What Are We Supposed to Do Now?

After Jiang Yuan finished speaking, Thunder Venerable was utterly dumbfounded.

He stood there in a daze for a long while, his expression turning to one of extreme shock.

He was the master of the Wind-Thunder Pavilion, a Dou Zun expert, yet at that moment, he was as helpless and lost as any useless weakling.

Even Feng Qing'er and her Junior Sisters beside him were stunned, their mouths hanging open as they stared at the scene before them.

"Master, your Dou Qi..." Feng Qing'er was completely bewildered. She had never imagined things would turn out this way, never imagined that useless Jiang Yuan would actually cripple her master's Dou Qi. That was the power of a Dou Zun!

Her Junior Sisters were too frightened to speak. They stood there trembling, while Thunder Venerable had only one thought left in his mind: fear.

Absolute, utter fear.

If his strength was simply gone like this, the Wind-Thunder Pavilion would collapse. A faction without a Dou Zun expert to hold the fort could never maintain its footing on the Dou Qi Continent.

When that happened, never mind their hostile rivals—even the Wind-Thunder Pavilion's own elders and disciples would probably rebel.

The more Thunder Venerable thought about it, the more terrified he became. Cold sweat began beading on his forehead. No longer caring about his dignity, he immediately began pleading with Jiang Yuan.

"Jiang Yuan... no, my young friend Jiang Yuan! Please help me remove this seal. I'm begging you! I failed to recognize your greatness earlier and offended you. It was all my fault!"

"As long as you undo the seal, I'll do anything!"

Thunder Venerable's voice was full of pleading, and he humbled himself completely.

Feng Qing'er was dumbstruck by the sight. She had never seen her master abase himself like this. In her eyes, Thunder Venerable had always been a lofty figure. When had he ever spoken so meekly to anyone?

"And I'll have Qing'er apologize to you!"

Filled with fear, Thunder Venerable turned and snapped at Feng Qing'er beside him. "Qing'er! What are you standing there for? Apologize to my young friend Jiang Yuan right now!"

Her expression turned ugly when her master suddenly shouted at her.

She had wanted to say something, but upon seeing his desperate expression, she could only brace herself and speak.

"I'm sorry..."

Feng Qing'er's voice was very quiet, and reluctance was written all over her face. As a proud member of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, when had she ever suffered such humiliation?

But with her master pleading like this, she did not dare say anything defiant. Jiang Yuan, however, watched them without the slightest change in his expression.

Whether it was Thunder Venerable's abject pleading or Feng Qing'er's reluctant apology, neither meant anything to him.

"Don't bother."

Jiang Yuan spoke calmly, his tone firm and leaving no room for negotiation. "Why didn't you call it a misunderstanding when you tried to kill me earlier? Now you're scared? Too late."

Those words terrified Thunder Venerable, and he began trembling where he stood.

"No, my young friend Jiang Yuan, hear me out..."

Lei De had wanted to keep pleading, but Jiang Yuan cut him off.

"Count yourself lucky that I'm not killing you today. But I won't remove that seal. Think about it: a mighty Dou Zun expert, and now even a mere Dou Zhe could kill you. That must feel awful, doesn't it?"

Jiang Yuan paused, a meaningful smile curling his lips.

"Living in fear should hurt you more than being killed on the spot. You're on your own."

With that, Jiang Yuan turned and left. Dan Chen froze for a moment before hurriedly following him. Without looking back, the two headed toward the Space Exchange, leaving Thunder Venerable, Feng Qing'er, and the others standing there.

Watching them leave, Thunder Venerable's face filled with terror. He slumped as though all his strength had been drained away.

He opened his mouth to call Jiang Yuan back, only to find that something seemed to be blocking his throat. He could not make a sound.

It's all over!

That was the only thought left in Thunder Venerable's mind, which was consumed by despair and terror. He had cultivated for hundreds of years to reach the Dou Zun Realm, and now it was gone just like that. And Jiang Yuan had been right: for a cripple weaker than even a Dou Zhe, living was more painful than death.

"Master, are you all right?"

Feng Qing'er hurriedly supported him, her face full of panic.

But Thunder Venerable turned to look at her, his eyes filled with anger and resentment unlike anything she had ever seen.

"You have the nerve to ask? If it weren't for you, how would I have ended up like this?"

Thunder Venerable trembled with rage, bitterly blaming Feng Qing'er in his heart.

If this woman had not insisted on picking a fight with Jiang Yuan, he would never have stepped in to teach that brat a lesson. If he had not acted, his Dou Qi would never have been sealed, and he would still be the perfectly capable master of the Wind-Thunder Pavilion.

It was all because of this troublesome disciple.

After being berated by her master, Feng Qing'er felt deeply wronged, tears welling in her eyes.

"Master, I didn't know he was so powerful either. If I'd known, I never would have provoked him..."

Her aggrieved expression only made Thunder Venerable angrier. He pointed at her nose and cursed.

"You didn't know? You dared stir up trouble without knowing? After all these years of teaching you, is throwing your weight around all you've learned? Now you've picked a fight with someone you couldn't handle, and you've dragged your own master down with you!"

The more Thunder Venerable spoke, the angrier he became, but there was little he could do to Feng Qing'er. With his Dou Qi sealed, he did not even have the strength to discipline his disciple.

Her Junior Sisters stood beside them with their heads lowered, afraid to speak lest Thunder Venerable turn his anger on them.

After the scolding, Feng Qing'er bit her lip, unable to hold back her tears any longer. She felt terribly wronged, but more than anything, she was afraid.

If her master's Dou Qi truly could not be restored, her position in the Wind-Thunder Pavilion would be finished too.

"Master, then... what do we do now?"

Feng Qing'er asked shakily. Thunder Venerable took a deep breath, his face filled with exhaustion and despair.

"What do we do? What else can we do? Let's return to the Wind-Thunder Pavilion first."

With that, Thunder Venerable turned and headed toward the Wind-Thunder Pavilion, his back looking far more hunched than before.

Seeing their master leave, Feng Qing'er and her Junior Sisters hurried after him. None dared say another word. After a few steps, Thunder Venerable suddenly stopped and glanced back in the direction Jiang Yuan had gone.

Just who is that brat...?

Thunder Venerable muttered inwardly, his eyes filled with deep apprehension and fear.

Then he sighed and continued forward with heavy steps.

But after only a few more steps, a thought occurred to him. Should I try visiting the Pill Tower?