Cut the Weeds, Tear Out the Roots

"Your Majesty! The rebels have fought their way into the palace. You must make plans at once!"

At the warning from the attendant beside him, Xu Chengye finally came to his senses. His face remained deathly pale, but he had been emperor for years. He forced himself to calm down.

"Xu Chengjing would never show me mercy... I can die, but He'er must not! As long as he lives, he'll have a chance to avenge us. With his talent for Twin Martial Souls, he's bound to become a Titled Douluo one day... I must preserve this one last spark!"

Xu Chengye muttered to himself as he hurried toward the empress's chambers.

Though he had recently named Xu He crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire, the boy was still young, and the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace had not yet been renovated. Xu Chengye had therefore left him in the empress's care.

When Xu Chengye reached the empress's chambers ahead of the rebels, Xu He was huddled in his mother's arms, trembling. Fear showed on his face.

Xu Chengye's heart ached at the sight. He rushed forward and gathered Xu He and the empress into his arms.

He had a thousand things he wanted to say, but there was no time. He could only urge his son, "He'er, I'll send the last of my guards to escort you out of the palace. Once you're out, don't hesitate or look back. Leave the Sun Moon Empire at once and go to one of the Three Great Empires on Douluo Continent... Anywhere will do, so long as no one from the Sun Moon Empire finds you!"

"If you can enter Shrek Academy, all the better. Remember... Until you're strong enough to take revenge, you must never reveal your Sun Martial Soul! From this day on, you have only one Martial Soul: the Cigar Martial Soul!"

Xu Chengye drew a deep breath, a bitter smile crossing his face. "Shadow, I'm entrusting He'er to you. Whatever happens, take him away from the Sun Moon Empire. Get him out!"

After a brief silence, a figure wrapped entirely in black robes appeared beside Xu Chengye. A trace of hesitation showed in the only part of him left uncovered: his eyes.

"Your Majesty, won't you come with us?"

"He'er's chances of surviving will be better if I die here... You've been with me for decades. This is the only thing I ask of you: make sure He'er lives!"

Xu Tiance stood quietly outside the Offering Hall in the imperial palace, inwardly marveling.

Seriously... His father had been far too cautious. Xu Tiance had always known Xu Chengjing was making moves in secret and had gained considerable support.

But... He had the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Corps, the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Corps, and the Terror Claw Soul Engineer Legion behind him. What the hell was he afraid of?

After all, the Sun Moon Empire in the original story had launched its war with only five Soul Engineer Corps! At this point, the empire had just four, and one of those had yet to be fully established.

In other words, a full three-quarters of the Sun Moon Empire's strongest forces stood with Xu Chengjing.

With all that, what excuse could his father possibly have for holding back?

But it only deepened the question troubling Xu Tiance: with Mingde Hall, three Soul Engineer Corps, and the forces Xu Chengjing had built up himself closing in, how could Xu He possibly fight his way out?

Surely someone involved in the coup hadn't gone soft and deliberately let Xu He escape?

This was a fucking rebellion!

What kind of lunatic would let the emperor's only son get away—especially a son born with Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power?

Just then, Du Busi, who had been standing quietly beside Xu Tiance, stirred. Interest flickered across his face. "Well, I'll be damned. You were right, Tiance. A fish really did slip through the net."

With that, Soul Power surged around Du Busi. A fierce gust swept up Xu Tiance, and Du Busi gave chase.

To keep Xu He from escaping the coup, Xu Tiance had deliberately brought Du Busi here to stand watch. With the immense spiritual power of a Level 98 Super Douluo, Du Busi would sense Xu He the moment he tried to flee.

Xu Tiance knew perfectly well that to kill the weeds, he had to tear out the roots.

Xu He was only six. He knew little of the Sun Moon Empire's core Soul Tool technology, and even if he escaped, he would struggle to cause much trouble. Still, there was no reason to leave such a threat alive.

Du Busi might have had a hard time against Long Xiaoyao, Ye Xishui, or a badly wounded Mu En, but against any Soul Master below a Level 99 Limit Douluo, he was a grown man swatting a chick. In a heartbeat, he brought Xu Tiance down in front of a black-robed man.

Behind the man stood Xu He, fighting back tears.

The moment Xu He saw Xu Tiance, hatred flashed across his face. He might have been only six, but he knew exactly what had happened tonight.

Xu Tiance's father, Xu Chengjing, had brought it all about!

Xu He still had the presence of mind to glare at Xu Tiance with hatred. The black-robed man standing between them, however, went pale.

For years, he had served as Xu Chengye's shadow guard, responsible for the emperor's safety. He was a Titled Douluo—a Level 93 Titled Douluo, no less.

Even so, he felt an immense pressure radiating from Du Busi.

The black-robed man soon recognized him. His pupils widened as he stared at Du Busi. "You're... Du Busi, the leader of the Body Sect! Is the Body Sect involved in this too?"

Du Busi cast him a cold glance. He could not even be bothered to answer.

The man would be dead in a moment. Why waste his breath?

In an instant, a dark green glow erupted around Du Busi. His already imposing body swelled, and he brought a palm down on the nameless Titled Douluo.

Under the terrifying pressure of a Level 98 Super Douluo, the Level 93 Titled Douluo had no chance to resist. His body locked up, and Du Busi slammed him into the ground.

With a single blow, the shadow guard Xu Chengye had pinned all his hopes on died on the spot.

Xu Tiance figured Du Busi had held back. Otherwise, that palm strike would have smashed the man into minced meat.

Seeing their only hope die so easily, Xu He turned deathly pale. He could not stop trembling.