Xuanwu Gate Incident

Tang San's sudden report stopped the heavenly screen that had been preparing to send them back.

[After review, Xu Feng's martial soul is inherently of the summoning system. Pulling people in belongs to normal summoning behavior and does not constitute a rule violation. Tang San has accepted punishment for malicious reporting.]

Me! Tang San's voice had just rushed out of his throat when it was completely swallowed by a deafening clap of thunder.

Before he even had time to defend himself, a dense thundercloud suddenly condensed directly above the arena. Immediately following that, an arm-thick bolt of lightning struck down without warning, precisely smashing onto the top of Tang San's head.

Current burst across his body, his hair instantly standing on end. His entire face was scorched pitch-black by thunder and fire, leaving only a pair of wide-eyed, round pupils looking exceptionally abrupt against his blackened face, while wisps of blue smoke rose from his mouth.

Xu Feng and Tang Wulin stood in place, watching Tang San's wretched appearance, and exchanged glances.

Then a gentle golden light descended from the sky, enveloping the two of them. Amidst the flowing light, they were sent back to their respective eras.

As for Tang San, even after being teleported back to his own era, he still failed to shake off the entanglement of that thundercloud.

The moment Tang San landed, before he even had a chance to catch his breath, another bolt of lightning struck down, precisely smashing onto his equally charred head.

He fled in wretched panic, cursing as he ran, but every time he opened his mouth, the next bolt of lightning would force him to swallow his words back down.

"Little San!" Tang Hao rushed up holding the Clear Sky Hammer, attempting to scatter this thundercloud, and what greeted him was also a bolt of thunder. Under the thunder, all beings were equal, and Tang Hao was also struck until he was charred outside and tender inside.

As for Yu Xiaogang, who had originally wanted to speak up, he decisively chose to keep his mouth shut while inwardly cursing as well.

Little San is truly too muddle-headed. Right from the start during the introduction, it was already stated that Xu Feng is a summoning-system martial soul. Summoning, summoning, it's definitely pulling people in.

Douluo II Era

"Good! Let's do it just like this!"

Xu Feng had just stepped through the gates of the Prince of Qin's Estate and had yet to catch his breath when Meng Hongchen came up to meet him, recounting every single detail of the entire plan, every step of the deduction, and every possible variable that might arise, just as it was.

After listening, Xu Feng showed not a moment of hesitation, agreeing to the plan on the spot. "Since he, Xu Tianran, cannot tolerate a younger brother, then don't blame Gu for not being able to tolerate an older brother like him!"

Hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted. Just as they were about to rise and take action, Meng Hongchen suddenly reached out and blocked Xu Feng's path.

"Brother Feng, since it's already been decided, there is still one person who needs to be considered."

"Who?"

"His Majesty. Brother Feng, if you harm His Majesty, how will you plug the mouths of all people under heaven?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the room instantly grew somewhat quiet. Everyone present was clever and naturally understood the weight of these words.

On the Douluo Continent, since ancient times the imperial family had no familial affection. An older brother killing a younger brother or a younger brother killing an older brother was long no fresh matter.

Brothers butchering one another caused undercurrents to surge in the imperial court, and in the pens of official historians, it would amount to nothing more than a light mention of brothers building walls against each other.

Yet patricide had never happened. Even that Xue Qinghe from ten thousand years ago was actually Qian Renxue in disguise and had no blood relation to Emperor Xueye whatsoever.

The two words 'parricide', once tainted, meant eternal infamy. Even if one secured the realm, future generations of historical texts would nail you to the pillar of moral shame.

Right at this moment, Liao Mengkai stepped out. "Then I shall play the villain! His Highness shall play the hero! Whatever wrong is done shall rest on my head. Even if I bear eternal infamy today, I shall not frown for a single second!"

"Good!" Xu Feng abruptly turned around, reaching out to pluck that longsword hanging upon the wall for many years.

He grasped the sword with both hands, holding it horizontally across his chest as his gaze swept over every general present. The various generals exchanged glances, and without hesitation, they stepped forward one after another, stacking their calloused palms upon the sword's body.

From this moment on, they were grasshoppers tied to the same rope, sharing life and death, honor and disgrace.

Once all preparations were complete, Xu Feng turned back for one final look at the Prince of Qin's Estate.

He knew that after this night, either he would return with glory, or this estate would become his final attachment.

He took a deep breath, turned away without looking back, and led his subordinate generals along with a mere eight hundred men to charge toward the imperial palace together.

Back within the Prince of Qin's Estate, Meng Hongchen and Jiang Nannan stood quietly by the window, watching that troop vanish into the night.

They did not speak, but they knew it in their hearts. Meng Hongchen slowly drew a dagger from her sleeve, and Jiang Nannan also silently pulled another from her waist.

The two women exchanged glances, their eyes devoid of any fear. If Xu Feng failed, they would follow him to the end, bound in life and death, never surviving alone.

