The Soul Master Tournament Preliminaries, Qian Renxue Explodes

Qian Renxue released her grip on Ye Yunxi.

Freed, Ye Yunxi instantly scrambled away from the stone table, putting a very safe distance between himself and Qian Renxue—enough to react should she lash out again.

"Imperial Concubine, why are you running? I am your husband, after all. A single word of 'husband' would be worth more than anything; who knows, I might be in a good mood and reward you with a spirit bone."

Qian Renxue sipped her tea, casting a teasing, flirtatious smile at the enchanting Ye Yunxi.

"Pah!"

"Xue Qinghe, you keep treating me like this—aren't you afraid that one day, once I grow stronger, I'll hang you from a tree and whip you?"

Ye Yunxi clenched his fists tightly, dying to slap this Qian Renxue across the face. Every time, she relied on the protection of a Title Douluo to bully him like this.

He wasn't a masochist, yet he was subjected to this treatment every single time.

He should have known better than to come back.

"The Imperial Concubine certainly knows how to joke. If you can actually pull that off, I'll give you credit. Hanging the future Emperor of Heaven Dou from a tree to beat him—don't you find that ridiculous?"

"Even if you break through to become a Title Douluo, do you think you can manage it? By then, I will hold the military power; I can just call upon a few experts, and what will you do?"

Qian Renxue didn't take Ye Yunxi's words to heart at all. If three Title Douluo weren't enough, she would bring ten. She didn't believe this little vixen could charm so many Title Douluo all at once.

She also had the elders of the Worship Hall. Her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, alone would be enough to keep this little vixen in check.

"You—you detestable Xue Qinghe! This girl will never share the sky with you!"

Ye Yunxi stomped his feet in fury. The more he thought about it, the more miserable he felt. How could he keep losing to Qian Renxue?

He immediately raised a slender, fair finger and pointed it at her. "Believe it or not, one day I'll make you a cuckold!"

"You dare?"

Qian Renxue's expression soured instantly. She set down her teacup and fixed a cold, icy gaze on Ye Yunxi.

She could allow Ye Yunxi to play around as he pleased, but if he truly dared to cuckold her, that was something she absolutely could not tolerate.

Even if she wasn't a man, her identity was that of Xue Qinghe.

Ye Yunxi was momentarily frightened by her aura, but he persisted internally:

"Unless you stop being so harsh with me next time, or else believe me, I'll do it right away. This girl doesn't need you to survive."

"Imperial Concubine, you truly refuse to shed tears until you see the coffin. I had originally intended to take you to watch the preliminary rounds of the Soul Master Tournament. It seems locking you at home and tying you to the bed is the optimal solution."

Qian Renxue realized this little vixen truly spoke without thinking. Did he not know how easily this could provoke her?

"I advise you to watch your words. This Crown Prince has been very good to you; look at how I treat others—is it the same? My patience is limited. The day I truly can't take it anymore, I will take you, and you won't be able to regret it then."

Qian Renxue suppressed the fire in her heart; no matter what, she couldn't truly lose her temper with this little vixen.

It was he who had warned her about Xue Beng, and it was because of Ye Yunxi that she had been able to throw him into prison.

She had always been clear about rewards and punishments, and besides, Ye Yunxi's brain wasn't as dull as it looked; he thought about far more things than she did.

Having this wise helpmate to assist her in managing the empire later would make things much easier.

"As if anyone cares."

Ye Yunxi scoffed and rolled his eyes at Qian Renxue.

"Imperial Concubine, I won't joke with you anymore. Get ready; tomorrow, you will accompany me to watch the Soul Master Tournament. Dress appropriately, and change those shoes for something else."

Qian Renxue didn't want to continue this topic, shifting instead to the dress code for the Soul Master Tournament.

"Huh? Those death-traps of shoes again, and those stiff clothes? Isn't this fine? It's much more comfortable."

Ye Yunxi complained, pouting in dissatisfaction.

"As an Imperial Concubine, you must pay attention to etiquette. Have you ever seen a noble who doesn't wear shoes and runs around in a simple dress?"

Qian Renxue shot Ye Yunxi a look, not taking his words to heart at all.

"You go yourself. I'm not going. Bye."

Ye Yunxi couldn't stand those shoes—they made his feet ache—and he prepared to dash away.

Suddenly, Qian Renxue, who had been sitting under the tree drinking tea, pulled him into her arms and pinned his hands behind his back.

"You are truly disobedient. This Crown Prince has already said that you must attend tomorrow's important occasion."

"Let go! You're hurting me!" Ye Yunxi cried out in pain, his eyes reddening.

"I don't care. Come back to the room with me first; I need to teach you a lesson."

"Xue Qinghe, you are truly detestable!"

"Thank you for the compliment. To you, not being detestable is the same as insulting me," Qian Renxue laughed loudly.

"Shameless!!!"

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Ye Yunxi wanted to keep sleeping, but he was dragged straight out of his blankets by Qian Renxue.

"Let me sleep a little longer."

"Sleep, sleep, sleep—all you know how to do is sleep. Hurry up and change your clothes!"

The maidservant held up a set of cloud-brocade palace robes patterned with fire foxes, along with a pair of soft-soled palace shoes inlaid with crushed diamonds, placing them one by one on the table before moving to stand outside the screen.

Ye Yunxi stared at the slightly elevated heels, her face instantly collapsing into a bitter grimace:

"Wearing these again? My feet hurt!"

Qian Renxue stood with her arms crossed outside the screen, her voice carrying the overbearing tone of a husband:

"Put them on, or this Crown Prince will help you personally."

Ye Yunxi dawdled as she changed into the clothes; the cloud-brocade robes accentuated her slender waist, while the nine-tailed fox patterns embroidered on the hem shimmered faintly, setting off her snow-white skin and natural, alluring grace.

Qian Renxue walked over, her fingertips smoothing out the collar as her gaze burned with intensity:

"This is how the Imperial Concubine of Heaven Dou should look."

"I am not, that is only what you say."

"You are, the commoners all believe so." Qian Renxue smiled.

Shortly after, when the two arrived at the preliminary tournament venue by carriage, the stands were already roaring with noise.

In the VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, Yu Yuanzhen, and others sat upright, their gazes falling in unison upon Ye Yunxi, causing another round of racing heartbeats.

Today, Shrek Academy was pitted against the Heaven Dou Royal Academy second team.

On the arena stage, the students of the royal second team wore uniform silver-white combat suits, each holding their heads high with the arrogance of royal descendants, their various spirit rings lighting up after Martial Soul Possession.

Opposite them, the Shrek Seven Devils were still in their drab, dusty uniforms, appearing quite out of place standing beside the polished and glamorous royal second team.

Yet, Tang San looked eager to jump into the fray.

Just as the referee was about to announce the start of the match, a playful, mechanical voice from the system suddenly rang out in Ye Yunxi's mind.

[Ding! Triggering fun side quest: Shrek's Arena Blunder]

[Quest Requirements: Within three seconds of the match starting, say one sentence that causes three members of Shrek to lose their composure (choking, tripping, or delayed spirit skills all count), use of spirit power for bewitchment is prohibited]

[Quest Reward: Spirit Power +1 level, bonus "Fox Shadow Speed Talisman" x1 (increases speed by 30%, lasts for a quarter of an hour, cannot be seen through by anyone below Spirit Douluo)]

Thanks to Liuli_eD for the tip