: They came with great momentum, but left dejected.

Qian Daoliuzhou's originally cold and hard face now forced a hint of kindness, but the smile was frozen at the corner of his eyes, with a twisted expression that was hard to hide.

He looked at Fang Yuan and asked, "Good child, how old are you this year?"

Fang Yuan looked at Qian Daoliu's forcedly amiable face.

"..."

I am eight years old.

Eight years old.

Upon hearing this answer, the last shred of self-deception in Qian Daoliu's heart shattered completely.

His gaze swept over the two people in front of him with a complex expression—

At this moment, her own granddaughter, Qian Renxue, was tightly embracing the eight-year-old child, protecting him completely. The look of cherishing and joy she had on her face gradually overlapped with that of Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong back then.

How similar they are, and how jarring they are.

Qian Daoliu closed his eyes, and only a desolate sigh remained in his heart.

What a tragic fate... truly a fate ordained by heaven!

············

Torn between morality and reason, Qian Daoliu struggled to speak, his voice hoarse: "Xiaoxue..."

Upon hearing the sound, Qian Renxue showed no intention of loosening her grip on Fang Yuan. Turning around, her eyes were clear and bright, filled with undisguised joy and excitement. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, revealing the purest and most touching appearance of a young girl.

"What's wrong, Grandpa?"

That soft, dependent "Grandpa" instantly shattered all of Qian Daoliu's prepared words.

Seeing the happiness in his granddaughter's eyes, all the advice and admonitions he was about to say were swallowed back down his throat.

Nothing more...

·······

Thus, Fang Yuan's residence was moved from the secret chamber in the Papal Palace to the Hall of Worship.

Fang Yuan and Qian Renxue were inseparable.

Fang Yuan's eyes darkened as he looked at Qian Renxue's attitude of treating him as her possession.

Of the several simulations, the relationship between Fang Yuan and Qian Renxue was actually the most twisted and unsolvable in the second simulation.

Fang Yuan started as a slave, bought by Qian Renxue, so the two were not equals from the beginning.

In Qian Renxue's mind, the area belongs to her!

However, Fang Yuan is not the kind of person who is willing to be subservient to others and be manipulated by them for the rest of his life.

The reason I didn't stab Qian Renxue in the back was because I still had some conscience at that time.

Of course, that little bit of conscience I had is now exhausted.

············

Qian Renxue was completely unaware, or rather, she had long been accustomed to automatically ignoring Fang Yuan's perpetually indifferent face.

Over the years, she knew better than anyone that this young man only cared about cultivation, power, and the rare and precious materials that could make him stronger.

Aside from when he broke through his soul power, obtained a supreme treasure, or used a charm soul skill, she had almost never seen Fang Yuan smile on his own initiative.

She was simply lost in the joy of their reunion, her fingertips gently brushing through Fang Yuan's hair. "Ah Yuan, have you already been to Sunset Forest?"

Fang Yuan responded with a faint "Mm," without even lifting his eyelids.

Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue's brows immediately furrowed with a hint of hostility, and her tone turned cold: "That old bastard Dugu Bo didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

The thought of how the two of them had missed each other by a twist of fate made her feel a tightness in her chest. "Back then, I originally wanted to capture Dugu Bo directly and wait for you to appear in the herb garden, but I never expected... that Bibi Dong would beat me to it."

Her words were righteous and indignant, but her true intentions were crystal clear.

It's not waiting; it's practically waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump, just waiting to firmly grasp Fang Yuan in their hands.

Even though she kept deceiving herself, telling herself that she and A Yuan were in love, deep down she was more clear-headed than anyone else.

She knew what Fang Yuan truly wanted and what he cared about.

So from the time they reunited until now, she hasn't asked a single question.

Why don't you come back to me?

Why do you always avoid me?

Do you even have me in your heart?

Qian Renxue continued rambling on, her voice softening, tinged with a hint of reminiscence:

"I raised you from a baby. You were so well-behaved when you were little, such a tiny little thing, you would only fall asleep if I held you..."

As she recounted those details, her voice gradually lowered, as if she were talking to herself, or perhaps afraid that Fang Yuan would hear her, "So... Yuan, why do you always want to leave me?"

Fang Yuan's hearing was far superior to that of ordinary people, and those words reached his ears.

But he remained lying there quietly, his expression calm, his breathing even, motionless, pretending to be fast asleep.

