Flame Lord Yan? I thought he was a speed bump!

After returning to Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong first had to deal with the affairs that had piled up.

So she couldn't go out with Liang Hao for the time being. As it happened, Liang Hao needed some time to come up with a good excuse to visit the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well again.

Besides, he had just absorbed a Soul Ring, so spending some time consolidating his cultivation wouldn't go to waste.

Liang Hao returned to his residence. He usually cultivated alone and didn't much like interacting with outsiders.

But after Hu Liena learned that he had finished absorbing his first Thousand-Year Soul Ring, she began coming to see him of her own accord.

Liang Hao guessed that Bibi Dong had probably told her to look after him. After all, Bibi Dong was busy with work now, so she had Hu Liena do it in her place.

On this day, Hu Liena was once again trying to drag Liang Hao out.

In Liang Hao's room, Hu Liena wore a skintight outfit that was predominantly orange.

Though she was only eleven, she already gave off a hint of allure, and her figure was exceptionally striking.

How to describe it? Anyone who had watched the Douluo anime knew that Zhu Zhuqing had been just over eleven when she first entered Shrek Academy, yet she had already had an outstanding figure.

Hu Liena was certainly no worse. She cultivated an enchantment art to begin with, and she was now about the same age as Zhu Zhuqing in the anime.

If Zhu Zhuqing could have such a full figure, why couldn't she?

At that moment, Hu Liena had hold of Liang Hao and kept urging him. "Xiao Hao, come out and practice with me."

"You meditate and cultivate every day, but you lack actual combat experience."

"If a Soul Master wants to grow stronger, the most important thing besides cultivation is actual combat ability."

"Besides, I told my brother and Yan that your first ring was a thousand-year one, but they still don't believe me. Why don't you come and show them?"

That last sentence was what Hu Liena had really been after.

She had probably learned about Liang Hao's Soul Ring from Bibi Dong, then gone out to show off and been met with doubt from Xie Yue and Yan.

Hu Liena was only eleven now and rather mischievous, so it was normal for her to like showing off.

Liang Hao, however, could only say helplessly, "Senior Sister, it's one thing for you to show off, but why drag me into it?"

"I didn't go hunt down a Soul Ring just to show off in front of people."

"As for Yan and Xie Yue, I don't care what they think of me. Go on back; I still need to meditate."

It wasn't that Liang Hao was unwilling to train in actual combat. He simply didn't want to fight for such a stupid reason of Hu Liena's.

But Hu Liena had already said her piece and wasn't giving him a chance, so she kept tugging at him and trying to persuade him:

"Xiao Hao, just help your senior sister this once."

"And it's not just about showing off. That guy Yan keeps pestering me."

"Can you understand? I'm only eleven, and he keeps making a fuss, saying he wants to pursue me."

"Someone like him—if his talent weren't decent, do you think I'd be willing to have much to do with him?"

"Just help your senior sister by showing what you can do, and let Yan know there are people beyond people, so he'll rein himself in a little."

"Besides, you're bound to inherit Teacher's position in the future. If you suppress these petty nobodies early, you might have a few more subordinates later, right?"

Only when Hu Liena put it that way did Liang Hao become slightly interested.

One of his goals was to conquer the entire Douluo Continent and unify the world.

Unifying the Douluo Continent required talent, and though that small fry Yan was an embarrassing bootlicker, he was still a talent.

War needed generals, and these people would just about do.

At that thought, Liang Hao nodded and agreed. "Fine, I'll have to make an exception for you, Senior Sister."

"After all, who told me to have such a wonderful senior sister?"

With that, Liang Hao stood up.

But hearing Liang Hao tease and compliment her like that, Hu Liena grew a little shy instead.

She knew full well about Liang Hao's potential and future status, and with Liang Hao holding her in such high regard, Hu Liena couldn't help feeling shy.

Liang Hao soon followed Hu Liena to the training grounds.

These training grounds were reserved for Hu Liena and the other two, and Yan and Xie Yue had already been sparring there.

As soon as Hu Liena and Liang Hao arrived, they caught the attention of Yan and Xie Yue.

They often heard Hu Liena talk about Liang Hao, and Yan had long been full of jealousy, since he was Hu Liena's bootlicker to begin with.

Now that Liang Hao had arrived, Yan was the first to speak, his words barbed:

"Oh?"

"Nana, this is the new disciple Her Holiness the Pope took in? He looks pretty ordinary to me."

"You said his very first Soul Ring was a thousand-year one. We didn't believe you, and you actually brought him here?"

"Do you really think a mere six-year-old brat can absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring? Or was someone just blowing his own trumpet?"

Yan was two years older than Hu Liena, making him thirteen.

Thirteen was just the age to start middle school, a time when puberty's emotions were strongest and rebellion was at its height.

To put it bluntly, Yan hadn't grown a brain yet.

He knew perfectly well that Liang Hao was the Pope's disciple, so daring to speak like that really was presumptuous.

Fortunately, Liang Hao didn't take offense. After meeting Yan and Xie Yue, he gave them a brief look.

Xie Yue gave off a cold, sinister presence. He said nothing, but stared at Liang Hao like a wolf, his eyes guarded.

Yan, on the other hand, had fiery red hair and wore fiery red leather battle robes. Though only thirteen, he had a bearing as if he would charge at the heavens and fight the earth.

Seeing that posture, Liang Hao understood where Yan's attitude came from.

Though he didn't take offense, that didn't mean he wouldn't speak up.

Liang Hao replied, "I've heard that the Spirit Hall Golden Generation has three members in all, each with unparalleled talent."

"I assume you're Brother Yan, the one among the three who relies on the dominance of flames?"

"Does Brother Yan have a problem with me? I've only just arrived, and you're already mocking me?"

He had come to help Hu Liena teach Yan a lesson, so he didn't hold his tongue.

And Yan, a thirteen-year-old in the throes of puberty, didn't rein himself in at all after hearing Liang Hao. He continued:

"I wouldn't call it mocking. We're just ignorant and inexperienced; we've never heard of a newly awakened Soul Master absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, that's all."

"You're the Pope's disciple, but you hardly ever train, and we haven't seen much of you."

"So why were you willing to come out and show your face today?"

Liang Hao smiled. "Senior Sister kept pulling and tugging at me, insisting I come out for some actual combat training, so here I am."

"But unfortunately, looking around, has Teacher not assigned an instructor for actual combat?"

"Surely we can't just fight each other at random for training, can we?"

"What do we need an instructor for?" Yan sneered. The more he saw Liang Hao act this way, the more displeased he felt.

Especially after Liang Hao had said "pulling and tugging."

Yan could almost picture Liang Hao and Hu Liena in close contact, and he was extremely indignant.

He liked Hu Liena so much, yet Hu Liena was drawn to this Liang Hao.

Wasn't he just the Pope's disciple? Didn't he just have the legendary Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power?

No matter how great your talent is, it still depends on the future. Right now, you little brat are a One-Ring Soul Master at most!

Yan picked up on Liang Hao's words. "Training with an instructor ties your hands and feet."

"As Soul Masters, actual combat is only interesting when we fight our peers with everything we've got!"

"Besides, Xie Yue, Nana and I have known each other for a long time. The three of us are enough to train together."

"But Liang Hao, you lack actual combat experience. This is your first time here, and you want an instructor..."

"How about I act as your instructor for once and spar with you? You could call it me showing you the ropes!"