News of Heaven Dou Academy losing a Soul Saint at a newly discovered tainted zone quickly spread throughout Heaven Dou City like a bombshell.
In reality, Feng Ying and the others deliberately leaked this. They hoped to draw more powerful individuals' attention to the tainted zone, as this was their only chance to rescue Shui Ming'er, who might still be alive. Although they knew the hope was slim, they felt they had to at least avenge Shui Ming'er and give her closure.
On the top floor of a large, three-story restaurant in Heaven Dou City, a handsome blonde youth stood quietly by the window, his gaze calmly sweeping over the bustling Heaven Dou Street below. He exuded an elegant demeanor, every gesture hinting at an innate nobility.
Beside him, a slender middle-aged man in golden armor asked in a deep voice, "Young Master, do you need this subordinate to clear out that tainted zone? Such unique tainted zones might yield extremely precious treasures once cleansed."
This blonde youth was Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, who was actually Qian Renxue in disguise. She shook her head slightly, speaking calmly, "No need, Uncle She. You two aren't suited to act. Others will take care of it; we'll simply observe."
Xue Qinghe wasn't particularly interested in any treasures that might appear after the zone was cleared. As both the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Young Master of the Spirit Hall, she'd seen countless rare and exotic items. Treasures held limited appeal for her.
"Oh?" Suddenly, Xue Qinghe's gaze inadvertently caught a passing figure on the street, and a flicker of surprise instantly crossed her eyes.
"Young Master, is something amiss?" Gushe Douluo, also in golden armor but slightly more rotund, asked upon noticing her reaction.
Xue Qinghe's face showed interest. "I saw someone interesting, Uncle Ci Xue. Please invite him over for a chat. Remember, be friendly."
She was clearly more intrigued by the person she'd just seen than by the tainted zone.
"Understood!"
Gushe Douluo immediately channeled his Titled Douluo-level spiritual power, instantly locking onto the person in Xue Qinghe's line of sight. Then, his figure vanished like an afterimage.
"Hmm?" Lu Jingming keenly sensed a gaze firmly fixed on him. He instinctively looked back at the restaurant he'd just passed.
All along the way, due to his striking looks and unique aura, many people had secretly watched him, something he was well accustomed to. However, the feeling of being locked onto by spiritual power just now was entirely different.
"A Titled Douluo!" Lu Jingming instantly recognized the power of this spiritual energy and pondered to himself. In current Heaven Dou City, Titled Douluo-level powerhouses were few and far between: Poison Douluo (Du Busi), Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and perhaps Clear Sky Douluo at most. Who could be so bored as to target him, a seemingly ordinary Soul Emperor?
"Young man, my Young Master requests your presence. Come with me."
Upon seeing Gushe Douluo blocking his path, Lu Jingming immediately realized, almost forgetting that there were two hidden Titled Douluo in Heaven Dou City, and this was one of them.
"What if I say no?" Lu Jingming tilted his head slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips, a hint of provocation in his eyes.
Gushe Douluo's gaze was uncertain as he scrutinized Lu Jingming. He had just intentionally released a wisp of soul power pressure, hoping to intimidate this overly handsome white-haired youth. But now, it seemed his deterrent had no effect.
Upon closer inspection, Gushe Douluo finally understood why his Young Master would suddenly take such a strong interest in a passerby. Aside from Lu Jingming's exceptional appearance, his Young Master wasn't one to be swayed by looks alone. The key was the noble, confident aura emanating from Lu Jingming, along with a subtle arrogance that was in no way inferior to his Young Master's. This truly astonished him. His Young Master held multiple identities as both the Young Master of the Spirit Hall and the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, having cultivated such a temperament through countless trials. How did this young man possess it?
"Then this old man must apologize for his rudeness!" As a Titled Douluo, Gushe Douluo naturally had his own temper. If not for the Young Master's specific instruction to invite him with a friendly attitude, he probably would have directly seized the person. Since Lu Jingming intended to refuse, he could only resort to force and bring him before the Young Master.
"Interesting. Let's go."
Just as Gushe Douluo was raising his soul power, ready to act, Lu Jingming suddenly smiled brightly. This sudden shift almost made Gushe Douluo stumble.
"Good kid, come with this old man!" Gushe Douluo's lips twitched slightly; he felt like this young man had played a trick on him. However, he wasn't angry. After all, this was someone his Young Master was interested in, and he himself wasn't a petty person. For a dignified Titled Douluo to trouble a junior would be undignified, unless it was to fulfill his Young Master's orders.
Lu Jingming followed behind Gushe Douluo, his eyes slightly narrowed, also showing an interested expression. As for the future Angel God, Qian Renxue, meeting her wouldn't hurt; he might even find some amusement.
