Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.
Rebel armies from nobles across the land had completely surrounded Heaven Dou City.
Their numbers were not large, but these were all remnants of the previous dynasty—nobles who had been dissatisfied with the policies during Qian Renxue's or Xue Qinghe's time and had now regrouped their forces.
The purpose, naturally, needed no further explanation.
To support Xue Beng's ascension to the throne, to stand with the nobility, and to make the Heaven Dou nobility great once again.
The Douluo Continent did not reject empresses.
The current Star Luo Emperor Zhu Zhuqing and the Pope Bibi Dong were both women.
Both were also Title Douluo.
However, what they rejected was Xue Ke's policies, which basically continued those from Xue Qinghe's era.
Yet she lacked Xue Qinghe's prestige and faintly showed a tendency to sell out the Heaven Dou Empire to Spirit Hall.
How could this be tolerated?
Whether for public or private reasons, they had to stand up and oppose it.
Just in time, Prince Xue Beng had realized his mistakes, understood the hardships of his ancestors, and intended to reorganize the Heaven Dou Empire.
The two sides hit it off perfectly.
"We are not rebels. We are insurgents."
Thus, the armies led by nobles from all sides marched valiantly and imposingly toward the Heaven Dou Imperial City, cheering for the soon-to-be-crowned Xue Beng.
With the help of Title Douluo, they quickly seized control of the areas outside the city.
The imperial family's domain, the imperial palace's territory.
"Xue Beng, are you planning a rebellion?"
With golden hair, Xue Ke wore luxurious yet not extravagant attire. She gazed at the golden-haired young man in the distance.
"The one rebelling is not me, but you, Xue Ke." Xue Beng had shed his former dissolute and unrestrained demeanor. His bearing now carried some of the presence of Emperor Xue Ye.
"If this continues, the Heaven Dou Empire will cease to be a proper nation."
"Xue Ke, look at who's standing around you. Elders from Spirit Hall's Worship Hall. Someone who didn't know better might think you're one of Spirit Hall's people."
"Give up, Xue Ke. You cannot hold onto the Heaven Dou Empire."
"And what about you?" Xue Ke sneered. "Was it that Tang San who said something to you?"
"The Great Priest of Sea God Island, Bo Saixi, the sacred pillars of Sea God Island, and the elders of the Clear Sky Sect."
"Xue Beng, tell me why."
"I have already become my teacher's disciple. As a disciple, it is only natural for my teacher to help me reclaim the Heaven Dou throne." Xue Beng seemed to have anticipated Xue Ke asking this question long ago.
"Heh, do you think I'll believe that?"
"Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. Today, you have only one choice: abdicate and serve as regent, allowing me, Xue Beng, to ascend the throne. Otherwise… don't blame me for disregarding sibling affection."
Two Title Douluo elders from the Clear Sky Sect, four sacred pillars from Sea God Island, plus the Limit Douluo Bo Saixi, and the one hidden behind them—Xue Beng refused to believe that a mere Xue Ke could possibly turn the tables.
If not for the fact that she had spared him back then, he would have long ago ordered people to charge in and deal with her.
This was also the last mercy he, the future great emperor of Heaven Dou, could show.
If Xue Ke still refused to see reason, then he wouldn't mind letting her experience what the so-called games of nobility really were.
"Prince Xue Beng, are you really so confident you can take us down?" Blood still trickled from the corner of the second worshiper Golden Crocodile's mouth. He had just taken a strike from Bo Saixi and had nearly passed out. Fortunately, his body was tough.
But a Limit Douluo quasi-god was not someone a mere pseudo demi-god like him could match.
Of course, the forces that came to the Heaven Dou Empire were not all of Spirit Hall's strength, but this was already the maximum they could currently dispatch.
Four worshipers from the Worship Hall, plus She Long and Ci Xue.
In numbers, they were roughly equal to the other side, but in quality… probably not.
Not to mention anything else, just Bo Saixi alone was enough to leave everyone at a loss. A Limit Douluo quasi-god and a pseudo demi-god were on completely different levels.
Moreover, from the brief clash just now, aside from not using the Sea God's Trident, Bo Saixi appeared to have already recovered to her peak.
