Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's Invitation? Sorry, I'm Allergic to the Taste of "Angels."

The morning sunlight stubbornly squeezed through the gaps in the curtains, drilling into the boys' dormitory.

On the narrow single bed, a scene unfolded that would make any man's blood boil.

Yu Tianyu lay in the middle in a sprawl, his eyes bleary with sleep. To his left, Dugu Yan was coiled around his arm and waist like a beautiful snake, her long, slender legs pressing against his lower abdomen without a care, fast asleep. To his right, Ye Lingling, though slightly more reserved in her sleeping posture, had her head pillowed on his shoulder, one hand clutching his shirt tightly as if it were her only source of security in her dreams.

The air was filled with the faint scent of begonia flowers and a unique, lingering fragrance, blending into an intoxicating aroma.

"Hiss... my arm is numb."

Yu Tianyu tried to pull his arm back, but accidentally startled the beauty in his embrace.

Dugu Yan opened her eyes groggily. The moment her still-hazy snake-like pupils caught sight of Yu Tianyu, she instinctively rubbed against his chest, her voice soft and raspy: "What time is it... let me sleep a little longer..."

"If you sleep any longer, we'll be late." Yu Tianyu pinched her nose with a mischievous smirk. "Who was it that said last night they wanted to wake up early to cultivate and were determined to surpass me?"

"Mm... that was me last night, what does that have to do with the me right now?" Dugu Yan rolled over, acting shamelessly, that breathtaking glimpse of her snow-white collarbone appearing and disappearing in the morning light.

Ye Lingling on the other side was also woken up by the noise. She didn't speak, but simply sat up in silence. Upon discovering that her clothes were somewhat disheveled, her cold, pretty face flushed to the tips of her ears, and she quickly turned away to tidy herself.

Just as this warm and ambiguous moment unfolded.

"Knock, knock, knock!!"

A series of urgent and crude knocks instantly shattered the pink bubbles in the room.

"Brother Yu! Brother Yu, are you awake! Something big has happened! Open the door quickly!"

Pang Hu's pig-like wailing came from outside the door.

Dugu Yan's hair stood on end instantly; the sleepiness in her eyes vanished, replaced by the murderous intent of someone whose good time had been interrupted: "That damn fatty! If it isn't something as big as the sky falling, I'm going to poison him mute today!"

Yu Tianyu sighed helplessly, patting the backs of the two girls to soothe them: "Alright, put your clothes on first. That fatty is stupid, but he wouldn't be so lacking in judgment as to come here and cause trouble at a time like this."

A few minutes later.

The door opened.

Pang Hu stood at the entrance, drenched in sweat, holding a gold-stamped invitation, his hands trembling.

"Brother... Brother Yu! Look at this!"

"What is it? A debt collector?" Yu Tianyu took the invitation.

The material of the invitation was of top-tier quality, woven from fine Snow Silkworm Silk, emitting a faint scent of ink. On the cover was printed a Swan Emblem with wings spread, ready to take flight—the symbol of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

Opening the invitation, a line of elegant and scholarly handwriting came into view:

"Having heard of your heroic posture at the Great Soul Arena yesterday, my heart yearns to meet you. If you are willing, please come to the Heaven Dou Royal Tea House at noon today for a chat. —Xue Qinghe."

"Xue Qinghe?"

Dugu Yan leaned over from behind, and her expression changed drastically upon seeing the signature. "His Highness the Crown Prince?! Why would he send you an invitation?"

Ye Lingling also walked over, her brows slightly furrowed: "The Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, is known for his virtue and for being humble to the talented. But he rarely takes the initiative to invite students still in a Junior Academy. Tianyu, this is likely..."

"Likely a trap, or a recruitment attempt."

Yu Tianyu closed the invitation, a playful smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

Xue Qinghe.

Or rather, the young master of Martial Soul Hall lurking in the Heaven Dou Empire, the Six-Winged Angel Qian Renxue.

The commotion he caused at the Great Soul Arena yesterday, especially that move, the Roar of the Poison Flame Dragon, must have caught the attention of those with ulterior motives. He just hadn't expected the Crown Prince to act so quickly.

"Brother Yu, are you going?" Pang Hu asked nervously. "That's the Crown Prince! The future emperor! If we latch onto this big shot, wouldn't we be able to walk sideways in Heaven Dou City in the future?"

