Sacrifice, Heaven-Defying Soul Skill

Qian Renxue manifested her Blazing Angel Martial Soul, four soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, and black—hovering beneath her feet. The aura of a quasi-Soul King was exposed in the room without reservation.

"Xiao Zhen, it's so good to have you."

Qian Renxue retracted her Blazing Angel Martial Soul and walked over to Su Zhen, hugging him once more, though this time she pulled away after only a brief embrace.

"Sister Xue, you really don't have to be like this. You are my family."

Su Zhen looked at Qian Renxue, who was brimming with excitement over her Martial Soul Evolution, and spoke patiently.

Family, is it?

Qian Renxue felt that this youth, whom she had known for six years, had truly integrated into her life.

"Sister Xue, you should be at level fifty now. Find a time to return to the Worship Hall. Little Ao, Fifth Grandfather, and I have prepared a surprise for you."

Su Zhen wanted Qian Renxue to absorb that rabbit as soon as possible to avoid any complications.

"I will enter the palace tonight to discuss it with Xueye. I'll tell him I need to go into seclusion for three months to prepare for my breakthrough to Soul Elder."

After all, the cultivation level Xue Qinghe revealed to the public was level 29. Back then, to avoid exposing his true soul power level while accelerating his cultivation, he had specifically sought out a Soul Tool from the Martial Soul Hall treasury that could mask the number of his soul rings.

Qian Renxue could hardly wait to return to the Worship Hall to see the surprise Su Zhen had prepared for her. At the same time, she wanted the two of them to stay at the Crown Prince's Mansion for a while longer, which required a legitimate identity so they could appear in the eyes of the major factions in Heaven Dou City.

"Uncle She."

"Young Master, please give your orders."

She Long appeared before Qian Renxue and knelt on one knee.

"Go to the Martial Soul Branch Hall in Heaven Dou City. Have Salas forge two identity credentials for Xiao Zhen and Little Ao. Hurry; it must be completed by tomorrow morning. The credentials must withstand scrutiny; there can be no mistakes."

"Yes, Young Master."

She Long bowed his head in acknowledgment and vanished from the room in a flash.

"Xiao Zhen, Little Ao, you two rest here for a while. Once I finish handling the affairs here, we will return to the Worship Hall."

"Xiao Lan."

The maid waiting outside the door heard the call and pushed the door open to enter.

"Help these two young masters arrange their quarters."

"Yes, Young Master. Two young masters, please follow this servant."

Xiao Lan led Su Zhen and his companion to settle into the guest rooms of the Crown Prince's Mansion.

That night, Qian Renxue entered the palace to meet with Xueye to discuss her seclusion. They talked until the hour of the Rat, and only then did Qian Renxue return to the Crown Prince's Mansion, exhausted.

The next morning, Su Zhen was stunned when he saw Qian Renxue at the dining table again.

"Sister Xue, did you go out in the middle of the night to fight a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"

The exhaustion on Qian Renxue's face could not be hidden at all. Two dark circles stood out starkly on her delicate face, and her eyes lacked any spirit.

"Don't even mention it. I went to discuss state affairs with that old thing Xueye last night and was dragged along until the hour of the Rat. When I got back to the mansion, there was still a mountain of memorials waiting to be reviewed. Ever since he named me Crown Prince last year, that old thing has been working me like a donkey."

Qian Renxue picked up a Snow Pastry and took a fierce bite.

"So, did Xueye approve your request?"

"Of course. I've been his Crown Prince for so long; he has to let me rest eventually. During my seclusion, Xue Xing will act as regent."

Prince Xue Xing?

Upon hearing that name, Su Zhen began to ponder the details of this deep-scheming prince from the original story.

"Eat quickly. Once you're done, we're heading back to the Worship Hall."

"By the way, where is Little Ao? Why is he still sleeping at this hour?"

Seeing that Oscar had not yet come to eat, Qian Renxue intended to go to his room to wake him up.

"Forget it, Sister Xue. Little Ao finally has some time to rest, let him sleep a bit longer. Besides, with Little Ao's talent of being level forty at eight years old, a little rest won't hurt."

Su Zhen stopped Qian Renxue, who was about to rise.

