Li Zhexian's Fate Unknown, Heaven Dou City Turned Upside Down

"Roar—!"

Zhao Wuji's roar shattered the Ice Seal.

His Martial Soul Avatar, over five meters tall, thundered through the woods. Vast Soul Power surged like an unleashed tidal wave, scouring every inch of ground again and again.

"Where could you possibly run in so little time?!"

His gaze swept over broken branches, fallen trees, muddy puddles, and pits.

Nothing!

Still nothing!

He could not catch even a trace of an aura!

At that moment.

The rain began to ease.

A bleak blue-gray light seeped over the horizon.

This only made Zhao Wuji more anxious.

Yet no matter how he urged his Soul Power to search.

Li Zhexian's aura had vanished as if he had evaporated from the world.

"That brat was struck by my Martial Soul Avatar. There's an eighty percent chance he's dead!"

"But I can't gamble on it..."

"That boy is far too monstrous!

"I absolutely cannot let him live!"

His killing intent settled.

He stopped his futile search.

Instead, he began the most brutal destruction.

Boom! Boom! Boom—!

His enormous fists crashed down like meteors.

Rows of trees snapped apart.

The ground was overturned by violent force, deep craters linking together into one vast expanse.

He intended to turn this entire area upside down. Even if he had to dig three feet into the earth, he would find Li Zhexian.

The thunderous blasts tore apart the morning's silence.

Without the cover of the night rain.

Such a commotion was especially piercing beneath the gradually brightening sky.

From afar, the faint sounds of footsteps and conversation drifted over.

Zhao Wuji's massive body abruptly froze, and his face turned exceedingly grim.

"Damn it!"

He recalled Qin Ming's warning.

Li Zhexian had connections everywhere!

He could not stay here.

Zhao Wuji dismissed his Martial Soul Avatar, and his burly figure vanished into the depths of the ruined forest.

He had to take Ma Hongjun and flee Heaven Dou City at once.

Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Xue Qinghe, who had slept poorly last night, had just finished the Crown Prince's morning lessons.

She walked beneath the towering red walls.

At that moment, she was exhausted in both body and mind.

Yet when she thought of going to Lotus Lake later.

To eat with that bastard, her mood brightened again.

"I need to return to my chambers quickly."

A torrential rain had fallen throughout the night.

It had left the weather stifling, like a steamer.

She wanted to wash up, then bring Three Immortals Chicken to their appointment.

That bastard was awfully picky about food.

He could tell with one bite whether the chicken had been steamed for too long or too short.

At the thought, the corners of Xue Qinghe's lips curved up almost imperceptibly.

The Crown Prince's chambers.

Xue Qinghe dried her long hair. Though she was still dressed as a man, one could glimpse a breathtaking softness beneath that guise.

Just then.

Snake Lance swept over with a gloomy expression. He glanced at Xue Qinghe and gritted his teeth.

"Young Master, there is some news. After hearing it, please... remain calm."

"Hmm?"

Xue Qinghe's hand stopped in the middle of drying her hair.

A sense of foreboding suddenly surged into her heart.

"Speak."

"Last night, a battle between Spirit Masters occurred in the eastern outskirts. Judging by the auras, there may have been a Soul Saint involved."

"The eastern outskirts..."

Xue Qinghe's body abruptly stiffened.

She immediately understood what Snake Lance meant.

The eastern outskirts—that was where Li Zhexian lived.

"Li... Li Zhexian... where is he?"

"A bloody scent was detected at the scene. Li Zhexian... has disappeared."

All color drained from Xue Qinghe's face.

Her body swayed three times. Only by gripping the edge of the table behind her did she barely manage to remain standing.

Whoosh—!

Xue Qinghe flashed away.

Ignoring her loose hair and the fact that she wore only silk stockings, she rushed out of the hall.

From afar.

A voice cold enough to flay flesh pierced Snake Lance's ears.

"Seal off the entire city!"

"No one is allowed to leave!"

Dugu Manor.

The rear kitchen.

Dugu Yan watched over a pot of soup.

From time to time, she pinched up some powder and sprinkled it in.

The household cooks beside her watched in terror.

Miss Dugu had never cooked before. She must not confuse cooking with poison-making.

Just then.

Several servant women who had gone out shopping returned.

They did not notice Dugu Yan and excitedly chatted among themselves.

