Douluo Continent: My name is Yang Jian, and I achieved sainthood through my physical body

Dark green vines climb the wall, their leaves thick and dense, winding their way through the cracks in the brickwork, adding a touch of soft vitality to this solemn building.

Two rows of guards in golden armor stood at the palace gate, their backs straight, their eyes piercing, their faces solemn and tense beneath their helmets, and their long halberds held vertically to the ground, their tips gleaming coldly white in the morning light.

Yang Jian did not request an audience or report, nor did he even stop walking.

His figure transformed into a streak of silver-white light in front of the palace gate, moving so fast that the guards only saw a faint shadow pass by, like a morning breeze lifting a corner of their clothes, and then nothing was left.

The guards blinked and looked around; the area outside the palace gates was deserted.

They exchanged a glance, thinking they were seeing things, straightened their backs, gripped their halberds tightly, and continued standing guard.

He had just landed outside the Crown Prince's residence when two figures emerged from the shadows.

The slender figure of the Serpent Spear Douluo emerged from behind the old locust tree on the east side, holding a dark green serpent spear in his hand, the tip of which gleamed with a tiny point of light in the morning light.

The Porcupine Douluo emerged from the shadows of the west corridor, his short, stout body leaning slightly forward, exuding a faint, pungent odor—a sign that toxins were being passively released from his body.

The two men blocked the way from the left and right, as if facing a formidable enemy, as if a powerful foe had dared to intrude.

When he could see the person's face clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted.

The tip of the Serpent Spear Douluo's spear instantly drooped to the ground, and the muscles in his arm relaxed.

The pungent smell emanating from the Porcupine Douluo had also lessened somewhat.

The Serpent Spear Douluo sheathed his spear, his voice somewhat hoarse: "Yang Jian... why are you here?"

His tone was full of surprise, and there was also a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Yang Jian spoke calmly, as if discussing the weather: "I'm looking for Qian Renxue."

Without hesitation, Serpent Spear Douluo nodded repeatedly, saying that the young master was inside. He stepped aside to make way and tugged at the sleeve of Porcupine Douluo.

The Porcupine Douluo was a beat slow, but he quickly nodded and made way.

The two men stood on either side, behaving as respectfully as if they were welcoming or seeing off distinguished guests, a stark contrast to their tense demeanor just moments before.

Yang Jian pushed open the gate of the Crown Prince's residence and went inside.

Behind the door is a long corridor, with several ink landscape paintings hanging on the white walls on both sides. The paintings have profound artistic conception and skillful brushwork. The distant mountains and nearby waters in the paintings are particularly ethereal in the morning light.

There wasn't a single palace maid or eunuch in sight along the passageway, not even a cleaning servant; the entire Crown Prince's residence was as quiet as an empty house.

Yang Jian could understand Qian Renxue's actions.

Disguised as Xue Qinghe, she infiltrated the Tiandou Empire for many years, climbing to the position of Crown Prince, and was only one step away from the throne.

She absolutely could not let anyone discover that there was a second person in the mansion; any tiny flaw could ruin the entire plan.

Therefore, it is safest not to arrange for anyone to serve you – it is better to keep things empty than to take the risk.

Yang Jian unleashed his spiritual power, scanning the entire mansion. The invisible force spread like ripples on water, passing through walls, doors, windows, and corners of corridors, and quickly located Qian Renxue's position.

In a small garden deep within the mansion.

He walked along the corridor through several moon gates, with various flowers and trees planted on both sides of the bluestone path under his feet, neatly trimmed and clearly layered.

The petals and leaves still held the morning dew, shimmering in the sunlight, and the air was filled with the damp scent of earth and the faint fragrance of flowers.

The garden is not large, with a small pond in the center. The water is crystal clear, and you can see the colorful pebbles on the bottom.

Several red and white koi fish swam slowly among the pebbles, occasionally flicking their tails to create tiny ripples.

Qian Renxue, dressed in a white prince's robe, stood on the blue stone path by the pond.

With blond hair and blue eyes, and a handsome and gentle face, he was closing his eyes and tilting his head slightly back, as if feeling the morning breeze on his cheeks.

