Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Dugu Bo had been hesitant in front of the palace because he was unaware of the situation and feared that he might harm Emperor Xueye inside. However, he was much less cautious about breaking through the encirclement. The poisonous mist bypassed everyone and rushed straight to the rear. The palace guards who had surrounded him were no match for the Poison Douluo's methods and were quickly wiped out.

"Don't let them leave, don't retreat, chase after them, fire arrows, fire arrows..." Xue Qinghe naturally noticed that Xue Beng and Xue Xing had changed their minds and were trying to break through. He was also aware of his uncle's power and naturally did not want them to escape.

However, no matter how loudly he shouted, these palace guards were not fools. Dugu Bo's poisonous fog was so terrifying that no one dared to come into direct contact with it. After a large number of people were killed or injured, no one dared to stop them. There were quite a few arrows that pursued them, but they could not hurt the layers of protection that protected Xue Beng and Xue Xing.

"You bastards, how dare you..." Xue Qinghe was furious as he watched Xue Beng and Xue Xing's group escape from sight under Dugu Bo's cover. He wanted to interrogate the imperial guards who had just arrived, but he was persuaded by a group of his trusted subordinates and did not act impulsively.

"Your Highness." At this moment, a rough and tired voice rang out beside Xue Qinghe. He turned his head and saw Xuan Ling, who was covered in blood, walking to his side. He quickly suppressed his anxiety and showed concern.

"Mr. Xuan, are you alright?" Xue Qinghe was quite concerned about Xuan Ling. After being rescued by him, Xuan Ling had worked for him for many years and was already a trusted confidant. Moreover, Xuan Ling was strong and had high potential, and was expected to become a Title Douluo. Just now, Xuan Ling had single-handedly blocked Dugu Bo, so Xue Qinghe was naturally concerned about his condition.

Xuan Ling shook his head, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xue Qinghe and said, "Your Highness, my injuries are minor, but that Dugu Bo is indeed a problem. If he attacks the palace again, I'm afraid I alone cannot withstand him." Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe's face darkened.

“This old fellow has clearly already pledged allegiance to the Spirit Hall, yet he occupies a position of royal honors and has always been close to my royal uncle. Isn’t this a scheme by the Spirit Hall to scheme against our royal family?” Xuan Ling hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Your Highness, now is not the time to be angry with him. If we want to stop Dugu Bo, we need more powerful figures. Fortunately, you are usually kind and generous, and many people recognize your position as the eldest son. For example, the three members of the Tiandou Royal Academy's teaching committee are said to be at odds with Dugu Bo and Prince Xue Xing…”

Chapter 410 A Comeback

“Mr. Xuan is absolutely right. I was just too hasty and confused before…” Inside the palace, Xue Qinghe heard him suggest involving the three committees of the Tiandou Royal Academy in this matter. He hesitated for a moment before arranging for someone to invite the three committees and other academy experts to the palace.

Originally, the fewer people who knew about tonight's events, the better. However, with Xue Xing, Xue Beng, and the others escaping the palace, the matter is likely to escalate. Therefore, Xue Qinghe has no choice but to use all his power to make those treacherous officials pay the price.

"Your Highness, Mr. Yi reports that His Majesty has awakened." Just as Xue Qinghe and his other confidants were discussing how to persuade the general in the city to take control of the capital as soon as possible, his subordinates reported that Emperor Xue Ye had been revived.

Xue Qinghe hesitated for a moment, first discussing matters with his subordinates and making arrangements for various aspects, before finally entering the palace to see his father, the Emperor.

"Father." Xue Qinghe was startled when he saw his father again. Emperor Xue Ye seemed to have aged a lot in a short period of time. His hair was white, his face was full of wrinkles, and there was still some black blood at the corner of his mouth that he had not wiped clean.

"Your second uncle and fourth brother have arrived." Emperor Xueye coldly stared at Xue Qinghe. Although he was weak at the moment, he exuded an indescribable aura, which made Xue Qinghe feel a little scared.

"Father, Second Uncle and Fourth Brother led men to forcibly break into the palace, and even had Dugu Bo use poison. They must be in cahoots with the Spirit Hall!"

