Qian Renxue: Why?! Zhao Wuji Is Dead!

Qian Chen's hands stopped.

"Why do you ask that?"

Qian Renxue looked up at him.

"Shui Bing'er and the others spend every day with you."

"But I only just met you."

She reached out and grabbed Qian Chen's sleeve.

"I don't know what you like to eat or what you usually like to do."

"I don't even know anything about what you went through in the past."

Qian Chen put away the handkerchief.

"The length of time we've known each other can't determine everything."

Qian Renxue's fingertips tightened.

"Then do I still have a chance?"

Qian Chen did not answer immediately.

She gazed at the face so close to hers, and her heartbeat grew faster and faster.

"You don't need to compare yourself with anyone."

Qian Chen raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder.

"You are you."

"You haven't lost to anyone, and you aren't inferior to anyone."

The tears in Qian Renxue's eyes trembled lightly.

"Then why are you so good to me?"

"Because you are important to me."

Those words left Qian Renxue rooted to the spot.

She repeatedly studied Qian Chen's expression.

"I'm important to you?"

"Mm."

"More important than Shui Bing'er and the others?"

Qian Chen did not follow her lead and make a comparison.

"You are different."

Qian Renxue took those words as another kind of answer.

She stepped forward.

The pale golden hem of her dress brushed against Qian Chen's white robe.

The distance between them rapidly narrowed.

"How are we different?"

Qian Chen looked at her.

"You'll understand in the future."

Qian Renxue gently shook her head.

"I don't want to wait until then."

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly opened her arms and hugged Qian Chen.

Her soft body pressed into his embrace.

She buried her face against Qian Chen's chest, her arms wrapping around his waist.

A faint fragrance lingered between them.

Qian Chen's body stiffened.

"Qian Renxue."

"Don't push me away."

Qian Renxue hugged him a little tighter.

"Just hold me for a while."

"I really am sad today."

The hand Qian Chen had raised stopped in midair.

After a moment, it still came to rest gently against her back.

"Don't cry anymore."

Qian Renxue leaned against him.

Qian Chen's warmth passed through their clothes, gradually relaxing the heart that had been tense all night.

She lifted her face.

Tear tracks still marked her fair cheeks, but her golden eyes had already brightened.

"You said just now that I was important to you."

"I'll remember that."

Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Qian Chen already realized what was happening.

He was just about to release her when Qian Renxue rose onto her tiptoes first.

The arms wrapped around Qian Chen's waist moved to the back of his neck.

Her long golden hair slipped over her shoulder, and a few strands lightly brushed against Qian Chen's cheek.

Their breaths gradually drew closer.

Qian Renxue closed her eyes.

Her reddened lips lifted slightly.

She did not move any closer, simply stopping there.

Qian Chen raised a hand and pressed it against her shoulder.

He pulled the two of them apart.

"Can't do this."

Qian Renxue opened her eyes.

She still held her head tilted back.

The anticipation in her eyes faded little by little.

"Why?"

Qian Chen looked at her.

"I can't accept your feelings."

Qian Renxue's face paled.

She slowly lowered the arm around Qian Chen's neck.

"You just said that I was important to you."

"Being important doesn't mean we can become lovers."

Qian Renxue took half a step back.

The night wind lifted the pale golden hem of her dress.

She lowered her head and stared at her toes, her thoughts tangled into a mess.

Qian Chen would clearly take the initiative to find her whenever she was sad.

He would wipe away her tears and let her hold him whenever she needed comfort.

Yet when she wanted to move one step closer, Qian Chen rejected her so decisively.

Qian Renxue thought for a long time, but still could not find any other reason.

She raised her eyes again.

"Is it because of Snow Empress?"

Qian Chen did not answer.

Qian Renxue took his silence as confirmation.

She gently bit her red lips.

"I understand."

"I still lost to her."

Qian Renxue lowered her eyes.

She stood by the lake, the pale golden hem of her dress stirred by the night wind.

"Since you've already made your choice, I won't pester you anymore."

She turned around and walked down the stone steps.

Qian Chen looked at her back.

"Qian Renxue."

Qian Renxue stopped, but did not turn around.

"Is there something else?"

"Don't deny yourself because of this."

Qian Renxue's fingers tightened slightly.

"You rejected me, yet you're telling me not to deny myself."

"Qian Chen, you really know how to comfort people."

She continued walking.

Her brilliant golden hair swayed lightly in the moonlight before quickly disappearing at the end of the lakeside.

Qian Chen did not follow her.

Shrek Academy.

A carriage was parked outside the academy gates.

When Flender lifted the carriage curtain, his expression immediately changed.

Zhao Wuji lay inside the carriage.

His chest had already been pierced by cold energy, and large patches of scorch marks remained on the surface of his robes.

The Heaven Dou soldier responsible for returning the corpse cupped his fists and said:

"Zhao Wuji trespassed into the Crown Prince's Residence and attacked Young Master Qian Chen."

"After losing to Young Master Qian Chen, he continued to issue threats."

