Taking a deep breath, Cheng Xiao looked at the sincere Chrysanthemum Douluo and smiled, "Senior, if I take you as my master, is there a greeting gift involved?"
"A greeting gift?" Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan gasped, sighing, "The world has really changed. You take me as your master, and I have to give you a greeting gift? You're quite the clever boy."
Although he was teasing, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan still clapped his hands, and with a flash of light from the ring on his hand, an identical golden ring appeared in his palm.
"Boy, this ring is a spatial storage soul tool. With it, you can store and retrieve items at any time," Yue Guan said proudly as he handed the ring to Cheng Xiao. "This is a soul tool I specifically had made. Its space is vast, and it can even store living creatures. Just don't forget to release them in time."
Cheng Xiao was taken aback. "I haven't even called you my teacher yet, and you're already referring to yourself as my master?"
"I don't care about formalities. Once you accept my greeting gift, you're my disciple," Yue Guan waved dismissively and glanced at Qian Renxue, who had remained silent. "In the future, if you ever face trouble, just mention my name. As long as you don't go around causing too much trouble, your teacher will always have your back."
"Alright, kid. I'll take my leave now. If you ever face any issues you can't resolve, come find me at the Spirit Hall. See you!"
With those words, Chrysanthemum Douluo gave a slight nod to Qian Renxue before turning around. In a flash of golden light, he stepped onto his massive Chrysanthemum spirit and left.
Watching him leave, Cheng Xiao lowered his head to gaze at the golden ring resting in his palm. The ring had a small chrysanthemum symbol engraved on it, serving as proof of its owner's identity.
...
A few hours later, Cheng Xiao and Qian Renxue walked a long distance in silence, both feeling somewhat fatigued. They soon found a large tree to rest under.
"You're quite lucky," Qian Renxue remarked lazily, leaning against the tree with her body's perfect curves on display.
"Lucky? What do you mean?" Cheng Xiao frowned slightly.
"Becoming the disciple of a Titled Douluo. You don't think that's lucky?" Qian Renxue curled her lips, her red lips lifting into a slight smirk. "But I'm curious, what secret are you hiding? Care to share?"
"No interest. Everyone has secrets—you have them, I have them," Cheng Xiao responded coolly.
Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned. "You really are different from others. No wonder Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't kill you right away."
"He didn't kill me, and neither did you," Cheng Xiao said with a helpless shrug.
Letting out an awkward laugh, Qian Renxue said, "Cheng Xiao, since you're not interested in joining the Spirit Hall, how about joining the Heaven Dou Imperial Family instead? Whatever the Spirit Hall can give you, we can provide as well."
"Moreover, if you don't join the Spirit Hall, you won't be able to participate in the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament in two years. With your current strength, you'd easily qualify for a strong spirit academy."
In fact, Qian Renxue wasn't overly concerned about whether Cheng Xiao joined the Heaven Dou Empire. She needed someone to assist her in her infiltration and eventual control of the empire. Cheng Xiao fit her criteria perfectly.
If spirit beasts launched an uprising, and she used the opportunity to kill Emperor Xue Ye and eliminate other members of the royal family, the Heaven Dou Empire would fall into her hands. Cheng Xiao would be her most suitable partner in this endeavor.
Not only was he extraordinarily talented, already over level 30 at such a young age, but if he participated in the tournament, he would likely defeat the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, claiming the championship. This would also give her a chance to deal a blow to that woman's pride.
"The All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament doesn't seem that interesting," Cheng Xiao said, shaking his head slightly.
Qian Renxue blinked in surprise and looked at Cheng Xiao, then stood up and walked toward him.
"What are you doing?" Cheng Xiao asked, confused.
"Nothing. I just want to see if your body is as tough as your words," Qian Renxue's eyes gleamed with golden light, and with a swift motion, she struck out with her glowing hand.
Cheng Xiao was shocked. What was wrong with this woman? Why was she attacking him out of nowhere?
Without thinking, Cheng Xiao instinctively raised his hand to block her attack.
Bang!
A muffled sound echoed as their palms collided. In that instant, a strange sensation surged through their bodies like an electric current. It was as if the first thaw of spring met the gentle breeze of a summer afternoon—subtle yet profound.
Qian Renxue's body trembled slightly, and a blush crept onto her flawless cheeks. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of emotions as she gazed at Cheng Xiao.
As she had suspected, there seemed to be a special connection between Cheng Xiao's spirit and her Seraphim spirit. From the moment their hands touched, this peculiar feeling spread like ripples through their bodies, reaching every corner.
Qian Renxue bit her lip as her Seraphim spirit automatically manifested, golden light radiating from behind her. However, to her astonishment, despite her spirit power being higher than Cheng Xiao's, she felt an overwhelming pressure—the pressure of being suppressed by an inferior spirit. How was this possible? Her Seraphim spirit was being suppressed by his!
The strange sensation continued to surge through their bodies. The sacred golden energy intertwined with the dark shadow energy, like two winding rivers colliding and merging, penetrating deep into their souls.
Moments later, Qian Renxue shuddered as if struck by lightning. A flash of disbelief flickered in her golden eyes. She realized that her spirit power had somehow been enhanced through contact with Cheng Xiao's, becoming even more radiant and sacred.
At the same time, Cheng Xiao also wore a look of surprise. His shadow energy, upon contact with Qian Renxue's holy energy, had gained a sacred attribute. Even more astonishing, his Shadow Soldiers, who had originally been vulnerable to holy energy, were now completely immune to it! Furthermore, he could even harness Qian Renxue's sacred energy.
Their gazes met, and it was as if sparks flew through the air. Qian Renxue bit her lower lip, her golden eyes filled with complex emotions. She could feel the sacred energy from Cheng Xiao's body, and the merging of their spirit energies was something she found hard to endure.
"What… What is happening?" Qian Renxue finally spoke, her voice trembling.
Initially, she had intended to establish control over Cheng Xiao, but now it seemed as though she was the one being controlled. Their hands, bound by their energies, refused to part, and they were left at the mercy of the strange force pulling them together.
Cheng Xiao shook his head, his brow furrowed. "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? How should I know why you suddenly decided to do this?"
"What now? We can't stay like this forever," Qian Renxue said anxiously.
In all her life, aside from her grandfather Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue had never had such intimate contact with any man.
Now, as her hand remained pressed against Cheng Xiao's, a sense of panic rose within her. She could clearly feel the unique connection between their spirits, a connection that only deepened with time.
Her heart raced, her blood seemed to boil, and she couldn't shake the sensation that she was being completely exposed to Cheng Xiao. It made her feel both embarrassed and nervous.
Biting her lip harder to suppress her growing anxiety, Qian Renxue tried to calm herself, but the more she focused, the more her eyes drifted toward Cheng Xiao's face. There, in his dark purple eyes, she saw a faint hint of golden light.
Cheng Xiao, too, noticed Qian Renxue's unusual behavior. Watching her mix of panic and shyness, an inexplicable restlessness stirred within him.
They continued to gaze at each other, their eyes locked, the atmosphere between them becoming increasingly intense. As their energies continued to merge, the tension only grew.
Finally, Cheng Xiao broke the silence. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he gritted his teeth and said, "Qian Xue, you've gotten yourself into a big mess!"