"Yield or not?" Qian Renxue murmured to herself.
To yield? Naturally, her heart refused, but she had indeed lost the final clash against Gu Xuan. She no longer possessed the strength to resist his final strike. Her lips might concede, but her pride remained unbowed. That was Qian Renxue's answer.
"Gu Xuan, you bring me one surprise after another. With a rival like you in the future, I imagine my pace of progress will increase significantly," Qian Renxue said, bypassing his direct question. "To this day, you are the only person besides her who is qualified to be my lifelong rival."
The first person to react wasn't Gu Xuan, but Bibi Dong. Hearing those words, Bibi Dong's eyes flickered as she looked at Qian Renxue, though she allowed no other flaw to show in her expression.
"Oh?" Gu Xuan hummed softly.
Ignoring the Golden Crocodile Douluo for a moment, the massive bone dragon dissolved into soul power light and returned to Gu Xuan's body. He recovered as much of the eight elemental energies as he could. The clash had only lasted four minutes, but for Gu Xuan, it was an immense drain.
While he hadn't reached his absolute breaking point, he would need at least a month to restore his origin essence. This month would be his weakest period. Such was the price of using the gold-level Second Awakening. It wasn't a heavy price in the long run—he lost nothing but a month of cultivation time while he recovered.
However, having used the Second Awakening, Gu Xuan's understanding of his own Martial Soul had deepened, and he now had a profound grasp of his true power. The next time he used it, he would be far more composed. As his strength grew in the future, this period of weakness would shrink until it vanished entirely.
Qian Renxue also retracted her Martial Soul Avatar. She had given her all in this battle, and her soul power was nearly depleted. Flapping her two pairs of angelic wings, she looked into Gu Xuan's eyes with absolute seriousness. "Next time, I will be the victor."
Gu Xuan, maintaining his flight via the Sword Dragon Eight Wings, gave her a flat look. "Though you didn't answer my question, you made the right decision regarding my suggestion earlier and didn't harm my teammates. I won't press you further."
He paused, his voice turning meaningful. "However, since you have such confidence, why don't we add a little wager?"
"What do you want to bet?" Qian Renxue replied.
Gu Xuan glanced at the Golden Crocodile Douluo and gave a slight, respectful bow. Then, with a beat of his sword-wings, he bypassed the Worship and moved directly in front of Qian Renxue. Qian Renxue was confused by his maneuver, but Golden Crocodile didn't stop him—after all, the brat had already bowed, hadn't he?
Gu Xuan brought his handsome face very close to Qian Renxue's. Her heart skipped a beat, and a surge of unexpected anticipation bubbled up inside her; Gu Xuan's actions were far too suggestive. The Golden Crocodile Douluo suppressed the urge to slap Gu Xuan into oblivion, curious to see what the little rascal was up to.
Gu Xuan leaned past her angelic face and whispered into her ear. "You lost this battle, but you believe you'll win the next. Be a bit more confident then."
"If I lose next time, I am at your disposal. But if I win again, how about you bring the Elder Hall as your dowry and become my sixth wife?"
As Gu Xuan spoke, his warm breath brushed against Qian Renxue's earlobe, turning her face a deep shade of crimson. This wasn't the first time they had been intimate, but this was her true form—she was without any disguise!
Qian Renxue felt a firm surge of conviction during the first half of his sentence—she would win next time. But the second half made her freeze. 'Become your sixth wife? So this brat already has five women?!' Giving herself to him was one thing, but he wasn't satisfied with just her—he wanted the entire Elder Hall as a dowry, too?
Qian Renxue shoved Gu Xuan away, her face shifting between pale and flushed with anger. "You lecher!" she hissed.
Beyond her rapid change in expression, there was also the Golden Crocodile Douluo. At such a close distance, and being a Rank 98 Super Douluo, he didn't usually eavesdrop, but he couldn't resist knowing what this little bastard was saying... Now he knew, and his mood soured instantly. He really wanted to slap Gu Xuan now. 'Our Holy Maiden as your sixth wife? And the entire Elder Hall as a dowry? How thick is your skin?!'
Gu Xuan offered a charming smile. "Do you dare to bet?"
To nudge her toward an answer, he continued. "I am fifteen this year. My wedding date with my wives is set for July 7th, my eighteenth birthday."
"Let's make a Three-Year Promise. Three years from now, on July 1st, we'll find a place to fight again. If I lose, I'm yours to deal with. But if you lose, come to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan on July 7th wearing a wedding dress."
Qian Renxue's heart trembled. This brat! He really is a lecher! Five wives at once? And he even had designs on her? 'I knew it! My peerless beauty would eventually leave this brat sleepless, but this isn't how the story was supposed to go!' she thought.
Golden Crocodile Douluo looked displeased, but he began to weigh the options. He had already discussed Gu Xuan with the First Worship, Qian Daoliu. The secret letter from the Spear Douluo was still in Qian Daoliu's possession. They had intended to observe Gu Xuan's talent and character before deciding. He had seen the talent—it was on par with Qian Renxue's. As for character... in battle, Gu Xuan was upright and brave. But he was certainly a bit of a philanderer...
Still, Golden Crocodile saw an opportunity. If Qian Renxue won, she could forbid him from marrying others and keep him for herself... or at least be the primary wife, not the sixth.
As for losing? Qian Renxue had lost today, but three years was a long time. The Qian family were the inheritors of the Angel God. If she practiced seriously, she could pull ahead in no time.
Qian Renxue spoke up. "Fine. I'll bet with you!" Her veil had long since been knocked off, and her flushed face, combined with her pouting expression, made Gu Xuan like her even more.
'Finally, I can turn "Brother Xue" into "Wife Xue"!' Gu Xuan mused. He didn't think he would lose. Qian Renxue would progress, but would he stay still? Besides, she still had to maintain her identity as the Crown Prince. Once he got back, he'd find plenty of trouble to throw her way to keep her from secluded cultivation!
It was all about the strategy. For his future happiness, what was a little dirty play?
(End of Chapter)
---
This story is already complete on my Support Page! If you want to stay 2 chapters ahead for free, just search for Fallen_Archangel_ on the orange platform.
Your 5-star reviews and Power Stones keep the chapters coming!