A short while later, Tang Yi resolved to save her!
This was, after all, the Continent of Love.
In the original storyline, Qian Renxue had only a handful of encounters with Tang San before falling deeply in love with him. In the end, her lovesick obsession—combined with that of Hu Liena—indirectly contributed to the downfall of the Spirit Hall!
By Tang Yi's estimation, with the [Individual Smart-Lock Rocket Launcher] in hand, he could fire another six or seven consecutive rounds!
That equated to six or seven full-force strikes from a seventy-ninth-rank assault-type Soul Saint!
Combined with his "Lingbo Microstep" movement technique and precise point-fire bursts from the Desert Eagle, even this eight-thousand-year Earth Armored Rock Dragon—no matter how formidable—would be doomed!
"Win probability exceeds ninety percent! Saving Qian Renxue gains me a lovesick ally and temporary support from the Heaven Dou Empire—this transaction is highly profitable!"
Having made up his mind, Tang Yi immediately took action.
......…
The Earth Armored Rock Dragon raised its massive tail high.
At the tip of the tail, the bone club was the size of a millstone, studded with ferocious keratinous protrusions, casting a shadow of death across the dim forest floor.
A powerful "earth-attribute energy sphere" was rapidly coalescing with a rumbling roar!
Qian Renxue no longer had the strength to evade.
Her left arm was completely dislocated; the six wings of angelic light behind her were tattered like silk torn by a gale. Her soul power had burned down to the critical point of utter exhaustion.
She attempted once more to lift the Angelic Holy Sword, but the martial soul that had accompanied her for over a decade now felt heavier than ten thousand mountains. No matter how desperately she urged it, the sword tip merely scraped a shallow, feeble trench in the ground.
"Am I going to die here?"
The thought surfaced without much fear.
Eighteen years of life, more than ten years of disguise.
From the moment her grandfather sent her into the Heaven Dou imperial family, she had ceased to be Qian Renxue and had become Xue Qinghe.
The etiquette of the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, the tone of voice, the practiced smiles and hidden thoughts—she had performed the role for over a decade, to the point that sometimes, looking into the mirror, she could no longer distinguish which version of herself was real.
Especially since Xue Qinghe was supposed to be a male crown prince!
While Qian Renxue was, in truth, a beautiful young woman.
The strain of cross-gender impersonation, the endless complexities of palace politics, the unrelenting pressure from the Spirit Hall, and the ceaseless power struggles within the empire!
"I have never truly lived for myself!"
"And now, it seems I never will…"
The giant tail descended with a whistling wind that pressed down so heavily Qian Renxue could scarcely breathe.
In that final moment, she closed her eyes, feeling an unexpected trace of release.
"BOOM!!!"
A blazing white light tore through the forest gloom.
The beam arrived without warning, swift as lightning!
It bore no trace of any familiar soul skill or soul power fluctuation that Qian Renxue recognized—only pure, overwhelming, annihilating force.
The white light struck with surgical precision directly into the already gaping wound at the Earth Armored Rock Dragon's shoulder and neck.
The colossal body of the dragon suddenly froze rigid.
Its raised tail halted mid-swing; the millstone-sized bone club at the tip now hung less than three feet above Qian Renxue's head.
Immediately afterward, another searing flash of fire erupted!
"BOOM!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
A second rocket!
A third!
A fourth!
Tang Yi continued pulling the trigger, firing five more rounds in rapid succession!
The titanic creature—the Earth Armored Rock Dragon—finally collapsed. It crashed to the ground with earth-shaking force.
Dust billowed upward; shrubs were flattened; the earth trembled with a dull, resonant shock.
This sub-dragon soul beast, which had lived for eight thousand years and nearly reached the ten-thousand-year threshold, now lay gasping on the verge of death. It opened its maw in a final attempt to roar, but only a gush of black blood mixed with shredded viscera poured from its throat.
Qian Renxue half-knelt where she was, ears ringing with a sharp, piercing whine.
With great difficulty, she opened her eyes.
Through the lingering smoke and settling dust, she saw a figure.
A young boy stood atop the trunk of a fallen ancient tree some twenty zhang away, a strange, matte-black weapon of unfamiliar design resting on his shoulder.
The rectangular device was about half a meter long, its lines sharp and minimalist. Above the launch tube were several small lenses, behind which indicator lights blinked rhythmically with faint glows.
From Qian Renxue's perspective:
The boy wore a deep-gray combat outfit, sleeves rolled to the forearms, revealing clearly defined musculature honed by years of blacksmithing.
At his waist hung a short-barreled weapon of equally unfamiliar design, its silver-gray metal gleaming coldly in the dim light.
The boy's eyes were very dark and very calm. In the flickering glow of firelight and residual soul power, they showed none of the panic or bravado typical of someone his age.
He merely confirmed with a glance that the giant beast had lost all signs of life, then smoothly lowered the strange weapon from his shoulder with practiced, fluid motions—as though he had performed the action thousands of times.
