The Story of Qian Renxue and Ye Guyi (Setting)

At this moment, Kong Bo was manipulating the Ice Shield to press against Ye Guyi, while she remained firmly pinned against the barrier of the Air-Locking Cube, unable to move. Ye Guyi could feel the soul power surging within Kong Bo's shield; it was no simple defensive tool. If the soul power inside were to detonate, the Ice Shield would essentially function as a ticking time bomb.

"You? Fine, I agree. Let me settle things with Guyi, and then I will go with you." A moment later, a golden light shone from Ye Guyi's body and entered Kong Bo's mind. Just as he had suspected during their battle, the treasure within her was not some relic of Qian Renxue, but the soul of Qian Renxue herself. With that, Ye Guyi fell into a state of unconsciousness. Kong Bo then retracted the Air-Locking Cube and the Blessing of Frost Moon.

"Miss Angel God, I never expected to see you here," Kong Bo said. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kong Bo. I imagine you must have heard of my great-grandfather's name; he is the head of the Offering Hall."

"You are the great-grandson of Kong Deming?" Qian Renxue's tone turned one of surprise. "Are you here at the Underground Soul Fighting Arena for training?"

"Of course." Kong Bo nodded. "However, my great-grandfather is unaware of this. I came here to fight on my own initiative. Since the quality of my martial soul is superior to an ordinary moon, I felt I should train myself through real combat."

"Very well. Compared to other young geniuses, you have a very clear understanding of yourself. That is truly rare," Qian Renxue remarked.

"Miss Angel God, is she alright?" Kong Bo asked, gesturing toward Ye Guyi.

"She is fine, merely suffering from soul power exhaustion," Qian Renxue replied.

"I see." Kong Bo nodded, then a question occurred to him. "Miss Angel God, I am curious. The Xishui Alliance hates her to the bone, so why does she keep competing in the Underground Soul Fighting Arena? Is she in desperate need of money?"

Upon hearing this question, Qian Renxue's expression became filled with guilt and helplessness, and her tone grew heavy. "Sigh, this is my fault. You should know that while Spirit Hall has fallen, the families of those titled elders still remain. With the limited help I could provide, I could only protect the families of my third and fifth grand-uncles—the families of Qingluan Douluo and Guangling Douluo—and have them flee under assumed names. Later, I died, but my soul remained, and I entrusted myself to their descendants. Eventually, the Sun Moon Empire appeared to the south of the Star Luo Empire, and those two families brought me here. After all, in your Sun Moon Empire, who cares about the history of the Douluo Continent?"

"So that's how it is," Kong Bo said. "The rest of the story must be that although the descendants of the third and fifth elders had some money and decent martial souls, cultivating soul masters is incredibly expensive, and their families failed to produce any outstanding successors. Later, you saw that Ye Guyi had talent and struck a deal with her: you would provide her with a more powerful Angel martial soul, and she would help you earn money to support those two families. Is that correct? The Underground Soul Fighting Arena must be a highly profitable industry, right?"

"That is indeed the case," Qian Renxue nodded. "You are not only talented but also extremely shrewd."

"Very well, Miss Angel God," Kong Bo said. "You were able to strike a deal with her, so you can strike one with me. I am the top expert of the Sun Moon Empire and the Duke of Yue; I am the only great-grandson of my great-grandfather. You are well aware of the conveniences such an identity can bring. I can offer you far more benefits than Ye Guyi ever could. Perhaps I might even be able to help you resurrect."

"Really?" At this, Qian Renxue's tone became instinctively excited. After all, having been a wandering ghost for ten thousand years, she would be overjoyed if she could truly return to life.

Then, Qian Renxue forced herself to calm down. "But what about this child, Ye Guyi? Please forgive me, but I cannot simply abandon her."

Kong Bo replied, "You made a deal with her, and now you will make one with me. I am essentially taking over her benefits and obligations. I will certainly provide her with compensation. How about this: I will have my grandfather write her a letter of recommendation so she can reside at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. As for the descendants of the third and fifth elders, it is just supporting two families, isn't it? Money is not an issue. If they are ordinary soul masters, they are likely living at the border of the inner and outer cities; I am in need of manpower anyway."

"I am truly grateful to you, Kong Bo. I never expected you to be such a reasonable person. May the Angel God bless you," Qian Renxue said.

At this moment, Kong Bo's image in Qian Renxue's heart became particularly towering. She had not expected him to be so kind—not only willing to help her support the two families but also willing to sponsor Ye Guyi's education at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. These were all funded by Kong Bo himself. Although he was not short on money, his willingness to provide such substantial support showed that he took his promises to her very seriously.

Then, Kong Bo's next words dealt Qian Renxue a critical blow. "Miss Angel God, if the Angel God could truly bless people, then the ones ruling the Douluo Continent right now should be Spirit Hall, not the current Shrek Academy."

"..." This statement left Qian Renxue completely speechless, as it was brutally pragmatic and dealt her genuine emotional damage. The famous Piltover philosopher Camille once said, "Lies don't hurt, the truth is the sharp blade." That quote described Kong Bo perfectly.

The atmosphere became incredibly awkward, and Qian Renxue did not know how to respond. Fortunately, at that moment, Ye Guyi slowly stirred from her unconscious state. "I... where am I..."

"It is alright, Miss Ye Guyi. Your teacher has already agreed to our deal," Kong Bo said. "In return, I can provide you with better cultivation conditions. Are you interested in studying at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy? I can make that happen. As for the other promises you made to your teacher, I will help her fulfill them."

"Really? Zandik?" Upon hearing this, Ye Guyi suddenly lifted her head to look at Kong Bo. "I have dreamed of going to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy! It is the top academy in our Sun Moon Empire, but the tuition is too high, and one needs the right connections to get in. If you are willing to let me attend, I will go through fire and water for you in the future, without hesitation."

"Hmm, very good." Kong Bo nodded. "In that case, come back with me first. I will arrange your enrollment and everything else that follows."