Prince Xue Xing's Coup
--
Deep within the secret passage of the Heaven Dou City Imperial Palace, the cold white light of the luminous pearl had lost its significance in alternating day and night. Nan Feng sat cross-legged in this secluded stone passage for three whole days, and the flow of time within the Tower Spirit Space remained stable at three to one—three days outside, nine days inside the tower.
Nine days is enough for many things to happen. The third threshold of the Shrinking the Ground to an Inch technique burst open with a roar after repeated Qi-drawing tempering, and a single step was no longer twenty steps, but forty. The Power of Return to the Void Nothingness, which had cracked by one-third in the sixth layer, was initially tamed through Nan Feng's repeated attempts. That black annihilation power could be guided to the Bone Spike or the tower body, shattering about one-tenth of its energy structure the moment it touched the enemy's Soul Power defense. The suppressive power of the first level of the Mountain Suppression Art also advanced a bit, and the gravity suppression when the Tower Realm unfolded increased from thirty percent to forty percent.
However, his Soul Power remained stuck at level 56, unmoved by any level other than a multiple of 10.
When Nan Feng opened his eyes, a strange aura appeared amidst the quiet, cold light of the luminous pearl in the secret passage: the smell of blood. It was faint, drifting from the depths of the passage, mingling with the damp scent of the stone walls. He stood up, his dragon wings folding close to his spine, Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light unfolded in his mind—there were three fluctuations of Soul Power in the direction of the secret passage's exit, two of which were extremely intense, their concentration far exceeding that of a Soul Power Soul Saint, at the peak of Soul Douluo, or even higher.
Old Huai's voice came from the Tower Spirit Space: "Two Soul Douluo from the Spirit Hall."
Nan Feng's body reacted faster than his mind. He darted towards the exit of the secret passage, Shrinking the Ground to an Inch in one step and taking forty steps in one, the stone walls on both sides rushing past him. The secret passage turned ahead, and a faint light and an even stronger smell of blood wafted in from the exit.
He stopped close to the corner of the stone wall, leaning out halfway. Outside the secret passage was a horizontal palace corridor, from which came the sounds of clashing metal and the muffled thud of exploding Soul Power. Three corpses lay on the floor of the corridor—uniforms of the Heaven Dou Royal Guard, their chests shattered by Soul Power, blood slowly spreading on the stone slabs.
"Xue Beng won't hold out for long," Old Huai said quickly. "Two Soul Douluo, one level 80 and the other level 82. Xue Beng just ascended the throne and doesn't have Titled Douluo- level guards. The Spirit Hall has planned to wipe out the Heaven Dou Imperial Family overnight."
Nan Feng didn't hesitate. He leaped out of the secret passage and ran along the palace corridor toward the direction from which the sounds of battle came. At the end of the corridor was a half-open palace gate, behind which was Prince Xue Xing's bedroom area. Blinding white light from the collision of Soul Power shone through the crack in the door, interspersed with Xue Beng's deep, angry roar.
Nan Feng kicked open the palace gate.
The scene inside the main hall of the palace unfolded in the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light. Xue Beng stood on the east side of the hall, his long sword held horizontally in front of him, its blade Entanglement in silvery-white Soul Power. There was a bloodstain at the corner of his mouth, and the fabric on his left shoulder was burned through by the Soul Power, revealing the charred skin underneath. But his back was straight as he stood in front of a Shi Zhu, with the passage leading to the inner palace behind him.
Two Soul Douluo, clad in dark purple robes from the Spirit Hall, stood on the west and south sides of the hall, respectively. The one on the west was tall and thin, his Martial Soul being some kind of bird, with dark blue feather blades covering his arms, and his Soul Power was level 82. The one on the south was burly, his Martial Soul being a pair of dark golden hammers, and his Soul Power was level 80. The light of their Soul Power intertwined, making the air in the entire hall feel stagnant.
Prince Xue Xing stood in the shadows on the north side of the main hall, dressed in a black Xue Beng robe. His face bore a slight resemblance to Xue Beng, but his eyes and brows were narrower and more sinister, and a confident sneer played on his lips. He was accompanied by four Soul Saint- level guards, who separated him from the side gate leading to the outer palace.
"Xue Beng." Prince Xue Xing's voice came from the shadows, unhurried. "You've only been on the throne for three days, and you haven't even recruited a single Titled Douluo. Do you think the Heaven Dou Empire is yours? You're too naive. If the Spirit Hall wants to replace Heaven Dou with a more obedient emperor, you can't stop them."
