You Go Back. Don't Come Again.

"I never agreed to your pursuit."

"We were merely colleagues, acquainted with each other."

Those words exploded in his mind like a bolt of thunder, shattering everything he had believed for tens of thousands of years.

He had always thought that she had accepted his feelings.

He had always thought that their feelings were mutual.

After all, life and destruction were not supposed to be apart.

But now, she was telling him that it had all been nothing but his wishful thinking?

"You..."

The God of Destruction's voice trembled slightly. For the first time, confusion and uncertainty appeared in those violet-black eyes. "What did you say? Aren't we..."

"Aren't we what?"

The Goddess of Life coldly cut him off and asked, "Destruction, think carefully. When did I ever agree to your pursuit? When did I ever acknowledge you as my partner? From beginning to end, you were the only one being self-indulgent. I never rejected you because I considered your pride and did not wish for you to be embarrassed in the God Realm. But that does not mean I had accepted the relationship you imagined between us."

The God of Destruction stood rooted to the spot, as though his soul had been drained from his body.

He recalled every moment from the past, trying to find proof that the Goddess of Life had accepted him.

Yet no matter how hard he thought, he could not find a single clear answer.

She had never said, "I do."

Nor had she ever acknowledged their relationship.

Much less had she ever made him any promise.

It had all been nothing more than his own presumptuous fantasy.

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

The God of Destruction's voice was hoarse, carrying a trace of despair. "Why didn't you say anything all these years?"

"Because I thought you would come to understand it yourself."

The Goddess of Life's tone softened slightly, though it remained cold. "I thought that, as time passed, you would gradually understand how I felt. But I never expected you to sink deeper and deeper until you became like this."

The God of Destruction closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them again, the anger in his violet-black eyes was gone, leaving only profound exhaustion and sorrow.

"Who... is that child's father?" he asked one final time, his voice terrifyingly calm.

The Goddess of Life looked at him in silence for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

The Goddess of Life spoke softly. "Destruction, some things are better left unknown. Go back. Don't come again."

The God of Destruction remained standing there for a long time without moving.

At last, he slowly turned around and walked toward the hall exit, one step at a time.

His back looked somewhat stooped, as though he had aged greatly in an instant.

When he reached the doorway, he stopped. Without turning back, he merely said softly, "I'm sorry. I've disturbed you all these years."

Then he stepped out of the hall and vanished into the light beyond the doors.

The dark violet aura of destruction receded like the tide, and the Palace of Life returned to peace.

The Goddess of Life stood where she was, gazing at a grand building somewhere on Douluo Continent. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she murmured, "I'd like to see how you can reappear in this world without entering your own territory!"

The Tiandou royal family.

It was late at night, and the entire imperial palace was shrouded in silence.

Only the bathroom in the East Palace remained lit. Misty vapor drifted through the crack beneath the door, carrying a faint floral scent.

"Splash—"

The bathroom door slowly opened, and a beautiful figure emerged.

She was a young girl.

She possessed an incomparably beautiful face, with brows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn waters, a high nose bridge, full lips, and features so exquisite they seemed to be heaven's proudest creation.

Her figure was tall and curvaceous, her skin fair and smooth as congealed cream, glowing faintly beneath the candlelight.

She wore a spaghetti-strap nightgown, simple in design yet perfectly outlining her alluring curves.

Her fair arms and long, jade-like legs were exposed, appearing especially enticing beneath the bright lights.

As she walked, she used a towel to dry her damp golden hair, looking languid yet elegant.

She was none other than Qian Renxue, the Angel God, disguised as Xue Qinghe, the crown prince of the Tiandou Empire.

Just then, a low voice sounded from outside the door. "Young Mistress, there is news from Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

Qian Renxue's hand paused slightly as she dried her hair, but it quickly resumed its usual motion.

She walked to the dressing table and sat down. Picking up a comb, she began combing her long hair as she asked casually, "What could possibly be happening there? And even if something is happening, isn't Prince Xue Xing in charge of it?"

There was a hint of disdain in her voice.

Though Heaven Dou Royal Academy was the Tiandou Empire's highest-ranked soul master academy, in her eyes, it was nothing particularly special.

Moreover, she had been undercover in the Tiandou Empire for many years. Her main focus had always been the imperial court, and she truly had little interest in matters taking place within an academy.

Yet Porcupinefish Douluo's tone from outside carried unprecedented gravity. "This time is different, Young Mistress. A true peerless genius has appeared there, one just like you."

Qian Renxue's hand stopped mid-comb.

She fell silent for a moment, then gave a soft laugh, her tone holding a trace of intrigue. "Just like me? I was born with twentieth-level Soul Power. Could it be..."

She stopped halfway through her sentence.

Because she had thought of a possibility.

A possibility that even she found somewhat unbelievable.

She set down the comb, turned toward the tightly shut door behind her, and spoke with a hint of seriousness in her voice. "You mean..."

Porcupinefish Douluo did not answer directly. Instead, he slipped a file through the gap beneath the door.

Qian Renxue rose to her feet, walked to the door, and bent down to pick up the file.

She opened it and carefully read through it by candlelight.

Qian Renxue's gaze swept across the words. Her expression gradually shifted from calm to solemn, before she froze completely.

Name: Li Changqing. Age: Six. Martial Soul: Ancient Tree of Life. Innate Soul Power: Level Twenty. First Soul Ring: Three-thousand-year Emerald Swan. Second Soul Ring: Seven-thousand-year Light Spirit Deer. Current Residence: Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Companion: One female, identity unknown, cultivation unfathomable, suspected to be at least a Titled Douluo.

Qian Renxue's grip on the file tightened slightly.

Innate twentieth-level Soul Power—the same as hers.

But she had never heard of that Martial Soul, the Ancient Tree of Life.

And the ages of those two Soul Rings shocked her even more.

Three thousand years and seven thousand years—this completely defied common sense.

Even her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, had only received the reward of increased Soul Ring cultivation after passing the Angel God's trial, gaining the extravagant combination of eight ten-thousand-year Soul Rings and one hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring.

Yet this child was only six years old and already possessed two thousand-year Soul Rings.

How was that possible?

Could it be that this six-year-old child had not only received a god's inheritance, but had also passed the trial so quickly?

No matter how she looked at it, it made no sense.

Qian Renxue paced back and forth across the room, her golden hair swaying behind her.

Her mind raced through every possibility.

At last, she stopped, and a flash of resolve appeared in her eyes.

"Tomorrow, I will personally pay a visit to Heaven Dou Royal Academy." Her voice carried an unquestionable decision.

Porcupinefish Douluo was silent for a moment outside the door before asking, "Young Mistress intends to..."

"If possible, it would be best to win him over to my side."

Qian Renxue walked to the window and pushed it open. The night breeze swept in, lifting her hair and the hem of her nightgown.

She gazed in the direction of Heaven Dou Royal Academy in the distance, determination flashing in her eyes. "A genius like this would be such a waste if he cannot be used by me."

"Understood."

Porcupinefish Douluo replied, "Then I will make arrangements for tomorrow's journey at once."

"Go."

The footsteps faded away, and silence once more descended upon the East Palace.

Qian Renxue stood by the window as the night breeze brushed against her face, bringing a touch of coolness.

She lowered her head to look at the file in her hand. Her gaze settled on the portrait of the boy, and a meaningful smile curved across her lips.

"Li Changqing... Ancient Tree of Life... Interesting."