Chapter 265: I Will Be the Eternal Emperor and You Will be the Strongest in the World

...

As Xue Qinghe held hands with Zeng Yi, he seemed a bit dazed.

Friendship, what a distant concept it was for him. Since he could remember, he had never played with children of the same age. Under his grandfather's strict guidance, his childhood memories were filled with endless cultivation.

"You were born different from those commoners. Your identity is exceptionally noble and sacred. You are a child of the gods!"

"Friendship? What a ridiculous idea! No one in this world is worthy of our friendship!"

"Qian Renxue! Remember, you carry the bloodline of the Gods and the glory of the Qian family. So, abandon your worldly thoughts."

As childhood memories flashed through Xue Qinghe's (Qian Renxue's) mind like a carousel, she followed her grandfather in cultivation since she could remember. Although she had parents, ironically, they were like non-existent figures. She had barely seen her father, and she couldn't even remember his face before he was killed. What's even more absurd was that he was killed by her own mother. Looking into her mother's eyes, she saw extreme disgust and even a hint of murderous intent, as if she was looking at a stray dog by the roadside.

Although she had her grandfather, she never felt any affection from him. She believed that in her grandfather's eyes, she was merely a tool to achieve his goals.

Throughout the years, she had always been alone, walking in darkness, accompanied only by endless loneliness. Even during the ten years hidden within the Heaven Dou Royal Family, it was the same.

She had no one to confide in, burdened by the pressure like a sharp sword hanging above her head. Countless times in her dreams, she had envisioned herself being exposed and awakened in terror.

Loneliness, worry, fear and various negative emotions piled up on her, but she felt that she had become incredibly strong not to have succumbed to the pressure like a mountain.

If it were someone else, they would probably go insane.

For so many years, she had managed to go on alone. Friendship had never appeared in the past twenty years, and she believed she didn't need friends.

But deep down, she yearned for friendship.

The smile reflected in Qian Renxue's eyes was like the sun in the sky, dissipating the darkness that had plagued her for so long.

Looking at Zeng Yi's smile, Qian Renxue couldn't help but sigh.

How radiant!

Friendship, for her past self, had been a luxury, but now, it was within reach.

"Zeng Yi, I promise you, no matter what position I hold in the future, you will always be my most important friend!" Xue Qinghe looked at Zeng Yi, earnestly declaring.

Zeng Yi let go of Xue Qinghe's hand, laughed heartily, and said, "Why do you say that? Are you afraid that once you become the emperor, you won't recognize me as a friend anymore?"

Xue Qinghe smiled faintly and shook her head. "How could that be?"

"I was just joking!" Zeng Yi didn't care about Xue Qinghe's identity and casually wrapped his arm around his shoulder, looking at him with a playful smile.

Feeling Zeng Yi's arm around her shoulder, Xue Qinghe couldn't help but tremble. She felt uncomfortable, as she had never been so close to a man before.

But she suppressed the discomfort, reminding herself that she was now in the identity of a man.

"You have a pleasant fragrance on you."

"Oh, that's the scent emanating from the sachet I carry with me." Xue Qinghe explained somewhat embarrassedly.

With Zeng Yi's arm around Xue Qinghe's shoulder, his gaze unintentionally swept over Xue Qinghe's neck, noticing his skin was fair, tender, and even had a hint of pink, just like a young girl's skin.

"Brother Xue, your skin is really good, almost like that of a woman. It's a pity you're a man; otherwise, with your current looks, you would definitely be a captivating beauty." Zeng Yi laughed. However, he didn't think too much of it since Xue Qinghe was an Imperial Prince. It was normal for aristocrats to have good skin care and to carry a sachet, which was not uncommon among them.

A woman?

Upon hearing Zeng Yi's words, a hint of panic flashed through Xue Qinghe's eyes, and she quickly explained, "It's because of my Martial Spirit."

"Also, are you teasing me? Making fun of me by calling me a woman?" Xue Qinghe reacted and counterattacked.

"Hahaha, my apologies."

With Zeng Yi still leaning on Xue Qinghe's shoulder, she, who had never been in such close contact with a man before, felt dizzy and slightly uncomfortable. However, she forced herself to suppress the discomfort in light of her current male identity.

"By the way..."

"Brother Xue, too bad I'm not good at appreciating tea; otherwise, your precious tea wouldn't be wasted. How about we drink alcohol instead? I happen to have some with me." Zeng Yi interrupted Xue Qinghe just as she was about to speak. He looked at her with a mischievous smile, holding a gourd flask in his hand.

Xue Qinghe took a moment to respond, looking at Zeng Yi, who was cheerfully looking at her with the gourd flask.

Realizing that Zeng Yi considered her a close friend, she couldn't help but feel a bit desolate. She had befriended him under someone else's identity.

Could someone like her truly deserve Zeng Yi's friendship?

Xue Qinghe couldn't help but question herself.

How she longed to be friends with Zeng Yi under her true identity. However, for the sake of her grand plan, she couldn't do so.

If one day, you were to know my true identity, would you still consider me your friend?

Fear engulfed Xue Qinghe. She had finally found a friend, but she felt that it was an illusory dream that would vanish when she woke up.

"But my wine isn't as precious as your tea. I hope you won't mind." Xue Qinghe forced a smile and said, "How could I mind? As long as it's your wine, even if it's the roughest, I'll happily drink it."

After speaking, Xue Qinghe took the gourd flask from Zeng Yi's hand, opened it, and chugged it down without taking a breath until she finished it.

