Ning Fengzhi, dressed in a spotless white robe and exuding a refined, amiable air, walked in slowly, accompanied by Chen Xin, whose hair and beard were both white.
As soon as he entered, Ning Fengzhi discreetly sized up Su Chen.
The more he looked, the more deeply shaken he became.
In his perception, the young man before him still seemed like an ordinary person without the slightest trace of Soul Power.
And yet this very ordinary person radiated an otherworldly presence that even he, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, could not see through.
It was as if the man did not belong to this world at all, but was a Banished Immortal from beyond the Nine Heavens, looking down upon the ants of the mortal realm.
"Sect Master Ning. Sword Douluo."
Su Chen remained seated in his armchair, showing no intention of getting up. He merely gestured casually toward the chairs beside him. "Have a seat."
Faced with Su Chen's somewhat arrogant manner, Chen Xin would have cleaved any other commoner in two with his sword long ago.
But now, the level-96 Peak Douluo merely furrowed his brow slightly. He did not lose his temper, instead following Ning Fengzhi and taking a seat behind him.
"Mr. Su, you're so young, yet you possess such unfathomable strength and such profound knowledge. You've truly opened Ning's eyes."
After sitting down, Ning Fengzhi got straight to the point, wearing his trademark gentle smile.
"To be frank, I came here today because I'm eager to recruit a talent like you."
"Mr. Su's power is nothing short of a miracle in this age. If you keep telling stories in this little inn, it would be like hiding a pearl in the mud."
As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi took a card shimmering with black and gold from his Soul Tool and placed it on the table.
"This card contains five million Gold Soul Coins."
"If you're willing to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as an honorary elder, the five million will be yours to keep. From then on, you'll also have free access to all of the sect's cultivation resources and rare treasures."
"Moreover, you'll be under no restrictions within the sect, and your status will be equal to that of our two guardian Douluo."
"What do you say?"
Ning Fengzhi's offer was undeniably generous.
Out in the world, even an ordinary Soul Douluo would probably be so overwhelmed by such terms that he'd drop to his knees on the spot.
Yet Su Chen did not even glance at the black-and-gold card.
He merely lifted his teacup, gently blew the leaves from the surface, and took a small sip before speaking in an unhurried tone.
"I appreciate Sect Master Ning's kind offer."
"But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect isn't what I'm looking for."
After saying this, Su Chen set down his teacup and spoke calmly.
"Of course, I don't mean to belittle the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. It's simply that my ambitions lie beyond this world."
Ning Fengzhi's face stiffened at once, clearly taken aback.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had been sitting quietly beside him, finally couldn't hold back.
He had devoted his life to the sword and was as fiery and unyielding as they came. Though astonished by Su Chen's strength, his pride as a Titled Douluo could not permit anyone to belittle the sect he had sworn to protect with his life!
"Young man, great strength doesn't make you invincible!"
As he spoke, Chen Xin rose abruptly to his feet, his eyes flashing like lightning.
"The Perfect World you speak of may be vast, but in the end, it's only a story you've told!"
"On the Douluo Continent, Martial Souls and Soul Power are the true paths to the heavens!"
"I awakened the Seven Kill Sword at six. After more than seventy years of painstaking cultivation, I've reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship!"
"You don't use Soul Power. Do you really think your brute strength alone can stop this sword of mine, one that can cleave the void apart?"
Faced with Chen Xin's aggressive pressure, Ning Fengzhi had meant to intervene, but hesitated and ultimately chose to remain silent.
He, too, wanted to see what confidence this mysterious Mr. Su possessed when confronted with the true pinnacle of power on the continent.
Yet beneath the crushing pressure of Chen Xin's sword aura, Su Chen did not even lift an eyelid.
He simply gazed at a withered tea leaf lying on the table, as if it had drifted down from nowhere.
"The pinnacle?"
"Is this what Sword Douluo calls the pinnacle of swordsmanship?"
With that, Su Chen raised his hand slightly and gently pinched the withered tea leaf between his pale fingertips.
"Do you know what a true sword is?"
Chen Xin had no idea what Su Chen was up to. Frowning deeply, he replied coldly, "A sword is the sovereign of weapons, an instrument of slaughter!"
"My Seven Kill Sword is the greatest weapon of offense beneath the heavens!"
"Wrong."
Su Chen shook his head with an air of age-old wisdom.