"You're foolish, you're careless, and you act so recklessly, even harming your own uncle and brothers! Are you trying to drive me crazy?" Emperor Xueye's stern shout startled Xue Qinghe half to death. Fortunately, the father didn't pursue the matter further. Looking at the somewhat timid Xue Qinghe, he sighed and said, "But it seems you haven't completely lost your mind; you still care about your father's life. The reason for my poisoning is strange; there are probably other traitors within the palace." Emperor Xueye observed Xue Qinghe's reaction as he spoke. Seeing the prince's uneasy expression, he vaguely guessed that the prince might also be involved in his problem. However, the poison that had just acted up shouldn't be related to him; otherwise, his foolish son wouldn't have bothered to have someone revive him.

"How is the situation now?" Emperor Xueye sighed inwardly and inquired about the situation outside. At present, he was controlled by Xue Qinghe and was more inclined to support the crown prince. Naturally, he still had to show a friendly attitude towards Xue Qinghe.

Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe hurriedly said, "Father, after escaping the palace, Second Uncle and Fourth Brother rallied their old troops; they are indeed plotting a rebellion..."

"Look what you've done." Emperor Xueye glared angrily at the Crown Prince. He naturally understood that Prince Xuexing and Xuebeng were most likely forced into rebellion by Xue Qinghe. However, given the current situation, he could only stand on the side of the Crown Prince.

This was not because Emperor Xueye was senile, nor because he had no grudges against Xue Qinghe, but rather a decision made after weighing the interests involved.

Although Xue Beng and Xue Qinghe are both his sons, he has always paid more attention to Xue Qinghe, the crown prince. He rarely sees one of them, while he has been cultivating the other for many years, so he naturally has a bias in his choice.

Now that Xue Beng and Xue Xing are entangled, regardless of whether they were wronged or forced into rebellion, if they successfully defeat Xue Qinghe, it will definitely not be a good thing for Emperor Xue Ye.

For many years, Xue Beng has presented himself as a playboy. After seizing the throne, he will inevitably rely on Xue Xing, at least in the early stages. No matter how close Xue Xing is to him, he is still just his brother. It is hard to say that he will not have designs on the throne. Emperor Xue Ye must take this into consideration.

Although Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was somewhat disobedient, he was still his son, and at least he had gone to great lengths to save him just now, which showed that he wasn't truly heartless. Emperor Xueye naturally made a choice.

"Qinghe, I can order troops to protect the palace. If Xue Beng and Xue Xing really act impulsively, promise me that you will not let your own flesh and blood kill each other." After thinking for a moment, Emperor Xue Ye spoke in a deep voice. Although he had already transferred a large part of his power to Xue Qinghe, he still kept a tight grip on military power, especially the city guards and the imperial guards.

The true elite of the royal guards are not actually in the palace, or at least not entirely within the palace currently controlled by Xue Qinghe.

If Emperor Xueye were to order the mobilization of troops, he would be confident in quelling this turmoil.

"Father, I have already sent people to invite the three Education Commissioners and other retainers. Given the current situation, I would like to try myself." Xue Qinghe naturally understood what Emperor Xue Ye meant, but he also had his own considerations. If Emperor Xue Ye were to mobilize troops to quell the chaos, there was a high probability that the situation would slip out of his control, which would contradict his deepest thoughts.

"If that's how you want it, then so be it. If the Education Commission and all the esteemed guests come, that's fine too." Emperor Xueye glanced at Xue Qinghe, and with just a look, he understood his son's thoughts. After thinking for a moment, he nodded.

His own idea was naturally to quell the chaos as soon as possible, but now that the palace was under Xue Qinghe's control, he had to cooperate with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince clearly wanted to completely destroy Xue Xing and Xue Beng and settle the matter, so he was temporarily unwilling to let him give orders to intervene.

Moreover, barring any unforeseen circumstances, his second younger brother, Xue Xing, is also unwilling to accept defeat. The two of them are definitely thinking of having a showdown, which is certainly not a good thing for the royal family, but Emperor Xue Ye can't stop them for the time being.

Although he was highly skilled, he was still just an old man, and he could only agree to the situation. Anyway, he was already awake and was confident that he could handle everything once the royal education committee and the retainers arrived. Let these people make trouble if they wanted to.

...In the early hours of the morning, a somber atmosphere enveloped the entire Tiandou City. Inside the palace, countless imperial guards vigilantly guarded all sides of the palace gates.

Just as the first hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, a loud bugle call rang out from the end of the long street in the distance, and a murderous aura swept over, making the guards at the gate tense.

