Soul Land—Chapter 19: Escape to Heaven Dou Empire, Encounter "Xue Qinghe"
Two and a half years later.
Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.
The sun was scorching, and two young people—one man and one woman—walked in from the east gate.
At this time, Ling Qianyao stood about 1.7 meters tall, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. His handsome face was adorned with a bun atop his head, and his black hair flowed naturally, with some strands fluttering in the wind.
Dressed in light black tights, he had a slender figure with faintly visible muscle lines.
The woman beside him, Zhu Zhuqing, possessed an alluring figure with exquisite curves. A fitted dress tightly wrapped her graceful body, outlining her remarkable silhouette.
Her hair was as black as ink, gently cascading over her shoulders. Though her eyebrows revealed a trace of heroism, she didn't lose any of her feminine beauty.
Her steps were light, and as she walked hand in hand with Ling Qianyao, there was an indescribable tacit understanding and intimacy between them.
"Qianyao, Heaven Dou City is truly prosperous," she remarked. Her voice, previously marked by immaturity, had matured and steadied, yet it remained as crisp and pleasant as a clear spring in the mountains.
Ling Qianyao nodded. "After all, it is the imperial city of an empire. The number of nobles here far exceeds that of Star Luo City. Many industries are directly controlled by nobles, contributing to its higher prosperity."
"Luxury," Zhu Zhuqing replied, curling her lips.
"But the prosperity here is more inclined toward business. When it comes to the holy land in the hearts of soul masters, the most prosperous place is Spirit City, a city inhabited by soul masters. That is where soul masters truly yearn to be, filled with the essence of their craft."
The two stopped at a gorgeously decorated hairpin shop. The store was filled with dazzling items, and various hairpins were displayed neatly on the counter.
Ling Qianyao personally selected a purple butterfly-style hairpin from the top and placed it in Zhu Zhuqing's hair.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"Of course." Zhu Zhuqing raised her hand to gently touch the hairpin, turning before the mirror with a smile.
The shopkeeper in charge of the establishment immediately approached them, a smile on his face. "You two are truly a perfect match. That purple butterfly hairpin adds a touch of ethereal beauty to this young lady."
Ling Qianyao and Zhu Zhuqing smiled at each other and thanked the shopkeeper for his praise. After paying, the two were about to leave when suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves and rolling wheels echoed on the street. A luxurious carriage slowly approached from the city gate, flanked by several horseback guards, all displaying solemn expressions.
The carriage was exquisitely decorated, with gold inlays and tassels swaying in the breeze, exuding extreme nobility. The curtain of the carriage was slightly lifted by the wind, revealing a handsome face—none other than Prince Xue Qinghe of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The noise on the street quieted for a moment as people began to voluntarily clear the path. Ling Qianyao and Zhu Zhuqing also paused briefly.
"That's the royal carriage; it appears to belong to His Highness Xue Qinghe," the shopkeeper whispered to them, envy and awe glimmering in his eyes.
Ling Qianyao became intrigued, eager to glimpse "Xue Qinghe." This Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had been killed long ago by Qian Renxue, the young Lady of the Spirit Hall, who had taken his place to enact the Spirit Hall's so-called usurpation plan.
This peerless genius had acquired divine soul power, with an innate soul power level of 20. Out of anger toward Bibi Dong, she accepted the task of being an undercover agent in the Heaven Dou Empire, squandering her precious cultivation talent.
Before the age of 20, soul masters generally possess an advantage in cultivation speed. Despite Qian Renxue having innate level 20 soul power, she was only nine years old when she went undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire, barely achieving the rank of Soul Elder or just reaching Soul Ancestor.
Her talent had remained untapped.
Ling Qianyao speculated on why Qian Daoliu had permitted Qian Renxue to go to the Heaven Dou Empire. First, Bibi Dong was hostile toward her and even sought to kill her; it was not safe for her to stay in the Spirit Hall. Therefore, the old man arranged for her to go undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire, distancing her from Bibi Dong's threat. Second, Qian Renxue sought to prove herself and yearned for maternal love. She attempted to utilize the crucial step of completing the Spirit Hall's unification of the continent—controlling the Heaven Dou Empire—in hopes of earning Bibi Dong's recognition.
Of course, he had other fleeting thoughts, such as testing Qian Renxue's character and ruling ability after the Angel God Test; however, he believed the likelihood was minimal.
Originally, with Qian Renxue's talent, it was a foregone conclusion that she would reach the Soul Saint realm before the age of 20. After that, she would be able to make a direct impact toward becoming a deity within ten years, becoming another legend on the Douluo Continent by successfully passing the God Test.
At that time, the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire would hardly be noteworthy. Even Tang San, having the chance to acquire the Immortal Herb, probably wouldn't reach the Soul Saint realm either. No one could stop her from sweeping through the land.
Unfortunately, she now concealed her identity, playing another role in Heaven Dou City. Ling Qianyao couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret.
"Hmm?"
Inside the carriage, Qian Renxue suddenly frowned slightly, her right hand instinctively covering her chest.
A wave of indescribable emotion surged within her heart, both familiar and strange, resonating with some powerful martial soul energy from the depths of her blood.
"This…" Qian Renxue felt a shock. "Is this the induction of a martial soul fusion skill? How is this possible?"
Her martial soul was the six-winged angel, inherited from the first generation of angel gods who ascended to the divine world ten thousand years ago. As the purest and most powerful martial soul among the angel family, it had always existed in isolation, with no precedent for fusion skills with other martial souls.
Moreover, with her talent, her martial soul could be considered god-level.
An important factor in a martial soul fusion skill is that the strength of the two martial souls must be similar. Does this mean that within Heaven Dou City, there is a martial soul as powerful as her six-winged angel martial soul, one that can even resonate with it?
"Carriage, slow down."
Qian Renxue's eyes gleamed with determination as her mind settled, carefully sensing the source of that resonance.
At the same time, Ling Qianyao frowned, feeling a fluctuation from the Star-Breaking Sword within him, which almost unconsciously drew his gaze toward the carriage where Qian Renxue sat in the distance.
"Astrology…"
The result was that the stars jumped erratically between good and bad.
Without hesitation, Ling Qianyao fully activated the Star Hiding skill, concealing all traces of the Star-Breaking Sword's fluctuations.
"Huh?" Qian Renxue frowned, the feeling of martial soul resonance dissipating entirely.
"Could it be that I sensed it wrong?" Qian Renxue contemplated inwardly, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
As the bearer of the Angel Martial Soul, she possessed extraordinary sensitivity to martial souls, and her perception could not be mistaken.
"Interesting, indeed," Qian Renxue remarked, a playful smile curling her lips. "I didn't expect to find an unexpected gain. Haha, you can still conceal your martial soul aura. Want to hide? Humph, let's see how I can uncover you."
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(End of this chapter)