Having read the Original Work, Mo Yuan naturally knew some things about the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, so when he heard Ning Tian's question, he had no intention of hiding anything.
His astonishing talent was about to reveal itself.
Mo Yuan smiled and shook his head. "No, this is my Fourth Soul Ring."
"Your Fourth Soul Ring? Mo Yuan, are you saying your Fourth Soul Ring is at the ten-thousand-year level?"
Ning Tian was astonished, and joy welled up in her heart. She had originally thought that even if Mo Yuan had reached Soul King rank in his teens, he would still be a worthwhile person to recruit. But she hadn't expected that she'd underestimated him.
Compared to Ning Tian, Wu Feng reacted much more fiercely. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could you absorb a Soul Ring beyond the limit? Do you think you're the Sea God?!"
The Sea God? That Pure and Innocent Tang San Shao?
A trace of disdain flashed through Mo Yuan's eyes. He then put on the haughty expression that befitted someone with peerless talent.
"You've only just met me. You're like a frog in a well, seeing the moon for the first time. Once you truly witness what a genius is, you'll understand what it means for a mayfly to glimpse the azure sky."
His brilliant Golden Eyes began to shine, and an invisible Dragon's Might swept through the forest. One yellow, two purple, and one black Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet, slowly revolving.
The moment Wu Feng, whose Martial Soul was a Red Dragon, met those brilliant Golden Eyes, she felt the suppression of her bloodline. Her face turned deathly pale, and her whole body went weak.
The anger she'd felt at Mo Yuan's arrogant words vanished in an instant. To avoid showing her embarrassment, she could only lower her head and look away.
"A thousand-year Second Soul Ring, a ten-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring, and a Body Martial Soul..." Ning Tian was utterly stunned. At this point, no matter how old Mo Yuan was, she'd decided she would spare no effort to recruit him into her clan.
Even if it meant offering herself.
After all, given Mo Yuan's flawless looks and talent, making such a choice would be the best option.
Having shown enough of his talent, Mo Yuan withdrew his Soul Rings and Golden Eyes. With a faint smile, he looked at Wu Feng, who had her head bowed and said nothing.
"Well?"
"Tch... So what if you absorbed a Soul Ring beyond the limit? It's not that impressive..." Wu Feng muttered under her breath, a far cry from her earlier arrogance.
Tsk, the hardest thing about her was her mouth... Mo Yuan thought, then turned to Ning Tian, whose beautiful eyes were sparkling.
"Mo Yuan, how old are you this year? With your talent, you must be a genius from some major clan or faction, right?"
Ning Tian asked. These were the last two things she needed to confirm. If Mo Yuan was her age, or even a little older, that would be fine. A ten-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring was proof enough of his talent.
The second question was the most important. If Mo Yuan had already joined another faction, or was simply from one, all her plans would be nothing but flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in water.
Mo Yuan knew exactly what Ning Tian wanted to find out. He replied in an even tone,
"I'll turn twelve in a few months. As for where I'm from... I'm an orphan."
Mo Yuan calmly stated that he was an orphan. So what if he was? Weren't all the awesome protagonists born into hardship?
Did she even understand the sheer value of a story that opened with both parents sacrificed to the heavens?
Twelve! He was the same age as me! And he had no ties to any faction!
The last of Ning Tian's reservations disappeared.
With Mo Yuan's talent and lack of a powerful background, he was, without exaggeration, a walking heartthrob. Any faction with a shred of sense would do everything it could to recruit him.
If they could bring Mo Yuan into the clan, he could preserve its glory for at least a hundred years.
Meanwhile, when Wu Feng heard that Mo Yuan was an orphan, the last vestige of her pride was shattered.
She was the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo who served as an offering to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. She'd grown up in luxury, fed every kind of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and medicinal pill, and had been raised to become a Protecting Sect Douluo. Yet in the end, a boy from humble beginnings was so much stronger than her?
Ning Tian, who had reached the same conclusion, was even more determined to recruit Mo Yuan. She was certain that as long as he didn't die before his time, he would become at least a Super Douluo one day.
