Juzi stopped short, but Xu Tiannan understood its meaning.

Yes.

How many people Su Yu had told about this matter was still an unknown number.

If Su Yu had told others, then even if Su Yu were killed, it would be of no use.

It might even anger others, and his secret of being a eunuch could be exposed, which would spell complete ruin.

Furthermore, the Ice Emperor, Haibodong, was a huge problem.

A powerhouse who could single-handedly defeat two Ultimate Douluos.

With such a strong protector, who could harm Su Yu?

Trying to kill Su Yu under Haibodong's protection was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Xu Tiannan, after all, was no fool. With a bit of calm reflection, he figured this much out.

But he was unwilling.

Was he supposed to do nothing?

After being humiliated by Su Yu, was he supposed to remain indifferent?

(P.S.: Su Yu: How did I humiliate you?

Xu Tiannan: You told the truth.)

Given Xu Tiannan's personality, there was no way he could tolerate an uncertain factor like Su Yu.

Especially since Su Yu held fatal information that concerned Xu Tiannan's survival.

There was no doubt that Xu Tiannan wanted nothing more than to kill Su Yu.

But he was helpless against Su Yu.

He might be the crown prince, but his power to command was quite limited.

Meanwhile, Su Yu was the young master of the Ice God Palace and had countless ties to the Illustrious Virtue Hall.

The Ice God Palace protected him, Jing Hongchen would protect him, and even Xu Tiannan's father, the emperor, might want to win Su Yu over.

After all, Su Yu was the youngest Level 8 Soul Engineer, with limitless potential.

The number of people watching over Su Yu was by no means small.

In such a situation, what could he do?

It seemed like there was nothing he could do.

"Damn it!"

"Damn it all!"

The more Xu Tiannan thought about it, the angrier he became. He could only let Su Yu trample all over him without being able to do anything about it.

Even though he was usually deep-minded, he now felt an urge to lose control and go mad.

"Su Yu!"

"Su Yu!"

Xu Tiannan gritted his teeth and muttered, his gaze growing increasingly ferocious.

Juzi glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, clearly sensing Xu Tiannan's anger and frustration.

To be beaten down and humiliated, yet unable to fight back.

For the first time, Juzi felt that Xu Tiannan, the crown prince, wasn't so impressive after all.

Not as good as Su Yu.

Su Yu had even pointed at his nose and scolded him, yet all Xu Tiannan could do was rage impotently.

The difference was clear at a glance.

Su Yu said that mortal emperors were nothing, and in the eyes of the strong, there was no place for the weak.

At this moment, Juzi somewhat understood Su Yu's perspective.

Wasn't it just that Su Yu's side was too strong?

So strong that Xu Tiannan felt suffocated, almost to the point of internal injury.

Even though he was filled with rage, he could only swallow his broken teeth along with blood.

He couldn't even retaliate or take revenge against Su Yu, because if he couldn't kill Su Yu outright, he would be finished.

Su Yu had Xu Tiannan's lifeline in a death grip.

What a miserable man.

Juzi suddenly felt a little sorry for Xu Tiannan.

Is this what happens to people Su Yu dislikes?

When Su Yu hates someone, it's like killing them emotionally and spiritually.

Thankfully, Su Yu didn't hate her.

If he ever pulled this kind of stunt on her, Juzi feared she'd die of disgust.

Thinking about this, Juzi felt a sense of relief.

But she still didn't understand why Su Yu hated Xu Tiannan so much, to the extent of not even pretending to get along with him.

This puzzled Juzi.

Her thoughts spun as she continued to glance at Xu Tiannan from the corner of her eye.

After venting his anger, Xu Tiannan finally began to calm down.

Anger wouldn't solve the problem. What mattered now was how to handle it.

Xu Tiannan thought carefully but came up empty-handed, so he turned his gaze to Juzi.

"Juzi, what do you think I should do now?"

Juzi's eyes flickered, and she said softly, "Your Highness, I believe the most important thing for you to do now is to endure."

"Endure?"

Xu Tiannan narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Su Yu is already trampling all over me, and you're telling me to endure?"

Juzi shook her head and said, "Your Highness, enduring for a moment can bring calm seas and clear skies."

"What we need most right now is to preserve our strength and not lose control."

"Su Yu has an Ultimate Douluo by his side, someone who can take the head of a general from within an army of ten thousand."

Xu Tiannan's face darkened. "What do you mean? Are you saying Su Yu would dare to kill me?"

"Your Highness, I've heard that the two masters of the Clear Sky Sect once stormed the Star Luo imperial city, and Emperor Xu Jiawei of Star Luo nearly…"

Xu Tiannan's expression grew even darker. He understood the implication of Juzi's words.

