From the moment Ghost Douluo entered the second courtyard, he had already stepped into Qian Renfeng's Angel Domain. During their conversation, countless threads of holy energy began converging toward Ghost Douluo under the cover of moonlight.
As a Title Douluo—especially one as formidable as Ghost Douluo—he should have sensed it.
But he had completely underestimated the young man before him. He didn't take Qian Renfeng seriously at all.
After all, in his eyes, Qian Renfeng was only fourteen years old. No matter how gifted he was—so what?
Could he have already reached the Title Douluo realm?
Yet now, Qian Renfeng used raw strength to give him a harsh reality check.
A sizzling sound began to emit from Ghost Douluo's body—the sound of his power being dissolved by divine energy!
Normally, divine power like this would only corrode soul power. But Ghost Douluo was different—his martial soul was rooted in pure yin and darkness.
And for an Angel Spirit like Qian Renfeng's, facing such an attribute was where it shone the brightest.
"AAAHHH!"
Ghost Douluo let out a pained cry as his body floated upward into the air, desperately trying to shake off the divine energy clinging to him.
Qian Renfeng sat up in bed. A faint silhouette of a Divine Angel Statue emerged above him. However, unlike before, this angel wasn't wielding its divine sword.
Instead, a golden palm appeared in the sky and came crashing down on Ghost Douluo, slamming him back to the ground. Gold light collided violently with shadows and darkness.
With just a single move, Qian Renfeng forced Ghost Douluo back into the courtyard—his power no weaker than Ghost Douluo's.
From inside the house came a cold, commanding voice:
"Pick up the token. Now!"
Ghost Douluo knew very well—under this holy pressure, he stood no chance against the second young master. His only option was to return and deliver the message.
He bent down, picked up the Angel Token, and tossed it back into the house.
"Oh, and if you have time, tell Chrysanthemum Douluo to come see me too. I've got something to discuss with him."
"Now get lost. And if you dare barge in again without knocking, I'll shatter your martial soul!"
With a muffled cry, Ghost Douluo disappeared in a flash.
Qian Renfeng didn't bother to pursue him. After all, Ghost Douluo still technically served Spirit Hall. There was no need to kill him.
Three days later.
Qian Renfeng had taken a rare day off—his first since he began studying at Yuexuan over a year ago.
He had no idea what time Bone Douluo would arrive, and frankly, he wanted to sleep in for once. It was also a sign of respect for the upcoming fight.
The second courtyard was filled with seasonal plants. Now that it was autumn, leaves had scattered all over the ground. Qian Renfeng didn't bother cleaning them up, but oddly enough, they gave the courtyard a peaceful beauty.
A pair of white boots stepped across the fallen leaves, emitting a soft "crunch" like a gentle lament—almost as if the leaves were complaining about being stepped on.
"Xiaofeng~ Xiaofeng~"
The voice of "Xue Qinghe" rang out from the courtyard. Truth be told, "he" didn't come often—Qian Renxue's identity was far too sensitive.
If she showed up too often, people might start to think that the Crown Prince had a taste for men and kept a lover hidden outside the palace!
Moments later, "Xue Qinghe" arrived in front of one of the rooms and gently pushed open the door, peeking inside to find where Qian Renfeng was sleeping.
But as soon as she pushed the door open—
—A tent popped into view, making her face instantly flush red.
"Ahhh!"
A sharp scream echoed through the entire courtyard. But "Xue Qinghe" quickly composed herself. After that brief scream, she slammed the door shut.
Trying to calm her racing heart, she forced herself to sound composed:
"Xiaofeng! Why are you sleeping naked?!"
Qian Renfeng was startled awake by the scream, still groggy and disoriented.
"…Sis, how would I know you'd show up this early?"
"It's barely morning! The sun's just come up!"
"Xue Qinghe" swallowed hard and tried to remain calm. "It's not early anymore! If this were the palace, the morning lessons would have already started!"
"In one hour, Sword Douluo and Sect Master Ning will be waiting for you outside the city gates. This is no ordinary match—don't take it lightly!"
Still half-asleep, Qian Renfeng let out a yawn. From inside came the rustling sounds of clothes being put on.
Moments later, he emerged in his familiar light cyan scholar's robe, holding a half-face silver mask in his hand.
Completely unfazed, he said,
"It's no big deal."
"My goal is to defeat every Title Douluo—not just those with Ning Fengzhi assisting them."
"Even if I lose, it won't matter much. After all, they're bringing a support system, and I'm not."
"But if he loses, now that's interesting. Even with support, he still wouldn't be able to beat me!"
"Xue Qinghe's" expression darkened. She flipped her hand and lightly slapped Qian Renfeng. "No being careless!"
"I've heard the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is taking this match very seriously!"
"Sword Douluo has already revealed some of your strengths to them. Bone Douluo and Ning Fengzhi have likely been analyzing your weaknesses from the last fight and will adapt their tactics accordingly."
"Everything they've done might be targeting you specifically!"
Her expression was serious. Losing the match wasn't what worried her—it was the possibility that Qian Renfeng might get injured in this fight.
After all, they had spent three full days preparing for it.
But look at Qian Renfeng—he hadn't even prepared for three hours!
He yawned again, still half-drowsy and completely indifferent.
That last fight barely involved more than three moves. What was there to analyze?
His eighth soul skill—Angel's Divine Guard—was just a backup. The real fight? Sword Douluo probably only saw two moves.
What were they going to study?
How to lose even faster?
He hadn't even revealed his second martial soul, which had six 100,000-year and three million-year soul skills.
They were welcome to "study" all they wanted—he'd bury them in silence.
"No matter what, Xiaofeng, you must be careful. You cannot get hurt!"
"Yeah yeah, I got it, Sis. You're so naggy."
Shortly after.
Everyone gathered on an open field outside the gates of Tiandou City.
"Xue Qinghe" hadn't brought many guards—just four Soul Emperor–level powerhouses.
Qian Renfeng only dared call her "Sis" so casually because he had sensed their presence.
Otherwise, to maintain her cover, he'd have to address her as "Your Highness."
But Ning Fengzhi had brought a rather odd group today. Surprisingly, two people were with him.
The first was Ning Rongrong, who, despite having little time off, had once again come along.
The other was an elderly man with a respectful, bent posture—none other than the "Pillar of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School," Bone Douluo Gu Rong!
But Qian Renfeng's gaze remained fixed on Ning Rongrong.
Something was… off about her.
In her eyes, there was a subtle, sinister glint—something strange and unnerving.
She looked… just a little twisted.