A faint flicker passed over Qian Renxue's eyes.
An indescribable surge of anger welled up in her chest, but she forcibly suppressed it.
Straightening her back, she concealed her slightly agitated soul power and aura, once more putting on a reserved smile, though that smile undoubtedly felt forced and insincere.
"Brother Chen's strength is extraordinary. I've learned my lesson,"
her voice rang out clear and beautiful, with barely a trace of irritation.
"Once I obtain my seventh soul ring and advance to Soul Sage, naturally, I'll come challenge you again. By then, Young Sect Master Chen, I hope you will freely bestow me your guidance."
Qian Renxue wasn't just making empty threats. The Seraphim Martial Soul would achieve a qualitative leap upon acquiring the seventh soul ring—far surpassing its current state. Not only would she gain access to the full power of the angel's true form, but the angelic wings would condense fully from an initial symbolic mirage into four real wings, greatly boosting her speed, strength, soul power recovery, and control over holy and light attributes. Most importantly, the "Angel Domain"—core to the Seraphim lineage—would undergo a metamorphosis, unlocking immense strength and unmatched utility after this step. She was confident that by then, she'd be able to compete with Chen Yi again.
At that moment, Ye Lingling handed Chen Yi a warm towel.
Timing it perfectly, he took it to casually dab away his brow's sweat, smiling faintly at Qian Renxue's declaration.
"Of course, I'll be waiting anytime. I wouldn't dare miss the chance to experience a Soul Sage Angel's might."
Qian Renxue's gaze then drifted quite naturally to the poised, elegant young woman beside Chen Yi. Something inscrutable flickered in her eyes before she offered a perfect-timed smile of genuine praise.
"I didn't expect Miss Ye's cultivation to improve so quickly. You've already broken through the level 50 bottleneck. Soon, you'll be another top pillar for the Grand Martial team."
"At this rate, the championship for this year's All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament will almost certainly fall into Grand Martial Academy's hands."
Qian Renxue's words were earnest. She'd spent years undercover in Heaven Dou and, as the young miss of the Spirit Hall, was intimately familiar with the strengths of the younger generation across the continent's academies. As she knew it, the "Golden Generation" cultivated within Spirit Hall paled in comparison to soul king level, and against the Grand Martial Academy team—boasting monsters like Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan—Spirit Hall's team's chances were slim.
Chen Yi neither confirmed nor denied Qian Renxue's "praise." He returned the towel to Ye Lingling and responded with perfect composure:
"Nothing's set in stone. Anything can happen. You're too modest, Miss Qian."
Qian Renxue shook her head, letting the topic drop. She understood well the capabilities of those Bibi Dong had mentored. Changing the subject, she glanced between Chen Yi and Ye Lingling:
"By the way, I'm heading to Star Dou Great Forest in a few days to hunt for my seventh spirit ring. Since both Miss Ye and Miss Yan have broken through to level fifty, would you like to join us?"
"There are many dangerous places deep within the Star Forest, so the more help, the better."
Chen Yi nodded without hesitation. Both Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan's fifth rings were matters that needed attention, especially since Dugu Yan had been waiting for over a month.
"Of course," Chen Yi replied immediately. "Lingling needs a new spirit ring as well. Let's go together—we can look out for each other."
Seeing his ready agreement, Qian Renxue's smile deepened.
"Good. It's settled. Tomorrow, meet at the west gate of Martial City, in front of Chen Market, between 7 and 9 AM. See you there."
With a firm promise set, Qian Renxue didn't linger. She bowed respectfully toward the two elders, then turned with purposeful strides, leaving the training ground behind. Only after confirming no one was around did her form glow with golden light, her tall, graceful figure melting away, replaced by the gentle, refined appearance of the Heaven Dou's Crown Prince—Xue Qinghe. He straightened his robe, regained a prince's composure and benevolence, and strode off like one returning from a routine meeting with the upper echelon of Grand Martial Academy, heading toward the Emperor Battle Team's temporary quarters.
…
Back at the training ground's edge, Ye Lingling gave Chen Yi a teasing look, a faint smile thawing her usual coolness.
"Seems that young miss of Spirit Hall… is quite 'interested' in you."
