"Mm. As a member of the royal family, a certain pride is to be expected. You don't have to like them, but you should try to understand them," Ning Fengzhi said. "As for their lack of commitment to cultivation—that's a flaw you must not copy. At the end of the day, this world belongs to soul masters and the strong. The reason the two great empires haven't unified the continent—beyond the influence of Spirit Hall and our Upper Three Sects—is simply because they lack enough high-end power to determine the outcome of war."
Ning Fengzhi continued to explain the philosophies of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect: always seeking talented individuals, learning how to invest wisely, and taking long-term control of the future. This mindset was one of the core reasons the sect had secured its position as one of the continent's top three.
Unfortunately, this time, Ning Fengzhi had made a bad investment. Xue Qinghe would soon be replaced by Qian Renxue. All the effort poured into cultivating that relationship would go to waste.
Elsewhere, Qian Renxue had just returned to her quarters. Sitting on a sofa, she spoke into the empty air.
"Uncle She, investigate Ning Fengzhi's new disciple—Xu Yang. I want every detail about him."
As soon as she finished speaking, a figure stepped out from the shadows. A tall, lean man over two meters in height, his presence was sharp and imposing like a javelin poised to strike.
"Yes, Young Mistress," the man replied simply, then vanished into the darkness once more.
Qian Renxue's expression turned cold.
"Uncle Ci, begin preparations to replace Xue Qinghe. This identity needs to 'die' publicly."
"What?!" A second figure emerged from the shadows—another Titled Douluo, Ci Xue. He couldn't hide his shock. "Why now?"
According to their original plan, they were supposed to bide their time—fully study Xue Qinghe's personality, habits, and relationships before making the swap. This seemed premature.
But Qian Renxue's voice remained steady. "Xu Yang's martial soul resonated with mine. I immediately used the Cloud Illusion Soul Bone to sever the connection, but there's no guarantee he won't report the sensation to Ning Fengzhi. If that happens, he might dig into my identity. We can't afford that risk. The plan needs to accelerate."
She paused, her gaze sharp.
"Don't worry. I've already gathered enough intel on Xue Qinghe. I'm confident I can fully take his place without raising suspicion."
Ci Xue finally understood. So that's why she was so concerned about Xu Yang—his martial soul had actually resonated with the Seraphim. A martial soul capable of forming a fusion technique with the Seraphim… If they could bring that into Spirit Hall, it would be a massive boost to Qian Renxue's eventual conquest of the Heaven Dou Empire.
And yes, this identity had to die. Otherwise, if Ning Fengzhi insisted on bringing her under his wing as Xue Qinghe's guard, she would have no choice but to reveal herself. Killing off the identity might raise suspicion, but Spirit Hall had its ways of covering things up. At most, Ning Fengzhi might find a few threads that didn't quite add up.
Besides, right now, Ning Fengzhi barely knew Xue Qinghe. Once she assumed his identity, even if some behaviors changed slightly, they could be passed off as quirks or personal preferences.
"I understand. I'll see to it at once. You, too, must prepare, Young Mistress."
With that, he too faded into the shadows.
One week later, Xu Yang and Ning Fengzhi returned to Heaven Dou City. Inside the palace, they were led to the Honghe Palace—Xue Qinghe's current residence.
When Xu Yang saw "Xue Qinghe" again, he immediately noticed that the guard beside him had changed.
"So she's made the switch… But I should still confirm it." Xu Yang greeted him with a warm smile and casually asked, "Junior Brother Xue, did your guard get replaced?"
Qian Renxue smiled easily, pleased by his perceptiveness. "I figured you'd ask that. He said he wanted to visit family, so I let him go. Why—did you need him for something?"
Xu Yang waved it off with a chuckle. "No, nothing like that. I was just curious, that's all."
Confirmed. The Xue Qinghe standing before him was no longer the original—it was Qian Renxue in disguise.
Now that he was sure, he decided it was time to get a little closer to this "Junior Brother."
(●ˇˇ●)
Xu Yang couldn't help but smile mischievously, sending a subtle chill down Qian Renxue's spine.
Their lesson was to be held in Xue Qinghe's study. Xu Yang, playing the role of the eager student, plopped himself down right next to Qian Renxue—much closer than was typical.
This made Qian Renxue extremely uncomfortable. She'd always sat alone—who dared get so close to her? She nearly pushed him away out of reflex, but remembering her current identity, she forced herself to endure it.
As time passed, she gradually grew used to his presence. In fact, she began to sense a strange pull toward him. There was something uniquely magnetic about Xu Yang, though she couldn't explain why.
Xu Yang felt it too. He had a hunch about the reason: martial soul resonance.
This mutual attraction had to be the result of an extremely high compatibility between their martial souls—possibly even a perfect match.
Only with a 100% compatibility rate could two martial souls draw each other in like this.
Xu Yang didn't mind the sensation. After all, he remembered the descriptions of Qian Renxue's appearance in the original storyline. Back in his past life, he had long given up on romantic ideals. As someone who struggled at the bottom of society, he didn't believe in love—just desire at first sight.
"Senior Brother," Qian Renxue suddenly asked during a short break, "forgive me if I'm being rude, but… what is your martial soul?"
She knew it was impolite—almost confrontational—to ask such a question. In the outside world, openly inquiring about someone's martial soul was akin to challenging them. But she couldn't help it—her curiosity had gotten the better of her. What kind of martial soul could possibly resonate with the six-winged Seraphim?
"My martial soul?" Xu Yang replied, raising an eyebrow. "It's the sun in the sky. Its elements are fire and light—a mutated martial soul, I suppose."
He saw no point in hiding it. Spirit Hall would learn the truth eventually anyway. By revealing it now, he might gain a sliver of trust from Qian Renxue.
"The sun…?" Qian Renxue repeated, her expression thoughtful.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced—an ancient record about the Angel God. The Angel God ruled over light and held dominion over the skies. They even wielded part of the sun's power, including the ability to summon true solar flames.
A martial soul embodying the sun could theoretically complement and even enhance the Seraphim's grasp over solar energy. No wonder their souls had resonated.
In that moment, Qian Renxue finally understood why it happened. And along with that understanding came a deep, rising desire: the desire to claim Xu Yang.
If they could develop a martial soul fusion technique, she would become invincible—no one on the continent could stop her.
Her resistance faded like smoke. A gentle smile tugged at her lips. "So your martial soul is the sun… Truly a rare and extraordinary gift."
"I was pretty shocked too," Xu Yang said, chuckling. "I never imagined my martial soul would mutate into something like that."
He smoothly followed her lead and reinforced the idea that his martial soul was just a one-of-a-kind mutation.