259. Time Is Tight

"By the way..."

Qian Daoliu shifted away from the heavy topic.

He asked, "Xiao Xue, you should already know about the eldest prince of the Heaven Dou Empire being appointed as the crown prince, right?"

"Yes, I already know."

Qian Renxue slightly nodded. These were all events she had orchestrated from behind the scenes.

The third prince had been dead for over a year now.

It was about time for the Heaven Dou Empire to establish a successor between the remaining two princes.

With Xue Beng being under ten years old, he naturally had no chance.

His only fate would be death.

A cold murderous intent flashed in Qian Renxue's purple eyes that were reddened from emotion.

"Why is grandpa bringing this up now?"

Qian Renxue gently brushed her brows and asked in confusion.

Logically, Qian Daoliu shouldn't be concerned with such matters.

"Haha."

Qian Daoliu forced a smile, sounding slightly guilty, "It’s because the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan wants Xiao Jue to visit."

"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan?"
Qian Renxue narrowed her phoenix-like eyes, her voice growing cold.

"What does this have to do with the Heaven Dou royal family appointing a crown prince?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Renxue seemed to grasp a key detail.

The relationship between the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan hadn't reached the level where casual visits were acceptable.

An abrupt visit would only invite suspicion from various sides.

Ning Fengzhi was likely using the event of the crown prince's appointment as a pretext for an invitation.

"It seems you've figured it out, Xiao Xue."
Qian Daoliu's gaze faltered, his face stiffening as he observed Qian Renxue's cold demeanor.

"Soon, the Seven Treasures Clan and the Heaven Dou Empire will be hosting a banquet, inviting guests from all over."

"One purpose is to announce Xue Qinghe's status as crown prince, and another is for him to familiarize himself with the various powers."

Qian Renxue nodded without much change in expression.

As the heir to the empire, Xue Qinghe would inevitably need to interact with various factions. It was necessary for him to make himself known.

"But why is grandpa telling me this?"
Qian Renxue asked with a hint of amusement in her tone, as if she already knew the answer.

"Well..."

Qian Daoliu hesitated, smiling awkwardly before saying,
"Someone needs to convince Xiao Jue to go. I'm worried he might refuse."

"So grandpa went ahead and arranged this marriage behind his back?"

Qian Renxue chastised him lightly.

"Didn’t grandpa consult you first? If we end up cornered on all sides, things will be much harder..."

Qian Daoliu sighed in resignation.

The real pressure came not only from the missing Tang Chen but also from threats beyond the sea.

Having once ventured into the ocean himself, he understood that all sea spirit masters followed the Sea God.

The unity among those sea spirit masters was terrifying!

In contrast, the mainland was full of factions at odds with each other.

How many truly believed in the Spirit Hall, and how many even knew of the Angel God?

"..."

Qian Renxue took a deep breath.

Being surrounded by enemies—she had experienced that situation before. But the threats came from far more than just all sides.

The greatest danger was from the higher realms!

Her purple eyes blinked open and shut.

Qian Renxue finally agreed, "Don't worry, grandpa. When the time comes, I'll personally accompany Jue to Heaven Dou."

"Good."

A genuine smile spread across Qian Daoliu's face.

"I'll have Jiang Mo and the others investigate the location of Jue's seventh spirit ring."

"..."
——————

By the time Qian Renxue left the Worship Hall, the sky was already bright, with strands of purple mist fading into the distance.

In the lush courtyard, Qian Renjue had risen early for a rare occasion.

After what happened last night, he barely got any sleep.

Sleeping alone, his bedding no longer felt as soft and comforting as usual.

Sitting in the pavilion in the center of the lotus pond,
Qian Renjue stretched lazily and began to contemplate.

The things he'd gained from the Dark Devilgod Tiger were incredibly useful.

It only made him more eager to enhance his Evil God Hook to a hundred-thousand-year level.

He touched the black mark on his forehead, smiling to himself.

"Once I upgrade the Evil God Hook to one hundred thousand years, I’ll go find a suitable spirit beast."

"Staying home all the time just isn't an option."

Light footsteps echoed from the courtyard entrance.

Golden hair swayed in the breeze, and a graceful figure appeared—Qian Renxue stood on the small bridge, looking at Qian Renjue in the lotus pond, feeling a refreshing warmth.

"Since childhood, you’ve always loved to laugh to yourself like this."

Qian Renxue murmured softly, a slight smile forming on her lips.

Even after all these years, she never tired of watching him.

"Jue."

Qian Renxue called out softly from the bridge.

"Sister!"

Qian Renjue turned and smiled even brighter at the familiar figure.

"Sister, why were you with grandpa for so long? What did you talk about?"

"We talked about a lot."

Qian Renxue approached and gently hugged Qian Renjue's head, resting it against her chest.

Softly, she whispered,
"Mainly about the Godl Trial."

Hearing that, the smile on Qian Renjue's face slightly faded.

He wrapped his arm around her slender waist and asked in a low voice,
"When do you plan to start, Sister?"

"..."

After a brief pause, Qian Renxue tightened her embrace slightly and said,

"I’ll start after you get your seventh spirit ring. Then we’ll go to the Douluo Hall together."

"Alright, I’ll remember."

Qian Renjue nodded. He also wanted to witness Qian Renxue take the God Trials himself.

That day wasn't far off now.

"Mm."

Qian Renxue nodded slightly.

This time, she wouldn’t need Qian Daoliu's help—she planned to pass the exam on her own strength.

She had made up her mind.

Completing the God Trials took time, and she would have to manage that time well.

"By the way, what were you grinning about just now?"

Qian Renxue shook off her worries, cupping Qian Renjue’s handsome face and rubbing it playfully.

That was when she noticed the black-purple mark on his forehead.

"Huh? Jue, what’s that thing on your forehead?"

Leaning back in her warm embrace, Qian Renjue looked up at her face above him and explained,
"It’s the result of the fusion between that dark pearl and the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud."

"So that’s why you were so happy just now?"
Qian Renxue finally understood. She played with him a bit longer before letting go.

"Yes!"

Qian Renjue sat upright, fixing his collar. Before Qian Renxue could ask more,
he eagerly began explaining.

"Look, sister, I named it the Evil God’s Heart."

Before he finished speaking,
a dark purple triangular object appeared in his hand. Its dense, ominous energy seemed to devour the surrounding light.

"What an evil aura!"

Qian Renxue frowned slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Calling it the Evil God’s Heart really isn't an exaggeration."

Raising her eyes to look at Qian Renjue’s smiling face,
Qian Renxue couldn't help but smile too.

"Tell me, what makes my dear little brother so happy? What kind of powers does this thing have?"

"Sister, apart from the original four skills of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, it doesn’t have any new skills yet.

But its potential lies in the powers I absorbed from the Dark Devilgod Tiger—wind, lightning, even time and space."

As he spoke,
tiny whirlwinds and faint lightning surrounded the Evil God’s Heart as Qian Renjue infused it with his spirit power.

In an instant, the triangular object vanished and reappeared at his forehead.

"This thing..."
Qian Renxue’s eyes were filled with astonishment. She couldn't help but exclaim in admiration,

"This Evil God’s Heart is practically a divine tool!"

"Sister, it is a divine tool!"
Qian Renjue declared confidently, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

"..."

Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned.
Then her gaze gradually brightened, and she looked deeply at Qian Renjue.

Divine tools weren’t something one could easily obtain.

Qian Renxue became more certain that Qian Renjue had already been chosen by some god.

Her brother was the most exceptional man in the world.

It wasn’t surprising that a god had selected him.