Xue Beng didn't look at Xue Xing. His gaze passed over the two Soul Douluo and landed on Nan Feng, who was walking in through the palace gate. There was a momentary glint in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"You're right, I don't have Titled Douluo under my command." Xue Beng's voice was calm, but the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth made his smile somewhat sinister. "But I do have a Celestial Master."
The two Soul Douluo turned around simultaneously. The taller, thinner one's dark blue feather blade drew an arc in the air, and the pressure of his level 82 Soul Power pressed down on Nan Feng. The stone slabs of the main hall beneath Nan Feng's feet cracked slightly under the pressure, and his outer robe was blown about by the flow of Soul Power, but his back remained straight.
"A level 56 Soul King?" The tall, thin Soul Douluo scoffed. "Xue Beng, you expect one Soul King to hold off two Soul Douluo? You're insane."
Nan Feng didn't answer. He took a step forward, and the Tower Realm suddenly unfolded beneath his feet. A cyan-gold light membrane spread outwards from him, covering half of the hall. The star patterns and Return to Origin patterns on the surface of the light membrane lit up simultaneously, and the gravity suppression within the domain suddenly increased by 40%. The two Soul Douluo simultaneously felt their feet sink. The taller, thinner one's feather blade moved through the air at a slower speed, while the Soul Power on the muscular one's twin hammers dimmed for a moment.
"Suppression Domain?" The tall, thin Soul Douluo squinted. "Interesting."
Nan Feng took another step. The third level of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch was activated. His figure left a trail of afterimages in the hall, covering the distance of forty steps in one stride, and appeared to the side of the burly Soul Douluo. Bone Spike popped out from his palms, dark golden Primordial World Power was poured into them, and a very fine black line lit up at the tip of the Bone Spike - the Power of Return to the Void.
The burly Soul Douluo reacted with lightning speed, crossing his twin hammers in front of him to block, his Soul Power condensing into a dark golden shield on the surface of the hammers. The moment the Bone Spike pierced the shield, the Power of Return to the Void erupted, black annihilation patterns exploded on the shield, about one-tenth of the Soul Power structure was shattered, and a visible crack appeared on the shield.
"What is that?!" The burly Soul Douluo staggered back three steps, the Soul Power light on his twin hammers flashing rapidly. The crack was slowly repaired under the infusion of his Soul Power, but the repair speed was significantly slower than normal.
Nan Feng did not pursue. His target was never these two Soul Douluo from the beginning. He activated Shrinking the Ground to an Inch again, his figure flashing three times in succession in the hall, bypassing the blockade of the two Soul Douluo, and appearing at the edge of the shadow on the north side of the hall. The four Soul Saint Guards attacked at the same time, their Soul Power beams blasting towards him from four directions.
" To Suppress Mountains and Rivers."
Nan Feng let out a low shout, and the tower body emerged from his palm, its Nine-Layer Tower unfolding above his head. This was the prototype of his fifth Soul Skill —he had touched the threshold of the fifth Soul Skill during the process of refining the immortal Immortal Herb and fusing with the Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus, incorporating the suppression principle of the "Mountain Suppression Art," and releasing a wide-range suppression power using the tower body as a medium. The Nine-Layer Tower gates within the shadow simultaneously lit up with a dark golden light, and wherever the light passed, the Soul Power attacks of the four Soul Saint all froze three feet away from Nan Feng, as if pressed into the air by an invisible giant hand.
The four Soul Saint froze simultaneously. Their Soul Power was reduced by 70% under the suppression of "Suppressing Suppress Mountains and Rivers," making it difficult even to raise their hands. Nan Feng passed through them and stepped in front of Prince Xue Xing.
The cold smile on Prince Xue Xing's face finally disappeared. He took a step back and reached for his sword at his waist, but Nan Feng was faster. The Bone Spike was pressed against Prince Xue Xing's throat, and the black Power of Return to the Void at the tip of the Bone Spike made a layer of goosebumps rise on Prince Xue Xing's skin.
"Move even slightly," Nan Feng said, "And your Soul Power will be shattered."
Prince Xue Xing froze.
The battle in the main hall took a turn at this moment. Seeing Xue Xing subdued, the two Soul Douluo simultaneously withdrew their attacks and turned to rush towards Nan Feng. But Xue Beng moved. The silver-white Soul Power on his longsword surged, and the Soul Power of a beginner-level Soul Douluo poured into the blade, slashing towards the back of the tall, thin Soul Douluo. The tall, thin Soul Douluo had no choice but to turn around to block, and the feather blade collided with the longsword, bursting out a dazzling white light.