Ning Tian looked at Mo Yuan and extended an invitation on behalf of the heir to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. She spoke earnestly,
"Mo Yuan, I'm the daughter of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's leader. I'd like to invite you to join our clan. With your talent, you've achieved so much at such a young age all on your own. If you join us, our clan's resources will be directed your way, and you'll grow even faster."
Tsk, that was quick. As expected of someone with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul—her vision and resolve were truly exceptional... Mo Yuan had known Ning Tian would try to recruit him, but he hadn't expected her to act so soon.
Still, with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's wealth, joining wouldn't be a bad deal. And with so many Titled Douluo in the clan, he wouldn't need to worry about his safety in the early stages.
But Mo Yuan would join eventually, just not now. Shrek held plenty of opportunities too, and they were all important. If he tried to claim them as a member of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, he'd have no chance of getting any of them.
So... Mo Yuan decided to keep Ning Tian waiting while he entered Shrek. He was going to play both sides!
No! Given the nature of his Martial Soul, he might even be able to play all four sides!
Having made up his mind, Mo Yuan pretended to look a little troubled. "It's not that I look down on your clan. It's just that I've already decided to study at Shrek Academy. As the most authoritative academy on the continent, it'd be a shame to meet the admission requirements and not attend."
"There's a saying from a man named Lu in my hometown: 'If you come to Douluo Continent and don't go to Shrek, you've come for nothing.'"
Hearing that Mo Yuan wasn't planning to join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan right away, Ning Tian wasn't all that disappointed. With talent as terrifying as his, he must know he had plenty of options.
Playing hard to get was perfectly normal.
Besides, so what if he studied at Shrek Academy? Shrek was just a school. Unless he became part of its inner circle, he'd be no different from a free agent.
And Ning Tian was sure that one day she'd keep Mo Yuan firmly by her side and bring him into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Hearing Mo Yuan politely refuse Ning Tian's invitation, Wu Feng was unhappy, but she knew better than to say anything. She merely studied the Dragon Horn Hunting Lizard, which Mo Yuan had cut in half.
As her gaze moved away from the clean, smooth cut, she began wondering how Mo Yuan's Martial Soul Skill had caused such a wound. Then her eyes abruptly fixed on the corpse's right arm.
As the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo, Wu Feng had once seen her grandfather kill a Soul Beast and have a Soul Bone drop from it. So when she saw that there was no bone in the flesh of the corpse's slashed-open right arm, she guessed what had happened.
But Wu Feng's cleverness lasted only a moment. As soon as she realized Mo Yuan had obtained a Soul Bone, she looked at him and blurted out without thinking,
"Mo Yuan, did you get a Right Arm Bone from this Dragon Horn Hunting Lizard?"
Hearing that, Mo Yuan, who'd been chatting with Ning Tian, froze. A cold glint appeared in his gentle eyes.
Soul Bones were exceedingly rare and valuable, and easily invited greed. To point out that someone had a Soul Bone on them right in the Star Dou Great Forest was practically no different from trying to murder them.
If Mo Yuan hadn't known the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan wouldn't be foolish enough to offend a talented youth over a Soul Bone, he would've drawn his long blade the instant Wu Feng spoke.
"Wu Feng!" Ning Tian was taken aback too. She felt awful, especially when she saw the coldness in Mo Yuan's eyes. She wished she could sew Wu Feng's mouth shut.
Ning Tian's sharp rebuke brought Wu Feng to her senses. Realizing what a foolish thing she'd just said, she knew she'd made a mistake and didn't argue. She simply lowered her head and stood behind Ning Tian without saying another word.
"Mo Yuan, I apologize on Wu Feng's behalf. Because of her Martial Soul, Wu Feng has always been rather hot-tempered. She often speaks without thinking, but she means no harm," Ning Tian hurriedly explained.
If this little incident caused Mo Yuan to become enemies with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, they'd be well and truly screwed.
"It's fine. Honest people are all like that—maybe a little dim, but good at heart." Mo Yuan's lips curved into a faint smile. How could he blame Wu Feng now?
If everything went the way Ning Tian expected, Wu Feng would face real punishment one day.
For example...
Before you continue