Qian Renxue's Invitation

Xiao Yu looked at the man before him in disbelief.

Could this person actually be Xue Qinghe? The fake crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, the granddaughter of the Martial Soul Hall Grand Elder Qian Daoliu, and the future Angel God—Qian Renxue?!

"This, this can't be right." Xiao Yu was stunned. How could this person be Qian Renxue?

Logically speaking, shouldn't Qian Renxue be inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace managing state affairs at this time? She should be busy poisoning Xue Ye, striving to complete her mission early to seize the Heaven Dou Empire without shedding a drop of blood.

How could she appear here? My goodness, this is just too surreal.

Xiao Yu let out a long breath. His gaze shifted from initial shock to complexity, then finally to calm. This made Xue Qinghe—no, Qian Renxue—somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected a soul beast to possess such a range of emotions.

If it's Qian Renxue, then so be it, Xiao Yu thought to himself. Although the fact that she was Qian Renxue exceeded his expectations, it didn't seem like a major issue.

What did it matter if she was Qian Renxue or not? In the end, it wouldn't affect him. On the contrary, her appearance allowed him to determine exactly where the current plot stood.

No longer dwelling on it, Xiao Yu gave a soft call: "Ao~"

He immediately spread the brilliant wings on his back and extended them toward Qian Renxue.

"Are you trying to tell me your name?" Qian Renxue asked, watching this scene.

Xiao Yu nodded, which made Qian Renxue click her tongue in wonder, and then she fixed her gaze on the wings before her.

"Wings? Flight? Feathers?"

Qian Renxue tentatively spoke a few words. When she said "Yu Yi" (feathers/wings), Xiao Yu finally reacted.

"Yu Yi? Then from now on, I will call you Yu." Qian Renxue chose one character to represent Xiao Yu; after all, "Yu Yi" was a compound word, and saying it out loud might lead to misunderstandings.

Since "Yu" happened to be part of Xiao Yu's name, he didn't feel any resistance and nodded.

"Ao~"

Xiao Yu retracted his wings and watched Qian Renxue calmly.

Knowing the other party's true identity, a sense of amusement rose in his heart.

The young master of Martial Soul Hall, the future Angel God, was currently carefully "appeasing" a soul beast with fruit, attempting to mend their relationship. This scene was truly dramatic.

"Yu..." Qian Renxue's voice carried a hint of imperceptible probing and anticipation. "You... seem to have become stronger. Are the soul beasts in this forest all willing to follow you?"

"Ao~ (I suppose so.)" Xiao Yu nodded casually, his gaze sweeping over Yu Yi.

The latter immediately let out a short cry, lowered its head slightly, and adopted an even more submissive posture.

"Yu," she said, weighing her words, her tone carrying a sincere invitation. "Have you... ever thought about leaving this forest to see the outside world? Heaven Dou City, the world of humans—perhaps... there are sights worth seeing there too?"

She threw out this invitation both to test Yu's attitude toward humans and to lay the groundwork for potential future "invitations."

If she could lead him out of the forest, it would be much more convenient to either protect him or establish closer ties.

Upon hearing this, a strange look flashed in Xiao Yu's eyes.

Leave the forest? Go see the human world? And be invited by Qian Renxue herself?

He certainly knew what the outside world was like, and he knew even better what Heaven Dou City signified.

With his current strength, combined with Yu Yi and the others, he was capable of protecting himself in the forest, perhaps even reigning supreme.

But entering the human world, especially Heaven Dou City, and facing existences at the level of a Title Douluo, the risk factor would skyrocket.

Although he was confident in his evolution speed and his system, rashly entering human society right now was by no means a wise move.

What's more... he glanced at the two guards behind Qian Renxue who remained vigilant.

Until Qian Renxue had complete control of the situation, or he possessed enough power to deter others, exposing himself to too many human eyes—especially those of Martial Soul Hall or other factions within the Heaven Dou Imperial family—would only bring unnecessary trouble.

"Ao~ (No need.)" Xiao Yu shook his head decisively, his wings flapping gently to stir up a breeze, his posture clearly expressing his refusal.

A trace of imperceptible disappointment flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by understanding.

She understood that for a powerful soul beast like Yu, who had just established his territory and was leading his kin, leaving a familiar environment indeed required great courage and reason.

She had been too hasty.

However, the fact that Yu did not show hatred or fear toward the human world, but simply chose the safer status quo, was in itself a positive signal.

"It was my intrusion." Qian Renxue smiled apologetically, regaining the composure of a crown prince. "This forest is blessed by nature; it is indeed a good place."

"Yu, you can rest easy here. No one will come to disturb you again. Xue Beng has been grounded by my father, and those two guards from yesterday..." She paused, her tone turning cold, "...have also been dealt with. No more rumors will spread."

She was giving Yu a guarantee, as well as demonstrating her own capability and sincerity—she could clear away his troubles and provide shelter.

Xiao Yu understood; he was well aware of Qian Renxue's methods.

Xue Beng being grounded and the informed guards being dealt with fit her style perfectly.

He had no objections to this; in fact, he was happy to see it happen.

After all, fewer troubles were always better.

"Ao~ (Understood.)" Xiao Yu nodded again.

The sun set in the west.

Xiao Yu waved a claw at Qian Renxue and let out a low cry toward Yu Yi.

Then, with a fierce flap of his wings, he stirred up a powerful gust of wind, his figure transforming into a streak of cyan and white light that shot straight toward Giant Tree Peak, vanishing instantly into the dense canopy.

After bidding farewell to Xiao Yu, Qian Renxue was in high spirits, her footsteps becoming noticeably lighter as she walked.

Only the two guards remained, their voices tinged with lingering fear and awe, "That soul beast... it's too terrifying. Is it really just a soul beast?"

"I don't know." Qian Renxue shook her head indifferently, "Regardless of what it is, at least it seems to be on our side for now, and that is enough."

"An existence capable of commanding so many soul beasts—if it were an enemy, it would naturally have to be eradicated, but if it is a friend, then it is no small boon for the empire."

Pausing for a moment, Qian Renxue looked at the two guards sternly, "You must not speak a word of today's events to anyone. I will report this matter to my father the Emperor myself; you understand your place."

"Yes!" The two guards replied hurriedly. Even if Qian Renxue hadn't said anything, they wouldn't have dared to leak this information; a soul beast with such human-like intelligence was enough to attract the attention of countless people.

If they were to expose this matter and it led to any trouble, ten thousand deaths would not be enough to atone for their crimes.

Qian Renxue nodded, "As long as you understand. Let's pick up the pace and return to the palace."