Should I call you Xue Qinghe, or Qian Renxue?

I saw Ning Fengzhi, dressed in a pristine white robe and exuding a scholarly, gentle air, walk in slowly with Chen Xin, whose hair and beard were as white as snow.

The moment he stepped through the door, Ning Fengzhi's gaze swept over Su Chen, assessing him without a trace of subtlety.

The more he looked, the deeper the shock in his heart became.

Because in his perception, the young man before him still appeared to be an ordinary person without a shred of soul power.

Yet, it was precisely this ordinary person who radiated a transcendent aura that even he, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, could not fathom.

That feeling was as if the person before him did not belong to this world at all, but was an immortal from the Nine Heavens, looking down upon the ants of the mortal realm.

"Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo."

Su Chen sat in a grand armchair, showing no intention of rising; he merely gestured casually toward the chairs beside him. "Sit."

Faced with such a slightly arrogant attitude from Su Chen, had it been any other commoner, Chen Xin would have already struck him down with a sword.

But at this moment, the ninety-sixth-level peak Douluo merely frowned slightly and did not flare up, instead obediently sitting down behind Ning Fengzhi.

"Mr. Su is young, yet possesses such unfathomable strength and profound knowledge; it truly has opened my eyes."

After sitting down, Ning Fengzhi did not beat around the bush, getting straight to the point with his signature gentle smile:

"To be honest, I have come today because I have taken a liking to your talent."

"Mr. Su's power is a miracle of this age. If you continue to tell stories in this small inn, it would be a case of a pearl being cast into the darkness."

Having said this, Ning Fengzhi took a card shimmering with black-gold light from his soul tool and placed it on the table.

"This card contains five million Gold Soul Coins."

"As long as Mr. Su is willing to join our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and serve as an honorary elder, not only will these five million belong to you, but you may also call upon any of our sect's cultivation resources and heavenly treasures at will."

"Furthermore, you will be free from all constraints within the sect, and your status will be equal to that of our two guardian Douluos."

"I wonder, what does Mr. Su think?"

Ning Fengzhi's terms could hardly be described as anything but generous.

If this were outside, even an ordinary Soul Douluo hearing such terms would likely have been so excited they would have knelt down on the spot.

However, Su Chen did not even glance at the black-gold card.

He simply picked up his teacup, gently blew the tea leaves on the surface, took a light sip, and then spoke leisurely:

"I appreciate Sect Master Ning's kindness."

"But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is truly not where my heart lies."

After speaking, Su Chen set the teacup down gently and said with a calm gaze:

"Of course, this is not to belittle the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but my aspirations simply do not lie within this world."

Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's face stiffened abruptly; it was clearly beyond his comprehension.

And Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had been sitting to the side, could finally hold back no longer.

He had cultivated the sword his entire life, and his nature was as fierce as fire. Although he was shocked by Su Chen's power, the pride of a Title Douluo would never allow anyone to belittle the sect he had sworn to protect with his life!

"Young man, having great strength does not mean you are invincible!"

As he spoke, Chen Xin stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing like lightning.

"The Perfect World you speak of may indeed be vast, but in the end, it is only a story from your mouth!"

"On this Douluo Continent, martial souls and soul power are the true path to the heavens!"

"I awakened my Seven Kill Sword at the age of six and cultivated bitterly for over seventy years to reach the peak of the sword path today!"

"You use no soul power—do you think that with mere brute force, you can block this sword of mine that can shatter the void?!"

Faced with Chen Xin's aggressive aura, Ning Fengzhi had wanted to intervene, but after a moment of hesitation, he ultimately chose to remain silent.

He, too, wanted to see what kind of confidence this mysterious Mr. Su possessed when facing the true peak power of the continent.

However, under the overwhelming pressure of Chen Xin's sword intent, Su Chen did not even lift an eyelid.

He simply watched a withered tea leaf that had drifted down from somewhere onto the table.

"The peak?"

"Is this what the Sword Douluo calls the peak of the sword path?"

After saying this, Su Chen raised his hand slightly, his fair fingertips gently pinching the withered tea leaf.

"Do you know what a true sword is?"

Hearing this, Chen Xin, unable to fathom what Su Chen was doing, furrowed his brows tightly and said coldly: "The sword is the sovereign of all weapons, an instrument of slaughter!"

"My Seven Kill Sword is the number one offensive weapon in the world!"

"Wrong."

Yet, faced with the Sword Douluo's answer, Su Chen shook his head with an aged air.

