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Looking at those six ice sculptures flickering with a cold, metallic light amidst the ruins, Prince Xue Xing felt a surge of cold air rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. The sculptures were lifelike yet filled with deathly despair, showing the terrible end of the masters. Immediately after, he could no longer restrain his intense fear and anger.
He scrambled on all fours to the edge of the deep ice pit and raised a trembling finger toward Tang Chen who was floating in mid-air. His voice was sharp and completely distorted with fury as he spoke.
Tang Chen, how dare you do this? How could you lay such a cruel hand on them? This is the Clear Sky Sect. They are the firm allies of my Heaven Dou Empire and an important pillar in resisting the Spirit Hall. You actually ice-sealed them all here. Do you still have the Empire in your eyes? Do you still care about the legacy of the Late Emperor?
He spoke incoherently, attempting to use the name of righteousness to suppress the powerful youth. Marshal Ge Long followed closely behind the prince. His hand remained tightly on the hilt of his sword and his face was completely ashen. However, when he looked at those six frozen ice sculptures and met Tang Chen's indifferent gaze, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he did not dare to make the slightest move.
Hearing the loud shouting, Tang Chen slowly turned around in the air. His calm gaze fell upon the agitated Prince Xue Xing. At this moment, his gaze held no obvious killing intent, yet it made Prince Xue Xing feel as if freezing ice water had been splashed directly on his face. The prince's subsequent words came to an abrupt halt, and his throat felt as if it were being throttled tightly by an invisible hand.
Allies? Just now, when these old dogs of the Clear Sky Sect were using their numbers to bully the few and besieging those belonging to my Spirit Hall, where were you, Prince Xue Xing? Why didn't you come out to stop them? Where was your righteousness for your allies then?
As he spoke, Tang Chen took a small step forward through the empty air. Prince Xue Xing subconsciously took a step back on the ground, even stumbling slightly because of his sudden panic.
At that time, you remained silent and watched coldly. Now that I have cleared away these old dogs who have no regard for the big picture and only know how to bite each other in internal strife at critical moments, you actually run out and bark at me? Don't you think it's too ridiculous, Your Highness?
Every one of Tang Chen's words was like a sharp slap across Prince Xue Xing's face. Hearing this, Prince Xue Xing's face turned from pale to purple. He wanted to retort with loud words but found himself completely speechless. At that time during the battle, hadn't he also harbored a sliver of hope? He had even darkly wished to use the hands of the Clear Sky Sect to eliminate the difficult-to-control Tang Chen and his Spirit Hall forces.
Tang Chen stopped looking at the pathetic prince and instead turned his gaze toward the devastated imperial palace ruins. He swept his eyes over the trembling members of the royal family and noted the complex expression of Marshal Ge Long.
Finally, he fixed his gaze on the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, who was being supported by several eunuchs. Xue Beng's face was as pale as paper, and he was barely able to stand on his own feet.
The Late Emperor suffered at the hands of the Spirit Hall and has passed away. The Empire has suddenly lost its main pillar, and the entire land is in turmoil. At this moment of life and death, the priority is that we should immediately crown a New Emperor to unite the people's hearts and reorganize our forces to resist the foreign enemy.
He paused for a short moment, his gaze sweeping across the field like something tangible, resting especially over Prince Xue Xing and Xue Beng.
However, a nation depends on a mature monarch, and even more so on strong support. Without strong troops within to deter the wicked, and without a sharp blade without to resist strong enemies, empty talk of allies and righteousness is nothing more than a castle in the air that will collapse in an instant. The Clear Sky Sect, relying on their martial power to incite internal strife, is of no benefit to the nation and is no longer useful.
Today, since my Spirit Hall has already stepped in and quelled this internal rebellion, then this heavy responsibility of purging the palace, stabilizing the court, protecting the New Emperor's succession, and resisting the Spirit Hall should naturally be undertaken solely by my Spirit Hall.
Tang Chen's gaze fell back onto Xue Beng, his voice peaceful yet carrying a weight of a thousand pounds that pressured everyone.
From today onward, everyone in the Heaven Dou Empire must strictly obey orders and resist the enemy with one heart. Anyone who feigns compliance while acting in opposition, colludes with foreign enemies, or like these few old dogs, lacks a sense of the big picture and causes internal chaos will face the consequences.
He did not finish his sentence, but the chilling intent to kill within his body, along with the extreme cold emanating from the six crystal-clear ice sculptures nearby, was already the best explanation for what would happen to traitors.
Hearing these harsh words, Prince Xue Xing felt cold all over his body, as if he had fallen deep into an ice cellar. He understood everything clearly now. This was not a discussion at all; it was a direct notification.
