"Ugh, what kind of mess is this?!"
Outside the Heaven Dou Sacred Hall, an extraordinarily handsome little boy with a pair of golden rabbit ears sat on the curb, a faint melancholy clouding his fair face.
He had black hair and stood a little taller than other children his age.
Most striking were his large, clear eyes, with lashes longer than even some girls'.
Even his coarse hemp clothes, covered in patches, could not hide his outstanding looks.
Paired with those golden rabbit ears, his cuteness soared beyond the heavens, making the noble ladies and young misses passing by steal repeated glances at him.
Had they not been concerned about appearances, they would have loved to lavish Meng Chen with affection.
He raised a hand to touch the golden rabbit ears on his head. A strange sensation swept through his entire body, and he hurriedly lowered his hand, not daring to touch them again.
"Sigh..."
A trace of helplessness appeared in Meng Chen's eyes. He sighed again and silently grumbled to himself.
I clearly merged with the Tang Wulin template, so why is my Martial Soul a Soft Bone Rabbit? Shouldn't it be Blue Silver Grass?
Thinking of the Tang Wulin template reminded Meng Chen of how a golden Dayun truck had knocked him all the way into the Douluo Continent.
As a transmigrator, he naturally had a cheat of his own.
Meng Chen's cheat was the [Tang Wulin Template], which gave him everything Tang Wulin possessed once he merged with it.
He possessed not only the Golden Dragon King bloodline, but also the bloodlines of the Sea God, the Asura God, the Blue Silver Emperor, the Soft Bone Rabbit, and humanity.
Naturally, the Golden Dragon King bloodline was dominant, and of course, its eighteen seals came with it.
On top of that, he had the "Goddess of Life's Blessing," which granted him extraordinary vitality far beyond that of ordinary humans, as well as an almost absurd ability to heal himself.
There was another piece of good news: he did not have Tang San's divine consciousness inside him.
Meng Chen had assumed he would awaken a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul just like Tang Wulin, but instead, he had awakened a Soft Bone Rabbit with innate full soul power.
It was not that a Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul was bad, but wasn't a boy like him sporting a pair of rabbit ears a little too enticing?!
He had only been sitting there for a short while, yet Meng Chen had already felt no fewer than thirty gazes brimming with adoration-and even possessiveness.
So many naughty aunties!
No, I can't keep sitting here.
If I stay any longer, someone might shove me into a sack!
The more Meng Chen thought about it, the more frightened he became. He immediately stood up, patted off his backside, and prepared to leave.
However, he had only taken a few steps when an extravagantly luxurious golden carriage stopped in front of him.
The carriage was carved with swan reliefs, and a golden swan flag stood at each of its four corners, fluttering in the wind. Sunlight shone over its body, making it gleam with flowing colors and unparalleled splendor.
Meng Chen stopped and looked up at the golden carriage, secretly on guard.
Soon, the carriage door opened, and a blond figure in fine clothes stepped out, slender and handsome.
Xue Qinghe stepped down from the carriage and lowered his gaze to Meng Chen. The boy's handsome, adorable little face reflected in his pupils, and a hint of tenderness entered his eyes.
He crouched down, smiled gently, and asked Meng Chen, "Little fellow, why are you sitting here all alone? Where's your father?"
Meng Chen shook his head. "I don't have a father."
"Uh..." Xue Qinghe's smile froze, and he cautiously asked, "Then what about your mother?"
Meng Chen shook his head again. "I don't have a mother either."
I'm such a terrible person!
Xue Qinghe suddenly wanted to slap himself twice, and his gaze toward Meng Chen filled with a little more pity and affection.
Such an adorable child, yet his background is so tragic. Poor thing!
Meng Chen noticed the shifting look in the man's eyes. He was clearly a man, yet he was more sentimental than a woman.
Meng Chen inwardly sensed trouble.
Did I run into a pedophile?!
"Little fellow, do you have any other family? Don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person. My name is Xue Qinghe, and I'm the empire's newly appointed crown prince."
Noticing the hint of wariness in Meng Chen's eyes, Xue Qinghe hurriedly revealed his identity.
Xue Qinghe!
At those words, surprise appeared on Meng Chen's little face. It was actually her!
Since this was Qian Renxue disguised as Xue Qinghe, there was nothing to be afraid of.
At least when it came to morals, Qian Renxue's reputation was rock-solid.
Seeing that Meng Chen was no longer wary and even showed a little trust, Xue Qinghe-no, Qian Renxue-also breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't have any other family. I'm the only one left," Meng Chen said, feigning sadness. His eyes reddened slightly, and tears fell before he could say any more.
Hearing this, Qian Renxue's heart ached even more. She hurriedly reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of Meng Chen's eyes and comforted him softly:
"Don't cry, little fellow. Why don't you come with me? Come back to the Crown Prince's Residence, and I'll take good care of you."
A little boy this handsome and adorable would always be snatched up by whoever acted first. She could not let someone else get him!
When the noble ladies and young misses lingering nearby heard that the crown prince intended to take Meng Chen in, disappointment spread across their faces.
They had only hesitated for a moment. How had His Highness the Crown Prince beaten them to it?!
Your Highness, do you even know how to play with... no, raise him?!
Hearing that Qian Renxue wanted to adopt him, Meng Chen froze briefly. He looked hesitant, but inwardly, his heart burst into bloom.
On the surface, Qian Renxue was the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. With her protection, he might not be able to strut around completely unchallenged, but at least he would never lack resources.
Behind the scenes, Qian Renxue was the young master of Spirit Hall. Even if her identity was exposed in the future and she returned to Spirit Hall, he could go with her and still have someone watching his back there.
Not bad. Not bad at all!
"Really?! But all I have is a Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul with innate full soul power. I'm afraid I won't be able to help you much, Your Highness..."
Meng Chen lowered his head, his golden rabbit ears trembling, his voice softer than a mosquito's buzz.
And he has innate full soul power!
Delight appeared on Qian Renxue's face when she heard this, strengthening her resolve to adopt Meng Chen.
"Little fellow, don't worry. I don't want to adopt you because of your talent. I just want a sweet little brother."
With that, Qian Renxue smiled at Meng Chen and took his hand. Meng Chen obediently followed her into the carriage.
The noble ladies and young misses watched the carriage disappear into the distance, then shook their heads and left regretfully.
A little over half an hour later.
The carriage came to a steady stop outside the Crown Prince's Residence, and Qian Renxue led Meng Chen down by the hand.
The Crown Prince's Residence was magnificent and imposing, standing right beside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. Following Qian Renxue, Meng Chen stepped over the threshold and entered.
"Your Highness, you've returned."
The steward approached and bowed respectfully to Qian Renxue, his gaze sweeping over Meng Chen as a flicker of puzzlement passed through his eyes.
Qian Renxue was about to introduce Meng Chen to the steward when she remembered she had not asked his name yet.
"Little fellow, I almost forgot to ask. What's your name?"
"My name is Meng Chen."
"Meng Chen, then. This child will be living in the Crown Prince's Residence from now on. Do your best to meet any needs he has. Also, make a trip to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Tell them I want an admission slot. The sooner it's arranged, the better."
Qian Renxue gave the steward her instructions. He nodded in acknowledgment.
She's going to arrange for me to enter the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Meng Chen thought.
But didn't even the lowest-ranked Sky Micro Rank students at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy have to be Soul Grandmasters?
Could someone like him, who had only just awakened his Martial Soul, get in?
Or did the Heaven Dou Royal Academy also have something like an affiliated elementary school, specifically for noble children who had just awakened their Martial Souls?
Before you continue