, someone who completely restrained his evil soul master allies. It was practically dancing on a minefield.

Though no one in the empire was willing to accept the Holy Spirit Cult now, he was confident that once he took power, he could launch a war and use the entire empire as his hostage. At that point, forget those ministers—even Elder Kong would have no choice but to accept it. Compared with the threat of evil soul masters, the destruction of the nation through defeat in war was something they found even more unacceptable.

Then, once the war was won, he would purge the evil soul masters and establish an unparalleled achievement for the Sun Moon Empire! He would even earn himself a reputation for cleansing the empire of evil soul masters.

But all of it had begun to collapse with Ye Chenxing's appearance!

Xu Tianran's chest rose and fell for a while before he slowly leaned back against his wheelchair. He lowered his eyes, concealing the venomous, resentful viciousness within them.

Since he could not kill Elder Kong's disciple openly...

It seemed he could only make long-term plans.

After bidding farewell to Kong Deming, Ye Chenxing took a carriage back to his residence near the Hall of Consecration.

So it really was him.

Ye Chenxing had already reached a conclusion about this attack. Based on the information Elder Kong had revealed, the old emperor was already at the end of his life.

Only when someone was nearing death would they fear that those they had killed might come for them. Since falling gravely ill, the old emperor had lived each day in fear that he had failed his father and killed his elder brother. He had no mind to secretly target an orphan of the previous dynasty like Ye Chenxing.

And in the hall today, when Xu Tianran heard that the orphan of the previous dynasty had survived, the instant tension in his muscles and the contraction of his pupils had been impossible to hide beneath Ye Chenxing's Soul Saint-level spiritual detection.

One hundred percent, Xu Tianran had ordered the ambush.

Since he had dared to make a move, he could not blame Ye Chenxing for returning the favor. Besides, as a seasoned webnovel reader, what Ye Chenxing had hated most in his first life was eunuchs like Xu Tianran.

Still, he was not in a hurry to take revenge on Xu Tianran. It would be too easy.

Xu Tianran's greatest weakness was already in his hands. He only needed to wait until Xu Tianran had eliminated every rival and happily prepared to ascend the throne, then reveal this "incomplete" secret to the public. A eunuch wanted to become emperor? Even if Ye Chenxing agreed, the entire court and the people of the realm never would.

After this incident, coupled with Elder Kong's public warning, Xu Tianran would definitely not dare make another move against him anytime soon.

As Ye Chenxing calculated, he casually brushed over the storage ring Kong Deming had just given him. The moment his spiritual power entered it, the corner of his mouth began twitching uncontrollably.

Inside the ring, defensive soul tools from Levels One through Seven were piled up like mountains. Invincible Shields, Walls of Fortitude, Mental Defense Matrices, Elemental Isolation Generators... stack after stack had been forcibly crammed into the entire storage space.

Ye Chenxing shook his head helplessly. His teacher had originally hoped he would gain more experience, but after yesterday's ambush, the old man had clearly been frightened into overreaction and had practically started wholesaling defensive soul tools to him.

Upon returning to the villa, Ye Chenxing immediately summoned A Yin and instructed her to guard the gate and refuse all visitors. Then, he quickly entered the underground secret chamber with Qian Renxue.

Pushing open the heavy metal door, he found that a complex summoning array had already been inscribed on the floor at the center of the chamber using special materials.

Ye Chenxing stood before the array and took a deep breath. A thin layer of sweat had even formed in his palms. He was usually composed and calm, but at this moment, he could not conceal the tension and anticipation in his heart.

There was no other reason. He had finally reached Level Twenty and could begin his second Heroic Spirit Summoning. This was his greatest cheat for establishing himself in this world.

Qian Renxue, a top-tier fighter, was certainly powerful, but under the supply of his current soul power, she was like a top-class luxury car with an almost empty fuel tank. She simply could not run at full speed.

What he lacked most now was not a fighter, but support—one who could achieve the strongest results without consuming soul power.

So, the catalyst for this summoning...

Ye Chenxing crouched down and slowly pressed his palm against the ground at the edge of the summoning array. His gaze seemed to pierce through the earth, looking upon the entirety of Ming Capital and the land with the most flourishing soul tool technology on the continent.

The medium this time was the Sun Moon Empire itself!

That was right. The target of Ye Chenxing's summoning was a powerful Soul Engineer.

But in his view, the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology had advanced through constant iteration. The extraordinarily gifted Soul Engineers of history might not have been less talented than later generations, but their vision had been limited by their eras. If one spoke only of existing soul tool knowledge and technical reserves, even if they were dug out of the ground, they might not be able to surpass Kong Deming in today's field of soul tools.

Therefore, he took a different path and chose to use "the entire Sun Moon Empire" as an abstract medium.

What he wished to summon was not a particular historical figure, but the originator of the profession known as "Soul Engineer"—or rather, the collective concept of "soul tools" itself!

Ye Chenxing had consulted many ancient books of the Sun Moon Empire the day before. The origin of soul tool technology had long become impossible to trace, and the fact that this person had left behind no specific legend suited his intentions perfectly.

During the magecraft lessons of the Einzbern Family in his first life, he had studied similar theories. For example, when summoning "Jack the Ripper," because the killer's true historical identity was unknown, what ultimately answered the summon would be the aggregate of that legend.

And according to Ye Chenxing's current vision, this progenitor of soul tools, empowered by legend, would very likely become someone who knew everything about Soul Engineers.

Moreover, when his martial soul, the Hall of Heroes, carried out a summoning, it would naturally respond to his subconscious to a certain extent.

Just like his first soul ring: because he had intensely rejected Tang San in his heart, the one who answered his summoning had been Qian Renxue, the Angel God from a parallel world, rather than the lovesick fool from the original timeline who had been manipulated by the Sea God.

With such a precedent, the feasibility of this kind of "conceptual summoning" was extremely high.