"Bastard!"
Ye Yulin cursed through gritted teeth.
Like every other nation, the Sun Moon Empire's court was divided into numerous factions. There were hawks, naturally, but also doves and moderates.
The reigning emperor and Crown Prince Xu Tianran were staunch hawks. Ye Yulin belonged to the hawkish side of the moderates and had no objection to war.
But even most of the court's hawks did not support cooperating with the Holy Spirit Cult. Nobody liked getting involved with those Evil Soul Masters.
Yet Xu Tianran had done exactly that, confidently believing he could control the Holy Spirit Cult and use them.
Now, upon hearing that the Holy Spirit Cult had suddenly turned against them, kidnapped the crown prince and emperor, and begun negotiating with Kong Deming, Ye Yulin's first instinct was not even to question the report's authenticity.
Because the Holy Spirit Cult had every motive, reason, and even the ability to do so.
Indeed, why would a massive organization with two Limit Douluos, over twenty Titled Douluos, and countless Soul Emperors and Soul Saints willingly obey Xu Tianran's commands?
The two sides had never been equal in strength.
The Sun Moon Empire certainly possessed deeper reserves, but Soul Engineers were in their element on an open battlefield. Worse still, after joining forces with the Holy Spirit Cult, Xu Tianran had granted many of their senior members the privilege of entering and leaving the Imperial Palace at will. Wasn't that raising a tiger only to invite disaster?
Granted, Kong Deming, the Sun Moon Empire's guardian, could hold one Limit Douluo in check, but how were they supposed to guard against the other?
If the Holy Spirit Cult wanted to assassinate Xu Tianran while he was unprepared, their chances of success were excellent. His Titled Douluo strength and the Defensive Soul