Even the Clear Sky Sect dared to storm an imperial city and target the Star Luo Emperor.

As the crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire, did he think the Ice God Palace, a superpower, wouldn't dare to act against him?

Did he think his status was higher than that of the Star Luo Emperor?

Xu Tiannan understood, but that only made him feel even more uncomfortable.

"So I'm supposed to endure him forever?"

Xu Tiannan growled.

"Your Highness, we're at a critical moment in the struggle for the throne. If Su Yu were to support another prince…"

Xu Tiannan was struck by the thought, and his anger disappeared completely.

If Su Yu supported another prince, with the power behind him, what chance would Xu Tiannan have?

The thought sent chills down his spine.

If he failed to ascend the throne, let alone take revenge on Su Yu, even his own life would be in danger.

His brothers would never let him, the eldest, off so easily.

From a rational perspective, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and endure for now, just as Juzi suggested.

Otherwise, if he angered Su Yu, the consequences would be disastrous.

It was better for Su Yu to look down on him and refuse to cooperate than for Su Yu to turn around and support someone else.

So what if Su Yu called him a eunuch? He could endure it.

Once he ascended the throne, there would be plenty of time to settle the score.

Xu Tiannan was originally a man of great cunning and depth. He had only been momentarily broken by having his sore spot exposed. Now that reason had returned, he realized Juzi was right.

For now, he had no choice but to endure.

Not only endure but also apologize to Su Yu for any presumptuousness.

He planned to personally visit Su Yu to make amends.

Hearing Xu Tiannan's plan, Juzi's pupils shrank, and a deep sense of dread arose in her heart.

Here it was, that familiar sense.

This was the real Xu Tiannan.

For the sake of his ambition, he could endure being slapped in the face and even offer up the other cheek with a smile.

Such a person was undoubtedly terrifying.

If Su Yu weren't so extraordinary, Juzi wouldn't have dared to betray Xu Tiannan.

This man, with his patience and venomous nature, was like a poisonous snake.

No, she had to warn Su Yu.

Although she felt that Su Yu might understand Xu Tiannan, she couldn't feel at ease without saying a few more words.

Now that she and Su Yu were on the same boat, if Su Yu collapsed, she probably wouldn't have a good time either.

As for betraying Su Yu, she had never considered it.

Su Yu wasn't Xu Tiannan. Betraying Xu Tiannan came with no psychological burden for her.

But betraying Su Yu? She simply couldn't entertain the thought.

Perhaps it was that unrealistic fantasy in her heart at play.

When it came to seeking revenge, her heart undoubtedly leaned more towards Su Yu.

"Juzi, go prepare. In a couple of days, we'll visit Su Yu and properly… compensate… apologize to him."

Xu Tiannan spoke each word slowly, his gaze cold and calculating.

He intended to temporarily lull Su Yu into a false sense of security, making him believe that he had surrendered and wasn't a threat.

Otherwise, if Su Yu were provoked, Xu Tiannan knew he would be the one to suffer.

Su Yu held leverage over him, and since Su Yu couldn't be killed right now, Xu Tiannan had no choice but to temporarily bow his head.

But once he successfully ascended to the throne, he would make Su Yu pay the price.

Vengeance deferred is not vengeance denied.

The humiliation Su Yu inflicted on him today, Xu Tiannan swore he would return tenfold in the future.

As for whether Su Yu would be deceived, Xu Tiannan had no doubts.

A young man, celebrated at a young age and arrogant, likely didn't even take him seriously.

But Xu Tiannan intended to exploit this mindset. As long as Su Yu believed that he was weak and incapable of retaliation, his plan would succeed.

However, what Xu Tiannan didn't realize was that Su Yu wasn't the naive fool he imagined.

And in Xu Tiannan's camp, there was a highly placed undercover agent.

Xu Tiannan's grand schemes were nothing more than self-entertainment.

"Yes!"

Juzi responded respectfully, bowing her head, her eyes flashing with a sharp glint.

...

Over the past half month, Su Yu had been busy organizing matters related to the Holy Slayer Palace.

With manpower transferred from the original Douluo Continent, the construction of the Holy Slayer Palace progressed rapidly.

Compared to soul engineers, soul masters indeed had their advantages.

Especially earth-attribute soul masters, who excelled at construction projects like this, making the work effortless.

Within these two weeks, the entire area surrounding the Holy Slayer Palace had been meticulously planned and constructed.

Tall castles, a spacious plaza, an experimental zone, a training ground, cultivation chambers, and even an underground base—everything was in place.

Xuan Zhiwen and his group had already moved out of Illustrious Virtue Hall and taken up residence in the Holy Slayer Palace.

