Feelings Heat Up: Xue'er Acts Spoiled High in the Sky, Qin Yao Makes a Deep Vow

Day five.

Qin Yao crouched by the stream to wash his hands. The traces of his Amethyst Armor had already faded. Yesterday, a Shadow Leopard with sixty-eight thousand years of cultivation had been incredibly fast, leaving a shallow wound on his forearm during the fight, though it was nothing serious.

Qian Renxue sat on a rock across the stream, her feet dangling above the water, her long golden hair draped casually behind her.

She was still wearing the same combat gear as she had five days ago, but the expression on her face was far softer than it had been then.

"It's time to go back," Qian Renxue said.

Qin Yao shook the water from his hands. "Is the body double about to give out?"

"It can last a few more days, but if we drag it out any longer, there will be trouble," Qian Renxue nodded slightly.

Qin Yao gave a soft "Mn."

Over the past five days, he had gained quite a lot.

The experience of battling over a dozen soul beasts with more than fifty thousand years of cultivation gave him a clear understanding of his own strength. Without activating his domain or using the Amethyst Seal, he could trade blows evenly with soul beasts between fifty and sixty thousand years old.

Anything above sixty-five thousand years was a struggle, but if he activated his domain and utilized his hundred-thousand-year soul ring, he could still defeat them.

Converted to human soul masters, his current raw combat power was roughly equivalent to a Soul Saint.

A level fifty-one Soul King with Soul Saint-level combat power.

Qin Yao was fairly satisfied with this result.

But it wasn't enough—far from it!

He needed to become even stronger!

Qin Yao pulled his thoughts back and turned to reach out a hand toward Qian Renxue.

"Let's go."

Qian Renxue looked at his hand, walked over, and took it naturally.

Her palm was much warmer than it had been five days ago.

Five days of living side by side—fighting, getting injured, guarding each other, and eating together—these trivial daily routines were far more effective than any sweet talk.

Qin Yao discovered that Qian Renxue was actually quite easy to get along with.

There was a stubborn streak in her nature; once she made up her mind about something, she wouldn't easily change it.

But in front of him, she was willing to take off that hard shell, occasionally showing a little bit of temper.

For instance, yesterday he had looked at that Shadow Leopard twice and remarked that the texture of its fur was quite nice. Qian Renxue had ignored him with a cold face until he asked three times, only to find out she was annoyed that he was covered in dirt and still thinking about the fur of a beast.

Qin Yao hadn't known whether to laugh or cry at the time.

But he knew very well in his heart that this kind of petty temper was exactly what showed that Qian Renxue had come to regard him as someone truly close to her.

In the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, she didn't even have the luxury of losing her temper.

Qin Xiong walked out of the woods, followed by Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo.

"Heading back to Heaven Dou City?" Qin Xiong asked.

"Mn," Qin Yao replied. "Grandfather, you take Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo and head out first. Xue'er and I will fly back."

Qin Xiong glared at him. "You brat, you certainly know how to arrange people. Fine, I won't disturb the two of you."

Hearing this, Qian Renxue lowered her head, a faint flush rising to her cheeks.

Qin Yao unfurled his Amethyst Bone Wings and turned to look at Qian Renxue. "Sister Xue'er, shall we go?"

Qian Renxue released her Six-Winged Angel, her golden wings unfolding behind her back.

The two rose into the high sky one after the other, flying in the direction of Heaven Dou City.

As the wind whistled past his ears, Qin Yao suddenly accelerated to Qian Renxue's side and firmly grasped her hand.

Qian Renxue struggled for a moment but couldn't break free, so she simply stopped trying.

The airflow at high altitude was freezing, but her hand was hot.

Just then, Qian Renxue suddenly turned her head.

"Xiao Yao."

"Mn?"

"Can you come see me often in the future?"

The wind was loud, and Qian Renxue's voice hadn't been high to begin with; stirred by the air currents, it came across in fragments.

But Qin Yao heard every word clearly. The corners of his mouth nearly curled up, but he forced himself to hold it back.

"Sister Xue'er, what did you say?"

