Taking a Master (Please Favorite, Recommend, Vote!)

"Father, Mother."

Without beating around the bush, Xu Tianming got straight to the point.

"This is Body Douluo Mu Ye. From now on, he will be my teacher."

The moment those words came out, Xu Xiang and Kong Yue were both so stunned that they could not say a word.

Body Douluo?

Teacher?

Their son had only just obtained his first Soul Ring and rarely even left the house. Where had this teacher come from?

Only after a long while did Xu Xiang come back to his senses. His eyes widened as he slammed a hand onto the table and rose to his feet.

"I remember that the current Body Douluo of the Body Sect should be called Du Busi, shouldn't he?"

The title Body, like Angel ten thousand years ago, was an inherited title.

Only the person who succeeded to the position of Sect Master of the Body Sect could inherit the title of Body.

As a member of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family, Xu Xiang was quite familiar with the major powers of the continent.

"Hmph!"

With a soft snort, Mu Ye stepped forward.

The pressure unique to a Title Douluo suddenly erupted from him, forcibly pressing Xu Xiang, who had just stood up, back into his seat.

At the same time, nine Soul Rings appeared beneath Mu Ye's feet in sequence—black, black, black, black, black, red, red, red, red.

"Four... four hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings?"

Xu Xiang's face flushed red, and his eyes bulged so wide that he seemed to use all his strength just to force those words out.

Kong Yue, standing beside him, also stared at the nine Soul Rings beneath Mu Ye's feet in shock.

Although hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings were no longer as precious in the era of the Peerless Tang Sect as they had been ten thousand years ago, that was only true for Title Douluo from the original Three Douluo Kingdoms.

Not a single Title Douluo of their Sun Moon Empire possessed even one hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring!

"Though this old man is not the Sect Master of the Body Sect, my title is also Body. Do you have any objections?"

Mu Ye's voice was not loud, but to Xu Xiang and Kong Yue, it struck like thunder.

Under the pressure of Mu Ye's Title Douluo aura, neither could speak. They could only shake their heads repeatedly to show that they had no objections whatsoever.

"Elder Mu, they are my parents, after all."

Xu Tianming gave a mildly reproachful cough from the side.

Only after hearing Xu Tianming's words did Mu Ye withdraw his Soul Rings and Title Douluo pressure.

Xu Xiang and Kong Yue gasped for breath, staring at Mu Ye in fear.

For a moment just now, they had truly felt the threat of death.

"Father, Mother, Elder Mu's Martial Soul is also a Body Martial Soul."

Seeing that his parents had yet to recover from Mu Ye's intimidation, Xu Tianming walked over to them and spoke softly.

"My Martial Soul is also a mutated Martial Soul. When it comes to nurturing Body Martial Souls, no one on the continent can compare to Elder Mu."

"And Elder Mu was drawn by the phenomenon that occurred when I awakened my Martial Soul. He observed me for some time before deciding to accept me as his disciple."

After taking several deep breaths, Xu Xiang gradually calmed down.

Now that he had heard his son's words, his expression became complicated.

He was merely a Seven Ring Soul Saint and a Seventh-Level Soul Engineer. Naturally, he knew that before a Title Douluo like Mu Ye, who possessed four hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings, he had no right to refuse.

Even the lives of his entire family rested on the other man's whim.

"Your Excellency Body, I do not trust you!"

Yet even knowing the disparity in their strength, Xu Xiang still gritted his teeth and said it.

"The Three Douluo Kingdoms and our Sun Moon Empire have been hostile for a long time. I do not believe that Spirit Masters from the Three Douluo Kingdoms would properly nurture a Spirit Master from our Sun Moon Empire!"

Even at this moment, Xu Xiang's greatest concern was still that Mu Ye would not sincerely train his son.

"Who said this old man is from the Three Douluo Kingdoms?"

Mu Ye shook his head with an odd expression.

"If you do not believe me, this old man can swear upon my Martial Soul that I am not a Spirit Master from the Three Douluo Kingdoms."

The Sun Moon Federation had originally evolved from the Sun Moon Empire. By that reasoning, Mu Ye truly was not from the Three Douluo Kingdoms.

"Tianming's talent is the finest this old man has ever seen in his life."

Mu Ye pointed at Xu Tianming as he spoke.

"You may rest assured. This old man will certainly train him well!"

On the Douluo Continent, swearing upon one's Martial Soul was an extremely serious matter.

A Martial Soul was another side of a Spirit Master.

If a Spirit Master violated an oath made upon their Martial Soul, their cultivation might never advance another step for the rest of their life.

Especially beings like Title Douluo, who would never lightly swear upon their Martial Souls.

"Your Excellency Body is not from the Three Douluo Kingdoms?"

Xu Xiang asked in surprise.

"Could you be from our Sun Moon Empire?"

"I can indeed be considered a Spirit Master of the Sun Moon Empire... Do not ask anything else."

Mu Ye clearly did not wish to explain further. He did not know how to explain it either.

"You have no objections to this old man taking Tianming as his disciple, do you?"

Xu Xiang and Kong Yue exchanged a glance, and both fell silent.

"Father, Mother, please allow me to study under Elder Mu."

Seeing that his parents were not speaking, Xu Tianming immediately gave them a deep bow.

"You... you..."

Xu Xiang looked at his son with a complicated expression. Only after a long while did he let out a sigh.

"If that is the case, then you may study under His Excellency Body."

His son was willing, and the other man was a Title Douluo with four hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings who was not even a Spirit Master from the Three Douluo Kingdoms.

Under such circumstances, Xu Xiang had no reason to refuse.

"Your Excellency Body, please forgive our earlier rudeness."

"I leave this... this disappointing child of mine in your care."

As he spoke, Xu Xiang took Kong Yue's hand, and the two bowed to Mu Ye together.

"Rest assured, I will do everything I can to train Tianming."

Mu Ye raised a hand slightly, forcibly straightening Xu Xiang and Kong Yue.

"However, cultivating a Body Martial Soul is exceptionally difficult. From now on, you must not interfere in any way."

"Of course!"

Xu Xiang nodded heavily. He had heard a little about some of the Body Sect's cultivation methods.

He now mostly believed that Mu Ye would properly train his son.

"Today is not only the day Tianming successfully absorbed a first Soul Ring beyond his limit, but also the day he found a teacher like Your Excellency Body."

Xu Xiang invited Mu Ye to the seat of honor and personally poured him a cup of wine.

"Tianming will be in Your Excellency Body's care from now on."

With that, he raised his cup toward Mu Ye, then drained the wine in a single gulp.

"Rest assured. Tianming's future achievements will certainly surpass even mine."

Mu Ye gave him due respect and drank the wine Xu Xiang had poured for him.

A family banquet that should have been joyous ended amid this strange atmosphere.

After arranging for Mu Ye to stay in a guest room not far from Xu Tianming's, Xu Xiang's brow remained tightly furrowed.

"Since things have come to this, do not overthink it."

Kong Yue tenderly stroked the crease between her husband's brows.

"For Tianming to be accepted as a disciple by a Title Douluo powerhouse with four hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings is a rare stroke of fortune."

At her words, Xu Tianming's brow finally eased slightly.

"That is true. What could a powerful Title Douluo with hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings possibly want from us?"

"Perhaps His Excellency Body truly has taken a liking to Tianming's talent?"