While various powers were making their own secret arrangements, Gu Xuan and his party finally boarded the carriages heading back to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Because the Crown Prince had supposedly been "indisposed" for several days, Gu Xuan—acting as if he had just heard the news—went straight to the Crown Prince's carriage to pay a visit to his "good big brother."
However, by the time he saw Xue Qinghe, the latter was already recovered. Qian Daoliu had used his own profound Angelic soul power to directly restore Qian Renxue to peak condition; after all, she hadn't suffered any major physical injuries, only a massive depletion of soul power.
Seeing Gu Xuan, who had also recovered more than half of his strength, Xue Qinghe was inwardly baffled. They had both exhausted themselves, so why was Gu Xuan so energetic after only a day and a half?
'I was restored by Grandfather... what about him?' Then, Xue Qinghe remembered: Ning Fengzhi was a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda master—the strongest support on the continent. It was only natural that he could help Gu Xuan recover.
In reality, even with Ning Fengzhi's help and Gu Xuan's own supply of pills, he had only reached 75% capacity in two and a half days. Compared to the month it usually took to restore his "origin essence," however, this was an incredible feat.
Seeing that Xue Qinghe was fine, Gu Xuan began to complain. "Brother Xue, you have no idea! That Qian Renxue in the finals... she's the same girl I met in the Star Dou Great Forest. She's beautiful, sure, but she's completely shameless."
A vein popped on Xue Qinghe's forehead, but he endured it. He wanted to hear what else Gu Xuan had to say, so he coaxed him along. "Oh? Why do you say that?"
Gu Xuan looked frustrated. "That Qian Renxue is already a Rank 74 Soul Saint, yet she actually entered the arena to snatch the championship from us lowly Soul Kings. Don't you think she's shameless? If I hadn't kept a trump card hidden, I would've been thrashed by her. Brother Xue, tell me—are all girls with talent and beauty this wicked?"
Hearing this "compliment" tucked inside a complaint, Xue Qinghe felt a strange sense of happiness.
'Talented and beautiful? Hmph... you have decent taste, kid,' he thought. Aloud, he said calmly, "Well, if you say she's that powerful and yet you defeated her, doesn't that make you even more impressive?"
Gu Xuan waved his hands dismissively, continuing his sob story. "Brother Xue, you don't understand. I've paid a heavy price. I might look okay, but I won't be able to use my soul power for at least half a year. Don't let that slip to anyone else."
Xue Qinghe glanced at him, thinking, 'Is it really that serious?' But he nodded. It made sense; for a Rank 56 to erupt with power surpassing a Soul Saint's full effort, there had to be a backlash.
'This increases my odds for the Three-Year Promise,' Xue Qinghe mused. 'If he can't cultivate for half a year, he only has two and a half years left.' He subconsciously touched the storage tool on his wrist. Once he returned and absorbed the right leg bone of the Angelic Raiment, his strength would surge again. In three years, he'd beat Gu Xuan until he was crawling, then keep the brat by his side. After all, it was rare to find someone who was both pleasing to the eye and fun to talk to.
Seeing Xue Qinghe's thoughtful silence, Gu Xuan nodded earnestly. "Exactly! So, Brother Xue, shouldn't you give me something good to compensate? I was heavily injured for the glory of our Heaven Dou Empire. You can't let my heart grow cold, can you?"
Xue Qinghe suddenly had a bad feeling. 'Wait... is this brat trying to swindle me?'
An hour later, after a "deep exchange" with Brother Xue, Gu Xuan left the Crown Prince's carriage with a satisfied expression and returned to his own.
Inside his carriage sat Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin. To ensure Gu Xuan's safety, Ning Fengzhi had moved in with him. "How is it? Is Qinghe's body alright?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
Gu Xuan rolled his eyes. "Uncle, you're his teacher. Why don't you go see him yourself instead of making me go?"
Ning Fengzhi waved it off. "Xiao Xuan, with your talent, you'll be at the top of the continent in twenty years. Given my current relationship with Qinghe, I'll feel too guilty to face him in the future. It's better to reduce contact now."
Gu Xuan was speechless. 'Spoken like a true businessman. Don't worry, Uncle. Once you find out his real identity, you won't feel guilty at all.'
Actually, Ning Fengzhi did value the master-disciple bond, but since Gu Xuan's goal of annexing Heaven Dou was on the horizon, Ning Fengzhi was trying to distance himself to avoid future heartache.
Chen Xin smiled. "That old bone back home has probably heard the news of your victory by now. He'll be over the moon when we get back!"
Gu Xuan smiled. "Grandpa is guarding the clan alone; as his grandson, I have to bring back some gifts."
This reminded Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin of the three Soul Bones. Gu Xuan had been recovering until now, so they hadn't discussed the distribution.
"Xiao Xuan, how do you plan to distribute those three Soul Bones?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
Gu Xuan didn't hide his intentions. "I plan to give the Wisdom Skull Bone to Yan'er, the Flame Right Arm Bone to Zuo Yan, and the Wind-Chasing Left Leg Bone to Zhu Zhuqing."
Ning Fengzhi pondered this. He had briefly hoped the skull bone might go to Ning Rongrong to boost her mental precision for supporting, but he had to admit Gu Xuan's logic was sound. Dugu Yan, as a control master, needed that mental boost just as much.
Zuo Yan and Zhu Zhuqing were also perfect fits. Zuo Yan was a core member that Gu Xuan was cultivating for his personal team. As for Zhu Zhuqing, though she joined from Shrek and lacked a deep foundation with the clan, she was now one of Gu Xuan's women. While talented, her foundation was slightly weaker than the others; this bone would ensure she didn't fall behind.
As for the other members of the Imperial Team, Ning Fengzhi had no objections. Gu Xuan had been with them for three years, and while they were friends, they were ultimately outsiders who hadn't contributed much to the final win.
Furthermore, those teammates were already deeply indebted to Gu Xuan. Without him, Yu Tianheng would be Rank 40-something at best, not a Soul King. They were more likely to be grateful for the growth they'd already achieved than resentful over the Soul Bones.
(End of Chapter)
---
This story is already complete on my Support Page! If you want to stay 2 chapters ahead for free, just search for Fallen_Archangel_ on the orange platform.
Your 5-star reviews and Power Stones keep the chapters coming!