Golden Eyes, First Encounter with the Young Master

Golden Eyes, First Encounter with the Young Master

Pure light and a sacred aura rushed at him, like facing a newly risen, utterly warmthless blazing sun! The source of Ling Feng's Judgment Angel Martial Soul was stirred by this aura of the same origin but far higher rank. That sliver of hidden destructive majesty instinctively began to stir, faintly forming a confrontation!

Qian Renxue's molten-gold eyes remained utterly calm. Looking down from above, she seemed like a deity gazing upon an ant.

"Adjudicator Elder Ling Zhan's son..." she slowly said, her voice crisp and cold, every word falling like an ice bead. "The... 'son of the benefactor' personally adopted by His Eminence the Pope?"

The four words "son of the benefactor" were spoken in an exceedingly flat, uninflected tone, yet they were like ice-tempered needles stabbing precisely into Ling Feng's heart, carrying undisguised mockery and cold detachment.

A warning! A blatant attempt to put him in his place!

Ling Feng quickly lowered his head, concealing the chill in his eyes. His voice took on just the right amount of restraint and the faint confusion of a "newcomer." "Y-yes... it is me. I am grateful for His Eminence the Pope's favor." He lowered his posture and showed weakness first.

"Favor?" Qian Renxue's lips seemed to lift ever so slightly, so quickly it was like an illusion. The mockery in those cold golden eyes deepened. "Spirit Hall," she said, stepping forward. Though it was only a small step, the invisible sacred pressure abruptly intensified, pressing down like a tangible mountain. "Never keeps useless people. Especially..." Her gaze swept over Ling Feng's somewhat pale face again, like a cold probe—the lingering effects of his earlier Spiritual Power backlash had not fully faded. "People with special identities."

She stopped one step away from Ling Feng. Her golden eyes, like the sharpest Ice Cones, locked firmly onto his seemingly lowered but actually deep-pool-calm black eyes. Sunlight fell over her golden hair, its shifting brilliance nearly blinding Ling Feng. That divine radiance carried an overwhelming pressure.

"Remember your identity, Ling Feng." Qian Renxue's voice was not loud, but each word clearly and heavily struck his ears, carrying unquestionable weight. "Behave yourself and do what you are supposed to do. As for thoughts you should not have..." She paused slightly, and a cold glint flashed in her golden eyes. "You'd better not have them."

A naked warning! Was she declaring the Young Master of Spirit Hall's sovereignty? Or warning him not to covet the position and resources that belonged to her? Or did she harbor some indescribably complicated feelings toward his "sacrificed" father and Bibi Dong, the Pope who had adopted him?

Ling Feng remained silent and did not answer at once. He could clearly feel the other party's gaze scraping over his skin like tangible icy blades. Within him, the destructive will of the Judgment Angel Martial Soul, provoked by her, grew increasingly restless, like a vicious beast trapped in a cage, roaring to break free and tear apart the "sacred" pressure before it!

Ding! A key character, Qian Renxue, has experienced intense emotional fluctuations (scrutiny/rejection/warning)! God-Tier Choice activated!

Choice One: Cower to the end! Swallow your anger, nod and bow, and say that you will remember her teachings and never entertain improper thoughts. Reward: Qian Renxue's vigilance decreases slightly. Obtain the evaluation "knows the times," initial safety factor +1.

Choice Two: Stand your ground! Reveal the aura of the Judgment Angel Martial Soul (suppressed version) and push back, telling her with your eyes, "I'm not a pushover!" Reward: Qian Renxue's hostility greatly increases (provoked). Obtain the "Unyielding" state (Spiritual Power resilience permanently +10%).

Choice Three: Turn her strength against her! Invoke the Pope's "regard," shift the conflict, and make her think deeply! Reward: Qian Renxue develops a deep interest in investigating you. Obtain "Keen Insight" (slightly improved perception of a target's emotions).

In that lightning-fast instant, Ling Feng made his decision. Choice One? Acting like a groveling lackey was not his style. It would only make her look down on him more. Choice Two? Confronting this woman head-on now was simply suicidal idiocy, and exposing the Judgment Angel's trump card too early would be even more foolish! Only Choice Three would work! He would use Bibi Dong's "regard" as a shield, leaving her unable to gauge his depths and temporarily unwilling to move against him lightly. He would even make her develop a desire to... investigate his "special existence"! That was the best strategy!

