Douluo: Danheng just want to avoid trouble, Gu Yuena Pursues.

Prince Zhu rubbed his eyes and took another look at Zhu Zhuqing's third spirit ring.

It was purple—so deep in color that it was almost darker than his own fourth spirit ring!

That meant not only had Zhu Zhuqing absorbed her third spirit ring, but its age was also extremely high!

"You... broke through to Spirit Elder? And you absorbed a spirit ring? Was... was it that Spirit Emperor who taught you?" Prince Zhu still refused to believe his eyes or ears.

How could a reclusive, unambitious Spirit Emperor possibly produce such results? Even his eldest daughter, who had the full support and resources of the Star Luo imperial family, could never have advanced three ranks in just over a month!

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her face filled with deep admiration for Dan Heng, her voice no longer as cold as before.

"Yes! It's all thanks to Teacher. He is not... Well, no matter what, only by following Teacher can I achieve my best growth! I will never leave here!"

Zhu Zhuqing spoke resolutely.

Unless her teacher personally expelled her, no power in the world could make her leave him!

"..."

Prince Zhu fell silent for a long moment.

This development was simply too shocking. Even he, who had weathered many storms, found himself momentarily frozen, his mind swirling with images of Dan Heng.

That man was clearly…

Inside the carriage, Gu Yuena propped her chin on her hand, watching Prince Zhu with curiosity.

She had already learned about Zhu Zhuqing's background from Di Tian. Since this was Zhu Zhuqing's father, that meant he must be a prince, correct?

The Zhu Clan of Star Luo held a fiefdom and was a royal kingdom. Although they couldn't establish independent rule, their influence was immense.

Moreover, the Zhu Clan had long been deeply tied to the Star Luo imperial family—every generation of Star Luo empresses had come from the Zhu Clan. As the imperial consort's family, they were undeniably the second most powerful family in the empire!

If she wanted to gain influence over Star Luo, starting with the Zhu Clan seemed like a promising approach.

Gu Yuena's eyes gleamed as countless plans surfaced in her mind.

"No… this isn't right. Did he use some sort of evil method on you? If you forced your growth unnaturally, you might have ruined your future! You could lose your chance to compete entirely!"

Prince Zhu suddenly exclaimed, his voice filled with alarm.

While the continent didn't yet have a widespread presence of Evil Soul Masters, dark cultivation methods had already begun to emerge.

In a flash, he appeared beside Zhu Zhuqing, gripping her shoulders as he examined her body.

If her strength was built on such foul means, the cost would be far too great!

Zhu Zhuqing frowned at his accusation, her voice filled with emotion as she retorted, "Father, don't slander my teacher! He would never do such things! My progress was earned step by step!"

Prince Zhu's tense expression quickly turned to embarrassment.

Indeed, there were no traces of any evil cultivation methods on Zhu Zhuqing.

In fact, her foundation was even more solid than his eldest daughter's.

After all, following Dan Heng meant she had received little in terms of external resources.

Prince Zhu clenched his fists, regret surging through him. He had acted too rashly!

He should have come to check on Zhu Zhuqing first before confronting Dan Heng.

But now, because of his arrogance, he had pushed Zhu Zhuqing further away from Dan Heng.

Would Dan Heng still be willing to teach her?

While there were bound to be rumors about a young girl training under a lone man, the strength she had gained would silence any doubters!

Yet he had ruined everything with his own hands…

BANG—!!! Prince Zhu slammed his fist into his palm.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at him in confusion.

"I… What have I done?! Zhuqing, I… Father supports you. You can continue studying here. But… I had a misunderstanding with him…" Prince Zhu hesitated.

Seeing her father's troubled expression, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly realized something. Her face turned pale.

"Father… you… you confronted Teacher?"

Prince Zhu sighed and looked at her helplessly.

"Yes. While searching for you, I met with him. But I didn't expect you to have made such great progress, and my attitude…"

Recalling his earlier arrogance, Prince Zhu's face burned with shame.

Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip, her lips turning white.

To her, Dan Heng was her last hope. If he abandoned her now, she didn't know if she could handle it.

She had finally found a path to victory…

Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to Gu Yuena, looking like an abandoned kitten.

Gu Yuena reassured her, "Don't worry, my husband wouldn't take out his anger on you. Rest assured, I'll also speak on your behalf."

Then, turning her gaze to Prince Zhu, her eyes narrowed as she asked in a calm but unreadable tone, "So, tell me… how exactly did you offend my husband?"

Prince Zhu sighed heavily once again and shook his head.

"I conducted an investigation beforehand and discovered he was just a commoner, utterly unambitious and self-indulgent, with no real talent. So, I went straight to his residence…"

As he spoke, his regret deepened—he had fallen prey to his own arrogance!

"Don't worry, Zhuqing. I will personally apologize to your teacher. As a noble, I do not shy away from my mistakes!"

Leaving behind these words, Prince Zhu turned and dashed toward the small city with lightning speed.

Watching his retreating figure, Zhu Zhuqing still felt uneasy.

Would her teacher truly not blame her? Would he not expel her?

She instinctively turned to seek comfort from Gu Yuena, only to find the carriage empty—at some point, Gu Yuena had vanished!

—

Prince Zhu raced toward the city, unleashing his full speed.

If Dan Heng could help his daughter improve so drastically, then he was a talent worth keeping. Prince Zhu had to make amends—only then could Zhu Zhuqing have the best chance at winning.

Although he cared for both his daughters, he still favored his youngest.

He leaped over the city walls so swiftly that even the guards failed to react.

Just a little further, and he would be in Dan Heng's courtyard.

At that moment, an immense, terrifying aura locked onto him.

The air around him seemed to solidify, binding him in place.

He felt as if he had fallen into a swamp—his entire body, save for his eyes, refused to move!

"!!!"

A surge of terror exploded in his heart. Never before had he experienced such an overwhelming presence.

What kind of powerful being had targeted him?!

He hadn't offended anyone lately, had he?

And he was a prince of Star Luo—who would dare risk the empire's wrath to make a move against him?

The next second, a heavy blow struck the back of his head.

He crashed to the ground, and before he could react, it felt as though a herd of wild horses trampled over him.

Wave after wave of excruciating pain surged through his body!

(End of Chapter)