The Martial Soul Hall's future doesn't need to be bought with a woman's suffering.

"Young Master, the Fourth Worship and His Highness the Holy Son have arrived," Snake Lance Douluo whispered.

Qian Renxue stood up, her hands smoothing the wrinkles on her skirt.

"Understood. Take them to the back garden."

In the back garden of the Crown Prince's Residence, the night breeze blew, causing the leaves to rustle.

Qin Xiong led Qin Yao, avoiding all patrolling guards, and landed lightly on the stone path of the garden.

Pufferfish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo had been waiting by the rockery for some time. Upon seeing Qin Xiong, the two immediately bowed in salute.

"This subordinate greets the Fourth Worship."

Qin Xiong waved his hand, signaling them to rise.

Pufferfish and Snake Lance stood up, their gazes immediately falling upon Qin Yao.

His purple-silver hair reached his shoulders, and his dark purple pupils held a hint of coldness that kept strangers at a distance in the night.

Dressed in a slim-fitting black outfit with dark purple patterns, his figure was tall and straight, standing at a full 1.9 meters; it was impossible to tell that this was a twelve-year-old boy.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Holy Son," the two saluted again.

Qin Yao nodded slightly and said in a low voice:

"The two Elders have worked hard."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of subtle footsteps came from the corridor.

Qin Yao turned his head to look.

Qian Renxue stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight.

Her golden palace gown shimmered in the moonlight, and her stunning face was flawless, her skin as white as snow, her nose bridge straight and elegant.

Qin Yao looked at her, his breathing stalling for a moment.

Qian Renxue was beautiful.

Even more stunning than in his memories.

Seeing this, Qin Xiong gave a dry cough and grabbed the shoulders of Pufferfish and Snake Lance.

"You two, come with this old man for a drink over there. Don't get in the way here."

Pufferfish and Snake Lance understood immediately and quickly retreated from the garden with Qin Xiong.

In the vast garden, only Qin Yao and Qian Renxue remained.

Qian Renxue stood where she was, her hands folded in front of her. She looked at Qin Yao, who was half a head taller than her, and for a moment, she didn't know how to start the conversation.

This kid had grown up too fast; the sense of oppression he exuded made even her feel alarmed.

Qin Yao did not hesitate and walked straight toward her.

The distance between the two grew shorter and shorter.

Five meters, three meters, one meter.

Qian Renxue subconsciously wanted to step back, but the pride in her bones forced her to stop in her tracks.

Qin Yao stopped in front of Qian Renxue and looked down at her.

"Sister Xue'er, long time no see." Qin Yao's voice was deep and pleasant to the ear.

Qian Renxue tilted her head slightly, meeting his gaze.

"It has been a long time. You have certainly grown quite a bit, and you've become stronger, too."

Qin Yao pressed half a step closer.

Qian Renxue's breathing faltered; the distance between them was now less than half a meter, and she could even feel the scorching body heat radiating from Qin Yao.

"You received Great Grandfather's letter, didn't you?" Qin Yao went straight to the point, without any beating around the bush.

A faint blush appeared on Qian Renxue's face.

"I received it. Grandfather... he is somewhat meddling in matters of the heart."

Qin Yao chuckled. He raised his hand and naturally tucked a stray lock of hair behind Qian Renxue's ear.

His fingertips inadvertently brushed against her slightly cool earlobe.

Qian Renxue shivered, and her ears turned bright red instantly. She wanted to pull away, but found that she couldn't seem to move her legs.

"I think Great Grandfather has a very good eye," Qin Yao said softly. "Sister Xue'er, you are beautiful, and your talent is formidable. The future of Martial Soul Hall requires us to control it together."

Qian Renxue's heart rate accelerated sharply.

She subconsciously took half a step back, widening the ambiguous distance between them.

The night breeze blew through her long golden hair, but it could not cool the burning temperature on her face.

"Xiao Yao, stop teasing."

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the panic in her heart. "I... I am a full ten years older than you!"

A ten-year age gap—this was the most direct hurdle standing in Qian Renxue's heart.

She possessed an innate full soul power of level twenty, and since childhood, her grandfather had told her she was the heir to the Angel God position, forcing her to shoulder the highest secrets of Martial Soul Hall while lurking within the Heaven Dou Empire.

