Then let them offer their loyalty!

This girl, who was one of the first to follow Qiu Tu, is growing up rapidly...

......

Meanwhile, Qiu Tu paid no attention to the merger of the "Southwest Region" and the "Northwest Region".

Now that he's in that position, he can simply give orders; the rest will be handled by designated people.

At that moment, he was strolling and chatting with Doris in the castle's back garden.

The two, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, walked side by side, looking like a perfect couple.

Qiu Tu, "You mean... Tianqi may have been infatuated with Zhao Ji for hundreds of years?"

"Moreover... all these years, he has been imitating Zhao Ji in both his behavior and his moves?"

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's question, Doris, who was walking beside him, smiled and nodded.

The reason she looked so thoughtful and vacant when she saw Tianqi off was because she suddenly remembered all of Tianqi's actions over the years.

A crown of good fortune, a grand procession, a penchant for showing off, and... that ultimate move "Opening Heaven," which shares the exact same name as Zhao Ji's "Celestial Technique"...

There are just too many details to list.

Doris had known this information before, but she hadn't taken it to heart. After all, Princess Zetsu had been dead for hundreds of years and had long been forgotten by everyone.

It wasn't until Tianqi took the initiative to come and pledge allegiance to Zhaoji that she realized something was amiss.

If one detail is a coincidence, two details are fate, then so many similar details must be 100% intentional.

This also confirms that Tianqi is most likely Zhao Ji's ultimate simp.

But you should know... being a "simp" isn't just about love. It can also lead to emotional distortions, intense possessiveness, and even... love turning into hate.

This also explains some of the contradictions in Tianqi's statements: he did indeed admire Zhaoji, but he also wanted to possess her. He even went so far as to deliberately sabotage Zhaoji.

His only goal was to bring Zhao Ji down to earth, or to climb above her. Only then could he be worthy of the woman he had always loved.

Thinking this, Doris looked at Qiu Tu with her fair face and said, "Yes. Tianqi must have admired Her Majesty Zhaoji for a long time."

"Therefore, I speculate that in order to obtain Her Majesty Zhao Ji, Tianqi did not hesitate to hinder Her Majesty Zhao Ji's development in order to narrow the gap between the two."

Doris reminded her, "Don't forget... Apocalypse played a part in the destruction of the 'Isolated Mountains.'"

Seeing the slightly strange look Qiu Tu was giving her, Doris coughed and then offered a few words of explanation in her defense.

"At the time, I didn't know Her Majesty Zehime's identity, nor had I reached a cooperation agreement with you. That's why I assisted the Kabane in demolishing the Isolated Mountains."

"It is not the same in nature as the Apocalypse."

Qiu Tu shook his head and deliberately retorted, "According to Tianqi, he only learned about Zhao Ji's identity today."

"So, just like you, he was unaware of the situation and thought that Zhao Ji and I were a threat, and then he did something wrong."

"That makes sense."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Doris opened her mouth, finding herself somewhat unable to refute them.

Just then, Qiu Tu suddenly spoke up again, "But..."

"Actually, I've always had a question about something."

Upon hearing this, Doris couldn't help but look up at Qiu Tu. A beauty mark under her left eye made her appear even more charming and delicate.

Qiu Tu glanced down at her, then didn't keep her in suspense. He said, "Don't you think... the Four Great God Kings' reaction was extremely excessive?"

Qiu Tu said, "Although Zhao Ji and I killed the Kabane,... it would be enough for the Eastern God King to take action himself, or for the Northern God King to take action."

"After all... the four God-Kings have killed countless peak eighth-tier gods over the years, so a mere Kabane shouldn't excite them so much."

"But now, three of the four great god-kings have come, all to get information about Zhao Ji's whereabouts from me."

"Does this really align with their attitude towards eighth-tier deities and their normal way of doing things?"

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Doris couldn't help but show a thoughtful expression on her face.

Actually, she had previously felt that the Four Great Gods' reactions were a bit excessive, but she didn't know why. After learning about Zhao Ji's past life identity today, she suddenly felt that everything made sense.

