Playmate

"Jiang Bai..."

Qian Daoliu repeated the name, nodded, and agreed without hesitation.

"Alright, Grandpa understands. Such a small matter will have an answer by tomorrow."

"Hehe, thank you, Grandpa! You're the best!"

Qian Renxue immediately beamed.

Afterward, grandfather and granddaughter chatted beneath the porch for a while longer.

It was not until the night had grown deeper and Qian Renxue could not help letting out a small yawn that Qian Daoliu said warmly, "Alright, it's getting late. Xue'er, get some rest early. Grandpa should head back too."

"Good night, Grandpa!"

Qian Renxue obediently waved goodbye.

Only after watching his granddaughter enter the villa and close the door did Qian Daoliu withdraw his gaze.

The affection on his face gradually faded, returning to that unfathomable calm.

His silver figure flickered slightly, then seemed to melt into the night and vanish without a trace.

Worship Hall.

The interior of the great hall was vast and lofty, its dome seeming to connect directly to the stars.

At its deepest point stood a towering statue of the Six-Winged Angel, carved entirely from some sort of jade.

The statue's face was compassionate yet majestic. Holding a sacred sword, it exuded a holy and boundless pressure that instinctively inspired awe and submission.

Qian Daoliu appeared soundlessly before the statue.

He did not look at it. Instead, he stood with his back to the entrance, hands clasped behind him, his gaze seeming to pierce through the hall walls.

His voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly through the silent, empty hall with unquestionable authority.

"Someone, investigate a new student at Spirit Academy named Jiang Bai. I want all his information."

"Yes!"

From the shadows in a corner of the hall came a low, hoarse male voice devoid of emotion. The shadows then twisted slightly before returning to stillness, as though no one had ever been there.

After issuing the order, Qian Daoliu slowly walked to the lone prayer cushion before the statue. Lifting the hem of his white robe, he knelt with a devout and solemn posture.

He pressed his palms together, closed his eyes, and began to pray.

About two hours later, steady, powerful footsteps broke the silence.

An extraordinarily burly, powerful figure, like an iron tower, strode into the Worship Hall.

He looked to be in his fifties or sixties. His face was as resolute as stone, and every step carried a heavy, imposing presence.

It was Golden Crocodile, the Second Worship of the Worship Hall, a level ninety-eight attack-type Title Douluo!

After entering the hall, Golden Crocodile Douluo first stopped before the enormous Angel God statue and solemnly bowed deeply.

Only after paying his respects did he turn toward Qian Daoliu, who was still kneeling on the prayer cushion, and respectfully call out, "Big Brother."

His voice was deep and resounding, like muffled thunder rolling past.

Qian Daoliu slowly opened his eyes. He did not rise, merely turning his head slightly. "Have you found out?"

"Mm."

Golden Crocodile Douluo answered, stepped forward, and handed over a not particularly thick paper file. "This kid's background is rather interesting."

Qian Daoliu took the file but did not open it immediately. He merely raised his eyes to look at Golden Crocodile.

Knowing his eldest brother's habits, Golden Crocodile Douluo began directly recounting the key information, his deep voice echoing through the hall.

"Jiang Bai, six years and three months old. Registered birthplace: Niuma Village, Balak Kingdom, Heaven Dou Empire."

"His Martial Soul awakened three months ago: Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. Innate Soul Power: level nine."

"Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda?"

At last, a clear ripple passed through Qian Daoliu's calm eyes.

The world's number one support-type tool Martial Soul had appeared in a child from a border village. That alone was highly unusual.

"It is indeed the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda."

Golden Crocodile Douluo confirmed it, a trace of amusement appearing on his face as well.

"The intelligence division cross-checked information from the past decade regarding direct-line and branch-line disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect who had left the sect or gone missing for various reasons."

"It can basically be confirmed that his biological father has a ninety percent chance of being Ning Fengping, the man who had once become a laughingstock within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Ning Fengping?"

Qian Daoliu had no impression of the name.

"Yes. Around seven or eight years ago, Ning Fengping insisted on marrying an ordinary woman despite fierce opposition from the sect elders. In the end, he chose to leave the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and elope with her. Their whereabouts became unknown."

Why did this plot feel so familiar?

Golden Crocodile Douluo continued, "The intelligence says Jiang Bai's father had not been by his side since he was young, and his mother also passed away a year ago. Because too much time has passed and the location was remote, many details can no longer be... accurately verified."

Qian Daoliu listened silently, his fingers unconsciously brushing the edge of the file in his hand.

A Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciple who had betrayed his sect for love, whose fate was unknown, leaving behind a widow and orphan... It was logically plausible enough.

"Are you certain that he currently has no contact or connection whatsoever with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

Qian Daoliu asked the most critical question.

If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect learned of a Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda genius stranded outside the sect, it would never easily give up on him.

They had to ensure that this child's loyalties were currently with Spirit Hall, or at the very least, that he was not a pawn planted by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"At present, there is no evidence indicating any contact."

Golden Crocodile Douluo's answer was very certain.

