Qian Renxue Whose Smile Disappeared, Aggrieved and Helpless

Snake Lance was still a mighty Title Douluo, after all. He simply could not bring himself to do something like that. It was too beneath him, too damaging to his dignity.

However, Snake Lance Douluo had remembered Chu Ye. In the future, once a suitable chance came, he would definitely teach him a proper lesson.

The next day, early morning.

Chu Ye came to the Cultivation Ground to train as usual. Once again, he stopped before that Ranking Stele listing all the Spirit Hall disciples.

After this month of training, and after his battle with Yu Hu, Chu Ye's ranking had shot straight from outside the top thousand into the top six hundred.

This ranking came with extra resource rewards and welfare benefits. The higher the rank, the better the rewards.

The ranking was initially ordered by Soul Power Level, but it could also be decided by true strength. As long as one defeated a Spirit Hall disciple ranked ahead, one could directly leap to the defeated disciple's position.

This could spur the disciples' fighting spirit and effort in cultivation, encourage them to spar, compete, and challenge one another, and increase their combat experience and fighting ability.

"593." Chu Ye murmured the number softly.

This was his current ranking among all Spirit Hall disciples from ages six to twenty-five.

"I wonder how many years I'll need before I can step onto the number one spot on this Ranking Stele." Chu Ye smiled faintly, withdrew his gaze, and entered the Cultivation Ground.

He took this as his goal for the current stage, something to work and fight toward.

Time flew. Chu Ye continued day after day, repeating almost the exact same cultivation life every day.

He was obsessed with the feeling of his strength growing bit by bit. Aside from cultivation, he hardly rested, let alone went out to play.

Genius, combined with extreme effort and diligence, was truly terrifying.

Watching Chu Ye grow stronger day by day, Yan and Xie Yue also began working even harder.

As for Qian Renxue, apart from the times when Bibi Dong personally instructed Chu Ye, she was almost always together with him. The two were inseparable, accompanying Chu Ye as he studied martial souls and cultivated, learned Spirit Master knowledge, theory, and cultural lessons.

They were only one step away from living together.

As time passed, the relationship between the two grew increasingly close, as if they were individuals who could no longer be separated.

With the blessing of the Cultivation Sharing from the Contract of Life and Death, Chu Ye's soul power soared rapidly. A month passed.

His Soul Power Level rose from level 14 to level 15!

Another month passed!

Level 16!

One level per month!

This speed left all the Spirit Hall disciples dumbfounded and far behind, and it also greatly delighted Bibi Dong. "This child is too monstrous!"

However, in the third month, Chu Ye's soul power advancement speed finally slowed down.

It took nearly two months for his Soul Power Level to rise from level 16 to level 17.

A full five months passed, and Chu Ye's Soul Power Level rose from level 14 to the peak of level 17, increasing by three levels.

And from the time Chu Ye had possessed Innate Full Soul Power at level 10, absorbed his soul ring, and reached his current level 17, he had only used half a year!

Qian Renxue's soul power also rose during this period, from level 33 to level 35.

In addition, Chu Ye's combat awareness and techniques were already on par with Qian Renxue's. The current him, even when facing an ordinary Soul Elder-level expert, would not be troubled in the slightest.

If he borrowed Qian Renxue's power, he could cut down a Soul Ancestor!

That day, eight o'clock at night.

Inside the Library Pavilion of the Pope's Palace, Chu Ye leaned beside a bookcase and carefully flipped through the book in his hands. A moment later, he closed the book, rubbed his tired eyes, and placed it back into the bookcase.

"Whew, I finally finished learning it all. Now I can free up the time I used for book study and use it for cultivation." Chu Ye smiled.

He had already followed Bibi Dong's requirements and mastered all the Spirit Master knowledge he needed to learn, as well as the various types of martial souls, the species and traits of soul beasts, and his cultural lessons.

His memory was very strong, and before crossing over, he had originally been a university student, so there was no need to spend time on cultural lessons at all. He only needed to focus on researching Spirit Master knowledge.

So, the written knowledge that originally would have taken six years, Chu Ye had now finished in half a year.

"I'll be coming to this place a lot less from now on."

Chu Ye stretched lazily and left the Library Pavilion in a good mood. After walking outside, he checked the time. "Tonight, Xue'er was suddenly called away by Qian Daoliu. I wonder what for. At this hour, she should be almost back, right?"

Originally, Qian Renxue had said tonight that she would accompany him for extra training for a while, but she had been called away by Qian Daoliu. Even so, Chu Ye still went to the Cultivation Ground, intending to wait.

Using the Mind Communication ability of the Contract of Life and Death, he asked, "Xue'er, are you back? I'm waiting for you at the Cultivation Ground."

Several minutes passed without Qian Renxue responding. Chu Ye frowned. "Strange. She actually ignored me."

When he called Qian Renxue, she basically always answered instantly.

Chu Ye called again. "Xue'er?"

A few seconds later, Qian Renxue finally replied, "Chu Ye, wait for me there first."

"Okay." Chu Ye had not yet sensed the downcast emotion in Qian Renxue's reply.

About half an hour later, Qian Renxue arrived.

"Xue'er!"

Chu Ye smiled, waved, and quickly ran toward Qian Renxue, but very soon, the smile on his face vanished.

Because he discovered that the sunny smile on Qian Renxue's face had disappeared. Instead, she was shrouded in a gloomy mood that made her whole person look extremely low, lost, and sorrowful. Her mood was clearly very poor.

Chu Ye had never seen Qian Renxue like this before, and it inexplicably made him feel uncomfortable inside. "What's wrong, Xue'er?"

Qian Renxue pretended to be strong. This kind of secret was not something Chu Ye could know right now. She shook her head and did not tell him the truth. "I... I'm fine, Chu Ye. I can't do extra training with you tonight. I want to go back and rest. You should go back too."

"You call this fine? Your unhappy mood is already written all over your face. Tell me, what exactly happened?" Chu Ye grabbed Qian Renxue's small hand.

"I... I!" Qian Renxue hesitated, but in the end, she still shook her head. "What use would it be even if I told you?"

Chu Ye's heart sank. He seemed to have already guessed something. "Is it that they want you to leave the Pope's Palace and go to the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace, right?"

"You! How did you know!?"

"Sure enough."

After receiving Qian Renxue's answer, Chu Ye's mood sank to rock bottom.

What was supposed to come had come in the end.

Chu Ye had long anticipated this day. He simply had not realized it was already time to face it.

After spending every day together for half a year, he had long since built a deep bond with Qian Renxue. Whether this bond was friendship, beloved affection like that for family, or some other special emotion...

Chu Ye seemed a little unable to say clearly anymore.

Chu Ye only knew that he hoped Qian Renxue could always stay by his side, and he had grown used to the days when Qian Renxue was there.

But even though Chu Ye wanted to keep Qian Renxue there, he was also very clear.

The Infiltration Plan, and Qian Renxue going undercover in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, was such a major matter that it was difficult for him to change!