What News Is There Today?

Xiao Xue, who was Elder Xue, coughed lightly from the side, making Sun Yingxue immediately snap out of his thoughts. He could not help but smile awkwardly.

"You saw nothing today, and you heard nothing either. Understand?"

Cang Xue's tone was clearly not how an elder should speak to a sect leader, yet Sun Yingxue respectfully cupped his hands and agreed.

Sun Xiaolu tilted her head to one side, having no idea why everyone was being so solemn.

Sun Yingxue pondered for a moment before taking out a token and presenting it to Xue Xiao Ran with both hands.

"Just call me Xiao Ran, Sect Master Sun," Xue Xiao Ran said first.

"Alright, Xiao Ran. A good name," Sun Yingxue said. "This token is the Sword Token of our Carefree Sword Sect. Displaying it outside represents the Holy Son of the Carefree Sword Sect."

Xue Xiao Ran blinked, played with the Sword Token in his hand for a moment, then tucked it into his robes.

"Thank you, Sect Master Sun." Xue Xiao Ran bowed slightly.

"You can call me Uncle Sun from now on. If you need anything, just come see me in the Main Hall." The smile on Sun Yingxue's face refused to fade. When he saw Cang Xue give him a meaningful look, he knew the other man was asking him to leave.

Sun Xiaolu looked utterly confused. She had thought they were here to meet some great figure—even princes of the Sun Moon Empire had come to pay respects to Sun Yingxue before—yet the person they had come to meet was a boy around her own age.

Xue Xiao Ran... I'll remember that name.

Sun Xiaolu said to herself, glancing at Xue Xiao Ran once more.

The blue-haired, jade-eyed boy seemed to be pondering something, but Sun Xiaolu felt that a soaring pride was hidden within his bones.

Was that just my imagination?

Sun Yingxue led away the puzzled Sun Xiaolu, while Xiao Xue and Dong Yuan also left the room, evidently to instruct their disciples.

Although neither of them was a Soul Master with a Sword Martial Soul, they had some knowledge of internal breath cultivation. It was simply their duty.

"That brat Sun is sensible enough. He gave you the Holy Son's Proof." Cang Xue curled his lips into a faint smile, his lone eye gleaming as he looked at Xue Xiao Ran.

"Young Master, I have yet to ask: what is your martial soul?"

Seeing that Cang Xue persisted in addressing him this way, Xue Xiao Ran knew he could only bring it up again another day.

"I have Twin Martial Souls." Xue Xiao Ran's words immediately made Cang Xue's lone eye light up. Xue Xiao Ran raised his hands slightly, and a cool sensation instantly filled the room, making Cang Xue, who shared the same origin, feel extremely refreshed.

The coolness soon vanished, replaced by a faint layer of mist. Though it had no effect on Cang Xue, he immediately detected the trace amount of poison within it.

"Uncle Cang Xue, my martial souls are Extreme Ice and Extreme Poison."

"Good, good, truly good. Just as expected of the Young Master."

Cang Xue sounded deeply satisfied, and the look in his eye as he regarded Xue Xiao Ran grew increasingly fervent.

"Next, I'll take you to hunt for soul rings. Rest here for a few days first. In a few days, I'll take you to the Extreme North."

Cang Xue bent down and spoke with a smile.

"Mm. Thank you, Uncle Cang Xue." Xue Xiao Ran revealed a faint smile.

Cang Xue said, "It is only my duty."

Cang Xue was right. Days of travel, combined with the excitement of arriving on the Douluo Continent, left Xue Lei Han feeling utterly exhausted in both body and mind. All he wanted was a good night's sleep.

After seeing Cang Xue leave in quick strides, he fought back his drowsiness and sat cross-legged on the bed. Using the breathing rhythm his father had taught him, he calmed his mind and began circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

Xue Xiao Ran had heard Tang San say that Soul Power was more likely to improve when one was exhausted.

Although Xue Xiao Ran had not obtained a soul ring and was not even a Soul Master, he still understood the principle of building up strength before making a breakthrough.

"Is Xiao Ran here?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Xue Xiao Ran put down the newspaper in his hands and answered, "I'm here."

A small head soon poked in. It was Sun Xiaolu, who had often come to play with him over the past few days.

Cang Xue and the others had no objections to Sun Xiaolu coming to play with Xue Xiao Ran every day. On the contrary, they felt it could ease the Young Master's boredom and fatigue.

"Reading the newspaper again?"

Sun Xiaolu set her martial soul, the Sky Traversing Sword, to one side, patted her backside, and sat down opposite Xue Xiao Ran.

Ten thousand years after the Douluo Continent, even clothing seemed to have advanced considerably. Those long robes had apparently been phased out long ago.

Sun Xiaolu wore a pitch-black jacket, the uniform of a Basic Disciple.

The minimum requirement for a Basic Disciple was Soul Power Level fifteen, which meant that this quiet little girl before him had already surpassed level fifteen in Soul Power.

"Yeah, just seeing if there's any interesting news lately," Xue Xiao Ran muttered. For him, this was also intelligence gathering. The Douluo Continent ten thousand years later had surely changed long ago, and it was necessary to review information about the forces and sects that had sprung up like mushrooms after rain.

"Xiao Ran, are you a student at an academy? I don't think I've ever seen you before?"

Sun Xiaolu leaned closer to the newspaper. Without warning, it was lowered, revealing Xue Xiao Ran's face and making her cheeks flush slightly.

"Xiaolu, which academies are you talking about?"

"I only know about the two most famous academies from my father." Sun Xiaolu held up two fingers. "First, Shrek Academy, which has existed for ten thousand years. Second, the Sun Moon Royal Academy in the Sun Moon Empire, where we are now. It seems to be especially outstanding in Soul Tool research."

"Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Academy..."

Xue Xiao Ran rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.

Sun Xiaolu stared blankly at this boy her age. Sometimes, she felt that the words he spoke and the wisdom he displayed did not belong to an eleven-year-old boy. His gaze was always calm as well, as if he had never shown surprise or panic.

The two children sat quietly in the room like that, one reading the newspaper and the other contemplating cultivation matters.

"Young... Xiao Ran."

Cang Xue stepped through the door, immediately changing how he addressed Xue Xiao Ran when he noticed Sun Xiaolu.

"Elder Cang." Sun Xiaolu bowed respectfully.

"Xiaolu, the Sect Master is looking for you." Cang Xue spoke calmly. Sun Xiaolu seemed quite used to his expressionless manner. After bowing respectfully once more, she looked at Xue Xiao Ran as though saying farewell, picked up the Sky Traversing Sword at her side, and skipped out of the room.

"Young Master, the time has come. Let us depart."

Cang Xue said with a smile.

Xue Xiao Ran put the newspaper away at his side and looked around. Seeing nothing he needed to bring, he stood before Cang Xue to indicate that he was ready.

Xue Xiao Ran felt faintly expectant. Even the heart that his father and father-in-law had tempered for so long—a heart that would no longer panic over anything—beat a little faster.

But he would not show it on his face. He still wore the same poker face his father had had in his youth.

I wonder what kind of soul ring my first soul ring will be?