Chapter 3348: Return to the Imperial Palace

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Xue Ye merely pondered for a moment before he mused, "This indeed is a good idea, but whether to proceed with it, I still need to discuss with those members of the royal household!"

If he were to grant these Soul Masters excessively high noble titles on his own, it would result in an increase in the number of royals!

This was tantamount to encroaching upon the interests of some of the royal nobility!

Ning Fengzhi had no expectations of him actually doing so, and with a light chuckle said, "His Majesty Xue Ye may make the decision himself, Ning merely proposed a possibility!"

If matters concerning the royal household were that easy to handle, they wouldn't be so corrupt!!

Xue Ye clearly did not intend to continue this topic, but instead turned his gaze to Xue Qinghe beside him...

"Qing He!" he stated abruptly.

Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe immediately approached, "Father Emperor, do you have any matters?"

During the period of the friendship competition, out of caution, he spoke as little as possible to avoid revealing his identity!

This perhaps was noticed by Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi!

Even in the presence of Ning Fengzhi, Xue Ye did not hesitate to ask, "Qing He, ever since we arrived in Martial Soul City, I have noticed that you seem to have no interest and have barely spoken a few words"

"Why is this so?"

This was in stark contrast to his usual behavior!

Xue Qinghe responded calmly to the question...

"Father Emperor, it's not that Qing He lacks interest, but watching their battles makes me feel that I am still not working hard enough!"

"With such attitude, I have a long way to go before I can compare to an enlightened monarch like yourself!"

At times like this, the topic should be changed!

Xue Ye was taken aback for a moment, obviously somewhat gratified...

Indeed, this was the child he valued the most!

"Qing He, as the Crown Prince, although you are not outstanding in terms of your Martial Soul, this is ultimately because you haven't wasted too much time on cultivation!"

"Therefore, do not belittle yourself, comparing with them is not appropriate, you are simply not the same kind of people!"

To be a good emperor, what was needed wasn't soul power rank or anything like that, but the ability to govern the country!

Ning Fengzhi also concurred, "Your Majesty is correct, Qing He, your talent does not lie in Martial Souls, something I realized since the day I met you!"

Xue Qinghe nodded sincerely, "Father Emperor, Teacher, I understand, I will not overthink it anymore!"

At this moment, Gu Rong glanced up at the sky that was gradually darkening and interrupted their discussion...

"Feng Zhi, His Majesty Xue Ye, Crown Prince, it's about to get dark, we should reach the imperial palace sooner rather than later!"

"Martial Soul City is full of cunning plots, who knows what ambushes may lie ahead!"

The absence of an ambush here could be to lower their guard!

Before reaching the imperial palace, they all needed to remain vigilant!

Du Gu Bo did not say anything, apparently agreeing with the suggestion...

Xue Ye also accepted the proposal and announced loudly, "Alright, then no more talk, everyone, immediately return to the imperial palace with utmost speed!"

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The next day!

Heaven Dou Royal Academy!

Prince Xue Xing, still without news, began to look worried...

"Why haven't Imperial Brother and the others returned by now? Could they have been obstructed by Spirit Hall on the way?"

He quickly dismissed the thought in his mind...

"No, impossible, I've already sent Du Gu Bo over, and along with Bone Douluo Gu Rong, Spirit Hall should not be able to cause any trouble!"

With the strength of Gu Rong and Du Gu Bo, even if Pope Bibi Dong mobilized the two Elders of Ghost Chrysanthemum, they likely could not have held them back!

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At this moment, the soldier responsible for delivering messages came running over to report, "Prince Xue Xing! Just received news that His Majesty Xue Ye and his party have safely arrived at the imperial palace!"

Prince Xue Xing let out a long sigh of relief, "Phew... As expected, I was overthinking it!"

If anything had gone wrong, his status as the prince would have been extremely awkward!

Regaining his composure, he immediately said, "Then I shall go to the imperial palace to see the emperor now. There are some matters I need to report to him!"

However, he felt a wave of soul power fluctuation…

Du Gu Bo had already appeared before him, with Yu Tianheng and his two companions standing behind him!

"Prince Xue Xing, there's no need for you to rush to the imperial palace for now. His Majesty Xue Ye seems to have urgent matters to discuss with Sect Master Ning!"

Prince Xue Xing frowned slightly, "But with what has happened at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, I believe..."

Du Gu Bo had no intention of stopping him, "I am just here to notify you. Whether you go to the imperial palace or not is none of my concern!"

After hesitating for a moment, Prince Xue Xing made a decision, "Let's forget it then. Since you've said so, I will wait until tomorrow before entering the imperial palace!"

With that said, his gaze once again fell on Yu Tianheng and his companions...

He could see their eyes dim and tinged with disappointment...

In an instant, he understood everything!

"It's alright, it is normal to lose to the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, as they are all slightly older than you and have the advantage in soul power rank!"

Yet, this statement caused the already upset Yu Tianheng and his companions to silently hang their heads even lower...

They couldn't even utter a single word...

Sensing something was amiss, Prince Xue Xing coughed lightly into his hand, giving Du Gu Bo a questioning look...

As if asking what had happened.

The latter let out a sigh of helplessness, "Yan Zi and the others indeed lost the match, but not to the Spirit Hall Golden Generation!"

"Rather, it was to Skywater Academy!"

Upon hearing this, Prince Xue Xing's eyes widened in disbelief...

He exclaimed in shock, "How... how is that possible? How could a team from Skywater Academy defeat them?"

Du Gu Bo pursed his lips and explained, "Skywater Academy's overall strength may indeed be weaker than theirs, but they surpassed in terms of synergy!"

"Of course, the most important factor was their underestimation of the enemy!"

This explanation made the person in question able to accept the results a bit more, and contemplating, he stroked his chin and said, "I see... If they lost due to underestimating the enemy, then there's nothing that can be done!"

At that moment, Yu Tianheng suddenly raised his head, speaking earnestly, "I apologize, Prince Xue Xing."

"As the captain, I failed to lead the team to victory over the Spirit Hall Golden Generation and even lost to Skywater Academy, disgracing the name of Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"

"I am willing to accept punishment personally, even if it means quitting the team, I have no complaints!"

Dugu Yan and Yu Feng exchanged glances, also speaking, "Prince Xue Xing, we are responsible for losing the duel as well, please punish us!"

It was indeed their early defeat against Skywater Academy that led to such an outcome!

Causing them to face a three against one situation!

Prince Xue Xing was stunned, "This..."

Meanwhile, Du Gu Bo's expression was sharp, as if to say, if anyone dared to punish his granddaughter, he wouldn't let it go so easily…

Understanding the implication, the former quickly said, "Lift your heads, all of you!"

"This is just a minor match, losing is just that, losing."

"Moreover, you lost because of underestimating your opponents, not due to lack of ability. Adjust your mentality for the next time and win it back!"

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