"Before true swordsmanship, so-called Martial Souls and so-called weapons are nothing but shackles that bind your vision."
"Watch closely."
The moment the words left his mouth, Su Chen's once-calm presence changed abruptly!
In an instant, a terrifying sword intent burst from his slender body, beyond the power of words to describe, as if it had come from the very dawn of creation!
Pinching the withered tea leaf between two fingers, Su Chen casually flicked it toward Chen Xin.
"A speck of dust can fill the sea."
"A blade of grass can sever the sun, moon, and stars!"
"Whoosh!"
The instant Su Chen flicked the withered leaf, Chen Xin felt as though he had entered a state of enlightenment.
In his vision, the withered tea leaf disappeared.
In its place stood a mysterious sword grass, towering between heaven and earth, with nine leaves growing from it!
The sword grass swayed gently in the breeze. One of its leaves transformed into a peerless sword light that stretched across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, cleaved through the stars overhead, and came slashing straight toward him. It grew larger and larger in his pupils.
"W-what is this sword intent?!"
Chen Xin instinctively tried to summon the Seven Kill Sword to defend himself, only to discover in horror that his Martial Soul would not answer his call.
"Drip."
A bead of cold sweat slid down Chen Xin's forehead and struck the floor.
When Chen Xin came back to his senses, he was horrified to find the leaf hovering quietly in front of his brow, less than half an inch from his skin.
If that leaf had moved forward by even the tiniest fraction, the renowned Sword Douluo would have perished on the spot!
"Using a stick as a sword is child's play."
Su Chen slowly withdrew his hand. The leaf, no longer supported by his power, drifted down to the floor.
"Everything can be a sword. Every blade of grass and every tree can sever the stars."
"That is the Way of the vast world."
"Do you understand?"
Su Chen's voice was not loud, yet every word boomed like thunder.
"Every blade of grass and every tree can sever the stars..."
Chen Xin stood there in a daze, murmuring those words over and over.
Suddenly, as though he had realized something, the Soul Power bottleneck within him—which had been stagnant for years—cracked with a crisp sound in just a few short breaths.
Not only that, the sword aura around Chen Xin instantly withdrew, no longer leaking the slightest trace of its edge.
Yet standing there, he seemed to have merged with the surrounding world, returning to the source!
Level 97!
With just a few words of guidance from Su Chen and a demonstration using a withered leaf, Chen Xin had attained enlightenment on the spot and crossed the greatest chasm facing a Peak Douluo!
"Uncle Jian! Y-you broke through?!" Ning Fengzhi sensed the change in Chen Xin's presence and was left dumbstruck.
Chen Xin paid no heed to Ning Fengzhi's shock.
The peerless swordsman, who had spent his life proud and unyielding, clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Su Chen, who remained seated.
"Your instruction has remade me, sir!"
"I've cultivated the sword for many years, and only today have I understood the vastness of the Way of the Sword!"
"I was greatly disrespectful earlier. Please forgive me, sir!"
Seeing Chen Xin's attitude turn around completely, Su Chen merely waved a hand, unbothered.
"It's nothing."
"Go. You still have a long road ahead."
Chen Xin nodded, then pulled Ning Fengzhi, still reeling from the shock, along with him. He left the black-and-gold card behind and respectfully withdrew from the room, closing the door behind him.
With the two men from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect gone, the room grew quiet once more.
Su Chen picked up the teapot, intending to pour himself another cup.
But just as the tea filled the cup, footsteps sounded outside the door.
This time, however, the footsteps carried more nobility and composure than Ning Fengzhi's.
"The Crown Prince of the Tiandou Empire, Xue Qinghe, requests an audience with Mr. Su."
At the sound of that warm, jade-like voice, Su Chen's hand paused slightly as he poured the tea.
"This Heaven Dou City is getting more and more interesting."
"Come in."
The door opened, and Xue Qinghe soon walked in, dressed in splendid robes and exuding a refined, gentle air.
He had brought no attendants with him; he was alone.
"Mr. Su, I'm sorry to intrude. Please forgive me."
Xue Qinghe walked to the table and bowed slightly, every movement displaying the bearing of royalty, without a single flaw to be found.
"Your Highness is too kind."
As he spoke, Su Chen gestured casually toward the chair opposite him. "Have a seat."
Xue Qinghe took the seat without hesitation.