Taking advantage of the opening, Nan Feng kicked Prince Xue Xing towards the Xue Beng. Prince Xue Xing staggered and fell to the ground. Xue Beng stepped forward and held a long sword to his neck. The silver-white blade grazed Xue Xing's skin, drawing out a very thin line of blood.
"Uncle," Xue Beng said, his voice low but each word sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth, "It's over."
The two Soul Douluo stopped simultaneously. The taller, thinner one slowly retracted his feather blade, while the Soul Power light on the muscular one's twin hammers gradually dimmed. They exchanged a glance, both seeing a signal to retreat in each other's eyes— Xue Xing had been subdued, and the core of the coup had been destroyed. The Spirit Hall's mission was to replace the emperor with an obedient one, not to fight the Heaven Dou Imperial Family to the death here.
"Your Highness Xue Beng," the tall, thin Soul Douluo stepped back, his tone carrying a certain formulaic respect, "The Spirit Hall has no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the Heaven Dou Empire. Tonight's events were Prince Xue Xing's private actions, and the Spirit Hall was unaware of them."
Xue Beng looked at him without speaking. His longsword was still resting against Xue Xing's neck, its silver blade swirling with Soul Power, as if it could cut down at any moment.
The tall, thin Soul Douluo took another step back, then winked at the burly Soul Douluo. The two figures simultaneously transformed into two dark purple afterimages, darting out from the side window of the main hall and disappearing into the night.
The palace hall fell silent. Xue Beng maintained his sword-to-neck posture for a long time before slowly withdrawing it. Prince Xue Xing slumped to the ground, his face ashen, his lips twitching a few times but making no sound. The four Soul Saint guards knelt down after the suppression of "Suppress Mountains and Rivers" was lifted, their Soul Power exhausted, unable to even stand.
The Nan Feng subsided, enveloping the Tower Realm. The cyan-gold light membrane dissipated from the main hall, the gravitational pressure dissipated, and the stagnant air in the hall began to flow again. He walked to Xue Beng, looking at the Heaven Dou Emperor had been forced into a desperate situation by a coup just three days after his ascension to the throne.
Blood was still seeping from Xue Beng's left shoulder, and the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth hadn't been wiped away. But his back was straight as he stood in the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping over Prince Xue Xing before looking at Nan Feng. His eyes held weariness and lingering fear, but more than anything, they held a kind of hardened coldness that had been tempered by hardness.
"You came faster than I expected," Xue Beng said.
"Your informant's communication is fast enough," Nan Feng replied.
Xue Beng turned and walked towards the inner palace, but stopped after a couple of steps, turning his head to the side. "Don't let tonight's events get out. Prince Xue Xing colluded with the Spirit Hall to launch a coup, which was suppressed by the Heaven Dou Immortal Master and me—that's enough. The Spirit Hall won't admit it, and we don't need their admission."
The Nan Feng nodded.
Xue Beng entered the inner palace with steady steps. Moments later, panicked cries and hurried footsteps echoed from within the palace—news of the coup's quelling was beginning to spread throughout the entire palace.
Nan Feng stood in the main hall of the palace, surrounded by kneeling Soul Saint guards and a slumped Prince Xue Xing. The air was thick with the lingering, scorching aura of clashing Soul Power. Old Huai poked half his face out from the Tower Spirit Space, cursing, "This Xue Beng is a better actor than you. He's clearly about to collapse, but he's acting like nothing happened."
Nan Feng didn't reply. He walked to the side window of the main hall and looked at the night view of Heaven Dou City outside the window. The lights in the city swayed in the night wind, and a large number of torches lit up in the direction of the main gate of the palace in the distance—that was the Imperial Guards loyal to Xue Beng gathering.
"He held on," Nan Feng said. "The Xue Beng held on."
Old Huai snorted but didn't refute. Before retreating back into the immortal wood, he muttered, "Handing the Heaven Dou Empire to this kid is better than handing it over to that idiot Xue Xing. At least this kid knows who his allies are."
Nan Feng retracted the tower into his palm. Within the Tower Spirit Space, the nine lotus seeds of the Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus pulsated even faster after the release of the Suppress Mountains and Rivers, as if cheering for that suppressive power. The rudimentary form of the fifth Soul Skill had been verified in the previous battle—the suppressive range and intensity of the Suppress Mountains and Rivers far exceeded that of the Tower Suppression and the Tower Realm, and when released through the tower's body, it could even briefly solidify Soul Power attacks at the Soul Saint level. Although it had not yet truly condensed into a complete Soul Skill, it had already touched the threshold.
