" Ju Zi, you've done a great job. I will reward you handsomely after this is all over!"
Xu Tianran rubbed the dragon throne with both hands, feeling extremely pleased.
Now that he had proclaimed himself emperor and held power, it was impossible for him to still use the identity of the crown prince.
Moreover, with the emperor dead, it was perfectly legitimate for him, the crown prince, to ascend the throne before his coffin.
Ju Zi, naturally aware of Xu Tianran's thoughts, immediately bowed and congratulated him, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Good, good, good! Very good, Ju Zi, this is what I like most about you. You are smart enough to win my heart!" Xu Tianran was overjoyed.
The next moment, Xu Tianran suddenly turned his head, his expression changed drastically, and he said in an icy tone, " Jing Hongchen, to be honest, I'm very disappointed in your recent performance!"
Jing Hongchen trembled and hurriedly said, "Your Highness... Your Majesty, I have done my best to hold off the Shadow Garden, but the reinforcements have been slow to arrive, and I simply cannot hold them off any longer!"
"Judging from his strength and the respect shown by those members, the 'Si' I fought was at least an elder of the Shadow Garden."
"His skill with Soul Tool is almost on par with mine; the fact that I was able to hold him off for a long time is already my limit."
As she spoke, Jing Hongchen felt uneasy under Xu Tianran's gaze; indeed, Xu Tianran had completely grasped her whereabouts.
The terrifying nature of Xu Tianran's mind was beyond his comprehension.
Xu Tianran coldly watched Jing Hongchen's explanation, his finger lightly tapping the dragon throne.
Tap! Tap! Tap!...
The only sound in the silent hall was the echoing of the hammering, creating an immense sense of pressure.
Xu Tianran's eyes were icy as he turned to the man shrouded in black mist beside him and asked, "Grand Preceptor, what do you think?"
The man known as the 'Imperial Advisor' stepped forward and said, "What Dean Hongchen said is true. Although the Shadow Garden acts in a strange and unpredictable way, even I dare not say that its strength is definitely superior to that of Shadow, the leader of the Shadow Garden."
"I noticed that Dean Hongchen still has some sword intent remaining on him, so he must have encountered that Shadow as well. The fact that Dean Hongchen was able to escape unscathed already shows that he has profound strength."
Xu Tianran pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly and said apologetically, " Dean Hongchen, it turns out I misunderstood you. You did very well, very well indeed. Although the item has already been stolen, let's not worry about that for now. I hope you will lend a hand in the matter later."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. I will certainly do my utmost."
Jing Hongchen breathed a sigh of relief. As a Titled Douluo, he was not actually afraid of Xu Tianran, but he was afraid that if he broke off relations with Xu Tianran, all the wealth he had accumulated over the years would be destroyed.
After all, the strength of the Grand Preceptor beside Xu Tianran was unfathomable; he had only ever felt that kind of aura from Xuan Zi and Shadow.
Therefore, a large part of the reason he sided with Xu Tianran was because of this Grand Tutor.
Most importantly, this imperial advisor is actually an Evil Soul Master!
At this distance, such a bizarre method would only lead to his death as a Level 9 Soul Engineer.
Xu Tianran continued, "It's a pity about that Holy God Array. If it had been nurtured further, the Holy Church could have achieved a great improvement."
Ju Zi looked up and saw Xu Tianran's gaze, which held a hint of schadenfreude.
As for the Imperial Advisor, it was as if a sore spot had been touched, and his calm aura suddenly fluctuated greatly.
Jing Hongchen, realizing something, asked, "Your Majesty, after the items were stolen, I discovered two suspicious individuals, and I have now separated them and placed them under house arrest."
"What do you think we should do?"
Xu Tianran frowned and said impatiently, " Dean Hongchen can handle this trivial matter himself. Just report back to me if you have any leads."
Jing Hongchen stepped forward and bowed, then hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want to handle it, but those two people have rather special identities and are quite involved, so I dare not act on my own."
