The Palace Coup

"Greetings, Fourth Grandpa."

"Fourth Brother."

Heaven Dou Imperial City, a secret chamber in the Eastern Palace.

Xue Qinghe and Spirit Hall's Sixth and Seventh Enshrined Elders bowed to welcome the newly arrived Fourth Enshrined Elder, Mighty Lion Douluo.

"No need for ceremony, Young Master." A trace of affection entered Mighty Lion Douluo's eyes as he looked at Xue Qinghe.

"Fourth Grandpa, where's Fifth Grandpa?"

"On our way here, we came across a Fallen Soul Master slaughtering Snake Lance Douluo. Fifth Brother went after him."

"What!"

Xue Qinghe's pupils contracted.

Quick-witted as she was, she immediately realized the Fallen Soul Master Mighty Lion Douluo spoke of was Gao Yang!

Gao Yang could actually slaughter Snake Lance Douluo?

How was that possible?

But she had no choice but to believe Mighty Lion Douluo.

If Snake Lance Douluo was dead, then what about Porcupinefish Douluo...

Xue Qinghe's face darkened. She had already thought highly of Gao Yang, but even so...

The Sixth Enshrined Elder had also sensed something was wrong. He immediately told Mighty Lion Douluo about Porcupinefish Douluo's and Snake Lance Douluo's mission, then concluded that the Fallen Soul Master was Gao Yang.

After hearing everything, Mighty Lion Douluo remained unruffled.

"No matter. With Fifth Brother after him, Gao Yang is as good as dead," Mighty Lion Douluo said calmly. He had every confidence in Light Feather Douluo's strength.

Even if Gao Yang escaped by some stroke of luck, Light Feather Douluo could at least make it back.

"How is this Gao Yang so strong..."

Xue Qinghe paced back and forth, heedless of appearances, muttering to herself.

The other elders fell silent, giving her room to think.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect truly lives up to its place among the Upper Three Sects. To think it could raise such an outstanding disciple!" After a long while, resolve hardened Xue Qinghe's face. She looked at the elders. "Grandpas, the Blood Robe Edict plan has taken shape. We can't wait any longer. We move tomorrow!"

"Young Master, shouldn't we wait for Fifth Brother to return?" Mighty Lion Douluo asked calmly. "If he misses this excitement, he'll grumble about it for decades."

"We can't wait. Tomorrow, I'll invite Ning Fengzhi to the Eastern Palace for a meeting." Xue Qinghe's tone brooked no argument. "Barring any surprises, Bone Douluo should be protecting him. Grandpas, you must strike together when the time comes. Neither of them can leave the Eastern Palace alive!"

The three Enshrined Elders exchanged glances.

For men of their standing, ambushing someone and overwhelming him with numbers would undoubtedly stain their reputations.

But faced with Xue Qinghe, they swallowed their complaints.

Xue Qinghe had spent over a decade planning the Heaven Dou Palace Coup.

In her place, they would not want the slightest hitch either.

"Yes, Young Master!"

Thud!

Gao Yang's vision blurred. In the next instant, Xiao Tian's massive form appeared out of thin air.

A corpse lay beneath his paws.

It was Light Feather Douluo!

"Holy shit..."

Only then did Gao Yang realize that this Evil God tiger, who had been with him since childhood, must have learned some incredible ability.

Otherwise, no matter how strong he was, how could he kill a Super Douluo in an instant?

At Gao Yang's voice, Xiao Tian whipped his head around.

The murderous look in his eyes instantly gave way to affection when he saw Gao Yang.

"Awooo!"

He sprang forward and pinned Gao Yang to the ground, then stuck out his enormous tongue and licked his face furiously.

As he licked, he made rumbling sounds in his throat.

"Oh, fuck! Xiao Tian, you... take it easy, damn it! Don't crush Rongrong!"

"Awooo..."

At that, Xiao Tian glanced at Ning Rongrong, a hint of disdain entering his eyes.

