Qian Renxue, You Did That on Purpose, Didn't You?

"Good!"

"We can stop now."

Hmm...

This was a family match, after all.

There was no need to fight to the death.

Shui Tianhan was already more than satisfied with today's thrilling Soul Fighting match.

"Bing'er."

"You did very well."

"You've made visible progress during your year of training away from home."

Shui Bing'er smiled awkwardly.

Her father and the family elders had praised her so much that she was nearly embarrassed.

Just then,

The Shui Family's Grand Elder smiled. "Your strength has improved tremendously, but there's still no news from your belly. You and Lin Ye need to get moving."

At those words,

Shui Bing'er grew even more embarrassed.

She knew the Grand Elder was talking about children.

But...

She and Lin Ye hadn't gone away on a honeymoon.

They had hunted a hundred-thousand-year Titan Snow Demon, faced Wang Laoba's Mercenary Group, and fought the Peerless Dragon Snake couple...

Every encounter had been fraught with danger.

How could she and Lin Ye have thought about having a child under those circumstances?

"We'll try soon."

Shui Bing'er brushed it off with a casual reply.

"Good!"

"That's what we wanted to hear!"

The Shui Family elders were thoroughly satisfied with her answer.

Little did they know that, after a year away with Lin Ye, Shui Bing'er had already learned to be slippery.

Elsewhere,

After two days of searching, Lin Ye finally bought a ready-made house in Heaven Dou City.

He and Shui Bing'er could move straight in with their bags.

However...

The first woman to stay there with him wasn't Shui Bing'er.

It was Shui Yue'er!

He seriously suspected Shui Yue'er had gotten addicted to it. She clung to him for three days and nights, barely leaving his side.

The woman practically wanted to grow onto him.

"Lin Ye."

"Where are you going?"

When Shui Yue'er saw him about to leave, she immediately stood up too.

"Out for a look around!"

It was a habit he had picked up during his travels.

Whenever he reached a new place, he first scouted the surroundings. Otherwise, if danger struck, he might not even know where to retreat.

Shui Yue'er smiled sweetly. "Take me with you."

"No!"

Lin Ye refused without hesitation.

He could tumble into bed with Shui Yue'er without a shred of shame, even until they lost all sense of time.

But...

He couldn't take Shui Yue'er along on an adventure.

Shui Yue'er was different from Shui Bing'er.

Shui Bing'er might be able to protect herself in danger, but Shui Yue'er would only become a burden.

"Hmph—"

Shui Yue'er was about to argue her case.

Lin Ye cut her off. "Your sister's coming soon."

At those words,

Shui Yue'er's expression changed sharply.

Her sister was coming?!

Shui Bing'er's face immediately sprang to mind, and Shui Yue'er felt as though she were facing a formidable enemy.

"No."

"I have to go."

Shui Yue'er didn't even have time to say goodbye.

She wasn't ready for Shui Bing'er to find out about her and Lin Ye.

Lin Ye merely shrugged.

He left Shui Yue'er to her own devices.

Lin Ye had just stepped onto the street

when a voice that was unfamiliar yet faintly recognizable sounded behind him.

"Brother Lin Ye?"

Lin Ye turned and looked over in surprise. "Your Highness the Crown Prince?!"

That was right!

The person behind him was Crown Prince Xue Qinghe—or, more precisely, Qian Renxue of Spirit Hall.

"It really is you."

"I heard you'd gone away to train. When did you return to Heaven Dou City?"

Qian Renxue asked with a smile.

"Yesterday." As Lin Ye answered, he voiced his own question. "What brings Your Highness here?"

"I have a house here," Qian Renxue said, then added, "For growing medicinal herbs."

Lin Ye looked in the direction Qian Renxue indicated...

Good grief!

Wasn't that the damned house right next door to his?

What was Qian Renxue playing at?

Lin Ye would never believe this was a coincidence. Qian Renxue had to have done it deliberately.

To watch him?

To get close to him?

As it happened, Lin Ye had guessed correctly.

Qian Renxue had learned through her intelligence network that Lin Ye had bought a house in Heaven Dou City, so she had purchased the property next door overnight.

Her goal was to get close to Lin Ye.

She had said it before.

Lin Ye was a genius Soul Master!

Someone like him had to be recruited into Spirit Hall.

After exchanging a few stiff words with Qian Renxue, Lin Ye found an excuse and left.

"Young Mistress."

"That boy has grown stronger again."

"Judging by the fluctuations in his Soul Power, this old man believes he has reached Soul Saint."

After Lin Ye left,

Porcupinefish Douluo appeared silently behind Qian Renxue.

"Soul Saint?!"

Qian Renxue was astonished to hear those words.

They only strengthened her resolve to win Lin Ye over.

"Yes!"

"He should be around level seventy-two now."

Porcupinefish Douluo spoke with absolute certainty.

Little did he know that Lin Ye had been suppressing the fluctuations of his Soul Power from the start.

Elsewhere,

Lin Ye had slipped into the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace under cover of night.

Hmm...

This was another reason he had bought a house in Heaven Dou City.

At present,

He was already level seventy-nine.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would certainly break through to Soul Douluo within half a year.

After that...

Titled Douluo.

His ultimate goal, of course, was to reach level one hundred and become a god.

As far as he knew...

There were four godhoods on Douluo Continent: Asura God Godhood, Sea God Godhood, Angel God Godhood, and Rakshasa God Godhood.

The Angel God Godhood was the Angel Clan's inheritance. There was no chance he could inherit it.

The Rakshasa God Godhood had already been claimed by Bibi Dong.

That left only the Asura God Godhood and Sea God Godhood.

Lin Ye had already analyzed his options...

The Sea God Godhood would be the easiest for him to inherit, and of the four, it was the best match for his Ice Dragon King Martial Soul.

But to inherit the Sea God Godhood, he first had to obtain the Sea God's Heart.

And so... here he was!

Of course,

Wanting the Sea God's Heart didn't necessarily mean he had to inherit the Sea God Godhood.

Some things might go unused, but he absolutely could not afford to be without them.

Under cover of night, Lin Ye wandered the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace for a full half hour.

He had to admit,

The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace really was enormous.

After half an hour...

He had even forgotten how he'd gotten in.

"Who's there?"

A voice suddenly called out to him.

Immediately afterward,

An armored figure charged toward him.

There was no time for pointless talk.

Lin Ye recognized him at once as the commander of the Heaven Dou Empire's military.

An Eight-Ring Soul Douluo!

Shouldn't this fellow have been at the army camp?

Lin Ye was puzzled.

However...

He had no time to dwell on it.

Ge Long clenched an armored fist. Wreathed in Blue-Black Taotie Soul Power, he brought it crashing down with all his might.

Lin Ye advanced instead of retreating!

He threw a punch of his own to meet it head-on.

Bang—

The two forces collided with a thunderous impact, sending shockwaves exploding outward.

Both men flew backward.

From that single punch,

Ge Long immediately wiped the contempt from his face.

He now realized that this intruder in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace would not be easy to deal with.