Chapter 169 – Qian Renxue's Offer

"Huff… Huff…"

Qian Renxue took several deep breaths to calm herself. She couldn't understand where Xu Yang's confidence came from, but she still extended her offer sincerely.

"Xu Yang, I truly admire you. From the first time I saw you, I've admired you—not just because our martial souls resonate, but because I genuinely appreciate your talent. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan can't give you more. On the contrary, you've given them far too much. You deserve better."

As she spoke, Qian Renxue took two steps forward and extended a hand.

"Follow me. Glory, wealth, women—anything you want, I can give it to you. I can promise you a position second only to me.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan? I can let bygones be bygones. They can become the Empire's Protector Clan. As for Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan—if you desire them, I can reward them to you.

When I unify the continent, your status will be just below mine. If you wish, I can even give you half of the continent…"

The more she spoke, the more impassioned she became. She even infused spiritual power into her words, carrying an almost bewitching tone—convinced this would sway Xu Yang.

"You invite someone like this, and you're still hiding behind a fake face? At the very least, show me your true self. Honestly, I've always been curious… What does the daughter of Bibi Dong and the late Pope Qian Xunji actually look like? is she beautiful as the current Pope herself?"

Xu Yang grinned, deliberately poking at Qian Renxue's sore spot while making it abundantly clear that he knew more than he should.

Sure enough, the moment he mentioned "Bibi Dong," Qian Renxue's expression turned even darker.

"Don't get angry, don't get angry. As long as I can win over Xu Yang, what's the Tian Dou Empire to me? Once I become a God, won't he still be mine to command?"

She continued to take deep breaths, repeatedly telling herself to calm down.

Xu Yang, meanwhile, watched her mental gymnastics with great interest. "So she can really hold it in. Even a ninja turtle might not be this tolerant. Still hasn't cracked…"

Next to her, the Golden Crocodile Douluo narrowed his eyes. From an outsider's view, it looked like this brat was just toying with Qian Renxue—but something about it didn't quite add up. He couldn't be sure.

As for Porcupinefish and She Long, they stayed silently behind her, their expressions stern. With real powerhouses in front, it wasn't their place to speak.

"…You're right," Qian Renxue finally said, voice calm but still laced with suppressed rage. "Inviting you while wearing Xue Qinghe's face is indeed disrespectful."

As her words fell, her entire body began to emit radiant golden light and floated into the air. The golden glow bathed the entire Tian Dou Imperial Academy in a sacred hue. Behind her, three pairs of golden wings unfurled, and a towering golden angelic silhouette—nearly a hundred meters tall—manifested behind her.

Her wings folded around her like a cocoon, enveloping her completely. Then, the light blazed even more intensely, and a fearsome soul power ripple erupted. Below the golden cocoon, seven soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black, black—appeared, spinning slowly.

Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, Zhi Lin, and the teachers and students of the academy felt sheer terror. They hadn't expected Qian Renxue to be so powerful—her soul power fluctuations surpassed many Title Douluo.

"Boom—"

With a low thud, the three golden wings suddenly spread wide. Countless golden feathers rained from the sky, and a figure slowly stepped out of the golden light.

Qian Renxue had returned to her original form.

She looked to be in her early twenties, with skin as fair as snow, a high nose bridge, sharp and elegant phoenix eyes, and a flawless face exuding authority and beauty. Her alluring figure rivaled even Dugu Yan, lending her a seductive edge. She was without a doubt one of the most stunning women in the world.

"What a figure. What a face. She really is something else."

Xu Yang genuinely admired her appearance, but what truly caught his attention was something deeper: now in her original form, Qian Renxue was continuously absorbing ambient spiritual energy from the heavens and earth.

This meant one thing—she had already condensed a soul core at the Soul Sage stage.

Which in turn implied something even more crucial—Spirit Hall had already mastered the method of soul core condensation.

Given the number of Spirit Hall soul masters, this likely meant that many new Title Douluo had emerged in the past two years.

Back during the battle at Spirit City, many of Spirit Hall's top fighters had not even appeared. It seemed the organization had hidden its strength far deeper than anyone imagined.

This realization caused a subtle shift in Xu Yang's expression. He wasn't afraid of those newly advanced Title Douluo himself, but members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan were a different story. Even the weakest Title Douluo was still a Title Douluo.

"So? Xu Yang?" Qian Renxue asked, hovering midair with a radiant smile. "Can I get your answer now?"

"Gorgeous. Truly."

Xu Yang's voice rang with mockery as he slowly looked her over. His razor-sharp gaze made Qian Renxue incredibly uncomfortable, as if every inch of her was being scrutinized.

She didn't respond, only furrowed her brows slightly and waited for his answer.

But something began to trouble her.

The martial soul resonance between them… was gone.

Given the growth of their martial souls, the resonance should have become stronger. But now—it was completely gone. A bad premonition formed in her heart.

"Qian Renxue, you really are confident. Actually believed what I said?"

Xu Yang sneered, his smile filled with scorn. "Too bad. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Spirit Hall are enemies. What I plan to do is destined to run counter to yours. And more importantly—

I, Xu Yang, will never serve beneath anyone. Not even a God."

Qian Renxue's face went cold. "So you were playing me!"

She pointed at him furiously.

Instantly, the Golden Crocodile Douluo, Porcupinefish Douluo, and She Long all completed their Spirit Avatars.

The Golden Crocodile Douluo in particular gleamed with golden light. Dense golden scales covered his body. His arms turned into massive claws, and a spiny golden tail dragged behind him. Beneath him, nine soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red—flared into existence.

"You're dead!" he roared.

With a stomp, the bluestone tiles of the academy plaza cracked and shattered. Like a locomotive, he charged toward Xu Yang.

In his mind, he'd already pictured this arrogant brat smashed to pieces.

But—

Bang!

The impact never came.

To his horror, the Golden Crocodile Douluo found his fist caught by a single hand.

Qian Renxue, Porcupinefish, and She Long all stared in shock.

At some point, Xu Yang had released his martial soul. Golden flames burned across his body, a calm and confident smile on his face as he firmly gripped the Golden Crocodile Douluo's punch.

Seven soul rings spun at his feet—yellow, purple, black, black, black, black, and red.

That seventh red ring shone with terrifying brilliance.