But she didn't think much of it: she only learned about Zhao Ji's true identity today, so when did the Four Great Gods find out? And from whom did they find out?

When Qiu Tu pointed out this loophole, only one person's image came to mind: Apocalypse.

It's important to know that after reincarnation, Zhao Ji's appearance, figure, and even her name all changed. Only her aloof and cold temperament, which had once reached the pinnacle, remained unchanged from beginning to end.

Even so, how many people can remember the temperament of someone from hundreds of years ago?

Moreover, one can recognize a person from hundreds of years ago simply by their demeanor.

Doris thought about it carefully and realized that she definitely couldn't do it.

She felt that... only a devoted fan of Zhao Ji, who had studied her in every way for hundreds of years, could remember this.

That clearly means it's Apocalypse.

With that thought in mind, Doris suddenly felt that everything was going smoothly.

She couldn't help but glance at Qiu Tu, feeling a little amazed.

No wonder this man has won Zhao Ji's favor. Putting aside Qiu Tu's strength displayed yesterday, his quick wit alone is enough to make anyone's heart flutter.

Perhaps noticing the change in Doris's gaze, Qiu Tu glanced at her, then chuckled and teased, "What? Want to sleep with me?"

Doris: ?

Doris really didn't expect Qiu Tu to bring up this topic.

She glanced at Qiu Tu with annoyance, then crossed her arms, gently tossed her long, wavy, wine-red hair, winked seductively, and asked languidly,

"All you do is sleep all day. Do you do moxibustion?"

Qiu Tu paused for a moment, then immediately understood. He smiled and nodded, "Moxibustion."

"Why don't you give it a try?"

Doris's eyes curved slightly, becoming long and alluring. "I won't try."

Before she could finish speaking, Qiu Tu interrupted, "What? Do you have megalophobia?"

Doris: ....

To be honest, in all these years that Doris has been in "Boundless Heart Sea," she's always been the one flirting with others and then backing away.

She had never seen anyone like Qiu Tu, who pressed her so relentlessly and told one dirty joke after another!

In addition, after being teased and manipulated by Qiu Tu for the past two days, she was indeed finding it hard to cope.

So she glared at Qiu Tu, embarrassed and annoyed, and said, "Does Her Majesty Zhao Ji know that Speaker Qiu is flirting with me like this?"

"Be careful, if Her Majesty Zhao finds out, she'll skin you alive."

Qiu Tu smiled upon hearing this. He said, "Don't worry, don't worry. When Zhao Ji finds out, she will only feel gratified and moved."

Upon hearing this, Doris couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

Qiu Tu said, "When I was with Zhao Ji, I promised that I would only be with her and only be good to her."

Doris paused for a moment, her alluring peach blossom eyes blinking in confusion.

Qiu Tu reached out and hooked his arm around Doris's shoulder, saying with a grin, "I've already exceeded my targets."

Shouldn't she be touched and relieved?

Doris: ? ? ?

God the hell I exceeded the target!

Doris felt that after being the Queen of the Sea for so many years, she was already considered a scumbag, but compared to Qiu Tu, she was as innocent as a young girl!

So, she finally couldn't hold on any longer and fled in panic.

Her feet were bare, with silver chains around her ankles, from which hung several small bells that created a clear yet chaotic melody as she fled.

Just like her heart...

Watching Doris's retreating figure, Qiu Tu couldn't help but smile.

Sure enough, he was right. This most beautiful woman in the four kingdoms, despite her alluring appearance and captivating charm, was actually quite innocent at heart.

This contrasting personality also shaped her somewhat awkward inner world.

Dealing with this type of woman, whether through defense or offense, is generally ineffective.

Defending will make her feel like you're her prey, putting her on a pedestal from the start and treating you like a plaything. Offense, on the other hand, will make her realize you're not so easy to deal with, causing her to give up on you as her target.

Therefore, dealing with this kind of woman requires more flexible methods.

For example... first, feign weakness to lower her guard, then gradually increase her sunk costs, so that even if she wants to leave, she finds that she can't leave in a short time... then launch a fierce attack, a fierce attack, and another fierce attack!