"His Highness the Crown Prince ordered us to bring him back."

Flender stood beside the carriage, motionless for a long while.

He had known Zhao Wuji for many years.

After Shrek Academy was established, the two of them recruited students together and maintained the academy together.

Now, however, Zhao Wuji had become a corpse.

Dai Mubai hurried over from inside the academy.

The moment he saw the person inside the carriage, his footsteps stopped.

"Teacher Zhao?"

Oscar followed behind him.

His face was pale, and he did not dare take another step forward.

Ma Hongjun lay on a stretcher and was carried to the academy gates by two students.

The foundation of his Martial Soul had already been damaged, and Soul Power was constantly leaking from his body.

After seeing Zhao Wuji's corpse, Ma Hongjun suddenly propped himself up.

"Teacher Zhao is dead?"

"How could this happen?"

Flender closed his eyes.

"Qian Chen killed him."

Ma Hongjun's face grew paler and paler.

Zhao Wuji had gone to the Crown Prince's Residence precisely to seek justice for him.

If he had not begged Zhao Wuji to make a move, Zhao Wuji would not have died either.

Dai Mubai slammed a fist into the academy wall.

The bricks cracked on the spot.

"Qian Chen crippled Fatty first, then killed Teacher Zhao."

"We absolutely can't let this go."

Tang San walked out from the back of the crowd.

His gaze stopped on Zhao Wuji's chest.

Cold energy and flames remained around the wound at the same time.

The two forces possessed completely opposite attributes, yet they did not repel each other.

That alone was enough to prove that Qian Chen's control over Soul Power had reached an extremely high level.

Tang San raised his head and looked at the soldier who had returned the corpse.

"How many moves did Qian Chen use when Teacher Zhao fought him?"

The soldier answered:

"One move shattered his Martial Soul Avatar."

"On the second attack, he killed Zhao Wuji."

The people of Shrek fell silent at the same time.

Dai Mubai's fist stopped against the wall.

Zhao Wuji was a level seventy-six Soul Sage.

After using his Martial Soul Avatar, his defense had been enough to withstand Soul Masters of the same rank head-on.

Yet Qian Chen had shattered the Great Strength Vajra Bear Avatar with a single move.

Oscar took half a step back.

"Can we really avenge Teacher Zhao?"

Dai Mubai turned to look at him.

"Are you scared?"

Oscar looked toward the carriage.

"Even Teacher Zhao was no match for him."

"If we go after Qian Chen now, we'll only be throwing our lives away."

Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth.

"Are we supposed to just watch Teacher Zhao die for nothing?"

"Qian Chen crippled me, then killed Teacher Zhao."

"I want him to pay with his life!"

Tang San raised a hand and pressed it onto Ma Hongjun's shoulder.

"This debt will definitely be settled."

"But not now."

Ma Hongjun looked up at him.

"Third Brother, do you have a plan?"

A violet glint flashed through Tang San's eyes.

"No matter how strong Qian Chen is, he can't possibly be without weaknesses forever."

"Hidden Weapons, Poison, Formations—they can all kill."

"If we can't defeat him head-on, then we'll find another opportunity."

Yu Xiaogang walked out from the academy.

He glanced at Zhao Wuji's corpse, and his stiff expression darkened completely.

"Zhao Wuji was a teacher of Shrek Academy."

"For Qian Chen to kill him in public is to trample on Shrek Academy's dignity."

Flender turned to Yu Xiaogang.

"Xiaogang, Qian Chen has two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings."

"His Soul Power has reached at least the Soul Douluo level."

Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back.

"Soul Power Level does not determine everything."

"Qian Chen's Soul Ring configuration is indeed unusual, but every Martial Soul has its flaws."

"As long as we find his weakness, we can devise a way to counter him."

Tang San nodded lightly.

"Teacher is right."

Yu Xiaogang walked up to the carriage.

"Bury Zhao Wuji first."

"The Academy Tournament hasn't begun yet."

"Since Qian Chen joined Skywater Academy, we'll meet him in the arena sooner or later."

"For everything he did to Shrek Academy today, I'll make him pay the price."

Dai Mubai looked toward Heaven Dou City.

"I'll remember Teacher Zhao's death."

Ma Hongjun lay back down on the stretcher.

His chest heaved violently.

"And the foundation of my Martial Soul."

"I'll make Qian Chen suffer ten times more than I did."

Tang San said nothing further.

He lowered his head and looked at his palm.

Blue Silver Grass sprouted from his palm and slowly curled around his fingers.

Qian Chen.

That name had become an enemy Shrek Academy had to deal with.

The next day.

Crown Prince's Residence.

Shui Bing'er stood outside Qian Chen's courtyard.

She was not wearing Skywater Academy's uniform today.

A pale blue short dress clung to her slender waist, with a silver-white sash tied into an exquisite knot at her side.

The hem fell above her knees, revealing a pair of fair, well-proportioned long legs.