Tang Chen was not seeking the royal family's opinion on the matter, but was announcing to everyone that from this moment on, the supreme power and substantive controller of the Heaven Dou Empire had completely changed hands.
The royal family, especially the soon-to-be-crowned New Emperor Xue Beng, would become the most legitimate banner and a mere puppet for the Spirit Hall to control the entire Empire and command all parties.
Not far away from the pit, Sword Douluo's face was incredibly cold and his brow was deeply furrowed. His lips did not move at all, yet his spirit power was already quietly flowing, sending a condensed thread of sound transmission precisely into the ear of Ning Fengzhi beside him.
Fengzhi, this boy's methods are ruthless and his ambition is clear. He wants to completely grasp the Heaven Dou Empire in his palm and sideline the royal family. How should we conduct ourselves next?
Hearing this secret message, Ning Fengzhi stood in his place like a stone statue, his face even paler than usual. However, his gaze remained exceptionally clear, even carrying a hint of decisiveness that saw through the ways of the world. He was seen slowly and almost imperceptibly shaking his head, also responding to the old master via sound transmission.
Uncle Jian, the Tiandou Royal Family's momentum is gone; it cannot be salvaged by human effort. After this great change, their prestige has been completely swept away and their actual power is lost. They are already an empty shell with no value left to rely on. If my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School wants to rebuild the Sect and continue our legacy under the watchful eyes of the Spirit Hall, relying on such a broken royal family would be no different from a fool's dream.
Chen Xin's heart shook slightly upon hearing this realistic view, and he already understood Ning Fengzhi's dark meaning. He remained silent, looking at Ning Fengzhi with a complex gaze full of worry.
Ning Fengzhi did not transmit any more sound through his spirit power. He gently closed his eyes to collect his thoughts, and when he opened them again, they were filled with a calm stillness. His expression even carried a perfectly measured hint of admiration and approval for the young leader in the sky. In the next second, he took a firm step forward to a position where everyone on the battlefield could see him clearly. Then, toward Tang Chen's direction, he bowed his body slightly, and his clear and steady voice rang out across the ruins.
What Tang Chen has said is logical in every sentence and hits the mark on the current issues. At this time of national crisis, with the Late Emperor newly deceased and the Spirit Hall's arrogance reaching the heavens, what the Empire needs most is definitely not internal friction and empty talk, but a strong leader and a united force. The various Elders of the Clear Sky Sect disregarded the big picture and recklessly resorted to arms, nearly causing an even greater disaster.
Tang Chen's decisive disposal of them to quell the internal strife was truly a last resort, and was done for the stability of the Empire's overall situation. My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has been deeply graced by the Late Emperor and shares the Empire's joys and sorrows. Today, I, Ning Fengzhi, in the name of the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, fully support all efforts made by the Spirit Hall to stabilize the situation of the Empire.
I believe that under the assistance of Tang Chen and the various experts of the Spirit Hall, the New Emperor will surely be able to succeed the throne smoothly, the court will be reorganized, and everyone in the Empire will surely be united against the common enemy to resist foreign aggression, avenge the Late Emperor, and protect our land.
These loud words could be described as clear-cut and resounding to the ears of the crowd. He not only fully agreed with Tang Chen's act of killing the powerful members of the Clear Sky Sect, defining it as quelling internal strife for the sake of the big picture, but also directly expressed official support for Tang Chen and the Spirit Hall's leading position in the future structure of the Empire. He was intentionally placing the hope of assisting the New Emperor and reorganizing the court upon the ultimate power of the Spirit Hall.
This was equivalent to being in the dangerous vacuum period of imperial power, where the first and most heavyweight power on the continent had publicly handed over a pledge of loyalty to the Spirit Hall.
Hearing this shocking announcement, Prince Xue Xing's body swayed violently, and the very last trace of blood drained from his face. He knew that this supportive statement from the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had practically drawn a definitive period on the grand era of the royal family.
Half a month later, inside the vast Heaven Dou City, the atmosphere was thick with sorrow. The entire city was draped in white funeral cloth, and paper spirit money swirled through the lonely long streets with the cold wind. The coronation ceremony for the New Emperor, Xue Beng, was conducted in an extremely simple manner. Rather than a glorious enthronement, it felt more like a quiet transfer of power completed by the agents of the Spirit Hall under the dark shadow of funeral banners.
In the west area of the city, at Shrek Academy, black gauze hung over the old main gate, and the grand courtyard was completely desolate. Since the terrible news of the Palace Coup arrived, the people inside had been living in a constant state of panic.
The teachers and students had either returned to their homes or gone into hiding in other regions, and the bright bustle of the past was no more. The heavy oak door was slowly pushed open with a loud creak. Four travel-worn figures draped in plain-colored cloaks stepped onto the dry fallen leaves of late autumn and quietly entered the empty square of the silent academy.