"Haven't you heard? Spirit Masters fought in the eastern outskirts last night!"

"Oh my, I heard blood flowed like a river, with arms and legs scattered all over the ground!"

"Tsk, tsk, and the one who died was a young man. What a miserable death!"

Clatter—

The soup ladle fell to the floor.

Dugu Yan slowly turned around. Deep in her pupils, the emerald green that had already faded began to glow faintly again as she stared coldly at the servant women who had spoken.

"What... did you say?"

Only then did the servant women realize she was there. They hurriedly dropped to their knees.

"Miss Dugu!"

"You just said... where... did the battle between Spirit Masters happen?"

"T-the eastern outskirts, Miss. The deaths were awful..."

Before the servant woman could finish.

Dugu Yan had already rushed out of the kitchen like a gale.

Dugu Bo, who had been regulating his breathing in the courtyard, saw her lose control like this and asked.

"Yanyan, what happened?"

Dugu Yan clenched her teeth, her voice trembling.

"Li Zhexian... something happened to him!"

"What?!"

Ye Mansion.

"Mother! Come with me, quickly!"

Ye Lingling abandoned her usual quiet gentleness.

She practically dragged Madam Ye by the hand, rushing toward the gates without explanation.

A flicker of surprise crossed Ye Mother's elegant, aloof face.

It was the first time she had seen her daughter so flustered.

"Lingling, how can a young lady behave so without regard for her manners?"

Ye Mother frowned.

"Could it be that Li Zhexian likes rude women?"

"Mother!"

Tears had already filled Ye Lingling's sapphire-blue eyes, and her voice carried a sob.

"Li Zhexian... I think something happened to him!"

"Hmm?!"

Madam Ye's expression changed drastically.

She seized her daughter's wrist in return, moving even faster than Ye Lingling.

"What happened? Tell me on the way!"

The eastern outskirts.

The elegant little courtyard backed against the forest...

Perhaps it could no longer be called a "courtyard" now.

As far as the eye could see, bricks, tiles, and wooden beams lay scattered everywhere. There were only broken walls, charred earth, and deep pits.

Even the previous night's torrential rain had failed to completely wash away the faint scent of blood lingering in the air.

It showed how savage last night's battle had been.

The ruins were surrounded by a crowd of spectators.

A squad of royal guards hurried over and sternly cleared the area.

Xue Qinghe's face was taut.

Step by step, she entered this courtyard that had once been familiar.

The devastation before her eyes drained the last trace of color from her already pale face.

Her steps were heavy and slow.

Her gaze swept inch by inch across shattered brick walls, overturned earth, and blackened craters...

She carried a fear that was almost cautious.

She was afraid she would not find that familiar figure, and even more afraid... of seeing something she could not bear.

Just then.

Another commotion arose at the perimeter.

Dugu Bo arrived with Dugu Yan, who radiated icy hostility from head to toe, while Madam Ye pulled along the tearful Ye Lingling. They arrived almost at the same time.

The four of them saw the tragic scene before them.

The air instantly froze, oppressive enough to suffocate.

"Who... who on earth did this..."

Dugu Yan's delicate body trembled, patches of green scales emerging along her neck.

Ye Lingling's sapphire-blue eyes lost focus.

"The most urgent matter is finding Zhexian."

Dugu Bo's gaze was icy.

Li Zhexian had shown the Dugu Family great kindness.

He was not one to repay kindness with ingratitude.

If Li Zhexian had truly been harmed.

Poison Douluo would make that bastard understand what it meant to be worse off than dead.

Madam Ye clenched her fists, and icy frost crept across her elegant face.

"Investigate! Mobilize every force the Ye Family has in Heaven Dou City! Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, find Li Zhexian!"

Li Zhexian was the Ye Family's hope for Nine Heart Begonia to surpass the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.

She would not allow anything to happen to Li Zhexian.

Xue Qinghe stood silently amid the ruins.

Her expression was terrifyingly calm.

But at that moment, her gaze suddenly trembled.

Her eyes—

locked onto a patch of shattered tiles—

beneath which lay a familiar umbrella.

Its canopy was torn, its ribs broken, caked in mud.

It was the very one...

she had personally given Li Zhexian yesterday.

There'll still be three updates today, tonight, haha~~

Thank you, dear readers~~