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Li Luochen suddenly felt as though he was about to receive a beating. There was no helping it—he knew that Qian Renxue had feelings for him, and he himself harbored some affection for her. But he already had Dugu Yan. Did that mean he would have to become a heartbreaker?
However, Qian Renxue was stunningly beautiful, and in every way, she was perfectly compatible with Li Luochen. She grasped his strategies with ease, and her strength, talent, and beauty were all top-tier.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved by her. But he feared that once he started down this path, he wouldn't be able to stop, eventually following the tragic footsteps of Cheng Ge. That would be too painful.
Both Dugu Yan and Qian Renxue were fiercely proud women, each possessing extraordinary talent. In the future, they might very well turn into two sharks. Li Luochen felt that his days of peace were numbered.
"What are you thinking about? You look so gloomy." Qian Renxue's crisp voice broke through his thoughts.
"I was just wondering how you and Yanzi would get along… Ah, never mind. Pretend you didn't hear that, Young Miss."
Li Luochen had spoken without thinking, then immediately tried to retract his words.
Qian Renxue: ...
"Ah, I see! So you really do have impure thoughts about me! I never expected you to hide it so well! I must punish you for your insolence!"
Though her words were harsh, Qian Renxue's heart secretly blossomed with joy, and her ears gradually turned red.
Li Luochen noticed Qian Renxue's reddening ears. He understood her personality well—she was a proud tsundere who always insisted on keeping her word. Even Li Luochen couldn't guarantee he'd always follow through on his promises, but Qian Renxue could.
This was one of the qualities he admired in her. Unfortunately, in the original storyline, she met an unscrupulous Tang San, leading to her downfall. Her family was destroyed, and her home was lost. As for her life afterward, Li Luochen didn't dare imagine.
Tang San could act "righteously" while letting others do the dirty work, feigning ignorance when convenient. For Qian Renxue and Hu Liena, living in seclusion was already the best possible outcome.
Li Luochen was well-versed in the law of the jungle that governed the continent. Qian Renxue was not only beautiful and talented but also destined to become a god. Most importantly, she had been crippled by Tang San. Though she still retained spirit power at level eighty-nine, she was far from powerless.
Hu Liena, on the other hand, likely fared much worse. With only Soul Sage-level cultivation and no backing after Bibi Dong's death, she had no support left.
After briefly reflecting on these thoughts, Li Luochen gazed at Qian Renxue before him. He found her admirable despite her complicated mind. Her upright nature was likely shaped by years of palace intrigue.
"Then please punish me, Young Miss. I willingly accept my fate. However, since I've done nothing wrong, being punished like this feels unfair. Hehehe, Young Miss, didn't you just remind me of something?"
Li Luochen dropped all pretenses, emitting the laugh of a Spirit Hall Guardian. He strode forward and lifted Qian Renxue's chin with one hand.
*Thump—sizzle!*
The sound of steam hissing filled the air.
Qian Renxue's face flushed red, and steam visibly rose from her skin. Truly, she was a top-tier romantic brain, easily turning into a "Steam Princess" with just a little teasing.
"You… you… How dare you lay your hands on me! I… I'll… I'll punish you for your insolence! Mmm…"
Before she could finish her sentence, her soft lips were sealed by Li Luochen's. Li Luochen was decisive—if he liked her and she liked him, there was no need for roundabout tactics. As for the potential chaos of a harem, that was a problem for another day.
Qian Renxue felt a surge of fiery energy, and her body immediately grew limp. Yet, she reveled in the sensation. Li Luochen carried a pleasant scent that captivated her.
Feeling the timing was right, Li Luochen scooped Qian Renxue up in a princess carry. There was a bed in her private chamber—why it was there, he didn't know. But its presence sparked a bold idea in his mind.
Li Luochen gently placed Qian Renxue on the bed. Her eyes grew hazy, and she offered only token resistance before surrendering completely, adopting a "do as you please" demeanor.
Seeing this side of Qian Renxue, Li Luochen's heart burned with passion. "To hell with it," he thought. "If being a heartbreaker is what it takes, then so be it. If I truly love them, I'll take full responsibility for them!"
With that, Li Luochen took another step forward, engaging in a deep exchange with Qian Renxue.
What Qian Renxue didn't expect was that she was about to face a tireless dragon.
Having absorbed the Golden Dragon Torso Bone, Li Luochen's physical prowess had reached demi-god levels. And as everyone knew, dragons were naturally vigorous. By now, Li Luocheng was practically half-dragon—one word: fierce!
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One Day and One Night Later
Qian Renxue's face was flushed, her expression utterly spent. Her eyes held a look of despair.
"You beast! You absolute beast! Ouch, it hurts so much!"
