Qian Renxue

Time slipped by like a white colt flashing past a gap in the wall. Six years, in the long river of a Soul Master's life, were no more than the blink of an eye.

Douluo Continent, Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.

Night lay deep and all was silent. Beneath the darkened sky, the magnificent imperial palace looked even more solemn and imposing.

Inside the Crown Prince's Palace, the lights had long since gone out. Only the faint moonlight beyond the window lattice spilled into the room, casting a cool silver glow.

"Creak—"

The faintest sound of a door opening broke the silence.

A somewhat weary figure quietly stepped into the room.

He wore the Crown Prince's python robe. Handsome and gentle in bearing, he was none other than Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Yet the instant the door silently closed behind him, a sudden change took place!

A soft, pale golden light, imbued with a sacred aura, quietly emerged from within Xue Qinghe's body, spreading rapidly over him like rippling water.

Beneath its radiance, his appearance began to change astonishingly.

The manly contours of his face softened, his features growing delicate and smooth.

His body was reshaped in the faint light. His Adam's apple vanished, and his features became exquisite beyond compare, as though the finest artisan had carved them from precious jade.

In just a few breaths, beneath that ornate Crown Prince's robe was an entirely different body.

Tall and shapely, with every curve perfect as the finest masterpiece of the heavens.

The light slowly drew back, then vanished completely into her body.

Standing in the middle of the room was no longer the gentle, refined Crown Prince who had won the hearts of the Heaven Dou Empire's people, but a woman of peerless beauty.

Her golden hair shone like the rising sun. Now that it was no longer bound, it spilled loosely down her back, its soft sheen flowing beneath the moonlight.

Her beautiful eyes were no longer the black she had used as a disguise. They had returned to their original violet, deep and mysterious like a night sky filled with stars, now carrying the weariness of someone who had finally set down a heavy burden.

In the moonlight, her skin resembled the finest white jade, smooth and flawless.

Her exquisite features combined the fresh, delicate beauty of a young woman with an innate nobility and authority. Contradictory yet harmonious, they formed a unique and deadly allure.

The slightly oversized Crown Prince's robe could no longer conceal the perfect feminine curves beneath it. If anything, it added a hint of forbidden temptation.

She was the true Saintess of Spirit Hall, heir to the Angel Godhood, the granddaughter of Qian Daoliu—the level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo—and the future Angel God: Qian Renxue.

Having removed Xue Qinghe's mask, Qian Renxue let out a soft breath. A trace of weariness flickered in her violet eyes.

Lurking in the Heaven Dou Empire, posing as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, and advancing step by step on a knife's edge had taken more effort than most could imagine.

Only in the dead of night, when she was alone, could she briefly be herself again, return to her female form, and enjoy a moment of peace.

But that peace did not last long.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Three measured knocks, neither soft nor hard, sounded at the door, carrying a distinct rhythm.

Then an aged yet deeply respectful voice came from outside. "Young Mistress, this subordinate, Pufferfish, has an important matter to report."

A glint flashed in Qian Renxue's violet eyes. Her weariness vanished at once, replaced by her usual cool sharpness.

"Come in," she said.

The door soundlessly swung open, and a short, stout old man slipped inside. Despite his build, he gave the impression of a steady mountain. He was Pufferfish Douluo, one of Spirit Hall's elders.

After entering, Pufferfish Douluo came to stand behind Qian Renxue. He took a sealed letter from his robes, marked with a special golden angel emblem, and respectfully presented it with both hands.

"Young Mistress, the High Priestess has sent an urgent, secret letter. She said you must open it yourself."

Qian Renxue turned and looked at the familiar angel emblem on the envelope, which gave off a faint sacred fluctuation. Her pupils narrowed slightly.

This was the highest-level emergency signal between her and her grandfather. It would never be used unless the matter was of the utmost importance.

She reached out with slender fingers and took the letter.

It felt slightly heavy in her hand. The paper had been specially treated to resist both water and fire, and could only be opened with a specific method, ensuring its security.

Qian Renxue sat beside the writing desk and used her Soul Power to activate the emblem on the letter. The seal released itself.

She took out the letter and unfolded it.

There were only a few words on the page, written in her grandfather Qian Daoliu's familiar, forceful hand.

The instant her eyes fell on the contents, her carefully groomed brows drew together.

Unconcealed confusion and bewilderment appeared on her exquisite face, along with a tension she forced down so quickly that even she did not notice it.

Something happened at Spirit Hall?

No. Grandfather's aura is powerful and steady. He's a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo. Nothing could possibly have gone wrong at Spirit Hall. If so, why has he summoned me back so urgently? The plan in the Heaven Dou Empire is at a critical stage. Leaving now would be extremely risky...

The letter doesn't explain anything. It only says there's an important matter to discuss and that I must return at once... What could be so important that Grandfather is this anxious, even resorting to an emergency channel?

Several possibilities flashed through Qian Renxue's mind, but the brief letter revealed no specifics. Instead, it deepened her suspicions.

Her grandfather had always been cautious, planning thoroughly before acting. For him to behave so unusually, something significant must have happened.

After a brief moment of daze, Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened. Her composure and decisiveness returned.

She raised her right hand and released a little Soul Power from her palm. A pure, blazing golden flame ignited out of thin air: the Sacred Fire unique to the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.

She held the letter and its contents over the flame. Under Pufferfish Douluo's slightly surprised gaze, she watched them quickly turn to ash, leaving not a trace behind.

This was an agreement between her and Qian Daoliu: all letters of the highest security level were to be burned immediately after reading and never kept.

"Young Mistress, this..." Seeing this, Pufferfish Douluo finally couldn't hold back. His voice carried deep confusion and concern.

He had followed Qian Renxue in her years-long infiltration of the Heaven Dou Empire. He knew how patient and cautious she was, and how unfathomable the High Priestess, Qian Daoliu, could be.

Such an urgent summons, delivered with such secrecy, could not be a trivial matter.

Qian Renxue turned to look at Pufferfish Douluo.

By now, she had fully calmed the turmoil in her heart, though a trace of gravity remained deep in her violet eyes.

"It's all right, Uncle Pufferfish."

Her voice was calm, as though she had merely dealt with some routine business. "Grandfather's letter says only that there's an urgent matter and I need to return to Spirit Hall to discuss it in person. He didn't explain what it is. I imagine it's serious and not something that could be described in a letter."