···············

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Fang Yuan opened his eyes and immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Several extremely strong yet deliberately concealed auras lingered in the air, hiding among the pillars and shadowy corners outside the hall.

Those gazes, however, seemed tangible, falling upon him with a burning and eerie intensity.

The moment he moved, the atmosphere outside the hall froze.

The several worshippers in the Offering Hall had already received the news and gathered in droves near Qian Renxue's residence.

Qian Renxue returned last night with quite a commotion, and what's even more astonishing is that she brought a young boy back with her, and they even slept in the same room.

These worshippers usually regard Qian Renxue as the most precious little princess of the Spirit Hall, and they protect her to the core.

They had vaguely sensed the admiration and obsession hidden in Xiaoxue's eyes before, and they had been holding back their anger for a long time. They thought it was some ignorant and arrogant boy of the same age who dared to seduce Xiaoxue's heart and soul, and even dared to play with Xiaoxue's feelings, causing Xiaoxue's personality to change drastically, and even affecting her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.

Upon hearing that the person had been brought back to the offering hall and was even sleeping in the same place, the group of worshippers immediately erupted in uproar.

They rushed in aggressively, ready to storm in and teach that scumbag who had deceived Xiaoxue's feelings a lesson.

But when they actually saw Fang Yuan, everyone froze on the spot.

The child in front of me was still rather thin and had not yet grown tall. His face was handsome and delicate, but he still had a childish look. No matter how you looked at it, he was just a young child.

Where are these teenagers of the same age?

Where is this scheming scumbag?

He's clearly just a... child.

A group of worshippers who usually commanded respect across the continent just stared at each other, their anger, seriousness, and imposing aura gradually freezing and cracking, finally turning into an indescribable silence.

This……

They opened their mouths, but the rebukes and questions that were about to come out got stuck in their throats.

He wanted to speak but hesitated, yet he wanted to speak but held back!

Go ahead and curse?

I just can't bring myself to scold or hit this child.

Ask away?

Thinking of Qian Renxue's determined look, and then looking at the child's age, and recalling the strange and heavy expression on Grand Elder Qian Daoliu's face yesterday, they suddenly understood everything.

It turns out it wasn't a scumbag who kidnapped the little princess.

So it turns out their young master kidnapped someone else's child on his own initiative!

･･････････

Upon arriving here, everyone else had resigned themselves to their fate, but Guangling Douluo still refused to give up.

He has always had an unchanging youthful appearance, looking like a teenager, but in reality, he is a super Douluo who has lived for nearly a hundred years.

In his view, there are many strange people in the world whose appearance does not match their age. What if... what if Fang Yuan is like him, just looking young but actually already an adult?

Guangling Douluo stepped forward, his usually lively and smiling face now showing a rare seriousness in his eyes.

He looked directly at Fang Yuan, his voice clear and bright: "How old are you this year?"

Fang Yuan grew somewhat impatient with the series of scrutinizing glances, but still calmly replied, "Eight years old."

Eight years old.

Two words extinguished another wave of hope.

The worshippers, who were pretending not to care but actually listening intently, were disappointed once again upon hearing this answer.

Guangling Douluo frowned slightly, still unwilling to give up.

He didn't believe it, he really didn't believe it.

How could the person our young master is so concerned about really be only eight years old?

He paused for a moment, then suddenly reached out, his fingertips carrying extremely restrained soul power, and gently placed them on Fang Yuan's wrist and shoulder bone.

Before anyone else could react, he had already used the precise perception of a Title Douluo to quickly determine Fang Yuan's bone age.

The bones are immature, the veins are undeveloped, and the blood and qi are still shallow.

A completely innocent, genuine eight-year-old child.

As Guangling Douluo withdrew his hand, a complex and indescribable expression appeared on his seemingly forever clean and clear childlike face for the first time.

He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, only letting out a soft sigh.

The previous determination to stand up for Qian Renxue and teach the "scumbag" a lesson has completely vanished.

Guangling Douluo silently turned around and followed the other elders, whose expressions were complicated, away without saying a word.

They came with great fanfare, but left dejected.

The journey was quiet, save for long, resigned sighs.

They finally understood why their eldest brother, Qian Daoliu, had looked so conflicted and hesitant when they volunteered to help Xiaoxue deal with that "audacious guy."

Ugh……

·······················

Since that day, the Douluo of the Hall of Offerings seemed to have made a pact and never appeared before Fang Yuan again.