"After Jiang Bai's Martial Soul Awakening, the local branch hall reported and took custody of him directly. The procedure was rigorous. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect likely has yet to learn of it, or at least, they have taken no action that we have detected."

Qian Daoliu nodded slightly, fairly satisfied with the result.

His background was clean, his talent exceptional, and his circumstances simple. For now, he appeared to be an uncut gem worth polishing, with no hidden dangers.

Having finished his report, Golden Crocodile Douluo looked at the contemplative Qian Daoliu and could not help asking.

"Big Brother, why did you suddenly think to investigate this child? His talent is decent, but it seems... not enough to warrant your personal attention."

Qian Daoliu did not hide anything and briefly recounted what he had seen by the lake that evening.

After listening, Golden Crocodile Douluo's rough brows shifted. He pondered for a moment, then said in a muffled voice.

"I see. This kid... has some nerve, and he's fairly thoughtful too."

"If his background truly has no problems and his talent is passable... then having him be Xue'er's playmate at the academy to ease her loneliness would not be impossible."

He spoke rather bluntly.

In his view, a Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Soul Master with level-nine Innate Soul Power might become a fine support in the future.

But for now, his greatest "value" might be allowing the young master, who had been lonely and lacked friends since childhood, to have more normal social interaction.

"Playmate..."

Qian Daoliu repeated the word softly, light shifting in his profound eyes.

Xue'er had been raised under strict training since childhood and bore heavy responsibilities. Most people around her either revered her status or had ulterior motives. She had almost no true friends her own age who did not mix their relationships with self-interest.

Perhaps that was also one source of the stubbornness and loneliness in her personality.

This Jiang Bai appeared to have a fairly kind nature, at least from current observation. His background was clean, and his talent... was not bad either.

Perhaps this truly could be an opportunity? An opportunity for Xue'er to experience what it was like to get along with an "ordinary person"?

There were naturally risks.

He would need continued observation to ensure that Jiang Bai would not have a harmful influence on Xue'er or be exploited by other forces.

After weighing the matter for a moment, Qian Daoliu came to a decision.

He looked at Golden Crocodile Douluo and said in a deep voice, "Very well. Send Xue'er a copy of the intelligence later. As for the rest... do not interfere for now. Let things take their natural course."

"Yes, Big Brother."

Golden Crocodile Douluo accepted the order without objection to Qian Daoliu's decision.

He once again respectfully saluted the Angel God statue, then turned and left the Worship Hall with heavy steps to handle the follow-up matters.

The great hall returned to silence.

Qian Daoliu remained kneeling on the prayer cushion, his gaze returning to the towering, holy Angel God statue before him.

The statue's compassionate gaze seemed to envelop the entire hall, as well as the worshipper kneeling before it.

He slowly closed his eyes and pressed his palms together.

The statue remained silent, while the eternal lamps flickered.

Time passed, and a month slipped by quietly.

Jiang Bai's life that month had followed a simple routine between three places: the dormitory, the classroom, and the cultivation grounds behind the mountain.

At night, he also entered meditation to replace most of his sleep.

It was not that he never slept at all. When mental exhaustion truly affected his meditation efficiency, he would sleep as well.

This near-ascetic level of cultivation gradually changed Yan and Xie Yue's initial surprise into stunned disbelief, even leaving them somewhat unable to understand him.

That afternoon, Jiang Bai prepared to head to the back mountain as usual.

"Hey, Jiang Bai," Yan finally could not hold back any longer and called out to him.

"Do you really have to push yourself this hard? This whole month, I haven't seen you stay in the dormitory during the afternoon even once! You're basically meditating every night too. Aren't you tired?"

His tone carried obvious confusion, even a hint of, "Are you some kind of masochist?"

Jiang Bai stopped, turned around, and answered calmly without any particular expression on his face.

"What's wrong with it? I just want to break through sooner and become stronger sooner."

"Become stronger?"

Yan seemed to have heard an amusing joke. He snorted, jumped down from his bed, walked over to Jiang Bai in a few strides, and casually draped an arm over Jiang Bai's somewhat slender shoulders.

His manner carried a hint of disdain.

"Jiang Bai, you need to face reality. Your Martial Soul is the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, the world's number one support-type tool Martial Soul. That's true, but you're still just support!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "support."

"Support Soul Masters need stable Soul Power, precise skill activation, and reliable teammates. What difference does it make whether you cultivate a little faster or slower? You won't be charging to the front in battle anyway."

Yan continued with his "brilliant argument."

"Besides, everyone knows about the limitation of your Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, right? Level seventy-nine! That's the Martial Soul's limit. At the absolute highest, you can only reach the Soul Saint realm!"

"No matter how quickly you cultivate now, won't it all be wasted when you get stuck at level seventy-nine and can't advance? Why push yourself so hard? Wouldn't it be better to enjoy academy life and take things slowly?"

Although Xie Yue remained as taciturn as ever, he raised his cool eyes to look at Jiang Bai and, unusually, added a word of agreement.

"Indeed. Jiang Bai, we are roommates. If there is a battle in the future, Yan and I will protect you. The value of a support Soul Master lies in the team. There is no need to be so... fixated on your personal cultivation speed."