Chapter 309: Qian Renxue's Sorrow
After Yang Potian's probing questions, Qian Renxue fell silent, reflecting on every interaction she'd had with him over the years—especially their past exchanges.
Back then, Yang Potian was insignificant, and the entire Potian Clan seemed just as weak in her eyes. With only one Spirit Douluo in the family, they seemed as crushable as ants.
Yet, without her even realizing it, the Potian Clan grew beyond everyone's expectations, beginning with the emergence of their first Titled Douluo and gradually transforming into a formidable force.
Recently, after spending some time at Tianxing Academy, Qian Renxue couldn't ascertain the academy's true strength, but she was certain they possessed a substantial number of Titled Douluo. Beyond the known figures—Yang Wudi, Niu Gao, Yang Zhentian, and Dugu Bo—there were surely others, including Ye Lingling, the healer Titled Douluo whose abilities surpassed anyone's expectations.
Thinking back, Qian Renxue realized that she herself had provided Yang Potian with essential resources like the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud and the entire Alamo Mountain. Using these assets, Yang Potian had avoided every conflict and danger, escaping the Wuhun Empire's spirit-hunting missions and the pressure from the top three sects.
In a sense, the past two decades had been the era of Tianxing Academy's rise, developing at a pace that far outstripped Wuhun Hall's expectations.
Realizing this, Qian Renxue felt a chill. She had unknowingly fostered such a terrifying opponent.
In the last twenty years, Tianxing Academy had avoided making enemies with any faction. Even past adversaries like Wuhun Hall and the Clear Sky Clan were now entangled with them in complicated relationships. Under Yang Potian's leadership, the Clear Sky Clan was wiped out; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, once powerful enough to crush the Potian Clan, now relied on Tianxing Academy to survive; and Wuhun Hall, once their mortal enemy, had come to see Yang Potian as its strongest ally, even following his lead without question.
Through it all, Yang Potian had emerged without making any true enemies, while the beasts now focused solely on the Wuhun Empire. Meanwhile, Tianxing Academy appeared invincible.
Qian Renxue spoke with a hint of coldness. "Is all of this just to show off your masterful scheming or your unmatched talent?"
Yang Potian sighed. "Is that all you took away from this? You're the pride of heaven itself, blessed with unrivaled talent and a supreme lineage, but have you ever thought about how you should truly face your enemies?"
"You might appear ruthless and decisive, but you lack real life-and-death experience. You're more like a sheltered flower who's never truly seen the world's darkness or tasted the bitterness of battle."
Qian Renxue interjected, "You underestimate me! When I infiltrated the Heaven Dou Empire, I was decisive and ruthless."
Yang Potian chuckled. "Your infiltration of the Heaven Dou Empire was a joke. You spent years there, but aside from taking down a few princes, what did you accomplish? Did you recruit any talents or allies to strengthen Wuhun Hall? Did you eliminate any serious enemies? All you managed to do was create more opposition for Wuhun Hall."
"If you had used those years to cultivate, your spirit power level would surely be higher than a mere ninety-five. If you'd been truly ruthless and decisive, as Crown Prince, you could have eliminated Emperor Xue Ye, Prince Xue Xing, and Prince Xue Beng. With the royal family wiped out, you'd be the uncontested ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire. That would've prevented all the trouble that followed."
Qian Renxue appeared somewhat indignant. "But the situation in Heaven Dou was so complicated that I couldn't act rashly."
"What was complicated about it?" Yang Potian retorted. "You had Ning Fengzhi's support and the Wuhun Hall behind you. If you had eliminated the Heaven Dou royal family, you'd have been the sole heir. But you held back, worried about your reputation, wasting time and resources."
Qian Renxue pondered this before finally asking, "Is that the difference between us?"
Yang Potian shook his head. "It's not a matter of difference but of responsibility. My people are my responsibility. For their survival and my own growth, I'm willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means using extreme measures."
"When the Clear Sky Clan humiliated us, I swallowed my pride. I forged alliances with Wuhun Hall and crushed them, even though I knew my grandfather and uncle might hesitate to strike. I still took action to eliminate the threat."
Qian Renxue forced a bitter smile. "Do you even understand the life I've led? My father died young, my mother disowned me, and I had only my grandfather. To prove myself, I entered the royal palace of Heaven Dou at a young age, caught in endless schemes and intrigues. It was my fate."
Yang Potian's gaze grew fierce. "The one thing I refuse to believe in is fate. Even if fate dictates that the Potian Clan should always be subject to the Clear Sky Clan, I'd fight to carve my own path."
"What you're describing is merely an excuse. Do you even understand Bibi Dong? Do you understand your grandfather? Or even your father?"
Tears welled up in Qian Renxue's eyes, and her voice became desperate. "What do you know? That woman may be my mother, but she's tried to kill me since I was a child. Without my grandfather, I wouldn't even be alive."
Yang Potian reached out and gently touched her beautiful face, wiping away her tears. "You don't understand anything. Why would a mother want to kill her own daughter? Why didn't your grandfather, with all his strength, put an end to it? Why did she descend into madness, choosing to become the heir of the evil Rakshasa God?"
Tears streamed down Qian Renxue's face as she whispered, "Why? Why did she do it? Did I do something wrong?"
Seeing Qian Renxue on the verge of breaking down, Yang Potian pulled her close, holding her gently as he comforted her.
"In this world, everything has cause and effect. What you see isn't necessarily the truth. If you really want answers, you'll have to find them yourself. Sometimes the truth is harsher than you could imagine."
The proud Qian Renxue in Yang Potian's arms no longer seemed like the towering figure she usually was. Instead, she resembled a lost, vulnerable little girl.
And Yang Potian held her quietly, offering her the only comfort he could.
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