Revere the Glory of the 'Angel'!

The banquet ended.

Xue Qinghe personally escorted Chen Jieqi and the several committee members to the entrance of the East Palace.

Only after their figures had completely vanished from his sight did he return to the palace and slowly seat himself at the head of the table.

The gentle, warm smile on his face faded away like morning mist scattered by the wind, and the modesty and tenderness in his eyes dissipated along with it.

Replacing them was a bottomless, aloof coldness.

The soul power he had deliberately restrained moments ago no longer needed to be hidden, carrying the sanctity and majesty unique to a Six-Winged Angel.

"All of you, withdraw."

The attendants dared not speak, bowing in salute one after another before retreating silently, pulling the heavy palace doors shut and completely sealing off all sounds from the outside world.

Left alone in the hall, Xue Qinghe slowly stood up and raised a hand to touch his cheek.

As his fingertips brushed over his brow bone and the bridge of his nose, the handsome, gentle face of the crown prince began to emit a faint golden light, as if gently shrouded by a layer of sacred gauze.

As the golden light grew more intense, his figure swayed slightly, and his bones emitted a subtle yet clear sound.

The originally tall yet lean frame gradually became slender and graceful, with lines that were soft yet carried an unquestionable sense of power.

The aura surrounding him changed drastically; the gentle royal demeanor vanished entirely, replaced by a condescending sanctity and cold pride.

The moon-white crown prince's brocade robe shattered inch by inch in the golden light, dissolving into a sky full of golden radiance.

In its place was a snow-white long dress, the hem embroidered with intricate Six-Winged Angel patterns, flowing with a faint Holy Light.

The collar and cuffs were adorned with delicate gold ornaments that scattered tiny glimmers with every movement, sacred and luxurious.

The high-coiled jade crown cracked, and the black hair faded, transforming into a head of dazzling golden hair that cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall.

The strands seemed to be entwined with fine, glowing dust, carrying a hazy, sacred halo.

She raised a hand to brush away the lingering aura of the crown prince from her body, the gentleness in her eyes completely replaced by indifference and sharpness.

Her eyes were no longer a gentle ink-black, but a clear, limpid gold; she was peerlessly beautiful, breathtakingly so, yet so cold that no one dared to approach.

In an instant, the gentle and elegant Heaven Dou crown prince, Xue Qinghe, had vanished.

In his place stood the daughter of the Martial Soul Hall—

Qian Renxue!

She walked slowly to the window, gazing at the heavy night outside.

Her golden hair glowed with a warm luster under the lamplight, and her white dress trailed to the floor, making her look like an angel descended to the mortal realm, yet she carried a bone-chilling coldness and loneliness.

It was the solitude belonging to the young mistress of the Martial Soul Hall, and the exhaustion that followed years of disguise.

"A Soul Ancestor under twelve years old..."

She whispered to herself.

"If this child can be used by me, he will be a great help in assisting me to control Heaven Dou and reclaim the position of Pope of the Martial Soul Hall."

She paused, a flicker of complexity crossing her eyes.

But if he could not... such monstrous talent would surely become a great threat in the years to come, yet the palpitations brought on by that martial soul resonance made her heart feel a trace of reluctance.

She turned slowly, sat back down at the head of the table, and closed her eyes.

In her mind, she replayed Chen Jieqi's appearance, his aura, and the composed, effortless way he handled himself during the banquet.

Especially that pure, sacred power of light, and the palpitations that kept stirring in her heart, all made her more certain:

This boy must not be let go easily.

With a plan already forming in her mind, The next time they met, she would have to completely fathom Chen Jieqi's intentions; either take him for her own, or...

Meanwhile, Back at the academy, Chen Jieqi's heart was beating exceptionally fast due to that same resonance.

He desperately pressed his lips together, refusing to let a smile spread across his face.

After all, at this moment, he and "Xue Qinghe" were one in the shadows and one in the light.

The other party was plotting how to subdue him, while he was secretly rejoicing in his heart.

That aura of resonance originating from their martial souls told him with absolute clarity:

The martial souls of himself and this "Crown Prince" truly had the possibility of merging!

This meant that his safety had gained another protective talisman.

With this bond in place, even if the Pope's Palace truly harbored murderous intent, they would have to weigh the consequences.

Only after entering his dormitory and closing the door did he finally allow his lips to curl up, the smile in his eyes impossible to hide.

From then on, life returned to its familiar cycle.

It was not until a week later that the invitation from the Crown Prince's residence finally arrived.

Ever since the committee had introduced him at the banquet that day, Chen Jieqi had known this day would come, though he had not expected it to arrive so soon.

He could even guess that his background had likely already been thoroughly investigated by the other party.

The attendant led him through winding corridors and around a koi pond, finally stopping before a palace named Qinghe Hall.

The palace doors stood open, and the scent of sandalwood drifted out.

"Young Master Chen, His Highness has been waiting for some time. Please, follow me."

The attendant bowed, his tone filled with respect.

The interior of the hall was silent.

Chen Jieqi raised his eyes and saw Xue Qinghe sitting upright in the main seat, still dressed in that gentle, refined manner, his robes draped elegantly, his posture graceful.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands in a salute, and spoke in a clear, steady voice, neither servile nor overbearing:

"Student Chen Jieqi pays his respects to the Crown Prince."

"No need for such formalities. Didn't Xiao Qi say he would call me Brother Xue?"

Xue Qinghe raised a hand in a gesture of feigned support, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate reproach, "Why call me 'Your Highness' again? Or is it that you look down on this brother of yours?"

The moment Chen Jieqi straightened up, he clearly felt a thread of refined and gentle soul power quietly probe toward him, wandering slowly along his meridians, heading straight for the origin of his martial soul.

Clearly, Xue Qinghe's purpose in meeting him today was to thoroughly uncover the secrets of his martial soul.

He understood this in his heart, but his expression remained calm; he simply allowed the holy light of the Heart of the Naaru to radiate as usual, letting that thread of soul power drift through his body.

Since you want to see, then I will let you see enough. To deliberately conceal it now would only increase the other party's suspicions.

Only by remaining composed and revealing a moderate amount could he cause this "Crown Prince" to temporarily lower his guard.

The moment that thread of soul power touched the origin of his martial soul, both of them paused abruptly, as if lightly singed by a touch of pure, holy light.

It was the instinctive resonance of the Angel martial soul with a source of the same light.

Xue Qinghe took all of this in, a flicker of certainty crossing his eyes for a split second before he returned to his gentle, harmless demeanor.

"My first time visiting, I hope Brother Xue will forgive me. I will be sure to remember next time."

Chen Jieqi straightened up naturally, his tone respectful and perfectly measured.

"That is good,"

Xue Qinghe gestured with his hand, "No need to dwell on small details. Please, take a seat."

He signaled for the attendant to serve tea to Chen Jieqi, "Ever since we parted at the banquet that day, I have been thinking of you. I heard your martial soul is unique and your cultivation progress is extremely fast.

I invited you here today because I wanted to have a good chat with you about the cultivation of a soul master."

Chen Jieqi thanked him and sat down, taking the teacup from the attendant with both hands, slightly calming the ripples in his heart.

He looked up at Xue Qinghe, his tone casual, "I am unworthy of Brother Xue's kindness.

If Brother Xue has any questions regarding cultivation, I will certainly tell you everything I know without reservation."

Xue Qinghe's lips curled into a gentle smile, his gaze lingering on him. Though it seemed like casual conversation, his words were filled with probes, at times asking about his martial soul awakening process, at times discussing his soul ring configuration, and occasionally mentioning his views on the Empire in what seemed like an offhand manner.

Every question felt like a measurement of his bottom line and his stance.

Chen Jieqi answered with composure, responding honestly to questions related to cultivation, but when the topic turned to the Empire, his tone became solemn, "As a citizen of Heaven Dou, one must naturally be 'loyal'!"

When the tea was finished, the conversation took a turn, "Then, what is your opinion of Martial Soul Hall?"

Chen Jieqi chuckled inwardly; the main topic had finally arrived.

But on the surface, he remained unmoved, "As the overseer of the soul master order, Martial Soul Hall was once competent. Things like driving away soul beasts, exterminating evil soul masters, and providing free martial soul awakenings for commoners—these are all things worthy of support."

He paused, looking into Xue Qinghe's eyes, his words carrying a touch of well-placed regret and criticism, "But ever since the current Pope was crowned, everything has changed.

Martial Soul Hall has gradually revealed its ambition and tyranny, constantly consolidating power, suppressing talented soul masters, subjugating major soul master factions, and annexing weaker clans."

And even frequently interfering in imperial affairs...

It is no longer the soul master organization that once protected the continent."

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe's brows furrowed involuntarily. Before he could speak, Chen Jieqi's voice rang out once more, "However, I truly admire the original intent and profound meaning of Martial Soul Hall."

Chen Jieqi's tone softened, his gaze revealing a touch of sincerity, "I heard from my grandfather Dugu Bo that ten thousand years ago, humanity was still struggling in deep water and scorching fire, having to face both the natural disasters of soul beasts and the man-made disasters of evil forces."

"It was the soul masters of the Angel clan who stepped forward to establish the initial soul master organization, its core mission being to research soul master theory, provide shelter for commoners, drive away soul beasts, exterminate evil soul masters, and sow the seeds for humanity to unify the continent."

He paused slightly, his tone filled with a sense of longing, "This... is the true meaning of Martial Soul Hall's existence, I hear that Martial Soul Hall still enshrines the original statue of the Angel God to this day; such steadfastness is truly moving."

As he spoke with growing excitement, Chen Jieqi's expression became increasingly devout, as if he were truly gazing up at that ancient statue, his right hand pressed against his chest, "Young soul masters of our generation should uphold such sincerity and revere the glory of the Angel!"

Once these words were spoken, the look in Xue Qinghe's eyes as he gazed at Chen Jieqi grew even softer.

He lifted his teacup and took a light sip, concealing the faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his lips.