Gu Qing did not answer right away. Instead, he looked Qian Renxue up and down.
"With your current cultivation, you're no match for a true powerhouse."
He pointed out her weakness without the slightest courtesy.
"You're too weak. You need to improve quickly, or you'll only hold me back in the future."
His blunt words struck Qian Renxue where it hurt.
In the past, she would have retorted without hesitation, perhaps even stormed off on the spot.
But after experiencing the Life Domain's powerful effects, the words of rebuttal caught in her throat.
In the end, all Qian Renxue could do was bite her rosy lip and nod—a rare concession.
"I understand."
The next morning, the atmosphere in the imperial study of Heaven Dou Imperial Palace was somewhat oppressive.
Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice and fell across the carpet, but it did nothing to dispel the heaviness in the air.
Emperor Xue Ye sat on the broad dragon throne, his gaze fixed on the refined, middle-aged man standing below.
"Sect Master Ning, yesterday I sent Sword Douluo to investigate Gu Qing in secret. What were the results?"
The emperor's voice carried a hint of urgency and curiosity.
A young man who could publicly humiliate the crown prince and display astonishing strength at the Lantern Festival was impossible to ignore.
Ning Fengzhi wore a moon-white brocade robe, but his expression was less composed than usual.
He bowed slightly, his mind filled with Sword Douluo's battered appearance from the previous night and his claim that Gu Qing might one day become a god.
After a moment's thought, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's master raised his head and met Emperor Xue Ye's gaze.
"Your Majesty."
Ning Fengzhi drew a deep breath. His lips moved, but in the end, he uttered only four words.
"Do not offend him."
Those four words struck Emperor Xue Ye's heart like a heavy hammer.
The old emperor's eyelids twitched, and he leaned forward involuntarily.
"What do you mean by that, Sect Master Ning?"
Emperor Xue Ye pressed him urgently.
"Sword Douluo is a level ninety-six Super Douluo. Are you saying even he couldn't gauge that boy's strength? What exactly happened during their fight?"
Faced with the emperor's rapid-fire questions, Ning Fengzhi chose silence.
He lowered his eyes and said no more.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's rules and plans for the future would never allow him to reveal Gu Qing's true strength to the imperial family.
Seeing how evasive Ning Fengzhi was, Emperor Xue Ye could not force the issue.
"If Your Majesty has no other instructions, then I shall take my leave."
Ning Fengzhi bowed again, then turned and left the imperial study.
As the heavy doors closed behind him, Emperor Xue Ye was left alone in the study.
The old emperor slumped against the back of his throne, his eyes filled with deep apprehension and worry.
For the usually proud master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to give such high praise—and refuse to discuss the details—meant that Gu Qing's identity and background were far more terrifying than they appeared.
Emperor Xue Ye could not help thinking of Gu Qing's relationship with Xue Qinghe. The two were living together even now.
If the two young men joined forces...
One was an unfathomable, mysterious genius; the other, the future heir to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Both were peerless talents, lacking neither skill nor cunning.
If they ever harbored ambitions to seize the throne, the entire Heaven Dou Empire would be plunged into a crisis from which it could never recover.
The old emperor gripped the armrest of his throne, his fingers tightening as cold sweat beaded across his forehead.
A storm was brewing over the empire.
Dusk settled, and the dazzling lights gradually illuminated Heaven Dou Imperial City.
Gu Qing left the Crown Prince Mansion alone and wandered casually along the bustling streets.
After days of cultivation and scheming, he felt like finding somewhere to unwind.
Without realizing it, he turned into a somewhat secluded alley and pushed open the door of a bar with an old-fashioned sign.
The bar was dimly lit, and soft music drifted through the air.
Gu Qing had just settled into a secluded corner and ordered a glass of hard liquor when the muffled sound of an argument from the booth next door caught his attention.
Through the dim, flickering lights, two familiar figures came into view.
They were Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing of Shrek Academy.
Dai Mubai perched on the edge of the sofa, leaning forward with an aggressive intensity, nearly backing Zhu Zhuqing into a corner.
The blond young man's eyes were filled with undisguised greed and lust as he stared at the alluring, curvaceous figure before him.
He had always coveted Zhu Zhuqing's beauty and stunning figure, dreaming of making his cold and beautiful fiancée his own.
But though Zhu Zhuqing looked sultry and seductive, she was traditional to the core.
No matter how much Dai Mubai tried to ingratiate himself with her, she kept her distance, refusing to give in.
His long-frustrated advances, compounded by the irritation of Oscar's severe injuries, finally exhausted Dai Mubai's patience.
"Zhuqing, stop acting like you're a thousand miles out of reach."
Dai Mubai reached for the girl's wrist, but she warily dodged his hand.
Her evasion instantly ignited the Evil Fire within him.
He sprang to his feet and braced both hands on the back of the sofa, trapping Zhu Zhuqing in the cramped space.
"Didn't you come here for me?"
Dai Mubai's tone turned vicious as he began to threaten her.
"We need to cultivate our Martial Soul Fusion Skill to break free of our family's fate. Having a relationship would help us understand each other better."
"If we need to work together in perfect harmony, isn't that only natural?"
At his shameless words, Zhu Zhuqing's face went deathly pale.
She tried to push away the man who kept crowding closer, her eyes full of revulsion and resistance.
"Get away from me! Don't touch me!"
The girl's voice trembled slightly, but her defiance remained.
When he saw that Zhu Zhuqing was still resisting, Dai Mubai dropped his hypocritical mask completely.
"If you won't do it, I'll never speak to you again."
He straightened up and looked down at his fiancée, huddled in the corner.
"When you fail the family trial, your sister will kill you."
His words struck her right in her most vulnerable spot, and Zhu Zhuqing's body shook violently.
The brutal rules of succession in the Star Luo Imperial Family weighed on her chest like a mountain.
Without Dai Mubai's cooperation, she was as good as dead.
A mist of despair gradually rose in those cool eyes.
Under the crushing pressure of life and death, the defenses she had held onto began to crumble under Dai Mubai's words.
Seeing his prey about to surrender, Dai Mubai's lips curled into a triumphant sneer.
Without hesitation, he reached out with both hands, ready to pull the girl's slender waist toward him.
Just as those greasy paws were about to touch Zhu Zhuqing's clothes...
A tall, slender figure suddenly stepped out of the dim shadows.
Before you continue