Faced with such a tragic scene, the Seventh Prince's face instantly turned ashen. He had never imagined that things would turn out this way, leaving him caught off guard and finding it difficult to bear.
At the same time, the Princess's eyes were filled with disarray. Their heir had just been born, and under these circumstances, he was likely in mortal danger. This was the last thing she wanted to see, but it seemed unavoidable now.
"Princess, rest assured, even if I have to exhaust all my strength, I will protect our child!" the Seventh Prince declared. "We leave now, we will break through the encirclement!"
"You were the Seventh Prince of the Heavenly Court, already holding a high position. Why would you do something so foolish?" The Princess shook her head, her eyes filled with helplessness.
"There are things you do not understand, and I cannot explain them to you in detail, but you must leave with me now!"
The Seventh Prince's expression was serious, not daring to be negligent. He took the Princess's hand and prepared to leave, his expression grave. He knew very well that if he were captured by the Ninth Prince, it would mean certain death.
"We swear to protect Your Highness with our lives!"
The guards clasped their fists. They were the loyal retainers of the Seventh Prince's manor, appearing ready to die, as if they had cast aside all other concerns. Their only objective now was to protect the Seventh Prince and ensure his successful escape.
The Seventh Prince glanced at them and clasped his fists in return. "Thank you all!"
After the Seventh Prince finished speaking, the guards remained silent and immediately charged towards the Ninth Prince and his vast army, appearing resolute in their willingness to die, as if they already considered themselves doomed.
Meanwhile, Lu Fan and the Ninth Prince stood still, observing the scene. The combined forces of the Northwest Prince's manor and the Ninth Prince's army were more than enough to annihilate the entire Seventh Prince's manor without much effort.
"Seventh Brother, it's time for you to show yourself. You cannot escape today!" the Ninth Prince's voice rang out, without any attempt to conceal his intentions.
"With just you, I doubt you can capture me!" the Seventh Prince's voice was cold. He leaped into the air, carrying his Princess and heir, intending to flee the Seventh Prince's manor and escape to the Underworld Dynasty.
Seeing this, the Ninth Prince immediately stepped forward and produced a treasure. This treasure gradually grew larger in the Ninth Prince's hand, eventually descending from the sky like a dark, oppressive mass, radiating immense deterrence.
"The Exquisite Pagoda!"
Gazing at the scene before him, the Seventh Prince's face turned ashen. He had never imagined that the Imperial Family's divine artifact would be brought forth.
"If I didn't have the Exquisite Pagoda in hand, how could I be so calm!"
The Ninth Prince smiled slightly. "Seventh Brother, it's best you stop struggling. Things have reached this point, and no matter how you struggle, it will be futile!"
"Do you truly intend to force me to my death!"
The Seventh Prince looked towards the Ninth Prince. "You should know we are brothers. If you let me go, I might still live. But if you are determined to kill me, then I will surely die today!"
"Then do you know that before coming here, I had already submitted a military order? If I fail to capture you, I will face severe punishment!" the Ninth Prince stated directly. "Do you think the Heavenly Emperor would let a rebel live? This Exquisite Pagoda was personally summoned by him, with the sole purpose of me eliminating you!"
"Truly unmindful of brotherly affection, worthy of the Heavenly Emperor!" the Seventh Prince laughed, a surge of anger in his voice.
In response to these words, the Ninth Prince shook his head. "If you hadn't been so headstrong and committed such a grave offense, things wouldn't have turned out this way. You can't blame others now!"
"Don't speak so sanctimoniously. Don't think I don't know that you're here simply to capture me and claim credit. Our past affections are no longer relevant!" the Seventh Prince said coldly.
"Say whatever you wish. Things have reached this point, and even if I didn't want to trap you, it's beyond my ability to do so!"
The Ninth Prince stated directly. "Therefore, the only thing you can do now is surrender. After all, no one can save you. At least if you surrender, the people of this royal city will not suffer because of you!"
"Ridiculous, truly ridiculous!"
The Seventh Prince's voice rose in anger. "I will not let you succeed, never!"
With that, streams of light surged around the Seventh Prince, as he attempted to forcefully break through the restrictions of the Exquisite Pagoda. Only by doing so could he escape and perhaps have a chance at survival in the future.
"This is an ancient divine artifact, the Exquisite Pagoda. How can you escape!"
With a sharp glint in his eyes, the Ninth Prince spoke, his aura intensifying. He had come to the Seventh Prince's manor today, and he would not allow a tragedy to repeat itself. Therefore, the Seventh Prince had to die.
Lu Fan stood rooted to the spot, his gaze filled with helplessness. He was always reluctant to witness such fratricidal strife, but there was nothing he could do. Things had reached this point, and it was beyond his control.
"Ninth Brother, please spare my life!"
The Princess's voice rang out. "My Seventh Brother was ignorant, and I have just given birth to our heir. He cannot be without a father!"
"This is not something I can decide. I can choose not to kill him and bring him back to the imperial city, and then plead for him," the Ninth Prince said directly. "But if he insists on escaping, I will have no choice but to forcefully suppress and kill him!"
"The Heavenly Emperor's temperament is such that he would rather kill ten thousand wrongly than let one go. How could he easily spare me? Even if I return to the imperial city with you, it would only be a dead end!" the Seventh Prince sneered, forcefully impacting the Exquisite Pagoda.
The Exquisite Pagoda, being an ancient divine artifact, possessed an unparalleled aura. As it was violently impacted, it continuously emitted rumbling sounds, causing waves of disturbance.
Witnessing the scene, the Ninth Prince's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He didn't want to do this, but things had reached a point where it was beyond his control. If he didn't bring the Seventh Prince back, he himself would be punished, and his life could even be in danger.
After all, this was a crime of rebellion, and no one would tolerate it. Within the imperial family, any act of rebellion would stir up endless turmoil, which was why the Heavenly Emperor was so wary of it.
Boom...
With a loud sound, the Seventh Prince was violently thrown back, a mouthful of blood oozing from the corner of his lips. He never imagined that his life would end in such a manner.
"Your Highness!"
The Princess cried out, rushing to the Seventh Prince's side with the child in her arms. She looked utterly miserable, her expression grave. Naturally, she had not expected things to turn out this way, and it had caught her completely off guard.
"Why must it be like this!"
Looking at the dying Seventh Prince, the Ninth Prince's heart was filled with mixed emotions. They were brothers, yet they had come to this point.