Qian Renxue's Overture

As Qin Yuan stepped out of the Douhun Arena, he stopped again, gazing intently at the luxury carriage before him.

A corner of the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a beautiful face that could topple nations. Those clear, cold, beautiful eyes stared at him, and her jade lips parted slightly:

"Ling Tian, may I come up for a talk?"

Nine years had passed, and he was finally seeing his Elder Sister's true face again... Qin Yuan mused inwardly.

Before he was three years old, he had always slept with Qian Renxue. At that time, Qian Renxue probably thought he was too young to remember things and didn't pretend in front of him.

So he often saw Qian Renxue's true appearance back then, but after he turned three, he never had the chance to see it again, until now.

Qin Yuan remained silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and got into the carriage.

As expected, Qian Renxue was also trying to recruit him, with terms not much different from Ning Fengzhi's.

But even if the conditions were far inferior to Ning Fengzhi's, Qin Yuan would not refuse his Elder Sister's recruitment. Without a hint of hesitation, he nodded in surprise and agreed:

"These terms are truly beyond my expectations. I am willing to serve you and will never betray you!"

Qian Renxue looked at Qin Yuan in surprise, not expecting it to be so smooth. She had thought it would take some effort to subdue such an exceptional genius.

"Very good, you will receive everything you desire in the future," Qian Renxue nodded with satisfaction.

"Now, take off your mask."

Qin Yuan did not take off his mask after all and got out of the carriage.

Her deep, clear, and cold beautiful eyes peered through the curtain at Qin Yuan's retreating back. Qian Renxue murmured softly:

"If his martial soul wasn't the Golden Dragon, I would have thought the person sitting in front of me was Xiao Yuan. Is it just a similar build..."

Shaking her head slightly, she secretly thought, "He wears a mask because he's incredibly ugly and doesn't want to take it off. Fine, when I become a Titled Douluo in the future and protect Xiao Yuan, wearing a mask won't scare him."

Qin Yuan was in a good mood. He had finally seen his Elder Sister's true face again today, but he also felt a little guilty about deceiving her.

I hope Elder Sister goes easy on me when she finds out... Qin Yuan thought jokingly, but he also knew that Qian Renxue would never bear to hit him.

He arrived at the inn and teleported back to the Imperial Palace again.

Not long after he returned, Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong, and Sword Douluo arrived in the courtyard.

Qian Renxue, who had also returned to the Imperial Palace, learned of this and immediately disguised herself as Xue Qinghe, rushing over, afraid that a certain brat would steal her territory.

Under Ning Rongrong's coaxing, Sword Douluo sighed and reluctantly frowned as he walked up to Qin Yuan, saying grumpily:

"Brat, unleash your sword techniques with all your might. I'll only guide you once."

His tone was unpleasant, and he planned to casually dismiss him with a few words later to appease Rongrong. Since Qin Yuan was at most at the first stage of Sword Dao, a few perfunctory words would suffice.

"Go, Brother Yuan!" Ning Rongrong waved her small fists, her beautiful eyes almost glued to Qin Yuan's handsome and almost demonic face, blinking not at all.

Ning Fengzhi beside her grew darker in expression, as did Sword Douluo.

He had decided to seize the opportunity to harshly criticize Qin Yuan later, saying his swordsmanship was worthless and he had no talent for the sword, thus shattering his image in Rongrong's eyes!

Qian Renxue, who had rushed over, her eyes twitched slightly, and she cursed "brat" hatefully in her heart.

Qin Yuan felt that Sword Douluo was truly disrespectful for an elder. Just because he had a good relationship with Rongrong, he had such a strong opinion of him.

Alas, old people nowadays just don't understand how to love the young.

Qin Yuan drew the precious sword Qian Renxue had given him from his waist, the Dragon Blood Sword.

Its blade was as red as blood, smooth as a mirror, and could cut through iron like mud. It was said that Qian Renxue claimed it was the work of Divine Craftsman Lou Gao.

Qin Yuan directly unleashed his swordsmanship, which had reached the realm of Half-step Sword Dao Grandmaster, with all his might. The sword wind howled, and the sword light was dazzling, as if multiple Qin Yuans were dancing with swords.

