Chapter 216: The Xue Ye Emperor

Inside the imperial palace of Heaven Dou City, the Xue Ye Emperor is in a terrible condition at the moment, looking as if he has been poisoned with a deadly toxin and is on the brink of death.

Beside his original guards, two towering figures have appeared, and they are Gu Douluo and Yang Wudi.

Gu Douluo looks unusually worried, with a hint of displeasure, for after all they were secretly protecting the Xue Ye Emperor, yet he has been poisoned and seems gravely wounded, on the verge of death.

"Lao Yang, didn't you claim to be adept at refining poisons? How can you not even handle this minor toxin?"

Yang Wudi looks extremely serious now, for he has identified the poison in the Xue Ye Emperor as the forbidden toxin of the Po Yi Zu: Seven-Colored Splendor.

Seven-Colored Splendor is a top secret of the Po Yi Zu; only the clan leader can truly inherit it, and over the years the only ones who truly know how to refine it are himself and his missing brother Yang Wu Shuang.

But his brother disappeared long ago during the Spirit Hall war, and he could never reveal the method of refining Seven-Colored Splendor.

Gu Douluo shows a trace of displeasure: "Lao Yang, can this poison actually be cured? Tell me the truth."

Yang Wudi snorts coldly: "Others might not be able to cure it, but for me it's a piece of cake; perhaps I'm the only one in the world who can."

"Fortunately the Xue Ye Emperor was poisoned only recently and not deeply; the future impact should be minimal."

Without further ado, Yang Wudi pulls out a gorgeous large flower, entirely pink and crystal‑clear, which is the Fragrant Brocade Celestial Treasure.

Within the area of this Fragrant Brocade Celestial Treasure, Yang Wudi swiftly feeds the Xue Ye Emperor various medicinal herbs.

Thanks to the Fragrant Brocade Celestial Treasure and the antidote, the Xue Ye Emperor, whose poison was spreading, begins to improve; his previously pallid complexion turns slightly rosy.

Gu Douluo is also surprised: "Impressive, I didn't expect Lao Yang to often use such a treasure; it seems your mastery of poisons is no longer inferior to that of Lao Duwu."

Yang Wudi chuckles: "Lao Duwu merely relies on Spirit Poison to bully outsiders; when it comes to the art of refining toxins, he's still far behind."

Gu Douluo says: "I never imagined that after a lifetime of handling eagles, I'd be pecked in the eye; I thought anyone could be responsible, but it turned out to be the Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's poison."

"Now the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Family has only him as heir; why would he still poison the Xue Ye Emperor? Moreover, his poison is colorless and odorless, even I was deceived; it seems Xue Qinghe has long harbored ill intentions."

"Furthermore, given Xue Qinghe's ruthless methods, it's likely the Xue Ye Emperor's other three sons have also fallen victim to his poison; this Xue Qinghe who kills brothers and fathers makes the situation far more complex."

Yang Wudi glared at Gu Douluo: "Lao Gutou, you're still the one who deals with the shady affairs of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and a mere Xue Qinghe scares you? Seems your tolerance is limited."

Gu Douluo's face darkens: "Fine, Lao Yang, did you already suspect Xue Qinghe would poison?"

"Not just you and I, even the Sect Leader fell for him; Xue Qinghe not only has an excellent reputation outwardly, but is also the personal disciple of our Sect Leader. His ruthless actions suggest he may have been involved in our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's battle as well."

Yang Wudi asks, a bit puzzled: "Xue Qinghe is already the Xue Ye Emperor's only son; as long as he continues this charade, even if the Xue Ye Emperor has evidence, it cannot shake his position as heir to the Heaven Dou Empire. Why would he still risk poisoning the Xue Ye Emperor?"

Gu Douluo shakes his head: "I find it strange too; anyone could act, but I never imagined Xue Qinghe would strike. Could there be other matters between him and the Xue Ye Emperor that we don't know?"

The Xue Ye Emperor only now slowly regains consciousness, but his face is profoundly desolate and depressed, clearly unable to accept being poisoned by his own son.

The Xue Ye Emperor forces himself to sit up: "Forgive my rudeness, I never imagined that after a lifetime of diligent service, my own son would poison me. It seems I underestimated the connection between Xue Qinghe and the Spirit Hall."

Gu Duoluo quickly asks: "Your Majesty, why would Xue Qinghe strike you? Is he simply impatient?"

The Xue Ye Emperor shakes his head: "It's not Xue Qinghe who is impatient; it's the Spirit Hall. Though they just announced plans to re‑elect the Seven Great Sects, they likely intend to seize all of them."

"Given the Spirit Hall's ambition, they are unwilling to remain merely a religious organization or just the leader of the Soul Master World; they probably aim to dominate the world."

"The biggest obstacle is their lack of wealth and territory, as well as a trained army—resources accumulated over millennia by my Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, far beyond what the Spirit Hall has developed in recent years."

Gu Douluo, with a solemn expression, says: "It seems Xue Qinghe has secretly aligned with the Spirit Hall; they have long coveted the Heaven Dou Empire, and their scheming has spanned over a decade."

"Your Majesty, what are your plans now, since Xue Qinghe is your only son?"