Jing Hongchen, who had been observing the entire process, couldn't help but feel heartache.

After all, Su Yu was essentially poaching his people, one spadeful at a time.

However, Jing Hongchen still supported Su Yu. He even provided some experimental equipment to ensure that Xuan Zhiwen and the others could seamlessly transition into their work without delays.

As for the security of the Illustrious Virtue Hall Palace, Su Yu had temporarily dispatched a small team from the Ice God Palace to guard it.

Though the team was small, consisting of only 500 members, each was a soul master above the Soul Ancestor level, handpicked from the Ice God Guard.

While the Ice God Guard wasn't as elite as the Palace Guard Corps, it was still a formidable force.

Even Xu Jiujiu had once envied them.

A team of 500 of such caliber could easily crush an army of 50,000 elite soldiers.

With these guards in place, the security of the Holy Slayer Palace was guaranteed.

Of course, the Ice God Guard was only a temporary measure. Once the Holy Slayer Palace was fully operational and had trained more members, the guards could be rotated out.

In short, everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion according to Su Yu's plans.

During this half-month, Xu Tiannan had also visited.

He came with a humble attitude, bearing gifts and apologies.

In summary, his message was one of submission: "I've learned my lesson; spare me, and I won't dare to cross you again."

Su Yu, of course, saw through Xu Tiannan's petty tricks, especially with Juzi feeding him information.

He couldn't even be bothered to pay attention to Xu Tiannan. But his aloof demeanor only made Xu Tiannan overjoyed, believing his plan was working.

In Xu Tiannan's mind, victory was assured.

But little did he know, from start to finish, that the clown in the room was none other than himself.

"Phew, finally done."

Su Yu set down the carving knife in his hand and stretched.

With the initial construction of the Holy Slayer Palace complete, some custom-designed soul tools were essential for appearances.

Jing Hongchen had provided some soul tools, and Su Yu had also purchased additional ones.

Now, the Holy Slayer Palace was well-stocked with soul tools, enough to secure the entire palace.

However, as a sect focused on researching soul tools—and potentially selling them in the future—it needed unique, signature soul tools to stand out.

Currently, the Holy Slayer Palace has only two eighth-level soul engineers: Su Yu and Xuan Zhiwen.

Naturally, the responsibility for creating these unique soul tools fell on their shoulders.

Su Yu designed three unique soul tools, while Xuan Zhiwen, drawing on some of Tang Sect's mechanical techniques, created a few distinctive ones of his own.

Their joint efforts produced impressive results.

"Yu, are you done?"

A knock sounded at the door, followed by Meng Hongchen's cheerful voice. She stood at the entrance, her face beaming.

Su Yu turned and smiled. "Meng, come in."

Meng Hongchen skipped into the room and glanced at the silver-gray longsword on the workbench, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Yu, is this your work?" she asked, pointing at the sword.

Su Yu nodded. "This sword is called the Blade of Ruin."

"It's made from materials like Shadow Crystal, Nether Iron, and Void Crystal."

"This sword embodies an aura of desolation and decay, capable of withering all life."

"If someone is injured by it, the wound will continually deteriorate and be extremely difficult to heal."

"Moreover, it can also drain life force and, to some extent, attack the soul."

Su Yu explained while Meng Hongchen's expression shifted.

A soul tool designed for melee combat with such terrifying abilities?

An aura of decay, life force absorption, and soul attacks—these were all exceptionally rare powers.

With all three abilities combined, the sword's strength was astonishing, comparable to her grandfather's prized Judgment Sword.

Her grandfather's Judgment Sword was his masterpiece, a top-tier eighth-level soul tool rivaling even ninth-level ones in terms of value.

Yet Su Yu's craftsmanship had reached such a high level?

Being knowledgeable about soul tools, Meng Hongchen was even more shocked.

"Yu, you never cease to amaze me," she said with admiration.

Su Yu smiled and ruffled her hair. "This is just the beginning. I'm still far from reaching the Hall Master's level."

"This Blade of Ruin, despite its abilities, isn't powerful enough to be a ninth-level soul tool."

"There's still a long way to go."

"It's already incredible, really," Meng Hongchen said as she hugged Su Yu, her voice soft. "Yu, don't push yourself too hard. Take your time."

"I know."

Su Yu reached out and hugged her, looking at Meng Hongchen's concerned expression. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

"Yu, is this sword meant to be given to Ji Juechen?"

Meng Hongchen asked.

After all, Su Yu had primarily focused on researching long-range soul tools before, and he had rarely crafted melee soul tools.

Moreover, the attributes of this sword were indeed a perfect match for Ji Juechen, which was why she asked.