It's Going to Explode

As for certain family inheritances, such as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's secret Dragonification technique, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Heart Separation Control method, the Clear Sky Sect's Ring Detonation and Great Sumeru Hammer—only direct descendants of those families or sects had a chance to come into contact with such things. Commoners need not even dream of it.

To prevent such knowledge from leaking out, whenever members of small families or commoners came into contact with it, they had only two choices: join them or die.

It was exceedingly cruel.

Even medical books, though not particularly important among family inheritances, were not permitted to be leaked.

Allowing commoners to rise? Wasn't that digging at the roots of the nobility?

But Sigewinne was a commoner. How had she learned such superb medical skills?

By all rights, shouldn't such medical knowledge be held by aristocratic families, or even the royal family?

Or had she come from some great family?

If not, then at Sigewinne's age, it was impossible for her to have learned much medicine on her own. Someone could only have taught her.

After all, in Xue Qinghe's eyes, Sigewinne's usual manner of speaking did not make her seem elderly.

Even if a Title Douluo could return to youth in appearance, their mental age could not become young as well, could it?

And could someone who had easy access to medical knowledge possibly be an ordinary person?

"My knowledge was learned from a senior," Sigewinne said. She did not reveal that senior's identity, because the senior had told her not to tell others that she knew medicine.

To Xue Qinghe, those words sounded half true and half false, but to Wriothesley, they were true.

In the era when Melusines were rejected by humans, Sigewinne had become fascinated by human medicine and had studied medical arts under a wandering physician.

Sigewinne had hoped to call her teacher a witch, believing the title sounded affectionate. Witches often went from street to street treating illnesses and were especially skilled at dealing with unruly patients. Every child she had treated believed she was a witch. Sigewinne had envied that about her teacher, since it saved her a great deal of effort spent using tricks to make children drink medicine.

But Xue Qinghe had never heard of any senior who traveled everywhere.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, one of Spirit Hall's famed duo, understood a little about medicine because of his love for flowers, but Xue Qinghe had never heard that he had taken any disciples.

As for Dugu Bo, there was even less reason to consider him. He had only known Wriothesley and the others for a few days!

The only possibility was the Nine-Hearted Rattan Clan.

Since their Martial Soul's sole ability was healing, they placed great importance on medicine. Moreover, the Nine-Hearted Rattan Clan was a reclusive family. Even if they had interacted with Wriothesley and the others, likely no one would know.

It seemed she would need to have someone investigate after returning.

In Xue Qinghe's view, the Upper Three Sects were not frightening, nor were the two great empires. Spirit Hall possessed more high-end combat power than the Upper Three Sects and the two great empires combined.

As for Title Douluo, it would already be impressive if the Upper Three Sects together could be counted on both hands.

Spirit Hall, on the other hand, had at least twenty.

And then there was her grandfather, that level-99 Invincible of the Sky.

What truly worried her were those reclusive families.

Though they were not as famous as the Upper Three Sects, they possessed formidable strength.

Who knew when some unknown powerhouse might suddenly emerge?

Her grandfather had once told her that someone even more skilled than Chen Xin in the way of the sword had challenged him. His name seemed to be...

Chen Jianjun.

Although that Chen Jianjun had lost, her grandfather had said that even in defeat, he had earned honor.

Spirit Hall's development to its present state was in fact inseparable from those reclusive families. Several Title Douluo had even been raised by such families, which was why Spirit Hall possessed so many experts.

Those people were the real danger.

If they had not always stayed out of continental conflicts, they would have been wiped out again and again long ago.

While Wriothesley was thinking, Xue Qinghe steered the conversation back and continued, "Then might this divine physician be willing to visit Heaven Dou City? Our royal family will certainly receive them with the honors due a distinguished guest."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible! That doctor has already passed away." Sigewinne sounded somewhat sad as she said this. After all, a human's lifespan could not compare to that of a Melusine. Living one or two hundred years was already the limit.

Xue Qinghe also felt deeply regretful upon hearing this.

"I'm truly sorry. I never expected to cause you such distress. My sincerest apologies."

"It's all right! I don't mean to blame you. This isn't your responsibility either."

Only then did Xue Qinghe breathe a sigh of relief.

It would have been terrible if that careless remark had lowered Wriothesley and Sigewinne's opinion of her.

As she spoke, she took out another item from her storage Soul Tool.

This item had not originally been on Xue Ye's list of gifts. However, ever since Wriothesley and Sigewinne arrived in Heaven Dou City five years ago, it had continuously emitted a faint, intermittent glow.

Xue Ye might be old now, but it was not as if he lacked Soul Power. How could he fail to notice that the item was still glowing?

Moreover, it was radiating a faint kind of energy.

Though this item possessed offensive and defensive abilities, the royal family could not figure out how to use it. It was simply a piece of scrap iron to them.

Most importantly, not knowing how to deal with it was the greatest headache.

Back then, they had publicly declared that they would enshrine it as a national treasure.

But if it could win Wriothesley's favor, this flashy but impractical item could not be more suitable.

"Wow, what is this?"

Sigewinne stared at the item with wide eyes.

It emitted an azure glow and was diamond-shaped, without any visible signs of polishing, as though it had formed naturally.

As Wriothesley gazed at it, it gazed back at Wriothesley.

The two regarded each other in silence.

"This is the national treasure of our Heaven Dou Empire, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud," Xue Qinghe slowly explained.

The Heaven Dou Royal Family knew that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud could attack and defend.

They simply did not know that it was an item of inheritance left by the Sea God.

The direct descendants of the Heaven Dou Royal Family were not particularly capable themselves.

Thus, this treasure had remained shelved all these years.

Yet even based on its defensive ability alone, Ning Fengzhi had coveted it greatly and had repeatedly hoped to exchange items for it.

But Xue Ye intended to use it to win people over. The Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were already allies, and Ning Fengzhi himself was the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor. There was no further room for him to advance. Rather than giving Ning Fengzhi this item as icing on the cake, it was better to use it to recruit more talented people.

Would Ning Fengzhi make Sword and Bone serve as guest officials of the Heaven Dou Empire just because he was given this?

"Eh? A national treasure!" Sigewinne was utterly shocked.

What kind of person gave away a national treasure as a gift?

In Sigewinne's understanding, a national treasure was not necessarily the strongest item, but it was a symbol of a nation.

Such things were generally not casually given away to anyone. No matter how close the relationship, it would not be treated so lightly.

Sigewinne glanced at Xue Qinghe again and thought, She isn't joking, is she?

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, this..." Wriothesley naturally knew what this was, but he was not a guest official of the Heaven Dou Empire. If he accepted it, was Xue Qinghe not afraid that others would discover its value?

"Duke, you may simply call me by my name." Xue Qinghe smiled softly. "Father said that rather than letting this thing gather dust in the treasury, it would be better to put it to proper use."

"No, what I mean is, do you know what this thing is?"