The Foremost Authority on Spirit Theory, Master Yu Xiaogang!

Time slipped away quietly amidst the rustling of the pen tip.

It was not until the sky began to darken that the official documents on the desk were mostly dealt with.

Qian Renxue set down her cinnabar pen, raised both hands, and let out a long, languid stretch.

Just then, a pair of warm, large hands rested silently upon her shoulders.

A moderate, rhythmic pressure began to knead her stiff muscles.

Qian Renxue's entire body jolted in shock, her instincts urging her to mobilize her soul power to counterattack.

But a familiar scent flooded her nostrils in an instant.

Only then did she realize that Gu Sheng had been guarding her here all along.

Her initially taut body softened immediately, and Qian Renxue let down the defenses she maintained as the Crown Prince.

Gu Sheng leaned down slightly, his cheek brushing against her ear.

"You've worked hard today."

Accompanying the whisper, his warm breath brushed directly against Qian Renxue's earlobe.

A tingling, numbing sensation spread from the root of her ear throughout her entire body, causing a visible flush to rise even on her disguised face.

Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes in comfort, the corners of her mouth curling upward involuntarily.

"You've been standing all day, why haven't you gone to the side chamber to rest?"

She asked softly, her tone laced with a hint of laziness.

Gu Sheng had no intention of answering.

He swept his arms out, scooping Qian Renxue up by the waist directly from the wide chair.

With her body suddenly suspended in mid-air, Qian Renxue let out an involuntary cry of surprise.

"What are you doing? Put me down quickly, this is the study!"

"I can't sleep alone without holding you."

Gu Sheng replied with righteous confidence, his footsteps steady as he walked toward the resting couch inside the study.

His attitude was extremely overbearing, allowing for no resistance whatsoever.

After placing Qian Renxue on the bed, Gu Sheng braced his hands on either side of her, looking down at her flustered eyes.

"Since the public business is finished, shouldn't we deal with our private matters now?"

With that, Gu Sheng lowered his head and sealed her lips.

Qian Renxue struggled symbolically for a moment, her posture entirely one of feigned resistance.

Gu Sheng cared little for that, his movements becoming increasingly domineering.

Seeing that the situation was about to spiral out of control.

Qian Renxue's last remaining shred of reason finally gained the upper hand.

She used all her strength to push against Gu Sheng's chest, gasping for air as she quickly straightened her disheveled collar.

"Stop messing around, I still have to take you to properly see Heaven Dou City tomorrow."

To prevent Gu Sheng from continuing his mischief, Qian Renxue turned and hopped off the bed, face flushed, and walked quickly to the study door.

Just then, a rhythmic sound of footsteps came from outside.

Several patrolling guards heard the commotion inside and immediately stepped forward to bow.

"Your Highness, was there any unusual situation inside?"

Qian Renxue cleared her throat, forcibly suppressing the panic in her voice to restore the gentle and refined demeanor of Xue Qinghe.

"It is nothing, We accidentally knocked over some scrolls just now. Everything is normal, you may continue your patrol."

After dismissing the guards, she finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The next day, on the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City.

Qian Renxue had shed the ornate robes of the Crown Prince, changing into a moon-white casual outfit of exquisite quality.

Gu Sheng still wore his crisp guard uniform, following half a step behind her with perfect decorum.

The wide streets were filled with a constant stream of carriages and people, the air thick with noise.

The shops on both sides were packed with a dazzling array of goods, and the cries of vendors rose and fell, filled with the rich, earthy atmosphere of daily life.

Compared to the solemnity of Martial Soul City, the atmosphere here was clearly much more relaxed.

Qian Renxue was in a wonderful mood.

She deliberately slowed her pace, waiting intentionally or otherwise for Gu Sheng to catch up, so they could walk side-by-side through the crowd.

"The street ahead is the largest antique market in the city, and further east is the Heaven Dou Auction House."

Qian Renxue lowered her voice, patiently introducing the local customs and scenery of the city to Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng walked by her side, listening quietly.

His gaze did not linger on the novel stalls, instead falling directly upon the side of Qian Renxue's face with an exceptionally gentle expression.

Whenever they reached an interesting point, Gu Sheng would nod slightly in agreement, the smile at the corners of his mouth never once fading.

Qian Renxue keenly sensed that unmasked, burning gaze.

The absurd events from the study's daybed last night flashed instantly through her mind, and she could not help but turn her head to glare fiercely at Gu Sheng.

That glance was full of charm, carrying a thick, coquettish air of feigned anger.

Seeing this, Gu Sheng's heart stirred, and the smile on his face deepened all the more.

After a few rounds of this, Qian Renxue, thin-skinned after all, was the first to retreat.

Feeling her cheeks flush with heat, she hurriedly turned her head away to change the subject.

"Look over there, it seems like there's some excitement; let's go take a look!"

Qian Renxue reached out and pointed toward a gathering of people up ahead.

Gu Sheng chuckled softly and stepped forward to follow, relying on his formidable physical constitution to easily shield Qian Renxue as they squeezed into the crowded throng.

Pushing through the crowd, they fixed their eyes on the scene.

They saw a large, cleared space in the center, and upon the bluestone slabs in the middle stood a large banner fluttering in the wind.

The fabric of the banner was made of pure white, high-quality silk.

On it, several large characters were written in heavy, bold ink.

The Number One in Martial Soul Theory, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.

The calligraphy was wild and aggressive, exuding a sense of deliberate arrogance.

Directly beneath the banner stood a middle-aged man.

This man had his hands clasped behind his back, his chin slightly raised, his expression filled with undisguised haughtiness.

His appearance was quite ordinary, the type you would never be able to pick out if he were thrown into a crowd.

He was of medium build, dressed in a slightly worn, simple gray robe, the edges of which had even been washed to a pale white.

Yet, despite such shabby attire, the man's eyes constantly radiated an air of aloof pride.

He looked down his nose at everyone around him, viewing them all with a condescending, scrutinizing gaze.

This person was none other than the very Yu Xiaogang written upon that banner.

Beside this so-called Grandmaster stood a chubby youth.

The youth's short, fiery red hair was exceptionally eye-catching, standing straight up like flickering flames.

The rolls of fat on his face trembled slightly with his breathing, his expression arrogant and overbearing.

This person was a student from Shrek Academy, Ma Hongjun.

To bolster Yu Xiaogang's presence, Ma Hongjun had deliberately released his martial soul.

Searing soul power fluctuations surged continuously around his body.

Lights flashed beneath his feet as two yellow and one purple soul ring, glowing with flowing luster, rhythmically pulsed up and down around his body.

He was, without a doubt, a genuine Soul Elder.

Reaching the Soul Elder realm at such a young age instantly caused a great sensation among the surrounding crowd.

Exclamations of wonder rose and fell throughout the throng.

"Good heavens, he's a Soul Elder at such a young age!"

"I've never even seen a powerhouse with three soul rings in my entire life!"

Countless eyes remained fixed on the soul rings around Ma Hongjun, filled with intense envy and longing.