Xiao Wu

Qian Renxue slowly brought the letter close to the candle flame and watched it turn to ash.

Firelight illuminated her pale face. One half looked sacred and awe-inspiring in the light, while the other revealed a profound gloom within the shadows.

Perhaps the truth could only be revealed once that child was born.

Before then, she had to play the role of the perfect crown prince.

Emerald Palace.

Eva reclined lazily on a couch covered in soft furs, watching the scene from the Crown Prince's Residence displayed in the Magic Mirror before her.

"Heh."

Eva gave a lazy chuckle, idly twirling a strand of golden hair around her fingertips. Her eyes gleamed with the teasing amusement of a cat toying with a mouse.

"It seems our little angel has completely lost her composure."

Eva stroked her flat abdomen. Of course, there was nothing there. The supposed pregnancy pulse was merely an illusion she had created with magic, enough to deceive even the imperial physicians and the investigations of a Title Douluo.

As for everything after the child's birth, Eva had long since made preparations. That night, she had collected Qian Renxue's blood, which contained pure angelic power.

That blood was now stored in a tiny crystal vial, which she gently caressed in her hand.

"Snow White, my good daughter."

Eva's gaze turned toward the distant west, as though it had pierced through space to see that pure and kind princess.

"When you come to this continent, Mother will prepare a grand gift for you. You will possess the most noble status and the strongest martial soul. You will become Mother's most perfect creation and most powerful chess piece."

Eva intended to blend this drop of sacred blood into a potion and inject it into Snow White's body, making her an indisputable bearer of angel blood.

Eva's smile grew ever more bewitching.

By using Qian Renxue's bloodline to create a Snow White with the Six-Winged Angel martial soul, she would establish that this child truly belonged to the angel lineage. Then, she would control both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Martial Soul Hall.

The plan was so perfect that even Eva could not help but admire it.

Whether Qian Renxue was enraged or shaken, she would ultimately never escape Eva's grasp.

As for Snow White's own wishes? Eva's red lips curved into a cruel smile.

Kindness was precisely the trait she could exploit most easily.

She would love this child—in a manner of absolute control.

"Little Qian Renxue, enjoy this surprise."

Eva raised a goblet of wine as scarlet as blood and offered a distant toast toward the Crown Prince's Residence, her eyes as deep as an abyss.

Star Dou Great Forest, at the edge of the core region.

Here, the towering ancient trees had lost their absolute dominance, allowing dappled sunlight to spill down.

Yet this once peaceful place was now filled with a pungent smell of blood and violent waves of energy.

A pink figure tumbled through the air in miserable fashion. It was A Rou, the 100,000-year spirit beast Soft Bone Rabbit who had taken human form.

Blood spilled from A Rou's lips, and her beautiful face was covered in blood and pain.

Her pink dress had also been torn apart, revealing wounds so deep that bone could be seen.

There was also a wound on her chest that emitted a purple-black glow.

The cause of that wound was Bibi Dong's sixth spirit skill—Eternal Wound.

It ignored physical defenses, directly wounded one's origin, and severed all life force.

"Mom!!"

Xiao Wu, who had only recently taken human form and possessed no strength at all, could only hide within the pink barrier A Rou had created to protect her and scream anxiously.

"Go! Xiao Wu, run! Enter the core region!"

A Rou's voice was hoarse yet resolute. Enduring the heart-rending agony, she exhausted the last of her strength and violently hurled the pink barrier protecting Xiao Wu toward the deepest reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest, toward the core region where the aura of life was most abundant.

The barrier became a streak of light and instantly vanished into the dense sea of trees.

"No! Mom! Don't leave Xiao Wu behind!!"

Xiao Wu's cries gradually blurred as she flew away at high speed.

Almost the instant Xiao Wu was thrown away, several powerful attacks descended upon A Rou once more.

At their head was none other than Bibi Dong, the current pope of the Martial Soul Hall.

She floated in midair, surrounded by an evil aura that made hearts tremble. Nine spirit rings slowly revolved beneath her feet, especially the final blood-red 100,000-Year Spirit Ring, which radiated suffocating pressure.

Bibi Dong's eyes were cold as she looked at the gravely wounded, dying A Rou as though she were a precious material about to fall into her hands.

As long as she killed this Soft Bone Rabbit, her second martial soul would gain another 100,000-Year Spirit Ring. Her spirit power would surely rise another rank as well.

Behind Bibi Dong stood Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, both of whom had submitted to her, sealing off every possible route of escape for A Rou.

The Qirong Heaven-Piercing Chrysanthemum in Chrysanthemum Douluo's hand shone with brilliant golden light, countless petals slicing through the air like blades.

Ghost Douluo merged into the shadows, waiting for the chance to launch a fatal sneak attack.

Farther out, several elite Soul Sages and Soul Douluos of the Martial Soul Hall formed a tight blockade, ensuring that Bibi Dong could kill A Rou, the Soft Bone Rabbit, without fail.

"Struggling on your deathbed!"

Bibi Dong snorted coldly. The Rakshasa Demon Scythe in her hand rose once more as deadly purple-black light gathered along its blade.

"Your spirit ring and spirit bone are mine!"

Despair flashed through A Rou's eyes, but even greater than that was her worry for Xiao Wu.

She could feel the flame of her life rapidly being extinguished by the erosion of Eternal Wound.

She refused to accept this! Her Xiao Wu was still so young...

At the same time, at the edge of the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, in another relatively quiet forest clearing.

A small deer whose body shimmered with nine-colored radiance was quietly observing the forest.

It was still small, only the size of an ordinary foal, but the aura around it was incomparably pure and peaceful, as though it had gathered all the finest blessings of heaven and earth.

It was the Nine-Colored Deer that had come to the Star Dou Great Forest.

During this time, it had cultivated day and night near the Lake of Life, finally raising its cultivation to the realm of a thousand-year spirit beast.

Thus, Di Tian had permitted it to travel a suitable distance away from the Lake of Life under Red King's protection.

The Nine-Colored Deer's clear eyes curiously examined the towering ancient trees and lush vegetation around it, sensing the pulse of life flowing through the forest.

Peaceful by nature, it loved this vibrant forest full of life.

Red King, at its side, was far more cautious. He knew what the auspicious beast meant to the spirit beast race and did not dare relax in the slightest.

Suddenly!

A small figure wrapped in a faint spirit power barrier plummeted rapidly toward them.

"Hm?"

Red King's three heads shot up at once. Six eyes erupted with vicious, icy light as a formidable aura burst forth, ready to crush this uninvited guest.

"Red King! Wait!"

The Nine-Colored Deer's pure spiritual wave instantly entered Red King's mind.

Just as the small figure was about to strike the ground, Red King's massive body shifted slightly. A tail burning with dark-red flames gently curled around, steadily catching the tiny figure.

It was Xiao Wu, whom A Rou had desperately thrown away.