The Crown Prince's Offer, Decisively Refused
"Scatter."
Seven ice arrows shot out at once. They did not head straight for Bai Ling. Instead, they sealed off every direction around his dive-front and back, left and right, high, middle, and low. Like a cage made of ice, they would strike him no matter which way he dodged.
Bai Ling's expression changed. He couldn't arrest his dive or turn immediately, and the seven arrows came at such tricky angles that there was no dodging them.
"Damn." Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to twist around and held his wind spear crosswise before him. He poured all his Soul Power into it, trying to block the two ice arrows coming from the front.
The ice arrows struck the wind spear and shattered into shards. Cold crept up the spear, numbing his arm.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a pitch-black arrow slip through the gaps between the seven ice arrows. It came without a sound, yet carried tremendous force—a fully charged, full-power strike from the Blackcliff Warbow.
The timing was perfect. It came the instant he finished blocking the ice arrows, when his previous exertion had just spent itself and he had yet to gather fresh strength.
Pfft.
The arrow struck him squarely in the left shoulder.
The force sent him flying backward, and the wind spear in his hand dispersed at once. Bai Ling let out a muffled grunt. The pigeon wings on his back dimmed, and he lost his balance in midair. He slammed down at the edge of the platform and skidded several meters before coming to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The ice mist slowly dispersed.
Gan Lin stood in the middle of the arena, the Blackcliff Warbow hanging at his side. His chest rose and fell slightly, and a little sweat beaded on his forehead, but he stood straight. He looked at Bai Ling as the latter sat up and nodded. "Senior, thank you for going easy on me."
The entire arena fell silent.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene on the platform, unable to believe what they were seeing.
A thirty-seventh-level Soul Elder had fought above his level against a forty-first-level flying agility-attack-type Soul Ancestor and won?
And he had won so decisively. Only a few breaths had passed between Bai Ling using his fourth Soul Skill and being shot down. It had looked dangerous, but every step had actually been calculated. Ice mist blocked his vision, ice arrows sealed off his movements, and a heavy arrow settled the fight. Every part of the sequence linked to the next. It was nothing like something a six-year-old could have devised.
"He won... he really won!"
"That last combo was brutal! How was that fighting above his level? That was a complete crushing!"
An explosion of discussion instantly filled the entire Soul Fighting Arena.
Bai Ling clutched his left shoulder, his face pale. He held Soul Power at his shoulder, but his whole arm was numb. He looked up at the child not far away and gave a wry smile, without a trace of contempt left in his voice. "I lost. I can't match your archery or your judgment in battle. I was too overconfident."
His defeat had been complete. From underestimating his opponent at the start, through the back-and-forth in the middle, to having his final full-power attack countered, he had been led by the nose the whole way. He had thought flight was an advantage, but the outcome had been decided the moment the ice mist rose.
Gan Lin said nothing more. He put away his bow and ice box, bowed slightly to the people below the platform, then turned and walked down from the Soul Fighting platform.
Sunlight fell on his small retreating figure, lending him a steadiness beyond his years. His victory in this challenge against a higher-level opponent silenced all the gossip that he "could only fight people at his own level." It also made everyone remember the six-year-old boy who carried the Blackcliff Warbow on his back and had the Condensed Arrow Ice Box with him.
No, shouldn't he be called six and a half now?
In any case, he wasn't very old...
The clamor had yet to die down when a sudden commotion arose at the entrance to the Soul Fighting Arena. The students gathered before the platform instinctively turned around. When they saw who had arrived, their expressions immediately grew tense, and the noisy arena quickly fell quiet.
Xue Qinghe, dressed in moon-white everyday robes and followed by two guards, was walking slowly toward the Soul Fighting platform. He did not walk quickly, and students along the way stepped aside and lowered their heads, greeting him respectfully.
"Greetings, Your Highness, Crown Prince."