"Go, why wouldn't I go?"

Yu Tianyu spun the invitation on his fingertip. "A dignified Crown Prince has personally invited me; if I don't go, wouldn't it make me look like I have no face? Besides..."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He was also very curious about what this legendary Qian Renxue, who was disguised so flawlessly, actually smelled like.

Was it the musk of a swan? Or the sanctity of an angel?

"I'm going with you," Dugu Yan said immediately, her eyes full of vigilance. "People in the royal family have too many schemes; I don't trust you going alone."

"I'll go too." Ye Lingling stepped forward; although she didn't say much, her attitude was firm.

Yu Tianyu looked at the two girls who were acting like protective mothers and felt a warmth in his heart, but he still shook his head.

"No need. This time he only invited me. Bringing family along would make me look like I lack confidence."

He reached out and ruffled their hair. "Don't worry, I'm going to drink tea, not to fight. Besides, even if it is the Crown Prince, if he wants to move against me, he'll have to see if his teeth are sharp enough."

"But..."

"Listen to me." Yu Tianyu's voice was beyond questioning. "You two stay at the academy and help Pang Hu with some special training. This fatty is too weak; it'll be easy for him to lose face for me in the future."

Pang Hu: "???"

The Heaven Dou Royal Tea House, located in the most prosperous central area of Heaven Dou City, was private property of the royal family and usually only hosted high-ranking officials and nobles.

Today, however, the top floor of the tea house had been cleared out, just to host a single guest.

Guided by an attendant, Yu Tianyu stepped onto the top floor.

The decor here was not luxurious; instead, it exuded an elegant and antique charm. Sitting by the window was a young man dressed in casual attire.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with a face as handsome as polished jade and a scholarly, easygoing temperament that made one feel as if they were bathed in a gentle spring breeze. He held a book in his hands, reading quietly by the light streaming in from the window.

Even without any fluctuations of spirit power, his mere presence made him the natural center of the world.

If it weren't mentioned, who could have guessed that beneath this skin lay a stunningly beautiful woman and a conspiracy to overthrow an empire?

"Your Highness, Young Master Yu has arrived," the attendant reported respectfully.

The young man put down his book and looked up. Those warm, gentle eyes turned toward Yu Tianyu, and a flawless smile appeared on his face.

"Junior Brother Yu, I have long admired your name."

Xue Qinghe stood up, showing no airs of a crown prince, but instead extended a hand as if welcoming an old friend. "Your battle at the Great Soul Arena yesterday was truly brilliant. Please forgive my presumptuous invitation today."

Yu Tianyu looked at the hand extended toward him.

It was fair, slender, and well-defined, yet it did not lack a sense of strength.

He did not stand on ceremony and shook it directly.

"You are too kind, Your Highness. If someone offers me tea and saves me the cost of lunch, I'm more than happy to come."

Their hands met.

They parted at a single touch.

But in that instant, the Dragon Slayer Magic Power within Yu Tianyu pulsed slightly.

It wasn't because of the other's spirit power, but because of—the scent.

"So fragrant."

Yu Tianyu suddenly blurted out those words, seemingly out of nowhere.

The smile on Xue Qinghe's face stiffened slightly, but she instantly returned to her natural state. "Oh? Is Junior Brother Yu referring to the tea? This is 'Snow Peak Emerald' bestowed by the Emperor; it is indeed quite aromatic."

"No."

Yu Tianyu sat down on his own, unceremoniously grabbed a pastry from the table, and took a bite, his heterochromatic pupils staring straight at Xue Qinghe.

"I'm talking about the scent on your body."

"It's not that tacky incense, nor is it the smell of a man's sweat. It's a kind of... how should I put it?"

Yu Tianyu leaned in a little closer, his nostrils flaring slightly as if he were a young dragon sniffing out its prey. "A scent that is very clean, very holy, yet carries a hint of danger. It's like... a blade under the sunlight."

Xue Qinghe's heart skipped a beat.

As an infiltrator, her greatest fear was being seen through. Although she possessed the disguise ability of the Angel Spirit Bone, which even a Title Douluo could not detect, the naked gaze of the youth before her and his evaluation of her "scent" gave her the illusion of being stripped bare and scrutinized.

