At that moment, a spatial rift tore open behind Qian Renxue, connecting to Qin Feng's location. Spotting her through the rift, Qin Feng reached out, his hand plunging into the void. Emerging from the other side, it grabbed the back of her clothes, pulling her through.
Qian Renxue hadn't anticipated a rift appearing, let alone a hand seizing her and dragging her in. Thinking it was a fearsome soul beast, she panicked, struggling wildly like a drowning person, flailing her arms and legs. As light hit her eyes and the hand mysteriously released her, she opened them, puzzled, and looked around.
She was back in the familiar palace of the Peach Blossom Haven, with Qin Feng standing before her, his expression calm. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief, she wondered if she was dreaming. How did I get back? I was lost in the forest.
Glancing behind her, she saw the spatial rift slowly closing. It clicked—Qin Feng had pulled her out of the forest.
"I didn't mean to stay out!" she blurted, fearing the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger might think she was trying to escape. Worried he'd see her as an ungrateful human and devour her, she explained, "I got lost. The forest has changed since humans were banned—it's denser, perfect for soul beasts. The paths are tangled, fog shrouds everything, and it's like a maze. Humans who venture in get lost for sure."
She started to explain why she missed the curfew, but Qin Feng shook his head. "No need to explain. I know everything."
He nodded, seeming impressed. Qian Renxue blinked, confused. Know what? I haven't said anything.
"I wasn't running away! I just got lost!" she insisted, gesturing frantically. "The forest is huge, fog covers it at night, and the sky's pitch-black with clouds. I couldn't find my way back."
Her flustered explanation was amusing, sparking a teasing urge in Qin Feng. "Of course I know you were lost," he said calmly. "I also know you fought a Man-Faced Demon Spider."
Qian Renxue's eyes widened, head tilting in confusion. "How'd you know that?" she asked, puzzled.
Without a word, Qin Feng produced the crystal ball and played footage of her recent battle. At first, she didn't understand why he showed it—he's rich, sure, but what's this about? Then she saw herself, lost in the forest, encountering the spider, and fighting it. Her face tightened, a hint of panic in her eyes.
"This… this is…!" Pointing at the crystal ball with a trembling finger, she looked at Qin Feng, bewildered. "Why does it show my fight with the spider? How can it track my location and record everything?"
"It's simple," Qin Feng explained. "This isn't an ordinary crystal ball—it's a soul tool. It can track someone's position via their aura and has a recording function. I used my spatial powers to project light from your location into the ball, displaying and storing the images."
Qian Renxue stared at the ball, awestruck. It can track people by aura? What an incredible soul tool. A sudden idea struck her. If I had this, I could track Fallen Ones by their residual aura, or catch murderers and criminals—they'd have nowhere to hide. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Qin Feng, unaware of her thoughts, was focused elsewhere. He replayed her battle with the spider, intrigued. Her martial soul felt unfamiliar, yet its holy attribute was strikingly familiar. Holy martial souls were rare—off the top of his head, only the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul came to mind.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "Xue'er, I forgot to ask—what's your martial soul? It seemed to have a holy attribute during your fight. There aren't many holy martial souls on the continent."
Qian Renxue's expression shifted briefly, but she masked it before he noticed. She couldn't reveal her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, so she improvised. "Holy Winged Envoy!"
"Holy Winged Envoy?" Qin Feng echoed, frowning. "What's that?"
He'd never heard of it. "It's a variant martial soul," she said quickly. Unable to explain its origins clearly, she used the vague excuse of a mutation—her identity wouldn't allow her to claim a divine origin.
Hearing it was a variant, Qin Feng didn't press further.