Heaven Dou City lay beneath an inky night sky, dotted with stars.
Deep within the Crown Prince's Mansion, candlelight flickered, casting long shadows from the room's furnishings.
This was one of the empire's centers of power, guarded so tightly that not even a fly could get in.
Behind the broad desk, the refined young man who had been sitting upright slowly rose. His slender fingers reached to the edge of his neck and lightly peeled it away.
The gentle mask belonging to "Xue Qinghe" was casually tossed aside, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty.
Golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall, spilling over her shoulders.
Qian Renxue removed the cumbersome dragon-patterned Crown Prince's robe and changed into a light golden silk gown.
The dim yellow light fell upon her, highlighting skin as fair as snow. Her long, straight, beautiful legs appeared and vanished beneath the hem of her dress, her figure graceful and exquisitely curved.
At that moment, she was no longer the empire's cautious Crown Prince, but an unrivaled beauty who had just cast off her burdens.
Qian Renxue walked to the window and pushed it open, allowing the night breeze to brush her cheeks. Her gaze carried an innate nobility.
"The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is about to begin."
She looked out at the brilliantly lit streets in the distance and lightly tapped the windowsill with her fingers, calculating her next move.
"This tournament gathers the continent's young geniuses. If I can use this opportunity to recruit some talents for myself, it will be of enormous benefit when I take control of Heaven Dou and even overturn the entire continent's balance of power."
Just as Qian Renxue was deep in thought, a strange ripple suddenly spread before her.
Without any warning or any fluctuation of Soul Power, a transparent Light Screen appeared out of thin air before her eyes. It floated in midair, emitting a faint glow.
[You have obtained the Life Simulator!]
Qian Renxue's beautiful golden eyes narrowed slightly. Her body instinctively tensed, and Soul Power surged around her as she prepared to strike at any moment.
"What is this?"
She warily scanned her surroundings, her spiritual power covering the entire room, yet she detected no trace of an intruder.
The Light Screen seemed to have been imprinted directly onto her retina. No matter how she turned her head, it remained at the center of her vision.
[It can simulate your future life!]
This line of text clearly appeared, followed immediately by a smaller line of explanation.
A storm surged within Qian Renxue's heart, and the wariness in her eyes gradually turned to shock.
"What kind of treasure is this? It actually claims it can simulate my future?"
As the Young Master of Spirit Hall, she had seen much. Whether soul bones, immortal herbs, or even legendary divine artifacts, she had heard of them all.
Yet this so-called "Life Simulator" was completely beyond the scope of her understanding.
If someone was playing tricks, then their methods were far too extraordinary.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath and calmed the turbulence in her heart. She was proud by nature, with the blood of the Angel Clan flowing through her veins. Though wary of such an unknown thing, she felt even more curiosity and a desire to control it.
"The future?"
Qian Renxue's red lips parted as she gave a soft laugh, a flash of confidence crossing her eyes.
"I wonder what my future will be like. But with my talent, the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, and Innate Full Soul Power at level twenty, I will certainly inherit the Angel God's divine position."
She turned and paced through the spacious room, the hem of her golden dress swaying with every step.
"As long as I become a god, I will be the strongest person on this continent. At that time, even that woman... will have no choice but to look up to me. Everyone will kneel beneath the radiance of angels."
With this fierce confidence and a hint of curiosity toward the unknown, Qian Renxue extended a slender finger and lightly tapped the "Begin Simulation" button on the Light Screen.
Since this thing had appeared, she might as well see what it could actually predict.
The Light Screen flickered slightly, and lines of text began to rapidly scroll across it.
[Simulation begins.] [You were born in Spirit Hall, of noble status, but your mother, Bibi Dong, did not love you. When you had just been born, she even wanted to strangle you with her own hands, but ultimately could not bring herself to do it!]
Upon seeing the first line, the smile on Qian Renxue's face instantly froze.
The shadow buried deep in her memories was brutally torn open by those cold words. She pressed her lips tightly together, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.
The text on the Light Screen continued.
[During your childhood, when you were nine years old, your father Qian Xunji, who had always loved you dearly, died a tragic death!] [Bibi Dong treated you horribly. It was the most unfortunate childhood of your life. You had no companions and no family. Within that cold Pope's Palace, all you felt was endless loneliness. Yet amid that loneliness, you learned to be strong and learned to disguise yourself!]
As Qian Renxue read those lines, her eyes reddened slightly.
That was her everlasting pain.
She still remembered how, as a child, she had happily brought her handmade craft to please her mother, only to receive Bibi Dong's utterly disgusted gaze and be roughly shoved to the ground.
"Get lost! Don't let me see you!"
Those words had haunted her like a nightmare for more than a decade.
Qian Renxue closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forced back the stinging in the corners of her eyes. When she opened them again, only icy calm remained in those golden eyes.
"I have no mother."
Her voice was somewhat hoarse, yet it sounded exceptionally clear in the silent night.
"Bibi Dong, you are not worthy of being my mother!"
She did not need that woman's pity. Since she did not need it, she would sever that hope completely. Qian Renxue could still stand at the pinnacle of the continent through her own strength.
After steadying her emotions, Qian Renxue continued looking at the Light Screen. She wanted to see what else this Simulator could write.
[To prove yourself, and to escape that suffocating place, you chose to accept the Coup d'état Plan.] [You disguised yourself as Xue Qinghe, came to the Heaven Dou Empire, and began a covert life that lasted more than a decade!]
Qian Renxue nodded slightly. This was indeed her current situation.
For this plan, she had sacrificed the best years of her youth and lived behind a mask every day. Only she knew the hardships involved.
[The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament begins, and the winds of change rise.] [Two exceptionally dazzling dark horse teams emerge in this tournament: Jixia Academy and Shrek Academy.] [Jixia Academy in particular rises out of nowhere, sweeping aside every opponent with overwhelming force and ultimately winning the championship, unmatched by anyone!] [As Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, you attempt to recruit them, but they vanish without a trace after the tournament!] [Bibi Dong is also extremely dissatisfied and sends several Titled Douluo to search for them, but they find nothing!] [You believe that while Jixia Academy is impressive, even as champions, they are merely outstanding members of the younger generation. At best, they may become Titled Douluo in the future, and before Spirit Hall's vast foundations, they are not worth worrying about. Thus, you cease to pay them any attention!]
Before you continue