I Finally Got You to This Place

Qian Renxue said helplessly, "Do you have some deep-seated grudge against the Sea God? You've even set your sights on that guy."

Shi Yueyi shrugged. "Didn't you just mention bringing Sea God Island under your control?"

Qian Renxue smiled without giving anything away. "Yes."

Oh no.

It seemed like she had said something wrong.

No, she hadn't mentioned Spirit Hall in what she'd just said.

She had only mentioned bringing Sea God Island under their control.

And not many people on the continent actually knew about Sea God Island now. It was more commonly called "Devil Island" on the mainland.

Because most mainland Soul Masters who went there met no good end.

They were either driven away on the spot or died during those so-called trials.

"I've heard of that island." Shi Yueyi smiled. "Did you forget what I told you? Before I went to the Frozen Forest, I escaped from the west coast, so I know a few things about the Western Sea."

"Mom said that a long time ago, a fleet set out from the western coast of the Heaven Dou Empire to bring some place under its control," Shi Yueyi said. "But it seemed to have failed, suffering terrible losses. In the end, a place called Devil Island became known over there. The Sea God Island you two just mentioned should be that place, right?"

"That's right." Qian Renxue smiled. "Senior Pufferfish enlisted back then as well. It was a massive fleet assembled by Spirit Hall."

Stingray Douluo nodded. "Yes. At the time, I was only a Soul Douluo. That failed expedition left me severely wounded. Later, I met His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness promised that after ascending the throne, he would find a way to help me take revenge. The one who injured me back then was a Titled Douluo from that island."

Perfect!

Stingray Douluo thought to himself.

I may not have gone to school, but after following the Young Master for so many years, my brain works just fine!

I'll talk about my past, then make up a reason.

Little Shiyue doesn't know anything.

That'll cover it up!

Shi Yueyi said with a beaming smile, "I only said that because I heard you mention it. Sooner or later, I'm definitely going to fight those Sea God people. Brother Xue saved me and gave me a cultivation method, and Senior Pufferfish brewed me a bowl of restorative medicine. I have to repay you both somehow!"

Qian Renxue and Stingray Douluo both breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

But since they had decided to keep this girl by their side, she would learn her identity sooner or later.

It was just that the saying, "The Upper Three Sects and the two empires were bound together by common cause," was particularly widespread on the continent now, so it was inevitable that they worried she might be influenced by it.

Spirit Hall offered Soul Masters excellent benefits, but there were also plenty of ungrateful wolves.

Yet since those benefits had already been introduced, they could not simply revoke them.

She had a feeling that Shi Yueyi might have guessed something.

This little girl definitely thought things through.

Perhaps she had guessed something, but chose not to say it.

Because she understood gratitude.

Because Shi Yueyi knew that if something had not been told to her yet, then it simply was not time.

The understanding between them—or perhaps their unspoken mutual awareness—made things much easier between them.

Qian Renxue had spent a long time living amid the intrigues of the imperial family, and she greatly enjoyed this sense of ease.

"Alright." Qian Renxue patted Shi Yueyi's head.

Shi Yueyi closed her eyes.

"Mm, what level is your cultivation at now?" Qian Renxue asked.

Shi Yueyi gave a mysterious smile, then released her First Soul Ring.

A dazzling purple Soul Ring appeared beside her.

"A thousand-year Soul Ring, truer than pearls. I've already reached my next bottleneck." Shi Yueyi reached out and gently brushed her fingers over the purple ring of light.

"As long as I absorb one more, I can immediately surpass level twenty." Shi Yueyi grinned. "I just don't know exactly what level I'll reach afterward."

Qian Renxue suddenly had the urge to scoop her into her arms and give her a good ruffle.

She really was innately level twenty!

"Oh, right." Shi Yueyi reached up and touched Qian Renxue's hand resting atop her head.

"When I absorbed that Soul Ring just now, I seemed to sense something different," she said.