She was accustomed to controlling everything, yet facing this purple-haired youth before her—who was taller than herself and possessed an even more terrifying aura—she felt a sense of powerlessness that she could not master.

Qin Yao watched her shifty gaze and chuckled softly.

He did not retreat; instead, he took another step forward, cornering Qian Renxue against the edge of the rockery.

"And what of it?"

Qin Yao lowered his head slightly, his dark purple pupils staring straight into Qian Renxue's face, his tone casual yet permeated with a world-dominating arrogance:

"It is a mere ten years. If you and I become gods in the future, we shall possess endless lifespans. By then, this ten-year gap will not even be worth a snap of the fingers."

Becoming a god!

These two words struck Qian Renxue's heart, causing her mind to buzz with a dull roar.

She jerked her head up, staring blankly at Qin Yao.

The youth's face had sharp, well-defined features, his cold, pale skin shimmering under the moonlight.

When he said these words, there was not a hint of jest; his entire being radiated an aura of natural, unquestionable dominance.

Qian Renxue's breathing turned completely chaotic.

Her lifelong ambition had been to inherit the Angel God position; this was the mission her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, had instilled in her since she was a child.

But what about Qin Yao? He was only twelve!

A twelve-year-old youth, actually speaking of "becoming a god" as if it were nothing, and doing so with such nonchalance and absolute conviction.

But Qian Renxue quickly collected herself.

Qin Yao indeed had the grounds for such confidence.

She recalled the intelligence reports sent by the Pufferfish Douluo, then sensed the thick, restrained soul power emanating from Qin Yao, and a sudden, intense sense of frustration welled up within her.

She was ten years his senior, possessed innate level twenty full soul power, and yet she was only at level fifty-eight.

But Qin Yao?

Twelve years old, a level fifty-one Soul King!

Not only did he possess a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring, but he had even awakened an Innate Domain.

Such terrifying cultivation speed was simply unheard of.

Qian Renxue silently calculated in her heart: at Qin Yao's monstrous rate of advancement, in three years at most, his soul power would completely surpass her own.

By that time, this ten-year age gap would only serve to make her own talent appear mediocre.

"You..."

Qian Renxue opened her mouth, only to find she could not come up with a single word of rebuttal.

Qin Yao watched her dazed expression and did not continue to press her on this topic; some things were better left at a hint, as pushing too hard would only be counterproductive.

He reached out and grabbed Qian Renxue's wrist with natural ease.

Qian Renxue's body trembled, and she instinctively tried to pull away, only to find that Qin Yao's grip was shockingly strong; that warm, large hand clamped onto her wrist like iron pincers, pulling her toward the stone pavilion nearby.

"You... let me go."

Qian Renxue protested in a low voice, her cheeks turning red enough to bleed.

"It's just the two of us in this garden, what are you afraid of?"

Qin Yao pulled her to sit on a stone stool, then sat down opposite her.

He picked up the purple clay teapot from the stone table, flipped over two inverted teacups, poured two cups of tea with practiced movements, and pushed one toward Qian Renxue.

"All these years, staying here alone, wearing that mask every day to deal with Xueye—it must be exhausting."

Qin Yao picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone suddenly turning exceptionally gentle.

Qian Renxue's fingers, holding the teacup, froze abruptly.

The tea rippled in the cup, reflecting her somewhat vacant face.

Exhausting?

How could it not be.

Since she was nine, she had to imitate a man's speech and mannerisms, learn to scheme, and learn to navigate the imperial court.

She could not have friends, could not show weakness, and even had to sleep with one eye open, terrified of exposing her identity.

In Martial Soul Hall, aside from her grandfather Qian Daoliu and the other elders, no one cared about her.

That woman she called mother, Bibi Dong, viewed her as a thorn in her side.

She had never spoken of these grievances to anyone, nor did she have anywhere to vent them.

But now, this younger brother, whom she hadn't seen in over a decade and who was ten years her junior, had pierced through all her hidden bitterness with a single sentence.

Qian Renxue lowered her head, watching the steam rising from the cup, her voice strained:

"This is my mission. For the future of Martial Soul Hall, someone must make sacrifices."

"The future of Martial Soul Hall does not need to be bought with the grievances of a woman." Qin Yao set his teacup down heavily on the stone table with a dull thud.