Qian Renxue's Invitation

The awards ceremony went fairly smoothly.

Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, and Salas together presented qualification certificates and prize money to the five teams that advanced.

The qualification certificate is just a note; it's not very important.

After all, both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall knew which Academy had advanced.

Therefore, this certificate is just for show and has no practical meaning; it's useless to forge it.

The real useful thing is the bonus: 20,000 Gold Soul Coin for each team, given by the Heaven Dou Empire, to win people's hearts.

After the awards were presented, the host handed the floor to the most esteemed person on stage, Xue Ye.

Xue Ye's gaze swept over the Second Team of the five Academy before him, paying particular attention to the Shui Bing'er sisters. Clearly, after today's competition, he held Shui Bing'er in higher regard.

To break through to the Spirit King level at the age of nineteen—that talent surpasses even the so-called Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall.

Moreover, the Shui Family is an old Nobles in the Heaven Dou Empire, and they are very valuable to win over. If they can be tied to the royal family through marriage or other means, the Xue Family's rule will be more stable.

In addition, there are Chen Feng and the others, who are also rare talents. We can't let the Spirit Hall take them away.

After a brief moment of mental planning, Xue Ye smiled and said:

"Children, I congratulate you on successfully qualifying for this year's All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. As the supreme ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire, I am proud of you. You are all the hope for the future of the empire."

"I have decided that if any of your teams qualify for the upcoming Ranking Tournament, I will grant each player on the qualifying team Fief five thousand hectares and bestow upon them the title of Viscount. After you graduate, the gates of the Imperial Household will be open to you at any time, and your Fief will be allocated uniformly upon your graduation."

The Great Soul Arena suddenly became noisy, as many people were astonished by Xue Ye's move.

"Ha, granting land and titles after just one Ranking Tournament? Has Xue Ye gone mad?" Zhao Wuji burst out laughing in the spectator area.

He had a lot of confidence in Chen Feng and his lads, believing that qualifying for the Ranking Tournament wouldn't be a problem. So in his eyes, the title and land rewards were practically a done deal.

"What a wonderful gift delivered to my doorstep! I'd better not refuse it." Flender was also in a good mood.

The Grandmaster, however, saw through Xue Ye's thoughts and said:

"The emperor is probably trying to win over Soul Master in advance, so that all the talented people won't be snatched up by the Spirit Hall later."

"It seems the Spirit Hall is putting a lot of pressure on Xue Ye," Flender chuckled.

Meanwhile, the Four Clans Clan Chief were also discussing Xue Ye's move.

"Looks like your family's going to produce a Viscount, Old White Bird," Tai Tan said.

"Hey, you can't say that. It's not certain whether we'll qualify." Bai He said this, but he couldn't stop smiling.

Yang Wudi, however, saw another aspect. "Xue Ye is getting a little anxious. It seems he has already sensed the threat. If this continues, the peaceful days on the continent may not last much longer."

Upon hearing this, Bai He's smile faded slightly. "Yes, the Heavenly Division will be busy soon too."

On the stage, the Second Team of the five Academy mostly remained calm.

Chen Feng then whispered to Dai Mubai:

"Boss Dai, what do you think?"

"I think it's just so-so, petty and stingy." Dai Mubai with some disdain.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of Xue Ye rang out again:

"If any team wins the Spirit Master Tournament, the entire team's title will be promoted two ranks, making them Hereditary Earl of the Heaven Dou Empire, and they will be rewarded with vast tracts of land!"

The clamor in the Great Soul Arena grew even more intense. Chen Feng nudged Dai Mubai with his elbow and mouthed:

"And now?"

"It's alright," Dai Mubai replied somewhat reluctantly.

The Hereditary Earl was already considered a grand gesture; he could no longer deny it was ordinary.

Chen Feng chuckled inwardly. He didn't care much about the title. Although being a Feudal Nobles and living a life of debauchery was quite comfortable, the Spirit Hall's war chariot was about to crush him.

Most importantly, whether Bibi Dong had her own ideas or was influenced by the Rakshasa God's Will, what she wanted was not just to rule the world, but to destroy it.

If she succeeds, perhaps only the Grandmaster will have a chance of surviving. Faced with such a future, titles and lands are meaningless.

After the Xue Ye announced the rewards of the noble titles, Salas, who was standing next to him, made a slight remark, clearly not wanting to see the Xue Ye win people's hearts in this way.

