Heaven Dou Empire.
Almost everyone from the major powers had arrived at the Martial Soul Exchange Meeting.
At present,
of the Upper Three Sects, all but the Clear Sky Sect had arrived. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan were both there.
Ye Xuan and Hu Liena, dressed in the Spirit Hall's custom uniforms, followed behind Yue Guan.
"Senior Sister, have you ever attended a Martial Soul Exchange Meeting like this?"
Hearing his question, Hu Liena shook her head.
"No. Actually, my teacher only took me in two years ago. I haven't been her disciple much longer than you have."
She had only learned about the Martial Soul Exchange Meeting from her teacher six months ago.
For the past six months, she hadn't dared slack off for a moment. She'd been working hard to cultivate.
She was determined not to bring shame on Spirit Hall or her teacher.
The Martial Soul Exchange Meeting was being held outside Heaven Dou Imperial City.
With Yue Guan leading Ye Xuan and Hu Liena, they were among the last to arrive.
There were still six years until the story began.
At this point in time, relations between Spirit Hall and the major powers were still ambiguous.
So the other powers treated Spirit Hall with great courtesy.
When the people from the various powers saw Yue Guan, along with the tall and short figures following behind him, they all turned curious gazes their way.
After all,
Ye Xuan looked far too young.
The young prodigies the other powers had brought with them were generally between twelve and fifteen years old.
But when their gazes fell on Hu Liena,
their expressions changed.
They all recognized her as the current pope Bibi Dong's cherished disciple.
"Nana, take your junior brother and look around if you like. Just remember not to bring shame on Spirit Hall."
Yue Guan didn't know Ye Xuan very well,
but he had high hopes for Hu Liena.
"Understood. Elder Yue Guan, go take care of your business. I'll look after Junior Brother."
Not far away,
some people from the other powers had naturally heard what Hu Liena said.
Junior brother?
Could it be that Spirit Hall's pope, Bibi Dong, had taken on a new disciple?
The news quickly spread through the crowd. In moments, nearly every power present knew about it.
That young-looking boy was Bibi Dong's second disciple.
Only then
did Ye Xuan finally understand.
For experts like Yue Guan, the Martial Soul Exchange Meeting was a chance to exchange cultivation insights.
But for youngsters like him and Hu Liena, it was a place to spar.
The area Hu Liena brought him to was filled with young geniuses from the major powers.
As soon as he arrived, he saw groups of three or five young Soul Masters gathered together.
Most of them were with people they knew.
Of course,
there were also a few aloof boys and girls who kept to themselves.
Before long,
as they reached the central area,
Ye Xuan noticed a little girl standing among the crowd, dressed in extravagant finery.
The group of geniuses gathered around her all wore ingratiating smiles and kept their heads bowed.
They didn't dare disobey her in the slightest as she gave orders and pointed this way and that.
"Hm?"
Ye Xuan was a little puzzled. The girl looked even younger than he was.
But judging by the way everyone acted around her, she was probably the daughter of some important figure.
Hu Liena noticed Ye Xuan's gaze and spotted the little girl surrounded by so many people.
"Oh? Junior Brother, is this your first taste of love?"
As if she'd sensed the curiosity in Ye Xuan's eyes, Hu Liena teased him.
Hearing her, Ye Xuan rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Senior Sister, could you clear those picture-book scenes out of your head?"
Hu Liena pursed her lips in displeasure.
"What are you talking about, Junior Brother? I read those books to cultivate my spiritual power and improve my charm techniques."
Seeing how she looked so utterly convinced of herself, Ye Xuan could only sigh inwardly.
"But your eye for people is pretty good, Junior Brother. That little girl is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess. Her Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and she has innate ninth-level Soul Power. The people around her are all geniuses from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Once he learned who she was, Ye Xuan understood why everyone around her acted that way.
She was the only daughter of Ning Fengzhi, the head of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo had even taken Ning Rongrong as their god-granddaughter.
A doting father who spoiled his daughter.
Two Super Douluo grandfathers who doted on their granddaughter.
And at the age of six, she'd awakened the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul with innate ninth-level Soul Power.
It was fair to say that Ning Rongrong had been showered with the sect's utmost affection from the moment she was born.
Moreover, in Ning Fengzhi's heart,
Ning Rongrong was already the sect's heir apparent.
"You have to admit, being born into the right family really is a skill."
Ye Xuan spread his hands helplessly. Hu Liena covered her mouth and giggled at his words.
"Junior Brother, you'd better watch your mouth. That little girl comes from a distinguished family, but your status isn't bad either, is it?"
Only then did Ye Xuan remember that he was a disciple of the pope too.
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Right, I just haven't gotten used to it yet."
While Hu Liena and Ye Xuan chatted and strolled around,
Ning Rongrong, the center of attention,
noticed the boy who looked about her age.
"You. Come here."
Ning Rongrong's voice wasn't loud,
but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples nearby all heard her clearly.
Just as they were wondering who had gotten so lucky,
they realized Ning Rongrong was looking outside the crowd.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples followed the direction of her finger.
They saw Ye Xuan and Hu Liena, both wearing Spirit Hall badges on their chests.
But Ye Xuan and Hu Liena hadn't noticed anyone speaking to them.
Seeing that they were about to walk away,
Ning Rongrong immediately ordered the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples below her.
"Hurry and bring those two over here."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples around her all looked troubled.
Although they each had their own little schemes when it came to the pampered little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect,
they truly couldn't bring themselves to provoke disciples of Spirit Hall.
Seeing that the disciples who'd just promised to obey her were now all avoiding her gaze,
Ning Rongrong planted her hands on her hips in displeasure.
"You, move aside."
At her words, they lowered their heads and opened a path.
There was no helping it.
It wasn't that they didn't want to obey. They simply couldn't afford to offend people from Spirit Hall.
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