The last rays of the setting sun shone through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows of the Crown Prince Palace, bathing the once luxurious reception room in a magnificent orange-red hue. The lingering nine-colored divine light and golden holy radiance in the air gradually faded, and the two hands that had been tightly clasped together slowly loosened.
Gu Tian and Xue Qinghe opened their eyes at the same time.
In that instant, an unprecedented brilliance burst forth in Qian Renxue's pale golden eyes. The refreshing feeling brought about by the deep resonance made her feel as if the bottleneck in her body had been crashed by a giant wave, becoming precarious.
"This... this is unbelievable."
Xue Qinghe's expression at this moment completely lacked her usual composure and experience. Instead, she resembled an ordinary girl who had received a desired gift, her face filled with surprise and joy. She even couldn't help but excitedly grasp Gu Tian's wrist, her voice trembling slightly. "Brother Gu Tian, those few hours of cultivation just now were equivalent to my entire day of hard training! This speed... it's simply a miracle!"
Gu Tian looked at the Crown Prince's excited expression. At this moment, Qian Renxue had let down her guard, revealing some of the innocence and liveliness of an eighteen-year-old girl. Yes, no matter how heavy her undercover mission was, no matter how proud she was as a descendant of angels, she was still just a young girl in the prime of her life.
Although it's said that a woman three years older than a man is auspicious, Gu Tian and Qian Renxue are a full eleven years apart... enough to bring them four gold bricks.
"I think this is probably because the light attribute within us resonates at the same level," Gu Tian explained with a smile, calming the restless Soul Power within him. He couldn't directly name names because both of their Martial Soul were god-level Martial Soul; doing so would reveal that he knew Xue Qinghe's true identity.
"The ultimate light mutually reinforces each other, forming a perfect Soul Power circuit. If we cultivate in this way frequently in the future, our progress will increase exponentially."
"That's right, this power must have a name!" Xue Qinghe calmed her heartbeat, and in the dim twilight, a strange light appeared in her eyes as she looked at Gu Tian. She suggested, "Since it was born from the synergy of our Martial Soul, why don't we take one character from my name and add one character from yours to name this power?"
"What should we call it? How about 'The Power of the Heavenly River'?" Gu Tian pretended to think. He deliberately suggested this name because Xue Qinghe was actually Qian Renxue in disguise, and she would never agree to use this name.
Hearing Gu Tian's lack of tact, Xue Qinghe quickly shook his head, "No, no, that's too old-fashioned."
"Let's call it the Snow Heaven Power," Xue Qinghe uttered softly, a sly glint in his eyes.
Xue Qinghe... Qian Renxue. Both names contain the character "snow." In her heart, this name signifies that this miraculous power is jointly controlled by her and Gu Tian.
" The Snow Heaven Power... not bad, it has both the purity of winter and the vastness of the sky. Brother Qinghe, you have excellent writing skills." Gu Tian nodded and accepted it gladly.
Seeing that it was getting late, Gu Tian got up, dusted off his clothes, and prepared to leave. After all, there was a bunch of troublesome kids waiting for him at the villa in the back mountain.
"Wait, Brother Gu Tian, please wait."
Xue Qinghe stood up, clearly still wanting more. She gathered her thoughts and extended an invitation with eagerness. "Since the Snow Heaven Power is so amazing, we can't waste it. How about this... from now on, every night after I finish dealing with palace affairs, I'll go to your villa to find you, and we'll cultivate in seclusion all night, how about that?"
"Cough... cough cough!"
Gu Tian almost spat out the mouthful of tea he had just taken a sip. He coughed violently twice, his face instantly turning bright red, and he waved his hands awkwardly.
"Well... Brother Qinghe, it might not be convenient tonight. I... I have a lot of important things to take care of tonight, and I really can't be in two places at once."
Xue Qinghe paused, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked at Gu Tian with some confusion. "Important matters? Brother Gu Tian, you're just a student at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. What else could you possibly be doing at night besides reading and meditating? Are you planning to stay up all night in the villa writing some kind of unparalleled military strategy?"
Looking at Gu Tian's evasive manner, and thinking of Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong living in the villa behind the mountain...
Qian Renxue, being a quick-witted person, had a sharp mind. She connected the recent rumors circulating in Heaven Dou City about Gu Tian's absurdity and suddenly realized the truth.
"Snort."
Xue Qinghe rolled her eyes gracefully, and beneath the mask, her eyes revealed a hint of disdain and mockery. "I thought it was some important military matter, but it turns out Brother Gu Tian is busy training his troops for battle at night. It seems the beds in that villa behind the mountain are indeed in high demand."
Gu Tian was so embarrassed he wanted to disappear into the ground. He could only manage a couple of dry laughs. "Life forces me to do this, life forces me to do this."
"Alright, since you're so busy, let's compromise." Xue Qinghe generously offered a way out. "From now on, set aside an hour each evening after dinner. We'll find a quiet bamboo grove behind your villa to cultivate. Even just this short period of resonance with the Snow Heaven Power will be enough to offset a whole day of meditation. You can't refuse this request, can you?"
"It's a deal." Gu Tian breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.
Night completely enveloped Heaven Dou City, and the cool moonlight slanted across the bamboo path behind the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. When Gu Tian, weary from his journey, pushed open the villa door, the soft Soul Guidance Lamp inside instantly relaxed his tense mind.
"Brother Gu Tian! You're finally back!"
With a crisp cheer, a small silver figure pounced over. Na'er's purple eyes sparkled under the light. Like an octopus, she clung to Gu Tian skillfully, rubbing her little head against his neck and taking a deep breath of his lingering scent.
"Hmm... Brother Gu Tian smells nice, a bit like Brother Xue Qinghe, but purer." Na'er looked up, her eyes filled with a sly scrutiny. "Where have you been all day? Everyone's waiting for you for dinner."
Gu Tian affectionately ruffled Na'er's long hair, then chuckled somewhat guiltily, "Um... Brother Xue Qinghe had something urgent to discuss with me, about royal security and the upcoming Great Soul Arena schedule. We talked for a little longer than usual."
At this moment, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Gu Yue also came over from the living room. Xue Ke, who was sitting on the sofa, looked over curiously when she heard her brother's name.
Looking at the group of girls, Gu Tian couldn't help but feel a heaviness he had never felt before.
Actually, there were some things he had kept to himself for a long time. He had originally thought of finding an opportunity to confess to them that the seemingly perfect Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was not actually a man, but a descendant of Qian Xunji, the former Pope of the Spirit Hall, and the strongest infiltrator of the present era Qian Renxue.
But after the thought swirled in his mind, he forcefully suppressed it.