But Xue Ye adopted an attitude of "My Heaven Dou has its own national conditions, what does the reward have to do with your Spirit Hall?" which left Salas speechless, and he could only stand there with a long face.

The Second Team of the various Academy teams below could clearly see that this was a struggle between the Empire and the Spirit Hall, and Xue Ye was trying to win over talented Soul Master with titles and land.

The advantage of the Spirit Hall lies in the fact that it houses the strongest group of Soul Master on the entire continent, and joining it offers the opportunity to receive excellent training.

In Chen Feng's view, even though Xue Ye had made efforts, in terms of appeal to Soul Master, the Spirit Hall was still a cut above.

Clearly, Xue Ye missed the point; he may not understand, or he may not be able to provide what the Soul Master community truly needs.

However, the Spirit Hall also has its shortcomings, namely, the lack of a complete administrative and economic system, and a divine leader.

These two shortcomings are almost impossible to overcome, which is why the Spirit Hall has been unable to achieve its goals.

The Empire's weaknesses can potentially be addressed. If a way can be provided to enhance the strength of Soul Master, then the Empire's more complete organizational structure will become apparent.

This is also why Chen Feng considered the Empire's side.

The reason he chose the Star Luo Empire as his second choice and the Heaven Dou Empire as his first choice was mainly because the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family was relatively weak. Weakness meant it was easier to manipulate, so using the Heaven Dou Empire as a base was a good option.

I wonder if Qian Renxue also had this in mind, which is why she came to Heaven Dou as an undercover agent.

Thinking of this, Chen Feng glanced at Xue Qinghe behind Xue Ye and found that he was also looking at him and had even nodded and smiled.

Chen Feng returned the smile, then noticed that Xue Xing seemed to have noticed the interaction between Xue Qinghe and him, and looked over as well, her expression turning somewhat gloomy.

Clearly, Xue Xing was unhappy to see the Crown Prince befriending a genius Soul Master like Chen Feng.

But his reluctance couldn't change Chen Feng's attitude. Chen Feng had been in contact with Xue Xing and Xue Xing Xue Beng, and his impressions of them weren't very good. The Feudal Nobles air about them was overwhelming.

Even if Qian Renxue was faking it, she at least gave people a much better impression. Before she did anything harmful to Chen Feng, Chen Feng still preferred to deal with people like her.

The award ceremony ended shortly after the prize was promised on Xue Ye.

Before Chen Feng and Dai Mubai could even step off the stage, they heard a call from behind:

"Xiao Feng, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Your Highness," Chen Feng said, turning around.

"I'm leaving now." Dai Mubai didn't want to deal with the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, so he chose to leave.

Qian Renxue glanced at his retreating figure, unconcerned, and asked Chen Feng:

"Would it be convenient to find a place to get together?"

"Okay, I'll go tell the teacher and my classmates." Chen Feng hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement to Qian Renxue's invitation.

Back with his companions, Chen Feng discovered that the Clan Chief of the Four Clans had arrived sometime earlier.

Upon seeing him, Bai He said with a smile:

"Xiao Feng, thank you so much for mentoring Xiangxiang."

"Xiangxiang is my companion. It was just some help I could offer, nothing much," Chen Feng said, then explained to everyone about being invited by the Crown Prince.

"Then go ahead, Xiao Feng. Be careful. We'll wait for you back at the Academy. When you return, it would be best to have the Crown Prince send someone to escort you," Flender instructed.

"I will," Chen Feng replied.

In a private room at a luxury Hotel, Chen Feng and Qian Renxue sat side by side.

"It's been a while since we last saw each other, Xiao Feng." Qian Renxue poured Chen Feng a drink.

"Yes, I was ambushed and then fell into a coma for a while. It's a pity I couldn't keep my appointment with Brother Xue," Chen Feng said.

"Oh, you're being too polite. Didn't I say in the invitation that this isn't a mandatory invitation? I'll host you whenever you want to come. There's no need for any special arrangements," Qian Renxue said with a smile.

Then she sighed again:

"Furthermore, Heaven Dou also bears responsibility for your injury, since you were ambushed in Heaven Dou City, which is due to our inadequate supervision."

"It's because Shi Nian's Martial Soul is too strange, it's not your problem, Brother Xue," Chen Feng said, shaking his head.