At this moment, an inexplicable pressure rose. Bo Saixi stepped forward one pace, her voice calm as she spoke:
"For the sake of Qian Daoliu, I will give Spirit Hall some face. Leave the Heaven Dou Empire immediately. This is not a place where Spirit Hall should interfere."
Bo Saixi's words caused the faces of all the Spirit Hall Title Douluo elders to change drastically.
The Great Priest of the Sea God was not like Xue Beng, who relied on borrowed might. Her strength was comparable to the great worshiper's—especially for Golden Crocodile Douluo, who was now truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Leave? How could they possibly leave? After so many years of arrangements.
They had finally gotten military and political affairs completely under control. They were just one step away from establishing the Spirit Empire. Moreover, the great worshiper still needed to use faith to achieve his god position. There was simply no room to retreat.
But if they didn't retreat, a great battle was unavoidable. Normally, Spirit Hall wouldn't fear them, but right now—others might not know, but didn't he, Golden Crocodile Douluo, know perfectly well?
Spirit Hall's top combat power—the great worshiper, Qian Renxue, and Bibi Dong—were all cultivating in Dragon Valley.
In the entire Spirit Hall, he was the only Limit Douluo left, the lone seedling.
If word of this got out, especially to the Clear Sky Sect and Sea God Island people, Spirit Hall would probably be destroyed on the spot.
Both sides were already locked in a fight to the death, yet both had certain reservations.
Yes—the gods.
Golden Crocodile guessed that the other side was gambling, but his side was gambling too!
Suppressing his irritated thoughts, Golden Crocodile Douluo spoke: "Bo Saixi, have you all forgotten the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? That sect is also supporting us."
There was no choice—he could only pull out the banner of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was currently sitting firmly on the fishing platform.
More than a dozen Title Douluo, plus Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan who could easily slaughter cities and wipe out clans, and Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo whose combined martial soul fusion technique was comparable to god-level power.
No force dared ignore their existence.
Bo Saixi shook her head with a smile. "Ning Fengzhi did indeed have an agreement with the Star Luo Empire regarding the protection of territorial integrity and security, as well as an agreement that Tang Chen cannot act against military, political personnel, or members of the imperial family in the Heaven Dou Empire."
"However, our actions do not contradict the contents of Ning Fengzhi's agreement."
"We are only here to help Xue Beng reclaim the Heaven Dou throne."
"This is an internal affair of the Heaven Dou imperial family. Ning Fengzhi has no reason whatsoever to intervene in this matter."
"After all, he supports the Heaven Dou imperial family, not any specific individual."
A person who could abandon even the master-disciple relationship with Xue Qinghe for the sake of benefits—how could he possibly help you deal with us? It would clearly be thankless and exhausting.
Who sat on the throne didn't matter. What mattered was that it didn't affect the interests of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. That was enough.
As for the merchant sects on the continent, Bo Saixi believed she understood them quite well.
"You…" Bo Saixi's words left Golden Crocodile silent.
Indeed, Ning Fengzhi had no reason to help them.
If he got involved and lost one or two Title Douluo, it wouldn't be worth it.
"Damn it!"
Golden Crocodile was furious. In his heart, he was already calculating: if it really came to it, they should just withdraw.
"Princess Xue Ke, it's time to make a decision." Bo Saixi pressed with her aura. "Write the abdication edict and cede the throne to Xue Beng. If you are unwilling, then I can only say I'm sorry."
"Also, afterward, all Spirit Hall forces must withdraw from the Heaven Dou Empire. Otherwise…"
Everything they were doing stayed within the framework.
Presumably, Ning Fengzhi had no reason to intervene either. Moreover, Spirit Hall growing so powerful as to take over the Heaven Dou Empire would not align with the interests of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
In theory, Ning Fengzhi had no reason to get involved no matter what.
Xue Ke hesitated and sighed. "Second Worshiper, what do you think?"
After all, this world belonged to the strong.
She, a mere Soul King, had no qualification to decide anything.
To be honest, even setting aside whether she could survive if a fight broke out, if several of Spirit Hall's worshipers were lost here, that would be the real catastrophe.
As an external affiliate, Xue Ke was one of the very few who knew that Spirit Hall's top leadership was not present on the continent.
Therefore, the decision on how to handle this matter could only be made by Golden Crocodile Douluo.
(End of chapter)