The horses' hooves were muffled by thick cloth strips. The eight hundred men traversed the silent streets, bypassed the patrolling imperial guards, and quickly arrived at the final gate before the royal palace: the Xuanwu Gate.

Xu Feng waved a hand, and the crowd rapidly dispersed, hiding within the surrounding shops, holding their breath and focusing as they observed the movement inside the gate.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from atop Xuanwu Gate, followed closely by a large amount of viscous oil flowing down the cracks of the gate onto the ground.

Right after, the sound of "cuckoo, cuckoo" came from within the gate.

"The cuckoo is calling." Jing Hongchen was just about to step forward to scout out the situation when Xu Feng reached out and stopped him.

He did not speak, instead directly summoning his own martial soul. As his fifth spirit ring lit up, his attire transformed accordingly.

The original armor morphed into a red-and-black combat outfit; this was the partner within his fifth spirit ring, Archer—also known as Red A.

"Projection, start!" Xu Feng gripped with his right hand, and a longbow pitch-black throughout condensed into form within his hand.

Immediately following that, Hrunting was also projected out. He nocked an arrow and drew the bow, the arrow tip pointing straight at Xuanwu Gate, his gaze locked tightly onto the movement inside the gate to prevent any unexpected occurrences.

Then, the heavy Xuanwu Gate slowly opened to both sides, revealing a face within the crack—it was none other than their inside man, Zhang He.

Liao Mengkai strode forward, his gaze sweeping across Zhang He's face and glancing into the gate a few times. After confirming that everything was normal, with no ambushes and no traps, and that everything was proceeding according to plan, he turned back and nodded at Xu Feng.

The entire group immediately entered Xuanwu Gate. When the last person stepped inside, Xu Feng promptly issued an order, leaving seven hundred men to ambush in the shadows on both sides of Xuanwu Gate, waiting for Xu Tianran, who would soon arrive for court.

As for himself, he led the remaining hundred men through the long palace path straight toward the emperor's sleeping quarters.

Inside the sleeping quarters, Xu Yuan had just finished dressing and was preparing to have the attendants serve a meal when he heard a rush of orderly footsteps coming from outside the door.

He raised his head and saw the bedchamber door pushed wide open, Xu Feng's figure appearing at the entrance with blade-wielding soldiers standing behind him.

Xu Yuan's gaze lingered on Xu Feng's face for three seconds. It took him merely three seconds to understand what was about to happen next.

Yet, to everyone's astonishment, Xu Yuan showed no panic, no anger, and certainly did not shout for people to protect the sovereign.

"Er-lang! You only need to kill Da-lang; Your Father has never opposed you becoming the next emperor."

Xu Feng had originally prepared a bellyful of words—things like "Father has been deceived by treacherous villains", "Your subject had no other choice out of necessity", and "Please, Father, abdicate to pacify the realm"—all of which got stuck in his throat at this very instant.

He opened his mouth, unable to utter a single word. He had never imagined that his father would accept this so easily, acting even more composed than he himself was.

Seeing Xu Feng frozen in place, Xu Yuan assumed he hadn't understood clearly, so he took a couple of steps forward and patted Xu Feng on the shoulder.

"Er-lang, look: you're a two-character name, I'm a two-character name, and your mother was also a two-character name. We are the ones who belong together."

Xu Feng stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning, his mind completely blank.

He had never imagined that his own father's train of thought could be so delightfully bizarre.

He had prepared blades and swords, prepared stratagems, and prepared the determination to fight to the death, yet the one thing he hadn't prepared for was how to deal with this kind of scene. For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The reason Xu Yuan was so decisive was, on one hand, because the heavenly screen had long since publicized Er-lang's future achievements.

On the other hand, it was because this Xu Tianran of his would never have children in his life. What was the use of giving him the imperial throne? In any case, it would end up going to Er-lang in the end, so Er-lang could take it however he pleased.

Although his father's attitude was somewhat overly abstract, he had at least obtained support, giving Xu Feng even more confidence for what came next.

Meanwhile, Xu Tianran, dressing and grooming himself as usual, prepared to head to the imperial court to attend the morning assembly.

However, standing before Xuanwu Gate, he waited for a long time without seeing the gates open, yet he did not harbor excessive suspicion.

Finally, Xuanwu Gate slowly opened. Pushing his wheelchair, Xu Tianran had only taken a few steps before he stopped.

Ahead, Liao Mengkai and Xu Tianhe stood shoulder to shoulder, backed by a dense crowd of hundreds of soldiers in bright armor, blocking his path.

"What are you doing?! Are you planning to rebel?! I am the crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire!" He attempted to use his status to awe these people before him.

Liao Mengkai merely sneered. He turned his head and shouted loudly toward another direction, "Your Highness!"

