Douluo Continent: Naru Sacred Heart, Snow Shines Forever

Chen Jieqi, having returned to Heaven Dou City from Soto City, continued his training at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

While honing their lineup and tactics and improving their soul power with the Royal Fighters,

While subtly deepening his contact with Xue Qinghe.

When they first arrived at Tiandou, the two had already tested each other and left an impression on each other.

Now that they've met again, the unspoken understanding between them is more intriguing than any deliberate attempt at warmth.

The seeds sown in Soto need time to ferment.

The game of chess in Tiandou City requires even more patience in making each move.

In this game of chess, there is one piece that is far more difficult to control than Chen Jieqi had anticipated.

......

She had been infiltrating the Heavenly Dou royal family for over a decade, posing as Xue Qinghe for a long time. Her heart had long been hardened and she never easily trusted anyone.

The initial purpose of approaching Chen Jieqi was extremely pure.

This child possesses extraordinary talent; the purest holy light power emanating from him resonates deeply with his angelic martial soul.

This kind of resonance can only be generated by martial souls of the same rank and supreme divine attributes, which is enough to prove that he has an extraordinary origin.

Such beings must either be brought in for our own use or we must always be vigilant and never leave them as a future threat.

Every time they met, the two maintained just the right distance, neither too close nor too far, with perfect understanding between them.

They discussed the political situation in the Heaven Dou court, the Soul Master cultivation system, and the distribution of various forces across the continent.

In every word Xue Qinghe spoke, there was a hidden probing, an attempt to ascertain his stance, background, and strength.

But there was one thing she never spoke of, yet she was more certain of it than any test.

The stirring and resonance of martial spirits are always two-way.

At their first meeting, the angelic martial spirit within her body resonated with his holy light from the source, a clear and intense connection that could not possibly be faked.

She could sense that, given Chen Jieqi's strength, he would surely be able to detect it as well.

However, the real Xue Qinghe only possessed an ordinary swan martial soul inherited from the Heaven Dou royal family, and it was impossible for him to resonate with the holy light.

He must know that he is not the real Xue Qinghe.

This thought lingered in her mind for a whole month.

But he didn't point it out, and she didn't expose him either; a tacit, silent game of wits quietly unfolded.

After a month together, Xue Qinghe's heart was no longer as calm as it had been at the beginning.

Chen Jieqi's holy light repeatedly stirred her angelic martial spirit, and for the first time, it allowed her to see clearly...

One's own talent and martial spirit are not unique in the world.

Her long-held absolute confidence in being "unique" has been quietly cracked, a fact she is unwilling to admit but cannot ignore.

One time, after Chen Jieqi left, she realized she had stood by the window and glanced at his back for a moment longer.

In that instant, she didn't even realize it herself.

On another occasion, he remarked, "Your Highness does not look well today."

She paused for a moment,

For a long time, no one has cared about her complexion; everyone is only concerned with "His Highness the Crown Prince's" attitude.

These little things, like grains of sand, gradually accumulate to form a small hill.

In order to suppress this excitement and stabilize her cultivation level, she had recently been deliberately trying to speed up her training, which was too hasty.

Furthermore, disguising himself as Xue Qinghe required him to constantly suppress the primal aura of the Angelic Martial Soul, resulting in a significant drain on his mental energy.

With the two factors combined, the angelic soul power within his body finally began to become unstable.

On this day, Xue Qinghe visited again.

As soon as he sat down, Chen Jieqi noticed something was wrong.

Her breathing was a beat faster than usual, her fingertips unconsciously curled up for a moment, and then she forced them to relax.

He didn't point it out, but slowed down his pouring motion and lingered his fingers on the rim of the teacup for a moment longer as he pushed it over.

Xue Qinghe took the teacup, his fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly.

The next second, the forcibly suppressed soul power finally found an opening.

A faint golden glimmer escaped from her sleeve, vanishing in an instant, so fast it was almost imperceptible.

But both of them saw it.

The air froze instantly.

Xue Qinghe's fingers clenched tightly, veins bulged on his forehead, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

A chilling killing intent flashed in his eyes; it wasn't fear, but a decision made after weighing everything to the extreme.

If he shows even the slightest surprise or doubt, even the slightest hint of something amiss, she will act immediately to eliminate any future trouble.

Secrets must never be leaked; no one is exempt.

