Li Changqing's Intelligence

Qian Renxue paced back and forth as she listened to Snake Lance's report.

"Six years. He went from Soul Grandmaster to Soul Saint in six years. That speed of cultivation is astonishing. And yes, some powerful Soul Douluo can hold their own against Titled Douluo, but only hold their own. You two are Titled Douluo. You should know that everyone beneath a Titled Douluo is an ant. Do you remember how it felt to face that man a few days ago?"

Snake Lance and Pufferfish exchanged a glance. "We do. Facing him felt like facing one of the elders of the Worship Hall."

Qian Renxue nodded. "Exactly. A Soul Douluo, or perhaps only a Soul Saint, with the strength of a Titled Douluo above Level Ninety-Five. Even I, with a God-Level Martial Soul, couldn't manage that. What Martial Soul does Li Changqing have?"

Snake Lance swallowed. "A sword with the Lightning Attribute. But according to those who've seen his Martial Soul, the sword doesn't look particularly imposing. Apart from the lightning, there's nothing special about it."

Qian Renxue frowned, then hesitantly asked, "Could he have Twin Martial Souls? Could his other Martial Soul already have reached Soul Douluo, or even Titled Douluo?"

Snake Lance shook his head. "We don't know."

"What else? Do we have any recent information about Li Changqing's strength?"

"Li Changqing often sells the Soul Beasts he hunts to the Hundred Beasts Hall. On the day we encountered him, the Hundred Beasts Hall received the corpse of a Golden-Eyed Demon Wolf that was nearly 90,000 years old. The owner said a mysterious expert who concealed his face sold it to him."

"That owner knows Li Changqing, and they're on very good terms. I suspect the mysterious expert was Li Changqing, and the owner said otherwise to conceal his identity."

Snake Lance continued, "I also found where Li Changqing lives. He resides in Haagen-Dazs City, the capital of the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom. He rarely appears in public, and apart from the owner of the Hundred Beasts Hall, he has no acquaintances."

Qian Renxue sat down and tapped her fingers against the armrest, weighing what she knew of Li Changqing.

From Snake Lance's report, she had all but concluded that Li Changqing belonged to no faction. If any faction had produced such a powerful figure, it would have proclaimed it far and wide to display its strength to the rest of the continent. It would never have let him remain unknown.

Nor would it have allowed someone with the strength of a Titled Douluo to live in Haagen-Dazs City instead of at its own sect's headquarters.

"Is there any other intelligence?"

Snake Lance shook his head. "No. That's everything. Young Master, should we take any action against Li Changqing?"

Qian Renxue waved a hand. "Not for now. We should keep quiet for a while, lest Xue Ye suspect I had something to do with the Third Prince's death. Besides, that man is probably an independent Soul Master with no ties to any faction. He's kept himself well hidden. The other factions likely don't even know he exists."

"I'll decide what to do once my position as Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire is secure. Then I'll visit him personally. If I can bring someone of his strength to my side, Spirit Hall's plan to unite Douluo Continent will go much more smoothly."

Snake Lance and Pufferfish bowed together. "A wise decision, Young Master!"

You, reading this on a screen, might be wondering what was so wise about it.

If Qian Renxue were truly wise, she wouldn't be carrying out the so-called Nation-Stealing Plan.

But as employees, praising the boss's decisions was always the safe move. Whatever they did, they couldn't go against her.

Ever since Li Changqing had obtained his Seventh Soul Ring and formed his Yin-Yang Soul Core, he had gradually fallen into idleness. He had even begun to neglect his cultivation.

If he wasn't listening to music at a brothel, he was lying around doing nothing at his home in Haagen-Dazs City. Life could hardly have been more comfortable.

Did he really go to the brothel just to listen to music? Li Changqing could only say that he had a friend.

How had someone who once worked so hard fallen so far?

To borrow a famous royal uncle's words: I spent six years cultivating my heart out. Can't I enjoy myself a little?

As for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Li Changqing wasn't in a hurry. It wasn't as though the well had legs and could run away.

Even if Tang San got there first, Li Changqing would lose a few Immortal Herbs at most. Compared with the energy of the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the energy in those herbs was one hair on nine oxen.

After all, Li Changqing intended to drain the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well dry. A few missing Immortal Herbs would make little difference.

Three years passed in a blink. Though Li Changqing had neglected his cultivation, his Soul Power still reached Level Eighty.

One day, in the residence he had purchased in Haagen-Dazs City, Li Changqing slowly opened his eyes. Black-and-white light flashed across them. "Level Eighty at last. Time to get a Soul Ring."

With that, he rose. Golden Bone Wings spread behind him, and under cover of night, he flew straight out of the city toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Li Changqing's target was the Titan Giant Ape, so he headed directly for the Lake of Life at the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest.

At the forest's heart, trees no longer blotted out the sky. Instead, a vast lake stretched across a beautiful landscape. More importantly, the Spiritual Qi here was exceptionally dense, making it an ideal place to cultivate.

An ape the size of a small mountain sat dozing by the lakeshore, an oppressive aura radiating from it. Its muscles bulged with explosive power. It was the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Titan Giant Ape.

An even more powerful being lurked beneath the lake. Far larger than the Titan Giant Ape, it was a giant python with a pair of enormous bull horns on its head: the Sky Azure Bull Python, also a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

No Soul Beasts other than the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python lived around the Lake of Life. The place was utterly silent.

Suddenly, a sound tore through the air and broke the lake's stillness. The Titan Giant Ape raised its head, while the Sky Azure Bull Python kept watch from beneath the water.

The newcomer was Li Changqing. He appeared above the Lake of Life, Thunderblade Sword in hand, its tip pointed straight at the Titan Giant Ape.

Seven Soul Rings rose one after another beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black, black. Though he had only seven rings, his aura was terrifying. His voice was perfectly calm. "Titan Giant Ape, are you ready to become my Soul Ring?"

Li Changqing wasted no more words. The seventh Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, and he immediately activated his Martial Soul Avatar. His aura surged again as his strength, speed, attack, and other attributes rose across the board. Even the Thunderblade Sword in his hand blazed with lightning, crackling without pause.

Li Changqing charged straight at the Titan Giant Ape.

Though the newcomer was only a Soul Saint, the Titan Giant Ape sensed power no weaker than its own and dared not let down its guard. Terrifying waves of Soul Power rolled off its body. It roared, sending waves across the once-calm lake, then leaped up and met Li Changqing with an enormous fist.

You're going to use your fist against my sharp blade? Fool. Li Changqing felt nothing but disdain. The Thunderblade Sword in his hand grew as large as the Titan Giant Ape, then slashed down at it with all his might.