Rising, he stepped through the dissipating smoke, treading across the cracked, scorched earth, and approached her.
Qian Renxue was filled with questions and wanted to speak.
"Who are you? Why are you here? What is that weapon? Why did you save me?"
But with her grievous injuries, her lips only trembled; from her throat came nothing more than faint, broken gasps.
Qian Renxue lowered her gaze and saw that she was still clutching the Angelic Holy Sword.
The pale golden light along its blade was visibly dimming and retracting at a rapid pace, like a candle guttering in the wind.
The six shattered wings of light behind her were also disintegrating piece by piece, dissolving into countless tiny motes that silently faded into the scorched air.
Even her martial soul was forcibly retracting.
Qian Renxue had reached the point of utter exhaustion—she could no longer sustain even the manifestation of her martial soul.
Suddenly, her knees buckled.
She fell backward.
A steady hand caught her arm.
Through the torn sleeve, through the blood and dirt that covered her, that hand felt dry, firm, and carried a strength far beyond that of a child.
In the final corner of her vision: her own scattered golden hair, and the boy's strong arm.
Then her eyes closed completely, and she sank into unconsciousness.
...
Tang Yi caught Qian Renxue's soft, limp body.
She felt lighter in his arms than he had expected, and there was also a faint, delicate fragrance of a woman's body.
Of course, only someone who had cultivated the Nine Yang True Scripture and possessed Nine Yang internal energy—sharpening the senses far beyond ordinary people—could detect such a subtle scent.
Even ordinary soul masters, including Soul Saints and Soul Douluo, would be unable to perceive it.
After all, Qian Renxue had always maintained her disguise as "Xue Qinghe" through the use of the Angel God Costume soul bone.
She had to preserve the outward appearance of the male Crown Prince.
Observing the severity of Qian Renxue's injuries, Tang Yi immediately activated the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Empress right leg bone and invoked the soul bone skill it bestowed: "Wildfire cannot burn it all; spring winds bring it back to life"!
A continuous stream of Blue Silver Grass life force poured into Qian Renxue's body, stabilizing her critical condition.
Naturally, Tang Yi did not channel the full healing power of the skill—he needed Qian Renxue to remain unconscious for a while longer.
He still had matters to attend to.
Tang Yi stowed the rocket launcher, drew the shortsword from his waist, and walked over to the corpse of the eight-thousand-year Earth Armored Rock Dragon. Bending down, he began to dissect it.
The scales, bony plates, claws, fangs, and heart-blood of this sub-dragon soul beast represented biological samples of incalculable value—materials that simply did not exist on Blue Star.
Especially the dragon's tongue, which had concentrated the greater part of its life's accumulated life essence and earth-attribute origin. Its research value alone likely surpassed the sum total of all previous specimens he had collected.
Suddenly, while processing the Earth Armored Rock Dragon's corpse, Tang Yi discovered a suspended "bone"!
Roughly the size of an adult palm, it took the form of an irregular polyhedron, its surface radiating a deep, near-inky dark-golden sheen.
Held in the hand, one could clearly sense the dormant yet immensely profound power within—an ancient soul force accumulated over eight thousand years, belonging to the sub-dragon bloodline.
A soul bone!
Killing soul beasts carried a very small chance of yielding a soul bone.
The probability was so low that the vast majority of soul masters would never encounter even one in their entire lifetime.
Unlike soul rings, soul bones could not be extracted from a soul master's body; they belonged exclusively to the soul master who had slain the beast.
Moreover, unlike soul rings, soul bones could be detached, stored for extremely long periods, and passed down as heirlooms of sects or major powers.
For this reason, they were regarded as supreme treasures by countless soul masters across the Douluo Continent!
The Earth Armored Rock Dragon had lived nearly eight thousand years; naturally, its soul bone was a priceless treasure.
"What extraordinary luck! A soul bone dropped! Unfortunately, this is also a right leg bone! My right leg already possesses the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Empress right leg bone and cannot accommodate another."
"Furthermore, a single soul master can only equip six standard soul bones, corresponding to the six major parts: head, torso, left arm, right arm, left leg, and right leg. Only external soul bones are exempt from positional restrictions."
After brief consideration, Tang Yi quickly stored the "soul bone" inside his soul guide device, the [Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges].
Though he could not use it himself at present, he could transmit this soul bone to Great Xia!
On this expedition into the Star Dou Great Forest, he had already slain dozens of soul beasts and collected sufficient specimens—plus now this soul bone.
"I hope this will be of some help to my motherland, Great Xia! In the upcoming [Global Pharmaceutical Expo] confrontation with the Japanese from the Cherry Blossom Country, we must win!"
Tang Yi thought to himself.
Not long afterward, Qian Renxue—thanks to her formidable regenerative capacity—slowly opened her eyes.
"You're awake?"
Tang Yi spoke calmly.
He had already kindled a campfire nearby and was now roasting a rabbit using the culinary skills of a "five-star chef" from his previous life.
