Facing the girl's confident gaze, Lin Yan chose to keep playing dumb and string her along a little longer.
"I... don't really understand."
The air fell quiet for a moment.
Looking at the innocent, bewildered expression on the boy's face, Qian Renxue couldn't help furrowing her brow slightly.
Had what she said really been that hard to understand? She'd only switched identities. It shouldn't have made him unable to understand a word she was saying.
Never mind. A six-year-old's ability to take things in probably was limited.
She let out a soft sigh, then gave Lin Yan a more detailed explanation of her identity as the young mistress of Spirit Hall.
She told him everything from the current state of the continent to Spirit Hall's standing in the hearts of all Soul Masters.
Though she didn't go into too much detail, it still took Qian Renxue quite a bit of time and effort.
Throughout the explanation, she faced Lin Yan like a kindergarten teacher telling a child a story. The sight was rather adorable.
Nearly twenty minutes passed. Only when Lin Yan saw a trace of impatience flash across the girl's face did he finally speak, taking his time.
"So... what about the real Crown Prince?"
At that, a clear look of delight appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes.
Damn it, the little brat finally understood! So taking care of a child was this hard. Her dislike of children had just gone up by one...
She smiled and resumed her air of authority.
"That doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're willing to pledge your loyalty to me."
"I can promise you that in the future, you'll receive cultivation resources beyond anyone else's reach. If you stay by my side, even a Titled Douluo will secretly protect you as you grow."
"With talent like yours, it's only a matter of time before you become a Titled Douluo."
As she finished speaking, Qian Renxue bent down and crouched in front of Lin Yan, her slender hands naturally coming to rest on his shoulders.
"Now tell me. Are you willing to pledge your loyalty to me?"
This time, Lin Yan didn't string her along any further.
Looking into the beautiful eyes so close to his, he answered without hesitation.
"I'm willing."
The boy's slightly childish reply rang clearly through the stone chamber, and Qian Renxue's face lit up with delight.
At last, she'd finally won the boy over. All that explaining like a kindergarten teacher hadn't been for nothing.
Phew~
She let out a long breath and straightened, giving a small nod.
"Good."
"Years from now, you'll be incredibly glad you made this choice today."
There was no doubt about Lin Yan's talent. At around six years and four months old, he was already at level sixteen. He was a once-in-a-generation prodigy.
Even Qian Renxue herself hadn't advanced six levels in the four months after awakening her Martial Soul.
It was easy to imagine that Lin Yan might one day surpass every elder in Spirit Hall at present. Reaching the Peerless level wasn't out of the question, either.
At the thought, the corners of Qian Renxue's mouth began to rise uncontrollably.
With her back to Lin Yan, she gazed into the distance and murmured to herself.
"Just wait. I'll prove to you how outstanding I am!"
A hint of determination flashed in the girl's eyes...
Then she turned around and fixed her gaze on Lin Yan.
"Now, let me see just how strong you are."
"Huh? How are you going to test that?"
Lin Yan looked confused.
Qian Renxue answered with action.
"Give it everything you've got and defeat me!"
As she spoke...
[Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul Possession!]
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—six Soul Rings appeared around her.
At fifteen, Qian Renxue had already reached the Soul Emperor rank.
Her divine Soul Power swept through the entire secret chamber, tinting the enclosed space with flecks of golden light.
Lin Yan felt incredibly comfortable.
That's right!
Divine Soul Power countered Evil Fire. Wasn't Qian Renxue's Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul the perfect remedy for his Evil Fire?
Evil Fire, Evil Fire... ultimately, it was evil power causing the trouble.
Ice-attribute Soul Power suppressed Evil Fire, while divine Soul Power could purify it outright!
Lin Yan's face brightened. Suddenly, he grinned.
Qian Renxue didn't understand why he looked that way. She simply summoned the Holy Sword that came with her Angel Martial Soul and pointed it at Lin Yan.
"Come on! Your performance tonight will determine how many resources I think you're worth investing in."
"Okay!"
Lin Yan didn't hesitate. In an instant, he completed his own Martial Soul Possession.
The Thousand-Year Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up.
[First Soul Skill: Fire Demon God Spear!]
A spear roughly two meters and thirty centimeters long appeared in his hand. The next second, Lin Yan charged straight at his opponent.
He hadn't learned nothing at Shrek Academy all this time. With Flender and Zhao Wuji serving as his sparring partners, Lin Yan had at least developed reflexes beyond those of an ordinary person.
The two quickly clashed.
For a while, metal rang against metal, the crisp sounds echoing through the stone chamber.
A Soul Master against a Soul Emperor.
Naturally, Qian Renxue didn't use her full strength. Even so...
Without using her Soul Skills, Lin Yan barely fell behind. The two fought back and forth for quite some time.
The situation left Qian Renxue somewhat stunned.
She hadn't expected this brat to be not only gifted but also so astonishingly capable in actual combat and adapting on the fly.
What kind of genius had she stumbled across?
Before long, the fight ended when Lin Yan ran out of Soul Power.
The boy stood across from Qian Renxue, panting heavily, while she remained composed, smiling at him.
"Not bad. Your combat skills and reflexes are both excellent. Keep it up."
"As for everything else, someone will take you to enroll at Heaven Dou Royal Academy tomorrow. They'll teach you plenty of the basics there."
"But remember, on the surface, you're still one of the Crown Prince's people."
"I'll announce publicly that you're a personal guard trained by Xue Qinghe. Don't let the truth slip."
Qian Renxue continued speaking to herself.
Lin Yan was still catching his breath, so he didn't answer right away.
Seeing this, the girl continued.
"Is there anything you need right now? I'll do my best to accommodate you, as long as it's reasonable."
This time, Lin Yan would rather endure the dryness and discomfort in his throat than stay silent. He struggled to speak.
"I... I want a Storage Soul Tool. Could I have one?"
Qian Renxue could tell that Lin Yan really wanted one.
His throat was so dry from panting that his voice had gone hoarse, yet he still forced himself to make the request despite the discomfort.
For a moment, she found Lin Yan rather adorable.
"You certainly know what to ask for!"
Qian Renxue looked at Lin Yan with a smile playing on her lips.
Lin Yan gave an awkward, embarrassed smile, then swallowed.
"If that's not possible, then never mind. There's nothing else I really want."
"It's not that it's impossible. I just don't have an extra one right now."
"How about this? Tomorrow, I'll take you to the merchants in Heaven Dou City myself. Whatever else you need, we'll buy it all at once."
Qian Renxue certainly wouldn't begrudge him a Storage Soul Tool. For a genius like Lin Yan, even if he asked her directly for a Soul Bone, she would do her best to grant it.