"In the face of the true sword path, your so-called martial souls and weapons are nothing but shackles that limit your vision."

"Watch closely."

As the words fell, the temperament of Su Chen, which had been as calm as still water, underwent a sudden transformation!

In an instant, a terrifying sword intent—indescribable in words and seemingly born from the very dawn of creation—surged into the sky from his slender frame!

Su Chen held a withered tea leaf between two fingers and flicked it lightly toward Chen Xin.

"A single grain of dust can fill the seas."

"A single blade of grass can sever the sun, the moon, and the stars!"

"Swish!"

The moment that withered leaf left Su Chen's hand, Chen Xin felt as if he had attained enlightenment.

In his vision, the withered tea leaf vanished.

In its place stood a mysterious sword-grass, reaching from the heavens to the earth, adorned with nine leaves!

The sword-grass swayed gently in the wind, and one of its leaves transformed into a supreme sword light that spanned the nine heavens and ten earths, slicing through the starry sky before rushing straight toward him, growing larger and larger in his pupils.

"This... what kind of sword intent is this!"

Chen Xin instinctively tried to summon his Seven Kill Sword to defend himself, only to discover with horror that his martial soul refused to obey his command.

"Drip."

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Chen Xin's forehead and struck the floor.

When Chen Xin finally regained his senses, he was shocked to find the tea leaf hovering quietly before his brow, less than half an inch from his skin.

Had that leaf advanced even a hair's breadth further, he, the Sword Douluo who shook the continent, would have perished instantly!

"Using a wooden stick as a sword is nothing but a child's play."

Su Chen slowly withdrew his hand, and the tea leaf, losing its source of power, drifted to the ground.

"Everything can be a sword; a blade of grass or a tree can sever the stars."

"This is the true Dao of the vast universe."

"Do you understand?"

Su Chen's voice was not loud, yet every word struck like thunder.

"A blade of grass, a tree, can sever the stars..."

Chen Xin stood frozen in place, muttering the words over and over.

Suddenly, as if he had grasped a profound truth, the bottleneck of his soul power—which had been stagnant for years—emitted a crisp cracking sound within the span of a few breaths.

Not only that, but the sword aura radiating from Chen Xin instantly retracted, leaving no sharpness exposed.

Yet, as he stood there, he seemed to have merged with the surrounding world, returning to a state of simplicity and truth!

Level 97!

A single word of guidance from Su Chen, combined with the demonstration of a withered leaf, had allowed Chen Xin to achieve sudden enlightenment on the spot, crossing the chasm that was most difficult for a peak Douluo to overcome!

"Uncle Sword! You... you've broken through?!" Ning Fengzhi, standing to the side, felt the shift in Chen Xin's aura and was left completely stunned.

However, Chen Xin paid no heed to Ning Fengzhi's shock.

This peerless sword cultivator, proud and unyielding his entire life, cupped his hands and bowed deeply to Su Chen, who remained seated in his chair!

"The grace of your instruction is akin to a rebirth!"

"I, Chen Xin, have practiced the sword for many years, but only today do I know the vastness of the sword path!"

"I have offended you greatly before; I hope you will forgive me, sir!"

Seeing Chen Xin's attitude undergo a 180-degree turn, Su Chen waved his hand dismissively, not taking it to heart.

"It is of no consequence."

"Go now; your path is still long."

Hearing this, Chen Xin nodded. He then pulled the still-stunned Ning Fengzhi away, not even daring to take the black gold card, and retreated from the room with the utmost respect, closing the door behind them.

With the departure of the two from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, peace returned to the room.

Su Chen picked up the teapot, intending to pour himself another cup.

But no sooner had the tea filled the cup than the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the door once more.

Only this time, the footsteps carried a grace and composure that Ning Fengzhi's lacked.

"Crown Prince of the Tiandou Empire, Xue Qinghe, requests an audience with Mr. Su."

Upon hearing that gentle, jade-like voice, Su Chen's hand paused mid-pour.

"This Tiandou City is becoming more and more interesting."

"Please, enter."

The door was pushed open, and Xue Qinghe, dressed in fine silk robes with a refined and elegant air, walked in.

He brought no attendants, arriving entirely alone.

"Mr. Su, please forgive my intrusion."

Xue Qinghe walked to the table and cupped his hands slightly. His every move exuded royal grace, leaving no room for criticism.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is too kind."

As he spoke, Su Chen casually gestured to the chair opposite him. "Please sit."

Xue Qinghe didn't stand on ceremony and sat down with ease.

