Chapter 239 Leaving the Star Luo Empire

Inside the Star Luo Imperial Palace, in the Crown Prince's residence.

Davis was a gracious host, ordering a grand feast to be prepared. The table was filled with exquisite dishes made from rare and precious ingredients—succulent meats, fresh seafood, and delicacies of the highest quality. Fine wine accompanied the meal, completing the extravagant spread.

In addition, dancers performed elegant routines, while musicians played melodious tunes in the background, creating an atmosphere of joy and relaxation.

The palace maids were taken aback, surprised by the extraordinary hospitality. They couldn't help but wonder who these guests were to warrant such a grand reception from the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. Normally, such treatment was reserved for the rarest of occasions, perhaps once every year or two.

"Come, Brother Chen, drink with me! Xiao Qiu'er, eat as much as you like—don't hold back! If it's not enough, I'll have the chefs prepare more!" Davis raised his cup enthusiastically, making a toast to Chen Xuan before downing his drink in one gulp.

The palace maids reacted quickly, refilling his cup and offering another to Chen Xuan.

"Brother Dai, I truly appreciate all the care you've given Qiu'er over the past year. I am deeply grateful!" Though he wasn't fond of drinking, Chen Xuan still finished the cup in one go.

He assured Davis that if he ever encountered trouble in the future, as long as it was within his ability, he would not hesitate to help.

Chen Qiu'er, meanwhile, stared curiously at the cup of wine on the table. Her bright eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, she stuck out her tongue and licked a bit of the wine. Immediately, the strong taste made her cough violently, her tongue darting in and out as she tried to get rid of the burn.

"It's awful! So awful!" Tears welled up in her eyes from the spiciness. She pushed the cup far away and refused to touch it again.

Chen Xuan was speechless at the mischievous little girl and chose to ignore her antics. Instead, he turned to Davis and Zhu Zhuyun, saying, "Brother Dai, if you ever run into difficulties, just let me know. I will do my best to help."

This was his promise—a way to repay Davis for protecting Chen Qiu'er.

Zhu Zhuyun's eyes gleamed as she caught onto something. She asked, "Chen Xuan, what's your current soul power level?"

She had suspected that after the Soul Master Tournament, Chen Xuan had stopped cultivating for over five years. At best, he should have reached the Soul Emperor level. But judging from his tone, something seemed off.

"I'm close to becoming a Soul Douluo—currently at seventy-eight." Chen Xuan answered truthfully.

Until today, he had only been at seventy-three. But as luck would have it, he encountered three Soul Douluo assassins, and the battle allowed him to advance.

Now, not only had his soul power increased, but the years of his soul rings had also improved significantly. His first soul ring alone had reached over twenty thousand years, and his second was also above twenty thousand. In fact, none of his seven soul rings were below ten thousand years.

Davis and Zhu Zhuyun were completely unaware of this. When they heard "seventy-eight," they were stunned, their minds reeling from the shock.

A loud crash echoed through the room—the sound of a wine cup shattering, spilling its contents onto the floor.

"H-how much?"

"Brother Chen, you must be joking!" Davis' eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't trust his own ears.

Zhu Zhuyun was equally stunned, her beautiful eyes filled with incredulity. She thought she had misheard—perhaps he had meant to say fifty-eight instead of seventy-eight.

After all, it was simply too absurd. Every level beyond Soul Emperor required double the effort compared to previous stages. For someone who had stagnated for five years to reach Soul Saint in just two short years—it was beyond ridiculous.

The elderly white-haired man was even more dumbfounded. He had personally witnessed Chen Xuan single-handedly slaughter ten Soul Saints and three Soul Douluo. He had assumed that Chen Xuan was at least a Titled Douluo. Now, hearing that he wasn't even a Soul Douluo yet—it was beyond shocking.

"Seventy-eight isn't much, really. My goal is to reach Titled Douluo within the next two years," Chen Xuan said. He still wasn't satisfied with his current cultivation speed.

