[DD2]: 146

The three figures departed, and the oppressive aura that had intimidated the world finally dissipated.

Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujui both let out a sigh of relief, their backs drenched in cold sweat.

"So this is the pressure of an unparalleled powerhouse. It's truly terrifying."

As if sensing the oppressive aura vanish, the once-dormant presence around Star Luo Imperial Palace began to stir. One by one, figures emerged from the shadows, and the Chief of the Worship Temple also flew out from the main hall behind them.

It was evident that everyone had been injured, but none of the injuries were severe—at least, not life-threatening.

Yet earlier, not a single one of them dared to step forward.

Xu Jiawei, naturally, noticed this and cast an odd look at them.

"So these are the Elders of Worship Temple? Just standing by and watching me get bullied? All of you pretending to be dead in hiding?"

He had some choice words in his mind but held them back.

The Chief and the others noticed Xu Jiawei's gaze but remained indifferent, their thick skin unbothered by his scorn.

In their view, their actions were completely rational. After all, they couldn't possibly win. Why risk their lives?

For a few hundred coins a month, were they supposed to gamble with their lives?

Their reasons for joining the Worship Temple were to enjoy better benefits, not to fight to the death. Besides, the two sect masters of the Clear Sky Sect hadn't shown any malicious intent—they wouldn't destroy the nation or harm the emperor. Thus, there was no need to provoke them unnecessarily.

As for Xu Jiawei losing face?

So be it. Losing face wouldn't kill anyone.

They accepted their cowardice with ease of mind.

After all, wasn't it normal to lose to the likes of an Ultimate Douluo?

Xu Jiawei knew better than to bring this up now—it wasn't a wise move.

Besides, even if these people had backed down, hadn't he compromised? The enemy was simply too powerful. Blaming them wouldn't solve anything.

"Your Majesty, are you unharmed?"

The Chief approached Xu Jiawei and asked.

Rolling his eyes, Xu Jiawei replied, "I'm fine. How about you, Chief? Are your injuries severe?"

"Taking a direct hit wasn't easy; I'm not lightly injured. I'll need a good period of rest to recover," the Chief said, coughing a few times to feign severe wounds.

The other elders chimed in, claiming their injuries were also severe.

Xu Jiawei's lips twitched, but he chose to offer reassurances instead.

"Well, Chief and the rest of you, take the time you need to recover. Your health is paramount."

He had no choice but to placate them. They were vital assets of the Star Luo Empire, essential pillars of strength.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty," the Chief replied.

After some polite exchanges, the members of the Worship Temple retreated, leaving only Xu Jiawei and his sister Xu Jiujui standing amidst the ruins.

Looking at the shattered remnants of the palace before him, Xu Jiawei sighed helplessly.

"They came to our doorstep and tore our home apart. This is the ultimate humiliation."

"Brother Emperor, this disgrace is all my fault. If I hadn't handled matters poorly, our royal family wouldn't have suffered such shame."

Xu Jiujui's face was pale, her hair disheveled, and her once pristine dress now appeared messy.

She resembled a swan with broken wings, her former pride entirely crushed. The events of the day had dealt her a heavy blow, shattering her arrogance completely.

True strength commands respect. In the face of truly powerful individuals, even a princess—or an emperor—must bow their heads.

This incident had taught Xu Jiujui a profound lesson.

"It's not your fault," Xu Jiawei said gravely.

"I was the one who instructed you to act. Who could have predicted Wang Dong's identity would be so elevated, or that the Clear Sky Sect would be so powerful?"

His expression darkened, his eyes gleaming with sharpness.

"The real blame lies with Dai Hao. If it weren't for his suggestion to question Wang Dong, how could we have offended the Clear Sky Sect?"

Xu Jiawei's resentment toward Dai Hao was evident. Without Dai Hao's proposal, the Star Lou Empire likely wouldn't have provoked the Clear Sky Sect—and wouldn't have endured this humiliation.

"Brother Emperor, are you suggesting that Duke White Tiger did this intentionally, hoping to use another's blade to harm us?"

Xu Jiujui's eyes widened in shock.

Xu Jiawei nodded.

"It's possible. Ever since we seized power from the Dai family, they've probably never stopped dreaming of reclaiming it."

"Outwardly, they pose as loyal ministers and virtuous generals, but in truth, they harbor sinister intentions.

"Now, with Dai Hao commanding the most elite forces in the Star Luo Empire, his ambition must have swelled long ago."

