The Heaven Dou Empire had existed for ages. As one of the two superpowers on the Douluo Continent, it possessed a truly powerful and deep-rooted foundation.
Apart from the imperial palace, there was only one place in the entire Heaven Dou Imperial City that was guarded more heavily than any other!
The crown prince's residence!
The eldest prince, Xue Qinghe, was known to all for his diligent efforts to govern. Hailed as the emperor who would rule for the next hundred years, he was Xue Ye's best heir.
Moreover, over the past ten years, many princes of the Xue imperial family had died of mysterious illnesses.
Among them were Xue Can and Xue Lin.
For that reason, Xue Ye regarded the eldest prince, Xue Qinghe, as an indispensable heir, the pillar of the entire empire's future and the best successor to the throne.
But who could have known?
The present Xue Qinghe was no longer the person he once was!
Late at night, Xue Qinghe stood on the rooftop. Not a trace of emotion could be seen on his indifferent face, utterly unlike the amiable eldest prince he appeared to be in everyday life.
Now that there was no one around,
Even his form changed.
His long black hair turned golden, its brilliance tinged with a sacred quality that deterred any thought of defilement. His once refined face became small and delicate.
That face, enough to make every woman under heaven blush with shame, revealed its true appearance. A pair of exquisite almond eyes gazed longingly into the distance, their radiance enough to dim the bright moon in the sky.
He stretched his legs out slightly, revealing a pair of slender, snow-white jade legs beneath a long golden dress that had appeared at some unknown time. A faint blush crept over the knees, making them breathtakingly beautiful.
His once unremarkable chest swelled. Without a doubt, the most beautiful sight in the mortal world was a woman who could no longer see her toes when she looked down.
Xue Qinghe-no, Qian Renxue-patted her chest in satisfaction. A faint smile appeared on her face as she said softly, "How long has it been since I last returned to my female form? Good thing it didn't interfere with my development."
She murmured softly, "A sixteen-year-old girl is still growing."
The eldest prince Xue Qinghe had actually been replaced by a woman!
A beautiful young woman who could make every woman under heaven feel ashamed of herself!
Her perfect figure had curves in all the right places, and her face, alluring as a bewitching fox yet sacred as an angel, was far too tempting. Beneath her pale golden dress lay the finest bloom of a young woman's youth.
Qian Renxue!
The true young master of Spirit Hall!
She gazed calmly toward the east, where the sun rose and everything began. It was also where Spirit City stood, the city the entire continent looked up to!
"Grandpa, are you still well? Has it really been nine, ten years since I came to the Heaven Dou Imperial City and became Xue Qinghe!?"
Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes grew downcast.
In the whole world, only one person could stir her emotions!
The man who stood at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent, the true helmsman of Spirit Hall, the Great Enshrined of the Angel Clan, a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo:
Qian Daoliu!
Suddenly, a strand of divine sense appeared outside the crown prince's residence.
Before Qian Renxue could restore Xue Qinghe's face, a towering figure abruptly appeared before her. Around two meters tall, with muscles like those of a Ferocious Beast, he was a Mount Tai in human form.
"You!" Qian Renxue clenched her pearly teeth.
Her long, slender, snow-white legs stepped back slightly. She felt a fear from the depths of her soul toward the man who had suddenly appeared before her.
With her extraordinary background, she understood.
Such strength...
Could only belong to a Titled Douluo!
And an outstanding one at that, at least above level ninety-six!
After all these years in hiding, is one careless mistake going to ruin it all by my own hand!? Qian Renxue cursed herself for not being calm enough. She should not have returned to her female form tonight.
She thought her identity had been exposed!
Just as Qian Renxue was about to use a trump card Qian Daoliu had given her to escape, the man before her, who stood like an iron tower, suddenly spoke.
His voice was deep, yet held a touch of...
Kindness.
"Xiao Xue."
Qian Renxue froze. "You are...!?"
The man stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight and lamplight. Affection appeared on his rugged face as he bent forward and bowed.
"Your subordinate Golden Crocodile pays his respects to the young master!"
"Golden Crocodile..." Qian Renxue murmured.
Suddenly, immense delight appeared on her face. Though she was a young woman, for the first time in years she leaped up with a young woman's exuberance and cried, "Is it really you!? Grandpa Golden Crocodile!"
The old man before her smiled faintly and nodded emphatically.
He laughed heartily. "In all the world, who but me, Golden Crocodile Douluo, would dare take the name Golden Crocodile!?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo!
The foremost of the six enshrined in Spirit Hall's Elder Hall!
Beneath the Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu, he ranked second among the six elders.
Apart from the current Pope Bibi Dong and the Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu, Golden Crocodile Douluo represented the highest authority in all of Spirit Hall!
The old man before her, aged yet brimming with vitality, could be counted among the few truly at the top of Spirit Hall, wielding real power.
And most terrifying of all was his strength!
A Soul Power Level so powerful that even Titled Douluo felt suffocated by it!
Level 98!
Qian Renxue calmed down, her beautiful neck long and slender. Her lovely eyes and small mouth were full of disbelief. "What brings you to the Heaven Dou Empire?"
The world was at peace now, and Spirit Hall's elders and enshrined could be said to take no interest in worldly affairs. They would hardly ever emerge without special circumstances.
The last time was when the previous Pope, Qian Xunji, had fallen.
Qian Daoliu had personally led a group to attack the Clear Sky Sect!
Of course, in the end, no battle had taken place.
The elders had merely shown their faces.
Today, Golden Crocodile Douluo's appearance was enough to make Qian Renxue curious. After all, he ranked second among the six enshrined and was her grandfather Qian Daoliu's closest sworn brother.
Golden Crocodile Douluo casually found a stone stool and sat down. A smile flickered across his rugged, scarcely wrinkled face as he said, "Can't I come see you unless something's happened!?"
"It's been almost ten years. Back then, you ran off to the Heaven Dou Empire in a fit of anger, and we never heard from you again. Xiao Xue, count for yourself how many years it's been since you came back to see us old men."
Qian Renxue smiled awkwardly and hurriedly served the old man tea. "That's all rotten grain and old history. Why bring it up?"
"Please just tell me what you came for. I don't believe a busy man like you came just to see me. Perhaps my grandfather asked you to do something!?" Qian Renxue stared at Thousand Crocodile Douluo with wide, round eyes, not blinking once.
"You're the clever one." Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded helplessly.
He stood up and looked toward the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace. Frowning, he then extended his right hand and pressed it slightly downward in that direction.
He turned to Qian Renxue with a smile and narrowed his eyes. "Xiao Xue, do you believe that with a single turn of my palm, I could sink the entire Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace into the earth in an instant, reducing it to a pile of rubble and sending that damn emperor and his consorts straight to the depths of hell along with it?"
(Sigh, I've practically been caught in Infinite Tsukuyomi these past few days and have been in a daze. Staying in the countryside makes me far too lazy. I've been updating every night, and the book's traffic has dropped too. I'll do my best to get myself back on track and try to update earlier tomorrow!)
(The second chapter is coming right up!)
(End of chapter)