The golden afterglow of the setting sun scattered across the towering steps of the Spirit Hall, and...
The blonde girl blocking their way.
A thousand feet of snow.
The Spirit Hall's number one genius, and the future successor to the Angel Godhood.
In the same place, a few days ago, Su Chen and she bumped into each other, nodding and passing by. But today, the girl deliberately waited for him here.
It was easy to tell from the gaze that had been fixed on him since she appeared that she was there for him.
What does this mean?
Su Chen was somewhat puzzled.
After racking his brains for a while without figuring out where he had crossed paths with Qian Renxue, he gave a polite smile and decided to leave.
But no sooner had he lifted his foot than a fragrant breeze wafted over him, and the young girl was already standing in front of him.
Um.
It has the same fragrance as Bibi Dong.
You two, mother and daughter, are like oil and water, yet you share a similar hobby.
The silver-haired youth sighed, stopped in his tracks, and looked into the golden eyes. "Miss, is there something you need from me?"
There's no way to avoid her now, so at least we need to figure out what she's up to.
Surely it couldn't be because he stole her title as the number one genius of the Spirit Hall?
Qian Renxue shouldn't be that naive.
As Su Chen was thinking this, he heard the girl speak coldly, "You are Su Chen, right?"
"Um."
He nodded.
"Come and fight me. I will suppress my soul power to the Soul Master level."
"Uh-huh?"
The silver-haired boy stared blankly at the blonde girl with a serious expression.
no.
Is that really why you came?
It seems both mother and daughter's personas have collapsed!
Su Chen was truly puzzled; how come each of them was completely different from what he remembered?
The boy overlooked one thing.
That is now, not a decade or two from now.
Bibi Dong has not yet been crushed by reality, nor has she been driven into a madwoman with only destruction in her heart by the high-pressure environment of the Spirit Hall. She still possesses her youthful pride and vigor.
Qian Renxue was not yet the Xue Qinghe who had spent ten years scheming in the palace, murdering several princes, and being cold and ruthless towards everything.
She was just an ordinary girl who was somewhat obsessive, competitive, and eager to be recognized by someone.
"Of course, I won't fight you for nothing."
Seemingly noticing Su Chen's surprise, Qian Renxue said calmly.
The bracelet on her wrist emitted a faint light, and then a crystal radiating soul power appeared in the girl's jade-like hand.
That is
Su Chen's dark eyes narrowed slightly, and his brows furrowed gently.
"This is a soul bone of a three-thousand-year-old Red Water Snail. After this battle ends, regardless of victory or defeat, it will be yours."
As Qian Renxue spoke, she casually tossed it over.
The boy reached out and took it, feeling the gentle fluctuations of soul power. He knew that this was a genuine soul bone, and judging from its shape, it should belong to the left arm bone.
As expected of Qian Daoliu's granddaughter, her personal fortune is indeed substantial; she just casually gave away a three-thousand-year-old soul bone!
Su Chen shook his head inwardly.
Are there any conditions?
He put the soul bone away with his backhand and asked.
The more research on natural energy, the better.
Moreover, a three-thousand-year-old soul bone is probably nothing to this young lady, and there shouldn't be any problem with her taking it.
"have."
A flicker of emotion crossed Qian Renxue's otherwise calm, golden eyes. She took a deep breath. "I hope that His Holiness the Pope can witness this competition."
Seemingly worried that the boy might refuse due to pride, she added, "It's not a public contest. The only audience is His Holiness the Pope, and at most Elder Ju and Elder Gui."
"And even if you lose a match against me, no one will blame you."
For the first time ever, Qian Renxue offered the boy a word of comfort. Perhaps because she hadn't said such a thing in a long time, a faint blush appeared on the girl's delicate face, softening her icy demeanor.
You really go all out!
Su Chen nodded, both amused and exasperated. "No problem, you decide the time and place."
How could he possibly refuse?
Don't even mention just fighting in front of them. If you're willing to give me a few more ten-thousand-year soul bones, I'll even put on a show with you in Wuhun City.
Su Chen couldn't wait to have more of these free soul bones.
"Okay, it's settled then. I see you're very tired, so get some rest tonight. See you at the first training ground at this time tomorrow."
Seeing that the young man agreed, a smile actually appeared on Qian Renxue's cold and pretty face, and her gaze towards him became much kinder, and her tone was not as cold as when they first met.
The blonde girl's smile at that moment was like ice melting, revealing her original brightness. If others were to see this, they would be extremely shocked as to whether this was still the granddaughter of the High Priest, the little ice block who always had a cold demeanor towards everyone.
Although it was only for a fleeting moment, the boy still witnessed that exquisite instant.
That's really something.
Watching Qian Renxue's slightly excited figure disappear into the distance, it was only then that he suddenly realized that she was a girl who was only twelve years old.
As expected, no matter how talented someone is, they are still just a child.
A child who, from birth, is surrounded by his mother's deeply resentful gaze.
Perhaps, beneath her cold exterior, lies a heart yearning for her mother's praise.
That's why he wanted to defeat himself, who had gained the Pope's favor, with equal soul power, hoping to receive some preferential attention in return.
Su Chen weighed the soul bone in his hand, put it into his soul tool, shook his head and sighed softly.
Unfortunately, that's impossible.
Qian Renxue was unaware that her existence was the root of Bibi Dong's suffering.
Her Holiness the Pope's repression, despair, and madness are at least 80% due to her deceased father.
Every time Bibi Dong saw her, it was like reopening her wounds.
Now he's even getting so close to Sendoru.
Although this may have been just a girl's subconscious attempt to find warmth out of loneliness, or perhaps Qian Daoliu's deliberate guidance, it completely shattered the last trace of maternal tenderness in Bibi Dong's heart.
From biological mother and daughter to enemies.
Was Qian Renxue wrong?
No.
She was just a child, and everything she came into contact with and knew was artificially instilled in her. When Bibi Dong wouldn't explain, the only person she was closest to was Qian Daoliu.
But did Bibi Dong do anything wrong?
No.
After all, she was just a victim from beginning to end.
Being love-struck is a sin, but not to this extent.
Su Chen shook his head and walked towards the laboratory as the sun set.
Both Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue are people with the potential to become gods.
And perhaps they can do something to the Rakshasa and Angel gods through them.
It would be a real shame to let this internal strife continue until the future of their relationship.
The boy stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, wondering if there was any room for maneuver in this matter.
Given Qian Renxue's current status, maintaining a good relationship with her would be entirely beneficial, and it would be a good opportunity to plan ahead for the Heaven Dou Empire.
However, the premise is that it cannot damage his relationship with Bibi Dong; otherwise, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
It's clearly unlikely that easing tensions between the two sides will work; we can only try to find a way to at least make contact with both sides in a way that doesn't offend them.