Qian Renxue watched the direction Xue Hen had left in, her face full of regret, yet also tinged with excitement.
He was in Heaven Dou City. He was actually in Heaven Dou City!
Though she still hadn't fully remembered everything, over the past few days, memories of her past with Yuan Qi had indeed surfaced in her mind.
She and Yuan Qi really had known each other. They'd watched Soul Fighting together in Spirit City, eaten pastries together, studied tea ceremony together, and read books together. He... really had been her childhood companion, and even...
Thinking of the way he'd looked at her the moment he saw her in the Sky Screen, Qian Renxue couldn't help blushing again. With her earlier regret and excitement, her expression looked extraordinarily complicated.
"Your Highness." Just then, a guard stepped forward and reminded her, "Prince Xue Tian is still alive. What should we do?"
At that, Qian Renxue came back to her senses.
That was right. She was Xue Qinghe now, not Qian Renxue. That was why Yuan Qi hadn't stopped just now—he hadn't recognized her.
Never mind. As long as he's in Heaven Dou City, we'll definitely meet again. Qian Renxue told herself.
Then she took a deep breath and quickly composed herself, setting aside every trace of complexity in her expression. When she turned back, she was once again the refined and scholarly crown prince.
"The person just now should be Yuan Qi, who appeared on the Sky Screen. He possesses Innate Level 20 Soul Power, and his origins are shrouded in mystery. Even the former Pope treated him with respect. His arrival in Heaven Dou City is no small matter. Report this to Father at once," she ordered the guard.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"As for Xue Tian, the rest of you, take him with you. You're coming with me." Qian Renxue glanced at Xue Tian, who stood there dazed and weeping, and spoke to the remaining guards.
"Yes!"
They split up. One guard went back to report what had happened to Emperor Xue Ye, while the others, led by Qian Renxue, headed for the inn where Xue Hen was staying.
Seeing the commotion, the onlookers were all tense. Not a sound dared escape them.
Terrifying. Just terrifying.
They'd actually seen the super-mysterious figure from the Sky Screen right here—the big shot whom even the Pope of Spirit Hall treated with the utmost deference: Yuan Qi!
The Sun Martial Soul was truly terrifying!
But why did this Lord Yuan Qi have only one Soul Ring, and a hundred-thousand-year one at that?
They couldn't make sense of it.
Of course, it was only natural that they couldn't. This lord possessed Innate Full Soul Power at Level 20, and the Sky Screen had even shown him taking part in some "Sun God Trial." Someone connected to the gods would naturally have a Soul Ring Configuration beyond the understanding of ordinary people like them.
In a shadowy corner not far away.
"Fengzhi, what should we do? Xue Hen didn't show up, but we've drawn in someone who might be even more powerful, and he killed Pianpian. Now Xue Hen can't avenge himself with his own hands. When he finds out his enemy is dead, will he be unhappy and keep coming after the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?" Chen Xin asked Ning Fengzhi with concern.
Chen Xin wasn't the only one worried. Ning Fengzhi shared his concern.
If Xue Hen could have killed his enemy himself, then afterward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could have turned a blind eye, left him alone, and refrained from avenging Ning Pianpian. Their grudge would probably have ended there.
But now Ning Pianpian was dead, and not even a corpse had been left behind. How was Xue Hen supposed to avenge himself?
What if he couldn't swallow his old resentment, and, unable to take revenge on Ning Pianpian, decided to retaliate against her family—his own Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? The... consequences would be unimaginable!
Against a Super Douluo who might be Level 98, even if Uncle Jian and Uncle Bone joined forces, with his support, their odds of winning would be no more than fifty percent. And that wasn't even counting the opponent's Twin Martial Souls and all those Soul Bones. By that reckoning... they couldn't win at all.
He couldn't possibly use sheer numbers: have the three of them hold the opponent off while thousands of disciples swarmed in and wore him down to exhaustion, could he?
Even if they succeeded in killing him that way, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would likely be crippled.
After thinking it over, Ning Fengzhi fell silent for a moment, then said helplessly, "At this point, there's nothing else we can do. Qinghe must have come here on Emperor Xue Ye's orders to meet Xue Hen. He's having Xue Tian taken into custody, probably so he can hand him over to Xue Hen to deal with. Let's see whether Xue Hen can calm down after killing Xue Tian. If he can't, we'll just have to take things as they come."
"Ah..." Ning Fengzhi let out a heavy sigh.
Neither he nor Chen Xin brought up the question hanging between them.
Why hadn't they stepped forward just now to stop Yuan Qi and save Ning Pianpian?
After all, she was the expendable pawn they'd intended to leave for Xue Hen to kill.
In the inn room.
"Hum..." Xue Hen quietly returned to the room. A glow appeared around him, and in the next moment, his appearance and aura rapidly changed.
Soon, he had changed back from Yuan Qi into Xue Hen.
[Name: Xue Hen Age: Twenty-one Soul Power: Level 97 Martial Soul: Imperial Power Sword/Jade Swan Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Red, Red/Red, Red, Red Fused Character: Super Douluo—Xue Hen Reality Rate: 99.21% Available Character to Fuse: Descendant of the Sun God—Yuan Qi (Reality Rate: 47.29%)]
Standing before the mirror, Xue Hen looked at his changed appearance. Even his clothes had returned to their original pure-white outfit. He nodded in satisfaction.
He released his spiritual power to sense the surroundings and, sure enough, detected a group approaching. One aura belonged to Xue Tian; the other belonged to the young man in gold-and-red finery he'd encountered earlier.
The Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe.
Or rather, the Spirit Hall's young mistress—Qian Renxue!
"Hmph." Xue Hen gave a soft snort, walked over to the table, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and waited patiently.
Before long, there came a knock at the door.
Xue Hen glanced at it. An invisible ripple of Soul Power passed through the room, and the latch opened by itself.
"Come in," Xue Hen said coolly, then took a sip of tea.
Hearing his voice from inside, Qian Renxue—her mind already composed and her Xue Qinghe persona restored—gently pushed the door open. She didn't enter at once, but stood outside and looked in.
When she saw the white-clad figure sitting at the table, sipping tea, her pupils contracted slightly.
It really was him, exactly like the figure on the Sky Screen.
Xue Hen!
Qian Renxue's breathing quickened slightly. Then she put on a friendly expression, letting a little warmth show, and greeted Xue Hen politely. "Prince Xue Hen, I'm Xue Qinghe, your cousin. Father told me you were staying here, so I came to visit."
"Xue Qinghe?" Xue Hen murmured the name once, then turned his head toward the doorway.
"So it's the crown prince. Your Highness has mistaken me for someone else. There's no prince of yours here... Hm? Xue Tian!"
Xue Hen had only gotten halfway through his sentence when he spotted Xue Tian being held by the guards behind Qian Renxue. His expression changed abruptly.
Before you continue