New Emperor

At this moment, Luan Yu understood everything.

Her heart turned ice-cold as she finally realized what her elder sister and those other powerful figures had been doing.

At the same time, she also understood why the tides had been surging in the shadows of Mingdu, yet the emperor in the palace had taken no action, because he had been kept completely in the dark.

"Teacher, is this your will as well?"

Luan Yu gazed up at the sky, her expression bitter.

She couldn't believe that such a significant event could have occurred without her teacher knowing about it.

Clearly, her teacher shared the same vision as her elder sister.

Closing her eyes with sorrow, she knew that the emperor, beloved by the people and an advocate for peace with the Three Empires of the Douluo Continent, had been abandoned. Abandoned by everyone.

At this moment, the emperor's popularity among the people was utterly meaningless.

What did it matter if he was loved by the citizens?

This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, where power dictated authority.

And this emperor, through all his past actions, had stood in direct opposition to those who held true power.

His fate had long been sealed.

Throughout the night, the sounds of slaughter echoed within the palace.

Yet, strangely, a thin, transparent barrier blocked out all noise.

Even in the noble district, which was separated from the palace by only a single wall, no one could hear a thing.

As the first rays of dawn shone upon Mingdu, the emperor's younger brother, the empire's Prince Zhen, suddenly marched his troops into the capital and took control of all military forces.

Soon after, a shocking announcement spread throughout the entire Sun Moon Empire:

The reigning emperor had passed away suddenly during the night.

The empress and princess had died from food poisoning, and even the crown prince, Xu He, had not been spared. The nation mourned.

Not long after, the Prince Zhen, as the only remaining royal heir, ascended the throne with an iron grip.

Some opposed him, but all dissenters were swiftly and ruthlessly suppressed.

Moreover, the Five Great Hands of the Nation, the empire's most powerful protectors, openly declared their support for the Prince Zhen's ascension.

Even the Royal Worship Hall issued a statement endorsing him and urging him to take charge of the empire.

Originally, some citizens suspected that the Prince Zhen had orchestrated the emperor's demise.

But upon hearing that both the Five Great Hands and the Royal Worship Hall had recognized him, their doubts quickly vanished.

After all, if these supreme authorities acknowledged him, how could he possibly be a traitor?

The naïve citizens readily accepted this explanation.

In their eyes, Prince Zhen had secured the approval of the empire's highest powers within just three days, it must have been fate.

They could only sigh and lament the misfortune of the late emperor's family.

Of course, there were those who were perceptive enough to see the truth, but it was precisely because they were intelligent that they chose to remain silent.

The transition of power was unexpectedly smooth. There was no rebellion.

Prince Zhen already commanded a formidable army, and now, with the Five Great Hands standing behind him, no one was foolish enough to step forward as a martyr.

His actions were swift and decisive, giving no one the chance to react. He took control of Mingdu with overwhelming force.

In just half a month, he had already held a grand coronation ceremony, ascending the throne before the eyes of the citizens.

As expected, Xu Tianran was officially declared the Crown Prince.

Liuxing and Liuying stood beside Luan Yu, gazing at Xu Tianzhen, who stood atop the high platform, clad in resplendent royal robes. They couldn't help but sigh.

In just half a month, their childhood friend had gone from being a mere princess to an imperial princess.

At that moment, a hooded figure passed behind Liuxing, striding swiftly into a narrow alleyway.

Liuxing abruptly turned around, his eyes locked onto the retreating figure.

"What's wrong?"

Liuying looked at Liuxing curiously, following his gaze.

She too saw the hooded figure but couldn't understand why Liuxing was paying them any attention.

"It's nothing… That person's back looks a little familiar."

Liuxing shook his head and said no more.

"That Crown Prince Xu He also seems to be dead. What a pity, he was a decent person and even our senior," Liuxing sighed.

The thought of someone he had once been familiar with vanishing so silently stirred a faint ripple in his heart.

But Liuxing remained silent.

He knew all too well that the so-called 'death by poisoning' was nothing more than a joke.

With the information he had gathered recently, especially regarding Nana's situation, he didn't believe for a second that the entire imperial family had simply succumbed to food poisoning.

But he had no other thoughts on the matter.

Who sat on the throne was irrelevant to him.

Besides, he was well aware that his Aunt Feng had likely played a role in the events.

On that high platform, every noble and official present was involved in the conspiracy.

If Crown Prince Xu He were still alive, he would be an enemy now, because the people he sought revenge against included Liuxing's own family and friends.

Although Liuxing had a good impression of Xu He, an enemy was still an enemy.

And the best kind of enemy was a dead one.

"=(o｀))) sigh, positions and allegiances…"

Liuxing sighed. No one could ever predict if those who were once as close as brothers would one day draw their swords against each other due to opposing loyalties.

He was pragmatic. To him, Luan Yu and Luan Feng were his family.

If, one day, someone sought to harm them, even if that person was Xu Tianzhen or Ye Guyi, he would show no mercy.

However, the chances of such a scenario were slim.

And even if it did happen, he was prepared to make the necessary decisions.

Because Liuxing would always side with his own, regardless of who was right or wrong.

Meanwhile, across the continent…

The events in the Sun Moon Empire quickly spread across the land.

Star Luo Empire, Star Luo Palace.

The current Star Luo Emperor, Xu Jiawei, gazed toward the direction of the Sun Moon Empire, his expression clouded with worry.

"Elder Brother, the Sun Moon Empire has changed hands. What should we do?"

A crisp, melodious voice rang out.

From the voice alone, one could tell that its owner was of extraordinary beauty.

A young girl with golden hair, dressed in a flowing yellow gown, quickly approached Xu Jiawei, her face filled with concern.

"Don't worry, Jiujiu. We still have time. Send word to the White Tiger Duke, have him fortify our defenses and maintain full vigilance," Xu Jiawei said.

Hearing this, Xu Jiujiu's expression eased slightly.

She spoke solemnly, "Imperial Brother, the Sun Moon Empire is immensely powerful. The former emperor honored the terms of their defeat and always advocated for peace. But now that the empire has changed rulers, no one knows what their new emperor intends to do."

"I suggest we accelerate the development of soul tools as a precaution for the future."

Xu Jiawei sighed and shook his head with a bitter smile. "Do you think I don't want to? But soul tools aren't something that can be developed overnight. Without years of accumulation, it's impossible to catch up to the Sun Moon Empire. And within our own borders, opposition to soul tools remains strong. The resistance is too great. The Star Crown lineage alone cannot do it… It's difficult, difficult, difficult."

The threefold repetition of "difficult" conveyed all of Xu Jiawei's helplessness.

For thousands of years, the original three Douluo nations had harbored deep-seated prejudice against soul tools.

To the ancient soul master sects, soul tools were nothing but an unorthodox and dishonorable path.