Holy? Dangerous?

These were the exact characteristics of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul!

"Junior Brother Yu really knows how to joke."

Xue Qinghe moved back slightly without a trace and personally poured a cup of tea for Yu Tianyu. "Perhaps it's because I enjoy reading in the sun, so I've picked up some of the scent of the sunlight."

"Perhaps."

Yu Tianyu shrugged, not continuing the topic, and instead took the tea and downed it in one gulp. "The tea is good. You didn't invite me here just to discuss perfume, did you, Your Highness? Speak plainly; I'm a blunt man and don't understand those convoluted roundabout ways."

Since the other party wanted to play the virtuous crown prince, he would play the arrogant genius.

Xue Qinghe set down the teapot, the smile in her eyes fading slightly, replaced by a touch of solemnity.

"In that case, I will speak plainly."

"Junior Brother Yu, although you come from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, as far as I know, your situation in the clan is not good. The title of 'Abandoned Disciple' must have caused you a great deal of grievance."

"I would like to invite you to join the Heaven Dou Royal Imperial Guard, or become my personal retainer."

Xue Qinghe cast her olive branch. "I can provide you with the best cultivation resources, and I can even help you find a way to resolve the backlash of your Twin Martial Souls (she was testing him). Once you grow, I will grant you the title of Duke. All you need to do is stand on my side."

It had to be said that this offer was extremely tempting. For an ordinary "Abandoned Disciple," this was a chance to reach the heavens in a single bound.

But Yu Tianyu laughed.

"Your Highness, you've certainly done your research."

He toyed with the teacup in his hand. "However, you're wrong about one thing. I am not an 'Abandoned Disciple'; I am a 'Rebellious Disciple'. I left the clan not because I was driven out, but because the pond there was too small to hold a dragon like me."

"As for your recruitment..."

Yu Tianyu leaned forward, his gaze turning sharp. "I have a very large appetite. A Duke? Resources? I can get these things myself. Why would I want to be your dog?"

Xue Qinghe was not angry; instead, her eyes showed even more appreciation. "Ambition is a good thing. But in this world, geniuses without a background often die young. Martial Soul Hall, the Star Luo Empire, or even your original clan—none of them will allow an uncontrollable variable to grow."

"I can be your shield."

"A shield?" Yu Tianyu sneered. "Your Highness, forgive my bluntness. This shield of yours might not be as hard as my own scales."

"And besides..."

Yu Tianyu suddenly stood up and walked over to Xue Qinghe.

The distance between the two was extremely close, their breathing audible to one another.

"I don't like being someone else's subordinate. However, if it's as a 'partner', or... 'friend', I might consider it."

"Friend?" Xue Qinghe was slightly stunned.

As the crown prince, as the young master of the Martial Soul Hall, she only had subordinates, pawns, and enemies around her; she had never had a true friend.

"That's right, friend."

Yu Tianyu reached out and gently patted Xue Qinghe on the shoulder (an action that was extremely offensive to a crown prince).

"Your Highness, you live too exhaustively. Wearing a mask all day, don't you find it stifling?"

"Sometimes, even an Angel needs to descend to the mortal realm to catch a breath."

BOOM!

This sentence was like a thunderbolt, exploding in the depths of Xue Qinghe's mind.

Angel!

He had mentioned the Angel again!

A flash of icy killing intent instantly crossed the depths of Xue Qinghe's eyes, but seeing Yu Tianyu's devil-may-care expression, as if he had just said it casually, she forcibly suppressed it.

Coincidence? Or a probe?

If it were a coincidence, this kid's intuition was terrifying.

If it were a probe... then just how much did he know?

"Yu's words are truly profound." Xue Qinghe took a deep breath and regained her composure. "However, I quite like the proposal of being 'friends'. Since we are friends, if you have any trouble in the future, feel free to come to me."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Yu Tianyu turned and walked toward the exit, waving his hand with his back to Xue Qinghe. "The tea was good, and the snacks were good too. Next time we meet, I hope to see a more authentic version of Your Highness."

"Oh, right."

When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back with a smile:

"Your Highness, next time, don't look at me with that gaze that tries to see right through a person. I might mistake it for you being interested in me."

After saying this, he laughed heartily and left the teahouse.

