Chapter 39

At the sewer exit, the old man poked his head out and looked left and right. Seeing no one around, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and waved Chen Qi out.

"Never judge a book by its cover, huh? Kid, I didn't expect you to have such ability. You opened up the path in no time."

Chen Qi waved a hand. Getting out would have taken some effort, but the old man had already cleared a way for him, so he'd only needed to make a small move to escape.

He looked around and fixed his gaze on a tower not far away. That should be where the interrogation room was.

"Hey, System, Qian Renxue's Soul Power was sealed. Why didn't I disappear?"

"Ding. The host is both a Martial Soul and not a Martial Soul. Unless Qian Renxue dies, nothing will happen to you."

The System's explanation left Chen Qi confused. What did it mean that he was both one and not one? What a headache.

Boom!

A deafening blast suddenly came from the tower. Blazing flames surged into the sky like a fire-breathing dragon devouring heaven and earth.

Chen Qi's heart clenched at the sight. The System had just said he wouldn't be in danger unless Qian Renxue died, and now the place was exploding and on fire. Was Xue Ye trying to kill her to silence her?

"Ding. Qian Renxue's favorability has changed. Current favorability: 800/1000."

Wait!

What had happened? Why had Qian Renxue's favorability suddenly soared from a little over six hundred to eight hundred?

Chen Qi looked toward the flames without hesitation. Ten enormous wings spread from his back, and he shot toward the blaze.

Outside the imperial palace, Pufferfish Douluo, Snake Lance Douluo, and the others had run into Dugu Bo. They were galloping toward the palace at full speed.

"Old Poison, is what you said true? The young mistress really was invited to the imperial palace by Xue Ye?"

Dugu Bo nodded and answered with a frown.

"Our master had Sword Douluo notify me. There can be no mistake."

Pufferfish Douluo was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, wishing he could get to the palace at once.

"Damn Xue Ye! If anything happens to the young mistress, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and the Spirit Hall will destroy the Heaven Dou Empire!"

Boom!

An explosion sounded in the distance. The three stopped in midair, their pupils contracting sharply. Snake Lance Douluo and Pufferfish Douluo shouted with red-rimmed eyes.

"Xue Ye! You're as good as dead!"

Ten minutes earlier, inside the interrogation room, Qian Renxue had heard Xue Ye say that Chen Qi was dead. Her mind went blank.

Memories surged through her like a tide. Thick veins bulged across her forehead, and her upper and lower teeth clenched together like the jaws of a hydraulic press.

"Xue Ye! You beast! I'll kill you!"

Xue Ye adjusted his cuffs, sat down opposite Qian Renxue, and said,

"Stop struggling in vain. Hand over the method for increasing a Martial Soul's age, and I'll let you die quickly."

Seeing Xue Ye shamelessly threaten Qian Renxue into handing over the method for increasing a Martial Soul's age, Chen Qi decided the man was no longer fit to be called human.

"Fine, I'll tell you. Bring me a hundred jin of gunpowder, and I'll teach you slowly."

Xue Ye was a little puzzled. What did increasing a Martial Soul's age have to do with gunpowder? Still, he did as she asked and ordered his men to bring a hundred jin of it.

Qian Renxue looked expressionlessly at the several crates of gunpowder. She hadn't expected Xue Ye to actually do as she asked and bring it in.

"Qian Xue, everything's here. Hurry up and tell me the method."

Qian Renxue looked at Xue Ye and smiled helplessly. A foolish ruler was truly foolish. She would make sure he perished in the flames!

Qian Renxue glanced at the oil lamp beside her and made up her mind. Still tied to her chair, she hurled herself against it.

"Chen Qi, I'll see you in the next life."

The flame fell onto the gunpowder, triggering a violent explosion in an instant. Flames surged dozens of meters into the air, and every living thing was reduced to ashes.

The shock wave hurled Xue Ye outside. Seeing his once splendid clothes and handsome face reduced to this state, he was so furious he wanted to drag Qian Renxue out of the fire and torture her to death.

"What a stubborn fool! She'd rather die with me than tell me the method!"

Xue Ye had thought he could use this technology to conquer the world. Now both the person and the technology were gone—along with his grand ambitions!

"Xue Ye, prepare to die!"

Ten enormous angel wings swept through the air. Seeing him, Chen Qi immediately released all the Soul Power within his body.

Countless mighty angel feathers shot out like bullets.

Xue Ye hastily raised his hands to block. The attacks struck his body, making him cry out in pain.

"Wait! Didn't you drink my wine too? Why do you still have Soul Power?"

"Because you're an idiot. You thought I couldn't tell you'd drugged it?"

Hearing Chen Qi call him an idiot enraged Xue Ye. He immediately decided to teach him a lesson.

"First Soul Skill: Poison Wind!"

A gust carrying Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison swept over. Xue Ye hadn't reacted in time and inhaled the poisonous air. His face turned deathly pale at once. He spat out a mouthful of black blood and fell to his knees.

"Master, are you all right?"

Dugu Bo arrived just in time and defeated Xue Ye with a single move. Chen Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His reinforcements had arrived.

Xue Ye raised his head in a wretched state. The pressure from the auras of three Titled Douluos made it hard to breathe, and he soon realized that Qian Xue's identity was no ordinary one.

He looked toward the sea of fire, his expression stiffening. It was over. Everything was over. Qian Renxue was dead, and his Heaven Dou Empire was doomed as well.

"Crack!"

A burning piece of wood fell away, and two figures slowly emerged. Chen Qi looked closely. It was Qian Renxue and her grandfather, Qian Daoliu.

The moment Xue Ye saw Qian Daoliu, he understood everything. The surname Qian, the golden hair—Qian Xue was Qian Daoliu's granddaughter!

How could he have been foolish enough to threaten someone like her?

"Xue Ye, you kidnapped Xue'er. Are you looking to die?"

Qian Daoliu spoke each word slowly.

Xue Ye was so terrified by his aura that his legs went weak. He didn't even dare look at Qian Daoliu.

"G-Grand Elder, this is all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

Crack!

Qian Daoliu covered dozens of meters in a single step and tore Xue Ye's head off.

"Even if it's a misunderstanding, that won't stop me from killing you."

Chen Qi suddenly felt his connection with Qian Renxue reappear. The next second, he appeared beside her.

When Qian Renxue saw Chen Qi alive and unharmed, her eyes instantly reddened. She threw her arms around him.

"Chen Qi, don't ever leave me again, okay?"

After what had happened, Qian Renxue could no longer bear to be apart from Chen Qi. Her scales could not be touched by anyone.

Seeing Qian Renxue looking so pitiful, Chen Qi froze. He hadn't realized he meant so much to her.

"Then are you going to stop acting recklessly?"

"I won't do it again. From now on, I'll listen to everything you say, as long as you don't leave."

Hearing the anxious fear in Qian Renxue's voice, Chen Qi understood that she had truly learned her lesson.

"All right. I promise."

Pufferfish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo lowered their heads and appeared before Qian Daoliu like children about to be scolded by their teacher.

"I'm sorry, Grand Elder. We failed to protect the young mistress."

Qian Daoliu looked at the two helplessly and shook his head.

"We'll discuss this later. There are other matters to deal with now."

Chen Qi looked at Qian Daoliu, his eyes cold.

"Wipe out the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Family."