After the incident concluded, Fang Chang picked up Qian Renxue from the ground and slung her over his shoulder. He then took a few steps forward, grabbing Snake Spear Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo with each hand.
Turning around, he addressed Emperor Xue Ye, "Regarding today's events, Your Majesty must publicly declare that the Crown Prince Xue Qinghe has rebelled, and the two Title Douluo from Spirit Hall died protecting her as she fled. Xue Qinghe has escaped the imperial city, and her whereabouts remain unknown."
Emperor Xue Ye had yet to fully recover from the shock of discovering that Xue Qinghe was a spy planted by Spirit Hall. His expression remained dazed.
Hearing Fang Chang's words, he froze for a moment before responding, "This is a minor matter. I will certainly follow the instructions of the Emissary of the Spider God."
As an emperor, Xue Ye was no fool. He understood the Emissary's intentions—he clearly intended to use the Spirit Hall's young mistress for some scheme.
However, the specifics were none of his concern.
Spirit Hall had planted a spy in his palace for years, nearly succeeding in inheriting his throne. With such a grudge between them, reconciliation was impossible. Now, the enemies of Spirit Hall were his allies.
After speaking, Fang Chang glanced at the surrendered rebel guards. With a casual wave of his hand, flames engulfed them, their agonized screams filling the air.
Once he had dealt with them, he gestured toward the court officials below, exchanging a meaningful look with Emperor Xue Ye on the throne. Understanding, the emperor nodded.
Only then did Fang Chang turn and push open the palace doors with his foot, leaving with his three captives.
Outside the hall, he activated his "Veil" skill, vanishing from the Heaven Dou Imperial City along with the three figures.
After his departure, Emperor Xue Ye slowly rose from his throne, ordering the guards who had arrived upon hearing the news to detain all court officials who had sided with Xue Qinghe.
The remaining officials were escorted to a side hall and forbidden from leaving the palace for the time being.
He then issued several emergency decrees before sitting back down on the throne, coughing violently and spitting out a mouthful of dark, bloody phlegm.
Clearly, he had been poisoned, though Fang Chang had not pointed it out. The emperor's survival was of no concern to him.
Roughly ten minutes later, Fang Chang arrived at the Sunset Forest with his three captives.
At his current speed, a round trip between Heaven Dou City and the Sunset Forest took no more than half an hour at full sprint.
Upon entering the forest, he unceremoniously devoured the martial souls of Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Spear Douluo before tossing their now-soulless bodies to his eagerly waiting spiderlings.
As for Qian Renxue, Fang Chang showed restraint, merely sealing her soul power with a few taps to her chest.
He then personally wrapped her tightly in spider silk, leaving only her head exposed, and casually tossed her into a corner of the nest.
He instructed the spiderlings to guard her carefully, providing regular food and water—and, most importantly, to resist the urge to eat her!
Qian Renxue was, after all, a promising talent with the potential to become a god, as well as the young mistress of Spirit Hall. If properly manipulated, she could become a trump card in his hand—though she would first need thorough brainwashing.
With these tasks completed, Fang Chang returned to Heaven Dou City, where news of the imperial palace incident had already spread, shocking the entire city.
The Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, long praised for his virtuous reputation, had turned out to be a spy planted by Spirit Hall—just as the rumors had claimed. He had nearly succeeded in inheriting the throne of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The citizens of the empire were both horrified and enraged, their resentment toward Spirit Hall growing even stronger. Meanwhile, the Spider God Church was hailed as a hero.
Later that evening, the imperial family released an "official statement" regarding the incident:
The former Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had rebelled and fled, his whereabouts unknown. Two Title Douluo from Spirit Hall had died protecting him, slain by the Emissary of the Spider God. The imperial family had conducted a purge, executing over a thousand of their remaining accomplices in the palace.
Emperor Xue Ye then urgently summoned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's patriarch, Ning Fengzhi, and the heads of several major soul master academies in the city for discussions. Tensions rose rapidly.
The next day, the emperor issued another decree, declaring the Spider God Church the state religion of the Heaven Dou Empire and expelling all Spirit Hall-affiliated forces from its territories.
The unrest was not limited to the Heaven Dou Empire. Spirit Hall, too, found itself in a precarious position. Years of meticulous planning had been ruined overnight, leaving both Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu in foul moods.
Qian Daoliu, in particular, had only just returned from Heaven Dou City when this disaster struck. Not only had two more Title Douluo been lost, but there was still no word on Qian Renxue's whereabouts.
Though rumors claimed she had escaped, his heart remained uneasy. If anything were to happen to her, Qian Daoliu might truly lose his mind.
Just then, the door to a room within Spirit Hall was knocked open, and an elderly servant rushed in. "Master! Master! There's news about the young mistress!"
"Speak," Qian Daoliu replied darkly, his tone causing the servant to drop to his knees in fear.
"Rumors say that after escaping, the young mistress was captured by people from Shrek Academy and is now being secretly held there."
"Shrek Academy? How could they possibly capture Xue'er?" Qian Daoliu snorted, skeptical of the report.
"W-well…" The servant hesitated before continuing, "It's said the young mistress was severely wounded when she fled the palace. That day, witnesses also reported seeing an angel battling a Golden Holy Dragon near Shrek Academy."
"Moreover, last night, Shrek Academy's leadership was almost entirely invited to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace—an honor even their own Imperial Academy didn't receive."
"A Golden Holy Dragon…" Bibi Dong, also present in the room, seemed to hold back her words before finally speaking. "That does sound like their martial soul fusion ability."
"Where did this information come from?" Qian Daoliu's tone had shifted slightly as he questioned the servant.
"It was relayed by our spies in Heaven Dou City," the servant answered hastily. "The news is widely known among the citizens there. Some have even surrounded Shrek Academy, demanding the young mistress be handed over to be burned."
Qian Daoliu's expression darkened further. After a brief pause, he turned to the servant. "Dispatch more men to this Shrek Academy and bring Xue'er back. As for the rest there… eliminate them all."
The servant scrambled to his feet, ready to rush out, but Qian Daoliu stopped him again.
"Wait. Never mind." As if reconsidering, he added, "I'll go myself."
The so-called Emissary of the Spider God, who had repeatedly thwarted Spirit Hall's plans, was likely still in Heaven Dou City.
According to rumors, he possessed strength sufficient to kill two Title Douluo single-handedly. If this were his trap, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Spirit Hall, though vast in resources, could no longer afford such losses. If the opportunity arose, Qian Daoliu intended to personally confront this Emissary.
Starting from the incident in Ocean City, nearly ten of Spirit Hall's Title Douluo had either been killed by Fang Chang or died because of him.
Even for an organization as deep-rooted as Spirit Hall, such losses were unbearable. Qian Daoliu loathed this man to the core.
Naturally, the rumor about Qian Renxue being held at Shrek Academy had been spread by Fang Chang—a crucial part of his plan.
His grand scheme was now entering its final stages. Once Spirit Hall was forced into an early war with the major powers, he would quietly harvest the elites from both sides, further weakening humanity's upper echelons.
Meanwhile, the Spider God Church would expand its influence, accelerating its replacement of Spirit Hall.
Additionally, if war broke out among humans, the number of high-level soul masters would inevitably plummet. The soul beast forests and oceans would enjoy temporary peace, allowing the spider race to flourish.
As long as he continued advancing his plan step by step, by the time Tang San emerged from Slaughter City, he would find a world entirely different from the one he remembered.