Qian Daoliu's Little Scheme

The human heart was ever-changing. Someone who had once sworn eternal love with you might one day draw a blade against you; a once-loyal subordinate might also be corrupted by power, paying lip service while acting against you.

But with a Seed of Heart, things were different. Their affection or loyalty toward Shang An would not diminish; instead, it would gradually deepen over time, eventually becoming faith rooted deep within their souls. Shang An was her/their faith.

And the emergence of a Seed of Heart meant that Hu Liena had fallen deeply in love with him, at least at this moment. From here on, Hu Liena's love for him would only grow deeper, until it surpassed everything else.

"Ah, the stirrings of young love! Perhaps only girls in the bloom of youth could fall for someone so easily. If it were Hu Liena a few years from now, it probably wouldn't be so easy."

The Seed of Heart was also beneficial to Hu Liena's cultivation. It could keep her mind clear, speed up her cultivation, and make it less likely for her to suffer a cultivation deviation.

As for Yan, this could be considered helping him escape the fate of being a simp. In the future, he should focus his mind on cultivation and perhaps change the fate of having his talent ruined by Tang San.

Speaking of which, among the three great simps of the Douluo Continent, there were still two waiting for him to save them.

Yan, who had still been playing dead beneath the platform, slowly woke up. His injuries were not serious; Shang An had shown considerable restraint.

But even now, he still did not understand how he had lost. One second, victory had been within reach; the next, he felt something strike him, and then everything went black.

He soon learned the details of the battle from the people around him.

He found it hard to accept. The others might not know, but he did—Shang An was only six years old.

Then he looked around and finally spotted Hu Liena and Shang An embracing as they prepared to leave the arena. A trace of desolation flashed through his eyes.

"Shang An, I'll cultivate hard and defeat you someday!"

Yan gathered his courage and shouted at Shang An's retreating back.

Shang An did not stop walking and continued forward. At the same time, his youthful yet powerful voice drifted in from the doorway.

"Those defeated by me have never been worthy of being called my opponents. I'll give you time to catch up, until I am beyond your sight."

Yan stood there dumbfounded. He had never heard such an outrageously domineering statement before. He only felt that Shang An's bearing was lofty and transcendent, as though he were destined to become a Deity in the heavens while Yan himself was merely an ant on the ground. At that moment, he actually felt a trace of admiration for Shang An.

Meanwhile, Hu Liena and Shang An had already gone far away.

"Junior Brother, you were so cool just now!"

"Senior Sister, stop messing around. Hey, don't touch me there."

Within the Worship Hall,

Qian Daoliu looked over the intelligence report in his hand.

"A thousand-year first soul ring!"

"He defeated Yan, the genius of Class A-1, despite fighting above his level, and he may even have held back?"

"That boy is truly unexpected. His talent is probably no less than Xue'er's."

He even vaguely felt that Shang An's talent might surpass that of his granddaughter. His granddaughter was the inheritor of the Angel God!

"I should have been more forceful back then and brought that little fellow back to the Worship Hall for training."

Qian Daoliu felt somewhat regretful. Shang An's talent was even greater than he had imagined. If he became Xue'er's enemy, then...

"I only hope Bibi Dong still remembers that she is Xue'er's mother."

At the thought of Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu could not help but sigh. Then, his tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed.

"Still, it isn't impossible to draw Shang An over to our side."

"Although Shang An is a little young, his talent is unparalleled. He and Xue'er would make a perfect match!"

"And with Shang An's help, Xue'er would be able to control Spirit Hall even better."

As for whether Shang An would agree, he had not considered it at all. His Xue'er was gifted and stunningly beautiful. It would be Shang An's honor to marry her—how could he possibly refuse?

He had already thought of what to write when he sent Qian Renxue a secret letter this time.

"I don't agree!"

Bibi Dong glared at Qian Daoliu with a face full of murderous intent. The hand gripping her Scepter tightened slightly as she snapped at him.

"Why?"

Qian Daoliu was somewhat puzzled. This would not cause Bibi Dong any losses. Could it be that she still hated Xue'er? At that thought, his expression darkened slightly.

"Hmph! Xiao An and Nana are in love. How could I bear to tear them apart?"

"Besides, Xiao An is my disciple, and she is my daughter. If I say no, then it means no!"

Bibi Dong spoke in a cold tone. When she mentioned Qian Renxue, a trace of complexity appeared in her eyes.

Instinctively, she was somewhat opposed to Shang An being with Qian Renxue.

On the surface, it seemed as though she was considering Hu Liena's feelings, but whether she had any other thoughts, even she did not know. Nor did she dare to think in that direction.

Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong confronted each other in the Pope Palace for a long while. In the end, Qian Daoliu was the one who yielded. After all, no matter what, this woman was still Xue'er's mother.

"Then let this matter rest for now. But if Shang An and Xue'er come to like each other, you cannot stop them."

Bibi Dong's face remained icy. She had not wanted to agree, but Qian Daoliu had already yielded, and she could not continue pressing the issue. After all, in terms of both strength and influence, she was still the weaker side.

"Fine."

After a long silence, she finally spoke those two words.

Qian Daoliu nodded and left the Pope Palace. He had originally come today to discuss Shang An and Qian Renxue's marriage arrangement, but he had not expected Bibi Dong to react so strongly. It seemed their fate could only be left to themselves.

Inside the Pope Palace,

Bibi Dong stared at the empty hall after his departure, hatred gleaming in her eyes as demonic energy swirled around her.

"Qian... Dao... Liu! Sooner or later, I'll make you pay the price!"

Shang An, who was currently teasing the little fox, knew nothing of what had happened here.

Heaven Dou Imperial City, Crown Prince Residence.

A young man sat in the inner hall, diligently handling government affairs.

At that moment, a figure emerged from the shadows and dropped to one knee.

The young man set down the document in his hand and rubbed his slightly swollen head.

"What is it?"

Black Shadow took out a letter and handed it over. After bowing once more, he silently vanished back into the shadows.

"A letter from Grandfather."

The young man was somewhat delighted. Holding the letter, he walked to a corner of the inner hall and triggered a mechanism. A passage immediately appeared beneath the floor. He entered the hidden tunnel and arrived in a secret chamber.

Then his appearance began to change. The handsome young man instantly transformed into a golden-haired young woman. She appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, with skin as fair as snow, a straight nose, slightly narrow phoenix eyes, and an incomparably beautiful face carrying a touch of proud aloofness. Upon closer inspection, she bore some resemblance to the current Pope, Bibi Dong. She was none other than Qian Renxue, who had disguised herself as the crown prince within the Heaven Dou Empire.

Looking at the breathtaking woman in the mirror, Qian Renxue could not help but smile as she stretched her body.

"Mmm, it really is more comfortable to look like myself."

After arriving in the secret chamber, Qian Renxue relaxed slightly. Pretending to be someone else every day while scheming against others was truly exhausting.

Living in a foreign land, constantly playing another person, unable to reveal her identity, and having to be cautious every day—the bitterness of it all was known only to her. Yet she still had to prove herself to that woman.

She opened the letter and took out the one personally written by Qian Daoliu.

The letter was full of words of concern, and Qian Renxue's heart warmed. After her father's death and Bibi Dong's rejection, Qian Daoliu was the only family member who still cared about her.

As she read the letter, the weariness in her heart seemed to ease slightly.

But then the letter changed direction, introducing an unfamiliar name. It repeatedly praised this person's potential and appearance, as well as Qian Daoliu's appreciation for him.

At the end, he even added that he wished to see Xue'er married within his lifetime. Between the lines, Qian Daoliu's intention to bring her together with this person was plain to see.

Qian Renxue's face darkened as she read it.

"That old pervert of a Grandfather!"

"Shang An... Bibi Dong's disciple, is he?"

"I'd like to see what makes him worthy of her regard."

She did not react much to Qian Daoliu's blatant attempt at matchmaking. But any man who wanted her had to possess strength worthy of her recognition.

As the Martial Soul Hall Saintess, she knew that she often had no choice in such matters. If Shang An truly proved worthy of her, then what would be wrong with marrying him?

After carefully reading the letter once more, she put it away in a box within the secret chamber. She took another glance at the picturesque beauty in the mirror.

When she left the secret chamber, Qian Renxue had become the refined and gentle Crown Prince once more. She continued handling government affairs as though nothing had happened.

Yet her somewhat unfocused gaze showed that her heart was still unsettled.

On a pitch-black night,

Within Bibi Dong's bedchamber,

Shang An was carrying out his daily Psychic Power guidance when he suddenly sensed something unusual.

Why does her mind feel even more extreme?

Recently, with his help, Bibi Dong had improved considerably. Moreover, she had not yet reached the extreme state she would be in six years later. With his help, he should have been able to pull Bibi Dong back.

Shang An looked at Bibi Dong, her beautiful brows tightly furrowed as though she were having a nightmare.

He moved slightly closer and gently stroked her head with his small hand. As Psychic Power circulated, Bibi Dong's expression slowly calmed.

Shang An began probing more deeply.

His Psychic Power was like a giant hand, brushing over every inch of Bibi Dong's mind.

"This is..."