Qian Renxue!

Rumble—

The shockwaves beneath the giant crater slowly faded, and broken stones pattered down from the sky.

With a slightly gruff voice, a man dressed in luxurious clothes lightly touched down with his toes and drifted into the crater. He hauled up the unconscious Qin Chuan.

"Miss, the lingering Soul Power and tremors here are extremely similar to those of the Clear Sky Sect's innate Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer. This subordinate believes the people who fought here earlier were most likely from the Clear Sky Sect."

"The terrifying force that could split mountains and shatter the earth must have come from a powerful Titled Douluo. The Clear Sky Sect has been closed off for years, and its disciples have vanished from the continent. The only one still at large can only be Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao." Another man chimed in.

His body was as straight as a spear, giving off a keen, cutting presence.

The air instantly grew heavy.

Both men were highly skilled. In just a few minutes, they had deduced the middle-aged man's identity, but neither dared to act rashly.

After all, Clear Sky Douluo was no one to trifle with.

Back then, he had single-handedly fought several Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall and even killed the former Pope, Qian Xunji. He had ranged far and wide for half his life without ever tasting defeat, making him a figure Spirit Hall greatly feared. More than a decade had passed since then, and he was certainly not someone the two of them could provoke lightly.

At the same time, they were shaken to their cores. Their eyes kept drifting to the unconscious Qin Chuan. The boy looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, yet he had survived an attack from Clear Sky Douluo! It was simply unbelievable.

After a brief silence, Snake Lance Douluo said, "Tang Hao has been missing for a long time. Now that he has suddenly left traces, this is the perfect opportunity for Spirit Hall to investigate his whereabouts! Miss, should we wake this boy? He might know something."

A breeze stirred the forest, lifting the hem of a luxurious golden palace gown.

The woman's phoenix eyes remained fixed on Qin Chuan's peerlessly beautiful face. A meaningful smile slowly curved her lips.

Her skin was as luminous as snow, her beauty otherworldly. Clad in a noble golden gown, she smiled with the breathtaking grace of a celestial maiden.

"Interrogate him? There's no need to make a fuss."

Qian Renxue's voice was cool and noble, yet not at all off-putting.

After discovering the man who had killed her father—the enemy she had hated for years—her emotions had not stirred in the slightest. Instead, an inexplicable smile glimmered in her eyes.

Snake Lance Douluo and Puffer Douluo grew worried at the sight. Surely Miss wasn't so overcome with rage that her mind had become unbalanced?

Naturally, they wouldn't dare say such a thing aloud.

Qian Renxue parted her lips. "All this time, we've been exhausting ourselves searching for those mysterious prodigies who appeared out of nowhere and disrupted the continent's unchanging order. They're powerful and mysterious, and their youth is almost absurd. The methods they use are unlike those of any sect or clan on the continent.

"We've crossed mountains and rivers without finding a single trace of them. I never expected someone to deliver one right to our doorstep today."

"Miss, you mean this fellow..." Her two subordinates immediately understood, their excitement rising.

The continent had been on the verge of chaos lately. The winds had shifted, and the peace that had lasted for centuries was shattered. An unprecedented storm had swept across the entire continent.

Countless mysterious powerhouses had appeared out of nowhere, stirring up endless turmoil. What horrified everyone most was that these powerhouses were all young. Their Soul Power was strange, their combat strength far beyond what it should be, and their Soul Skills bizarre and impossible to counter. Challenging those above their level was as easy as eating or drinking. They crushed their peers, and their strength rivaled the veteran powerhouses of their generation.

Yet despite exhausting every means at their disposal, they had found nothing about their origins. It was as if these people had materialized from thin air.

If these people didn't all have rings on them, they would have suspected that the young powerhouses were Ferocious Beasts over a hundred thousand years old in human guise.

But even the Star Dou Great Forest didn't have that many Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts!

Snake Lance Douluo's breathing suddenly quickened, horror filling his eyes. "Some time ago, the Pope Palace sent Soul Masters to capture one of them. His fighting style was not only strange but also extremely powerful. He actually escaped on the way back. And that Soul Master squad had three Soul Saints stationed with it!"

With three Soul Saints, dozens of Soul Emperors, and Soul Masters providing support, that lineup was enough to crush any ordinary sect on the continent. Yet in the end, not only had they failed to capture their target, he had fought his way out—and left more than half their number dead or wounded!