Qin Yuan thrust, chopped, slashed, and swept. Each move was round and natural, full of charm. Sometimes it was as gentle as flowing water, sometimes as rapid as a storm, and sometimes as swift as thunder and lightning...

Sword Douluo was stunned.

Ning Fengzhi was also stunned.

Ning Rongrong's tender little mouth formed an 'O' shape.

The three of them were equally dumbfounded.

Upon seeing this, Qian Renxue's lips curved upwards unconsciously, her eyes shining with pride and glory.

My Xiao Yuan is the best!

As the person who understood swordsmanship the most and had the highest achievements in the Sword Dao in the entire venue, Sword Douluo's mind went blank. It was as if ten thousand bolts of lightning struck his brain simultaneously, making his scalp tingle and his thoughts scatter.

No, this is called half a year of studying swordsmanship?!

You call this half a year of studying swordsmanship?!

This damn thing is called half a year of studying swordsmanship!!

Then what am I, who studied swordsmanship for ten years back then and was still far inferior to him, the Number One Sword Dao Expert?

Sword Douluo experienced the sensation of his head buzzing for the first time.

Gradually, he regained his senses, focused his thoughts, and stared intently at the boy dancing with his sword. His breathing became increasingly rapid and heavy, his eyes gleaming with sharpness and fervor.

Yet, at the thought that the boy's Innate Soul Power was only half a level, the brilliant light and fervor in his eyes dimmed into unbearable agony.

Why was your Innate Soul Power only half a level? If it had even been five levels, this old man would have certainly taken you as a personal disciple!

The heavens are blind! A prodigy of the Sword Path, a peerless genius of the sword seen once in a millennium, yet his Innate Soul Power is only half a level!

It hurts! It hurts so much!!

Sword Douluo instinctively reached out, his fingers clutching his chest tightly. He felt as if his heart were being twisted by a blade, as if he were witnessing an ancient, supreme sword intent manifesting upon a rusted, cracked, and useless sword.

After finishing the sword routine, Qin Yuan sheathed his blade and exhaled. He turned first to look at Qian Renxue, flashing her a brilliant smile, before turning toward the heartbroken and regretful Sword Douluo.

"Senior Sword Douluo, does this junior's swordsmanship meet your standards?"

Sword Douluo remained silent for a long time. Finally, under the gazes of Qian Renxue, Ning Rongrong, and the others, he closed his eyes and spoke slowly:

"This old man has never seen anyone of your age grasp the Sword Path to such a degree. Even without my guidance, you would surely step into the realm of a Sword Grandmaster within half a year. It is just a pity..."

He did not finish his sentence, letting out a heavy sigh instead, one laden with complex emotions.

If it really takes another half a year to comprehend the Sword Heart, I might as well just bash my head into Sister's chest and die... Qin Yuan secretly curled his lip.

"Heehee, I just knew Brother Yuan was the best!" Ning Rongrong cheered and jumped for joy, as if she were the one being praised.

She then trotted over to Qin Yuan, affectionately hugging his arm, her beautiful eyes curving into crescent moons as she beamed with happiness.

"..." Qian Renxue clenched her fists, feeling that this brat was constantly provoking her.

It was intentional; that brat was definitely doing it on purpose!

Seeing his daughter acting like she was practically throwing herself at him, Ning Fengzhi's face turned as dark as an iron pot, and he trembled with rage.

Although Qin Yuan's talent for the Sword Path had exceeded his expectations and truly shocked him to the core, Qin Yuan had one fatal flaw: his Innate Soul Power was only half a level. This meant that the boy would, at most, become a Soul Grand Master in the future.

Yu Xiaogang, who was known as a master in the soul master world, was nearly fifty years old and still hadn't broken through to the thirtieth rank—he was a living example!

How could his daughter, the future Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, ever marry someone like that?

It wasn't just that he wouldn't allow it; the ancestral teachings wouldn't allow it either!

Therefore, he had to tear Qin Yuan and Ning Rongrong apart, even if it meant his daughter would hate him for it.