His Soul Power was still at level 56, stuck at a level that wasn't a multiple of ten. But this battle in actual combat made Nan Feng even more convinced that Soul Power Level was just a benchmark in the Douluo Plane, not his benchmark.
He stepped out of the main palace hall, the night breeze carrying the chill of late autumn from Heaven Dou City. In the darkness at the end of the palace corridor, a troop of imperial guards was hurrying towards him, led by a composed middle-aged general who clasped his hands in salute upon seeing Nan Feng: "Immortal Master, His Majesty has decreed—please move to the Imperial Study."
Nan Feng followed the Imperial Guards through the palace corridors and into the Imperial Study. Xue Beng had changed into a clean outer robe, the wound on his left shoulder had been simply bandaged, and the bloodstains on his face had been wiped clean. He stood in front of the map in the Imperial Study, pointing his finger at the hidden stake marker of the Spirit Hall on the map.
"Tonight's coup," Xue Beng said without looking up, "Confirmed one thing for me. The Spirit Hall has more spies in the Heaven Dou than I previously estimated. Xue Xing's ability to mobilize two Soul Douluo and four Soul Saint overnight indicates that he has at least three times that number of agents deployed behind him."
He turned around and looked at Nan Feng: "The treasure vault is sealed. I originally planned to open it in three days. But now—it will be opened tomorrow."
Nan Feng looked into Xue Beng's eyes. There was weariness in those eyes, but even more so, urgency. Although the coup had been quelled tonight, the Spirit Hall's spies were still there, and the remnants of Xue Xing's forces had not been completely eliminated. Xue Beng needed to get all the leverage he could as soon as possible, including Nan Feng's full support.
"Tomorrow," said the Nan Feng.
Xue Beng nodded. He took out the bronze key from his pocket and placed it on the desk in the imperial study. The key gleamed with an ancient, dark golden luster in the glow of the luminous pearl, echoing the dark golden patterns on the Nan Feng Pagoda.
"The treasure vault is sealed deep within the secret passage." Xue Beng's voice deepened. "That seal requires Primordial World Power to open. Tonight's coup proves—I can't wait any longer."
Nan Feng took the bronze key into his palm. The dark gold patterns on the key's surface lit up slightly under the touch of his Primordial World Power, as if something that had been dormant for too long had finally been awakened.
As he walked out of the imperial study, the eastern sky above Heaven Dou City was already beginning to lighten. Overnight, the first crisis after Xue Beng's ascension to the throne had been quelled. But Nan Feng knew that this was only the beginning. The Spirit Hall would not give up after one defeat; Bibi Dong's kill order was still in effect, and Chrysanthemum Douluo would return sooner or later.
He needs to break the seal on the treasure vault as soon as possible and obtain the Chaos Stone, the Starfall Iron Staff, and the lower volume of the Annotations on the Tower Body Inscriptions, Lower Volume. He needs to increase his strength as quickly as possible. Level 56 is too low; facing the pursuit of Titled Douluo- level opponent, he doesn't have enough trump cards yet.
But tonight's battle showed him another path. The prototype of his fifth Soul Skill took shape in the actual battle. The suppressive power of the Suppress Mountains and Rivers Suppression Technique rendered four Soul Saint unable to move at the same time, and greatly weakened the offensive of two Soul Douluo. His Soul Power Level was stuck, but there was no bottleneck in his cultivation of the Immortal Dao. The Mountain Suppression Art, Shrinking the Ground to an Inch, and the Power of Return to the Void —these trump cards that do not depend on Soul Power Level are being revealed one by one.
The red ribbon on his left wrist fluttered gently in the morning breeze. Nan Feng stood on the palace corridor outside the Imperial Study, watching the pale light of dawn gradually spread into golden sunrise in the east. Heaven Dou City was awakening, and his journey was still long.
"Let's go," Old Huai whispered in the Tower Spirit Space. "We'll open the treasure vault tomorrow. With the Chaos Stone, the Starfall Iron Staff, and the Annotations on the Tower Body Inscriptions, Lower Volume —once we have these three things, our chances of heading to the Far North will be much greater."
Nan Feng nodded and turned to walk towards the entrance of the secret passage. His dragon wings folded and hugged his spine, his outer robe concealing the bulges of his wing bones. His steps were steady, his Shrinking the Ground to an Inch that he made no sound on the stone slabs of the palace corridor. In the Tower Spirit Space, the nine lotus seeds of the Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus pulsated steadily, perfectly synchronized with his heartbeat.
Tomorrow. Treasure Vault Seal. Chaos Stone. Primordial World Materials.
He walked his path step by step.