As he spoke, Xu Jiawei's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

No emperor could tolerate a disloyal subject. Even the suspicion of treason was enough to awaken a ruler's desire to eliminate the threat.

"Brother Emperor, does this mean you intend to move against Duke White Tiger?"

"No," Xu Jiawei shook his head.

"The Sun and Moon Empire is watching us like a hawk. This is not the time to act against Dai Hao."

"Taking action against him now would undoubtedly cause major upheaval within the empire. Should the Sun and Moon Empire seize this opportunity to invade, the consequences would be disastrous."

"This matter must be approached gradually," Xu Jiawei said, suppressing the bloodlust surging within him.

It wasn't the right moment to act. At the very least, they needed someone capable of replacing Dai Hao or a way to ensure the Sun and Moon Empire wouldn't pose a short-term threat to Star Lou. Only then could they deal with Dai Hao, the poison within their ranks.

For now, overt action was off the table, but covertly creating trouble for Dai Hao was certainly possible. As an emperor, such tactics came naturally to him.

"You're right, Brother Emperor. Duke White Tiger holds significant influence, and with the Sun and Moon Empire looming, we must plan carefully," Xu Jiujui agreed. Then she added, "After this incident, should we temporarily suspend the tournament?"

"No. Continue as planned. We can use the Soul Fighting Tournament to divert public attention. The impact of this incident must be minimized as much as possible."

"Moreover, the tournament generates considerable revenue daily. As you can see, the Star Luo Palace has been destroyed to this extent. Repairs will require a substantial amount of money."

Xu Jiawei gestured to the ruined surroundings.

The palace wasn't just any ordinary structure. Its materials, from wood to floor tiles, were meticulously chosen and extravagantly priced.

Repairing a palace required an enormous investment.

Tai Tan and Niu Tian might have enjoyed their rampage, but the Star Luo Empire had suffered millions in damages. Without finding ways to offset the costs, the treasury alone couldn't bear the burden.

"You're right, Brother Emperor."

Xu Jiujui fell silent, realizing the financial strain. The destruction of the imperial palace would indeed cost a fortune to repair.

"Brother Emperor, since funds are tight, what about the auction we had planned?"

Her eyes sparkled with the idea of raising funds.

"Add more rare and valuable items to the auction this time. Let's aim to earn as much as possible," Xu Jiawei replied.

"Also, use that item we obtained earlier. This time, we're going to make the Sun Moon Empire suffer a big loss."

"It wouldn't be fair if only my Star Luo Empire had to endure misfortune."

Xu Jiawei smiled.

Xu Jiujiu silently nodded. If that item was taken out, it would drive every participant at the auction mad. The appeal of that item to soul masters was just too powerful.

"This is a trap specially designed for the Sun Moon Empire. But I believe that even if they know it's a trap, they'll still walk into it," Xu Jiawei said with full confidence. This plan had been crafted solely to target the Sun Moon Empire.

"Besides, with this auction, we should be able to recoup some money. By then, we'll have enough funds to repair the imperial palace and cover military expenses."

"Oh, right, Jiujiu, regarding the apology to Wang Dong, I'm afraid you'll have to endure a bit of grievance." Xu Jiawei looked at his sister with a trace of heartache.

His younger sister had never experienced such grievances since she was a child. But this time, she had no choice. If they couldn't satisfy the two sect masters of the Clear Sky Sect, the matter would never be resolved.

He did not want to be under the constant watch of two peerless powerhouses.

"I understand brother," Xu Jiujiu nodded. She remained calm because she knew she had no other option in this matter. To earn Wang Dong's forgiveness, she had to apologize.

"Alright. From what I see, Wang Dong possesses twin martial souls—the Bright Goddess Butterfly and the Clear Sky Hammer. Here's what we'll do. I recall that there's a 60,000-year-old Sacred Radiance White Tiger left leg bone in the inner treasury. Take it with you and present it to Wang Dong," Xu Jiawei said softly.

Xu Jiujiu lifted her head, her eyes filled with surprise as she glanced at Xu Jiawei. Then she nodded again.

She understood. The 60,000-year-old Sacred Radiance White Tiger's left leg bone was indeed precious. But if it could resolve this issue, it would be worth it.

"Brother, do you think the words of the Clear Sky Sect's master are true?"

Of course, she was referring to Niu Tian's statement that the Clear Sky Sect would not side with the Sun Moon Empire or interfere in the empire's power struggles.

"Supreme powerhouses like him do not need to lie," Xu Jiawei firmly believed in Niu Tian's words.