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, shrugging with a helpless yet somewhat self-deprecating smile:
"Can't help it. No matter where I go, everyone seems to remember me—must be a mysterious sort of charm."
Ye Lingling laughed softly, her earlier reserve melting away like post-storm snow. Her tone returned to its usual calm, but her gaze was now more earnest, more serious.
"I mean it. The way Qian Renxue looks at you isn't the same as she does at others."
"It's not just recognizing a strong ally or wanting to challenge you—there's something deeper… perhaps even a faint desire for conquest, mixed with complex interests."
As a woman herself, Ye Lingling's sensitivity let her pick up on the flashes of complex emotion in Qian Renxue's eyes when she faced Chen Yi—an intensity not found in ordinary stares between enemies or allies.
The playfulness faded from Chen Yi's face.
"Forget about it. Qian Renxue's beautiful, talented, powerful—undeniable. But…"
He paused, then continued, voice steady but distant:
"She's wounded to her very core, her personality… extreme—honestly, even pitifully 'foolish' in a way."
Frankly, in Chen Yi's view, Qian Renxue and her mother were two of a kind. He didn't believe her "interest" in him was romantic—rather, it was a practical calculation and a sort of predatory desire to "conquer" a high-value, hard-to-control quarry. It was best to keep your distance from such people: cooperation, fine—getting too close, not advisable.
Moreover, Qian Renxue's arrogance and stubbornness—especially when she'd chosen to sacrifice a loyal Douluo just because he opposed attracting Tang San, their sworn enemy, during the political turmoil at Heaven Dou Palace—marked a fatal flaw in her character. She consistently prioritized her personal biases over reason or the greater picture. To her allies, this trait made her an extremely unstable factor.
Her current "attention" was founded strictly on the power and value Chen Yi represented. If his worth ever changed, or if her "desire to conquer" was unsatisfied, she might turn on him impulsively.
"I see…" Ye Lingling nodded gently, much of her tension dissipating. She asked no more, standing quietly beside Chen Yi as if their conversation had been nothing but idle chat.
….
The next day, a small but formidable party set out from Martial City toward Star Dou Great Forest. The mission was simple: secure Qian Renxue's seventh ring, Ye Lingling's and Dugu Yan's fifth. Both the Spirit Hall's young miss and top figures from the Body Sect were involved—meaning each side had dispatched powerful escorts.
Leading Grand Martial Academy's team were Dugu Yan's grandfather, Dugu Bo, and Ye Lingling's grandfather, Ye Cien—both titled Douluo.
Since concentrating his poison core, Dugu Bo had soared in power, reaching rank 95 in just a few years. The aura he exuded was now profound and boundless. Ye Cien, though not as offensively oriented, was invaluable to the team for his recovery and control abilities, and his wealth of experience.
On Qian Renxue's side were two Spirit Hall elders—Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo—serving, at least nominally, as the "crown prince's" bodyguards.
Qian Renxue had explained to Bai Baoshan and the Heaven Dou Education Committee that her trip was for advancement—citing the need for a third ring to break soul power level 30.
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince would travel with Chen Yi's party to Star Dou Forest, Bai Baoshan gave full support. With the Body Sect's heavyweights present, there was no need to worry about the prince's safety, and any bond with the continent's leading talents would only benefit the Heaven Dou Empire.
Once inside the outer reaches of the forest, under Chen Yi's lead, the group navigated straight for the border of the mixed and core zones—where the soul beasts were oldest, rarest, strongest, and the chances of finding suitable beasts for Qian Renxue and Ye Lingling were highest.
As they penetrated deeper, the atmosphere shifted—becoming increasingly primordial and raw. Dugu Bo and Ye Cien wore serious expressions, guarding their surroundings vigilantly, bodies taut with hidden power but no less alert.
Snake Lance Douluo grinned as he watched them.
"Brother Dugu, Brother Ye, why so tense? This time we have four titled Douluo. Even if we run into a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast, we'll just harvest a soul bone."
His words, brimming with a titled Douluo's arrogant confidence, drew a small nod of agreement from Porcupinefish Douluo.
But Dugu Bo shook his head, gazing at the deep, dark forest with emerald eyes.
