At night, moonlight spilled across the window lattice of Frost Snow Palace. Qian Lingche lay in bed, his brows faintly furrowed.
His consciousness gradually grew hazy, and he sank into a long, oppressive dream.
In the dream, he saw his mother.
She stood in a dim room, her expression pained and despairing. Her hands clutched the hem of her clothes, and tears filled her eyes.
His father's figure loomed in the shadows, drawing closer step by step with a suffocating sense of oppression.
Qian Lingche tried to rush forward and stop him, only to find himself unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as it all unfolded.
His mother's voice rang in his ears, filled with endless sorrow. "Why... why..."
The scene shifted, and he saw the moment of his birth.
His mother lay weakly in bed, her face as pale as paper. His father and grandfather stood to one side, their gazes cold and distant.
His older sister, Qian Renxue, rested in their grandfather's arms, a loving smile on her face, as if she were the hope of the entire family.
His grandfather merely glanced at him before turning and leaving.
His father stood coldly to one side, as if his existence meant nothing.
The dream continued. He saw that after his father's death, his grandfather addressed his older sister, Qian Renxue, with an imposing air. "Xue'er, you are the future of our Qian Family, and the future of Spirit Hall."
"You must go to the Heaven Dou Empire and infiltrate the Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's side. Find an opportunity to replace him. Use his identity to infiltrate and take control of the Heaven Dou Empire, coordinating with Spirit Hall from within and without."
"Why... why me..." Qian Lingche murmured in the dream, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.
He didn't know why no one liked him, why he was always overlooked, or why even his name seemed so unnecessary.
His existence seemed like a mistake, an accident that should never have happened.
At the end of the dream, he stood in a dark void, surrounded by a terrifying silence.
He lowered his head and looked at his hands. His palms held nothing, yet they seemed to bear an endless loneliness and confusion.
He wanted to cry out, to demand answers, but found that he couldn't make a sound.
"Qian Lingche." An unfamiliar voice rang through the darkness, touched with curiosity.
Qian Lingche awoke with a start. He sat up, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
Moonlight spilled through the window onto his face, revealing his pale complexion and faintly trembling hands.
He raised a hand and rubbed his temples, trying to calm himself.
The images from the dream still lingered in his mind. The oppressive scenes and heavy emotions seemed to weigh on his heart, leaving him unable to breathe.
"Why... why..." he murmured, his voice tinged with exhaustion and confusion.
"Qian Lingche." The voice sounded again, this time with a hint of puzzlement.
Qian Lingche whipped around, his pupils contracting sharply. At some point, an unfamiliar figure had appeared beside his bed.
The figure was shrouded in darkness, its face impossible to make out. Only its eyes glimmered in the night.
Qian Lingche started in fright. His body sprang from the bed, and four wings abruptly unfurled behind him. The ice-blue wings shimmered with a dreamlike luster in the moonlight, filling the entire room with a ghostly chill.
Without hesitation, he flew backward in the opposite direction, putting distance between himself and the figure. "Who are you?!"
Before his words had even faded, his First Soul Ring had already lit up, its purple glow especially dazzling in the darkness.
"First Soul Skill—Angel Assault!" Twenty-four Ice Cones instantly took shape behind him, each radiating a bone-chilling cold as if it could freeze a person solid.
"Go!" Qian Lingche shouted. The Ice Cones tore through the air with sharp whistles, instantly engulfing the spot where the figure stood.
Yet just as the Ice Cones were about to strike their target, the figure suddenly vanished.
The Ice Cones struck empty air and embedded themselves in the walls with a series of clinks, sending ice shards flying.
Qian Lingche's heart tightened. He quickly rose into the air, his gaze warily sweeping his surroundings.
His Second Soul Ring was primed to activate, ready to respond to any sudden developments.
"Not bad." The person's voice sounded again, carrying a trace of approval.
Qian Lingche's Second Soul Ring was just about to light up. Purple light had only begun to flicker around him when the figure across from him suddenly moved.
The person raised a hand and swept it through the air. "First Soul Skill—Time Slow!"
In an instant, a surge of blue Soul Power surged toward Qian Lingche like a rising tide.
At that moment, Snow God Qian Shangyi, far away in the Divine Realm, watched the scene below. Seeing what was happening, a trace of displeasure flashed in her eyes.
This was the successor she had chosen. She wouldn't let anyone bully him.
With a slight wave of her hand, an invisible surge of Divine Power quietly flowed toward Qian Lingche.
Just as Shi Yi's Soul Skill was about to touch Qian Lingche, a powerful shockwave suddenly erupted from Qian Lingche's body.
In an instant, it completely shattered Shi Yi's Soul Skill. The force even sent Shi Yi flying. He crashed to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. Clutching his chest, he stared in shock and disbelief.
"What... what's going on..." Shi Yi muttered, his gaze fixed on Qian Lingche, complex emotions in his eyes.
Qian Lingche's brows furrowed slightly. He could clearly feel that a strange and powerful force had suddenly appeared within him. Its presence seemed... very much like the feeling he got from the Angel God Statue.
Looking at the dim surroundings, Qian Lingche snapped his fingers. The crisp sound echoed through the silent palace.
Then Soul Power burst forth like starlight, lighting the lamps around them.
Soft light instantly chased away the darkness and illuminated the entire palace.
Only then did he get a clear look at the other person: a silver-haired youth who appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen.
His features were youthful and refined, his skin as fair as jade. A boyish innocence showed between his brows, yet he still had a strikingly heroic air.
He wore a luxurious robe studded with dazzling jewels that glimmered in the lamplight, as if he had draped the entire night sky over his shoulders.
But Qian Lingche knew very well that the seemingly young man before him couldn't possibly be only seventeen or eighteen.
Someone who could slip into his bedchamber without a sound and looked so young was probably a Titled Douluo.
Qian Lingche hovered in the air, looking down at the youth. "Who are you?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the temperature around them plummeted. A piercing chill filled the air.
Huge Ice Cones slowly formed beside him, each radiating a chilling light that made the heart quake.
Shi Yi felt the icy pressure and, for the first time, was truly afraid. The power contained in those Ice Cones was enough to threaten his life.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. His confidence vanished without a trace.
Shi Yi struggled to his feet, his face full of bitterness.
He raised both hands, his voice edged with helplessness. "All right, all right. I surrender. Don't attack!"