Of course, even if he didn't believe it, it wouldn't matter. After all, could the Star Luo Empire afford to offend the Clear Sky right now?

Absolutely not.

Offending an Ultimate Douluo meant living in constant fear, never able to sleep soundly. While Ultimate Douluo might not be able to face an army of a million head-on, assassinating kings and generals would be as easy as slaughtering chickens.

"More importantly, I'm curious about the identity of the person who appeared last."

"That aura was terrifyingly powerful. Just from the Clear Sky Sect master's reaction, it's clear that this individual's faction is likely no weaker than the Clear Sky Sect."

From his interactions with the Clear Sky Sect, Xu Jiawei had come to understand their personalities somewhat. They were a typical "punch first, talk later" kind of people. If your strength wasn't sufficient, they wouldn't even acknowledge your existence.

Yet, even someone as domineering as Tai Tan had to show some restrained to that last individual. And even Niu Tian had an attitude of friendly cooperation. This suggested that the person must also hail from a supreme faction.

But no matter how hard he tried to recall, Xu Jiawei couldn't think of any known faction that matched this description.

Hearing Xu Jiawei's thoughts, Xu Jiujium frowned and said, "Brother, there's one more thing that I find puzzling."

She then described her encounter with Wang Dong, as well as the relationship between Wang Dong and a person named Su Yu.

"That Su Yu was even able to command Wang Dong. He must have an extraordinary background," Xu Jiujiu remarked.

If she hadn't learned of Wang Dong's identity, she wouldn't have given it much thought. But now that she knew Wang Dong was the Young Master of the Clear Sky Sect, this detail felt significant.

For Wang Dong to defer to Su Yu, the weight of Su Yu's status could only be imagined.

After hearing Xu Jiujiu's story, Xu Jiawei's expression grew serious. Suddenly, he thought of something.

"Jiujiu, do you remember what that last person said when he appeared? He said he had come 'under the orders of the Young Master,' right?"

"Could it be that the 'Young Master' they were referring to is Su Yu?"

Xu Jiujiu's eyes widened in shock.

"It's highly likely. No, it must be Su Yu."

"There's no way so many people with extraordinary backgrounds could suddenly appear at the same time. The powerful figure who appeared later is, in all likelihood, from Su Yu's faction."

"But where exactly does Su Yu come from?"

"If he has such powerful allies, he shouldn't be some unknown figure. Unless… he's from a hidden sect. Wait… a hidden sect?"

As she spoke, Xu Jiujiu suddenly paused, as if she had stumbled upon something groundbreaking.

"Brother, since even the Clear Sky Sect can operate as a hidden sect, could it be that Su Yu and that powerhouse are also from a hidden sect?"

"I remember Su Yu saying he's from the Heavenly Soul Empire. What hidden sects exist within the Heavenly Soul Empire?"

"Other than the Clear Sky Sect, there's also…"

"The Ice God Palace!"

Xu Jiawei suddenly exclaimed.

"I understand now! It has to be the Ice God Palace!"

Xu Jiawei's face was filled with excitement.

"I've been thinking about it all wrong. I kept focusing on the well-known factions, but I never considered the hidden sects."

"If we're talking about hidden sects, then the Ice God Palace is absolutely at the top of the list!"

"Ice God Palace? I've never heard of it," Xu Jiujiu said, puzzled.

"The Ice God Palace is a hidden superpower that has existed even longer than the Clear Sky Sect," Xu Jiawei explained.

"They rarely reveal themselves on the mainland. Few people know about them."

"But their strength is unquestionable. The most famous incident involving them was when they threw out the Body Sect's sect master who had trespassed into their domain."

"At that time, it was a shocking event that stunned the entire continent."

"Mind you, the Body Sect's sect master had already reached level 98, just one step away from becoming Ultimate Douluo."

"Even so, he was still driven out by the Ice God Palace and had to flee in disgrace. What's more, he didn't dare seek revenge."

"Everyone on the continent knows how arrogant and unruly the Body Sect is. They don't even give a face to Shrek Academy. But after being humiliated by the Ice God Palace, they didn't dare retaliate. That alone tells you how powerful the Ice God Palace is."

"Legend has it that the most powerful figure in the Ice God Palace is known as the High Priest. Given his ice attributes, I'm almost certain that the figure who appeared later is a member of the Ice God Palace."

"As for Su Yu, he's probably from the Ice God Palace as well. And judging by the deference shown to him, he likely holds a high status within it."

"Only with this reasoning can we explain why even the Young Master of the Clear Sky Sect, Wang Dong, is willing to follow him."