Ling Feng slowly raised his head. The restraint and confusion on his face receded like a tide, replaced by a calmness utterly unfitting for his age. Rather than dodging Qian Renxue's divine radiance, he met those cold golden eyes. His gaze was tranquil, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Ling Feng will remember the Young Master's teachings." His voice was steady, without the slightest tremble. "To behave myself and serve Spirit Hall is Ling Feng's duty." He first followed her words, then abruptly changed direction and casually dropped the crucial information. "In three days, Elder Ghost Leopard will personally escort me to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain my first spirit ring. Ling Feng will not disappoint His Eminence the Pope's expectations. I will gain strength as soon as possible to serve the Hall, and also... to live up to the Young Master's reminder."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Elder Ghost Leopard will personally escort me" and "His Eminence the Pope's expectations"!

Sure enough!

Qian Renxue's molten-gold pupils suddenly contracted! Like a stone cast into a calm golden lake, creating faint yet unmistakable ripples!

Ghost Leopard? The Titled Douluo, Ghost Leopard? Personally escorting a brat who had just awakened his Martial Soul and was still nobody to obtain his first spirit ring?!

His Eminence the Pope's... expectations for this boy were actually so high?! This had completely exceeded the care shown to an ordinary "son of the benefactor"! It even surpassed the importance Spirit Hall usually placed on its talented disciples!

Investigation! A deeper scrutiny instantly replaced some of her outward rejection and warning! Her cold gaze swept back and forth over Ling Feng's face and body like a scanner, as if reassessing what exactly this seemingly frail, pale youth possessed that was worthy of such "generous treatment" from the Pope!

"The Star Dou Great Forest..." Qian Renxue gave a soft, ambiguous snort. No pleasure or anger could be heard in it, only a trace of profound consideration. Her gaze finally settled on Ling Feng's impossibly calm black eyes, and a faint, unfamiliar glimmer passed through the depths of her golden eyes—one even she herself did not notice. "Heh. Let's hope your Martial Soul is worthy of those 'expectations.'"

Leaving behind words that could not be called either a blessing or a warning, Qian Renxue did not linger. Her golden figure was like a phantom beneath the sunlight. Carrying that suffocating sacred pressure, she turned sharply and vanished into the shadow cast by the enormous angel statue, leaving only a faint, cool fragrance and lingering icy might.

Only after that oppressive aura had completely disappeared did Ling Feng slowly let out the stale breath he had held for so long. Another layer of cold sweat coated his back. The first round of testing had... barely passed? At least, he had temporarily bluffed this proud Young Master into wondering why the Pope valued him, rather than simply despising and suppressing him.

"The Star Dou Great Forest... Ghost Leopard..." Ling Feng repeated in a low voice, his gaze sharpening. Three days. He had to make absolutely thorough preparations! With a thought, he tried to activate the Fate's Watcher talent.

The world before his eyes instantly seemed covered in frosted glass, while interfering static hissed in his ears. Several blurry, skipping fragments of images struggled to emerge:

Image One: The setting sun glowed like molten gold over a valley shrouded in strange red and blue mist. Within the swirling fog, countless exotic flowers and plants swayed, radiating alluring treasure light. The Ice and Fire Immortal Grass! But at the edge of the image, the figure of an old man with dark green hair and eyes as sinister as a venomous snake flashed past! Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo! The immortal herbs already had an owner!

Image Two: Deep within a dark, damp forest, a pair of huge beast eyes, miserable green and filled with greed and savagery, lit up in the shadows, staring fixedly in one direction as saliva dripped down.

Image Three: A sharp claw covered in jet-black scales and wrapped in ominous black mist tore through the air with a shriek as it suddenly grabbed toward a thin figure facing away from the image! Danger!

"Hiss!" A violent headache struck again, and the images instantly shattered. Ling Feng braced himself against the cold stone pillar, his face turning several shades paler. The Ice and Fire Immortal Grass was guarded by Dugu Bo—just as expected. Those beast eyes and that black claw... were they a warning from the Star Dou Great Forest? Or... the target for his first spirit ring?

Crisis and opportunity coexisted! Ling Feng licked his slightly dry lips, cold flames burning in his eyes. Poison Douluo, savage beasts—none of it mattered. The Ice and Fire Immortal Grass was his for the taking! And his first spirit ring had to be the best possible!

He got his bearings and quickly headed toward the area reserved for core disciples in his memory. His most urgent task was to visit Spirit Hall's library and supply depot! Knowledge was power, and equipment was security! His path of snatching opportunities would begin by plundering Spirit Hall's resources!