Qian Daoliu abruptly raised his head. A ripple flashed through his golden eyes— the aura of a Titled Douluo was rapidly approaching.
A few breaths later, someone entered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. It was Dugu Bo.
His gaze swept over the wreckage. The once-neat medicinal fields had been dug up into a patchwork of pits, and nearly a third of the herbs had vanished. His face instantly flushed a deep purple.
"Who was it?! Who did this?!"
Dugu Bo's roar sent the surrounding mists boiling violently. His eyes were webbed with bloodshot veins, and the corners of his mouth twitched with rage.
He had only spent a few days playing with his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, but when he returned, he found that the "herb garden" he had tended for years had been looted clean!
Especially the dozens of herbs brimming with energy. Though he had been too wary of their toxicity to touch them, he could tell they were no ordinary plants.
He might not have known what they did, but how could plants capable of storing such immense energy be common?
And now, not even a single leaf remained!
"Ah—!" He shook with rage. His jade-green Soul Power spread out, and poisonous mist swirled around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Which blind bastard dared lay a hand on my things?!"
"Silence!"
The low command cracked like thunder. Qian Daoliu strode out from behind a massive boulder.
Qian Renxue was meditating behind the boulder, perfectly hidden from Dugu Bo's line of sight. And his Mental Power was nothing exceptional to begin with, so he had failed to notice Qian Daoliu at all.
Dugu Bo whipped around and glared at Qian Daoliu warily, the fury in his eyes almost tangible. "Who are you?!"
"You must be the one who stole my herbs!" Before the other man could answer, he shouted, "You dare steal from me? Do you know who I am?!"
As his voice rang out, two yellow, two purple, and five black Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, circling and dancing as they released the pressure of a Titled Douluo.
Behind him, the phantom of a colossal Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor slowly appeared. Its eyes were cold as a frozen pool, its fangs glistening, and a poisonous aura coiled around its body.
"Hand it all over!" Dugu Bo's voice was as vicious as a snake's hiss. A murderous gleam flashed in his eyes. "Or I'll make you suffer the agony of ten thousand poisons devouring your heart, until not even your bones remain!"
"Enough."
Qian Daoliu couldn't be bothered to waste words. He slowly raised his left hand and closed it into a loose fist.
A solid golden hand of energy appeared out of thin air. Like an iron vice, it clenched Dugu Bo in its palm. The phantom of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor behind him warped under the pressure, letting out a shrill hiss.
"H-How is this possible?!" Dugu Bo's eyes widened. His fury was instantly replaced by utter astonishment. His mouth hung open, but not a sound came out.
He was a Titled Douluo! One of the strongest people on the continent!
How could he have been so easily restrained without even seeing the other man's Martial Soul?
The sacred power in that golden hand was like the nemesis of poison. His vaunted poison-based Soul Power withered in an instant, leaving him unable to fight back at all.
"Who... who are you?!" Dugu Bo's voice trembled despite his best efforts. Raging waves surged through his heart—this strength was far beyond that of an ordinary Titled Douluo!
"Grandpa, who's making all that noise?"
Qian Renxue walked out from behind the boulder, rubbing her brow. The commotion had obviously woken her.
When she saw Dugu Bo dangling in midair, clenched in the golden hand, she gave a soft laugh. "So it's you, Dugu Bo. What brings you here?"
After spending these past years in Heaven Dou, she knew the various factions there like the back of her hand.
For the past two years, Dugu Bo had been helping Prince Xue Xing deal with "Xue Qinghe." She had long since investigated him thoroughly in secret, though Dugu Bo had never seen her true face.
"Who are you?!" Dugu Bo struggled to look at Qian Renxue.
"You broke into my herb garden. What exactly are you after?!"
"So this is your herb garden." Qian Renxue strolled forward, her gaze sweeping carelessly over the herbs that remained. "You've got quite a variety. What a shame... from now on, it belongs to me."
Dugu Bo paused, then quickly weighed his options.
His opponent had subdued him with such ease. Fighting back would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
He drew a deep breath, forcing down his anger and resentment. His voice came out hoarse. "Let me go. You can have this place."
As long as he stayed alive, he could find a way to make up the loss later. As long as the green hills remained, he wouldn't have to worry about firewood.
"Grandpa, let him go," Qian Renxue said softly.
Qian Daoliu gave a slight nod and withdrew the golden hand.
Dugu Bo stumbled to the ground. He staggered a few steps before managing to steady himself, and the look he gave Qian Daoliu held a deepened respect.
