Qian Renxue's Invitation

Having spent a peaceful month at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Lin Yi spent most of his time consolidating his level 73 soul power and familiarizing himself with the application of his Snow Lotus True Body, aside from occasionally instructing the team. Meanwhile, his relationship with Xiao Wu grew increasingly sweet and stable. Zhu Zhuqing remained by his side like a shadow, silently fulfilling her duties as a maid, though the complexity in her eyes became harder to decipher whenever she watched the interactions between Lin Yi and Xiao Wu.

On this day, an unexpected guest arrived—the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe maintained his usual gentle and refined demeanor, showing great respect for talent. He personally visited Lin Yi's residence and spoke with earnest sincerity, heaping praise upon his performance during the Soul Master Tournament.

"Brother Lin Yi is young, yet possesses such cultivation and insight; it is truly the fortune of our Heaven Dou Empire." Xue Qinghe smiled warmly, personally pouring a cup of fragrant tea for Lin Yi. "The world may seem calm today, but undercurrents are surging. Martial Soul Hall is powerful and ambitious, and our Heaven Dou Empire is currently in need of talent. With Brother Lin Yi's brilliance, if you are willing to enter the court as an official or serve as a guest advisor to the royal family, I will surely treat you as a national treasure. Achieving the rank of marquis or minister in the future would be no difficult task. I wonder what Brother Lin Yi thinks of this?"

Lin Yi sneered inwardly. How could he not know the true identity of this "Crown Prince" before him? Qian Renxue, daughter of the Pope of Martial Soul Hall, had been lurking in the Heaven Dou Empire for over a decade with grand designs! Her solicitation was nothing more than an attempt to bind him, and perhaps even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, to the chariot of Martial Soul Hall, or at the very least, to sow discord and divide them.

On the surface, however, he displayed just the right amount of flattered surprise and a hint of hesitation, cupping his hands and saying, "I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's kindness. It is just that... this junior has already been accepted as a disciple by my master, Sword Douluo. As a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, all my actions must follow the arrangements of the sect and my teacher; I dare not make decisions on my own. Furthermore, I am of a free-spirited nature and only wish to focus on cultivation. I fear I am ill-suited for such heavy responsibilities and would fail to live up to Your Highness's expectations."

He once again brought up Sword Douluo and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, using them as the most legitimate shield possible.

A trace of imperceptible gloom flashed deep within the eyes of Xue Qinghe (Qian Renxue), but the smile on her face remained gentle. "I see. A high disciple of Sword Douluo is naturally extraordinary. Since Brother Lin Yi is devoted to your sect, I shall not force the matter. I only hope that if the empire faces hardship in the future, Brother Lin Yi and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will lend a hand, keeping in mind that we are all part of Heaven Dou."

"Your Highness speaks too seriously; protecting Heaven Dou is also the duty of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect," Lin Yi replied, leaving no room for criticism.

After seeing Xue Qinghe off, the relaxed expression on Lin Yi's face vanished instantly, replaced by a heavy gravity. He knew that Qian Renxue personally coming to recruit him meant that Martial Soul Hall's infiltration of the Heaven Dou Empire had reached an extremely deep level; he feared the day of the final net closing was not far off.

He could wait no longer.

The next day, using the excuse of returning to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to continue his seclusion, Lin Yi took Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, left the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and headed straight back to the branch sect established by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect outside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

As soon as he entered the secret chamber where Bone Douluo Gu Rong was stationed, Lin Yi waved his hand to set up a soundproof barrier, his face filled with unprecedented "panic" and "gravity."

"Senior Gu Rong, something terrible has happened!"

Seeing his expression, Bone Douluo set aside his usual playfulness and said in a deep voice, "What could make you so flustered?"

