Gu Qing Dates Qian Renxue, Battle!!

Before long, a cocktail radiating a mesmerizing blue-purple halo was pushed to the edge of the bar.

Almost at the same time, the wooden wind chime on the tavern door gave a light jingle.

A girl with a slightly petite figure, dressed in ordinary cloth clothes, walked in.

The girl had a few freckles on her cheeks, a slightly sallow complexion, and unremarkable features—the type that would be impossible to find again once tossed into a crowd.

No one would ever connect this plain girl before them to the high and mighty Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe.

This was none other than Qian Renxue in disguise.

To keep this appointment, she had put quite a lot of effort into her camouflage.

Qian Renxue walked up to the bar, pulled out a high stool, and sat down.

Looking at the brilliantly colored drink in front of her, a flash of surprise crossed her eyes.

"You can mix drinks too?"

Qian Renxue reached out, picked up the glass, and brought it to her nose to sniff gently.

A faint fruity aroma mixed with the mellow scent of alcohol rushed toward her.

Without further hesitation, she tilted her head back and downed the liquid in one gulp.

The icy liquor slid down her throat; at first, it carried a hint of bitterness, but it immediately exploded into a rich sweetness on the tip of her tongue.

This layered, uniquely textured brew was even better than the aged tribute wines stored in the imperial palace.

Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes slightly, savoring the lingering fragrance in her mouth.

Although she didn't say anything, the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her current mood.

The man before her always seemed able to produce something unexpected.

This added a few more layers to the curiosity she felt toward Gu Qing.

Setting down the empty glass, Qian Renxue looked up at the man standing behind the bar.

"Where are we going next?"

Her tone carried a hint of imperceptible anticipation.

Gu Qing walked out from behind the bar and straightened his sleeves.

"The Great Soul Arena."

The four short, powerful words were exceptionally clear in the quiet tavern.

In the central area of Heaven Dou City, a magnificent, massive oval building stood beneath the night sky.

Even though it was late at night, the place remained brightly lit and bustling with noise.

Deafening cheers could be heard faintly from within the towering walls.

Gu Qing brought Qian Renxue to a stop outside the main entrance of the Great Soul Arena.

Looking at the giant sign flashing with dazzling light above the gate, Qian Renxue halted her steps.

"Why did you bring me here?"

She furrowed her brows slightly, her eyes filled with confusion.

Given her current cultivation and her status as the young mistress of Martial Soul Hall, this kind of gladiatorial venue for public amusement was beneath her.

Moreover, if she were to reveal her true strength here, it would likely attract the attention of the Heaven Dou imperial family and various other factions.

Gu Qing turned around, his gaze calmly fixed on the bewildered Qian Renxue.

"Actual combat is always the best teacher for improving one's strength."

"Although your Six-Winged Angel martial soul is powerful, you have lived in luxury and lack true life-and-death battles."

Gu Qing hit the nail on the head, pointing out the crux of the issue.

"A martial soul that hasn't been polished by blood and real combat is, in the end, just a flashy ornament."

Hearing this assessment, Qian Renxue instinctively wanted to retort.

But recalling the terrifying methods Gu Qing had displayed earlier at the Crown Prince Mansion, she swallowed the words that had reached her lips.

She could only reluctantly suppress the misgivings in her heart.

"Since you say so, I'll trust you this once."

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, preparing to turn and leave to make some preparations.

Just as she took half a step, a strong hand grabbed her wrist.

With a slight tug, he pulled her directly back.

"You're going just like that?"

Gu Qing raised an eyebrow, looking up and down at Qian Renxue's current attire.

"It's true that you've put on makeup, but this arena is a mixed bag with eyes and ears from all sides."

"Once you start fighting, the characteristics of your soul power fluctuations will be easily detected by those keen-sensed experts."

Qian Renxue lifted her chin, brimming with confidence in her disguise techniques.

"This is a method I meticulously researched; even the Soul Douluos in the imperial palace couldn't see through it."

"As long as I carefully control my soul power, absolutely no one will be able to recognize me."

Gu Qing ignored her pride, flipping his hand to retrieve an item from the Sign-in System's storage space.

It was a piece of tree bark with a rough surface and a dull, dark color.

It looked exactly like something peeled off any random old tree by the side of the road.

"Take it."

Gu Qing handed the Millennium Banyan Bark to Qian Renxue.

"Stick it on your body."

Qian Renxue looked at the unremarkable piece of bark, her face full of disdain.

"What on earth is this thing?"

Gu Qing didn't offer much explanation, simply shoving the bark into her hand.

"This item can not only completely suppress your cultivation to around level thirty."

"More importantly, it can perfectly distort the energy fluctuations you release when manifesting your martial soul."

"As long as you wear it, even if a Titled Douluo stands right in front of you, they will never recognize your Six-Winged Angel martial soul."

Qian Renxue's eyes widened abruptly upon hearing this.

Holding the seemingly ordinary bark, she could faintly sense an extremely strange and ancient energy contained within it.

A treasure capable of deceiving the heavens like this was something she had never even seen in the treasury of the Martial Soul Hall.

Just how many secrets are you hiding?

Qian Renxue couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

Following Gu Qing's instructions, she tucked the Millennium Banyan Bark into the lining of her inner garment.

The moment it touched her skin, a strange chill rapidly flowed through her entire body.

Qian Renxue clearly felt the divine and vast angelic soul power within her being wrapped in an invisible force.

The aura she projected to the outside world instantly plummeted from unfathomable to the level of an ordinary Soul Elder.

Even the attribute fluctuations of her martial soul became blurred and indistinct.

"This is truly miraculous."

Qian Renxue flexed her wrists, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

With this disguise, she could finally let loose and fight without any reservations in this Soul Fighting Arena.

Gu Qing looked at Qian Renxue, whose aura had completely changed, and turned to walk toward the registration desk.

The registration hall of the Soul Fighting Arena was packed with people, a cacophony of noise weaving through the air.

Gu Qing walked up to the counter and tapped on the tabletop.

The staff member looked up and handed over a registration form.

Gu Qing took the pen and quickly filled in the information.

Qian Renxue leaned in, wanting to see what level of opponent he had signed her up for.

When her gaze fell upon the paper, she froze completely.

"You're insane!"

Qian Renxue lowered her voice, grabbing Gu Qing by the arm.

The registration form clearly stated that the contestant's cultivation was level thirty, while the target for the challenge was a level forty Soul Ancestor.

Gu Qing set down the pen and pushed the registration form back to the staff member.

"Only a real battle across ten levels can force out your true potential."