Qian Renyou

Inside Qian Renxue's residence, candlelight flickered.

Qian Renxue (Chen Qingxuan) turned around. His golden eyes swept over the four people before him as he ordered, "You four may leave. Don't disturb me unless it's necessary."

"Yes, Young Master." Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo bowed in reply. The two Soul Saints followed after them. The four quietly left the room, closing the door behind them and shutting out every sound.

"Honestly, those two little rascals." As the door closed, Qian Renxue (Chen Qingxuan) let out a soft sigh, his tense expression easing.

He walked to the bedside and sat cross-legged, hands folded in front of his abdomen as he closed his eyes and focused.

The next moment, his soul sank into Qian Renxue's Sea of Consciousness.

In the boundless white Sea of Consciousness, Qian Renxue was pinning the silver-haired woman beneath her, looking smug. A crafty glint shone in her golden eyes as she pressed a small hand against the other's shoulder. "Call me Big Sister, or you're not getting up!"

"You only won because you fought dirty!" The silver-haired woman puffed out her cheeks, defiance in her purple eyes. She struggled to rise, but her soul had only recently taken shape and lacked strength, so she could only watch as Qian Renxue held her down.

"If my soul had only just taken shape and my power weren't still unstable, you wouldn't stand a chance against me!"

"Hmph, I don't care about any of that." Qian Renxue raised her chin, grinning mischievously.

"I won, so I'm the Big Sister now. If you don't agree, I'll spank you!"

The silver-haired woman's cheeks flushed at once. She glared at Qian Renxue, her voice tinged with embarrassment and indignation. "Y-you shameless girl!"

"Hehehe..." Qian Renxue laughed even harder, raising her hand as if to strike.

"Ahem." Two coughs, tinged with helplessness, sounded as Chen Qingxuan appeared silently behind Qian Renxue.

Qian Renxue jolted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She sprang off the silver-haired woman and hurriedly straightened her nonexistent hem and hair. A flicker of panic crossed her golden eyes as she forced a sweet smile. "Master, you're here?"

"Master~~" The silver-haired woman reacted just as quickly. She scrambled to her feet and threw herself into Chen Qingxuan's arms, her purple eyes instantly brimming with tears.

She looked up at him, her voice choked with sobs and thick with grievance. "S-she bullied me!"

She pointed at Qian Renxue.

"Y-you're making things up! I didn't! Master, it wasn't like that! Let me explain!" Qian Renxue flushed bright red, flailing as she tried to defend herself, panic in her eyes.

But behind Chen Qingxuan's back, the silver-haired woman secretly stuck out her tongue at Qian Renxue. A smug glint flashed in her purple eyes.

Qian Renxue instantly saw red. Her little face flushed, and her golden eyes seemed to spit fire. She wanted nothing more than to rush over and tear that smug face to shreds.

"That's enough." Chen Qingxuan raised a hand and gently stroked the silver-haired woman's silvery-white hair. "There, don't make a fuss."

"Yes, Master." The silver-haired woman immediately dropped her act and obediently nestled against Chen Qingxuan, no longer daring to misbehave.

Qian Renxue walked over to Chen Qingxuan, her lips puckered in complaint. "Master, why did you bring her out? Now she's always picking fights with me!"

"She is you, and you are her." Chen Qingxuan looked at Qian Renxue.

"Your soul is unusual. It naturally contains two opposing forces. They sustain each other, eventually forming two beings who share the same consciousness but are also independent."

"One is you, and the other is her. You were originally one, inseparable from each other."

"B-but..." Qian Renxue opened her mouth. Looking at the figure in Chen Qingxuan's arms, identical to her, she still felt uneasy. Complicated emotions flickered in her golden eyes.

"Xiao Xue, haven't you always felt lonely?" Chen Qingxuan gently stroked Qian Renxue's head. "Now you have a companion who shares your origins. It's like having a younger sister. Isn't that nice?"

Qian Renxue froze, her golden eyes widening slightly.