Qian Renxue turned to look at him, her long golden hair blown by the wind to cover half her face.

She reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear and leaned in slightly closer.

"I said, can you come see me often in the future?"

Her voice was a little louder than before, but still kept very low, as if she were afraid the wind might hear her.

Qin Yao continued to feign ignorance: "Sister Xue'er, the wind is too loud, I didn't hear you clearly. Could you say it again?"

Qian Renxue froze for a moment.

She turned to look at Qin Yao's profile; the brat's lips were pressed tightly together, but it was obvious he was holding back laughter.

"You did that on purpose."

Qin Yao stopped speaking, merely tilting his head to look at her, his expression already on the verge of breaking.

Qian Renxue's face turned beet red in an instant, the heat spreading from her earlobes all the way down to her neck.

She, the dignified eldest lady of Martial Soul Hall and successor to the Angel God, had been undercover in the Heaven Dou imperial palace for over a decade. She had never lost a battle of wits against those old foxes, yet here she was, being toyed with by a brat.

"Qin Yao!"

Qian Renxue retracted her Six-Winged Angel, letting herself plummet from the sky.

Qin Yao was startled, instinctively diving down to catch her.

Qian Renxue had clearly calculated that he would come for her; the moment he drew near, she wrapped her arms around Qin Yao's neck, hanging onto him.

"That's for bullying me!"

Qin Yao wrapped one arm around her waist and supported the back of her knees with the other, his bone wings beating at full strength to maintain balance. The two swayed in the air, nearly crashing down together.

"Sister Xue'er, can you stop messing around? If we fall, we might not die, but we'll be half-dead for sure."

"If you fall to your death, you deserve it."

Qian Renxue clung to his neck, refusing to let go, her face buried in the crook of his shoulder, her ears red enough to drip blood.

Qin Yao steadied his form and simply held her securely.

Qian Renxue's weight was no more than a sack of rice to him; flying while holding her was effortless, and his earlier actions had just been to tease her.

"I heard you," Qin Yao's voice lowered, his mouth close to her ear.

"I heard you the first time."

Qian Renxue's body stiffened.

"I will come to see you often from now on."

Qin Yao adjusted his hold to make her more comfortable.

"I won't let Sister Xue'er be lonely again."

Qian Renxue didn't reply, her face still buried, though the heat showed no sign of fading.

After a long while, Qin Yao felt the fabric on his shoulder being gripped tightly by her fingers, then slowly released.

Qian Renxue's muffled voice sounded:

"You promised, no going back on your word."

"No going back."

The wind swept past them as Qin Yao held Qian Renxue and continued flying toward Heaven Dou City.

Qian Renxue never let go, nor did she manifest her martial soul again, simply nesting in his embrace.

She could have flown on her own, but she didn't want to.

For the ten-plus years in the Heaven Dou imperial palace, she had always been alone.

Every decision, every endurance, every calculation—she had borne it all by herself.

Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo by her side had been sent by her grandfather to protect her; their loyalty was unquestionable, but in the end, they were merely subordinates.

She had never had anyone she could truly rely on.

These past five days were the most relaxed she had felt since leaving Martial Soul Hall at the age of nine.

The two flew high in the sky for a long time.

In the distance, Qin Xiong followed in the higher cloud layers with Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo. The sensory range of three Title Douluo could cover several miles, ensuring no accidents would occur.

Snake Lance Douluo turned to look at Qin Xiong, his mouth opening and closing.

Qin Xiong glanced at him: "Speak your mind."

"Fourth Worship, His Highness the Holy Son and the Young Mistress... isn't this moving a bit too fast? It's only been a few days!"

Qin Xiong snorted: "My grandson is likable, so what if it's fast? You got a problem with that?"

Snake Lance Douluo didn't dare to respond.

Porcupinefish Douluo, flying on the other side, muttered: "Fourth Worship, at this rate, when will the First Worship be able to hold a great-grandchild?"

Qin Xiong kicked out at him, but Porcupinefish Douluo dodged nimbly.

"Get lost!"