Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

In a quiet room within the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, a refined, elegantly dressed man with golden hair sat calmly on a sofa. Beside him stood a tall, thin man shrouded in shadows.

These two were none other than Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, and the Serpent Spear Douluo, Yu Long.

A few days earlier, a spy placed by Qian Renxue near Prince Xue Xing had reported that the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, seemed to be planning to establish an academy. Although the purpose was unclear, Qian Renxue knew Dugu Bo was someone who despised troublesome matters. For him to personally handle the founding of an academy was entirely out of character.

According to information from the Porcupinefish Douluo, it seemed that Cheng Xiao and Dugu Bo shared a very close relationship. Even Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan had gone to Dugu Bo's residence in the Sunset Forest because of this connection. Thus, Qian Renxue had come to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to see if she could obtain any intelligence from Cheng Xiao.

"How long is he going to make me wait?" Qian Renxue muttered impatiently, sipping another cup of warm tea.

The Serpent Spear Douluo remained silent. Ever since Cheng Xiao had left the Crown Prince's estate, their usually composed young master had been acting a bit odd. To avoid getting involved, Serpent Spear Douluo had adopted the skill of silence.

Moments later, he caught the sound of approaching footsteps and whispered a few words to Qian Renxue before slipping away into the shadows.

After Serpent Spear Douluo's departure, the door to the quiet room slowly opened, and Cheng Xiao walked in with Sun Buyu. On the way, Cheng Xiao had already learned from Sun Buyu who was waiting for him, so he felt entirely at ease.

"Your Highness, Cheng Xiao has arrived," Sun Buyu announced respectfully as he approached Xue Qinghe.

"Thank you," Xue Qinghe replied with a smile.

Feeling slightly flattered, Sun Buyu smiled in return before bowing and promptly leaving the room.

Once Sun Buyu left, the quiet room fell into silence. Cheng Xiao glanced at Xue Qinghe, who was smiling warmly, and casually took a seat on a nearby sofa without saying a word, simply watching his counterpart.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Xue Qinghe frowned, a bit exasperated. "To think my cousin praised you so highly, but you don't seem that impressive."

"What's unimpressive?" Cheng Xiao chuckled, his deep violet eyes studying Xue Qinghe's evasive gaze with a hint of amusement.

"You…" Xue Qinghe's gaze faltered. With a heavy sigh, he said, "Brother Cheng, I won't hide it from you—my cousin has a bit of a soft spot for you. I came here today for no other reason than to see what kind of young man could captivate someone as beautiful as my cousin."

"No other reason?" Cheng Xiao's gaze lingered on Xue Qinghe, a slight smile playing at his lips. "It's an honor for me to receive the Crown Prince himself, but truth be told, I'd rather be speaking with your cousin. Chatting with someone as enchanting as her would certainly be more enjoyable."

"Haha, Brother Cheng has a sharp sense of humor," Xue Qinghe replied with a polite smile, though inwardly he was irritated. If he'd known Cheng Xiao responded better to a softer approach, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of disguising himself as Xue Qinghe, only to end up backfiring.

"You truly are a benevolent soul, Your Highness," Cheng Xiao said with a smile, rubbing his nose. "So, what brings you here? Is it that your cousin is struggling to find a suitor? If that's the case, I wouldn't mind making a little sacrifice."

"Rest assured, with my cousin's beauty and strength, she has no shortage of admirers," Xue Qinghe replied dryly. "I heard that you're quite close with the Poison Douluo, and I just wanted to confirm whether it's true that he plans to establish a high-level soul master academy. I hope you can give me a straight answer."

"Your Highness, it's true," Cheng Xiao said with a shrug. "I tried persuading him otherwise, but he insisted on establishing an academy specifically for commoners. As you know, the best academies across the continent only accept nobles, leaving commoners without access to proper training environments. If not for Sister Qianxue's help, I wouldn't have had the chance to study here at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."

"Oh? An academy exclusively for commoners? That's quite a novel idea," Xue Qinghe murmured, contemplating this concept. "But founding an academy requires substantial funding. Can Dugu Bo really afford it?"

"If money becomes an issue, he can always borrow some. The real challenge is obtaining royal approval. Without that, even if the academy is founded, it wouldn't be eligible to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament," Cheng Xiao pointed out with a grin.

"Brother Cheng is certainly a straightforward man," Xue Qinghe said, impressed. After a moment's thought, he asked, "So, does that mean Dugu Bo's main goal is simply to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament?"

"That, I wouldn't know. You'd have to ask Dugu Bo directly," Cheng Xiao replied with a shrug, implying there wasn't much more he could offer.

"Hmm… Brother Cheng, actually, I could make this academy idea a reality," Xue Qinghe said thoughtfully, rubbing his hands together. "But, on one condition: I'd like to invest and own a third of the academy, similar to an academy head's role."

"Is that all?" Cheng Xiao asked, slightly puzzled. "Would your cousin be joining, too? Given her strength, I imagine she'd be a strong contender if she joined the tournament."

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe's face darkened. "Brother Cheng, why are you so fixated on my cousin? Fine, I'll ask her when I return. If she agrees, I'll let you know. How about that?"

"Sounds good," Cheng Xiao replied readily. After all, he was just making casual conversation. If Qian Renxue were to join, that would be ideal; it would keep a certain volatile individual close and under control.

After all, Cheng Xiao hadn't yet formally joined the Spirit Hall. He knew Chrysanthemum Douluo was helping to delay matters, but the truth couldn't stay hidden forever. If Bibi Dong forced him to join, he wouldn't have much choice. By drawing Qian Renxue to his side now, he hoped that Bibi Dong might go easier on him in the future.

"You agreed rather quickly," Xue Qinghe remarked, shaking his head. With a flick of his fingers, he produced a purple-gold card with nine distinct lines etched across it. "This is a Nine-Line Purple-Gold Card. It contains a substantial amount of gold soul coins. Consider it my investment for the academy's startup costs."

With that, Xue Qinghe handed the card to Cheng Xiao.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Cheng Xiao said, accepting the card and storing it in his soul tool without hesitation.

"By the way, have you and Dugu Bo decided on a name for the academy?"

"As for the name… let's call it Seven Stars Academy," Cheng Xiao finally said after a moment's thought, noticing Xue Qinghe's curious gaze.