That was enough to show just how terrifying the combat strength of these mysterious prodigies truly was.

And now they had found one without spending a single soldier. It really was a pie falling from the sky!

The woman glanced at Qin Chuan, almost red from head to toe with blood, and furrowed her brows. "Elders, find somewhere to examine his injuries. Anyone who survived a battle with Tang Hao is no ordinary person. We can't use our old methods this time."

To survive at the hands of Clear Sky Douluo was no ordinary feat. Perhaps this man could help solve some of the mysteries.

Qian Renxue had too many questions.

She would have to find the answers herself.

She had lain low in Heaven Dou for years, making countless plans. Even with this unexpected turn of events, she was determined to seize the initiative and take control of the whole situation!

"Ah!"

Bright sunlight spilled through gaps in the emerald canopy, falling across Qin Chuan's pale face.

A bone-deep pain shot through him. Qin Chuan sat bolt upright, drawing a sharp breath through clenched teeth.

He endured the agony and hurriedly checked his injuries, only to find his insides in disarray. His meridians were severed, and his internal organs had shifted out of place.

"This is really bad." Qin Chuan gave a bitter smile, the corners of his mouth twitching. Even smiling took effort.

The middle-aged man's attack had been far too terrifying. Though Qin Chuan had fled deep underground, he had still been hurt—adding new injuries to his old ones.

"An ordinary person would have died from injuries like these, yet you managed to pull through. That's quite surprising."

The concern in the pleasant voice startled Qin Chuan. He immediately went on guard and turned toward the sound.

So beautiful!

A woman as lovely as an angel appeared before him. Her smooth golden hair shimmered with dazzling light, and she looked as noble as a sun goddess.

Qin Chuan blurted out the thought before he could stop himself. A moment later, he came to his senses. His gaze grew grave as he warily watched the three of them.

"Who are you?"

The three concealed their auras so deeply that they seemed calm and harmless. But aside from the golden-haired woman, the two old men radiated a powerful pressure beneath the surface!

Two more Titled Douluo?

Qin Chuan couldn't help wondering if his luck really was that bad. Was the concept of fate truly so powerful in this world?

He even wondered whether this world had developed a hazy consciousness, sensed that he intended to refine it, and so had made him encounter the most powerful people in the realm one after another.

"Your injuries are severe. Your organs have been badly damaged, and by rights you should have been unconscious for at least three days. We wanted to help, but there's a mysterious power inside you that's healing your wounds.

"So we brought you to this safe creek valley and drove away some Soul Beasts that came near."

Qian Renxue didn't answer his question. She walked over, her phoenix eyes gleaming as she studied Qin Chuan with curiosity.

With injuries this severe, even a Soul Saint would have been unconscious for a long time. Yet this man had woken after only three hours. His powerful recovery only strengthened her suspicions.

At her words, Qin Chuan's thoughts stirred, returning to the pitch-black seed inside his body—the Dao Seed.

Though his injuries were severe, he could indeed feel a gentle, cool power flowing through him, slowly repairing his organs. And its source was none other than the Dao Seed.

He hadn't expected the Dao Seed to have this kind of effect!

But now wasn't the time to examine it.

The situation was unclear, his injuries hadn't healed, and he had lost more than half his fighting strength. This was no time to meet force with force. He had to play along, watch and wait, and seize an opportunity when one came!

"Thank you three for helping me. I'll remember this debt for saving my life!"

"My name is Qian Renxue..."

After a brief exchange, each side kept its own plans to itself while acting friendly. They had gained a basic understanding of one another.

Qin Chuan used the story of a reclusive clan to establish his cover. Whether the other party believed him was none of his concern.

He also gleaned some information in return.

Qian Renxue had come to the Star Dou Great Forest to find her Sixth Soul Ring. Meeting Qin Chuan had been pure coincidence.

As for those two Titled Douluo... they were actually her subordinates!

"You look terribly weak. Heal up first."

"That's exactly what I intend to do!" Qin Chuan nodded. Though these people had helped him and seemed friendly, he was in an unfamiliar place and had no means of fighting back. It left him deeply uneasy.

Sitting cross-legged, Qin Chuan paid no heed to the three of them. He took a rare spiritual herb from his system inventory and swallowed it, showing them a measure of trust.

The herb's rich fragrance wafted through the air, refreshing and invigorating. The three beside him couldn't help staring, their hearts stirring with surprise.