Following this call, a figure stepped slowly out from the shadows. Xu Feng was clad in battle armor, followed by a full hundred elite soldiers, making a domineering entrance.

Seeing this scene, Xu Tianran finally understood that his second younger brother had rebelled.

Xu Feng looked at Xu Tianran like this. "Big Brother! Today, there can only be one crown prince here!"

Hearing this, Xu Tianran laughed out of extreme anger. "Second Younger Brother! Do not think that because I am crippled, you lot can keep me here! No matter what, I am a Title Douro!"

Before his voice faded, Xu Tianran abruptly raised his hand, his surrounding aura surging violently. A purple-gold radiance soared into the sky, and his martial soul, the Purple Desolate Exterminating Heaven Dragon, abruptly manifested.

However, the five individuals—Xu Tianhe, Liao Mengkai, Jing Hongchen, Luan Feng, and Wang Yiheng—were not to be outdone either, successively summoning their martial souls.

In an instant, several powerful spirit power fluctuations collided within Xuanwu Gate, the auras of six Title Douluo intertwining.

The five of them sneered; with five Title Douluo joining forces, if they still let Xu Tianran escape, the five of them could just slit their own throats and return to the heavens!

"Big Brother, do not forget, a Title Douluo—it is not as if I have never killed one!" Xu Feng sneered, raising a hand to snap his fingers.

Three figures materialized out of thin air: Tingyun, Huohuo, and Dan Heng stood behind Xu Feng. The Xianzhou bond was instantly satisfied, and a golden Lightning-Wielding Thunder-Claping Spirit, carrying supreme majesty, abruptly appeared behind Xu Feng.

Xu Tianran knew he no longer had a way out. All his trump cards had been overturned, all paths of retreat had been severed. In this battle, he would either win or die, and once dead, nothing would remain.

"Seventh Spirit Skill: Purple Desolate True Body!" Blinding purple light suddenly erupted around Xu Tianran, and in the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a Purple Desolate Exterminating Heaven Dragon.

His entire body coiled with destructive lightning and flames. He opened his massive jaws and roared out his second spirit skill, "Ninth Spirit Skill: Destruction Storm!"

Fierce winds rose, thunder rumbled, and numerous purple-black energy storms gushed forth from the dragon's maw, interweaving into a net of destruction that swept overwhelmingly toward Xu Feng.

This was Xu Tianran's ultimate trump card wagering everything, his strongest strike exchanged by burning his life and soul. He no longer thought of victory or defeat, no longer thought of life or death, thinking only that even if there was merely a sliver of hope, he would drag the person before him down into the abyss.

Yet, facing this heaven-destroying and earth-shattering offensive, Xu Feng merely lifted his eyelids indifferently. "Though General Jing Yuan is not here, with the Lightning-Wielding Thunder-Claping Spirit present, it does not hinder me from reciting: Majestic spirit and awe, heed my decree!"

As Xu Feng's words fell, the Lightning-Wielding Thunder-Claping Spirit slowly raised the great saber in its hands. Myriad strands of lightning coiled around the blade's edge as the Lightning-Wielding Thunder-Claping Spirit aimed the great saber directly at the Purple Desolate Exterminating Heaven Dragon.

"Execute without pardon!"

The Lightning-Wielding Thunder-Claping Spirit's great saber chopped down fiercely, slicing the destruction storm apart in a single slash. Lightning and flames scattered like paper maché, landing precisely upon the body of the Purple Desolate Exterminating Heaven Dragon.

The massive body of the Purple Desolate Exterminating Heaven Dragon split apart from the middle, turning into countless fine specks of light that drifted in the wind. Those specks flickered with a final purple radiance, resembling Xu Tianran's reluctant sigh, and like his final struggle, yet eventually growing dim and returning to nothingness.

Xu Feng slowly lowered his hand, his gaze looking toward that empty expanse of the sky. Silently for a moment, he gently sighed, "Big Brother, have a safe journey."

Just like that, accompanied by the death of the former crown prince Xu Tianran, this upheaval could be considered at an end, and Xu Feng naturally became the new crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire.

Meng Hongchen became the crown princess, and Jiang Nannan accordingly became the secondary consort.

As for everyone who participated in the entire Xuanwu Gate Incident, they were all promoted by a rank. Liao Mengkai, relying precisely on those words, directly became the very first member on Xu Feng's Conferment of Gods List.

Everyone revealed expressions of envy. After all, the heavenly screen had already made it very clear: as long as one could get onto the Conferment of Gods List, in the future they would be a deity, and this fellow Liao Mengkai was even the first one, undoubtedly destined to be the trusted confidant among confidants in the future.

And with the curtain falling on this Xuanwu Gate Incident, the original heavenly screen lit up once more. Clearly, a new round of competition was about to begin, and people from the three eras focused their attention back over once again, wanting to see what would be compared this time.