Aftermath!

"Spirit Hall has gone too far!"

Standing outside the ruins of the palace Treasury, Xue Ye struggled to breathe as he looked at the Heaven Dou Empire's century of accumulated wealth, destroyed in a single night.

His eyes were bloodshot as he roared.

Everyone around him fell silent. They could not yet be certain Spirit Hall was responsible.

But the Angel Martial Soul could not be faked. Spirit Hall was going to take the blame.

"Where's Xue Xing? Where's Xue Qinghe?"

"Send people to clear the rubble! Dig out whatever's inside. Salvage anything you can!"

Clutching his chest, Xue Ye took several gasping breaths before he recovered enough to shout.

Gold, jewels, weapons, armor—none of that mattered. They could be replaced. But losing the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud and the Soul Bones would wound even the Heaven Dou Empire to its foundations.

Those were not things that could be gathered again anytime soon!

"Brother! Father!"

Xue Xing and Xue Qinghe hurried over. Hearing Xue Ye's orders, they immediately sent people to excavate the ruins and retrieve the treasures buried beneath them.

Xue Qinghe looked calm on the outside, but beneath that calm, Qian Renxue's emotions churned. Her clash with Lin Hao had drained her Soul Power, but fortunately, she had kept her wits.

She had anticipated Xue Ye's reaction and forced herself to come. Thankfully, no one noticed anything amiss.

Xue Ye's face twisted with pain as he watched one shattered treasure after another emerge.

"Your Majesty, what matters most now is finding out who the other group was, and why they appeared in the palace alongside Spirit Hall's people."

Ning Fengzhi had watched silently from the side. When he saw Xue Ye calm down a little, he spoke.

"Dugu Bo was at the scene. He must know something. Xue Xing, you have ties with the Jade Phosphorous Douluo. I'll leave this investigation to you."

Once his rage subsided, reason took hold again, and Xue Ye promptly made his arrangements.

"Qinghe, draft a letter condemning Spirit Hall. Why were a Spirit Hall Titled Douluo and the heir to the Angel Martial Soul in my Heaven Dou Imperial Palace? What are they plotting?"

"Are they trying to plunge the world into chaos?"

Xue Qinghe and Xue Xing accepted their orders and withdrew. Xue Ye, unable to bear the sight of the ruins any longer, took Ning Fengzhi back to his chambers to discuss the night's events.

In truth... the appearance of four Titled Douluo had made Xue Ye realize how badly the Heaven Dou Empire lacked strength. He felt safer with Ning Fengzhi and the Sword Douluo beside him.

Back at the Crown Prince's Residence, Qian Renxue dropped her disguise and resumed her true form. She sank weakly into a chair.

"Young Mistress!"

Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo appeared, looking at Qian Renxue with concern.

"I'm fine. Just exhausted." Qian Renxue waved a hand and opened her eyes. Scenes from her fight with Lin Hao flashed through her mind, and she clenched her fist in frustration.

They both possessed God-Level Martial Souls. Why had she, with five Soul Rings, been so thoroughly suppressed by someone with only four?

Thinking of Lin Hao's two purple and two black Soul Rings, then of her own ordinary-looking two yellow, two purple, and one black, Qian Renxue felt defeated for the first time.

"Young Mistress, someone from Sea God Island has appeared on the continent. We must inform the Papal Hall and the Worship Hall," Snake Lance Douluo said with a cupped-fist salute.

"Pufferfish, handle that. Have Spirit Hall investigate who that person was and when he arrived on the continent."

"As you command!"

After a moment's thought, Qian Renxue took out the Soul Bone she had seized from the Heaven Dou Treasury. It was the right arm bone of a ten-thousand-year-old Blackwater Turtle, and it would most likely grant a defensive Soul Skill.

"Pufferfish, take this Soul Bone and absorb it." Before either man could react, Qian Renxue continued, "I'll write a letter. Both of you elders have guarded me for years and rendered great service."

"I'll have Grandfather obtain another Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone for Elder Pufferfish."

"Thank you, Young Mistress!"

Hearing that both of them would receive one, Pufferfish and Snake Lance dropped to their knees in excitement.

"You may go. I need to recover."

After they left, Qian Renxue's thoughts returned to Lin Hao. At last, a smile curved her lips.

"Hmph! Grandfather once contended with the Sea God Douluo. I can fight the Sea God Successor too—and come out on top."

"Winning first doesn't mean winning in the end. Next time we meet, I won't lose to you again."

Recalling the eight forms of the Angel Sword Art that had appeared in her mind, Qian Renxue brimmed with confidence.

Qian Renxue began restoring her Soul Power and studying the Angel Sword Art.

As for the letter condemning Spirit Hall that Xue Ye had ordered, that could wait until tomorrow.

It was hardly important.

"What a haul! I never expected to get a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone out of this."

After sending away Xue Xing, who had come to ask about the incident, Dugu Bo returned to his room and took out the Purple Lightning Leopard right leg bone he had snatched. His face lit up with delight.

He himself had only the Medusa Skull. How could he not be thrilled to gain another Soul Bone?

Was it right for him, as Xue Xing's honored guest, to take a Soul Bone belonging to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family?

Dugu Bo was no saint. He had found this Soul Bone... no, he had seized it!

There was no chance he would give it back to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

Unless they offered two Soul Bones in exchange. Then he might consider it.

"Yanyan has already become a Soul Elder. I'll give her this Soul Bone to absorb. It'll give her another means of protecting herself and help her reach Soul Ancestor sooner."

"But who were those people tonight? Since when has the Douluo Continent had a force capable of standing against Spirit Hall?"

Unease showed in Dugu Bo's eyes. With three Titled Douluo suddenly appearing in Heaven Dou City, he could hardly feel safe.

"Troubled times. I'd better tell Yanyan to keep a low profile. Every last one of these people hides their claws. Before today, who would've guessed three Titled Douluo were concealed in Heaven Dou City?"

"And they call me treacherous? Which of you isn't worse?"

That night, countless rooms across Heaven Dou City remained brightly lit. The city's residents could not sleep.

Every faction kept sending people out to investigate what had happened at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

The people of Spirit Hall moved through Heaven Dou City more frantically than anyone. They had come within a hair's breadth of attacking the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Fortunately, Qian Renxue had withdrawn in time, bringing Salas back to his senses.

Otherwise, Spirit Hall would have woken the next morning to find the Heaven Dou Empire's army at its gates.

The next day.

The atmosphere in Heaven Dou City had grown much tenser. Members of the Imperial Guard patrolled with grim faces, their eyes missing no suspicious figure.

Someone had brazenly fought inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. Titled Douluo might have been involved, but the Imperial Guard could not escape blame.

The former commander of the Imperial Guard had been thrown into prison, and a great many guards who had been on duty the previous night had been implicated.

With that warning before their eyes, none dared shirk their duties now.

Every member of the Imperial Guard wished he had a Spider Martial Soul so he could grow a few more pairs of eyes.

Lin Hao showed no sign of feeling like the culprit. He swaggered through the streets of Heaven Dou City, past one Imperial Guard after another, and arrived before a magnificent mansion.