They dared not stop Qian Renxue, the young master who had suffered trauma, nor could they lay a hand on an eight-year-old child. In the end, they could only turn a blind eye and completely hide in the hall.

Fang Yuan was happy to have some peace and quiet, returning to his unchanging routine.

Cultivation, sleeping, cultivation, eating.

His talent was already terrifying, and his Bright Phoenix Martial Soul was an extremely rare and powerful Martial Soul. Even in a top-tier power like the Spirit Hall, he was worthy of being cultivated as one of the most outstanding combat forces in the future.

However, this emphasis, in Qian Renxue's eyes, brought a touch of regret.

She still remembers Fang Yuan's bewitching soul skill that could confuse people's minds, and she also remembers his soft and sensitive fox ears when his martial soul possessed him.

The peaceful days didn't last long before another person who was giving Fang Yuan a headache came knocking on his door.

Bibi Dong.

She appeared silently in the hall, dressed in a long purple-black dress. Her gaze fell on Fang Yuan, who was being kept close by Qian Renxue, and was as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool.

There was no gentleness in his eyes, only undisguised possessiveness and covetousness, as if he were examining a treasure he was determined to possess.

Qian Renxue tensed up instantly, shielding Fang Yuan slightly behind her, her soul power subtly flowing, her vigilance at its peak.

Bibi Dong merely glanced at her indifferently, but ultimately did not make a move.

She knew very well that forcibly taking the person away now would only lead to a complete falling out with Qian Daoliu and the entire Hall of Worship.

Even then, it's not guaranteed that you can snag a person.

Fang Yuan stood behind Qian Renxue, raising his eyes to look at Bibi Dong, his eyes equally deep and cold.

Only he himself knew that he wasn't eyeing Bibi Dong.

Instead, he remembered the 100,000-year soul ring and 100,000-year soul bone that he had left with Bibi Dong for safekeeping.

······················

Beyond the Douluo Continent, in the vast and boundless God Realm.

The Goddess of Life stood silently beneath the Tree of Life, her body enveloped in endless vitality and soft light. She gently lowered her eyes, her gaze piercing through the dimensional barrier, following the faint yet extremely pure sense of the life rules she had sensed from the beginning, and accurately landed on Fang Yuan.

The next moment, a faint pity quietly appeared in the eyes of this compassionate and gentle deity.

She merely followed the scent casually and immediately saw Fang Yuan's current predicament—

Despite possessing unparalleled talent, he was still young and his cultivation was still shallow, which made him appear so weak, pitiful, and helpless in this predicament.

And for some inexplicable reason, the God of Life felt an immediate connection to this child, a sense of familiarity, and a feeling that she had watched him grow up since he was a child.

The God of Life sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over Qian Renxue, who was always by Fang Yuan's side, and he shook his head slightly in secret.

The divine position of angels has been passed down to this day, yet it has fallen to such a state.

The heir is so deeply entangled in worldly love and affection, and his mind is filled with obsessions. He has long since deviated from the justice and transcendence that a deity should possess, and can be described as depraved.

Even so, the God of Life did not appear immediately, nor did he issue a divine decree.

She simply concealed that gentle and compassionate divine thought in the void, continuing to silently observe the surrounding area.

Talent, natural endowment, bloodline, opportunity... this child lacks nothing, and even far surpasses ordinary people.

But the gods choose people based on more than just outward appearances.

She wanted to see more, to see how the child would struggle, make choices, and hold onto his true self under such desperate circumstances and oppression.

See if he has a resilient character and if he has the wisdom to break the deadlock.

She will make her final decision only after she has observed things thoroughly.

Should we personally subject this young man, caught in the vortex and facing a life full of misfortunes, to a divine test from the god of life?

The actions of the Goddess of Life were naturally discovered by her husband, the God of Destruction, who also began to pay attention to the child who had caught his wife's eye.

Similarly, the God of Destruction couldn't help but feel a touch of affection, like that of an elder, as he looked at Fang Yuan.

Even the God of Destruction himself found it hard to believe. He knew his own character well, so how could he have such a weak emotion? Especially towards a mortal child he was only paying attention to for the first time.

The goddess of life, always gentle and attentive, immediately noticed her husband's change in mood and couldn't help but smile. "I knew it! This child is just what I wanted. I didn't expect you to like him too. If we had a child..."

As he unconsciously said this, the God of Life realized what was happening and lowered his voice.