Her eyelashes were long, casting faint shadows in the morning light, and a faint smile played on her lips.

It was a rare moment of relaxation after shedding all pretense, like a sword temporarily sheathed, its sharpness concealed, yet still gleaming.

She quickly noticed someone approaching.

His eyelids twitched slightly, then snapped open. A sharp wariness flashed in his blue eyes, his body tensed instantly, his back straightened, his shoulders lowered, and a ball of golden soul power was secretly gathering in his palm.

She subconsciously turned to look in the direction she sensed, her soul power gathering and ready to be unleashed.

But when their gaze fell upon the white figure slowly approaching, all their vigilance vanished instantly.

The condensed soul power was silently dissipated by her.

She raised her hand and wiped her face; a flash of golden light appeared, and the blond-haired, blue-eyed Crown Prince of Tiandou disappeared.

Instead, she had an absolutely stunning face, with long golden hair cascading down to her waist like a waterfall, shimmering with a golden luster in the morning light. Her features were exquisitely perfect, and her golden eyes sparkled with a complex light that was a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

She hurried to meet him, her voice brimming with barely concealed surprise: "Why are you here? You didn't even tell me beforehand."

I stood before him, tilting my head slightly upward to look at him. His golden eyes shone brightly in the morning light, as if reflecting the entire sky.

Yang Jian stopped, his gaze sweeping over her attire, and said directly, "Come and take a look to confirm how much time Emperor Xueye has left, and while we're at it, discuss how to perfectly control the Heavenly Dou Empire that day and minimize casualties as much as possible."

The voice was neither hurried nor slow, as if stating a routine matter.

Qian Renxue's smile faded slightly. She glanced at him with a hint of resentment and dissatisfaction: "I thought you came here specifically to see me, but it turns out it's about the Heavenly Dou Empire."

Her tone was slightly raised, revealing dissatisfaction, but there was no real anger in her eyes; it was more like a coquettish complaint.

Yang Jian didn't reply, but just stood there looking at her directly.

Qian Renxue looked at him for a few seconds and, from his silence, confirmed that he had no intention of making any excuse for his purpose.

She gave a soft hum and stopped making a fuss. She turned and walked towards the pavilion by the pond, her clothes fluttering in the breeze as she turned. "Come and sit down."

The pavilion is small, with a few red-lacquered wooden pillars supporting the upturned roof. Two copper bells hang from the eaves, dangling quietly in the windless morning.

Inside the pavilion is a round stone table with a smooth, warm surface that has a light gray sheen and feels slightly cool to the touch.

Four stone benches are arranged in a circle, their surfaces worn smooth and shiny by the passage of time.

Qian Renxue sat down first, and Yang Jian sat down opposite her, a whole table away.

Qian Renxue rested her chin on her hand as she looked at him, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny: "That old man can only last seven more days at most. The disease has already seeped into his very bones. The imperial physician shakes his head every time he takes his pulse. He vomits up bowl after bowl of medicine as soon as he's forced to drink it. I don't think he can even last seven days."

Her tone was as calm as if she were talking about something insignificant, but a thin layer of cold light covered her golden eyes.

"He will die in seven days, and I will ascend the throne naturally. At that time, I will first formally establish diplomatic relations with the Spirit Hall as the new emperor, and then replace the people in important positions in the Heaven Dou Empire with our own people under various pretexts, and slowly infiltrate them. According to my estimate, in less than a year, the Heaven Dou Empire will be completely under the control of the Spirit Hall, and then the entire continent will only have..."

Chapter 216 The longer it drags on, the more variables there will be.

"Too slow," Yang Jian interrupted her.

His gaze was calm and resolute, his voice low but clear: "Direct, violent purge. Without involving a large-scale war, there won't be many civilian casualties. Kill those who disobey and replace them with capable members of our own people. Aim to complete it within a month, the sooner the better. The longer it drags on, the more variables there will be."

Qian Renxue was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in her golden eyes.

She had thought Yang Jian would prefer a gentler approach, since although he was decisive and direct, he wasn't exactly violent.