"Speaking of which," Qian Renxue asked casually as she picked up some food, "..."

"Xiao Feng, how did you solve Shi Nian?"

"I have to thank you for this, Brother Xue."

"Me?" Qian Renxue paused in her act of picking up food, a look of confusion appearing on her face.

"That's right, Brother Xue, do you still remember the bottle of blood you gave me back then?" Chen Feng asked.

"Of course I remember, but does that have anything to do with how you solved Shi Nian?" Qian Renxue was still somewhat puzzled.

Chen Feng picked up his drink, took a sip, then put down the cup and said:

"That's right. My Martial Soul wasn't complete when it was awakened. As my Soul Power increased, I discovered that my Martial Soul lacked a certain yang energy, so it couldn't unleash its full potential."

"Until I met you, Brother Xue, I unexpectedly discovered that you seemed to possess something that my Martial Soul lacked, which is why I asked Brother Xue for some of your blood to try it out."

"Brother Xue, you should have seen the results of the trial during the competition. My Martial Soul has gained some amazing abilities. It was thanks to these amazing abilities, and because Shi Nian didn't take me seriously, that I was able to survive against him."

Qian Renxue picked up a piece of food, put it in her mouth, chewed slowly and deliberately, and then swallowed before speaking:

"I see. I never imagined there were such amazing Martial Soul. No wonder I had a special feeling when I saw you use that special ability."

"So, does this mean that Brother Xue and I are destined to be together?" Chen Feng asked with a smile.

"It's fate, of course it's fate." Qian Renxue nodded slightly.

"Brother Xue, could you tell me why you were able to replenish the Yang energy of my Martial Soul?" Chen Feng asked softly.

The private room fell silent. Qian Renxue put down her chopsticks and sat there in silence.

"Brother Xue, we're good friends, right?" Chen Feng said, staring at Qian Renxue disguised as Xue Qinghe.

Qian Renxue paused for a moment, then nodded.

Chen Feng continued:

"You've helped me a lot, and I consider you like an older brother. If there's anything you can't tell me, I understand. No matter what, I'll stand by you. After all, without your help, I wouldn't have survived Shi Nian's clutches."

"Thank you, but there are some things I can't tell you right now," Qian Renxue said softly.

"I understand. Just think of it as your Spirit Mutation, Brother Xue. It's not surprising." Chen Feng said with a smile.

"Speaking of which, Xiao Feng, are you confident about the upcoming matches?" Qian Renxue took the initiative to change the subject.

Chen Feng nodded. "I do have some confidence. I believe our team can go all the way."

"The Spirit Hall's Golden Generation is no ordinary group. All three of them possess at least the cultivation of Spirit King, and one of them is even a disciple of the Spirit Hall's Pope. They cannot be underestimated," Qian Renxue warned.

"Don't worry, Brother Xue, I'll handle it seriously."

The two then chatted over their meal, discussing various topics in a very harmonious atmosphere. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Qian Renxue even offered to escort Chen Feng back to the Academy.

"No need for that, Brother Xue," Chen Feng said.

"That won't do. I have to take you to the Academy gate. What if we run into the same thing again? How am I supposed to explain that to the teacher?" Qian Renxue pulled Chen Feng into the carriage.

The elderly coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage slowly began to move.

Not long after, Chen Feng returned safely to the Academy. After getting off the carriage, he bid farewell to Qian Renxue and then quietly watched the carriage drive away.

During today's meeting, Chen Feng subtly revealed his awareness of Qian Renxue's unusual behavior, and before Qian Renxue could respond, he used the phrase "you have done me a favor" to bridge the gap between them.

The meaning is clear: I'm on your side, and I won't pry into your secrets. You saved my life, and I will remember that kindness.

So Qian Renxue has only two choices left: one is to kill Chen Feng, but the probability of that is extremely small, because judging from Qian Renxue's behavior, she should have realized Chen Feng's identity.

This can be seen from the fact that she never mentioned the Ten-Thousand-Year Fourth Ring from beginning to end.

If Qian Renxue didn't believe Chen Feng was that Scholar, she would definitely inquire about the situation of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fourth Ring.

Therefore, it is unlikely that Qian Renxue will take action against Chen Feng.

Her second option was naturally to confront Chen Feng Chen Feng then find a way to bring him under her control.

This is exactly what Chen Feng hoped for.

Now it remains to be seen when Qian Renxue will take action.