Then his body shrank rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he looked like a kitten an inch tall and half a foot long.

With a light leap, he landed in Gao Yang's arms and shoved Ning Rongrong away with one little paw.

Already unconscious, Ning Rongrong sprawled on the ground, her delicate body arched into a lovely curve...

Gao Yang simply lay down beside Ning Rongrong and cuddled Xiao Tian, rubbing him all over.

Surviving a brush with death felt wonderful...

"All right, stop licking. Your spit stinks when it dries!"

After a while, unable to take Xiao Tian's enthusiasm any longer, Gao Yang lifted the kitten high and gently set him down.

Sensing the disdain in Gao Yang's words, Xiao Tian looked aggrieved and indignant.

The next moment, he began gnawing furiously at Gao Yang's calf.

Of course, he did not bite hard, and Gao Yang paid him no mind.

His gaze fell on Light Feather Douluo's corpse.

"No sense wasting it." He summoned his Second Martial Soul, the Golden Staff. "Soul Skill: Dragon Absorption!"

A red Soul Ring lit up, and a beam shot from the Golden Staff, enveloping Light Feather Douluo's corpse.

That red Soul Ring had come from a hundred-thousand-year Sky Azure Bull Python.

Its effect was formidable: it could drain a target's Soul Power and life force to replenish his own.

Curious about how quickly it worked, he had once tested it on a Snow Demon Bear.

To his surprise, it had taken only the time for one incense stick to burn to drain that Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast dry!

For a support-type Soul Master, that speed made it a god-tier skill!

Though Light Feather Douluo was now a corpse, he had only just died. The pure power he had cultivated had not yet dispersed into the world.

As Dragon Absorption poured energy into him without pause, Gao Yang's Soul Power recovered rapidly.

Within a few breaths, the hole Light Feather Douluo had shot through his chest had healed completely.

Such was the overwhelming power of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!

Then another beam shot from his Staff, enveloping Ning Rongrong's graceful body.

It was the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring's other Soul Skill: How Could We Have No Clothes?

It swapped his condition with that of a chosen target!

Even with Ning Rongrong down to her last breath, the swap would have her bursting with life again in an instant!

Sure enough, when Ning Rongrong opened her eyes, her body felt light. Not a trace of her grievous injuries remained.

The instant she saw Xiao Tian, she knew they had been saved.

"Gao Yang, big brother!"

Her voice thick with tears, the girl pulled Gao Yang's head against her, wrapping him in warmth.

After escaping death, anything she might say felt pale and feeble.

"Awooo~"

Xiao Tian rolled his eyes at Ning Rongrong, then padded over to Light Feather Douluo's corpse.

With movements both graceful and cruel, he devoured the corpse bit by bit...

By the time he had finished eating and was licking the blood from his paws, Gao Yang had led Ning Rongrong over.

"A mighty Super Douluo, and only one Soul Bone?"

Frowning, Gao Yang picked up his spoils from the pool of blood.

Besides the Soul Bone, there was a ring-shaped Soul Tool.

"Gao Yang, big brother, let's go! Didn't he have a companion?"

Having had a moment of closeness, the girl had regained some sense.

Seeing Gao Yang take his time checking what was inside the Soul Tool, she urged him anxiously.

"So many Gold Soul Coins! Rongrong, we're rich! Once we get into the city, I'll treat you to some wonton soup!"

"Hmph. Gao Yang, big brother, have you noticed that ever since you became the sect's deputy leader, you've gotten stingier and stingier?" The girl wrinkled her cute little nose.

Gao Yang had never exactly thrown money around, but he used to be generous.

Yet since the upheaval in the sect, he had saved every coin he could.

He could not even bear to throw away the stockings she had torn...

"That's because your father's an iron rooster—he won't part with a single feather! What choice do I have?" Gao Yang complained, pinching her cheek. "Besides, don't you like it when I'm a little stingy?"

"Ah, that's at night!" Ning Rongrong's cheeks reddened. "I mean during the day. Be more generous!"