But the unwavering determination in his eyes made her realize something—his patience was less than before, or rather, his level of concern for this matter was higher than she had thought.

After a moment, the corners of her mouth slowly curved upwards, her smile carrying a hint of understanding and agreement: "Okay, then let's do it your way. I'll make the list; I know better than you who can stay and who needs to be let go."

After she finished speaking, she stood up, walked around the stone table to Yang Jian's back, bent down, wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, and gently rested her chin on his shoulder.

Her breath brushed against his ear, carrying warmth and a faint, delicate fragrance.

His voice was very low, as if he were whispering something only the two of them could hear: "Now that we've finished talking about the important things, shouldn't we get down to business?"

She paused, as if the words were circling around her lips before finally falling, "Don't tell me you came here today not because you wanted to see me at all."

Yang Jian remained silent for two breaths.

He could feel the arms wrapped around his chest tighten slightly, as if silently waiting for an answer.

Then he spoke, his tone honest and unadorned: "It's definitely not because of you that I came."

As soon as she finished speaking, her arms, which were crossed over her chest, stiffened for a moment, and her body paused slightly, as if she had been jolted by those two words.

After a moment of silence, she straightened up, walked around the stone table to face him, and looked at his face.

His golden eyes held both anger and a stubborn refusal to admit defeat, like two tiny flames flickering within them.

Yang Jian looked up and met her gaze, his eyes still calm as always, without apology or avoidance.

The two stared at each other for several breaths, like two forces locked in a silent struggle, the air itself seemed to freeze slightly.

The sound of koi carp flicking their tails in the pond was exceptionally clear at that moment.

Finally, Qian Renxue looked away and sat down again like a deflated balloon.

But instead of sitting back on the stone bench opposite her, she moved her own bench next to Yang Jian, sat down sideways, very close, almost touching his arm.

She raised her arm and wrapped it around his shoulder, tilting her head slightly to look at him. The little flame in her golden eyes hadn't been completely extinguished, but it was covered by a layer of helpless compromise: "Fine, fine, I give up, I'm begging you, okay?"

Her voice lowered and softened, as if she had removed her armor to reveal a soft lining underneath. "Stay a little longer, can you leave at noon? I've been learning to cook lately, and I'll let you try my cooking then."

Her eyes held a mixture of expectation and uncertainty, as if afraid of rejection, and her fingertips tightened slightly.

Yang Jian looked into her golden eyes, which were so close to his own, remained silent for a few moments, and then slowly nodded.

Qian Renxue's eyes lit up instantly, like sunlight suddenly breaking through the clouds on a cloudy day, warm and bright.

She smiled, her eyebrows curving and the corners of her lips turning up. From her previous sullen expression, she instantly transformed into a happy cat that wanted to spin around.

She stood up, took Yang Jian's hand, and walked out of the pavilion, her steps light and cheerful, her clothes billowing in the wind: "Let's go, let's start cooking now, we'll definitely have lunch. Let me tell you, I've learned several dishes. Although I failed the first few times, I've learned a lot from the experience..."

……

Around noon, Qian Renxue carried a tray into the room.

Several dishes were laid out on the plate.

A plate of stir-fried greens, with some charred and curled edges on the leaves, clearly indicates that the heat was not properly controlled.

A bowl of soup with a few pieces of meat floating in it, the broth murky and dark brown.

There was also a plate of roasted pork, but the sauce on the surface of the meat chunks was overcooked, making them sticky and mushy, with a small puddle of dark brown sauce at the bottom of the plate.

The presentation was really not appealing, and it was far from being considered exquisite.

Yang Jian picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of roast pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and his expression didn't change at all.

Qian Renxue placed her hands on the edge of the table, leaned forward slightly, and stared expectantly at his lips, her golden eyes sparkling: "How is it? How is it?"

Yang Jian swallowed, put down his chopsticks, and said in a flat tone, as if stating an objective fact: "It's not tasty."

Qian Renxue's expectant expression froze instantly, her eyes widening as if she hadn't expected him to be so direct.