She looked at the handsome young man before her, whose demeanor was as ethereal as an immortal. Recalling how he had loudly cursed Yu Xiaogang in the hall earlier and lifted a heavy cauldron with one hand, a strange ripple stirred within her heart.

"I witnessed your magnificence in the hall today, Mr. Su. It was truly astonishing."

Xue Qinghe wore an impeccable smile, her tone sincere.

"I have come today, Mr. Su, not for any other reason than to befriend you."

"If you do not disdain me, the doors of my Eastern Palace will always be open to you."

"Within the Tiandou Empire, if you have any needs, I, Xue Qinghe, will do my utmost to assist you."

These words were spoken beautifully. They lacked the vulgarity of Ning Fengzhi's attempts to buy people with money, yet they gave Su Chen ample face, fully showcasing a wise crown prince's eagerness to recruit talent.

Anyone else, faced with such humble overtures from the heir to a nation, would likely be overwhelmed with flattery.

However, Su Chen merely pushed the freshly poured cup of tea gently towards Xue Qinghe.

"Befriend you?"

As he spoke, Su Chen looked up, his gaze fixed directly into Xue Qinghe's eyes.

Under such a stare, Xue Qinghe's heart skipped a beat, and she felt an illusion of being seen through.

"Mr. Su..."

"Did I say something wrong?" Immediately, Xue Qinghe suppressed the strangeness in her heart and forced a smile as she asked.

"You didn't say anything wrong."

Su Chen withdrew his gaze and tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop, producing a rhythmic tapping sound.

Then, he looked at Xue Qinghe with a playful expression and asked lazily, "It's just that I, Su, do not know."

"Whether I should address you as His Highness the Crown Prince of the Tiandou Empire."

Su Chen leaned forward slightly, staring at Xue Qinghe's rapidly constricting pupils, and said word by word, "Or should I address you as..."

"The young master of the Martial Soul Hall, Qian Renxue?"

As these words were lightly uttered from Su Chen's mouth, the atmosphere in the entire room instantly plummeted to freezing point.

The hand holding the teacup trembled minutely, but she quickly concealed it.

Her smile remained unchanged, even carrying a hint of appropriate confusion and amusement as she shook her head.

"Mr. Su, you do have a sense of humor."

"What young master of the Martial Soul Hall, what Qian Renxue? I truly don't understand what you're talking about."

"I am a prince of the Tiandou Empire, the future heir. If your words were to spread, they could incite a war between the two powers."

Years of deep cover had ingrained Qian Renxue's disguise into her very bones.

Even though her heart was churning like a stormy sea, she could still maintain a flawless facade as long as the relationship hadn't completely broken down.

She was even gambling, betting that Su Chen was merely probing her with his words.

After all, the disguised soul bone granted by the Angel God Set was a true divine relic. Let alone a storyteller in an inn, even her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, a rank 99 Titled Douluo, would never be able to see through it at a glance!

However, faced with Qian Renxue's seamless performance, Su Chen didn't even lift an eyelid.

He simply leaned back lazily in the armchair, his fingers lightly caressing the rim of the coarse porcelain teacup, his tone as casual as idle chatter.

"At the age of nine, you replaced the real Xue Qinghe and have been undercover in the Tiandou Empire ever since."

"You possess the divine spirit, the Six-Winged Angel, and Innate Full Soul Power at level twenty."

"Your grandfather is Qian Daoliu, the great enshrinement elder of the Martial Soul Hall. As for your mother, she is the current, high-and-mighty Pope, Bibi Dong."

Having said this, Su Chen looked up again, his gaze returning to Xue Qinghe opposite him.

"Am I correct?"

Qian Renxue did not answer. She simply crushed the fine white jade teacup in her hand.

The scalding tea dripped down through her fingers, but she was oblivious.

At this moment, this peerless prodigy who had been undercover in the Tiandou Empire for many years, believing she had manipulated everyone in the palm of her hand, could no longer maintain her pretense.

She frowned, her expression turning hostile as she locked onto Su Chen before her, intending to eliminate him.

Furthermore, three pairs of sacred, radiant wings subtly fluttered behind her.

"Who exactly are you!"

At this moment, Qian Renxue could no longer maintain her usual gentle and refined demeanor; there was even a trace of an imperceptible tremor in her voice.

This feeling of having all her trump cards stripped away, with even her deepest secrets laid out on the table word for word, stirred within her an unprecedented sense of terror.

Kill him!

He must be killed!

Otherwise, the years of planning by Martial Soul Hall would all go to waste!