331. Be Careful

Hearing Bibi Dong's response, Qian Renjue felt relieved and tidied up her purple hair. He placed his hands on Bibi Dong’s smooth, delicate shoulders.

“Mom, you should issue a statement after the tournament, saying that I won’t participate in future competitions.”

“Of course, dear,” Bibi Dong replied, resting her head on Qian Renjue’s shoulder with a gentle nuzzle.

“Why does it seem like this matters a lot to you?”

“Of course it matters. What if some geniuses give up on the tournament because of it?”

Qian Renjue glanced at Bibi Dong in the mirror and couldn’t help but smile, though his heart felt a touch of chill.

If they scared away that certain someone, it would be inconvenient.

Bibi Dong straightened up, smiling as she nodded. “True, hurting their enthusiasm would ruin the spirit of this Soul Master Tournament.”

“Alright, now you should go freshen up.”

Bibi Dong waved her hand casually with an elegant gesture.

“Yes, I’ll go right away,” Qian Renjue nodded, draping the Pope's robe over Bibi Dong’s shoulders before turning towards the bathroom.


---

The sun shone brightly.

In a training ground surrounded by trees, Qian Renjue sat cross-legged on a stone platform in a corner.

A dark purple triangular object hovered above him, emitting strands of black lightning that danced around him, creating arcs of electricity across his entire body.

The surrounding air rippled under the influence of the lightning, as his soul power condensed it closer to his skin, compressing it.

In the center of the training ground, Xie Yue wielded two crescent-shaped moon blades, his four soul rings—one yellow, three purple—glowing as he clashed with Yan.

Both were members of the Golden Generation. Yan, with a similar four-ring configuration, wasn’t as agile as Xie Yue, but the fiery figure of the Flame Lord behind him was imposing, each punch radiating intense heat akin to molten lava.

Strangely, Yan's flame-covered fists also bore an icy jade hue, lending an unexpected elegance to the red flames. Yan practiced the "Mysterious Jade Hand" technique.

Nearby, the only female of the Golden Generation, Hu Liena, sat beside a stone, quietly cultivating. Unlike the others, she didn’t need such intense training; she simply needed to enhance her charm.

Her goal wasn’t merely to mesmerize opponents; her ultimate aim was to seduce Qian Renjue.

Since her recent development, this goal no longer seemed out of reach, and their bond had grown closer, with occasional hugs and moments of affection, giving her more opportunities to display her allure.

Three purple and one black soul rings circled her slowly, her large fluffy tail swaying and her pink fox ears twitching slightly.

Her narrow phoenix-like eyes sparkled as a pink mist with a captivating scent surrounded her. Having reached level 48, she was close to achieving the target set by Qian Renxue: reaching Soul King status by age fourteen.

With a final push to level 49 and the aid of a "Nine Grade Soul Ascension Pill" that Qian Renjue had gifted her years ago, she could soon advance to level 50 without side effects.

Buzz! Crackle!

Qian Renjue’s body was now entirely cloaked in black lightning, resembling a cocoon ready to burst with power.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Moon Blade and Flame Fist collided repeatedly, sparks flying as cold glints and waves of heat intertwined.

“Yan, be careful now! Don’t injure yourself!” Xie Yue suddenly jumped back, his soul rings shining as he fused his two moon blades into a full circle.

“Let me test your self-created soul skill!”

Yan’s Flame Lord behind him roared as its aura intensified, like flowing magma clothing its form, making it appear even more formidable.

Swish! Xie Yue, using his Ghostly Shadow Steps, leapt back, spinning the full moon blade in mid-air before launching it with a slicing arc as cold as the moon itself, aiming to strike decisively.

Boom! Yan’s Flame Lord sank into the ground, re-emerging with a rocky armor layer, aiming directly at the full moon blade.

Elder Ling Yuan watched from the shadows, allowing them to spar without restraint.

Crackle!

Just as their attacks were about to collide, Qian Renjue’s accumulated lightning burst forth, filling the entire training ground with arcs of electricity, affecting even Yan and Xie Yue’s soul power, disrupting their attacks and causing them to dissipate.

Both looked at Qian Renjue in shock, quickly kneeling on one knee.

“Your Highness, forgive us!”

“Senior brother?” Hu Liena opened her eyes, worriedly glancing over as she felt his soul power go erratic.

Swish! Ling Yuan Douluo floated down beside Qian Renjue. “Your Highness, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Qian Renjue said, joy evident in his tone.

He opened his eyes, the Evil God’s Heart returning to his brow.

Smiling at the crackling energy in his hands, he explained, “I think I just developed a new self-created soul skill—I’ll call it Thunder Strike! It seems to work quite well.”

Turning to Yan and Xie Yue, he added, “Stand up. Next time, avoid aiming for vital areas.”

“Yes, we’ll remember that!” They exchanged glances, their faces showing lingering fear.

“Continue training; I won’t disturb you further,” Qian Renjue said as he stood up, preparing to leave.

“Goodbye, senior brother!” Hu Liena waved.

“Keep up, Nana. Otherwise, when sister emerges from seclusion, I won’t be able to help you.”

“I will!” Hu Liena nodded firmly.

In order to address Lady Xue as ‘sister in law,’ she knew strength mattered.

Qian Renjue turned to Ling Yuan, lightly brushing his nose. “ Sister Ling Yuan, stay here and keep watch over them.”

“Yes, Your Highness, take care,” she replied, a shy smile blossoming as she nodded.