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Two hours later.
More than two hundred miles south of Tian Dou City, in a desolate mountain range, a battle had just concluded, leaving behind a chaotic battlefield.
Chu Chengzhou, who was now covered in dust and thoroughly taught a lesson by Qian Daoliu, watched indignantly as the latter's figure disappeared into the sky.
As it turned out, some things couldn't be avoided simply because he didn't want them to happen.
Under the guise of "testing and guiding," Qian Daoliu unceremoniously gave Chu Chengzhou a beating to ensure the young man didn't get carried away with his own strength.
Of course, that wasn't the main point.
Qian Daoliu admitted that this young man was exceptionally talented, and his future achievements would surely match or even surpass his own—there was even a possibility of ascending to godhood one day.
However, Qian Daoliu was still deeply dissatisfied.
From what he knew, Chu Chengzhou was quite the playboy. Not only did he have three girlfriends at home, but Hu Liena, the current Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, was also one of Chu Chengzhou's lovers.
He only had one precious granddaughter, Qian Renxue, and seeing this young man being so fickle naturally made him want to teach him a lesson to vent his frustration.
Well, since the young man was already so powerful, once he truly grew stronger in the future, Qian Daoliu might not have the strength to discipline him anymore.
"You think I'll let this beating go unpunished? If you bully me, I'll go and bother your granddaughter!"
Watching Qian Daoliu's departing figure, Chu Chengzhou thought resentfully.
If only he had gotten some "meat" out of it, then getting beaten wouldn't have been so bad. But the problem was—he hadn't even tasted the goods yet! Wasn't that unfair?
---
Late at night, inside the Tian Dou Palace.
"So late at night, instead of visiting your Big Sister Yuehua, what brings you here?"
Inside her bedroom, Qian Renxue, whose peerless beauty was accentuated by a purple nightgown, looked at Chu Chengzhou curiously as he entered.
That Chu Chengzhou was involved with Tang Yuehua of Yue Xuan was something that could be hidden from Hu Liena and Xiao Wu—but not from Qian Renxue.
After all, Chu Chengzhou had spent every night at Yue Xuan recently and hadn't made any effort to conceal his whereabouts.
"Xue'er, today is your coronation day. I have a gift for you."
Chu Chengzhou said without changing his expression.
Instantly, Qian Renxue became interested: "A gift? What is it?"
With a smile, Chu Chengzhou took out a beautifully wrapped large gift box from his storage soul tool and handed it to Qian Renxue.
Upon opening the box, Qian Renxue found what appeared to be an elegant golden-red robe.
Puzzled, she looked at Chu Chengzhou.
"Xue Qinghe has his imperial robe; how could my little angel not have an empress gown? This is specially customized for you. Come on, Xue'er, let me see the splendor of Empress Xue!"
Chu Chengzhou grinned mischievously.
The vision of a stunning empress dressed in regal attire, paired with her pure angelic wings, was enough to make anyone's heart race.
"Chu Chengzhou, have you realized that you're actually quite perverted?"
Glancing down at the empress gown inside the box, Qian Renxue remarked softly.
Did he really think she didn't know what he was up to?
Hearing this, Chu Chengzhou's face darkened. Perverted? Impossible, absolutely impossible!
"Little Xue, don't slander my innocence! I merely want to witness the majesty of an angelic empress."
Chu Chengzhou waved his hands in denial.
"Really?"
Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.
"Is there any doubt? Come on, Xue'er, let me help you put it on~"
Without waiting for her refusal, the considerate Chu Chengzhou stepped forward to help her change into the gown.
At first, Chu Chengzhou behaved very properly, like the perfect gentleman from legends.
But when Qian Renxue, wearing the golden-red empress gown adorned with phoenix patterns, crowned with a tiara, and barefoot, appeared before him, giving him a gaze both pure and slightly seductive, Chu Chengzhou couldn't hold back anymore.
He lifted the empress onto the bed, brushed aside her golden hair, and whispered into her ear. As two pairs of pure angelic wings unfurled behind her back, Chu Chengzhou placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.
This was a posture of control, as if he could grasp every inch of the road and every fleeting moment.
---
Soon, the engine roared low, like a beast growling in its throat. Every acceleration and brake felt like the beast's breathing—deep and powerful.
His eyes were fixed ahead, though the night was deep. The bright headlights illuminated the path, casting his face in a determined light.
Every turn, every lane change, was as resolute as his decisions.
The speed increased, the wind howled, and all sounds merged with him into one—a symphony of speed, passion, calmness, and composure.
The music played inside the car, each note resonating with his heartbeat, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, full of life's rhythm.
The music echoed in his ears, blending with the wind and engine sounds to create a unique melody—his rhythm, his tempo.
After an unknown amount of time, a crossroad appeared ahead. His heartbeat quickened, and with a deep breath, he pressed the accelerator hard, sending the car speeding toward the intersection like an arrow.
In that moment, he felt the power of freedom and the infinite possibilities of life.
Chu Chengzhou: I'm on the road!
The little train, chugging along…
---
Half a month later, in the vast ocean, on a deserted island.
As the surging blood flame halo contracted, it transformed into Tang Yuehua's seventh soul ring. A radiant torso soul bone emerged, and a giant clam, nearly ten meters in diameter, its shell covered in sharp spines and gleaming like diamonds in the sunlight, lost its vitality.
Although Tang Yuehua, who already had six soul bones, couldn't absorb the newly dropped torso soul bone due to her full slots, her accumulated strength, combined with the soul power boost from a hundred-thousand-year seventh soul ring, allowed her to reach Level 80 Quasi-Soul Douluo after advancing to Soul Saint.
Glancing at a hundred-thousand-year Golden Hawksbill Turtle lying on the nearby beach, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but feel relieved.
Fortunately, before heading to the sea for soul hunting, he had taken Tang Yuehua to the Great Star Dou Forest first, where she added her eighth soul ring. By now, she was already a Soul Douluo.
Otherwise, after years of cultivation, it would have been embarrassing if Tang Yuehua, who had only trained for a few months, surpassed him to reach the eight-ring level.
With a wave of his hand, Chu Chengzhou collected the torso soul bone dropped by the hundred-thousand-year Diamond Clam. Then, controlling the prepared Golden Hawksbill Turtle, he initiated another offering ritual.
It must be said that Tang Yuehua's rate of soul power advancement was the fastest on the continent—no soul master could compare, not even someone as overpowered as himself.
In just three months, she had gone from a Level 9 Soul Trainee to a Soul Douluo, increasing her soul power by over seventy levels. Perhaps only certain fanfiction protagonists born with Innate Soul Power Level 90 could surpass her.
Moreover, the most important thing was that Tang Yuehua wasn't an ordinary soul master.
Although her Wishful Ring was a support-type martial soul and her Wishful Soul Skills were supportive, the high-quality hundred-thousand-year soul rings and soul bones granted her exceptional attributes. Paired with twelve hundred-thousand-year soul bone skills from six soul bones, Tang Yuehua, soon to become an eight-ring Soul Douluo, possessed strength at the Title Douluo level.
Even if she lacked combat experience and technique, her overwhelming hardware alone was enough to crush weaker Title Douluos like She Long.
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