Qian Renxue walked up to him, a half-smile playing on her lips. Her gaze settled on his face, still twisted with shock. "Dugu Bo, do you know who I am?"
Dugu Bo shook his head instinctively. "Who are you?"
"I am Qian Renxue, daughter of the former Pope, Qian Xunji." Her voice was soft, yet it rang clearly in Dugu Bo's ears. "And this is my grandfather, the Grand Elder of Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu."
"W-What?!" Dugu Bo's pupils contracted. The color drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale.
Qian Daoliu! The Grand Elder of Spirit Hall, the legendary powerhouse who stood at the pinnacle of the continent!
No wonder he hadn't been able to fight back!
An absurd sense of relief welled up inside him—it wasn't that he was too weak. His opponent was simply impossibly strong!
Before he could recover from his shock, Qian Renxue dropped another bombshell that nearly sent him out of his wits. Her words rang clearly in Dugu Bo's ears. "Besides those two identities, I have another. The Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, is nothing but my servant."
"I personally helped him ascend to the position of crown prince and helped him eliminate his two half-brothers."
"You... you..." Dugu Bo pointed at Qian Renxue, his fingertip shaking violently with shock. His feet carried him backward until his back struck the icy rock wall with a thud. There was nowhere left to go.
He didn't want to hear this! Not a word! How could he possibly be allowed to hear such things?
Backing the crown prince and eliminating princes...
If this got out, the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Family would be thrown into turmoil!
It was over. He knew far too many secrets he shouldn't have, and there was little chance he'd leave here alive today.
A powerful urge to flee rose in him, but as his gaze fell on Qian Daoliu, standing calmly nearby, that thought was crushed to pieces.
He had no chance of escaping this man.
Yet Qian Renxue acted as though she hadn't noticed his terror and continued. "Xue Qinghe is sixteen and already a Soul King, beloved by both the old emperor and the people."
"Do you know why? I made all of it happen."
"I promised to make him a Titled Douluo. The Heaven Dou Imperial Family is mediocre by nature, but I have ways to make his cultivation advance by leaps and bounds."
"Every chance to earn merit, every bit of goodwill among the people—it was all a road I carefully laid out for him."
Dugu Bo opened his mouth, but it felt as though a boulder were lodged in his throat. No sound came out.
At last, he understood. The "Xue Qinghe" he had spent the last two years helping Prince Xue Xing oppose was nothing but a puppet under someone else's control! And the true mastermind was the daughter of the former Pope of Spirit Hall!
"What do you want from me?" Dugu Bo's voice was hoarse and dry, edged with despair.
He raised his head and looked at Qian Renxue, his expression complicated.
Qian Renxue stopped less than half a zhang away. Her golden eyes flashed, and she spoke in an unmistakably commanding tone. "Dugu Bo, I've taken a liking to you. Become my new servant."
Dugu Bo's whole body jolted. He snapped his head up to stare at Qian Renxue, disbelief filling his eyes.
A servant? He, a Titled Douluo who had made a name for himself years ago, was supposed to serve a young girl?
This was the height of humiliation! Dugu Bo had been proud and unyielding all his life. When had he ever suffered such indignity?
But when he looked at her haughty golden eyes and felt the immense pressure emanating faintly from Qian Daoliu behind him, the last spark of resistance inside him was crushed by cold reality.
Refuse? The two of them would grind him to dust the very next second.
Stay alive... I have to stay alive... Yan Yan is waiting for me to come home...
Dugu Bo struggled fiercely within himself. His expression shifted from shock to fury, then humiliation, until all that remained was utter helplessness.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms. Blood slowly seeped between his fingers.
Just then, a crazed idea flashed through his mind. Qian Renxue stood only half a zhang away. Though her status was lofty, her cultivation might not be all that impressive.
If he could seize her and use her to threaten Qian Daoliu, he might survive!
If he could just get out of here and flee far away with Yan Yan, surely there was some place on this vast continent where they could live!
At the thought, Dugu Bo's eyes turned sharp. His Soul Power began to gather quietly, and he raised his right hand a fraction, ready to strike without warning.
"What? You're thinking of using me to threaten Grandpa?" Qian Renxue saw right through him. A cold, mocking smile curled her lips. "Do you think you're good enough? Do you even have the ability? Or do you take me for such an easy target?"
As soon as she finished speaking, six golden wings unfurled behind her. A sacred aura spread through the air, and two vivid red Soul Rings rose from beneath her feet, circling and dancing as they released a terrifying pressure.
The phantom of an Angel slowly appeared behind her. Golden light pierced the mist, illuminating Dugu Bo's horrified face.
Before you continue