A faint reflection appeared on the street corner in the distance, and a group of about a thousand elite infantrymen of the Imperial Guard quickly arrived outside the palace gate. Immediately afterward, the sound of hooves could be heard from further away. Not only infantrymen, but also cavalrymen followed behind and surrounded the palace gate.

The rapid hoofbeats were like thunder, and the many Imperial Guards looking down from their high positions couldn't help but make a commotion. From a street corner in the distance, a troop of heavily armored cavalry galloped in. These cavalrymen were clearly the elite of the elite. Their uniform black steel armor was almost non-reflective, and their synchronized movements gave people a sense of overwhelming power.

The thousand-strong cavalry galloped along, their hooves pounding rhythmically on the blue stone pavement.

These elite knights were also exceptionally skilled at riding horses. The thousand cavalrymen formed a long, orderly line, so compact and disciplined that even the sound of their hooves was perfectly synchronized.

Before the cavalry arrived, the infantry who had already surrounded the palace gates had formed a square formation and made way for them. The cavalry suddenly slowed down, and the horses, under the skillful handling of their riders, did not lose their rhythm and came to a neat stop below the imperial city.

The thousand knights suddenly split into two groups like a wave, and then, amidst even more waves of ice armor, a group of elite knights, guarding a few people, slowly rode to the front of the formation.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Guard has probably mobilized at least ten thousand men." At this moment, some figures also appeared on the imperial city. Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and his confidants led the way, and under the protection of several generals, they watched the Tian Dou Imperial Guard, which was not clearly visible at the end of the street.

"Xue Xing is really going to rebel. Can't he just stay in the Prince's Mansion obediently?" Even though Xue Qinghe was mentally prepared, he was still furious when he saw so many soldiers surrounding the Imperial City. He could still handle the Imperial Palace Guards, but as for the Capital Guards, unless Emperor Xue Ye gave the order, his status as the Crown Prince was no match for Xue Xing's.

At this moment, in front of the palace gates of the imperial city, large numbers of the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Capital Guards were facing each other. The commotion caused by this tense scene naturally stirred up undercurrents throughout the entire Tiandou City.

In fact, ever since Xuexing and Xuebeng successfully broke out of the imperial city, the commotion had already spiraled out of control. The current massive scene was nothing more than tearing off the last fig leaf of the royal family, letting many people know about this power struggle within the royal court.

"Prince Xuexing, if I remember correctly, you have already had your military power revoked. Generals, you are the pillars of the empire. Today, you have probably been deceived. If you repent, I can petition His Majesty to forgive and forget..." On the imperial city, Xue Qinghe saw more and more city guards appearing and knew that he could not delay any longer. He quickly appeared on the city wall and spoke loudly.

His personal appearance and speech, including remarks about treason, naturally caused a stir among the city guards.

As mentioned earlier, Emperor Xueye relinquished a great deal of power in order to cultivate Xue Qinghe. Everyone in the empire knew how much the emperor valued the crown prince and was also aware that this prince would most likely inherit the throne in the future.

While the city guard commanders were more inclined to support Prince Xuexing, the lower-ranking soldiers were somewhat unsettled.

After all, the Crown Prince has now spoken out, saying that they are plotting a rebellion, so naturally some people have concerns.

"Xue Qinghe, you beast who disregards human ethics! As the eldest brother, you murdered your father and brothers, poisoned the Second and Third Princes, and even harmed your elder brother, Emperor Xue Ye! I, the Prince, have received a secret decree and am determined to set things right!" At this moment, Prince Xue Xing's voice also rang out from the Imperial Guard. He had come in such a grand manner, and naturally he would not allow Xue Qinghe to continue to succeed. Today, he was determined to bring down this Crown Prince.

"Xue Xing, how dare you spout such nonsense and slander! You've falsely claimed to be acting on imperial orders, and the secret decree is fake while the rebellion is real. I think you really don't want to live anymore." Xue Qinghe was naturally very dissatisfied with Prince Xue Xing's words. There were some things he had never done, so how could he admit to them? Moreover, in his eyes, Xue Xing was now a traitor who had to be eliminated.

Chapter 411 The Army Marches Towards the Imperial Palace

"Xue Qinghe, further words are useless. Today, I, the Prince, will surely set things right and attack the city." Prince Xue Xing, having commanded troops for many years, knew that today's matter could not be delayed any longer. After exchanging words with Xue Qinghe, he would directly order the attack on the city.

