Zhu Zhuqing Joins

"Where's Zhu Zhuqing? Where did she run off to?"

Several burly men came charging out of a forest on the border of the Star Luo Empire.

The enormous Zi Tian Palace nearby caught their eyes at once.

"It's all flat ground here. She had nowhere to hide, so she must have gone into that palace."

One of the men immediately headed toward Zi Tian Palace.

"Wait. That palace looks lavish, and this is where two countries meet. Anyone bold enough to establish a power here is bound to be ruthless."

Another man grabbed him, hesitation on his face.

"If you ask me, what we get paid each month isn't worth risking our necks for the Zhu Family. If we offend someone dangerous, we won't even be able to run!"

The man shook off his arm with a look of disdain.

"With that pig brain of yours, can you even tell what matters? The Zhu Family is one of the Star Luo Empire's great noble houses. How many powers would dare cross them?

"Besides, Crown Princess Zhu Zhuyun gave this order herself. If we pull it off, we'll soar to wealth and rank.

"And if we really do run into someone dangerous, we can always beg for mercy then."

"Fair enough. Let's go."

After a brief discussion, the men found the temptation of wealth and rank too hard to resist and rushed toward Zi Tian Palace together.

But the moment they drew near the palace gates, they felt a faint breeze brush past.

Then they silently turned to dust and drifted away with the wind.

In the empty air beside where they had died, a deity rubbed his nose, looking innocent.

"Oops, I sneezed by accident. I was just passing through, really. I definitely didn't enter the Douluo Realm."

Watching the deity's clumsy performance outside Zi Tian Palace, Zi Tian didn't even know where to begin.

He waved for the other deities hiding in the palace to leave, then quietly waited for Zhu Zhuqing to finish her bath.

Zhu Zhuqing was talented, after all. Zi Tian had decided to bring her under his wing as Zi Tian Palace's first promising fighter.

Before long, the bathroom door opened, and Zhu Zhuqing stepped out in casual clothes.

Steam still lingered around her. Through the mist, a faint blush colored her delicate, cool-featured face.

Even her loose clothes could not conceal her striking curves.

Even Zi Tian, who had watched countless films in his previous life, was stunned at first sight.

"All right. The men chasing you have been dealt with. What do you plan to do next?"

After marveling inwardly at Zhu Zhuqing's extraordinary beauty, Zi Tian returned to the matter at hand.

Looking at Zi Tian seated calmly on the throne, Zhu Zhuqing felt a nervousness she could not explain.

"I originally planned to hide from my pursuers in the Heaven Dou Empire, then find somewhere I could grow stronger and train hard."

She fell silent for a moment, then looked at Zi Tian, resolve gradually filling her eyes.

"But now, I want to ask you to take me in and help me grow stronger. I want to escape my family's control!"

"And what are you willing to give in return?"

Zi Tian's face remained expressionless and his voice even. Zhu Zhuqing felt an invisible pressure surge toward her like a tide.

But then she thought of her sister, of Dai Weisi, of her cold family and the lightless years of her childhood.

At last, Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"I'm willing to give my life!"

"No need. If you're willing to join Zi Tian Palace, you can have everything you want."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Zi Tian rose from the throne, walked up to her, and held out his hand with a smile.

"I've seen your sincerity. Welcome to Zi Tian Palace."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

As their hands met, Zhu Zhuqing still felt dizzy.

Zi Tian had such an imposing presence that she had expected him to make an outrageous demand.

Instead, all he had asked was for her to join Zi Tian Palace.

And however she looked at it, joining such a powerful organization was a bargain for her.

At that thought, guilt immediately welled up in Zhu Zhuqing.

"All right. You're now the first member of my Zi Tian Palace."

Zi Tian patted her shoulder, quite pleased.

He had thought he would need to show off some of his strength before he could persuade her to join.

But all it had taken was one question.

Recruiting people isn't so hard after all.

"Th-the first?"

"That's right. Zi Tian Palace has two people now. I'm the palace master, and you're the first member to join."

Zhu Zhuqing stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Then this palace of ours..."

"Oh, this palace? I was passing by, saw no one inside, and moved in."

Speaking of the palace made Zi Tian bristle.

When he had first arrived in the Douluo Realm, all he had wanted was a place to stay.

But the moment he landed, before he could even finish saying "keep it simple"...

A group of deities had pretended to be passing by and "accidentally" built a lavish palace beside him at the speed of light.

And now how was he supposed to explain it to anyone?

Was I supposed to say a bunch of gods built this palace for me?

"Oh? Is that so?"

Zhu Zhuqing was quiet for a while. Then she turned and walked to the entrance.

Before Zi Tian could speak, she took out a rag and began wiping down the palace doors.

"Palace Master, since we've chosen this palace, we should keep it clean and tidy.

"Even if Zi Tian Palace has only the two of us, I'll do my best to help you."

Seeing how earnest she was, Zi Tian did not know whether to laugh or cry. He was touched, too.

He took the rag from her and glanced toward the outside of the palace.

"It's fine. This palace cleans itself. It's quite amazing."

Before Zi Tian could finish speaking, a jet of water appeared beside the palace doors and washed the already spotless entrance until not a speck remained.

Outside the palace, a deity concealed in the void quietly withdrew his divine ring and flew away at top speed.

"Oops, I accidentally used a water-flow Soul Skill while passing through the Douluo Realm. Just passing through, just passing through."

That acting...

Zi Tian watched helplessly as the deity pretended to leave. He also pretended not to notice when the deity circled around and flew back.

"Anyway, look at the sky screen. It's about to announce ninth place on the Background Rankings."

Zi Tian's words drew Zhu Zhuqing away from her curiosity about the palace's self-cleaning ability.

The old writing on the sky screen had vanished completely. New lines of gleaming white characters began to appear.

[Background Rankings, ninth place: Yu Tianheng, leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's younger generation]

[Yu Tianheng, age 18. Background: the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is one of the Upper Three Sects of the Douluo Realm. Its inherited Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, is renowned as the continent's foremost Beast Martial Soul.

As the clan leader's eldest grandson and heir to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Tianheng has a bright future.]