Zhu Zhuqing bit her lower lip, a trace of confusion flashing through her eyes.
She considered her beauty second to none. Back in the Star Luo Empire, she had been pursued by countless young nobles.
Yet in this man's eyes, she seemed less appealing than the book in his hands.
"The tea won't taste good once it gets cold."
Zhu Zhuqing softly reminded him, unable to conceal the resentment in her voice.
Only then did Tang Yuan put down his book. He lifted the teacup, took a sip, and casually said,
"Zhu Qing, you mustn't slack off in cultivation. Your Soul Power fluctuations are somewhat unstable right now. Go to the Quiet Room and adjust yourself properly."
That businesslike guidance immediately extinguished every possibility of romance.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth, but in the end, she could not bring herself to say anything else.
"Yes, Teacher."
She answered somewhat petulantly before turning and leaving.
Her retreating figure remained graceful and lovely, yet it carried an indescribable grievance.
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Crown Prince's Mansion.
Xue Qinghe sat upright before his desk, the vermilion brush in his hand gliding smoothly across a memorial.
At this moment, "Xue Qinghe" was Qian Renxue.
She had impersonated Xue Qinghe for years. Whether in her bearing and mannerisms or her methods of handling state affairs, she was indistinguishable from the real Xue Qinghe—perhaps even more outstanding.
No one in the entire Heaven Dou Empire had detected a flaw.
Even Xue Ye had become increasingly satisfied with this "son" of his.
Qian Renxue set down her brush and rubbed her brow.
Lately, she had found it difficult to fully focus on government affairs.
That man's figure always slipped uncontrollably into her mind.
Tang Yuan.
The master of Blue Silver King's Mansion, that unfathomably mysterious expert.
Qian Renxue's feelings toward him were strange.
At first, she had merely been curious. Later, it became wariness. Now, it had somehow developed into an emotion even she could neither explain nor understand.
She had always secretly watched every move Blue Silver King's Mansion made.
When she learned that Tang Yuan had entered seclusion, she had unexpectedly felt empty inside.
It was as though an important piece had suddenly vanished from her once-vibrant life.
"This guy has been in seclusion for so long..."
Qian Renxue murmured softly, her voice carrying a hint of grievance she had not even noticed herself.
She rose and walked to the window, gazing in the direction of Blue Silver King's Mansion.
It was silent there, without the slightest movement.
These days of waiting filled her with an inexplicable melancholy.
As the Young Master of Spirit Hall, she should have remained calm and focused on the grand plan to steal the empire.
Yet that man's existence was like a stone tossed into a still lake, sending ripples spreading outward and leaving her unable to calm herself.
Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
This had once been Dugu Bo's herb garden, but it had now become Tang Yuan's sacred cultivation ground.
Two completely opposing auras—one frigid and one blazing—met here, forming a terrifying yet delicate balance.
Tang Yuan sat cross-legged at the center of the spring.
At this moment, dense blue-gold radiance surrounded his body.
After this period of secluded cultivation, coupled with the uniquely favorable nourishment of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, his Soul Power had reached an astonishing height.
Level ninety-five.
For a Titled Douluo, every single level of advancement was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Yet Tang Yuan had advanced with unstoppable momentum.
More than that, he had comprehended an exceptionally domineering domain skill—the Blue Silver Death Strangler Array.
It was a terrifying skill that combined control and slaughter.
Within the domain's range, the life and death of all things rested upon a single thought from him.
Tang Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
In that instant, the waters of the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye churned violently, as though celebrating the awakening of a king.
He rose to his feet and swept his gaze across the herb garden.
Countless rare Immortal Herbs grew here. Any one of them, taken outside, would be enough to stir a bloody storm throughout the Soul Master World.
Tang Yuan's figure flickered as he swiftly moved through the herb garden.
He did not harvest every Immortal Herb. Instead, he carefully selected several top-grade ones with the mildest medicinal properties, herbs that strengthened one's foundation and replenished vitality.
These were prepared for the people in the King's Mansion.
Once they consumed these Immortal Herbs, their strength would undoubtedly undergo a tremendous leap.
Everything was ready.
Tang Yuan stepped out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
The moment he left Sunset Forest and entered the bounds of Heaven Dou City,
Heaven and earth changed color.
The once-clear sky suddenly roiled with wind and clouds as countless blue-gold motes of light gathered from every direction.
A massive projection slowly emerged above Heaven Dou City.
It was a Blue Silver Emperor that blotted out the sky and covered the earth.
Every leaf was crystalline and translucent, radiating a sacred, majestic aura.
The Blue Silver Emperor Projection was so enormous that it covered nearly half of Heaven Dou City.
The pressure originating from the depths of its bloodline made every soul master with a plant-type martial soul in the city tremble.
On the streets, countless commoners stopped in their tracks.
They gazed up at the divine spectacle in the sky, their eyes filled with shock and reverence.
"It's Lord Blue Silver King!"
"That's our guardian deity!"
No one knew who shouted it first.
Immediately afterward, the crowd fell to its knees like a surging tide.
They bowed and worshipped devoutly in the direction of Blue Silver King's Mansion.
In the hearts of Heaven Dou City's people, the Blue Silver King was not merely incomparably powerful; he was also a living saint who delivered them from suffering.
Upon witnessing this heavenly phenomenon, they regarded him as a god all the more.
Within Blue Silver King's Mansion.
Tang San, who had been cultivating the Purple Demon Eye, abruptly opened his eyes.
He sensed an exceptionally familiar and powerful aura.
It was Teacher's aura!
Tang San rushed out of his room and looked up at the sky.
When he saw the Blue Silver Emperor Projection that covered the heavens, he froze completely.
"Teacher... has emerged from seclusion?"
Tang San sucked in a sharp breath.
This presence was several times more terrifying than when Tang Yuan had defeated Dugu Bo.
He could clearly sense that the aura contained a power of law capable of controlling life and death.
There was likely no longer anyone in the world capable of opposing him.
Tang San was both shocked and thrilled.
This was his Teacher—the goal he sought to surpass!
Elsewhere,
The sisters Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing also ran outside.
They stood side by side beneath the corridor, watching the magnificent sight in the sky with brilliant light in their beautiful eyes.
"It's him..."
Zhu Zhuyun pressed a hand to her chest, her face full of pride.
This was the man who had conquered her.
So powerful, so dazzling.
Zhu Zhuqing tightly pursed her red lips, the admiration in her eyes nearly overflowing.
She felt fortunate.
Fortunate that she had not chosen to remain in the Star Luo Empire and await death, but had instead fled here with her sister.
To become the woman of such a powerful man was the dream of countless women in this world.
All her earlier disappointment and grievance vanished in that instant.
As long as she could remain at his side, even if she merely served tea and poured water, it would be an honor.
Crown Prince's Mansion.
Clang!
A sharp sound rang out.
The teacup in Xue Qinghe's hand fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.
Scalding tea splashed across her hem, but she did not notice at all.
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