Just after Prince Xuexing ordered the attack on the city, a loud bugle call sounded. The generals who were willing to come with him to set things right tonight were all Prince Xuexing's old subordinates, and they were naturally leading the Imperial Guard to directly attack the imperial city.

After the bugle call sounded, chaos erupted amidst gasps and angry roars. The commander of the Imperial Guard, of course, still held considerable prestige, and the large contingent of Imperial Guards launched their attack amidst the incredulous gazes of the palace guards.

The Heavenly Dou Imperial City, a city within a city within the imperial capital, is the most central location of the Heavenly Dou Empire. Since its establishment, it has almost never suffered from war. However, tonight it suddenly faces such a great battle, which has stirred up unprecedented chaos.

"Xue Xing, you're a madman!" Xue Qinghe had originally intended to negotiate with Xue Xing for a while, but he didn't expect that this royal uncle would be so crazy as to directly attack the city. Amidst his roar, he was pushed and shoved by the crowd and taken to a safe area. As the Imperial Guard attacked the city, the palace guards naturally launched a counterattack.

When the resounding bugle call echoed throughout the capital, everyone was shocked as the two armies engaged in a fierce battle outside the imperial city.

The capital of Tiandou, a city that has not experienced the ravages of war for countless years, is in complete chaos tonight.

Xue Qinghe had not only controlled the Imperial Guards, but had also sent people to win over some of the other generals in the city. Now, with the start of the great battle, reinforcements and wild beasts from both sides were arriving in an endless stream.

Fully armed and exuding a murderous aura, the Imperial Guards, like venomous snakes baring their fangs, drew their gleaming longswords and charged towards the Imperial Guards, who had been out of battle for a long time.

Although the Imperial Guards were more elite in all aspects, they had been stationed in the capital for many years and lacked the experience to hone their fighting spirit, which caused them to suffer many setbacks in the initial battles.

Fortunately, with the arrival of more reinforcements, the Imperial Guards stabilized the situation, and the battle became much more intense.

The bugle call to charge rang out continuously. On the battlefield outside the imperial city, countless troops clashed, and corpses lay on the ground. The elite guards who originally belonged to the capital had become lifeless, mutilated bodies.

The bright red blood stained the blue stone pavement, and this eerie scene left all those secretly watching the battle speechless.

For many years, the Heaven Dou royal family has been perceived as prioritizing peace above all else. Although they control a large army, they have mostly adopted a defensive posture when facing either the Spirit Hall or the Star Luo Empire, rarely showing enough strength to directly engage in warfare.

Many people did not expect that the first time they would see the elite of the Heavenly Dou Empire fighting so desperately would be during such an internal strife. The Imperial Guard and the Personal Guard, which are the most elite forces in the empire, were now fighting to the death like enemies.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh... Countless sharp arrows flew in and out of the imperial city, and Xue Qinghe led many of his confidants to retreat to the location of Emperor Xue Ye.

"Father, Uncle has really gone mad! He's really rebelling!" Xue Qinghe shouted to his father to cover up his panic. Although he was the one who initiated today's palace coup, he was not a seasoned general and was somewhat apprehensive at the sight of the bloody battle.

"Look what you've done." Emperor Xueye glared at Xue Qinghe, somewhat angry at his lack of ambition, but he also knew that the Crown Prince's current state was partly due to his own shortcomings.

Although Emperor Xueye relinquished much power to Xue Qinghe, it was mostly in political and trivial matters, and in terms of military power, he was mostly just giving instruction.

The main reason is that in recent years, the Spirit Hall has become very powerful, and the Heaven Dou Star Luo have a tacit understanding with each other, so they have not started a major war, nor have they had a suitable opportunity to train.

However, these are not major problems. With more experience, the crown prince will be able to adjust his mindset. Right now, he is just not used to commanding a large army for the first time. He does not intend to interfere now.

Just as Xue Qinghe retreated to a safe high place, the battle at the palace gates of the imperial city intensified. After exchanging a barrage of arrows, the two sides continued to engage in close combat. The dense rain of arrows showed no mercy, and soldiers on both sides fell like pincushions.

The white light on the horizon grew brighter and brighter, and the dark night sky gradually came into light. However, Tian Dou City was in increasing chaos.

As the two armies clashed, the chaos gradually spread to every corner of Heaven Dou City, with countless rebels fighting wildly, and the Soul Masters controlled by both sides also joining the battle.