"You might not realize, Brother She, just how unfathomable Star Dou Forest truly is."
He went on to recount how, during Chen Yi's search for his sixth ring, the Grand Elder once sensed an unspeakably terrifying presence within these woods. The two titled Douluos—Snake Lance and Porcupinefish—immediately sobered, a look of deep shock and solemnity overtaking their faces. For them, the Body Sect's Grand Elder was a peerless existence—if even he was cautious, what kind of horror was lurking deep in the forest?
Beside him, Qian Renxue's eyes widened slightly in realization—she seemed to have recalled something.
"Now that you mention it, Senior Dugu, I remember an ancient secret record from the Angel Clan that might be related…"
Everyone's attention snapped to her. Spirit Hall, the oldest and most enigmatic spirit master organization on the continent, was naturally privy to certain obscure secrets.
Qian Renxue thought for a moment, then began:
"According to the records, before the Angel God first descended to spread faith here over a thousand years ago, the Star Dou Great Forest was nowhere near as dangerous as it is now—even titled Douluo could venture into its depths."
"At that time, Star Dou was considered a true forbidden zone for all life. Within its core resided ancient bloodline spirit beasts of unimaginable power. Their strength suppressed human soul masters, preventing the depraved ones who once ravaged the continent from hunting soul beasts unhindered—they barely even dared enter the forest's depth."
"This indirectly intensified the chaos of that age," Qian Renxue explained, right as Qian Renxue added at just the right moment.
"But—"
Qian Renxue shifted, voice now tinged with doubt,
"The records also state that about twelve thousand years ago, the strongest forbidden soul beast at the forest's core vanished overnight. Without its restraining force, the remaining, slightly weaker but still formidable soul beasts lost their greatest protection. Human soul masters suddenly gained a relatively safer environment—exploring deeper, obtaining more spirit rings, spurring a golden age of soul master civilization."
"Could it be…" Porcupinefish Douluo rasped, "the presence the Grand Elder sensed… was that legendary beast, the one that supposedly vanished twelve millennia ago?"
"Most likely," Dugu Bo replied, voice low, "the Grand Elder's senses never err. Perhaps such an existence has been hiding all along, never truly gone."
The four titled Douluo met each other's eyes, their faces reflecting a mix of fear and dawning realization. They'd always assumed that, so long as they exercised caution, the Star Dou Forest was manageable. Who would have imagined that beneath this seemingly peaceful forest lay shocking ancient secrets and latent dangers?
Chen Yi, standing quietly, realized the "terrifying presence" must be the Silver Dragon King, hidden here for at least twelve thousand years. With half the origin power of the Dragon God, her intricate concealment was such that not even the Divine Realm's committee of God Kings could detect her—let alone the nascent Angel God.
Snake Lance Douluo asked:
"Young Miss, if such a secret exists, why is there nothing recorded in Spirit Hall's usual archives or maps?"
"Shouldn't such vital knowledge be passed down to warn future generations?"
Qian Renxue shook her head.
"According to the records, after the Angel God ascended, she personally investigated the Star Dou Great Forest, but found nothing abnormal—no trace of the legendary beast."
"To the elders of that era, it seemed mere legend or unprovable myth, and over time it faded into obscurity—eventually surviving only as a fragment in core records."
Everyone nodded. If even the Angel God noticed nothing, imagining how deeply such a being must've hidden itself was simple.
Chen Yi, meanwhile, understood: the Silver Dragon King was here, lurking in her secret realm, completely imperceptible.
After this revelation, everyone took more care. The group fell into focused silence, advancing through the increasingly dim, bizarrely vegetated primeval forest.
Though they occasionally sensed powerful soul beasts far off, none attempted to provoke such a formidable party.
…
Elsewhere, at the very heart of the forest—a vast, unspoiled space lay hidden beneath the mystic Lake of Life. Here, an immense black dragon opened his golden eyes, drinking in all surrounding light. Without turning his gaze, his thoughts respectfully reached toward some unseen point in the void.
"Master, they've come again."
A moment later, an ice-cold, unfazed woman's voice resonated in Di Tian's consciousness:
"I see."
….