Jin Hao Awakens and Begins His Performance

After hearing this news, Xue Ye could no longer sit still in the Imperial Palace.

He immediately shouted toward the outside:

"Someone come! Prepare the procession to the First Prince Manor."

"Summon the palace imperial physicians."

As soon as Xue Ye finished speaking, the guards and servants outside sprang into action.

Then, surrounded by a group of people, he hurried toward the First Prince Manor.

After arriving at the manor, Xue Ye immediately went to the room where Jin Hao was unconscious.

Once inside, Xue Ye saw Jin Hao unconscious and Lin Cheng anxiously standing to the side, so he shouted at Lin Cheng:

"Lin Cheng, how is Qinghe? Is he in danger?"

Hearing this, Lin Cheng replied:

"Your Majesty, the First Imperial Prince was not directly attacked and killed by the criminals. Instead, he was controlled and forced to absorb a Millennium Ice Crystal Swan Soul Ring in an attempt to make the First Imperial Prince explode and die."

"But I don't know what happened. The First Imperial Prince did not explode immediately. He merely fell unconscious. He still has signs of life, but we don't know whether there will be any aftereffects."

Upon hearing this, Xue Ye stumbled and nearly lost his balance.

At that moment, Xue Ye thought, What exactly did the Heaven Dou Empire do to deserve this? All three of my sons were attacked within a single day. My second and third sons were killed outright, while my eldest son was forcibly controlled into absorbing a Millennium Soul Ring and now lives or dies uncertainly.

However, Xue Ye had also guessed why his fourth son had not been assassinated. It was because Xue Beng was with his younger brother, Xue Xing. Today, Xue Xing had been entertaining Titled Douluo Dugu Bo at his manor and had asked Xue Beng to show his face.

Xue Ye believed that if not for this situation, Xue Beng would have been secretly attacked as well.

At that moment, Xue Ye thought that if his eldest son died too, then he would be left with only his most useless fourth son, Xue Beng—a complete wastrel.

Moreover, Xue Beng had been close to his uncle Xue Xing since childhood, and was not nearly as close to him.

Xue Ye also knew the reason for this. It was something he himself had tacitly allowed. His younger brother had made a mistake in his youth and become unable to have children.

As the elder brother, Xue Ye did not want to see his younger brother left without descendants. Besides, he already had four sons of his own. No matter what, Xue Beng, a common-born son not born to the Empress, would never have been in line to inherit the throne—not with his three older brothers ahead of him.

Thus, Xue Ye had once conceived the idea of letting Xue Beng inherit Xue Xing's title in the future, so that his younger brother's line would not come to an end.

Xue Xing understood his intentions, so he doted on his nephew Xue Beng, resulting in the current situation.

Xue Ye did not even dare imagine what the empire would become in the future if Xue Qinghe truly died and the empire were handed over to a spoiled wastrel.

At this thought, Xue Ye felt a throbbing headache.

Just then, the imperial physician Xue Ye had brought with him finished examining Jin Hao.

Seeing this, Lin Cheng immediately asked:

"How is the First Imperial Prince? Is his life in danger?"

Hearing Lin Cheng's question, Xue Ye also looked at the imperial physician expectantly.

Seeing the two gazes fixed on him, the imperial physician spoke:

"Your Majesty, General, there is no need for either of you to worry. The First Imperial Prince is not in any danger. However, because he forcibly absorbed a Millennium Soul Ring under control, his Soul Power is currently in chaos. The First Imperial Prince fell unconscious because his Soul Power was rampaging through his body."

"I have already suppressed all of his Soul Power and guided it back to where it belongs. The First Imperial Prince is no longer in danger."

Hearing this, Lin Cheng and Xue Ye both sighed in relief.

Then Xue Ye asked:

"When will Qinghe wake up? And will Qinghe's Martial Soul be affected in any way?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of excitement appeared on the imperial physician's previously calm face. He said to Xue Ye and Lin Cheng:

"Your Majesty, General, the First Imperial Prince should wake up soon."

"As for the First Imperial Prince's Martial Soul, Your Majesty, he may have gained a blessing in disguise this time. Earlier, I discovered that the First Imperial Prince's Soul Power had become ice-attributed Soul Power rather than its original gentle nature. It has now become offensive in nature. Furthermore, the First Imperial Prince's Soul Power has risen from the level twenty-one it should have been to its current level twenty-six."

As these words fell, the tightly furrowed brows of Xue Ye and Lin Cheng relaxed, and smiles appeared at the corners of their mouths.

This news was undoubtedly excellent.

Xue Ye was naturally delighted. Not only was his eldest son safe, but he had also gained a blessing in disguise, with his Soul Power reaching level twenty-six. Perhaps possessing such Soul Power at fourteen years old was nothing remarkable among other geniuses, but within the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, it was already extremely impressive.

In particular, when he heard that his son's Soul Power had changed into ice-attributed Soul Power, Xue Ye became even happier. Although the Martial Soul inherited by the Imperial Family was the powerless Swan, a symbol of nobility, and the Heaven Dou Empire relied on cooperation with other sects to stabilize its rule, who would not want a successor to appear in the empire who could break through this limitation?

An Imperial Family member with actual strength was extremely important to the Imperial Family.

Lin Cheng's reason for being happy was even simpler. As long as Xue Qinghe was safe, and with the Second Prince and Third Prince dead while the Fourth Prince was a wastrel, there would be no surprises in the succession to the throne. His nephew would become the future emperor of the empire.

Although Xue Ye was still somewhat saddened by the deaths of his two sons, after learning this news, he seemed to feel much less grief.

At this moment, Jin Hao understood that it was time for him to perform. He could open his eyes and begin acting.

Thus, in the next second, Xue Ye and the others heard a light cough, followed by a voice:

"Did I survive?"

Jin Hao acted as though he had only just awoken from his injuries, weak and feeble.

Hearing this, Xue Ye immediately went to Jin Hao's side and asked:

"Qinghe, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

"Imperial Father, I don't feel uncomfortable anymore. I just feel some pain in my meridians."

After saying this, Xue Ye looked at the imperial physician.

Seeing this, the imperial physician stepped forward and said:

"This is an aftereffect of the Soul Power rampaging through his body. A few days of rest will be enough, and it will not leave any lasting problems."

Xue Ye was relieved by this, then asked:

"Qinghe, what exactly happened to you?"

Hearing this, Jin Hao understood that it was time for him to perform.

"Imperial Father, at the time, I went with two guards to the Soul Beast Forest to search for my Second Soul Ring. But after searching for several days, we couldn't find a suitable one. I had already planned to give up, return, make some preparations, and then go to the Star Dou Great Forest."

"But just then, someone suddenly rushed out and killed the two guards."

"Fortunately, the guards desperately sent out a distress signal before they died. After seeing the distress signal, that criminal immediately controlled me and forced me to absorb the Millennium Ice Crystal Swan Soul Ring."

"He probably thought that I would certainly die beneath the impact of the Millennium Soul Ring. Then, after seeing the distress signal, he simply left."