“This troublesome situation cannot be delayed any longer.” Outside the imperial city, Prince Xuexing, who was commanding countless guards to attack the city, was also paying close attention to the situation inside. He noticed that the various armies were not making good progress, and he also looked worried.

Although their siege of the imperial city was supposedly carried out under a secret decree, both he and Xue Beng knew that this was their final, desperate gamble.

Xue Qinghe has far more advantages than them. He is not only the rightful crown prince, but he also took control of the palace first. Meanwhile, the uncle and nephew are in a rather precarious situation.

This mobilization of his old troops is his last stand. If he fails, the best outcome will be that he is stripped of power and imprisoned.

However, Prince Xuexing didn't have many other options. He had contacted his former subordinates only to better suppress Xue Qinghe after obtaining evidence. He hadn't originally planned to attack the capital. Now that he had launched the attack hastily, he could only make it quick.

"Brother Dugu, I'm sorry to trouble you and everyone else to join me in this battle. I have no way out today." Prince Xuexing had been commanding troops for many years, and with no other choice, he staked everything on Dugu Bo and his Soul Masters.

"Sigh! What a mess today. Well, we've known each other for a while, and I'll make sure your lineage is safe afterward." Dugu Bo glanced at Prince Xuexing, sighed, and nodded. He wasn't optimistic about Prince Xuexing's actions today, but having learned more about the situation, he was confident he could save Xuexing's life in the end.

"Royal Uncle, will Poison Douluo and the others succeed?" Beside Prince Xue Xing, the Fourth Prince Xue Beng felt tense after hearing Dugu Bo's words. Although the main characters in tonight's turn of events were Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and Prince Xue Xing, he was also involved.

Judging from Dugu Bo's tone, it seemed he wasn't optimistic about the operation. His uncle, the Imperial Uncle, was protected by the Poison Douluo, so even if they failed, he seemed to have a way out. But he, the Fourth Prince, seemed to have nothing. Once his mind cleared, he immediately panicked.

Prince Xuexing glanced coldly at Xue Beng.

"If you think your royal uncle is setting you up, you can surrender to Xue Qinghe right now and see if His Highness the Crown Prince cares about brotherhood."

"Uncle, you're joking, you're joking..." Xue Beng smiled awkwardly. Although he was panicking, he knew that what he had just said was inappropriate. Prince Xue Xing and many soldiers were risking their lives for him, and he, as a prince, was the first to panic. This was indeed a sign of undermining the morale of the army, which was really wrong.

“Avalanche, you should understand that in this battle, your uncle can retreat, but you are the one who cannot retreat.” Prince Xuexing sighed to his nephew. Although he was somewhat uneasy, at this point, he could only pretend to be calm and continue.

"Yes, Imperial Uncle, I understand." Xue Beng nodded, but he felt a bit annoyed. He not only hated Xue Qinghe, but also resented Xue Xing, and even more so, he deeply hated his father for being so heartless, never giving him any power from childhood to adulthood, leaving him with absolutely no strength in his hands now.

While Xue Xing and Xue Beng were talking, Dugu Bo had already led the Soul Masters gathered by Prince Xue Xing to make their move. However, just as they were about to act, even more Soul Masters from the Imperial City appeared to block their path.

Crown Prince Xue Qinghe is more righteous than many other royal soul master forces, including the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Although nominally controlled by Prince Xue Xing, many royal soul masters recognize Crown Prince Xue Qinghe more.

Just as Dugu Bo released the poisonous mist to open a passage, three figures suddenly appeared one after another, leading more Soul Masters to block his way.

"You three want to get involved too? This is a royal family feud, and you three teachers are getting involved in this mess?" Dugu Bo looked at the three figures in front of him with a strange look in his eyes. Although he had gotten involved in this matter today, he had done so in a detached manner. He did not expect that these Soul Masters in front of him would also be involved. Things are getting more and more interesting.

Those who stepped in front of Dugu Bo were naturally the three members of the Heavenly Dou Royal Family's Education Committee, who had been invited by Xue Qinghe. When they were invited by Xue Qinghe, they didn't know much about the situation, but now they had no choice but to take action.

The conversation between Prince Xuexing and Xue Qinghe revealed too much information. Ordinary people would not think too much about it, but those with a little status would know that the deaths of the Second Prince and the Third Prince were suspicious.

If Prince Xuexing is right, then this seemingly virtuous and upright crown prince has truly deceived far too many people.