"Oh? Who is it?" Xu Tianran asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jing Hongchen quickly replied, "One woman is named Wang Qiu'er, who claims to be a student at Shrek. She appeared suddenly, and her actions are particularly suspicious. The other person is Huo Yuhao."
Jing Hongchen recounted the events in detail, making sure nothing was omitted, before awaiting Xu Tianran's decision.
Xu Tianran stroked his chin and slowly said, "It's not important anymore. First, let's confirm with Shrek whether he is their student. If so, release him. After all, we can't afford to break ties with Shrek Academy right now."
Jing Hongchen nodded, wanting to say something more, but then a loud shout came from outside.
Upon closer listening, it seemed to be shouting.
"Traitor Xu Tianran, come out and face your death!"
" Xu Tianran, come out and face your death!"
"You bastard who murdered your father and usurped the throne, bring me your head at once!"
Xu Tianran's eyes narrowed, a golden light flashing within them, and he grinned maliciously, "You've finally arrived! Today, I will wipe you all out!"
At this moment, Wang Qiu'er, standing atop the city gate, looked at the thousands of Soul Engineer legion behind her with some confusion.
"This is the struggle within the royal family. These people will do anything for power," Huo Yuhao said to Wang Qiu'er, pointing at the frenzied crowd.
Wang Qiu'er asked, somewhat puzzled, "Power? Is that really that important? Humans are so strange."
Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, "Humans are actually very complex creatures, lacking the pure thoughts of Soul Beast."
"Then can't we just give up these things?" Wang Qiu'er was still puzzled.
Huo Yuhao sighed helplessly, "How many people in each world can truly see through all this?"
The two were surrounded by a murderous aura, and the Soul Tool they used also emitted a chilling killing intent.
Huo Yuhao reached out and picked up Wang Qiu'er, saying, "Come on, let's go somewhere farther away. Today, I'll show you a different side of humanity, and while we're at it, we'll deal with that Jing Hongchen."
Wang Qiu'er nodded and focused her attention on the group of people at her feet.
Under Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing, she could clearly see that two identical Soul Engineer Master legions had gathered on either side of the Soul Engineer team.
No, there are still some differences. The two regiments that had been lying in ambush were equipped with much better gear, and they were well-prepared, having already locked onto the rebel pair with their Soul Tool.
With just one order from Xu Tianran, this entire Soul Engineer Corps would likely be reduced to nothing.
" Xu Tianran, come out!"
A richly dressed man slowly walked to the palace entrance and shouted into the hall.
His features bear a resemblance to Xu Tianran's, suggesting he may be a prince.
The next moment, Ju Zi pushed the wheelchair, leading Xu Tianran slowly out of the main hall.
Behind him followed Jing Hongchen and the mysterious imperial advisor.
Xu Tianran looked at the leader, narrowed his eyes, and said with a smile, "Uncle, as the Crown Prince, I rightfully ascended the throne. How could I be a rebel? It's you who, with so many people, looks more like a rebel than I do."
The man Xu Tianran called "uncle" immediately launched into a tirade. " Xu Tianran, don't think I don't know what you did going straight to His Majesty's palace this morning. Do you really think I'm a pushover? Hand over the throne obediently, and I'll guarantee your life!"
Xu Tianran frowned, gripped the armrests tightly, and shouted, "Retreat now, and I can guarantee you wealth and honor, a permanent residence in the palace, and a life of carefree pleasure!"
"Joke!"
The man took a step forward, and the Soul Engineer Corps behind him immediately locked onto Xu Tianran in front of him.
Seeing this, Xu Tianran's anger vanished completely. He raised his hand and sneered, "Stubborn to the end!"
The next moment, two scorching waves of air suddenly surged up from both sides of the palace, and two terrifying fluctuations of Soul Power swept over in an instant.
The mysterious imperial advisor took a step forward, and with a flick of his black cloak, Xu Tianran and the others vanished in the blink of an eye.
The man stood still, his pupils suddenly contracting as he looked up to see two Stationary Soul Missile already overhead!