Oscar had also had a tough time at the Worship Hall. With Su Zhen as a precedent, Oscar had suffered under the strict demands of Guang Ling, forced to keep up with Su Zhen, the peerless genius, in everything. Now that he had finally escaped Guang Ling's control, he naturally needed to rest well.

The two finished their breakfast quickly, and then, led by She Long, they flew all the way back to Martial Soul Hall.

"Grandfather!"

As Qian Renxue entered the Worship Hall, her eyes immediately locked onto the gray-robed figure sitting cross-legged beneath the angel statue.

"Ah, my Xue'er is back."

Qian Daoliu caught Qian Renxue as she flew toward him, looking at her with eyes full of doting affection.

"Teacher, I have returned."

Su Zhen approached the two and greeted Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu nodded, looking at the two before him with immense satisfaction. His granddaughter and disciple had grown so much; soon, they would be able to stand on their own.

"Xue'er, you weren't staying properly in Heaven Dou City—what are you doing coming back with this brat?"

Qian Daoliu hid the joy in his heart and asked with a stern face.

"Grandfather, after consuming the Immortal Herb Xiao Zhen gave me, my Soul Power Level reached level fifty. Xiao Zhen said there was a surprise prepared by him and Fifth Grandfather at the Worship Hall, so I came back to take a look."

"A surprise, is it? Follow me."

After hearing Qian Renxue's explanation, Qian Daoliu cast a deep look at Su Zhen behind her, then beckoned the two to enter the secret chamber behind the angel statue.

Upon entering the chamber, a young girl bound by layers of iron chains appeared before the three, her body covered in golden soul power patterns.

"This is a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form!"

The moment she saw the girl, Qian Renxue recognized her identity; her Angel Head Bone granted her the ability to see through all falsehoods.

"Grandfather, is this the gift Xiao Zhen and the others prepared for me?"

Qian Renxue asked in shock, never imagining the surprise would be so massive—so massive she dared not even conceive of it.

"I discovered this little rabbit in Nuoding City when I had just gone out for training. It was only with Fifth Grandfather's help that we were able to capture her."

Su Zhen explained to Qian Renxue, though he failed to notice the meaningful gaze Qian Daoliu cast at his back.

"Thank you for the gift, but I cannot absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring right now. My physical constitution can only withstand up to fifty thousand years at most."

Qian Renxue looked at Xiao Wu on the ground with disappointment.

"That's simple enough; just have her sacrifice herself to you."

Su Zhen slowly offered the solution to the matter.

"Sacrifice? How is that possible? Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts have extremely fierce temperaments; it is absolutely impossible for them to let a human obtain their soul ring. Even when driven to a dead end, they would rather self-destruct."

Qian Renxue expressed her skepticism toward Su Zhen's words.

Su Zhen said nothing, walking up to Xiao Wu and undoing the soul power seals on her eyes and ears.

Before Xiao Wu could react, he leaned down and whispered a single sentence into her ear, then stood up and walked to Qian Daoliu's side.

"I will sacrifice myself to her. I hope you keep your promise."

Xiao Wu looked at Su Zhen, gritting her teeth. Then, a red light bloomed from her body, transforming into a stream of light that dove into Qian Renxue's body, leaving behind only a pink right leg bone of excellent quality on the floor.

Qian Renxue only felt a massive surge of energy pour into her body, and then—there was no then. The sacrifice went incredibly smoothly; the soul power entering Qian Renxue's body didn't even wait for her physical reaction before transforming into a scarlet soul ring that embedded itself beneath her feet.

"Xiao Zhen, what did you say to that beast?"

Qian Daoliu looked at the bizarre scene before him, staring blankly at Su Zhen. He felt that his hundreds of years of experience were nothing compared to what had just occurred.

"Nothing much, just some words of threat."

Su Zhen replied casually.

Qian Daoliu was speechless, but he didn't intend to pry further; when children grow up, they have their own little secrets.

"Xue'er, what is your fifth soul skill?"

Qian Renxue carefully sensed the soul ring beneath her feet, and the information she received made her gasp in surprise.

"Grandfather, this rabbit provided me with two life-saving soul skills: Void and Invincible Golden Body. Void can immunize against all physical attacks and fifty percent of soul power attacks, turning my entire body ethereal and ignoring all control and lock-on effects; Invincible Golden Body grants immunity to all attacks below god-level for three seconds, and can be used three times per day."