As she looked at the handsome young man before her, whose presence resembled that of a Banished Immortal, she recalled him cursing Yu Xiaogang in the main hall earlier and lifting the heavy cauldron with one hand. An unusual stir rose in her heart.
"I witnessed Mr. Su's presence in the main hall today with my own eyes. It was truly breathtaking."
Xue Qinghe wore an impeccable smile, her tone sincere.
"I've come for no other reason than to make a friend of you."
"If you don't mind, the gates of my Eastern Palace will always be open to you."
"Should you need anything within the Tiandou Empire, I'll do everything in my power to help."
Her words were exceptionally well chosen. They lacked the tackiness of Ning Fengzhi trying to win him over with money, while still showing Su Chen the utmost respect and displaying the hunger for worthy talent expected of a wise Crown Prince.
Anyone else would have been flattered to have the heir to an empire lower himself to make their acquaintance.
Su Chen merely slid the cup of tea he had poured toward Xue Qinghe.
"Make a friend?"
As he spoke, Su Chen raised his head and stared straight into Xue Qinghe's eyes.
Under his gaze, Xue Qinghe's heart gave a sudden lurch. For a moment, she felt as if he could see right through her.
"Mr. Su..."
"Did Qinghe say something wrong?" Xue Qinghe quickly suppressed her unease and managed to keep smiling as she asked.
"You didn't."
Su Chen withdrew his gaze and tapped the tabletop twice with his finger, producing a steady, rhythmic sound.
But then he looked at Xue Qinghe with amusement and asked lazily:
"I'm just not sure."
"Should I call you the Crown Prince of the Tiandou Empire?"
Su Chen leaned forward slightly and watched Xue Qinghe's pupils contract, speaking one word at a time.
"Or should I call you..."
"The young master of Spirit Hall, Qian Renxue?"
As those words drifted lightly from Su Chen's lips, the atmosphere in the entire room plunged into an icy chill.
The hand holding Xue Qinghe's teacup stiffened almost imperceptibly, but she quickly concealed it.
Her smile did not change. In fact, she even shook her head with a suitably puzzled, amused expression.
"Mr. Su certainly knows how to joke."
"What young master of Spirit Hall? What Qian Renxue? I truly don't understand what you mean."
"Qinghe is a prince of the Tiandou Empire, the future heir to the throne. If your words were to spread, they could spark a war between two great powers."
Years of living undercover had buried Qian Renxue's disguise deep in her bones.
Even though a tempest was raging inside her, she could still maintain a flawless facade before the truth was fully exposed.
She was even gambling that Su Chen was merely testing her.
After all, the disguise Soul Bone granted by the Angel God Set was a true divine relic. It was impossible for a mere storyteller at an inn to see through it at a glance. Even her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, a level-99 Peerless Douluo, could never have done so!
Yet faced with Qian Renxue's flawless performance, Su Chen did not even raise an eyelid.
He merely leaned back lazily in his armchair, his fingers gently rubbing the rim of his coarse porcelain teacup, his tone as casual as if he were making small talk.
"When you were nine, you took the place of the real Xue Qinghe and went undercover in the Tiandou Empire. You've been there ever since."
"You possess the divine Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul and were born with level-20 Innate Full Soul Power."
"Your grandfather is Qian Daoliu, the Grand Pontiff of Spirit Hall. As for your mother, she's the Pope, Bibi Dong, who now stands high above all."
As he spoke, Su Chen lifted his head slightly and looked at Xue Qinghe once more.
"Am I right?"
Xue Qinghe did not answer. She merely crushed the fine white jade teacup in her hand.
Scalding tea dripped through her fingers, but she was completely unaware of it.
At that moment, the peerless prodigy who had spent years undercover in the Tiandou Empire, convinced that she could manipulate everyone in the world, could no longer keep up her act.
She furrowed her brow and fixed an unfriendly gaze on Su Chen, ready to eliminate the threat before it could grow.
Behind her, three pairs of holy, radiant wings faintly began to beat.
"Who exactly are you?!"
Qian Renxue could no longer maintain her usual poise. There was even a faint, almost imperceptible tremor in her voice.
The feeling of having all her cards laid bare, with even her deepest secrets exposed on the table, filled her with a fear unlike any she had ever known.
Kill him!
She had to kill him!
Otherwise, Spirit Hall's years of scheming would all come to nothing!
Before you continue