Qian Renxue, Don't You Know Tsundere Is Outdated?

Thin mist like gauze shrouded the surface of the lake. Gu Yuena stood barefoot by the shore, her long silver hair fluttering in the morning breeze, her gaze resting on the youth practicing not far away.

Qian Anci held the Scythe of Death, the black light of his second soul ring circulating along the edge of the blade.

After two days of consolidation, that ten-thousand-year soul ring had completely merged with him, allowing him to control the abyssal aura of death with ease.

"Anci."

Gu Yuena called out softly.

Qian Anci retracted his scythe and turned, seeing Gu Yuena holding a scale in her palm.

The scale was about the size of a palm, entirely silver-white, with a starlike halo flowing across its surface and dragon patterns faintly visible as they moved.

"This is..."

"My Life-Bound Dragon Scale." Gu Yuena's voice was gentle. "It contains my power and can block a full-force strike from a Limit Douluo. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, crush it, and I will sense it."

Qian Anci's heart jolted.

The Silver Dragon King's Life-Bound Dragon Scale?

This was equivalent to having an extra life!

He took it with both hands; the scale felt warm and smooth to the touch, yet it was as heavy as a thousand jun.

The lingering warmth on it reminded Qian Anci of the sensation of her fingertips when she had been clearing his meridians over the past few days.

"Sister, this is too precious..."

"Take it." Gu Yuena interrupted him, a hint of softness flashing in her silver eyes. "Since you call me sister, I must ensure your safety."

She paused, her voice dropping lower: "The Star Dou Great Forest will always be your retreat. If that human world cannot accommodate you..."

"Then you shall return."

Qian Anci looked up, his pitch-black eyes meeting those silver ones directly.

"But before that, I must become strong enough. Strong enough to protect everyone I care about."

The corners of Gu Yuena's lips curled upward.

That smile was like ice and snow beginning to melt, making the entire Lake of Life brighten by a few degrees.

"Di Tian."

She called out lightly.

A figure in black robes stepped out from the void. His golden dragon pupils swept over Qian Anci with indifference, but they constricted slightly when they touched upon the silver scale.

"Send him out." Gu Yuena turned, her silver dress flickering in the morning mist. "Take him to the outer perimeter; there is no need to reveal yourself."

"Understood."

Di Tian raised his hand, and a black vortex bloomed beneath Qian Anci's feet.

Qian Anci took one last look at that silver silhouette, opened his mouth, but in the end, it only turned into a single sentence: "Sister, take care."

Gu Yuena did not turn back.

But her voice drifted over with the wind, soft as a breeze:

"Go, Anci."

"I will wait for your return."

The dizzying sensation of spatial distortion struck once more.

When Qian Anci opened his eyes again, he was already standing in a clearing on the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Di Tian's figure vanished in a flash before the vortex closed, without even a word of farewell.

Qian Anci looked down at the silver scale in his palm and carefully tucked it into his robes.

The warm, smooth sensation pressed against his chest, as if it still carried her temperature.

"Castorice." He called out in his heart. "We are out."

"Mm." Castorice's voice carried a hint of laziness. "That Silver Dragon King is truly sincere toward you. The power within this dragon scale... is far deeper than I anticipated; I fear it could even block that strike from Di Tian the other day."

Qian Anci did not respond.

He straightened his robes, his plain white garment particularly conspicuous in the forest.

"Anci."

A cold, clear voice came from the side, the tail end of it carrying a trace of imperceptible tension.

Qian Anci turned his head to see a golden figure leaning against a large tree not far away.

Qian Renxue was dressed in a white gown, her arms crossed over her chest, her golden hair fluttering in the morning breeze.

She tilted her head, her golden eyes gazing toward the distant sea of trees, as if she were merely passing by and had only glanced over because she happened to hear footsteps.

"Sister?" Qian Anci's steps faltered.

Only then did Qian Renxue reluctantly shift her gaze toward him, looking him up and down.

Seeing his robes neat, his aura steady, and even... perhaps a bit taller, something tense in her golden eyes quietly relaxed.

But immediately, she lifted her chin slightly.

"Anci, you're alright, that's truly wonderful!"

She seemed to realize something.

She gave a light huff, her arms crossed over her chest tightening, her voice deliberately cold:

"I was just..."

She paused, the tips of her ears flushing a faint red beneath the cover of her golden hair, and she spat out the second half of her sentence with increased speed: "I was just afraid that if you died in the forest, it would make Grandfather sad."

Qian Anci froze for a moment.

Watching that figure who had turned her head away to pretend to gaze into the depths of the forest, he suddenly understood something.

This proud Angel—could it be that he didn't know that being a tsundere was already out of fashion?

