The Nine-Winged Angel Appears, Qian Renxue's Identity Exposed!

Carrying the token Dugu Bo had given him, Lin Chen passed through the poisonous fog.

Within the poisonous fog.

Lin Chen scratched his head and walked toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. "I wonder if Qian Renxue has finished absorbing the Immortal Herb. We've been gone for almost three days, so she should be done by now, right?"

"I've already been very considerate. If it weren't for me, she'd probably have had to hide that Immortal Herb for another two or three days..."

With that thought, Lin Chen walked slowly back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. The instant he stepped out of the Poison Array, a burst of golden light exploded before his eyes!

"Holy crap, who threw a flashbang in here?!"

He instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes, but the light still poured through the gaps between his fingers, dyeing everything in his vision a platinum white.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was swallowed by light. The hot spring, the rock walls, the sky, and even Lin Chen himself were all enveloped in a sacred and exalted presence.

"Wait, what happened here?"

Lin Chen felt a stinging pain in his eyes. It took him quite a while to open them.

When he did, a golden-haired girl came into view. Her long golden hair was loose, and she sat cross-legged at the edge of the pool, surrounded by a nearly transparent golden film of light.

The girl sat there with her eyes lowered, her serene and beautiful face as lovely and sacred as an angel descended into the mortal world.

"Why did Qian Renxue take off her disguise—?" Lin Chen's mouth fell open in shock, but before he could react, a beam of golden holy light suddenly descended behind her.

As the light shone upon the earth, broad golden wings gradually took shape behind Qian Renxue. They spread out from her shoulder blades, each feather bearing flowing golden patterns.

As three pairs of wings took shape, the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul radiated a warm light from her, like a winter sun that could melt away every shadow in the world.

As six pairs of light wings spread out, the golden radiance gradually subsided.

"It's over?" Lin Chen stared at Qian Renxue in astonishment, his eyes full of surprise and confusion.

Before Lin Chen had finished speaking, Divine Power bloomed once more within Qian Renxue. A flash of golden light followed, and three more golden wings took shape behind her.

"Hum—"

The ground of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well trembled slightly. The distinct boundary between blue and red on the surface of the hot spring vanished, and the entire pool was bathed in a pale golden light that turned its surface completely gold.

"Wait, isn't Qian Renxue's Martial Soul the Six-Winged Angel? Why does she have nine wings now?" Thinking he had seen wrong, Lin Chen rubbed his eyes in confusion. But when he looked again, there were still nine wings.

"What did she eat...? It even made a God-Level Martial Soul evolve?" Lin Chen's mouth fell open in shock. Just as he was about to move closer for a look, Qian Renxue suddenly opened her eyes.

A golden light flashed past. Qian Renxue slowly raised her head, and the nine wings behind her gradually disappeared, eventually becoming two pairs of golden wings hanging at her back.

Qian Renxue exhaled again, and the four pairs of wings behind her folded back into her spine layer by layer, like the receding tide.

As the wings withdrew and the light faded, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well returned to a hot spring of distinct blue and red. Only a faintly warm, sacred presence lingered in the air.

Qian Renxue turned her head and used her Soul Bone Skill again, disguising herself once more as Xue Qinghe.

At that moment, she raised her eyes and spotted Lin Chen standing at the edge of the Poison Array.

A trace of confusion flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes at the sight, but when she realized what had happened, the calm on her face vanished, replaced by shock and bewilderment.

"Um... did I come at a bad time?" Lin Chen opened his mouth, at a loss for words.

"Y-you, when did you get back?" Qian Renxue asked in alarm, her mouth falling open in shock.

I'm screwed... I'm screwed. Why did I have to come back right after she finished absorbing the Immortal Herb, not earlier or later? Great, now I've been caught red-handed. She's not going to kill me to keep me quiet, is she...?

Lin Chen had realized what had happened too, but there was no time for regrets. At this point, he could only bet that Qian Renxue would let him off.

Meanwhile, Qian Renxue's mind began racing as well. How did he see me?! We've only known each other for half a year. I wasn't planning to reveal my identity yet.

What should I do? Kill him to keep him quiet? No, I can't. Lin Chen is a trusted aide I've trained, and Dugu Bo is nearby. Killing him would not only expose my identity, but also cost me a valuable general.

Ah, this is so annoying. Looks like I can only shut him up for now!

With that thought, a cold gleam flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes, and she strode toward Lin Chen.

"Brother Xue... y-you..." Seeing Qian Renxue approach, Lin Chen hurriedly backed away.

"Hey, don't run!" Soul Power surged beneath Qian Renxue's feet as she hurried up to Lin Chen and seized his wrist.

I bet right... Seeing that Qian Renxue had grabbed his wrist, Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief. After all, if she had really wanted to attack, what came at him wouldn't have been a slap, but a Soul Skill.

"Brother Xue... I don't know anything. I'm actually blind." Lin Chen shook his head, his face full of panic and his big eyes full of a desire to survive.

If only you really were blind, Qian Renxue muttered inwardly. With a slight push of her palm, she pinned Lin Chen against a tree trunk. "Calm down first. I won't kill you."

"Mm-hmm!" Lin Chen hurriedly nodded in obedience.

"You saw it all, didn't you?" Qian Renxue said, putting on an indifferent expression.

"Can I say I didn't see anything?" Lin Chen blinked and looked up to meet Qian Renxue's eyes.

"No!" Qian Renxue glared at Lin Chen and said coldly, "Let me make this clear first: everything I'm about to tell you is a secret among secrets. And you're my disciple now. If my identity is exposed, you definitely won't escape either!"

"I understand. I promise I won't tell anyone!" Lin Chen nodded and spoke with a solemn expression.

Qian Renxue looked at him for several seconds before releasing her hand. "You said it yourself. I hope you won't break your word, or you know what the consequences will be."

Qian Renxue forcibly calmed her thoughts, letting go and freeing Lin Chen from her embrace.

After Qian Renxue let go, the last trace of unease in Lin Chen's heart faded away. He slowly followed her to a clearing.

"Sit." Qian Renxue sat on the ground, and only after Lin Chen had done the same did she slowly speak. "In that case, let me introduce myself again."

"Just as you saw, I'm not Xue Qinghe at all. My real name is Qian Renxue, the young master of Spirit Hall—Qian Renxue!"