The Xue Ye Emperor does not answer Gu Douluo, but looks at Yang Wudi: "Mr. Yang, how is the poison in me now, and what impact will it have on my future? What exactly is this poison, whose toxicity is so strong yet colorless and odorless, completely undetectable?"

After a moment of silence, Yang Wudi replies: "To be frank, this poison is indeed complex; it is forged from seven deadly toxins and is the forbidden poison of my Po Yi Zu: Seven-Colored Splendor."

"However, I find it odd; in theory, only I and my brother Yang Wu Shuang back then knew how to refine Seven-Colored Splendor."

"My brother, during the Clear Sky Sect war, fought to the death and likely perished at the hands of the Spirit Hall, yet I have no idea how Seven-Colored Splendor resurfaced."

The Xue Ye Emperor and Gu Douluo suddenly realize; no wonder Yang Wudi's expression is so grave, yet he can swiftly antidote—it is almost unbelievable.

The Xue Ye Emperor grits his teeth: "Mr. Yang, if my guess is correct, my brother was captured by the Spirit Hall during the Clear Sky Sect war, and they obtained Seven-Colored Splendor from that battle."

"If that's the case, the Spirit Hall has long been scheming to seize my Heaven Dou Empire, planning for a full twenty years—truly testament to their ambition."

"Mr. Yang, how is my body now, and will the poison affect me in the future?"

Yang Wudi shakes his head: "Seven-Colored Splendor is extremely toxic, famed as the forbidden poison; even my Po Yi Zu disciples have no transmission of it—only successive Sect Leaders inherit it."

"Xue Ye Emperor, you were truly timely this time; I personally assisted in your rescue, and thanks to the Fragrant Brocade Celestial Treasure, most of the poison has been cleared. If a top‑level Soul Saint treats you later, you should recover."

The Xue Ye Emperor finally nods: "Thank you, Mr. Yang. As long as we have enough time, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family will survive, and the Spirit Hall's plot will be completely crushed."

"Mr. Gu Douluo, Head Guard, what is the situation outside now?"

A guard stationed beside the Xue Ye Emperor hurriedly reports: "Your Majesty, outside is in utter chaos. Xue Qinghe has already seized control of most of the Imperial Family's Soul Masters; he exploited your poisoning to command a massive army to rampage through Heaven Dou City, eliminating dissenters. The city now resembles a battlefield."

The Xue Ye Emperor gives a bitter smile: "I originally thought Sect Leader Ning was making a fuss, but I was too naive. Had we not prepared, the Heaven Dou Empire might truly have fallen into the Spirit Hall's hands."

"I've always known the Heaven Dou Imperial Family had a traitor, but I never expected it to be him; seems I'm truly old now."

At this moment the Xue Ye Emperor looks deeply heart‑broken, nothing like the lofty ruler he once was.

Yang Wudi suddenly says: "Your Majesty, have you considered that Xue Qinghe may have long been controlled by the Spirit Hall, and even the Xue Qinghe before you might be an impostor?"

The Xue Ye Emperor and Gu Douluo are both taken aback; they never imagined Xue Qinghe could be an impostor.

The Xue Ye Emperor doubts: "That's impossible. Even if his appearance can be forged, Xue Qinghe's martial soul cannot be mimicked; I've seen his martial soul many times—it is a swan."

Gu Douluo adds: "That shouldn't be. I've seen martial souls that can simulate, like Oscar's Mirror Image Sausage, but none can change continuously as Xue Qinghe does, even altering the martial soul entirely."

Yang Wudi shakes his head: "Recently I discussed martial soul matters with Yang Xiong; a normal martial soul might not achieve this, but some soul bones can. Legend says the Spirit Hall possesses a set of inherited soul bones called Angel God Armor, the strongest soul bones in the world, which seem to have a similar effect."

Gu Douluo's face shows shock: "I've also heard of Angel God Armor; it's an inherited set of soul bones from the Spirit Hall, valued even above the top three sects' inherited soul bones. Supposedly its age is terrifying, demanding extremely high qualifications from a soul master. It's truly the first treasure of the Soul Master World, and if a soul master fully assimilates it, the power boost could be terrifying."

"However, this set of soul bones is priceless and cannot be easily passed on, unless one is a direct line of the Six-wing Angel Weapon Soul."

The Xue Ye Emperor is startled: "Exactly. Legend says the Six-wing Angel Weapon Soul has an inheritor—the sole daughter of former Pope Qian Xunji—unfortunately she vanished at a very young age."

"Over the years Xue Qinghe has shunned women; even the marriage alliances I arranged for him he politely declined. Perhaps it's because he is actually a woman in disguise, which explains his aversion to women."

……

After a long discussion, the Xue Ye Emperor suddenly becomes extremely serious: "Whether Xue Qinghe is genuine or not, the Heaven Dou Empire cannot allow the Spirit Hall to covet it; I must not become a criminal of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family."

"Head Guard, prepare immediately; I must meet this son."

The Head Guard swiftly arranges various matters, while Yang Wudi remains utterly silent, looking profoundly shocked.

Because many of today's events were things that Yang Xiong had previously, intentionally or not, brought up with me, it seems Yang Xiong had already encountered this situation; otherwise, with Yang's invincible mind, how could he have thought Xue Qinghe was a counterfeit, let alone imagined something like Angel God Armor.

(End of chapter)