Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

Chapter 59 Counterproductive
……

Upon entering the Heavenly Dou Imperial City area, Qian Renxue and her group stopped in a forest not far from Heavenly Dou City, both to rest and to pave the way for Xuan Ming's legitimate return.

After all, he had been missing for several months in a godforsaken place like Sunset Forest, and then suddenly returned. There had to be a plausible reason for it.

"Have you figured out how to explain your disappearance for the past few months?" Qian Renxue asked.

"..."

"Xuan Ming?"

Xuanming opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "I think this is something you should be considering."

"I'm asking for your opinion," Qian Renxue said.

“I have no objection,” Xuanming said.

"Be serious." Qian Renxue frowned slightly.

"Xue Qinghe will come here to pick you up tomorrow."

Xuanming sat up. "I was carried away by a soul beast. After waking up, I had to survive in the wilderness of Sunset Forest and went through many hardships to return to Heaven Dou City. Is this explanation acceptable?"

"That's too unbelievable. How could a six-year-old child who just acquired a soul ring survive in a godforsaken place like Sunset Forest?" Qian Renxue said.

That night, a group of thousand-year-old soul beasts appeared, along with several ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts. Not to mention Xuanming, a mere child, it would be extremely dangerous even for a Soul Saint. One wrong move and he could be surrounded and killed by the group of soul beasts.

Moreover, the Imperial Guards and a large number of Soul Masters searched the Sunset Forest afterwards, and Dugu Bo searched for several days without finding a single person.

"Do people really believe that a child who isn't even a Soul Master could fight back and escape from two powerful Soul Master human traffickers?" Xuanming asked.

"Will you still believe that I survived the battle involving three Title Douluos?"

"Or will they believe that my first spirit ring is eight hundred years old?"

"Fake? Aren't these fake?"

“But Prince Barak has also disappeared. If the reason is too hasty, people won’t believe it and will easily link Bars’ disappearance to you,” Qian Renxue said.

Whether something is true or false is not a question of whether it is possible, but rather whether people are willing to believe it.

"And then?" Xuanming asked.

"Based on suspicion alone, without any evidence, can I suspect that the previous conflict between Heaven Dou and Star Luo was secretly orchestrated by the Barak royal family? Or perhaps by the other major kingdoms? To weaken the Heaven Dou royal family?"

"This is ridiculous. They start by questioning, but what good is questioning them?"

Qian Renxue was speechless for a moment.

She's being too sensitive.

"But if someone asks how you survived in Sunset Forest, how will you explain it?" Qian Renxue asked.

"Explain what?!" Xuanming was speechless.

"I'm a six-year-old child. How could I survive in that kind of hellish place? Normal people would just think I'm lucky and have a strong life."

"Only a woman with a problem in her brain would immediately question me about how I survived, as if she wished I were dead inside."

Qian Renxue's expression froze, "I..."

"You, you, you, what do you mean? I just said I was so scared I forgot. What can they do? Kill me?" Xuanming turned around, really not wanting to deal with this scheming woman.

"Ahem." The Serpent Spear Douluo couldn't stand it any longer and got up to take Qian Renxue to a distance.

"Young Master, he is only six years old."

A six-year-old child, any person with a normal mind would not doubt anything.

After all, what can be doubted?
"Six years old..." Qian Renxue's expression was somewhat unnatural.

She forgot that Xuanming was only six years old.

"Young Master, you're in too much of a hurry," said Serpent Spear Douluo.

"Your initial encounter was unfriendly. If you want him to listen, you should first eliminate the resentment in his heart, instead of pursuing him so relentlessly." Xuanming already harbored hostility towards Qian Renxue because of the matter of the Hall of Offerings. Even if you want to win him over, you should take it slowly.

Even now, Qian Renxue and Xuan Ming are still practically strangers!
If it were an ordinary child, Qian Renxue would have already tricked him with such initiative.

But this kid is different. With his experience, the more proactive Qian Renxue is, the more wary he will become!
"Young Master, your mind is in turmoil," said the Serpent Spear Douluo.

If it were the previous Qian Renxue, she would never have been so reckless.

Qian Renxue's cunning and shrewdness are undeniable, given her ability to portray Xue Qinghe so convincingly.

Qian Renxue was indeed interested in this young man, but being a genius alone was not enough to make her so flustered.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the Pope.

Xuanming had been staying in the Papal Palace for several months, and according to the High Priest, he had spent most of his time with Bibi Dong. This made Qian Renxue feel extremely threatened, which is why she was so anxious and lost her composure.

Qian Renxue cares so much about Xuanming mainly because of Bibi Dong, because of her competitive spirit.

Qian Renxue cares so much because the Pope wants it.

Otherwise, even if you really can't control it, just destroy it; it won't cause any major harm.

"I understand." Qian Renxue sighed.

She did indeed have too many worries because that woman had been in contact with Xuanming for too long, especially when Xuanming refuted her. She subconsciously felt that it was caused by that woman, and even completely forgot that Xuanming was not the kind of person who would easily believe others.

……

Night falls.

It's winter now, and we're located in the north, so the temperature drops significantly at night.

"Aren't you cold?" Qian Renxue sat by the fire, looking at Xuan Ming who was leaning against a tree.

“I’m used to it,” Xuanming said.

“I know you have a bad impression of me, so I won’t explain anything here, since you won’t believe me anyway,” Qian Renxue said.

"As for what will happen in Tiandou City next, Xue Qinghe will tell you, so I won't say any more."

“From now on, Serpent Spear Douluo will also stay here. If you need anything, you can contact him.”

"Mm," Xuanming responded.

Qian Renxue walked over with a puzzled look. "Are you meditating?"

When a Soul Master cultivates, faint fluctuations of Soul Power will appear on their body.

Xuanming had been leaning against the tree all afternoon, and she thought he was sleeping.

Only now did she notice the fluctuations of soul power emanating from this guy.

"Hmm," Xuanming responded, his eyes still closed.

“You need to sit in meditation, otherwise your mind won’t be able to concentrate fully and your soul power won’t circulate completely,” Qian Renxue said.

“No need for that, I can stand,” Xuanming said.

"Standing?" Qian Renxue's eyes twitched slightly.

"Who taught you this?"

Meditation requires complete concentration to feel and control one's own soul power and to absorb various energies from heaven and earth.

Therefore, when meditating, you must maintain a posture that you can hold for a long time and that allows you to concentrate, which is cross-legged sitting.

This posture also helps improve the efficiency of soul power circulation.

Sitting like this, casually, makes cultivation incredibly inefficient!

and……

Wait a minute! You're meditating, why are you talking to me?
(End of this chapter)