Lonely? Yes. She had grown up in Spirit Hall. Her grandfather loved her, but was stern; her mother was cold and distant; and the people around her treated her with more reverence than warmth. She often felt lonely.

She looked at the silver-haired woman in Chen Qingxuan's arms, and the other woman was looking back at her.

Qian Renxue's gaze gradually softened.

"Master." The silver-haired woman tugged gently at Chen Qingxuan's hand, looking up at him expectantly. "I want to be the Big Sister, not the little sister!"

Chen Qingxuan smiled and looked at her. "She was born before you, so she should be the Big Sister."

"Now that you have an independent soul, you should have a name of your own, too. From now on, you'll be called Qian Renyou."

"Qian Renyou?" The silver-haired woman repeated the name, her eyes lighting up.

"That's wonderful! I have a name of my own now! Thank you, Master!"

Qian Renyou slipped out of Chen Qingxuan's arms and stepped in front of Qian Renxue, chin raised. "Qian Renxue, I'll let you be the Big Sister for now. But if you can't beat me someday, you'll have to give me the title!"

Qian Renxue arched a brow, a competitive glint in her golden eyes. "We'll see who wins! If you've got the guts, let's settle it with a match someday!"

"Fine by me! I'm not afraid of you!" Qian Renyou met her gaze without backing down.

"By the way, Master." Qian Renxue suddenly remembered something and turned to Chen Qingxuan.

"Can you teach me that Slave Contract you used on Xue Qinghe?"

Chen Qingxuan shook his head. "The Contract Art requires a powerful soul to support it. Your Mental Power is nowhere near strong enough yet. I'll teach you once your cultivation improves and your soul is stable."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Qian Renxue's face, but she obediently nodded. "All right. I'll make sure to cultivate hard!"

Qian Renyou joined them too. "Master, can I learn it as well?"

Looking at how earnest they were, Chen Qingxuan nodded. "Cultivation can't be rushed. Only by laying a solid foundation can you go farther in the future."

"Master, how do I cultivate soul power?" Qian Renxue asked again. "I know how to cultivate Soul Power, but I've never dealt with soul power before. I don't know how at all."

"The Primordial Nirvana Sutra has three parts," Chen Qingxuan explained. "One cultivates the body, one refines vital energy—that is, the Soul Power you speak of—and one tempers the soul. Only by cultivating all three can the Primordial Nirvana Sutra reveal its true power. Not one can be left out."

Qian Renxue froze. "Master, the Primordial Nirvana Sutra you gave me didn't include anything about cultivating the soul or the body?"

"I haven't given you those parts yet," Chen Qingxuan explained. "Before entering the realm of cultivators, each of the three has a transitional stage."

"Before cultivating the body and vital energy, you must first temper your foundation through the five body-refinement stages. Only after completing body refinement can you enter the true realm of cultivators."

"The transitional stage for soul power is called 'soul nurturing.' Once you've mastered it, you can enter the 'soul refinement' realm. It corresponds to the Qi Refining stage of cultivation, and, like that stage, has nine levels, each one a heaven of its own."

"Master, hurry and give us the cultivation method!" Qian Renxue's eyes lit up as she tugged gently at Chen Qingxuan's sleeve. "I want to start cultivating right away so I can learn the Contract Art as soon as possible!"

Qian Renyou came over too. "Me too! I want to learn! I'll definitely learn faster than she does!"

Looking at the two little rascals, practically itching to get started, Chen Qingxuan shook his head helplessly. Then two gentle golden lights gathered around his fingertips. With a light tap, they shot into the brows of Qian Renxue and Qian Renyou.

He had already simplified the cultivation method several times, stripping away the obscure language until only the most basic techniques remained. They were now clearly imprinted in the two girls' minds.

"These are the basic methods for soul nurturing and body refinement. Take your time understanding them, and ask me if anything is unclear."

Qian Renxue and Qian Renyou closed their eyes at the same time, sensing the new information in their minds.