Qian Renxue muttered under her breath. Meanwhile, the culprit, Li Luochen, was giving her a massage—a legitimate one, mind you. There was no helping it; Li Luochen had been too forceful, causing Qian Renxue's muscles to strain.
Still, this experience taught Qian Renxue something new—apparently, her knees could touch her shoulders.
Li Luochen transformed into a master masseur, loosening her tense muscles. If he didn't take good care of her now, she might truly be ruined. This also revealed something to Li Luochen: Qian Renxue was actually a divine beast.
He had originally assumed she belonged to the Golden Forest. Turns out, she was a divine beast—his apologies for the oversight.
"Xue'er, how's this pressure?"
"Hmph! Who gave you permission to be so rough? My delicate arms and legs can't handle your antics. By the way, you said you're at level eighty? Why so fast? I can sense your spirit power hasn't changed, so why the rapid advancement?"
Qian Renxue shifted her position, nestling into Li Luochen's arms.
"Well, it's like this…
I absorbed the Blue Silver Emperor's Right Leg Bone and the Golden Dragon Torso Bone, which caused a massive surge in my spirit power. I suspect this torso bone is divine-grade, given the sheer amount of energy it contains."
Since Qian Renxue was now fully aligned with him, Li Luochen held nothing back. In the past, he might have harbored some reservations, but not anymore.
"I see. Divine-grade indeed carries such power. I need to speed up my progress too. My spirit power is currently at level seventy-eight. The ten-thousand-year soul rings truly are treasures—they've greatly increased my cultivation speed.
For my eighth and ninth soul rings, Grandfather is scouring the continent for suitable hundred thousand year soul beasts. So far, he's found a six-winged holy light tiger in the Great Star Dou Forest and a three-legged golden crow in the Undying Volcano. These two are the most suitable candidates.
Thankfully, they're highly compatible with me. Grandfather has already arranged informants to monitor their movements. Once I reach the bottleneck, I can go hunt them."
Qian Renxue outlined her plans for her future soul rings. Compared to the original storyline, where her seventh, eighth, and ninth soul rings were all hundred thousand year ones, achieving godhood through divine-bestowed years, she would now possess three hundred thousand year soul rings as a Title Douluo. This configuration made her far stronger.
Such a soul ring setup suited Qian Renxue's talents perfectly: two yellow, two purple, two black, and three red rings. Even thousands of years later, only a handful of people would achieve this.
"My eighth soul ring will be the Forest King, Titan Giant Ape. Yanzi's eighth soul ring will be the Forest Emperor, Azure Bull Python. Once You Tianshang and the others return, we can go hunting for them."
Li Luochen shared his subsequent plans.
"Tianshang is indeed a peerless genius. Even the Hao Tian Douluo Tang Hao pales in comparison. Moreover, he became a Title Douluo at forty, four years younger than Tang Hao.
In fact, the title of the continent's youngest Title Douluo has long since changed hands. The Pope achieved the rank in his thirties. Tianshang did it at forty, and I'll probably reach it in my twenties. You and Dugu Yan will likely be around the same.
Let Tang Hao keep his title and bask in his own self-satisfaction."
Qian Renxue harbored deep resentment toward Tang Hao, the man who killed her father. The title of "youngest Title Douluo"? She didn't even bother competing for it.
"I've encountered many geniuses on par with Tang Hao. Take Dai Tianxing, for example, whom I brought along during my travels. He's already at level eighty-seven and will become a Title Douluo within five years.
During my travels, I've met countless strong individuals. There's Sun Zhengfu, a Soul Douluo with mastery over both control and support. Feng Kesu, a Soul Douluo whose single strike can split rivers. Ren Xiaoyao, an eighty-eight-level Soul Douluo with two True Body martial souls.
Ma Junmo, an eighty-five-level Soul Douluo with a destruction-attribute halberd. Liu Nitian, who, despite being only a Soul Douluo, possesses attack power rivaling a Title Douluo. His martial soul is the Sacred Crossbow, and he once used a forbidden technique to fuse eight soul rings and slay several Soul Douluos. However, he suffered immense backlash in the process.
These are the powerful individuals who left a deep impression on me. Many of them come from small families, lacking the backing of great sects or predecessors paving the way. They forged their paths through sheer perseverance.
Compared to someone like Tang Hao, who relied on the resources of the continent's top sect, are they any less worthy? Tang Hao had full sets of spirit bones as a Soul Douluo, along with the secret teachings of the Hao Tian Sect.
The more I learn about the continent's geniuses, the more I realize Tang Hao's title is nothing but a joke."
Li Luochen recounted his discoveries over the years to Qian Renxue. He hadn't expected the continent to be teeming with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. The "Twin Stars of Hao Tian"? A laughingstock!
"So, Chen, how can we bring these talents into the Spirit Hall?" Qian Renxue lamented the loss of such talents.
"Hmm, let me think about it."
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