What Was Going On with My Dou Qi?

The men fell silent. All that remained in their hearts was a deep fear. Jiang Yuan walked farther down the passage and soon reached a heavy stone door.

The door was shut tight and covered in intricate runes, clearly part of a defensive formation. Jiang Yuan glanced over them. With his current strength, he could force his way through, but there was no need to go to that trouble.

He raised a hand and knocked. The sound echoed through the empty passage.

After a long while, an impatient voice came from behind the door. "Who's out there disturbing my cultivation?"

"Someone's looking for you," Jiang Yuan replied.

The voice fell silent for a moment. "I'm in seclusion. Whatever it is, it can wait."

Jiang Yuan laughed. "I'm afraid it can't. If you don't open the door, I'll tear it down."

Anger sharpened the voice inside. "How dare you! Do you have any idea where you are?"

The stone door flew open. A tall man in a black robe stood behind it, his face twisted with rage. It was Liu Ming. A powerful aura radiated from him, marking him as a genuine Five-Star Dou Zun.

When Liu Ming saw that only a young disciple stood outside, he sneered. "A brat like you dares cause trouble on my turf? What faction are you from? Do you have a death wish?"

Jiang Yuan stood in the doorway and looked Liu Ming up and down. "The Pill Tower."

"Your men have been stirring up trouble in the Pill Tower's territory. I'm here to settle the score."

Liu Ming frowned at the mention of the Pill Tower, but his contemptuous expression quickly returned.

"The Pill Tower? Hah. Those old pill refiners dare meddle in the Hall of Souls' affairs? You must have a death wish."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Ming raised his hand. A mass of pitch-black Dou Qi gathered in his palm and blasted toward Jiang Yuan.

To him, a young disciple who dared mouth off to his face was asking to die. But the next instant, Liu Ming's expression changed.

The moment the Dou Qi left his palm, an invisible force scattered it. Then he felt something lock down the Dou Qi inside him. He could not summon it at all.

"What's happening? My Dou Qi..."

Liu Ming's face went deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. He had spent decades cultivating to reach the Five-Star Dou Zun level and had never encountered anything like this.

"What... what did you do?"

Jiang Yuan smiled at his terrified expression. "Relax. I've only sealed your Dou Qi for now. I did the same to your men."

"A Five-Star Dou Zun was harder to seal than those Dou Emperors and Dou Wangs, sure. But it only took a little more effort."

Liu Ming was stunned. His Five-Star Dou Zun strength had taken only "a little more effort" to seal? What kind of monster was this?

"Who are you?"

Liu Ming's voice trembled, and he stared at Jiang Yuan in terror. Jiang Yuan walked through the doorway, glanced around the stone chamber, and sat down wherever he pleased.

"I told you. I'm from the Pill Tower. But you can know my name, too. I'm Jiang Yuan."

"Remember it. From now on, steer clear of anyone from the Pill Tower."