"Master, have you been watching me this whole time?!" Tianlin muttered to himself in disbelief.
"That's right!" Chen Xin admitted without hesitation. "While the Heaven Dou Royal Arcademy has excellent teaching facilities, the students here are far too mediocre. I wanted to see if coming to a place like this would corrupt you—whether you'd succumb to their influence, climb the social ladder, or lose the dignity of a swordsman."
Chen Xin's blunt statement made Bai Baoshan, who was standing to the side, twitch at the corners of his mouth. He wanted to protest but didn't dare to. After all, while he knew most of the academy's students weren't particularly impressive, Chen Xin's words were painfully straightforward.
Chen Xin continued, "But after observing you for two days, I'm very satisfied. Your cultivation hasn't stagnated. Not only did you break through in soul power, but you've also begun to master the Seven Kill Sword technique. When facing nobility, you remained calm, neither servile nor arrogant, and showed no trace of fear. This is what I expect from my disciple."
"Your dedication to your disciple is truly admirable, Sword Douluo," complimented Yu Tianheng, who stepped forward. As the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he couldn't afford to be disrespectful to Chen Xin, the Sword Douluo and guardian of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"Oh, so you're Yu Tianheng—the one who injured Gu Ran, the disciple of old Bone Douluo?" Chen Xin glanced at him coldly, his face devoid of expression.
"Your words flatter me, Lord Sword Douluo. Gu Ran and I simply had a regular sparring match. My Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul is rather overwhelming, so I couldn't hold back completely. However, Gu Ran's Bone Warhorse martial soul has incredible defensive capabilities, so I trust he wasn't too badly hurt," Yu Tianheng replied calmly. He wasn't worried that Chen Xin would pick a fight over such a trivial matter. After all, even Title Douluos had their pride.
Chen Xin nodded slightly. Gu Ran's injuries weren't serious—mostly superficial wounds. Judging from Yu Tianheng's strength, it was clear that he had intentionally held back. The boy had no intention of provoking the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"The old Dragon King is fortunate to have a grandson like you," Chen Xin said lightly.
Though the praise was subtle, coming from someone as strict as Chen Xin, it was a significant compliment.
Yu Tianheng's face lit up with pride, and he was about to thank Chen Xin when the latter added, "However, I'm even luckier than your grandfather. Before long, my disciple will surpass you—he's the real genius here!"
Tianlin was taken aback. He hadn't expected his master to praise him so openly in front of others.
Yu Tianheng clasped his hands respectfully. "Your disciple is, of course, extraordinary. However, he is still young. To surpass me will take years of effort. During that time, I won't stop improving."
As the heir of a great clan, Yu Tianheng had his pride. He was confident he was second to none.
Chen Xin suddenly chuckled. "Oh? Then how about this—once my disciple reaches Rank 20 and obtains his second soul ring, I'll have him challenge you. When that time comes, don't back down."
"Very well. I, Yu Tianheng, will be ready anytime!"
"Good. That's all I needed to say. Tianlin, I'm leaving for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan this time. Stay here and cultivate diligently. Remember this one thing: never forget your original intention." With these parting words, Chen Xin didn't wait for Tianlin to respond. He leaped onto his sword and disappeared into the horizon, his departure as elegant and carefree as a celestial being.
With the Sword Douluo finally gone, everyone seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. The oppressive aura he exuded was simply too overwhelming.
"Senior Sister Ye, thank you for your help this time. And you too, Brother Yu and Senior Sister Dugu—thank you for your support!" Tianlin expressed his gratitude to the trio.
"With Sword Douluo present, you would've been fine even without our help. Besides, there was only one witness—Lingling. If you want to thank someone, thank her," Yu Tianheng replied modestly.
Tianlin shook his head. "Gratitude must be given where it's due. My master can ensure my safety, but he cannot prove my innocence. That's why I must thank all of you."
Tianlin understood clearly. While Ye Lingling had indeed stood up for him, without the support of Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan, she might not have dared to defy her clan and speak the truth.
Tianlin believed in repaying kindness. Since they had shown goodwill, he saw no reason to remain aloof. As Ning Fengzhi once said, he couldn't always walk this path alone.
"You're too polite," Yu Tianheng said with a smile. Tianlin was even smarter than he had imagined. "We'll take our leave now. Junior, I wish you a swift breakthrough to Rank 20. I look forward to our duel."
As the future members of the Emperor Team departed, Tianlin silently thought to himself, The Emperor Team, huh? They don't seem bad. Maybe I should consider joining a team too.
For the first time, Tianlin entertained the idea of forming a group. The future Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament loomed ahead. No matter how strong he grew, he couldn't win the entire competition alone.
The Emperor Team had great potential. Their talent, while slightly inferior to the Shrek Seven Devils before they consumed immortal herbs, was still impressive. With Tianlin on their side, he was confident they could claim the championship.
For Tianlin, Tang San and his group were the protagonists, while Spirit Hall's Golden Generation were the ultimate bosses. Joining either group would guarantee victory, but wouldn't that be boring? What he wanted was to defeat them all on his own.
After leaving the Academic Affairs Office, Tianlin followed Zhou Yan back to their classroom. Zhou Yan now found it difficult to even look Tianlin in the eye. She had assumed he was merely a talented young soul master, but it turned out his background was far more extraordinary.
What frustrated her most was that he hadn't told her, leaving her needlessly worried. To make matters worse, she had accidentally confessed her feelings for Qin Ming in such an embarrassing situation.
Now that Zhou Yan recalled what had happened earlier, she had no idea how she'd face Qin Ming in the future.
...
Meanwhile, in the East Palace of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Xue Qinghe was listening to a report from one of her subordinates. Since she intended to recruit Tianlin, she had been paying close attention to him.
The commotion caused by the Sword Douluo leveling the Academic Affairs Office had already reached her ears, and her informants had relayed the entire sequence of events.
"Good. Very good, Balak Kingdom's Ao Clan." Xue Qinghe's eyes gleamed coldly as she called out softly, "Uncle She, are you there?"
A middle-aged man suddenly appeared in the corner of the room, though it was unclear when he had arrived. "I'm here, young master. What do you need?"
"I have a favor to ask. Intercept someone for me and cut off Ao Orf's other ear," Xue Qinghe said icily.
"Just the ear? Should I kill him?" The man, evidently a Title Douluo, didn't seem to take the soul douluo-level Ao Orfo seriously at all.
Xue Qinghe shook her head. "No need. Killing him would escalate the matter. The Balak Kingdom would investigate thoroughly. But cutting off an ear will make the Ao Clan think that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan retaliated. Since they were in the wrong regarding Tianlin, they'll have no choice but to swallow their anger. You know what to say when the time comes."
"Understood, young master." The man disappeared into the shadows with a flash.
"Uncle Ci, may I trouble you to return to Spirit Hall and inform that woman of this matter? The Balak Kingdom's military strength is not insignificant. She won't let this opportunity slip by," Xue Qinghe instructed another shadowy figure.
Another Title Douluo emerged from the darkness. "Yes, young master."
As the daughter of the Supreme Pontiff, Qian Renxue's personal guards were exceptionally powerful. Her intelligence was equally remarkable. Through this incident, she sought not only to sow discord between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Balak Kingdom but also to find an opportunity to bring the Balak Kingdom under her control. Her motives were far more complex than merely standing up for Tianlin.