Only Xue Qinghe was left standing in place, looking at the empty doorway, her expression shifting between light and shadow.

A long while passed.

She suddenly lowered her head and sniffed her own clothes.

"Is the scent... really that obvious?"

Following that, the corners of her mouth curled into a genuine smile, one that had never appeared before. It wasn't just a cold sneer, but an excitement akin to meeting one's own kind.

"Yu Tianyu... friends, is it?"

"Very well. This game of chess is becoming more and more interesting."

It was already afternoon when he returned to the academy.

As soon as Yu Tianyu walked into the dormitory area, he felt that the atmosphere was off.

Pang Hu was squatting at the door, shivering. Seeing Yu Tianyu return, he looked as if he had seen a savior: "Brother Yu! You're finally back! The sisters-in-law... oh no, Sister Dugu and Sister Ye have been waiting for you inside for a long time!"

Yu Tianyu pushed the door open.

He saw Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling sitting on his bed. Neither of them was cultivating; instead, they were staring at the door with grave expressions.

This posture looked a bit like they were interrogating a cheating husband.

"Back?" Dugu Yan spoke first, her tone sour. "Was the Crown Prince's tea delicious? Did he introduce you to any royal princesses or noblewomen?"

Although Ye Lingling didn't speak, those cold, clear eyes were also filled with "confession brings leniency, resistance brings severity."

They knew very well that although the Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was a man (as far as they knew), he represented power and temptation. Once Yu Tianyu truly defected to the royal family, there would definitely be no shortage of beauties around him in the future.

Yu Tianyu closed the door and locked it behind him.

Then, he did something that neither of them expected.

He walked straight over, opened his arms, pulled both girls sitting on the edge of the bed into his embrace, and then fell back onto the bed with them.

"Ah! What are you doing!" "You smell like wine... no, tea! Get off!"

Although the two women resisted with their words, their bodies softened quite honestly.

"Don't move, let me hold you for a while."

Yu Tianyu buried his head in the crook of Dugu Yan's neck, his voice sounding somewhat weary. "Talking to those people who play mind games is more exhausting than a soul battle. It's more comfortable being with you two."

Hearing this, the jealousy in the two women's hearts dissipated by more than half, replaced by a trace of heartache.

Dugu Yan reached out and stroked his hair, her tone softening. "That Crown Prince... is he very difficult to deal with?"

"Mm, he's an old fox. And a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Yu Tianyu said with his eyes closed, "But don't worry, I didn't agree to be his dog. I am the man who is going to become the Dragon God; how could I ever bow down to someone else?"

"That's good," Ye Lingling said softly. "We don't want you getting dragged into the royal power struggles either. It's too filthy there."

"Rest assured, I know my limits."

Yu Tianyu looked up, gazing at the two beautiful faces so close to his own.

On his left was the bewitchingly hot beauty snake, and on his right was the cool and ethereal begonia flower.

With a life like this, what more could a man ask for?

"To reward you both for caring about me so much, I've decided to give you some special training tonight."

"Special training?" Dugu Yan looked at him warily. "What are you up to now? It's not time for the poison absorption yet."

"It's not about the poison."

Yu Tianyu sat up, his expression turning slightly more serious. "Meeting Xue Qinghe today made me realize something. Even though our strength is decent among our peers, we are still far too weak when facing true behemoths."

"Yan-yan, your poison is powerful, but it lacks explosive force. Once you encounter an opponent with wind or fire attributes that counter you, you'll be in a very difficult spot."

"Lingling, while your healing is invincible, your self-preservation is too poor. If I and Yan-yan are held back, you become a lamb waiting for the slaughter."

The two women fell silent.

Yu Tianyu's words hit the nail on the head. Although they won the spirit fight yesterday, if the opponent had focused fire on Ye Lingling from the start, or if there had been a powerful long-range wind-type Spirit Master to blow away Dugu Yan's poison, the situation would have been dire.

"Then what should we do?" Dugu Yan asked.

"Special training."

A sharp glint flashed in Yu Tianyu's eyes. "I will teach you some techniques for utilizing Dragon Slayer Magic."

"Yan-yan, I will teach you how to compress your toxins to form a 'Poison Dragon' style explosive attack, rather than just relying on mist erosion."

"As for Lingling..."

Yu Tianyu looked at Ye Lingling. "Who says a Support Spirit Master can only hide in the back? I'm going to teach you a set of movement techniques, and... how to kill with your begonia petals."

"Kill?" Ye Lingling was stunned.

"Exactly."

Yu Tianyu casually plucked a petal from the windowsill and channeled his spirit power through his fingertips.

"Whoosh!"

The soft, delicate petal instantly became as sharp as a blade, slicing directly into the hard wooden table, embedding itself deep within!

"When the light of healing is condensed to its limit, it becomes the sharpest blade."

"This is what I call—the Self-Cultivation of a Healer."

That night, at the academy's Mimicry Training Ground.

This was a place that simulated various environments for Spirit Masters to cultivate. Yu Tianyu had spent a large sum of money (actually, money won by Pang Hu) to rent out a private valley mimicry zone that featured a hot spring.

"Why did we have to come here?" Dugu Yan looked at the steaming hot spring, her face flushing slightly. "Does special training require taking off our clothes?"

"Of course."

Yu Tianyu nodded with a straight face. "I need to use my spirit power to guide the energy flow within your Dantian and meridians. How can I sense your acupuncture points through clothes?"

"Pervert!"

Although the two women cursed, they still blushed and changed into lighter, more suitable training gear.

Under the moonlight, by the hot spring.

The two beauties looked like lotuses emerging from the water; the sight was enough to make any man's nose bleed uncontrollably.

But Yu Tianyu appeared exceptionally "upright" at this moment.

He first walked behind Dugu Yan and pressed his palms against her back.

"Settle your breath into your Dantian. Imagine the poison inside you isn't a mist, but flowing magma."

"Compress! Compress it further!"

Following Yu Tianyu's guidance, the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison within Dugu Yan began to undergo a qualitative change. The originally loose toxic mist began to condense within her meridians, eventually gathering in her palms to form a small, deep purple orb.

"Go!"

Dugu Yan struck out with her palm.

"Boom!"

The unassuming poison orb hit a rock in the distance and instantly detonated. Not only was the rock shattered into pieces, but even more terrifyingly, the debris was instantly corroded, emitting a layer of black smoke.

"This is... explosive poison?" Dugu Yan looked at her hands in pleasant surprise.

"Correct. This is the prototype of the Poison Dragon's Crushing Fist." Yu Tianyu nodded with satisfaction.

Next, he turned to Ye Lingling.

"It's your turn, Lingling."

Compared to Dugu Yan's wildness, teaching Ye Lingling required much more delicacy.

Yu Tianyu took her hands, guiding the flow of her Nine Heart Begonia spirit power.

"Put away your gentleness. Imagine these petals are your thorns."

"Yes, just like that. Infuse your soul power, harden them, rotate..."

Under the hands-on guidance of Yu Tianyu (with inevitable physical contact), Ye Lingling finally controlled a single petal and successfully sliced through a falling leaf.

Although the power was still minimal, for someone who had never attacked before, this was a qualitative leap.

"I did it..." A glimmer of excitement sparkled in the eyes of Ye Lingling.

"Well done."

Yu Tianyu looked at the two women, drenched in fragrant sweat, and his heart stirred.

"Since the special training is over, shouldn't we... relax a little?"

He pointed toward the hot spring nearby.

"Shall we soak together?"

The two women exchanged a glance, their faces blushing like apples.

"In your dreams!" Dugu Yan gave him a shove. "Turn around! You aren't allowed to peek!"

"Fine, fine, fine, I'm turning around."

Yu Tianyu turned his back, listening to the sound of water splashing and the giggles of the two women behind him, the smile at the corners of his mouth impossible to suppress.

Although he couldn't do anything yet, this "mixed bathing" treatment was already a huge step forward.

Moreover...

He could feel that during the soul power guidance just now, the Dragon Slayer Factor within his body seemed to have absorbed a trace of their aura.

Poison and flowers.

Perhaps in the near future, he could truly develop his own Harem Fusion Technique.

The night was gentle.

At this moment, whether it was the conspiracies of the crown prince or the pressure from the sects, everything was shut out by this pool of spring scenery.

For Yu Tianyu.

Becoming stronger was for the sake of slaying dragons, and slaying dragons was for the sake of better protecting this pool of gentleness.