Black Rock City.
Inside a hotel.
Xiao Tian Ce sat in a cushioned chair by the window, sipping his tea with elegant composure. Every so often, he glanced at the amusing happenings downstairs, feeling considerably more at peace.
Seeing that his cup was empty, Huai En hurried over to refill it before asking cautiously, "Sir, back at the restaurant, you could clearly have killed those people outright. Why did you spare them?
"In Qingshan Town, whether it was Otto and the others or Otto who later brought people over, you killed them all in a single move. You didn't even leave a single corpse behind!
"I don't understand. They all offended you, so why did they meet different ends?
"I thought you should have been able to kill these people with a mere wisp of flame or a wave of your hand, too."
Xiao Tian Ce gave Huai En a searching look. After considering the question briefly, he said slowly, "Since you asked, I will tell you. As the saying goes, Heaven cherishes life. He Kun and the others harbored no intent to kill me, so I spared their lives.
"As for Otto, Ao Tian, and their companions, they made no attempt to hide their murderous intent. They brought death upon themselves.
"Still, your Tunling Clan truly is remarkable. You could actually sense that He Kun and the others were still alive. I must say, your soul strength is far greater than that of many others your age.
"Huai En, your Dou Qi has a fire attribute with a trace of wood mixed into it. Coupled with your adequate soul strength, these qualities could make you an excellent Alchemist.
"As you know, Alchemists enjoy very high standing throughout the Dou Qi Continent. If you wish to study alchemy, I can