Lin Yi took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and spoke with rapid speed: "During my return to Tiandou City, I accidentally discovered a shocking secret! The Heaven Dou Imperial family, and perhaps even the entire court, has likely been infiltrated by Martial Soul Hall until it is riddled with holes! Especially around Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, there are several extremely subtle yet powerful soul power fluctuations hidden; their aura... is identical to the knights of Martial Soul Hall! I suspect that His Highness Xue Qinghe... may have long been controlled by Martial Soul Hall, or even... that the person himself is problematic!"

He could not directly expose Qian Renxue's identity, as he could not explain the source of his information, so he could only sound the alarm under the guise of "noticing anomalies."

"What?!" Upon hearing this, Bone Douluo Gu Rong stood up abruptly, a massive aura leaking out uncontrollably, causing the secret chamber to hum with vibration! His face changed drastically. "Boy, is this true?! Do you know what this implies?!"

"This junior would never speak recklessly!" Lin Yi said with certainty. "This matter is absolutely true! Martial Soul Hall has been planning for years, and their goal is certainly no small matter! I fear there will be major movements soon! Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has close ties with the empire and is one of the Upper Three Sects; we are surely a thorn in their side! We must make preparations early!"

Bone Douluo Gu Rong paced back and forth in the secret chamber, his face terrifyingly gloomy. He knew well that Lin Yi was not a person to shoot at shadows, and with his current level of spiritual power cultivation, it was not impossible for him to detect such secrets.

"This matter is of too great a consequence; we must inform Fengzhi and Chen Xin immediately!" Gu Rong made a prompt decision, taking out a specially crafted soul tool for communication, and transmitted Lin Yi's findings and warnings back to the main headquarters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect through the most urgent channel.

Several days later, Sect Master Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo Chen Xin arrived together, both of their faces incomparably grave.

Inside the secret chamber, the four highest-ranking members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect gathered once again.

After listening to Lin Yi's detailed "findings" and Bone Douluo's additions, Ning Fengzhi remained silent for a long time. A startling cold light flickered in his wise eyes.

"If what Lin Yi says is true... then the Heaven Dou Empire is already in a precarious position!" Ning Fengzhi's voice was low. "Martial Soul Hall's move is to pull the firewood from under the cauldron, completely controlling one of the two great empires! Once they succeed, the next target will inevitably be us, the Upper Three Sects!"

Sword Douluo Chen Xin snorted coldly, his body radiating a sharp sword aura. "Martial Soul Hall... what a massive appetite! If they want to move against Heaven Dou, they must first ask the Seven Kill Sword in my hand!"

"Fengzhi, what do you intend to do?" Bone Douluo looked at Ning Fengzhi.

Ning Fengzhi stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the mist-shrouded mountains outside, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes. "We cannot sit and wait for death! If the Heaven Dou Empire falls, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will be unable to stand alone. We must take advantage of the time before Martial Soul Hall fully launches its plan to preemptively clear the hidden dangers within the Heaven Dou Empire!"

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "I will personally and secretly seek an audience with Emperor Xue Ye to explain the gravity of the situation! At the same time, I will unite all forces that can be united—the imperial family itself, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo who has close ties with the empire, and... the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, which is also one of the Upper Three Sects and has intricate connections with the empire!"

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family?" Bone Douluo frowned. "That old dragon Yu Yuanzhen has always been arrogant; he may not be willing to intervene easily."

"He should understand the principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold'," Ning Fengzhi said in a deep voice. "I will personally write a letter to explain the ambition and danger of Martial Soul Hall. If Heaven Dou is destroyed, how long can his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family remain unscathed? Furthermore, his grandson, Yu Tianheng, now has a deep connection with our sect, which is another bond."

He looked at Lin Yi. "Lin Yi, you have performed a great service this time! If not for your vigilance, our sect might have faced the danger of collapse! You should continue your cultivation at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well; I, along with Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone, will handle the storms in the outside world."

Lin Yi bowed. "This disciple obeys."

Ning Fengzhi's plan was rapidly set into motion. An undercurrent directed at the lurking forces of Martial Soul Hall began to quietly surge within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire...