Facing the imperial elder who was struggling to make conversation, Gu La casually brushed off his questions. There was no need for him to say anything—Emperor Xue Ye would uncover his enemies on his own.
Only after Xue Ye had successfully fused the soul ring did Gu La vanish into thin air, traversing space.
When Emperor Xue Ye awoke and learned of the events that had transpired during his soul ring fusion, his expression remained unchanged, but his emotions roiled like a rollercoaster.
"The Snake Spear martial soul and the Porcupinefish martial soul—most likely people from the Spirit Hall, though we can't rule out the possibility of the Star Luo Empire or even other factions…"
As for how they had discovered his breakthrough, Emperor Xue Ye's face turned slightly cold. There were spies within the palace—and not low-ranking ones. A thorough purge would be necessary upon his return.
He turned to the leading imperial elder: "Elder Xue, was the person who saved me truly Mr. Oak?"
Elder Xue nodded. "That is what he claimed."
Emperor Xue Ye gave a slight nod, lost in thought as he looked toward Dragon Duke and Serpent Grandmother, who were still recovering from their injuries—especially Serpent Grandmother, whose shoulder had been pierced by a gaping hole.
The crimson wound could only be staunched under the treatment of a healing-type Soul Emperor. Serpent Grandmother's face was pale; without proper treatment, she might never be able to use her martial soul again.
Emperor Xue Ye was not an unfeeling man. For those who had served him well, he was willing to show a more amiable side.
"Master Meng, allow me to tend to your wife's injuries."
Xue Ye summoned his swan martial soul, its nine rings manifesting as he unleashed his ninth soul skill.
Rainbow Healing had two effects. The first, Rainbow Enhancement, could boost seven elemental attributes by fifty percent for one hour.
Alternatively, it could forego enhancement to focus entirely on healing. As long as the subject wasn't dead, any physical injury could be mended.
Numerous healing soul skills were released, and the scent of blood gradually dissipated. Xue Ye retracted the ninth soul skill of his swan martial soul, the rainbow light fading from his palm.
Dragon Duke helped Serpent Grandmother, whose complexion had regained some color, to her feet and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty's benevolence will never be forgotten by the Meng family."
Dragon Duke's hands trembled slightly as he gripped his dragon-headed cane. The bloody hole that had pierced his wife's shoulder moments ago had now vanished completely, leaving not even a scar.
He noticed the cold sweat beading on Xue Ye's temples. For a Title Douluo with nine rings to cast such an advanced healing technique, the toll on his strength was comparable to enduring a fierce battle.
Xue Ye waved dismissively, the blue gemstone embedded in his wristguard refracting cold light under the setting sun. "Both of you were injured while protecting me—it was the least I could do."
When Xue Ye turned to Dugu Bo, his lips moved slightly. The soul power enveloping the awe-inspiring Jade Phosphorous Douluo wavered momentarily.
Dugu Bo clenched and then relaxed his fingers hidden in his sleeve, ultimately resorting to telepathic communication through soul power. "The potent poison in Your Majesty's body has been there for a long time. It seems someone planned this meticulously."
Xue Ye neither confirmed nor denied it. Though he had only been asleep during the soul ring fusion, he retained consciousness and felt the excruciating pain caused by the poison. He knew that without Oak's intervention, he would have either died or been left a cripple.
Compared to the life-saving favor, the precious eighty-thousand-year-old head spirit bone seemed less significant.
After using additional soul skills to detoxify his poisoned guards, Emperor Xue Ye returned to the palace.
Seven days later, ten days remained until the final stage of the Soul Masters Tournament.
The first snow of winter began to fall over Tian Dou City.
In the Crown Prince's quarters, smoke rose gently from the bronze-beast-headed incense burner. Xue Qinghe's pen hovered over the official documents for a long time before finally failing to leave a mark.
Yesterday, news spread from the Tian Dou Palace: Emperor Xue Ye had broken through to become a Title Douluo and would hold a grand title-bestowing ceremony after the finals, inviting various factions to attend.
Though Xue Qinghe smiled, his usually elegant and affable demeanor carried an undertone of melancholy.
Over the past seven days, a bloody purge had swept through the palace. Many servants and guards with questionable backgrounds had become sacrifices to demonstrate the emperor's authority. Among them were agents planted by Qian Renxue—years of effort now undone.
Using the pretext of his breakthrough and the assassination attempt, Emperor Xue Ye had reclaimed control of both the palace and the court. As the "wise and virtuous crown prince," Xue Qinghe had no justification to oppose him.
Of course, to prevent rumors of discord between father and son, Emperor Xue Ye retained Xue Qinghe's right to participate in governance and entrusted him with overseeing the Tian Dou Imperial Academy.
The noble children within the academy were all descendants of the empire's aristocracy—the future nobility vital to the Tian Dou Empire. This demonstrated the emperor's continued regard for the crown prince.
But the future was still just the future. While this move reassured the crown prince, it also sent a message to officials and nobles alike—the crown prince was still the crown prince.
"Your Highness, the Ministry of Justice has delivered the updated roster of officials."
The voice of the attendant outside trembled slightly. Xue Qinghe unfolded the gilded list and paused when he saw the seventeen names circled in red ink. What had once been his duty was now reduced to merely reviewing the list.
"I understand. Carry out Father's orders."
Xue Qinghe maintained a composed demeanor. He still had contingency plans, but competing for power with Emperor Xue Ye at this moment would only deepen his suspicions. For now, he needed to preserve his position as crown prince. Doing too much would invite mistakes, so he chose to step back.
Once the attendant departed, the Porcupinefish Douluo emerged from the shadows. "Young Master, it was my incompetence…"
"It's not your fault, Elder. Xue Ye simply got lucky. But luck won't always be on his side."
Qian Renxue didn't blame the Porcupinefish Douluo and his companion. Based on Oak's demonstrated abilities, if he had intended to protect Xue Ye, the two would have struggled to stop him.
"Elders, could you speculate on Oak's martial soul?"
If they had information about his martial soul, the Spirit Hall's intelligence network might uncover clues unless Oak had never used his martial soul openly, even in his youth.
The Porcupinefish Douluo frowned, shame evident on his face. "Oak unleashed four elements and employed unique mental soul skills. I suspect it's some kind of variant martial soul—there's no clear starting point for investigation."
Qian Renxue finally revealed a hint of displeasure. She hated the feeling of losing control.
"Oak… who exactly are you?"
Meanwhile, inside the imperial study, Xue Ye was examining the nation's treasure—the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
The triangular, turquoise-colored spirit tool was as deep as the ocean but remained indifferent to Xue Ye's numerous tests.
"Still nothing? What does our ancestor's legacy mean?"
Xue Ye was baffled. He only knew that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was important, but its specific purpose remained a mystery, with no useful information uncovered by generations of emperors.
He had hoped that breaking through to become a Title Douluo would yield different results, but alas, there was still no reaction.
"Could my earlier conjecture be correct? Does the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud require a battle soul master to activate?"
Despite this suspicion, Emperor Xue Ye wouldn't hand over the national treasure to anyone else.
Legend had it that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was linked to the divine and could block any attack below that of a Limit Douluo. It had helped the founding emperor of the Tian Dou Empire establish the nation, but no one since had managed to activate it.
"Oak is exceptionally wise. Perhaps he could unravel the secrets of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. It's unfortunate he didn't stay. If he had, offering him the position of Imperial Preceptor wouldn't have been out of the question."
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