Following

Halfway through the air, Qian Renxue looked down and happened to spot two small figures moving through the forest.

She frowned.

Qian Renxue came from Spirit Hall and had been personally taught by Qian Daoliu since childhood. Deep down, she possessed an irrepressible sense of justice.

Seeing two children appear in a place like the Star Dou Forest, her first thought was—had they come hunting Soul Beasts with their parents and gotten separated?

She had Pufferfish Douluo remain on standby in the shadows while she descended with Snake Lance Douluo to investigate.

They had been too far away to see clearly. Only when she drew near did Qian Renxue realize, to her surprise, that the two children were only six years old.

And judging by the fluctuations of their Soul Power, both were around level ten.

Six years old, level ten. That meant their Innate Soul Power was either level nine or Innate Full Soul Power.

Qian Renxue's eyes lit up.

She was undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire, and what she lacked most was talent.

If she could recruit two seedlings with Innate Full Soul Power, they would surely become great assets in time.

So she deliberately made some noise, letting the two children notice her presence before stepping out on her own.

"Thank you for your concern." Nezha nodded neither humbly nor arrogantly. "We're fine."

Xiao Wu stood beside Nezha without speaking, but the wariness in her gaze did not lessen in the slightest.

Qian Renxue looked them over, then asked, "Did you come here alone, or did you get separated from your parents?"

Nezha and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance.

They had rehearsed this question before coming to the Star Dou Forest.

If they encountered Soul Masters in the forest, how should they answer? Pretending to be clueless little brats would draw the least suspicion.

"We came here for an adventure."

Nezha puffed out his chest, doing his best to look like a little kid who knew nothing of the world's dangers.

"We've already obtained our Soul Rings. We're official Soul Masters now!"

Xiao Wu nodded along beside him. "That's right! We're Soul Masters now!"

Qian Renxue: "..."

The smile on her face stiffened for a moment.

So they were just two little brats after all.

Her expression immediately turned stern, and her tone changed, like an adult scolding disobedient children.

"Do you know how dangerous the Star Dou Forest is? Two six-year-old children who have only just obtained their Soul Rings, and you came here to seek adventure? Thousand-year Soul Beasts roam everywhere here, and ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts aren't uncommon either. If you run into one at random, you won't even be able to escape!"

Xiao Wu frowned.

She had only been pretending to be a brat to cooperate with Nezha, but this woman's lecturing tone was truly irritating.

"Who are you to us?"

Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips and raised her chin. "Who gave you the right to lecture us?"

Half of that was acting, and half of it was sincere.

Qian Renxue choked on her words, unsure whether to be angry or amused.

She looked at Xiao Wu, who glared back without yielding. Her pink eyes were filled with defiance.

Qian Renxue shook her head and sighed. "I mean well. You're so young, yet you don't take your own lives seriously. What will become of you when you grow up?"

Nezha tugged Xiao Wu's sleeve, signaling for her not to take it too far, then cupped his hands toward Qian Renxue. "Thank you for your concern, Senior. We'll head back now."

Qian Renxue watched them, and her desire to recruit talent still outweighed her displeasure at being talked back to.

After thinking for a moment, she took a token from her storage Soul Tool and handed it over.

"This is my token. If you encounter any trouble in the future, bring it to the Crown Prince's residence in Heaven Dou City to find me."

Nezha accepted the token and lowered his head for a look. It was entirely silver-white, with the character "Xue" engraved on the front and a swan spreading its wings on the back.

In an instant, he understood and formed a guess about the woman's identity.

Xue Qinghe. The Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

And also Qian Renxue, daughter of Bibi Dong, the Pope of Spirit Hall.

Outwardly, Nezha nodded without revealing anything. "Thank you, Senior."

Qian Renxue gave them another look, her gaze lingering on the two children's faces for a moment. Then she turned and vanished into the dense forest with the middle-aged man.

After the two left, Xiao Wu leaned close to Nezha's ear and lowered her voice. "That woman was so long-winded."

"She meant well."

Qian Renxue. Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. Heir to the Angel God.

Of course, to Nezha, she had only two identities that mattered—Bibi Dong's daughter and Spirit Hall's heir.

As he walked, Nezha toyed with the silver token in his hand, the corner of his lips curling into a faint smile.

How could killing Bibi Dong alone be enough for revenge?

Killing her would be letting her off too easily.

He wanted her to watch everything she treasured most be taken from her. He wanted her to slowly taste the pain of loss in despair.

And Qian Renxue was clearly an excellent stepping stone.

Xiao Wu walked beside him. Seeing him stare at that token the whole way, she could not help asking, "You've been staring at it the entire time. Did you find flowers growing on it?"

"Nothing." Nezha put the token into his storage Soul Tool. "I just think that woman is rather interesting."

"What's interesting about her? She talks your ear off." Xiao Wu rolled her eyes.

Nezha merely smiled and said nothing.

Elsewhere, in the dense forest.

After walking several miles, Qian Renxue stopped and quietly said to the middle-aged man behind her, "Uncle Snake Lance, follow those two children in secret and see where they go."

Snake Lance Douluo frowned. "Miss, we haven't returned to Heaven Dou City yet. What if something happens on the way—"

"Uncle Pufferfish is here." Qian Renxue interrupted him. "There aren't many Titled Douluo on Douluo Continent to begin with. The chances of running into two at once are lower than pie falling from the sky. Besides, I'm a Soul King myself. Nothing will happen."

Snake Lance Douluo wanted to say more, but when he met Qian Renxue's unquestionable golden eyes, he swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

"As you command."

His figure flashed, turning into an afterimage as he vanished into the dense forest.

One day later, outside the gates of Notting Academy.

Nezha and Xiao Wu, dusty from travel, stepped through the school gates. The final day stated on their leave slips was today; if they did not return now, it would count as skipping class.

A black shadow silently swept past the distant treetops. After pausing briefly, it turned back north.

Snake Lance Douluo watched the two children enter the gates of Notting Junior Soul Master Academy and confirmed the name on the plaque once more before turning to leave.

Notting Academy. Destination confirmed. It was time to return and report to Miss.

Nezha and Xiao Wu had no idea that a Titled Douluo had followed them all the way.

The moment they entered the school gates, Xiao Wu was stretching when she suddenly saw several students running over from the training field. Their faces were full of excitement as they shouted while running, "Hurry to the back hill! Boss Xiao is fighting the work-study students!"

Xiao Wu's eyes instantly lit up.

"There's something exciting to watch!"

She grabbed Nezha's sleeve and ran after the students. Nezha stumbled two steps as she dragged him along, then followed helplessly.