The Miserable Titan Father and Son! It Had Been So Long Since They'd Seen Their Young Master Smile From the Heart!

"Father, could that kid really have been a plant from the auction house? We've waited this long. There's no way he wouldn't have shown up by now."

Tainuo complained.

They'd waited outside for several hours. The sky had already brightened, but they hadn't caught the man. Instead, the mosquitoes in the area had feasted on them.

He was starting to wonder whether his father had made the wrong call—maybe the man had slipped right out from under their noses without them noticing.

Tai Tan was starting to doubt himself, too.

Earlier, when he'd lifted the screen, he'd only seen half a figure. He couldn't be sure whether the man had really changed his appearance and slipped away right under his nose.

But he wasn't willing to give up just yet.

"What are you rushing for? You've got no patience at all. No wonder your cultivation's been so pathetic all these years. Just wait!"

"Maybe the other guy guessed we were lying in ambush outside and is deliberately seeing who can outlast whom!"

Tai Tan smacked Tainuo on the back of the head and scolded him.

Helpless, Tainuo could only keep his old father company, feeding the mosquitoes and getting roasted under the blazing sun.

The Crown Prince's Residence.

After Qian Renxue returned to her room, she immediately put away the two Immortal Herbs, which had both wilted somewhat.

As for the Wisdom Substitute, once it lost its "brain" and energy, it instantly turned into a golden, curly strand of hair.

Ling Xiao picked up the curl and blew on it. It grew back onto Qian Renxue's head.

Qian Renxue touched her head.

She found it quite amazing, though it also felt a little strange.

Before she could think more about it, a knock sounded outside.

"Young Master, today's official documents have arrived at the residence."

Snake Lance Douluo knocked on the door to remind her.

The next moment, the door opened.

"Uncle Snake Lance, please tell them that there's no need to send me any more government affairs from now on. I want to focus on cultivation."

Qian Renxue said.

"Of course. I'll pass the word along right away."

Snake Lance Douluo didn't ask why she'd made this arrangement. He never interfered with any of his young master's decisions.

If his young master had said so, she must have had her reasons.

"All right, then I'm sorry for the trouble, Uncle Snake Lance."

Qian Renxue smiled, then closed the door again.

As Snake Lance Douluo walked away, he suddenly realized that Qian Renxue had seemed a little different today.

What exactly was different?

He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Oh, right—Young Master smiled today!"

It wasn't the fake smile she'd worn before, all skin and no warmth. It was a smile from the heart, full of ease and happiness.

"Ah, it's been so long since I've seen Young Master smile from the heart like that!"

"That's wonderful!"

Snake Lance Douluo didn't know what had happened. Perhaps she'd had a sweet dream, but he was truly happy for Qian Renxue!

Qian Renxue was indeed in a pretty good mood.

Although she'd lost miserably in Soul Fighting, she'd eaten lots of delicious food she'd never tried before and even gotten a beautiful dress.

After tidying up, she planned to get back to bed and enjoy another good sleep.

That would make for a lovely day.

However—

Her sweet dream hadn't even begun when Ling Xiao mercilessly shattered it.

"When you're exhausted, that's precisely the best time to cultivate."

"It's just like being at the bottom of a valley: whichever direction you go, it's uphill."

"Think about it—if you use the time you'd spend sleeping to cultivate, you'll have twice as much time to work hard as everyone else."

"If you don't succeed, who will?"

"So stop hesitating and get to cultivating!"

Ling Xiao's devilish whisper rang in her ear. No matter how tired Qian Renxue was, it instantly drove away all thoughts of sleep.

She changed into her fitted training clothes and headed for the practice field.

"I taught you a Dou Technique before, the Mad Lion Art.

"Through that technique, you found some ways to generate force and applied them in actual combat. Very good.

"But since you like using a sword, your master will teach you another Dou Technique, one connected to the sword.

"I hope you can use it as a model and create something uniquely your own."

As Ling Xiao finished speaking, Qian Renxue felt a cultivation technique appear in her mind: the Taia Sword Art.

It had thirteen forms, blending hardness and softness, and was exquisitely crafted.

It suited her perfectly!

"This is a Dou Technique I created myself back in the day. It has a low threshold and a high ceiling, so it'll serve you well for a long time."

"First form: Primordial Origin Guidance.

"It's the opening form—like chaos splitting apart and heaven and earth returning to their origin. It creates the world from nothing. Its essence lies in one word: 'momentum'!"

Guided by Ling Xiao, Qian Renxue drew her sword and held it before her chest, her eyes level with the blade.

She calmed her mind and contemplated the scene of primordial chaos splitting open.

Soul Power coursed through the eight extraordinary meridians in her body. The energy in the surrounding air slowly gathered toward her, invisible to the naked eye.

As she focused, everything around her seemed to sink into chaos.

Suddenly, a point of light split through the chaos.

She opened her eyes.

Her sword came down—

Like the world being split open.

A human-high slab of marble more than ten meters away was sliced cleanly in two, as easily as tofu.

The enormous commotion immediately startled Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo.

They relaxed only when they saw Qian Renxue practicing.

Dugu Bo, who lived nearby, was drawn over as well.

"People say the Heaven Dou Imperial Family isn't good at cultivation. I never expected the Crown Prince to have such talent in swordsmanship.

"Is this a Soul Skill you created yourself?"

"Senior, you flatter me. I was just practicing."

Qian Renxue replied modestly.

"If there's anything I'm doing wrong, please give me your guidance."

"I wouldn't dare! I might be able to offer a few pointers when it comes to poison, but I wouldn't presume to instruct you in swordsmanship."

Dugu Bo said with a smile.

The three men's arrival didn't interrupt Qian Renxue's practice.

They weren't outsiders, and even if they saw anything, they wouldn't understand what they were looking at.

As Qian Renxue continued demonstrating the sword forms, Snake Lance and Porcupinefish wondered where their young master had learned them.

Perhaps the Great Enshrined had taught her?

After pondering it for a while without finding an answer, they could only assume it had happened during her last visit to Spirit Hall.

Dugu Bo, meanwhile, grew more and more shocked—and more and more delighted.

He hadn't expected Xue Qinghe to have hidden such deep reserves.

Good thing he'd switched sides quickly. Otherwise, once Xue Qinghe ascended the throne, even if he had no family to speak of, he'd probably still be in for a rough time as long as he remained in the Heaven Dou Empire.

No, he had to call Yanyan over at once and have her get closer to this Crown Prince.

A granddaughter-in-law this wonderful—good-natured, gifted, and blessed with status and power—was impossible to find even with a lantern!

Wasn't he a hundred times better than that second-rate fool from the old loach's family?

Qian Renxue spent the entire day practicing the Taia Sword Art under Ling Xiao's guidance.

When her Soul Power ran out, she cultivated her technique!

When she got tired, she practiced the soul cultivation method Ling Xiao had taught her: the Taiyi Soul Art.

By the end of the day, she'd gained a great deal!

She didn't rest when night came, either. She kept up her disguise, went to the Soul Fighting Arena to practice simulated combat, and worked on creating her own Soul Skills.

Every few days, Ling Xiao also prepared a medicinal bath for her to heal her injuries, treat hidden damage, and strengthen her foundations.

After a few weeks, the results were remarkable!

For starters, she'd already achieved a seven-win streak in the Soul Fighting Arena!

Three more victories, and she'd meet Ling Xiao's requirement and regain her Soul Ancestor cultivation.