Qian Renxue, still disguised as a male, remained pale-faced. The tantalizing aroma of the perfectly roasted rabbit made her mouth water despite herself.
"Was it you who saved me?"
Qian Renxue retained faint, hazy memories of the moments before losing consciousness.
She clearly recalled the boy shouldering that bizarre weapon and annihilating the Earth Armored Rock Dragon with thunderous force—an act that left her deeply shocked.
As an eight-thousand-year soul beast renowned for its defense, even some seventy-something-rank Soul Saints would struggle to breach its scales.
Tang Yi nodded:
"Yes."
"May I know your name? I wish to repay you in the future!"
A glint of shrewdness flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes.
In her view, a young genius of such caliber was well worth recruiting.
"My name is Tang Yi."
Tang Yi replied calmly.
"Benefactor, you appear quite young—yet your strength is astonishing?"
Qian Renxue probed gently.
Tang Yi responded indifferently:
"I just turned a little over six years old."
"What?! Just over six years old—and you slew an eight-thousand-year Earth Armored Rock Dragon?"
Qian Renxue was utterly stunned.
Even the Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall—highly favored by her mother Bibi Dong—could not compare to such a feat!
Tang Yi gave a faint smile:
"It was merely because my weapon is somewhat powerful."
Of course, to provide a reasonable explanation, Tang Yi had already prepared a fabricated backstory. He continued smoothly:
"My weapon was given to me by my master. My master is an old man with a white beard!"
Qian Renxue's interest was instantly piqued. She leaned forward slightly:
"Oh, little brother!"
"What is your master's name?"
Qian Renxue pressed eagerly.
In her estimation, anyone capable of raising such a monstrous genius must be a peerless powerhouse!
Tang Yi chuckled lightly and spoke boldly:
"My master disdains fame and reputation. He once declared: 'If heaven does not give birth to Li Chungang, then the path of man shall remain plunged in eternal night!'"
Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned by the sheer audacity of the statement!
"Li Chungang?"
"The path of man plunged in eternal night?"
She thought to herself: "What arrogance! Even my grandfather Qian Daoliu, or that madwoman Bibi Dong, would not dare make such a claim! Across the endless ages of humanity, how many powerhouses have been born? Just who is this Li Chungang?"
"Little brother, it seems your master is truly formidable!"
"May I know his title? Where does he currently reside? I genuinely wish to pay my respects!"
Qian Renxue asked urgently.
Tang Yi laughed inwardly: "She has taken the bait! Time to raise the banner and borrow the tiger's might!"
Facing her eager questioning, Tang Yi continued calmly roasting the rabbit meat:
"My master possesses a title: [Dragon God]! However, he has always lived in seclusion, disliking worldly disturbances. Very few people know of him."
"Moreover, Master wanders the continent without fixed abode, carefree and unrestrained. Even I do not know his current whereabouts. Only when he misses me does he appear of his own accord."
Qian Renxue's heart skipped a beat!
"Title: Dragon God?"
The name alone sounded extraordinarily imposing!
Compared to the titles of Spirit Hall elders—whether Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, or even the Thorn Porcupine Douluo and Snake Spear Douluo who protected her—such a title carried an entirely different weight.
Qian Renxue's mind raced with countless thoughts: "To dare claim the title of Dragon God Douluo… the true strength of this Tang Yi's master must be terrifying. I wonder if even Grandfather could match him?"
Having spent years immersed in the scheming of the Heaven Dou imperial court, Qian Renxue had long mastered the arts of politics and manipulation. Her words and demeanor unconsciously revealed traces of calculation and factional thinking.
"Such a powerhouse must be brought into my service! The Spirit Hall requires unification of the continent—and that demands far too many strong allies!"
Qian Renxue resolved inwardly. Her gaze toward Tang Yi grew increasingly fervent.
Sensing the "scorching" intensity of Qian Renxue's stare, Tang Yi could not help but blush slightly.
"Could this lovesick Qian Renxue have taken a fancy to me?"
"No—that cannot be. My current body is only six years old; it should be impossible! In the original story, Qian Renxue fell for Tang San only after he grew into an exceptionally handsome adult!"
"The same applies to the equally lovesick Hu Liena—they are both drawn to striking appearances!"
Tang Yi mused inwardly.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue spoke words that stunned him:
"Little brother, today you saved my life! You have shown me an immense kindness!"
"Had you not appeared, I would surely have perished in the jaws of the Earth Armored Rock Dragon!"
"Moreover, I feel an instant affinity with you! Why don't the two of us swear brotherhood as sworn brothers of different surnames?"
Qian Renxue spoke with utmost sincerity.
"You wish to swear brotherhood with me?"
Tang Yi could not help but smile with amusement.
Inwardly he laughed: "Heh, you lofty and beautiful woman wish to become sworn brothers with me—a boy? Sworn brothers, no less?"
Yet Qian Renxue nodded gravely:
"Yes, I speak from the heart! Let us swear an oath of golden brotherhood. From this day forward, we shall truly be the closest of brothers!"