Dan Chen's Adoration

Liu Ming stood there, his face deathly pale, not daring to move. He had no Dou Qi left; anyone could kill him now.

Jiang Yuan glanced at him and said, "I won't kill you today. Go back and give the Hall of Souls a message: stay away from the Pill Tower's territory from now on. Otherwise, next time, I won't stop at sealing your Dou Qi."

"I'll pay a visit to the Hall of Souls headquarters myself."

Cold sweat ran down Liu Ming's face. He nodded repeatedly. "Yes! I'll pass on your message!"

Jiang Yuan rose and brushed the dust from his robe, then turned to leave. At the doorway, he looked back at Liu Ming with a faintly amused smile. "Oh, I almost forgot."

"That seal will last about three months. It'll break on its own after that, but until then, you'd better watch yourself. Life won't be easy for a Soul Hall Protector without Dou Qi."

With that, Jiang Yuan walked out without looking back. Liu Ming stood trembling where he was. Only after Jiang Yuan disappeared down the passage did he collapse onto the floor, gasping for breath.

He looked down at his hands and found they were still shaking.

"Three months... How am I supposed to survive three months?"

The more Liu Ming thought about it, the more frightened he became. A protector without Dou Qi was a lamb waiting to be slaughtered in the Hall of Souls. Once the subordinates who usually treated him with such respect learned he had lost his Dou Qi, they would probably tear him apart.

A chill ran down his spine. He scrambled to his feet, ready to pack up and flee.

He had to find somewhere to hide until the seal broke in three months, then return to the Hall of Souls. Meanwhile, Jiang Yuan retraced his steps out of the Stronghold. The Hall of Souls disciples were still lying on the ground.

When they saw him emerge, they all stared at him nervously, fear and hope mingling in their eyes.

Jiang Yuan swept his gaze over them. "I've dealt with your protector. What you do now is up to you. If you want to leave, go ahead. But I should warn you: those Magical Beasts outside are no pushovers."

The Hall of Souls disciples scrambled away, wishing they had two more legs to run on.

Jiang Yuan couldn't help laughing at the sight of them fleeing in disarray. Then he headed toward Dan Chen's hiding place.

Dan Chen hurried over when she saw him. "How did it go? You're not hurt, are you?"

Seeing her concern, Jiang Yuan shook his head. "I'm fine. The Stronghold's been dealt with. The Hall of Souls probably won't send anyone here again."

Dan Chen let out a relieved breath, excitement lighting up her face. "You're incredible! You finished so quickly! How many people were in there?"

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment, then said casually, "A few dozen. I sealed their Dou Qi and left them there."

Dan Chen's eyes widened. "You sealed all of them? That Forbidden Character Art of yours is ridiculous!"

Jiang Yuan waved a hand with a smile. "All right, enough praise. Let's get back. The Three Elders are waiting for our report."

Dan Chen nodded eagerly, and the two of them turned back the way they had come. After a few steps, she couldn't resist asking, "How strong was the person in charge of the Stronghold?"

"Five-Star Dou Zun."

Dan Chen's mouth fell open. She stood stunned for a long moment before managing, "You sealed a Five-Star Dou Zun too?"

Jiang Yuan nodded. "I did, but only for three months. The seal will break on its own after that."

Dan Chen fell silent for a moment, then said with heartfelt conviction, "Jiang Yuan, I think you might become the Pill Tower's greatest alchemist someday."

Jiang Yuan only smiled and said nothing.

They followed the road back to the Pill Tower. By the time night had deepened, its gates finally came into view.