Two days later, after traveling day and night, the three Elders of Spirit Hall who carried out the plan to assassinate Emperor Xue Ye, together with She Long, returned to Spirit City.
Inside the Worship Hall.
After the four finished their report, Qian Daoliu dismissed the three Elders and kept She Long alone.
"She Long, these past years, you and Ci Xue have worked hard."
Qian Daoliu spoke to She Long with satisfaction.
"Grand Worship overpraises me. This is what I should do."
She Long straightened his back at once and answered with firm resolve.
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu smiled, lifted his hand slightly, and a right arm spirit bone shimmering with mysterious light fell before She Long.
"A spirit bone?!"
Staring at the spirit bone floating before him, She Long could not help but exclaim.
Although his strength as Snake Lance Douluo was nothing special, his eye was good. He could tell this was a right arm spirit bone of about forty thousand years, of considerable value.
"Take it."
As Titled Douluo, She Long and Ci Xue had guarded his precious granddaughter in silence for seventeen years. Even if they had no great merits, they had no small amount of hard work. Now that the plan had succeeded, they should be rewarded.
"Many thanks, Grand Worship!"
She Long said gratefully.
With the aid of this high-year right arm spirit bone, She Long would very likely break through the bottleneck that had stuck for many years and advance to Rank 93 Titled Douluo.
"You may go."
Qian Daoliu waved his hand.
"Subordinate takes his leave."
Having obtained a precious spirit bone, She Long withdrew in high spirits.
Soon, only Qian Daoliu remained in the hall.
"Young people today grow so fast. I am old."
For a long while, Qian Daoliu, who had earlier learned that Chu Chengzhou had challenged thirteen and cut down thirteen Titled-level experts of the Star Luo Empire, gave a self-mocking sigh.
Then Qian Daoliu thought for a moment, arranged matters with a soul power voice transmission, walked out of the Worship Hall, and flew at top speed toward the northern part of the continent.
Early the next morning.
In the Moon Pavilion, Tang Yuehua carefully straightened Chu Chengzhou's clothes.
"Yuehua, are you not coming with me?"
Chu Chengzhou asked Tang Yuehua.
Emperor Xue Ye had been assassinated, leaving the Heaven Dou throne vacant. This morning, the empire's heir Xue Qinghe would hold an enthronement ceremony in the imperial palace.
For this reason as well, Chu Chengzhou, who had advanced to Rank 80 quasi Spirit Douluo two days earlier by taking whale brain, had not rushed to hunt a spirit ring and advance.
"No. I am not familiar with Xue Qinghe."
Tang Yuehua shook her head.
If it were in the past, as the Grand Princess of the Clear Sky School, she might have attended Xue Qinghe's enthronement to cultivate ties with the Heaven Dou Empire and contribute to restoring the sect's former glory.
But now, with Chu Chengzhou, she did not even much want to run the Moon Pavilion, this Heaven Dou imperial etiquette academy, let alone seek ties with various factions on the continent.
Once Chu Chengzhou's strength rose in the future, the Clear Sky School's return to the continent would be easy.
"Alright then."
Seeing that Tang Yuehua had no intention of attending, Chu Chengzhou did not press her. Instead he reminded, "By the way, Yuehua, make preparations. In a couple of days we will go hunt a spirit."
The Absolute Control technique worked very well. With the aid of domain power already helping her control her strength better, after this period of practice, Tang Yuehua had adapted to the surge of soul power in her body.
Her level of soul power control might not match his, but compared to ordinary Spirit Masters of the same rank it was no less. It was time to keep surging forward.
Just right, he also needed to add his eighth spirit ring to advance. They could stop by the Star Dou Forest then.
"Mm."
Tang Yuehua nodded.
She had already become a Rank 70 quasi Spirit Saint. If the seventh spirit ring she added next was still a hundred thousand years, then counting her prior accumulation, her soul power level was very likely to rise directly again to Rank 80 quasi Spirit Douluo.
In just two or three months, to transform from a Rank 9 Spirit Scholar into a seven-ring Spirit Saint or even an eight-ring Spirit Douluo, Tang Yuehua felt as if she were in a dream.
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
On the plaza before the Hall of State Affairs.
Emperor Xue Ye had not died a natural death but was assassinated. Combined with the terrifying attack the Star Luo Empire launched three nights prior, which left all Heaven Dou City in panic, the Heaven Dou Empire urgently needed the heir to ascend and stabilize the situation.
So Qian Renxue's enthronement ceremony was held rather hastily. Aside from the nobles and military commanders within Heaven Dou City, there were not many heavyweight guests in attendance.
Other than Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong representing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the royal guest elder Dugu Bo, there was only the Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall and master of the Heaven Dou Spirit Temple, Bruce.
What Chu Chengzhou did not know was that there was in fact another heavyweight guest watching today.
Only, this person was not watching from below the stage, but sat in a private room of a teahouse outside the palace, quietly "watching" through spiritual power without even the Rank 97 Titled Douluo Chen Xin detecting it.
Wuuu, wuuu, wuuu.
The horn, tinged with a hint of age, sounded, its long notes echoing to the skies.
With the blazing sun overhead, the enthronement ceremony began.
Surrounded by many imperial guards, Xue Qinghe, wearing a gold-and-crimson imperial robe, mounted the remarkably grand ceremonial altar already erected at the center of the plaza, expression solemn.
Then Prince Xue Xing, holding a ritual text, began to read it with deep feeling.
The text was long, recounting the Heaven Dou Empire's glorious history. Xue Xing also read it well, but Chu Chengzhou among the spectators below did not take in a word.
It was like a leader's speech, rambling on and on, saying everything, but never mentioning a pay raise. Annoying to hear.
Of course, Chu Chengzhou still gave face and did not show any impatience. After all, the one on stage undergoing the enthronement right now was his own girl.
Time passed, and the ceremony reached its conclusion.
On the altar, Prince Xue Xing personally placed the crown on Xue Qinghe's head, then solemnly presented the golden gemmed scepter that symbolized imperial power.
Before the nobles and ministers of the Heaven Dou Empire, the military commanders, and the guests in attendance, Xue Qinghe took the golden gemmed scepter and formally succeeded as the sovereign of the Heaven Dou Empire, taking the title Emperor Qinghe.
"We pay our respects, Your Majesty!"
Xue Xing went to one knee and was first to bow to the new monarch.
"Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!"
In an instant, cries of long live thundered across the entire plaza like a landslide and tidal wave, then spread through all of Heaven Dou City.
On the plaza, aside from the guests, all the nobles and ministers of the Heaven Dou Empire, the military commanders, and the imperial palace guards went to one knee toward Emperor Qinghe newly enthroned on the altar.
Seeing this scene, a smile appeared on Qian Renxue's face.
Over a decade of effort had finally come to harvest.
No. Her greatest gain from over a decade of infiltration in the Heaven Dou Empire was not her status within it, but the youth watching from below the stage.
'Thank you, my prince consort!'
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle