Qian Renxue's Shock!

Gu Qing's right leg shot out before she could react, his toe tapping lightly against the shin of Qian Renxue's lower leg.

This seemingly feather-light strike landed precisely on the weakest point of her muscle's leverage.

Qian Renxue's right leg went numb, and unable to maintain her balance, she tumbled heavily toward the ground.

In the split second before she could face-plant, Qian Renxue forcibly twisted her waist and abdomen, planting one hand on the ground to execute a backflip.

"Your speed is acceptable, but your stance is unstable, and you fail to retract your force when throwing a punch."

Gu Qing flicked the leaf in his hand away, his tone flat as he delivered his critique.

"Once your first strike misses, you have no time to organize a second effective defense."

Qian Renxue bit her lower lip, reaching up to wipe the sweat from her forehead, her eyes burning with an unyielding stubbornness.

"Again!"

Without a moment to catch her breath, Qian Renxue lunged forward once more, having changed her strategy.

Her long, powerful legs transformed into a series of black afterimages, sweeping toward Gu Qing's lower body from incredibly tricky angles.

Gu Qing finally stood up from the stone stool, one hand behind his back, using only his right hand to parry Qian Renxue's storm-like assault.

The courtyard echoed with the dull thuds of fists and feet colliding.

Every killing blow Qian Renxue believed to be certain would be effortlessly neutralized by Gu Qing at an impossible angle.

The continuous, high-intensity close-quarters combat was ruthlessly draining the limits of Qian Renxue's stamina.

In less than half an hour, Qian Renxue's movements slowed down significantly.

Her chest heaved violently, every breath sounding like a wheezing bellows, and she was drenched in sweat.

When Qian Renxue threw her final, limp palm-strike, her legs gave out completely, and she collapsed onto the cold bluestone floor.

She was so exhausted she didn't even have the strength to twitch a finger.

Gu Qing walked over to Qian Renxue, looking down at the disheveled yet bright-eyed young woman.

He turned his left palm upward, and a crystalline, brilliant emerald light bloomed in the night.

A strand of Life-Type Blue Silver Grass, radiating a rich aura of life, slowly extended and gently coiled around Qian Renxue's slender wrist.

Pure life energy surged into Qian Renxue's parched meridians like a warm spring.

The soreness and fatigue in her muscles faded visibly, and her stamina began to recover at an exaggerated speed.

Qian Renxue looked up at Gu Qing's focused profile, a strange ripple stirring in the depths of her heart.

Over these past few days, under Gu Qing's near-brutal guidance, her close-combat skills had seen a qualitative leap.

What Qian Renxue found even more incredible was that she had begun to grow accustomed to, and even look forward to, this painful special training.

In this Heaven Dou City palace filled with schemes, only in front of Gu Qing could she be her most authentic self.

"Your comprehension is good; you have already mastered seventy percent of the basic deflection techniques."

Gu Qing retracted the Life-Type Blue Silver Grass and turned to walk into the shadows of the house.

"Find a way to cancel tomorrow's morning court session; you're coming with me to the southern district of Heaven Dou City."

Hearing this, Qian Renxue's eyes brightened slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled upward involuntarily.

"Understood." Qian Renxue agreed crisply.

At noon the next day, the market in the southern district of Heaven Dou City was bustling with activity.

Because it was near the city gates and the headquarters of major merchant guilds, the streets were packed with all manner of soul masters and traders.

Qian Renxue did not use the exquisite human-skin mask of Xue Qinghe, but instead changed into a common grey-brown cloth dress.

She applied a special potion to her face, making her naturally fair skin appear dull and rough.

Her hair was simply coiled at the back of her head and secured with a wooden hairpin, giving her the complete appearance of a servant girl.

Gu Qing wore a finely crafted moon-white robe, strolling leisurely through the crowded streets.

The two walked side-by-side, their gazes sweeping over rows of stalls selling soul beast materials and rare metals.

"Although there are many blacksmith shops in the southern district, there are very few craftsmen capable of forging high-quality hidden weapon components."

Qian Renxue lowered her voice, briefing Gu Qing on the distribution of power in Heaven Dou City.

"Prince Xue Xing has recently recruited a group of blacksmiths; it seems they are secretly forging some kind of ordnance."

Gu Qing picked up a piece of dark iron ore from a stall to weigh it, then placed it back down.

"Prince Xue Xing dares to be so unscrupulous only because he relies on Dugu Bo to back him."

Gu Qing's gaze wandered through the crowd, searching for any potential clues.

Since leaving the Great Soul Arena, Gu Qing had been calculating his next move.

If he wanted to transform his strength in a short period, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was a treasure trove he absolutely could not miss.

Just as the two continued forward, a crisp, hurried sound of footsteps came from the corner ahead.

Accompanying them was a thick, somewhat pungent scent of a special spice.

"Gu Qing!"

A crisp, clear female voice filled with pleasant surprise suddenly rang out across the bustling street.

Surrounding pedestrians turned their heads instinctively, only to see a tall woman with an incredibly hot figure walking over quickly.

The woman wore her purple hair in a sharp, ear-length bob that shimmered with a dazzling luster under the sunlight.

A tight-fitting, emerald-green leather armor clung to her graceful frame, outlining the astonishing curves of her chest, waist, and hips to perfection.

The person who had arrived was none other than Dugu Yan, the vice-captain of the Imperial Fighting Team at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Ever since witnessing the shocking scene at the Great Soul Arena where Gu Qing killed Tang San and Xiao Wu in seconds, a deep impression had been left on Dugu Yan's heart.

That invincible posture of crushing geniuses of the same rank with a mere wave of his hand filled Dugu Yan, who was naturally drawn to strength, with intense admiration for Gu Qing.

Meeting him here by chance, Dugu Yan didn't care at all about the reserve expected of a young lady.

Dugu Yan trotted through the crowd, pushing aside the pedestrians blocking her path, and rushed directly in front of Gu Qing.

Her emerald-green eyes sparkled with undisguised fanaticism and joy.

"It really is you! I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me!"

Dugu Yan smiled brilliantly, her voice laced with unconcealed coquettishness.

Before Gu Qing could respond, Dugu Yan had already reached out and naturally hugged his left arm.

A rich, intoxicating fragrance instantly enveloped Gu Qing.

Dugu Yan even deliberately stood on her tiptoes, leaning the weight of her body against Gu Qing's shoulder.

This extremely intimate physical contact drew envious glares from many male soul masters passing by.

Gu Qing stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The soft sensation against his arm did not cause a single ripple in Gu Qing's heart.

"Is there something you need?" Gu Qing asked in a flat tone, not immediately shaking her off.

Dugu Yan didn't notice Gu Qing's coldness at all, continuing to shake his arm excitedly.

"You were the star of the show at the arena that day; the entire Heaven Dou City is talking about your name now."

"That Tang San usually acts so arrogant, relying on his hidden weapons and poisons, but you beat him so badly he couldn't even fight back."

"Would you like to come visit our Heaven Dou Royal Academy? I can take you around for a tour."

Standing only half a step away at Gu Qing's side, Qian Renxue saw everything clearly.

The moment she saw Dugu Yan pressing her body against Gu Qing's arm without a shred of restraint.

Qian Renxue felt a string in her brain called "reason" snap with a crisp sound.

Her previously calm expression turned as gloomy as water in an instant, and the temperature of the surrounding air seemed to drop by a dozen degrees.

Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes ignited with raging fury as she stared fixedly at Dugu Yan's hands wrapped around Gu Qing's arm.

Inside the sleeves of her wide, grayish-brown cloth dress, Qian Renxue's hands were clenched into tight fists.

Her long, rounded nails dug deep into the soft flesh of her palms; due to the excessive force, her knuckles had lost all color.

Where did this ignorant, brazen wild woman crawl out from?

In broad daylight, on the open street, clinging to a man like that—she had absolutely no sense of shame.

Qian Renxue's chest heaved violently, her breathing rhythm completely thrown into disarray.

What made Qian Renxue feel the most angry and aggrieved was that Gu Qing hadn't pushed this woman away at the first opportunity.

Back at Emperor Xue Ye's banquet, Gu Qing had insisted on refusing to break off the engagement, and even calmly walked away with a large sum of the dowry.

That so-called "fiancée" status was like a thorn stuck in Qian Renxue's heart.

And now, before the fiancée matter was even settled, another purple-haired woman had popped up on the street to throw herself at him.

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, trying to suppress the churning bitterness in her chest.

But no matter how hard she tried, the jealousy surging toward her head simply wouldn't subside.

Qian Renxue raised her foot and kicked a small pebble at her feet away with all her might.

"Already have a fiancée, yet still being so intimate with other women."

Qian Renxue finally couldn't hold it in anymore, and spat out a sarcastic remark through gritted teeth.

Every word sounded as if it had been chewed from shards of ice, dripping with resentment.

Although the volume of this sentence wasn't loud, it was enough for Gu Qing, who was standing right there, to hear it clearly.

The dignified Martial Soul Hall Young Master, the future arbiter of the world, looked exactly like a little girl fighting for favor on the street.

The jealousy was so thick it was almost tangible, and even Dugu Yan, standing opposite them, vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

Dugu Yan turned her head in confusion and glanced at Qian Renxue, who was dressed as a maid.

Because Qian Renxue's disguise was too perfect, Dugu Yan didn't recognize the Crown Prince.

She only felt that the little maid's gaze was frighteningly fierce.

Gu Qing heard the sour remark ringing in his ears and swept a glance at Qian Renxue from the corner of his eye.

Watching Qian Renxue's puffed-up expression, looking as if she were ready to explode at any moment, Gu Qing found it somewhat amusing.

However, Gu Qing did not speak up to explain the misunderstanding regarding the fiancée.

Gu Qing refocused his attention on the overly enthusiastic purple-haired woman before him.

The reason he had not pushed Dugu Yan away immediately was that, the moment they made contact, Gu Qing had sensed something unusual.

Gu Qing's eyes narrowed slightly, his deep gaze scanning Dugu Yan's face as precisely as a physician's probe.

With the distance closed to such an extreme, the details usually masked by makeup and spirit power had nowhere to hide from Gu Qing's eyes.

Deep within Dugu Yan's seemingly bright, emerald-green eyes, there were actually tiny, dark purple bloodshot veins.

Not only that, but when Dugu Yan spoke, her exhaled breath carried a faint, barely perceptible scent of cloying sweetness.

On the side of Dugu Yan's fair, slender neck, if one looked closely, several grayish-blue veins could be seen pulsing at an abnormal frequency.

Gu Qing was all too familiar with these symptoms.

These were the fatal signs that the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison had accumulated in her body for too long and was beginning to spread toward her heart and brain.

If this situation were allowed to continue, Dugu Yan would certainly not live past the age of thirty.

Having confirmed his suspicions, Gu Qing's right arm suddenly exerted a gentle yet overbearing force of repulsion.

Without any superfluous movements, Gu Qing forcibly pulled his arm out from between Dugu Yan's arms.

This force was applied with extreme precision, neither harming Dugu Yan nor allowing her to get even a fraction closer.

Dugu Yan felt her hands go empty, and her body involuntarily took half a step back.

The smile on her face froze instantly; Dugu Yan looked at Gu Qing in utter bewilderment, feeling somewhat at a loss.

"Gu Qing, what's wrong? Did I do something to upset you?"

Dugu Yan's voice carried a hint of grievance and panic, like a child who had done something wrong.

Seeing that Gu Qing had finally pulled his hand away, Qian Renxue quietly unclenched her tightly balled fists.

The stifling, heavy feeling in her chest dissipated significantly, and even her gaze toward Gu Qing softened slightly.

Gu Qing raised his right hand and casually brushed off the sleeve that had just been touched.

"There is a major problem with the circulation path of your spirit power."

Gu Qing looked directly into Dugu Yan's eyes, his tone as calm as if he were stating an insignificant fact.

"Every time your spirit power flows through the Dantian and Qihai acupoints, there is a brief sensation of stagnation."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan's expression changed drastically.

That stinging pain, like needle pricks during cultivation, was her greatest secret, one she had never spoken of to anyone.

"The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison in your body has seeped into your bone marrow and is nearly impossible to suppress."

Gu Qing laid out the truth directly, leaving Dugu Yan no room for rebuttal.

Dugu Yan stood completely frozen in place, the adoration in her eyes instantly replaced by deep fear and shock.

The backlash of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison was a curse that the Dugu Family had been unable to break for generations.

This young man had merely made close contact for a moment, yet he had seen through her deepest secret so clearly.

Gu Qing did not give Dugu Yan time to remain dazed.

The clue to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was right before him, and Gu Qing would never let this opportunity delivered to his doorstep slip away.

"Take me to see your grandfather."

Gu Qing stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze passing over Dugu Yan toward the secluded mansion in the center of Heaven Dou City.

"I wish to have an audience with Dugu Bo."

Leaving the bustling market in the southern district of Heaven Dou City, the surrounding air gradually grew quiet.

Dugu Yan walked in the lead to guide the way, her steps slightly hurried, and she glanced back at Gu Qing from time to time.

After having the fatal hidden danger of the serpent poison in her body exposed by Gu Qing's single remark, this proud and haughty vice-captain of the Imperial Fighting Team had completely lost her previous composure.

For the Dugu Family, the backlash of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison was like a death warrant that had tormented their ancestors for generations.