"I have caused you worry, Sister." He stepped forward slowly. "It is Anci's fault."

"Who's worried!" Qian Renxue whipped her head around, a flash of annoyance in her golden eyes. "I said, I was afraid Grandfather would be sad! You—don't be so conceited!"

She bit her lip, as if feeling that this statement wasn't persuasive enough, and added: "It would be best if you died in there, so you wouldn't be fighting me for soul beasts in the future!"

Despite her words, she stood her ground, allowing him to walk to her side.

Qian Anci glanced at her sideways, just in time to catch her nose twitching, as if she were sniffing something, followed by a frown.

"On your body..." She glanced at him suspiciously. "Why is there the scent of a girl?"

Qian Anci was shocked. No way, Qian Renxue can even smell that?

"Sister, don't overthink it. Let's go, Grandfather is still waiting for us there!"

He spoke in a hurry, steering the conversation away from this lethal topic.

Qian Renxue's golden eyes narrowed, and just as she was about to press further, Qian Daoliu walked up slowly from not far away.

"Alright." Qian Daoliu said in a gentle voice, "Anci has just returned, let him catch his breath."

Qian Renxue gave a light huff and retreated to Qian Daoliu's side, yet she unconsciously leaned half a step closer to Qian Anci.

Qian Daoliu walked up to Qian Anci and placed a palm on his shoulder, his soul power quietly probing inward.

He began to examine Qian Anci's body.

As that strand of soul power wandered through his body like a warm current, Qian Daoliu first nodded slightly, then his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Level twenty-four?!"

He pulled his hand back abruptly, staring fixedly at Qian Anci, his voice trembling with disbelief.

"Anci, your soul power... how could it have broken through to level twenty-four?"

Qian Anci's expression remained calm.

With the energy feedback from a ten-thousand-year soul ring, plus Gu Yuena clearing his meridians for him, he wasn't surprised to reach level twenty-four.

"When Senior Di Tian used the secret arts of the Dragon Clan to assist me in absorbing the soul ring, there seemed to be an extra gift." He lowered his eyes and said, "As for the specific reason, Anci is not entirely sure either."

Qian Daoliu was silent for a moment, a sharp light flickering in his eyes.

"Summon your martial soul." He said in a deep voice, "Let me see your soul rings."

Qian Anci obeyed and raised his right hand, the Scythe of Death condensing in his palm.

Amidst the swirling gray-white death energy, two soul rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.

The first ring, purple, thousand-year!

The second ring, black, ten-thousand-year!!

The six elders looked at each other in shock.

Golden Crocodile Douluo widened his eyes, and even the usually calm Azure Luan Douluo could not help but be greatly alarmed!

"Ten-thousand-year... the second soul ring is ten-thousand-year?!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo blurted out, causing the birds in the forest to scatter in fright.

Qian Daoliu's palm trembled slightly.

He had lived for so many years and seen countless geniuses, but he had never seen such an existence that defied all logic.

Being level twenty at birth was already supreme, breaking through to level twenty-four in three days was inconceivable, and a ten-thousand-year second soul ring...

This was a miracle!

"Anci." Qian Daoliu's voice was hoarse, carrying a trace of hard-to-conceal excitement. "That Di Tian... what did he do to you?"

"Senior Di Tian said that I possess the bloodline of the Dragon Clan." He lowered his eyes, his voice low. "He kept me at the Lake of Life for three days and used the secret arts of the Dragon Clan to help me absorb a ten-thousand-year Dark Scale Flood Dragon. In exchange..."

He paused and took the silver scale from his bosom.

Silver light flashed, and dragon might was faintly revealed.

"He wants me to act as a buffer between Martial Soul Hall and the Star Dou Great Forest in the future."

Qian Daoliu stared at the scale, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes.

Dragon Clan bloodline? A buffer?

He naturally did not believe Di Tian would be so kind-hearted. Yet, the aura emanating from that scale could not be faked.

This scale was highly unusual, capable of making even a level 99 Limit Douluo like him feel a sense of trepidation...

"Grandfather, rest assured." Qian Anci looked up and said earnestly, "No matter what my bloodline is, I will always be a member of Martial Soul Hall. I am your grandson."

Qian Daoliu remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly, he burst into laughter, the sound shaking the surroundings and startling countless birds into flight.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He said the word 'good' three times in succession, his palm landing heavily on Qian Anci's shoulder with enough force to make the youth stagger slightly.

"My, Qian Daoliu's, grandson possesses the Dragon Clan bloodline, broke through four levels in three days, and has a ten-thousand-year second soul ring!"

He turned around to face the six elders, his gray robes fluttering as his aura surged like an abyss.

"Everyone, today I, Qian Daoliu, hereby announce!"

"Anci."