Fortunately, Young Master Qian Renxue struck in time, and the two of them together pinned down Dugu Bo.
Added to that, the three elders who had changed plans from assassinating Emperor Xue Ye to heading outside the city to provide support arrived promptly and scared Dugu Bo off. Otherwise, She Long might well have ended up as one of Dugu Bo's kills tonight.
To be fair, Dugu Bo, famed for "poison," is truly poisonous. Clearly this strong—by She Long's estimate at least a level 95 Titled Douluo—yet he had kept it hidden.
If not for this exchange, he would have still believed the rumors that Dugu Bo was the weakest Titled Douluo on the continent.
Clearly, She Long did not know that the former Dugu Bo did indeed count as the continent's weakest Titled Douluo.
But times had changed. Dugu Bo was no longer the Dugu Bo of old, while She Long was still the same She Long as before.
"Young Master, Dugu Bo is close with Xue Xing. Why not remove that old poison as well?"
She Long made a chopping gesture at his neck and asked Qian Renxue.
Hmph. He could swear on his manhood that he said this not because he had been beaten senseless by Dugu Bo earlier, but purely out of objectivity.
At that, Qian Renxue cast She Long an expressionless glance and stayed silent.
After she ascended the throne, all members of the Heaven Dou imperial clan, except for Princess Xue Ke whom she had always treated as a younger sister, were on Qian Renxue's purge list.
After all, as remnants of the former regime, they had to vanish from the world to erase the Xue clan's influence within the empire.
But there was no need to deal with Dugu Bo that way.
In the past, a powerhouse as close to the imperial family as Dugu Bo would have had to be eliminated, but that was no longer suitable.
Because while Dugu Bo was close with Xue Xing, he also had a very good relationship with Chu Chengzhou.
Just for the sake of her future imperial husband, it would not do to move against Dugu Bo.
Besides, Xue Xing was not Dugu Bo's father. If Xue Xing could win him over, then as Spirit Hall's Young Master and Heaven Dou's new sovereign, she could win him over too.
Though Dugu Bo had a grudge with a certain elder of Spirit Hall, it was only a grudge, not a fight to the death.
From tonight's exchange, she found Dugu Bo anything but weak. He could be called a top hand among Titled Douluo, stronger than most Titled Elders of the Elder Hall, far from the rumor of being the continent's weakest Titled Douluo.
In the future she would invest in cultivating Dugu Bo, then take him to Spirit City's Pope's Palace and, in front of Bibi Dong, have him topple Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan.
That way, after Dugu Bo showed off and slapped faces, making a grand display, he would surely become a loyal lackey under her command.
Of course, that was not the most important part. The point was to let that wicked woman Bibi Dong savor a dose of "filial piety" from her "good" daughter.
Great maternal love deserves sincere filial piety in gratitude. But a warped "motherly love" naturally should be repaid with a warped "filial piety"!
At that moment, a figure flew over and landed beside the two. It was Porcupinefish Douluo, Ci Xue.
"Young Master!"
Ci Xue bowed to Qian Renxue.
"How is the situation?"
Qian Renxue asked.
After returning to Heaven Dou City earlier, Qian Renxue had sent the three elders who came to Heaven Dou to carry out the plan to continue with the original plan.
Ci Xue nodded and said, "Young Master, all went smoothly. Emperor Xue Ye has passed away. The palace is in chaos, and the three elders have already left Heaven Dou City."
"Good!"
Hearing that all was smooth, Qian Renxue nodded in satisfaction, then asked, "Did you make a move?"
"By coincidence, before I could formally act, the three elders arrived. I did not make a move."
Ci Xue shook his head.
"Good.
My identity cannot be exposed for now. Uncle She Long, since you fought Dugu Bo earlier, to avoid exposure return directly to Spirit City.
As for you, Uncle Ci Xue, you also leave Heaven Dou City for now. After I ascend the throne, you will then join the Heaven Dou Empire as a Titled Douluo of independent background."
Qian Renxue gave the two their orders.
As a rule, once a Titled Douluo acts, it is difficult to hide one's identity unless one can alter the appearance of the martial soul and one's own aura.
Qian Renxue was not yet prepared to reveal herself, so She Long, who had crossed hands with Dugu Bo, was not suitable to remain in Heaven Dou City, or Dugu Bo would easily notice something was off.
But Ci Xue, who had not made a move, was fine, and could even step from the shadows into the open.
Heaven Dou was, after all, one of the two empires on the continent. A Titled Douluo of independent background choosing to join might seem unusual, but it was still within the realm of normal.
Suddenly, a surge of violent spirit power and a blinding platinum light came from the night sky to the southwest of Heaven Dou City, illuminating more than half the city.
Staring at the platinum mushroom cloud like a great sun in the night sky, Qian Renxue paused.
"Another expert forced to self-detonate!"
"Tsk, this commotion is like the Grand Worship making a move."
She Long and Ci Xue clicked their tongues.
If they had not seen it with their own eyes, neither would have believed that two Titled Douluo had self-detonated in succession tonight.
Of course, compared to the number of Titled-level experts who had fallen tonight—more than could be counted on both hands—two self-detonations were nothing.
In fact, according to continental history, the last time more than ten Titled-level experts died in a single day was before the Douluo Era, more than two thousand six hundred years ago.
After a long while, the platinum mushroom cloud began to dissipate, and the belated thunderous roar swept across the sky over the whole of Heaven Dou City.
"He won't be in trouble, will he?"
Qian Renxue said with some concern.
"Young Master, Young Lord Chu should be fine. The auras of his three summoned beasts are still there."
Pointing west and southwest, Ci Xue spoke quickly.
"Good!"
Hearing this, Qian Renxue immediately set down her worry.
Chu Chengzhou's summoned beasts were the product of his spirit skills. Since the summoned beasts were still present, the man must be fine, at least not gravely hurt.
Right. That little lecher had too many methods. The thirteen Titled-level experts the Star Luo Empire sent tonight could not do anything to him. How could he possibly fall to a dying counterattack's self-detonation?
"Uncles, leave Heaven Dou City now!"
Qian Renxue waved, put on a hood, activated her disguise spirit bone skill, and turned into Xue Qinghe's appearance.
"Yes, Young Master!"
The two answered, their figures flickered, and they vanished into the night.
Afterward, Qian Renxue led a few trusted subordinates from Spirit Hall, each only eight rings in spirit power, toward the imperial palace.
Emperor Xue Ye had been assassinated. The palace was a mess. As the empire's crown prince, Xue Qinghe needed to appear and stabilize the situation.
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle