I sat across from Qian Renxue in a private chamber within the palace, the air thick with tension. She had dropped all pretense with me, shedding her disguise and revealing her true self.
Her piercing golden eyes studied me with an intensity that would unnerve most. She wasn't alone, of course—Snake Lance Douluo and Pufferfish Douluo stood at the ready, their presence a silent warning. They had already informed her of my strength, that I was a Titled Douluo who made them feel… threatened.
"Who are you really, and what do you want?" Qian Renxue's voice was calm, yet there was an edge to it—a quiet demand for answers.
I leaned back lazily, unfazed by her sharp gaze. "We've already met. My name is Ryan. As for what I want? Nothing, really. I'm just here to mess around for a while."
She didn't react, but I could tell she wasn't buying it. I chuckled, leaning forward slightly, letting a slow, knowing smile spread across my lips.
"I don't care about Spirit Hall's plans—the internal fighting, the politics, or even your so-called grand vision for the world. You can take over the world or burn it to the ground, for all I care. However… I doubt you'll believe that. So let me give you another reason."
Her expression remained unreadable, but I could sense the subtle shift in the air.
"I killed Tang Hao's son," I stated bluntly, watching for her reaction. "Ripped out his soul and everything. He was an anomaly in this world that needed to be removed. That makes me an enemy of the Clear Sky Clan and Tang Hao himself."
Snake Lance Douluo and Pufferfish Douluo stiffened. Qian Renxue remained silent, listening intently.
"I also killed the son of the current Patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—Yu Xiaogang. You know, the man your mother has an obsessive love for. That makes them my enemy as well."
Her golden eyes darkened slightly.
"And then there's the Star Luo Empire. I killed the Third Prince and took his supposed fiancée for myself." I smirked. "That makes them my enemy, too."
A cold silence settled over the room. The trio before me sucked in a sharp breath. Bold—no, beyond bold! Reckless, arrogant, fearless—Ryan was all of these things.
"But you see," I continued casually, swirling the tea in my cup, "I'm quite lazy. I have no interest in wasting my time dealing with all these nuisances, so I figured… why not pass them off to you?"
I leaned forward again, my voice dropping slightly. "They're already your enemies, your problems. All I'm doing is providing valuable information, eliminating some future threats for you, and maybe even tipping the scales in your favor."
Qian Renxue remained silent, processing my words.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or so they say," I finished, my smile never wavering. "Now, the real question is—would you like to be my friend, or would you rather be my enemy?"
For a moment, the room remained still. Then, Qian Renxue slowly smiled—a dangerous, knowing smile.
"I would like to be your friend," she said finally.
I nodded. "Perfect. Then how about I give you a little gift? Serenity."
At my words, Serenity appeared for a brief moment before vanishing again.
Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed. "What is she doing?"
"You'll see. Might want to put your face back on."
With a flicker of spirit energy, her face shifted back into that of Xue Qinghe. She sat in silence, waiting.
Thirty minutes later, the palace erupted into chaos. Bells and sirens blared, echoing through the halls.
Snake Lance and Pufferfish Douluo disappeared in an instant, responding to the disturbance, while frantic knocking sounded at the door.
"Crown Prince! It's an emergency!"
Qian Renxue, still disguised as Xue Qinghe, schooled her expression into one of authority. "What happened?"
The guard leaned in, whispering urgently. "A group of assassins infiltrated the palace. Emperor Xue Ye was found dead along with his personal guards. Your uncle, Prince Xue Xing, has also been killed. Additionally, the main vault was raided, and all of its contents have been stolen."
Qian Renxue's eyes widened slightly. The Emperor was dead. Her uncle was dead. The direct royal lineage of Heaven Dou had been wiped out.
And as the Crown Prince, that made her the acting Emperor of Heaven Dou.
She turned to look at Ryan—only to find that he was already gone.
~~~~
"Did you get it?" I asked casually.
"Yes." Serenity handed me a spatial ring and, more importantly, the Vast Cosmic Sea Shroud.
I inspected the divine artifact for a moment before tossing it into my pagoda, where the ancient stone talisman immediately began wiping out the lingering consciousness of the Sea God.
I had no interest in inheriting the Sea God's legacy—I only wanted the artifact itself. The raid on the imperial vault was nothing more than a cover, a distraction to hide my true objective. That being said, the extra money and rare resources were a nice bonus.
"Alright, let's go," I said, stepping into my inner world.
The moment we arrived, we were greeted by two towering figures—a massive ape-like creature and a large, serpentine blue beast.
Da Ming and Er Ming.
The two great spirit beasts of the Star Dou Forest, sworn brothers of Xiao Wu.
She had recruited them into the inner world, ensuring their safety from heavenly retribution while granting them an ideal environment to cultivate. Here, they could grow stronger, unburdened by the dangers of the outside world.
They bowed their heads recognizing me as the sovereign of this space of course.
"Well, time to go and play around in another world. I need to let the inner world go through a couple years of refinement for some herbs and to grow some resources. I'm also a bit bored." With that in mind I brought up the peerage system and selected the world I had in mind.
Danmachi, and with that everything shifted as I activated the travel function.