Chen Jieqi looked up and glanced at her calmly, his eyes showing neither surprise nor fear.

There was no deliberate attempt to remain calm; he was as clean as if nothing had happened.

Then, he gently raised his hand, and a wisp of gentle, non-aggressive holy light slowly emanated from it.

It swept silently over her, without making a sound, without tentatively touching her.

There was no intention of coercion; it was simply a matter of using holy light to soothe the restless angelic soul power within her.

The power that almost leaked out was steadily suppressed back.

In an instant, Xue Qinghe's aura completely calmed down, and there was no longer any abnormality.

She stared intently at him, the murderous intent in her eyes still lingering, but now tinged with a strange emotion that even she couldn't quite discern.

He clearly saw it, clearly knew what that golden light meant, but he didn't ask.

They didn't run away, didn't use it to blackmail, and didn't even glance at it.

He simply and casually pushed it back, as if brushing away a speck of dust from the table.

"Your holy light is very special."

She spoke, her voice remaining steady, maintaining the gentle demeanor of the Crown Prince of Tiandou.

But deep in his eyes, a lingering chill intertwined with a trace of unfamiliar emotion.

This adds a touch of intriguing depth to the statement.

Chen Jieqi withdrew his hand, his expression calm, as if he had simply done something perfectly ordinary.

"The Holy Light does not discriminate between factions; it shines only on life, quells strife, and heals wounds."

He paused, his gaze calmly settling on her face, his tone objective and indifferent.

"Your Highness, you don't need to be so tense all the time. Some pretense is unnecessary in front of those who can see through you; you don't need to put on such a tiring act."

This statement is neither frivolous nor ambiguous, and contains no bias whatsoever; it is simply an objective statement from an observer.

But like a blunt knife, it cut right through her hard shell that she had been pretending for so many years.

"Someone who can understand you"

She couldn't remember how long ago she had heard those words, or if she had never heard them before.

She was already used to being respected, used, and feared; she was used to everyone focusing on her status as the crown prince and the power behind her.

I've gotten used to hiding three parts of every word I say and calculating three steps behind every expression.

Yet no one has ever been able to see through her feigned exhaustion at a glance, and has been able to give her such dignity, without exposing her, coercing her, or taking the opportunity to curry favor with her.

That long-dormant, cold, and hard place in my heart stirred slightly.

It's not cracked, it just has a very fine line.

She lowered her eyes, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and subtly concealed her momentary loss of composure.

When he looked up again, he was still the composed and unhurried Crown Prince of Tiandou.

But she knew that from now on, Chen Jieqi would be labeled as such in her heart.

In addition to "chess piece," "ally," and "variable," there is another word that has never been given to anyone before.

--"special".

It's not about being moved, far from that level, but in this world where self-interest is the foundation and calculation is the norm,

These two words already carry enough weight.

She put down her teacup, her tone returning to its usual gentleness.

"I will have people secretly keeping an eye on the Shrek group that you asked me to keep an eye on, and I will send someone to inform you if there is any news."

She paused, then changed the subject, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"Something interesting happened in Soto City a few days ago."

Shrek Academy is attacked at night, but a mysterious powerful figure comes to their aid and defeats the enemy with a single blow.

It is said that the man used a giant black hammer.

She deliberately emphasized the words "black giant hammer," her gaze fixed on Chen Jieqi's face, as if observing his reaction.

There are many Soul Masters in the world who use hammers, but only a handful can defeat an enemy with a single blow and scatter evil Soul Masters.

She already had a guess in her mind, but didn't investigate further.

If it really is that person, this debt shouldn't be placed on a child's shoulders.

Chen Jieqi's expression remained unchanged; he merely nodded slightly, seemingly unmoved by the words "black giant hammer."

Xue Qinghe withdrew his gaze and did not ask any further questions.

These words were her response to the help she received today; there was no deliberate entrustment, no complete devotion, and no blind dependence.

It's just that in the exchange of interests, there's an added touch of personal recognition and courtesy, just the right amount, not too much, not too little.

Chen Jieqi nodded slightly and said nothing more.

A night breeze brushed his face as he watched Xue Qinghe depart.

A faint smile flickered in his eyes, not smugness, but simply confirmation.

Some pieces don't need to be told they've been placed.

After a month of testing each other, they both knew what was going on, and that was the best course of action.