Her water-blue hair draped over her shoulders, held in place only by a snowflake hairpin.

She wore a pair of silver-white ankle boots.

The boots wrapped around her slender ankles, while pale blue ribbons circled her calves once.

Shui Bing'er raised her hand and knocked on the door.

Qian Chen soon emerged from the room.

"Do you need something?"

Shui Bing'er looked at him.

"Do you have any plans today?"

"No."

"Come browse Heaven Dou City with me."

Qian Chen looked at her.

Shui Bing'er met his gaze for a moment, and her cheeks gradually reddened.

"You gave me the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone."

"I want to pick out a gift for you."

"You're not allowed to refuse."

Qian Chen nodded.

"Let's go."

A smile immediately appeared in Shui Bing'er's eyes.

She turned and walked down the steps.

The pale blue hem of her skirt swayed lightly with every step.

The two left the Crown Prince's Residence and headed down Heaven Dou City's main street.

The streets were already bustling in the early morning.

Shops on both sides opened one after another, while passing carriages rolled through the intersections.

Shui Bing'er and Qian Chen walked side by side.

After walking ahead for a while, her slender fingers quietly moved closer to Qian Chen's sleeve.

The instant her fingertips touched the fabric, she immediately drew them back.

Qian Chen turned his head.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

Shui Bing'er lightly pressed her red lips together.

She had already decided last night to be a little more proactive.

But now that she was truly beside Qian Chen, she still did not know how to speak.

They passed through a crowded intersection.

Several workers carrying goods approached from ahead.

Shui Bing'er was forced to move closer to Qian Chen.

Qian Chen reached out, took hold of her wrist, and pulled her to his side.

"Don't get separated."

Shui Bing'er lowered her head to look at where they touched.

Qian Chen's palm was warm, steadily protecting her wrist.

She answered softly.

"Mm."

After they passed the intersection, Qian Chen prepared to let go.

But Shui Bing'er turned her wrist and slipped her slender fingers into his palm.

Their palms pressed together once more.

Qian Chen looked at her.

Shui Bing'er's cheeks were already flushed red.

"There are a lot of people on the street."

"It's safer this way."

After saying that, she turned her face aside and pretended to inspect the shops nearby.

Qian Chen did not expose her.

The two walked down the long street hand in hand.

Shui Bing'er's steps grew lighter and lighter.

She led Qian Chen into a clothing shop.

All kinds of Soul Master robes were displayed inside.

After choosing for a long time, Shui Bing'er finally took down a silver-white cloak.

Pale blue snow patterns were embroidered along its edges, while the inner lining was sewn with Cold Silkworm Silk.

She walked up to Qian Chen.

"Try this on."

Qian Chen took the cloak.

But Shui Bing'er did not let go.

"I'll help you put it on."

She moved behind Qian Chen and unfolded the cloak.

The soft fabric settled over Qian Chen's shoulders.

Shui Bing'er stood on tiptoe and adjusted his collar from behind.

Her body pressed close to Qian Chen's back.

Her water-blue hair fell over his shoulder, bringing its delicate fragrance with it.

Shui Bing'er brought the ties around to Qian Chen's front.

Both her arms passed around his waist.

From a distance, it looked as though she were hugging Qian Chen from behind.

Shui Bing'er lowered her head and adjusted the ties.

Her fingertips brushed Qian Chen's chest several times, and her movements gradually slowed.

"All done."

Qian Chen turned around.

The cloak draped over his white brocade robe, its color suiting him perfectly.

Shui Bing'er examined him carefully, satisfaction appearing on her face.

"It really suits you."

"Why did you choose a cloak?"

"When you use ice and snow Soul Skills, a white cloak will look better."

Qian Chen nodded.

"Then this one."

Shui Bing'er immediately paid with Gold Soul Coins.

The two left the clothing shop and entered another shop specializing in women's shoes.

Shui Bing'er had originally only wanted to take a look.

But the shop assistant soon brought out a pair of crystal high heels.

The uppers were made of transparent crystal, with pale blue gemstones set along the edges.

Shui Bing'er glanced down at her ankle boots.

"Are these shoes pretty?"

Qian Chen looked at the crystal heels.

"You can try them on."

Shui Bing'er sat down beside a cushioned couch.

She bent down and untied the ribbons on her ankle boots.

After taking off the ankle boots, a jade-white foot lightly touched down on the soft carpet.

The lines of her instep were graceful, her toes pale and rounded.

As she bent over, the hem of her light blue skirt rose, revealing more of her long, slender legs.

Shui Bing'er picked up the crystal shoe.

Just as she was about to put it on, the clasp slipped from between her fingers.

Qian Chen crouched in front of her.

"Let me."

Shui Bing'er froze.

Qian Chen supported her ankle and slipped the crystal shoe onto her foot.

His fingertips brushed against her smooth skin.

Shui Bing'er's toes curled slightly.

Warmth spread from her ankle, swiftly reddening her cheeks.

Qian Chen fastened the shoe's strap for her.

"Stand up and try it."