"Old friends, cheers!"
Xu Fangyuan was having a wonderful time drinking with his old friends.
At another table, Qian Fan's heart suddenly lurched. He had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something terribly important.
But he had drunk far too much. Wang Bufan and the others had been plying him with drinks, and the alcohol had gone straight to his head, so he did not dwell on it.
"Brothers, drink!"
Wang Bufan shouted as he continued pouring drinks for Qian Fan, his own face flushed red.
The others were already sprawled on the floor. Drunk God Wine was the strongest, most potent wine in the entire Seven Star Domain. Even a tiny sip could render an ordinary person unconscious. Even a Supreme God-level powerhouse like Xu Fangyuan could get utterly plastered if he did not deliberately use Soul Power to resist it.
Just then, Qian Fan suddenly seemed to realize something, and his muddled mind instantly cleared considerably!
Qian Fan was practically half unconscious at this point. He opened his mouth and called out,
"Yuan'er, Yuan'er, come help me up, sweetheart~~ Hurry~~"
He called for almost a minute, but no one answered.
Just then, Qian Fan suddenly seemed to realize something, and his muddled mind instantly cleared considerably!
"Yuan'er! Where's Yuan'er!"
Qian Fan looked around but saw no sign of Xu Yuan'er. A terrible foreboding immediately rose in his heart.
"Has something happened to her?" Qian Fan muttered to himself, his expression darkening.
He struggled to recall what had happened earlier and remembered that he seemed to have heard Xu Yuan'er say she was going to the restroom.
Qian Fan staggered to his feet and decided to look for her.
He searched throughout the tavern, asking the other patrons whether they had seen Xu Yuan'er.
Every answer, however, was no.
Growing increasingly anxious, Qian Fan decided to look outside.
Qian Fan staggered down the street, his gaze unfocused and still tinged with drunkenness. His heart was filled with anxiety and unease.
He stopped a passerby and slurred, "Have you seen my girlfriend, Xu Yuan'er?" Startled by his sudden question, the passerby looked at his drunken state and shook their head helplessly.
Unwilling to give up, Qian Fan continued onward, stopping several more people and repeating the same question. The urgency and pleading in his voice made them worry for him.
Yet every passerby answered no. Qian Fan's heart grew heavier, and he began regretting drinking so much that he could not even find Yuan'er now.
He continued wandering the streets, searching everywhere for Xu Yuan'er. His mind gradually cleared a little, but the anxiety in his heart did not ease at all. He did not know where Xu Yuan'er had gone or how he could find her.
"Right! Find Xu Fangyuan."
Qian Fan immediately summoned his Death God Angel. Eight pitch-black wings unfurled, and his level 85 Soul Power erupted as he smashed straight through the glass and returned to the restaurant.
The shattering glass gave everyone a terrible fright.
Xu Fangyuan rose groggily. Without even recognizing Qian Fan, he shouted drunkenly,
"Who... the fuck... huh... dares come to my, Xu Fangyuan's, turf and cause trouble?"
With that, Xu Fangyuan unleashed his Transcendent God Realm Soul Power, forcing Qian Fan to his knees.
"Your Majesty, Yuan'er is missing."
Xu Fangyuan froze, and his drunkenness vanished without a trace.
"What? Yuan'er is missing? Weren't you together?" A hint of panic entered Xu Fangyuan's voice.
Qian Fan lowered his head. "I got drunk. She went to the restroom and never came back."
Xu Fangyuan knitted his brows and immediately released his divine sense, searching the surroundings for her aura. A moment later, his expression turned grave.
"I can't sense her aura. I'm afraid something really has happened to her," Xu Fangyuan said heavily.
"Your Majesty, what should we do?" Qian Fan asked anxiously.
Xu Fangyuan pondered for a moment, a glint of resolve flashing through his eyes.
"We must find Yuan'er as quickly as possible. We cannot let her come to any harm. Go back and gather people first. I'll investigate the clues." With that, Xu Fangyuan vanished in a flash.
Qian Fan returned straight to the Imperial Palace and took out the Holy Son Token.
"I'm summoning the Elder Hall. Anyone who stands in my way will be killed without mercy!"
Qian Fan waited for the elders with his heart burning like fire, pacing back and forth inside the palace and glancing toward the entrance from time to time.
At last, the elders arrived one after another, and Qian Fan hurriedly told them about Xu Yuan'er's disappearance.
"We must do everything we can to find the princess!" one elder said.
"Exactly! We cannot let anyone hurt her!" another elder agreed.
Leading the elders, Qian Fan began searching the Imperial Palace. They left no corner unchecked, carefully investigating every possible clue.
Meanwhile, Xu Fangyuan was also investigating in secret, drawing on his power and connections in the hope of finding traces of his granddaughter, Xu Yuan'er.
As the seconds and minutes passed, everyone's hearts grew heavier. They knew Xu Yuan'er might be in grave danger.
Xu Fangyuan could no longer sit still.
"Someone, relay my command! Search the entire Seven Star Domain for my precious granddaughter! Let's see who dared kidnap my precious granddaughter right under my nose!"
The elders sprang into action, searching for Xu Yuan'er throughout the Seven Star Domain. Qian Fan's heart burned like fire as he silently prayed that she was safe.
"No, Your Majesty, I can't wait any longer. I'm going to find her myself!"
Qian Fan's killing intent erupted, his level 85 Soul Power raging as his eyes turned blood-red.
"Insolence! Qian Fan, as your emperor, I order you not to go anywhere!"
"No! Xu Yuan'er is the woman I love. I won't let anyone hurt her! Your Majesty, take this! Dual Martial Soul Fusion Strike, Requiem of the Dead!"
Qian Fan unleashed the most powerful skill of his life straight at Xu Fangyuan. He had once used this very move to bridge a nineteen-level gap in Soul Power and defeat the level 99 Abyss Douluo. Now that both his martial souls and soul rings had evolved, the power of his Dual Martial Soul Fusion Strike had undergone a qualitative leap.
But Xu Fangyuan was at the Supreme God Realm Third Order, the strongest person in the Seven Star Domain, a true godlike figure who could withstand Tribulation Lightning single-handedly. Even the strongest strike of an unparalleled genius like Qian Fan was easily blocked by Xu Fangyuan.
Xu Fangyuan used spatial power to restrain Qian Fan, then reached out and knocked him unconscious with a single blow.
"Ah, boy, don't you think I want to fly to the Phoenix Domain right now and cut that bitch Feng Xian into a thousand pieces? But the consequence would be plunging the entire Seven Star Domain into war. As the emperor of a nation, I cannot do that. And with your current strength, you cannot yet be told Xu Yuan'er's whereabouts. I cannot watch you throw your life away right before my eyes. Once you break through to Titled Douluo, I'll let you go."
Xu Fangyuan looked at the unconscious Qian Fan and sighed inwardly. He knew how deeply Qian Fan cared about Xu Yuan'er, but they had to remain calm now.
He ordered his subordinates to intensify their search for Xu Yuan'er and dispatched covert agents to the Phoenix Domain to gather intelligence.
Before you continue