"What was different?" Qian Renxue asked curiously.

"It's that Super Advanced Version cultivation method of yours." Shi Yueyi looked very happy. "It seems to be activating my attributes across the board. It's even bringing out all the advantages of my Body Martial Soul. For example, I feel as light as a swallow now!"

"That powerful?" Qian Renxue was immediately intrigued. "Though that's also because your innate talent is high enough. What is your first soul skill?"

"I haven't come up with a name for it yet. Its effect is amplification, similar to some Beast Martial Soul Soul Masters." Shi Yueyi thought for a moment. "It increases all attributes by one hundred and twenty percent, until I'm exhausted."

Stingray Douluo stroked his chin. "I remember that the Dai Family in the southern Star Luo Empire has a thousand-year third soul skill called White Tiger Vajra Transformation. It doubles attack and defense for half an hour."

Shi Yueyi was unconcerned. "That White Tiger Soul Elder wouldn't last a single exchange against me."

"Really?" Qian Renxue said with a smile.

"Brother Xue, let's play a game." Shi Yueyi thought for a moment.

"It's already so late. What game?"

"Suppress your cultivation, then come chase me." Shi Yueyi's eyes flickered. "It'll be the perfect way to prove your doubts, won't it?"

"Sure. I'll suppress my cultivation to level twenty, and I won't use soul skills either." Qian Renxue brushed at her clothes. "But my Martial Soul has wings."

"That's fine." Shi Yueyi tightened the boots on her feet. "Come chase me. If you catch me, then I'll..."

She got stuck there.

"...Then what if I catch you?" Qian Renxue pressed.

"You have to catch me before I'll tell you!" Shi Yueyi pushed off with both feet and instantly appeared seven or eight meters away.

"Damn, was that a blink?" Stingray Douluo froze.

Qian Renxue smiled casually, then chased after her.

In the moon-setting, crow-calling forest, within the Sunset Forest shrouded in mystery, the girl darted and weaved ahead. Perhaps because absorbing the Soul Ring had raised her cultivation, she seemed to have grown a little taller again.

Behind Shi Yueyi, Qian Renxue still used her current pair of feathered wings, leaping over shrubs and gliding through the treetops.

Stingray Douluo followed behind them, watching them constantly leap and fly. They were as beautiful as apsaras painted on the murals of some ancient ruin.

A quarter of an hour later.

"Hey!"

Qian Renxue flipped through the air and finally dragged Shi Yueyi down from a large tree.

"Haa—"

Shi Yueyi sighed. "You don't feel like a pampered Crown Prince at all. All this jumping around is something I was forced to learn while surviving in the wild. Who forced you to learn it?"

Qian Renxue lightly shook out her hand. "I was assassinated in the palace before. You need some skills, don't you? Nothing matters more than staying alive. When the crucial moment comes, you need to know how to run. I believe you now. If that White Tiger Soul Elder faced you, he probably wouldn't even get the chance to activate his soul skill before being assassinated."

"Alright, I caught you. So tell me, what are you giving me?" Qian Renxue asked with a smile.

Shi Yueyi took an insulated lunch box from her clothes and said, "Here. It's something I cooked myself earlier, when you went out beyond Ice City."

Qian Renxue accepted the lunch box and opened it curiously. "What's inside?"

"Sweet pepper rabbit." Shi Yueyi said confidently. "No one has ever tasted my cooking before."

"How did you know my tastes?" Qian Renxue gave it a sniff. "Sometimes I like sweet food, and sometimes I like spicy food."

Just then, Stingray Douluo hurried over with a grave expression.

"Your Highness. It seems that old poison's Poison Array is nearby. Should we leave for now?"

Shi Yueyi asked, "Didn't you say that Poison Douluo is in Heaven Dou City right now? Then there shouldn't be anyone here for the time being. Let's go inside and stay the night."

Thank goodness I'm clever. I went through so much trouble just to get you here.

Shi Yueyi sighed inwardly.