The two walked through the bustling street and entered the three-story restaurant, heading directly to the luxurious private room on the top floor.
As soon as Lu Jingming entered, he immediately saw the noble yet gentle blonde youth, Xue Qinghe. Looking at Xue Qinghe before him, Lu Jingming sighed inwardly. It was hard to imagine that beneath this male disguise was an unparalleled beauty.
However, in Lu Jingming's opinion, although Qian Renxue was exceptionally talented and had successfully hidden her identity in the Heaven Dou Empire for so many years—lacking neither cunning, patience, nor wisdom—she always seemed to falter at critical moments. One could say that Qian Renxue's infatuation and occasional lapses in intelligence were primarily responsible for the Spirit Hall's downfall.
With the formidable strength of the Spirit Hall, it was truly baffling that they ultimately lost. The Spirit Hall possessed nearly twenty Titled Douluo, a force powerful enough to sweep across any faction on the Douluo Continent. However, they were overly cautious, giving their enemies time to develop and grow.
As far as Lu Jingming knew, there were roughly 100,000 soul masters on the Douluo Continent, and the Spirit Hall accounted for over 70,000 of them. Although most were low-level soul masters, this was still a terrifying force. Moreover, the Spirit Hall enjoyed immense popularity among commoners, reigning supreme and practically being the uncrowned king of the Douluo Continent. Yet, precisely such a powerful force ultimately met its demise.
With the profound heritage of the Spirit Hall, anyone else in charge would have had an overwhelmingly advantageous start, yet it was precisely two infatuated women who took the reins of power.
"This young brother, I apologize for inviting you so abruptly. It's just that I caught a glimpse of you just now and felt that you possessed an extraordinary temperament, so I wished to make your acquaintance."
Xue Qinghe smiled, gracefully stood up, made a gesture to invite him to sit, and spoke gently. His demeanor was humble and polite, without the slightest arrogance of an imperial prince, giving off a feeling of gentle spring breeze. Of course, Lu Jingming knew in his heart that this was merely Qian Renxue's disguise. The true Qian Renxue was aloof and noble, not so easy to get along with.
"So it's His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. May I ask what His Royal Highness wishes from me?" Lu Jingming didn't stand on ceremony, confidently seating himself directly opposite Xue Qinghe. At the same time, he casually picked up a teacup and took a sip. He had just noticed that this tea was personally brewed by Xue Qinghe. There was no reason not to drink it, and he wasn't afraid of it being poisoned.
Seeing Lu Jingming's actions, a flicker of light passed through Xue Qinghe's eyes, and then a smile reappeared on her face. She said, "Young brother, don't misunderstand. Since you already know my identity, you should know that I usually enjoy making friends with various talented individuals. Just now, in a fleeting glance, I noticed your extraordinary temperament, and I was excited by the discovery, wishing to befriend you. May I ask where you are from, young brother?"
Xue Qinghe wasn't surprised that Lu Jingming directly revealed his first layer of identity. After all, he wasn't someone who lived in seclusion. Many people in Heaven Dou City and even across the Douluo Continent recognized him, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
"So that's how it is. Is His Royal Highness trying to recruit me? But I'm from the Star Luo Empire!" Lu Jingming looked at Xue Qinghe with a half-smile, deliberately teasing her. Since he was idle anyway, finding some amusement wouldn't be a bad idea. Moreover, what he said wasn't false; the Star Luo Empire of ten thousand years later was naturally still the Star Luo Empire.
Xue Qinghe's expression froze for a moment. She clearly hadn't expected Lu Jingming to be so direct, and even claim to be from the Star Luo Empire. He could feel that Lu Jingming wasn't lying, but this only made him more interested in Lu Jingming. Knowing his identity, Lu Jingming not only showed no inferiority or superiority, no hint of respect, but also unhesitatingly revealed that he was from the Star Luo Empire, which had a tense relationship with the Heaven Dou Empire.
Everyone on the Douluo Continent knew that the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire had always been at odds, with constant border conflicts. If it weren't for the Spirit Hall mediating between them, the two nations would probably have been fighting tooth and nail long ago. Before him, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Lu Jingming appeared even more composed than he did. If he claimed he had no backing, Xue Qinghe would absolutely not believe it. He didn't believe Lu Jingming was a fool; how could a fool possess such a temperament? Thus, he became even more curious about Lu Jingming.
"My identity is known to you, young brother, but I still don't know your name. You seem young; are you not accompanied by elders?"
Xue Qinghe began subtly probing. With Gushe Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo nearby, he was certain there were no other hidden powerhouses.