Tian Lin and Ning Rongrong entered the Seven Treasures Hall. At this moment, there were five people inside.
Aside from Ning Fengzhi and the two titled Douluos, Elder Yin Yang was also present. However, he did not have a seat and could only stand beside Ning Fengzhi.
Although Ning Fengzhi treated him with respect, the ancestral rules of the sect could not be broken. Even though he was a peak-level Soul Douluo and the fourth-ranking individual in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, without achieving the rank of Titled Douluo, he could not be given a seat in the Seven Treasures Hall.
This was a way to show the sect's respect for Titled Douluos and symbolized the honor that only Titled Douluos could obtain.
What surprised Tian Lin, though, was the fifth person present—a young man, appearing to be around sixteen to eighteen years old—who could sit beside Ning Fengzhi. This could only mean one of two things: either this young man possessed extraordinary strength, comparable to that of a Titled Douluo, or he had a significant background.
The first option was impossible, so the young man could only be a figure of great importance.
"Uncle Ning, Master, Elder Bone, Elder Yang," Tian Lin greeted the four of them formally.
"Hello, Father! Hello, Grandpas!" Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, was more casual. She ran directly into Ning Fengzhi's arms. Since there was no seat for her, she simply sat on Ning Fengzhi's lap.
"Rongrong, don't be rude. We have a guest today," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile. "Xiao Tian, come over here. Let me introduce you and Rongrong to a friend."
"This is the new crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire and also my disciple—Xue Qinghe."
Tian Lin's eyes narrowed. Xue Qinghe, the crown prince—wasn't that Qian Renxue? Judging by the timeline, she would have already infiltrated the Heaven Dou imperial family. Most likely, aside from the fourth prince, Xue Beng, the other princes had already fallen victim to her schemes.
However, this wasn't the right time to expose her. First, he had no evidence and lacked the strength to openly oppose Spirit Hall. Second, an exposed enemy was far less dangerous than one lurking in the shadows. If he disrupted their plans now, who knew what actions they might take next?
Compared to dual martial souls and various cultivation techniques, Tian Lin's greatest advantage was his foreknowledge. If he acted recklessly, it might backfire.
Suppressing his emotions, Tian Lin cupped his fist and said, "Disciple of Sword Douluo, Tian Lin greets the Crown Prince."
As a disciple of a Titled Douluo, he didn't need to kneel before the crown prince. A show of basic courtesy was sufficient.
Ning Rongrong, unconcerned with formalities, casually said, "Hello, Crown Prince," and left it at that. She had met Xue Qinghe before and considered him an old acquaintance.
Xue Qinghe stood up and first addressed Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, it's been a while. You've grown even more beautiful. I came today to visit my teacher and didn't bring a suitable gift for you, but I'll make it up to you next time."
Then, she turned to Tian Lin. "I've heard from my teacher about the disciple Sword Douluo has taken in. I didn't expect you to be so young. Your potential is truly limitless."
"As my teacher's disciple, in a way, you're also part of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. That makes you my junior. How about I give you a small gift as a token of our first meeting?"
Xue Qinghe's words were polite and refined, exuding a warm and approachable demeanor without a trace of arrogance. If Tian Lin didn't already know that this was all an act, he might have been genuinely impressed by Xue Qinghe's charm.
"There's no need for such generosity, Your Highness. I can't take a gift without earning it," Tian Lin said, sincerely wanting to avoid any deeper connections with Xue Qinghe. The risk was simply too high.
"It's nothing significant. Please accept it." Xue Qinghe took out a Hundred Treasures Pouch. "Junior Brother, this is a Wishful Hundred Treasures Pouch, a rare soul tool capable of storing living creatures. It was recently auctioned at the Heaven Dou Auction House. Three were sold: one went to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, another to Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, and the last came into the hands of the Heaven Dou imperial family. I'm giving it to you now."
The Wishful Hundred Treasures Pouch immediately caught Tian Lin's attention. Wasn't this the item Tang San obtained from Dugu Bo? Thanks to this pouch, Tang San had been able to transport various immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"In that case, Your Highness, I'll accept it gratefully," Tian Lin said. He couldn't resist such a valuable item. As for avoiding ties with Xue Qinghe—well, this was Qian Renxue, not truly Xue Qinghe, so it didn't count as contradicting himself.
When Tian Lin reached out to take the Hundred Treasures Pouch, their hands briefly touched. Suddenly, a strange resonance occurred deep within their souls.
Their divine-level martial souls had unexpectedly reacted to each other, a precursor to the appearance of a martial soul fusion ability.
Tian Lin quickly withdrew his hand, his heart racing. Damn it! This is bad. My Holy Spirit Pearl and Demon Sword both resonated with her Seraphim martial soul. Did she notice anything?
He glanced at Xue Qinghe—no, Qian Renxue—and saw that her expression remained completely calm as if nothing had happened. Her composure, as if she could face the collapse of a mountain without flinching, was truly admirable.
Little did he know, Qian Renxue's heart was even more stirred than his. A divine-level martial soul... This boy possesses a divine-level martial soul, just like me.
She did not doubt her conclusion. Martial souls capable of creating fusion abilities had to be of extremely similar quality, like the Dragon and Snake Staff of Dragon Duke and Serpent Grandmother, or the Nether White Tiger of the Dai and Zhu families.
Even the Golden Iron Triangle's Holy Dragon fusion ability followed this principle. Yu Xiaogang's mutated Luo San Pao was originally meant to evolve into a Golden Holy Dragon. However, due to a failed mutation, it became what it was. Yet a portion of the dragon's bloodline was preserved in a recessive form, enabling the fusion ability.
Everyone believed Tian Lin's Demon Sword was merely a top-tier martial soul. In truth, it was a divine-level martial soul. Its power, however, had yet to fully manifest because it lacked the elemental attributes of water, fire, wind, thunder, and earth. Once these attributes were absorbed into the blade, its true potential would be revealed.
Thankfully, only Tian Lin knew that both of his martial souls had reacted to Qian Renxue. He could attribute everything to the Demon Sword if Qian Renxue investigated further. She likely wouldn't suspect he had twin martial souls, as that was just as rare as divine-level martial souls.
Otherwise, possessing both twin martial souls and divine-level martial souls would make him a once-in-a-lifetime anomaly. How many times would someone have to save the continent in their past life to earn such fortune in this one?
Even so, Qian Renxue—disguised as Xue Qinghe—had already made up her mind. This boy, she had to claim him for herself.
PS: Here we go again. Best girl Qian Renxue securing her spot as one of love interest.
PS2: Read advanced chapters atleast 80+ at my patreon.com/AbsoluteCode