Half an hour later!
Qian Renxue led Gu Yuena into the imperial palace of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The palace gates slowly opened, revealing a magnificent and splendid scene.
Entering the palace, the first thing that caught the eye was an incredibly wide avenue paved with white marble, shimmering warmly in the sunlight.
Tall stone pillars stood on both sides of the avenue, each carved with exquisite and lifelike patterns.
Following the avenue, a majestic palace appeared before them.
The palace roof was covered with golden glazed tiles, dazzlingly bright, as if inlaid with countless sparkling pearls.
Rows of red lanterns hung under the eaves, swaying in the wind, adding a touch of festive atmosphere.
Entering the palace, the interior was even more luxurious.
The walls were covered with precious calligraphy and paintings, and the floors were covered with thick, soft, and comfortable carpets.
The massive pillars were inlaid with gemstones and pearls, gleaming with dazzling light.
"This is the imperial palace of our Heaven Dou Empire... Let me show you around,"
Qian Renxue said softly to Gu Yuena, maintaining her composure. Gu Yuena remained silent, only looking outside.
She murmured to herself,
"Humans are truly extravagant, plundering so many treasures... and even using the fur of my soul beasts for decoration, they're courting death."
"That jade stone too,"
Qian Renxue didn't notice that the more she introduced it, the colder Gu Yuena's expression became.
The two continued on their way, arriving at the Imperial Garden.
The garden was a riot of color, with countless exotic flowers and rare herbs.
A clear stream meandered through it, koi carp frolicking in the water, creating ripples.
These koi carp were actually rare soul beasts, their flesh incredibly delicious and highly beneficial to soul masters.
Gu Yuena's eyes narrowed slightly. She recognized these koi carp; they were a type raised by their ancient dragon clan, stained with the blood of the dragons.
That's why it has such magical effects.
There are plenty of them in the Lake of Life; Qian Renshang had eaten some before… and she herself is already tired of them.
Gu Yuena followed behind Qian Renxue, and the sights she saw along the way made her marvel at the grandeur and extravagance of the palace.
Gu Yuena was eventually arranged to stay inside the palace.
Qian Renxue agreed to Gu Yuena's request to find Qian Renshang, but she had to wait.
Qian Renxue's purpose was simple: to stall… to stall until she had a good relationship with Gu Yuena.
Otherwise, what if Gu Yuena left after the matter was settled?
The news of Gu Yuena and Qian Renxue's visit to the palace quickly reached the eyes of Emperor Xue Ye of the Tian Dou Empire.
"What? You said Qinghe brought back a girl... and they even toured the palace together!"
In the main hall,a dignified-looking middle-aged man in a golden robe, exuding an extremely noble air, suddenly laughed loudly.
"Good, good... For so many years, Qinghe hasn't had any women around him.
I was worried he might have some hidden illness, but it seems I was overthinking it."
"What's the girl's situation? Describe her to me."
The middle-aged man was none other than Emperor Xue Ye.
As the emperor of the Tian Dou Empire, the succession of the empire was always the most important matter, and he had long established Xue Qinghe as the crown prince.
However, Xue Qinghe's lack of offspring, and even the absence of a woman, had always been his biggest headache.
Below the stage, a servant excitedly began to speak.
First, he described Gu Yuena's outstanding appearance—silver hair, purple eyes, and an aura even more exaggerated than that of ordinary nobles.
He also said that Gu Yuena's strength was incredibly powerful, single-handedly defeating a group of knights, including a five-ring Soul King.
"Outstanding looks, formidable talent... this girl is a perfect match for Qinghe."
Emperor Xueye was even happier.
Xue Qinghe certainly couldn't marry an ordinary woman; she would have to be at least a noblewoman of high status, or a genius with exceptional talent.
It seemed that Gu Yuena was a good fit.
"Pass down the order: raise the standards of treatment for that girl to the highest level. Make sure her every need is met..."
Emperor Xueye issued the command.
On the other side, Gu Yuena was completely unaware that she had been mistaken for the Crown Princess.
She was simply sitting in her room, somewhat bored.
"The Crown Prince of the Heavenly Dou Empire is actually a woman... this is truly interesting."
Gu Yuena's lips curled slightly, and her purple eyes brightened.
She was the Silver Dragon King, and although her strength hadn't fully recovered, she could still see through Qian Renxue's disguise.
She could tell almost immediately that Qian Renxue was a woman.
The Crown Prince was a woman... this immediately piqued Gu Yuena's curiosity.
So she just followed along. Of course, she only found it interesting and had no intention of investigating the matter.
For her, Xue Qinghe was enough to help her find Qian Renshang.
"I can probably maintain my current state for a while... Hopefully, I can find that little guy Qian Renshang during this time,"
Gu Yuena murmured.
...
...
Meanwhile!
Tian Dou Royal Academy!
Ever since Xue Qinghe suffered a setback with Qian Renshang, many people noticed his unpleasant expression when he came out.
They originally thought that Qian Renshang would be recruited by Xue Qinghe.
But unexpectedly, that wasn't the case. It seemed that Qian Renshang had offended Xue Qinghe, which made countless noble children's attitudes towards Qian Renshang change instantly.
It's true that Qian Renshang is a genius, but this is the Tian Dou Empire... Here, even dragons have to coil up and tigers have to lie low.
A genius who hasn't grown up is just a genius.
And even if Qian Renshang grows up, he can't compare to the ruler of a country, so... the choice is already very simple.
Most students began to distance themselves from Qian Renshang, afraid of offending Xue Qinghe, and some teachers also... refused to call Qian Renshang casually.
"Is this targeting me?"
Qian Renshang naturally sensed something was amiss, but he didn't react.
The three who had helped him the most in the academy were Meng Shenji and the others; as long as they remained unchanged, that was fine.
Besides, he needed the knowledge in the library; as for the others… what did they have to do with him?
"Brother Gu!"
Just as Qian Renshang was engrossed in his studies, a hot-bodied figure ran over, purple hair and green eyes—it was none other than Dugu Yan.
"Senior Sister Yan!"
Qian Renshang greeted her politely. Although he was actually older than Dugu Yan, she looked younger, and since he had entered the academy later, he simply called her "Senior Sister.
" "What's up? Need something?"
"Yes…it's important!"
Dugu Yan chuckled, "Have dinner with me…I know a restaurant that's really good."
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