The First Crossing, Qian Renxue

Ever since Xiao Yang had punched Xue Cheng to death, no one else dared to casually come looking for trouble.

They knew that Xiao Yang would not indulge them.

Someone might do business at a loss, but no one would take a deal that cost them their life.

Yet in the eyes of the girls, Xiao Yang had instead become even more popular.

Xiao Yang was a Dou Zhe at the age of nine—this was simply too heaven-defying.

Many had not witnessed it firsthand and had always harbored the skepticism of "hearing is false, seeing is believing."

But Xiao Yang had crushed a Nine-Star Dou Shi and defeated him with utter dominance. That doubt naturally transformed into awe and admiration!

It was admiration for the strong!

At Jia Nan Academy, where strength was likewise revered above all else, being handsome alone was useless. The man who could effortlessly defeat a powerful enemy in a match, then depart with calm, unhurried grace, was the perfect man in their hearts.

And Xiao Yang perfectly matched their fantasies. As for his young age, it did not matter—they could just wait a few years!

At the end of the day, women were naturally drawn to strength. In worlds without extraordinary power, that strength came from wealth and authority.

But in a fantasy world like Douqi Continent, where the great power of the world belonged to oneself, it came from one's own strength.

The night was cool as water. Inside the academy's seclusion chamber, Xiao Yang sat cross-legged in meditation, palms, soles, and crown turned toward the heavens, preparing to begin his first traversal.

After his battle with Xue Cheng, Xiao Yang had applied to enter seclusion.

The advantage of the seclusion chamber was that, unless Xiao Yang himself opened it and came out, no one could enter and disturb him.

Thus, no one actually knew whether Xiao Yang was inside the seclusion chamber or not.

As faint, peculiar starlight appeared, Xiao Yang's entire body gradually faded into nothingness and departed for another world.

Douluo Continent, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City, Spirit Hall.

As the capital of one of the two great empires, the Spirit Hall stationed here ranked second only to the Pope's Palace in Wuhun City and the Hall of Elders overseen by the Grand Worshiper, Qian Daoliu.

Salas, the master of this Spirit Hall, held the position of Platinum Bishop. He could be considered powerful and influential, and his strength had reached the level of a Soul Sage, making him one of Spirit Hall's upper echelons.

As such, he knew quite a few of Spirit Hall's secrets.

Yet it was precisely because of this that he currently had a splitting headache.

The cause of his headache was the golden-haired little girl standing before him.

If she had merely been an ordinary child, it would naturally have been no concern.

But this girl was Qian Renxue, daughter of the previous Pope, Qian Xunji, and the current Pope, Bibidong! Even her accompanying guards included two Titled Douluo.

Her purpose in coming here today was simple: she wanted him to state his position. Would he stand with her, or with Pope Bibidong?

Logically speaking, Salas had been personally promoted by Pope Bibidong. This should not have been a question requiring consideration.

However, since Qian Renxue was infiltrating the Heaven Dou royal family, she would inevitably need to mobilize the power of Heaven Dou City's Spirit Hall to cooperate with her future coup. Therefore, whoever controlled Heaven Dou City's Spirit Hall had to be absolutely one of her own.

To Qian Renxue, if one's loyalty was not absolute, then one was absolutely disloyal.

That was also why Qian Renxue had brought two Titled Douluo with her.

In other words, if Salas did not offer a sufficiently convincing pledge of allegiance today, then he could forget about keeping his life.

Facing the pressure of two Titled Douluo, Salas was drenched in cold sweat. As a fence-sitter, such a choice was not one he could make lightly.

After a long silence, just as Salas was about to speak, Qian Renxue's expression suddenly changed.

Her instincts told her that something seemed to be calling to her.

Without hesitation, Qian Renxue turned and left Salas's study, heading for the main hall of the Spirit Hall outside.

Before leaving, however, Qian Renxue gave Spiny Seahorse Douluo a look. Spiny Seahorse Douluo immediately understood and stepped in front of Salas, keeping watch over him and not allowing him to leave even a single step.

Meanwhile, Serpent Spear Douluo She Long followed his young mistress to the reception hall outside.

At that very moment, Xiao Yang had just stepped through the gates of this Spirit Hall. The instant he raised his head, his gaze met Qian Renxue's head-on. As their eyes met, a strange feeling of resonance arose within them.

Xiao Yang was relatively unaffected. The Qian Renxue he knew was the adult version of her, and he did not recognize the child Qian Renxue at this stage right away.

But Qian Renxue's gaze was firmly fixed on Xiao Yang.

Sensing the unusual stare, Xiao Yang looked up. Seeing a pretty and adorable little girl, the corner of his lips curled into a smile. He nodded, then said to the soul master attending the hall, "Excuse me, could you help awaken my martial soul?"

At that moment, Qian Renxue could not help blushing.

After taking the Nine Apertures Golden Pill and undergoing a complete rebirth, Xiao Yang's body had become increasingly perfect, and that perfection naturally included his appearance.

Xiao Yang was still a child, at the age when he was growing. Having taken the Nine Apertures Golden Pill, his body would gradually develop in the direction of perfection.

At the same time, because the Nine Apertures Golden Pill contained the blood of the Yellow Springs Great Emperor, Xiao Yang's temperament was inevitably touched by a trace of that demonic emperor's devilish nature, which had seeped into Xiao Yang's spirit and soul!

It was the bearing of an eternal Demon Emperor who dominated heaven and earth and looked down upon all living beings!

To ordinary mortals among the masses, it possessed a fatal attraction.

Especially Qian Renxue.

As the saying went, a single thought could make one a god, or a devil. Humans and devils were two sides of the same coin.

Yet as a descendant of the Angel God, Qian Renxue possessed that holy, divine aura. But before the Yellow Springs Great Emperor, let alone the Angel God, even the so-called God Kings of the Douluo world were no different from ants.

Thus, from the very first moment she saw Xiao Yang, his mark had already been branded deep into Qian Renxue's heart.

It had nothing to do with anything else. It was simply the disparity in their standing.

Between gods and devils, whichever side was weaker was fated to submit completely. There was no second choice.

However, Xiao Yang did not notice any of this at the moment. From the instant he entered the Douluo world, he had felt as though something within him was about to emerge.

If his guess was correct, it should be a martial soul constructed under this world's laws, modeled after his own soul.

To be honest, Xiao Yang was rather curious about what it would be.

At that moment, the Spirit Hall receptionist froze. Before he could answer, Qian Renxue spoke from the side. "You haven't awakened your martial soul yet? In that case, Uncle She, help him awaken it!"