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After Emperor Xue Ye formally abdicated, Xue Qinghe did not immediately launch the sweeping reforms that other nobles had anticipated. This gave the original aristocrats a sigh of relief, thinking that Xue Qinghe understood the importance of maintaining stability, recognizing them as the empire's foundation.
However, Xue Qinghe had not abandoned plans to clean them out. Instead, she was contemplating another issue: how to gracefully step down from the throne.
Only she knew that she could not remain as emperor indefinitely. She needed to return to Spirit City and accept the Angel God's inheritance to spread the Angel's glory across the continent once more.
But she could not relinquish the throne easily. Controlling the Tian Dou Empire meant ruling nearly half of the Douluo Continent. The remaining territories included the Star Luo Empire and unexplored regions.
"If there were a way to restore my female form and continue leading the Tian Dou Empire, that would be ideal," Qian Renxue pondered. Surprisingly, she realized there was a way.
Once Bibi Dong ascended to godhood, she would transcend mortality. At that point, she could "enlighten" her, transforming her back into her original form and evolving the swan into a six-winged angel.
Swans and angels do share some similarities.
If Tang San spread the word, it would surely convince the continent's populace, given his authority as a master of spirit theory! But,
Would Bibi Dong cooperate?
Would Tang San be willing to vouch for her?
When Snake Lance Douluo, Porcupinefish Douluo, and Wang Chen learned of Qian Renxue's plan, their reactions varied.
Snake Lance Douluo found the plan reasonable, allowing Qian Renxue to legitimately resume her original form while retaining her role as emperor.
Porcupinefish Douluo saw the difficulty in getting Bibi Dong to cooperate.
Wang Chen suggested that Qian Renxue should abandon the throne and return to the Spirit Hall to inherit the Angel God position.
However, Qian Renxue flatly refused. Before becoming a god, she needed to further prove herself to Bibi Dong. Tang San was also her target.
Rationally, she admired Tang San for his knowledge and strength; she wanted to conquer his spirit and have him serve her.
Emotionally, Bibi Dong had never acted like a mother. She did not even know how she had offended her. Now that Tang San worked under Bibi Dong, she wanted to snatch him away as a form of revenge!
After becoming a god, it would be a matter of using overwhelming power to suppress Bibi Dong and Tang San, which wouldn't earn their genuine respect.
Qian Renxue was a perfectionist.
Wang Chen sighed, realizing there was nothing more to say. Given the current situation, Tang San would not betray the Haotian School, and Qian Renxue was not in immediate danger. It was best to obey her commands.
"So, what other ideas do you have?" Qian Renxue asked. "How can I restore my original appearance without relinquishing the throne?"
Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo looked at each other in silence.
They were warriors, accustomed to solving problems with their fists. Thinking of solutions was not their forte. They had never faced such a dilemma and didn't know where to start.
"No other ideas?" Qian Renxue frowned, turning to Wang Chen. "What about you? You're usually quite clever. Any bad ideas?"
Wang Chen was speechless. If she expected bad ideas, should he speak up or not?
Moreover, he genuinely didn't know what to do—
If soul cameras, soul film cameras, and the new soul devices that had emerged in recent years for quickly spreading information didn't exist, there might have been solutions. Back then, they controlled the narrative. No matter what others said, their words were the truth.
But now?
Even a small disturbance could lead to countless people seeking the truth and creating big news.
Most private newspapers were backed by families or sects. Any significant force with a motive could push a minor piece of news into widespread circulation.
This was indeed difficult to handle...
"No other ideas?" Qian Renxue was not too disappointed. In her eyes, Wang Chen's cleverness was no match for Tang San's wisdom. His methods were often shortsighted and prone to backfiring.
Wang Chen, with his head lowered, suggested, "I still believe that the Young Master should return to Spirit City and accept the Angel God's inheritance."
"This matter isn't urgent," Qian Renxue replied, her mindset akin to a wealthy heir chasing dreams away from home. She wanted to enjoy her freedom a bit longer, knowing she had a fallback plan: return home to undergo the divine trial and inherit the god position. At this moment, she didn't feel like adhering to her family's (Qian Daoliu's) plan for her to become a god.
"In that case, Young Master, it's best to focus on ruling the Tian Dou Empire. It will also serve as preparation for taking over the leadership from Bibi Dong in the future," Snake Lance Douluo advised.
"For now, this is our only option." Qian Renxue sighed, her eyes growing sharp. "Next, Emperor Xue Ye doesn't need to live. I do not wish to have a former emperor overshadowing me."
Porcupinefish Douluo's eyes flashed coldly as he asked, "Should we increase the dosage?"
"No, that would be too suspicious." Qian Renxue shook her head and shared her plan. "I will handle this personally. The Break Clan is currently preparing to align with me..."
Members of the Break Clan were known for their pride and integrity. Despite many offers following Tang San's publication of The Soul Master's Self-Positioning Analysis, their arrogance led them to remain independent.
Consequently, other families and sects chose to keep their distance. Even the lord of the town where the Break Clan resided began to deliberately make things difficult for them, worsening their living conditions.
After enduring several years, too proud to seek help from the other three clans, they ultimately decided to align with Xue Qinghe, who visited them annually. This allowed the Break Clan to publicly claim that they were moved by the sincerity of Emperor Qinghe.
However, the Break Clan's leader had a condition: he hoped Xue Qinghe would introduce him to Tang San.
Meeting Tang San was straightforward; visiting Spirit City would suffice.
However, Yang Wudi harbored a strong dislike for Spirit Hall. Despite the previous Pope's death and the new Pope's overtures of goodwill, the old pain remained fresh.
Why did he want to meet Tang San?
Spirit Hall had provided evidence that Yang Long, a talented member of the Breaking Clan, was killed by Blood Sword Norman. Blood Sword Norman had been defeated by the Tian Dou Royal Team, led by Tang San, before the Continental Elite Tournament.
Thus, Yang Wudi wanted to personally thank Tang San and inquire about the details—Yang Long's death at Norman's hands likely had more to it. Yang Wei, who returned from seeking information about Yang Long, reported only his death, but Yang Wudi felt he was hiding something.
Yang Wei had returned injured, likely having been taught a lesson but remained silent about it. To save Yang Wei's face, Yang Wudi didn't press him further, considering he was the clan's only Soul King. Yet, a simmering anger remained—after all, when Blood Sword Norman was first discovered by Spirit Hall, he was only at the Great Soul Master level. Yang Long, although young, was well-trained and should not have been easily ambushed by a mere Great Soul Master, even in a forest unsuitable for long spear-type martial spirits.
Yang Long was the future of the Breaking Clan!
Even though nearly ten years had passed, Yang Wudi still sought the truth. Yang Long was, after all, his beloved grandson...
(End of Chapter)