This is the "Disguised Prey" strategy from *The Emotional Handbook*, outlining 36 ways to deal with women...

Judging from Doris's reaction, the method is indeed very effective.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu couldn't help but smile and withdraw his gaze, then... he started thinking about serious matters.

Although Doris's intentions were clearly not pure either. She had the idea of ​​stirring up trouble, creating chaos, and then taking advantage of the situation to do something.

However, it must be said that her intelligence was still crucial. It was her supplementary information that finally allowed Qiu Tu to get everything going smoothly recently.

'It seems Apocalypse... still can't be kept.'

'But before eliminating him, we must squeeze every last drop of value out of him....'

-----

Please vote for me!

Chapter 688 Qiu Tu's ranking skyrockets! (Seeking monthly votes!)

Thinking this, Qiu Tu's eyes flickered, and his brain raced.

As a peak eighth-order evil god who has lived for hundreds of years, Apocalypse has many valuable aspects.

For example, he is the leader of the "Hidden Mist Society," the largest power in the "Western Kingdom"; for example, he was a survivor of the "Cataclysm of the Gods";

For example, he controls the "Southwest Region"; and he certainly has intelligence channels supplying the Four Great God-Kings...

As for the wealth he has accumulated over the past few centuries, it goes without saying.

As someone who almost caused the deaths of himself and Zhao Ji, Qiu Tu certainly wouldn't mind completely taking advantage of him and then sending him to his death.

As for whether Tianqi, after scheming against Zhao Ji and Qiu Tu, suddenly repented and genuinely pledged allegiance to them, that... is not important.

A sudden change of heart is a matter of divine revelation; Qiu Tu is not obligated to forgive.

After all, the fact that Emperor Tianqi had been obsessed with Zhao Ji for hundreds of years had already sealed his fate.

'What kind of person are you, eyeing my woman?'

Cursing inwardly, Qiu Tu left the garden to continue refining the "Boundless Heart Sea Region" and improving his strength.

Although Qiu Tu had already considered Tianqi a dead man, his current goal was still to squeeze every last drop of value out of him.

During this time, Qiu Tu's strength cannot be neglected, after all... compared to Tianqi, the most important thing for his path to advancement is actually the "Trial of the Gods".

So, for the next two days, Qiu Tu continued to hide in the "Crimson Territory," but remotely directed the major merger of the "Northwest Region" and the "Southwest Region."

It's unclear whether Tianqi truly repented and genuinely wanted to pledge allegiance, or whether he was putting on an act to gain Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji's trust; in any case... everything went very smoothly during the handover of the "Southwest Region".

The "Southwest Region" has always been human territory since ancient times, and it is also the birthplace of human civilization during the "Cataclysmic Era". Therefore, the "Human Faction" was extremely familiar with taking over this region.

All the high-ranking officials of "Shelter 5" who had been imprisoned were released, and the various cities and prefectures of "Shelter 5" were also liberated.

It must be said that Heavenly King Zhiyan played a very important role in this. After the "Mist Shadow Society" seized the "5th Shelter", she represented the 2nd Shelter and made a three-point agreement with the "Mist Shadow Society", thus protecting the lives of everyone in the "5th Shelter".

This is why the "5th Shelter" was almost completely unharmed.

As for the 3rd and 4th shelters, since they were originally the territory of the "human faction," they were easy to reclaim.

This resulted in the complete pacification of the entire "Southwest Region" in less than two days.

As a result, Qiu Tu's ranking surged again.

Without any improvement in strength, he rose directly from 8th to 4th place, ranking ahead of Apocalypse and White Robe.

The current top 6 in the Trial of the Gods are: first place Zhao Ji, second place Shao Hua, third place Doris, fourth place Qiu Tu, fifth place Tian Qi, and sixth place Bai Yi.

It can be said that by piling up the population and controlling the area, Qiu Tu managed to overcome this almost insurmountable gap in strength and enter the final round of the "Trial of the Gods".