Seeing Xue Qinghe directly finish a flask of wine, Zeng Yi was dumbfounded. Nevertheless, he also felt somewhat puzzled as he sensed something was off with Xue Qinghe's emotions.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Zeng Yi couldn't help but worry and asked.

"I'm fine! ~burp~" Xue Qinghe belched, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes slightly intoxicated.

However, no matter how Zeng Yi looked at her, he felt that something was wrong.

Ignoring Zeng Yi, Xue Qinghe walked to the window, leaning against the windowsill, gazing at the busy streets outside.

Zeng Yi approached Xue Qinghe, placing his hands on the window, and looked at the scenery outside. Unexpectedly, Xue Qinghe suddenly asked, "Zeng Yi, what do you think of the current empire? How about Heaven Dou City?"

Zeng Yi was taken aback by the sudden question and casually replied, "It's great. The empire is powerful, and the citizens have a good standard of living. Heaven Dou City, as the imperial capital, is even more prosperous. There are few cities in the Douluo Continent that can compare to Heaven Dou City."

"Hehe, Powerful? Prosperous?" Xue Qinghe sneered disdainfully. "Do you know how much darkness and filth is hidden behind this prosperity? Officials are corrupt, embezzlement and bribery are rampant. The Royal family's power is weak. If it weren't for your sect as our backing, I'm afraid someone would have rebelled long ago."

As the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe was well aware of the empire's situation and the power of the royal family. As one of the only two major empires on the Douluo Continent, the Heaven Dou Royal Family's strength was pitifully weak. The clan didn't even have a Titled Douluo level powerhouse, only two Spirit Douluo level Elders.

In addition, his Martial Spirit itself was not a top-tier one, which made his even weaker. The imperial family's authority relied solely on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as a suppressive force.

[Notes: Her Martial Spirit is not a top-tier as Xue Qinghe.]

However, for her, these were not issues. Xue Qinghe was no longer the same Xue Qinghe, and she had already begun to nurture a great ambition in her heart after becoming the Crown Prince.

"Zeng Yi."

Xue Qinghe suddenly called out to him, leaving Zeng Yi puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"What is your pursuit in life?" Xue Qinghe turned her face towards Zeng Yi, her gaze serious.

Zeng Yi pondered for a moment, then smiled and looked up at the clouds in the sky. "To become the strongest person. That can be considered a goal, right? However, I prefer to wander, traveling far and wide, witnessing unseen landscapes and enjoying food I've never tasted before."

Looking at Zeng Yi's profile, Xue Qinghe was not only stunned because she had thought Zeng Yi's goal was to become a Titled Douluo or the strongest Spirit Master in the world, or even to develop the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect into the number one sect. While she had guessed one correctly, it was merely an addition to his greatest pursuit, which turned out to be wandering.

"Wandering across the world, journeying through countless mountains and rivers, experiencing the splendor of humanity, embracing the ever changing facets of life; I won't have lived in vain. How about you?" Zeng Yi turned his head and asked.

"As for me... I want to be the Emperor, not just the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, but the Emperor of the entire continent. I want to establish a brand-new kingdom on the Douluo Continent!" Xue Qinghe said without any hesitation. This shocked Zeng Yi.

"Are you kidding me?"

Xue Qinghe smiled faintly, turned around, looked at the world outside the window, and released an aura that could swallow mountains and rivers, spreading it throughout the room.

"I'm well aware of the current situation in the world. The two major empires, Heaven Dou and Star Luo, have been in constant friction at the borders. The same goes for those kingdoms, engaging in small-scale wars. Furthermore, the Spirit Hall is secretly manipulating matters. Before long, chaos will erupt."

"The Star Luo Empire is strong and has always wanted to unify the continent. The Spirit Hall and some Sects also have intentions of profiting from the war. War will inevitably break out."

"Therefore, Zeng Yi, come to my side!" Xue Qinghe turned to face Zeng Yi, her eyes shining brightly.

"With your talent, having three thousand-year Spirit rings and one ten-thousand-year Spirit ring at such a young age, possessing the power to contend against higher-level Spirit Saints with your Spirit Ancestor strength, you can be considered invincible within the same realm. Once you reach the Titled Douluo level, no one would be your match. Moreover, your sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, is an ally of our Heaven Dou Empire. With the two of us joining forces, there will be no one who can stand against us. Unifying the entire continent would be a given."

Xue Qinghe was well aware of Zeng Yi's strength. Even though she was extremely confident in herself with her God tier Martial Spirit, she dared not say that she could defeat Zeng Yi at the same cultivation realm.

A Titled Douluo could determine the outcome of a war. Two supreme Titled Douluos could shape the entire continent's situation. And Xue Qinghe believed that once she and Zeng Yi reached the level of Titled Douluo, they would be those people.

"By then, I will be the Eternal Emperor, and you will be the strongest in the world. Together, we will establish a new kingdom without discrimination and conflict."

Xue Qinghe's shining eyes stared at the silent Zeng Yi, awaiting his reply.

She had befriended Zeng Yi in the guise of Xue Qinghe, so she decided as long as she didn't reveal her true identity, she could continue being his friend until she ascended the throne of Heaven Dou.

With Zeng Yi's power and the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, along with the power she had access to, they would have enough to unify the entire continent and create a better world.

At that time, she would continue living under the identity of Xue Qinghe, as a friend to Zeng Yi.

Looking at the person in front of her, a never-before-experienced emotion surged in her heart.

Seeing this person, she couldn't help but smile happily.

In the future, through countless mountains and rivers, I will accompany you.