Chapter 305: The Throne Shattered Before the Crown Falls
Xiao Hongchen fell into deep silence.
The notion of regicide—killing the emperor—wasn't something he'd ever considered. As a noble raised and educated within the Sun Moon Empire, the idea of killing the monarch was not only unthinkable but practically heresy.
Yet, when Xiao Qiang spoke with such certainty, and with all that Xu Tianran had done, Xiao Hongchen found himself… unable to object.
"Then… what do we do now?"
Before he could finish, the doors were pushed open. Xue Di entered the room, guiding Princess Jiujiu, who looked pale and afraid. Her regal demeanor was long gone, replaced by caution and uncertainty.
Seeing Xiao Qiang gently comforting Meng Hongchen, Xue Di paused at the door.
"Sorry. I came at the wrong time."
Xiao Qiang raised his hand toward her, his expression calm.
"No. You came at the perfect time."
Meanwhile, inside the imperial palace's grand hall…
"Your Highness, are you sure about this? You've just moved against Jing Hongchen. I fear his supporters will not stay silent."
Ju Zi, who now held the title of Crown Princess in place of Regent Princess, voiced her concern as she stood beside Xu Tianran.
Xu Tianran looked troubled. He knew well that stripping Jing Hongchen of his power at this moment would cause unrest. But this was also the weakest Jing Hongchen had ever been. If he waited—if he allowed Jing Hongchen to return to his position as Dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and Master of Mingde Hall—then his influence would rebound with full force.
In a world where knowledge equaled power, letting Jing Hongchen regain his authority would be like planting a bomb beneath his throne.
Worse still, two years ago, Xu Tianran had leaked the news of Jing Hongchen's travel to the Douluo Three Kingdoms, resulting in an ambush that nearly claimed the elder's life. Although the incident didn't cause long-term damage, Xu Tianran knew he had played a dangerous game. Even if his tracks had been covered, could he afford to bet everything on that secret never surfacing?
Now that the Holy Spirit Church was destroyed, and the balance of power was fragile, any discovery of betrayal could topple him. Jing Hongchen was still connected to Xiao Qiang. If the two combined forces…
No. He had to strike first.
Destroy Jing Hongchen's power base. And once the original Douluo Kingdoms were dealt with, he could centralize power and then slowly begin cutting away Xiao Qiang's influence, especially after acquiring the soul-spirit crafting method.
Ju Zi tried one last time.
"Your Highness, even if you don't care about Jing Hongchen, at least consider Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. In ten years, they could both be Super Douluo… or even Level 10 Soul Engineers."
Even Shadow Douluo, standing silently by Xu Tianran's side, nodded.
"Your Majesty, the consequences may be irreversible."
Xu Tianran narrowed his eyes. Shadow Douluo… knew too much. One day, that would be a problem.
But not yet.
Feigning understanding, Xu Tianran replied,
"I understand your concerns. But the Academy was bombed. Millions are dead. If I do not seek justice, how can I face the empire as its ruler? No… I've made up my mind."
He turned to Ju Zi.
"Push me to the main hall. It's time I received the allegiance of all officials."
Ju Zi, who still remained loyal despite her growing disillusionment, could only lower her gaze and comply. She pushed Xu Tianran's wheelchair toward the grand throne room, where level-nine soul engineers, Titled Douluo, and court officials had gathered to witness the coronation.
Yet just before Xu Tianran could formally ascend the throne…
Xiao Qiang arrived.
The court fell silent at his sudden appearance.
Seeing him, Xu Tianran's first instinct was to greet him with false courtesy. But Xiao Qiang did not give him the chance.
"Everyone," Xiao Qiang said calmly, "Crown Prince Xu Tianran was unfortunate. Before he could receive the mandate of heaven, he died of sudden illness. Did anyone here witness it?"
A collective gasp rippled through the court.
"Nonsense!"
Shadow Douluo instantly moved in front of Xu Tianran, shielding him. "His Highness is alive and well—how dare you spout such lies!"
But before he could say more, a shadow fell across him.
Crack!
A hand landed lightly on his head.
Shadow Douluo looked up—only to see Xiao Sheng, smiling coldly.
"Don't act like a clown."
Shadow Douluo attacked, but before his fist could land, he was consumed by the massive form of Xiao Sheng's Bone Dragon Soul, swallowed and dragged into a void of darkness. His fate was left unknown.
Gasps turned into stunned silence. One of the empire's strongest warriors… erased in seconds.
All eyes turned to Kong Deming, the symbolic pillar of the Sun Moon Empire.
Kong Deming stepped forward and sighed.
"Xiao Qiang… Xu Tianran was about to ascend the throne. Is this really…"
But before he could finish, Xiao Qiang interrupted coldly.
"Master, would you protect the one who betrayed my teacher?"
The room chilled.
Though Kong Deming was nominally Xiao Qiang's senior, their relationship was superficial. The only tie between them was Kong's alliance with Jing Hongchen.
He was not untouchable.
Kong Deming sighed again. His gaze softened, and he silently stepped aside.
It was done.
Only Ju Zi stood between Xiao Qiang and the throne.
Her loyalty remained. She stood defiantly in front of Xu Tianran, ready to defend him—even with her life.
Xiao Qiang's eyes narrowed.
"Crown Princess, surely… you don't want the Crown Prince to die too miserably, do you?"