Greetings rose one after another, blending together. Even the referee on the platform hurried down and stood to one side with a bow. Enduring the discomfort in his shoulder, Bai Ling braced himself against the ground and stood, then lowered his head in greeting toward Xue Qinghe.
Only Gan Lin remained where he was. Watching Xue Qinghe approach, he merely gave a slight nod in greeting. He was young and short, making him especially conspicuous among the bowing crowd.
Xue Qinghe reached the edge of the platform and fixed his gaze on Gan Lin. A gentle smile on his face, he clapped softly.
"Splendid. A thirty-fifth-level Soul Elder at six years old, defeating a forty-first-level agility-attack-type Soul Ancestor above your level. Such combat strength and judgment are indeed rare."
As he spoke, he stepped onto the Soul Fighting platform. Everyone around them held their breath; no one dared make a sound. It was rare enough for the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire to visit the Soul Fighting Arena in person, and it appeared he had come specifically for Gan Lin.
"As expected of the genius Father praised in person." Xue Qinghe stood before him, his tone mild. "Father said before that you were a genius rarely seen in Heaven Dou in recent years, that you became a Soul Elder at six and had a boundless future ahead of you. Seeing you today, you're even more outstanding than he said."
Someone below the platform drew a quiet breath. Praise from Emperor Xue Ye himself carried considerable weight. Many people were already looking at Gan Lin with envy. Being remembered by the emperor of the empire and praised to his face by the crown prince was an honor no ordinary student could enjoy.
Gan Lin looked up at him, his voice clear and without the slightest awkwardness. "His Majesty flatters me. I still have a long way to go."
Xue Qinghe smiled and glanced at the Blackcliff Warbow and Condensed Arrow Ice Box at his side. He recognized one of them as the very item Gan Lin had taken from the Heaven Dou treasury.
Then his gaze returned to Gan Lin without betraying any emotion. "Your fighting just now was very steady. You were neither arrogant nor rash, and you knew how to use your strengths against your opponent's weaknesses. You're better than many senior students. As good as Heaven Dou Royal Academy is, the resources it can give you are ultimately limited."
He paused, his intention to recruit him now clear in his voice. "Under my Eastern Palace, I have a dedicated team of Soul Master instructors, as well as the empire's collection of texts on all kinds of Self-Created Soul Skills and cultivation methods. There is no shortage of Immortal Herbs for medicine, either. If you're willing to join my Eastern Palace, I can give you a personal cultivation allotment and even invite a Soul Douluo-level senior to guide you regularly. With your talent, it won't take many years for you to become a core figure among the empire's younger generation."
At those words, the crowd below the platform fell completely silent.
Joining the Eastern Palace, following the crown prince, and receiving guidance from a Soul Douluo-how many Soul Masters could only dream of such an opportunity? Never mind that they were only academy students; even Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings outside the academy would immediately accept terms like these. Everyone stared at Gan Lin, waiting for him to give thanks and accept.
But Gan Lin merely shook his head.
Resources?
Could they compare to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?
Guidance from a Soul Douluo?
His grandfather was a Titled Douluo!
"Thank you for your regard, Your Highness." His tone was sincere, but he did not waver in the slightest. "It's just that I'm only six this year. My Soul Power foundation isn't stable yet, and my practical combat experience is still far from sufficient. What matters most now is to cultivate diligently at the academy and lay a solid foundation. Attaching myself to a faction too early would only make it easy to get distracted and hinder my cultivation in the long run."
He refused?
Everyone below the platform was stunned.
He had actually refused the crown prince's recruitment? And his reason was that he was young and needed to build his foundation?
Many people thought Gan Lin was a fool. Such a good opportunity had been placed before him, and he had turned it down just like that. With a Soul Douluo's guidance and vast resources, wouldn't he cultivate much faster than at the academy?
Xue Qinghe was visibly taken aback as well, seemingly not having expected to be refused. He studied Gan Lin for a moment, then suddenly smiled. It was not an angry smile; instead, it held a measure of admiration.