Since his return, he had barely trained at all. Most of his advancement came from rare elixirs, treasures, and today's Samsara Eye technique. If he had only relied on his own cultivation, he would have gained just two or three levels at most.

Even so, his soul power felt rich and solid, his foundation steady, without any weaknesses.

"Brother Chen, you really are a monster… No wonder Qiu'er is such a genius."

Davis felt utterly defeated. He took a deep swig from his flask and sighed, "Compared to Zhuyun and me, who only recently reached level seventy, your father-daughter duo completely outshines us."

Before leaving Star Luo, he had considered himself a prodigy. But after encountering Chen Xuan, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Chen Qiu'er—freaks, every single one of them—he had suffered blow after blow.

Most frustratingly, he had even fallen behind Dai Mubai, the very brother he had always looked down upon.

Zhu Zhuyun took a sip of her wine and let out a quiet sigh. If her foolish younger sister had fought for the throne instead of siding against Dai Mubai, then she and Davis wouldn't be the ones sitting here today.

Chen Xuan noticed their expressions. They resented their lack of talent, hated that they weren't strong enough. But that was a reality faced by countless people on the continent.

"You two are doing just fine. You are the Crown Prince and Crown Princess—admired and respected by all. One day, you will inherit an empire. That alone makes you the true winners in life."

Davis downed another flask of strong liquor, his face slightly flushed. He slammed the bottle onto the table and growled, "Brother Chen, I understand all that… but I just can't accept it! Why is that good-for-nothing brother of mine stronger than me? He wasted his youth drinking and whoring around, and yet his soul power surpasses mine—how is that fair?!"

He had never expected to match monsters like Tang San, but to fall behind Dai Mubai of all people? That was what frustrated him the most.

Chen Xuan understood the reason. Dai Mubai had consumed an extremely rare celestial herb—the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. His martial soul had been purified, elevating his talent far beyond ordinary people like Davis and Zhu Zhuyun.

"Enough of this talk. Let's just eat and drink to our heart's content." Davis raised his cup and drank deeply.

Chen Xuan silently made a decision—if given the chance, he would find them celestial herbs as a token of gratitude for protecting Qiu'er.

But he didn't mention it. It would be pointless to give them false hope without a guaranteed result.

After that, they shifted the conversation to lighter topics, eating and drinking freely. The night ended with one last toast.

In the following days, Chen Xuan and his daughter stayed in the palace for a short while before preparing to leave.

Though Star Luo had superior military strength compared to Tian Dou, it lacked Titled Douluo, which remained a fundamental weakness.

For this reason, Chen Xuan decided to take his daughter with him. He didn't feel safe leaving her in Star Luo. His enemies would only grow stronger in the future, and keeping Qiu'er at the academy would be too dangerous.

Davis had no objections. After all, Qiu'er was not a citizen of Star Luo, and he had no reason to stop them from leaving.

Zhu Zhuyun, however, felt reluctant. Losing such a prodigious talent was a great loss for the empire, but there was nothing she could do—it wasn't her child.

"Brother Chen, I hope that the next time we meet, it won't be on the battlefield." Davis patted his shoulder, smiling, but his tone was heavy.

A monster like Chen Xuan would be a powerful ally, but an extremely troublesome enemy.

Chen Xuan understood his concerns. "Even if we do meet on the battlefield, I will never be your enemy. And if Star Luo ever falls, I will ensure your safety."

Davis had his doubts, but he believed in Star Luo's military might. "Be careful. They won't let Qiu'er go so easily. They may come for her again."

Chen Xuan assured him, "No problem. As long as no Titled Douluo appears, I have nothing to fear."

"Alright, take care on your journey!" Davis said.

"I don't like goodbyes. Until we meet again." Chen Xuan turned and left with Chen Qiu'er.

"Goodbye, Brother Dai! See you next time!" Qiu'er waved cheerfully.

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