Prince Xue Xing also hurried to stand beside Emperor Xue Ye, casting a glance at the portrait.
Sure enough, the person depicted in the image looked very much like Zhao Ling. However, since it was only a painting and not an exact replica, there were still some subtle differences. Still, it was enough to confirm that Zhao Ling had spoken the truth.
The two brothers exchanged glances, seeing the same dilemma in each other's eyes. Encountering two titled Douluo was a rare opportunity, and they had hoped to recruit them as royal protectors for the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
But unexpectedly, one of them had outright refused without even considering it upon hearing their intention. The other, while not rejecting them directly, was the fiancé of the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall and had been granted the title Demon-Suppressing Douluo along with the honorary elder status—making him, effectively, half a member of Spirit Hall.
Still, considering that Zhao Ling was only "half" affiliated with Spirit Hall, he was still very much worth winning over.
Maybe, if the conditions they offered were generous enough, he would agree to serve the royal family—or perhaps even be willing to turn his back on Spirit Hall.
After a brief discussion, the two brothers decided to extend the invitation formally.
Turning back to Zhao Ling, Emperor Xue Ye bowed slightly, his tone respectful.
"Demon-Suppressing Douluo, my brother and I still wish to request your service as an honored protector of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. You wouldn't be required to do much—just to protect a specific individual for us. As for compensation, we promise it will be to your satisfaction. I've heard you're currently searching for a residence in Heaven Dou City—I can grant you a superior mansion."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Our royal family is also willing to provide you with an annual stipend of five million gold soul coins. I hope that will not seem too meager. Beyond that, we are willing to gift you our kingdom's national treasure."
After speaking, Emperor Xue Ye summoned an attendant to retrieve the treasure. Zhao Ling raised an eyebrow, casting a glance at Bo Saixi, thinking to himself—could it really be that treasure?
Sure enough, moments later, the attendant entered the hall, holding a tray covered with red cloth, and came to stand before Zhao Ling.
Emperor Xue Ye lifted the cloth, revealing the item beneath. In that instant, Bo Saixi's eyes focused sharply as she spoke softly:
"The Vast Sea Cosmic Barrier? I can't believe this item ended up with your royal family and even became your Heaven Dou Empire's national treasure."
"You have a sharp eye, Madam. To recognize the Vast Sea Cosmic Barrier at first glance is no small feat."
Emperor Xue Ye looked genuinely surprised, having never expected this seemingly twenty-something woman to recognize the treasure so easily.
Zhao Ling, meanwhile, smirked slightly, giving the emperor an odd look without saying a word. That strange look made Emperor Xue Ye feel vaguely uncomfortable.
He couldn't understand—he had already offered the most precious treasure of the empire, so why did Zhao Ling seem so disinterested?
After a moment of silence, Emperor Xue Ye cautiously asked, "Demon-Suppressing Douluo, do you not like the Vast Sea Cosmic Barrier? Many have fought over it in the past—even titled Douluo were no exception."
Zhao Ling smiled faintly and shook his head. "It's not that I don't like it—I actually like it quite a lot. Since Your Majesty is so sincere, I'll gladly accept this treasure."
With a wave of his hand, the Vast Sea Cosmic Barrier disappeared into his storage space, and a broader smile appeared on Zhao Ling's face.
According to the original story, the Vast Sea Cosmic Barrier was the Heart of the Sea God and one of Tang San's greatest opportunities on his path to becoming the Sea God.
Zhao Ling hadn't expected that he would casually steal such a major opportunity from Tang San. Still, he had no intention of binding the treasure with blood to make it his.
He had no interest in becoming the Sea God. The Sea God was merely a first-rank deity in the Divine Realm—not something he even considered worth pursuing.
To Zhao Ling, the Douluo Continent was a bottom-tier world in the fantasy genre. Even the Divine Realm's so-called God-Kings were insignificant by greater standards.
As for the Sea God? Just a rank-one god. He was already thinking about whether, after he tricked Bo Saixi into becoming his woman, he could gift the treasure to her.
In the original story, Bo Saixi, as the High Priestess of Sea God Island, had already forfeited her chance to become Sea God. But Zhao Ling didn't care.
As long as he became powerful enough to crush the Sea God, he could just force the guy to reissue the divine trial to Bo Saixi.
If the Sea God refused, he'd simply "gently" help him stretch his muscles a bit. If he didn't agree on day one, then he'd help him stretch every day—until he gave in.
Zhao Ling didn't believe the Sea God's mouth could outmatch his fists.
At that very moment, far away in the Divine Realm, the Sea God suddenly sneezed. He felt an inexplicable chill down his spine.
It was a feeling he hadn't experienced since before becoming a god—like some terrifying and malicious entity had set its sights on him.
The sensation made his hair stand on end. What was going on? Who was watching him with such malice? It was unbearable…
Back in the imperial court, seeing Zhao Ling accept the Vast Sea Cosmic Barrier, Emperor Xue Ye let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If Zhao Ling accepted the item, it meant he agreed to become a protector of the Heaven Dou royal family—this brought Emperor Xue Ye genuine joy.
But before he could celebrate for long, Zhao Ling waved his hand and asked directly, "You said I'm to protect someone. Who is it? Bring him in."
Emperor Xue Ye nodded repeatedly and quickly left the hall. Not long after, he returned cradling a small infant and presented the child to Zhao Ling.
"Demon-Suppressing Douluo, if you ever see this child in danger, please help protect him. He is the future hope of our Heaven Dou Empire."
Zhao Ling looked at the delicate, doll-like baby and immediately raised a brow.
No way—could this kid be the unfortunate Xue Qinghe from the original story? The one who got assassinated and replaced by Qian Renxue?
It definitely seemed likely.
Zhao Ling hadn't expected Emperor Xue Ye to go to such great lengths and offer so much just to protect this unfortunate child.