Chapter 136 Overthrowing the Crown Prince.
Faith collapsed in an instant.
Those forces already at odds with the Crown Prince, after a brief moment of shock, were now gleaming with wild joy—this was the perfect opportunity to overthrow the Crown Prince! "Quick! Enter the palace immediately to see the Emperor! The Crown Prince… no, this scoundrel Qian Renxue must be captured immediately!"
"Mobilize private troops to assist the Imperial Guards in the encirclement! We absolutely cannot let the Spirit Hall spies escape!"
"Send a message to the border troops, telling them to prepare for a counterattack from the Spirit Hall!"
Chaos began to spread from the palace to the entire Heaven Dou City.
Meanwhile, in the Papal Palace of Spirit City, Bibi Dong stood atop the palace, gazing at the slowly fading golden list in the direction of Heaven Dou City. Her dark golden eyes held an extremely complex mix of emotions.
There was relief—her daughter had finally made it onto the list, gaining unimaginable fortune, her divinity awakened ahead of schedule, and her path to godhood was paved with ease.
There was also worry—Qian Renxue's identity had been completely exposed, and she was now trapped deep within the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, surrounded by enemies on all sides.
There was jealousy—the reward of "early awakening of divinity" was something even she, the inheritor of the Rakshasa God, had never received. Qian Renxue's talent and opportunities stung her, her mother.
There was also an indescribable sense of alienation.
Twenty years of lurking had transformed Qian Renxue from the daughter who depended on her mother. Their relationship, due to their differing stances, ideologies, and that painful past, was already riddled with cracks.
"Xue'er..."
Bibi Dong softly uttered this long-unheard name, a rare tenderness flashing in her eyes, but quickly replaced by coldness.
"Send orders to the Hall of Worship."
She turned, her voice regaining its Pope's authority, "Have Qian Daoliu immediately proceed to Tiandou City to provide support. Furthermore, mobilize the 'Angel Legion' to stand by; if necessary... we can intervene forcefully."
"But Your Majesty," an elder hesitated.
"The Heavenly Dou Empire is, after all, a great empire. If we openly send troops into our territory, it might trigger a full-scale war. And what about Seagod Island…"
"Execute the order," Bibi Dong coldly interrupted. "Qian Renxue is the young master of the Hall of Worship, the inheritor of the Angel God. If anything happens to her, those old fogies in the Hall of Worship will go mad. As for Seagod Island… Poseidon hasn't landed yet, there's no time to interfere."
"Yes!"
The elder hurriedly withdrew.
Bibi Dong looked north again, her eyes flashing with cold light.
"Xue Ye… if you dare to harm my daughter even a little…"
"I will make the Heavenly Dou Empire… bleed rivers."
Deep Sea Demon Whale Region.
The Demon Emperor rarely showed a serious expression.
"Qian Renxue… the inheritor of the Angel God… her divinity awakened prematurely…" she murmured to herself, a hint of apprehension flashing in her deep blue eyes. "Light divinity naturally counters my abyssal demonic energy. This little girl… will be a problem in the future."
She pondered for a moment, then ordered, "Have the coastal forces temporarily withdraw to the deep sea. Before dealing with Poseidon and Bibi Dong, do not provoke the Angel God faction."
"Yes!"
On the high seas, Poseidon's fleet could already clearly see the outline of Han Hai City.
She gazed in the direction of Tian Dou City, a hint of understanding flashing in her azure eyes.
"So that's how it is… the Crown Prince of Tian Dou is actually the inheritor of the Angel God." She murmured to herself.
"The Spirit Hall has been plotting for twenty years, its ambitions are not small. Now that its identity has been exposed, the Tian Dou Empire will inevitably be thrown into internal strife… the situation on the continent is truly about to spiral out of control."
A guardian Douluo stepped forward: "High Priest, should we take this opportunity..."
"No." Poseidon shook her head, "Our primary goal is to restrain the Demon Emperor and maintain the balance between the sea and the land. As long as the internal strife of the human empire doesn't affect innocent civilians, Seagod Island shouldn't get too involved."
She paused, then added, "However, we can secretly monitor Qian Renxue's movements. Early awakening of divinity... this is extremely rare among all the inheritors of gods throughout history. This girl might become a key variable in this era."
In the far north, the Snow Empress simply commented with two words: "Interesting."
To her, the power games of the human empire were like children playing.
What truly deserved attention was the "Flame of Divine Light" within Qian Renxue—a seed that had touched the very essence of the laws, which, when it grew, might become an aid in the fight against the Abyss.
At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Fengzhi, after a brief moment of shock, immediately realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Immediately contact all our forces in Heaven Dou City!"
He ordered urgently. "Assist the royal family in capturing Qian Renxue! Remember, alive! She is the young master of the Spirit Hall, a crucial bargaining chip in our future negotiations!"
"Also, send a message to Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu, instructing them to expedite the acquisition of Rongrong's fifth spirit ring, and then return immediately! The continent... is about to change!"
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.
Qian Renxue slowly landed, the golden holy flames around her receding into her body, leaving only a faint golden halo enveloping her.
The six-winged angel phantom behind her also slowly dissipated, but that sacred and majestic aura was deeply imprinted on this space, and would not dissipate for a while.
"Creak—"
The study door was violently pushed open.
Dozens of fully armed imperial guards rushed in, led by three royal retainers at the Soul Douluo level.
They held weapons, formed a battle formation, and surrounded Qian Renxue, but their eyes all carried undisguised fear and apprehension.
Qian Renxue simply looked at them calmly, her golden eyes devoid of joy or sorrow.
"Your Highness... no, Qian Renxue," the head retainer said in a deep voice, "His Majesty has decreed the removal of your title as Crown Prince and ordered us to arrest you and take you to the Heavenly Prison to await your fate. Please... do not resist."
His tone was forceful, but anyone could hear the underlying weakness beneath his bravado.
After all, this woman had just ascended to the "Goddess Ranking," receiving heaven-defying rewards such as divine awakening, martial soul evolution, and domain enhancement; her strength was far beyond their comprehension.
Qian Renxue did not answer immediately.
She glanced around at these once respectful ministers and guards, now turning against her with swords drawn.
There was no anger, no sorrow, only a chilling calm.
Twenty years of lurking had accustomed her to pretense, and she had long since seen through the hearts of men.
"Lead the way," she said calmly, her voice terrifyingly serene.
The retainers were stunned, not expecting her to be so compliant.
But they quickly realized something was wrong—although Qian Renxue said "lead the way," she didn't move at all, simply standing there as if waiting for something.
"You…" the elder was about to speak when…
"Boom—!!!"
An extremely terrifying divine pressure erupted from Qian Renxue's body!
It wasn't soul power pressure, but… divine pressure!
The newly awakened divine flame of light, though weak, contained an essence that transcended the mortal realm.
This pressure swept over them, and all the guards with soul power below level eighty instantly knelt on the ground, unable to even lift their heads.
(End of Chapter)