After Dugu Bo discovered that the two of them were together, he didn't force them apart. He reluctantly accepted it, then gave Yu Tianheng a thorough beating.
That time, Yu Tianheng spent a full month unable to get out of bed.
If Yu Tianheng hadn't had a good grandfather, things would've been even worse for him.
Dugu Bo watched his precious granddaughter protect Yu Tianheng, his tone sour as he asked, "Is he really better to you than your grandpa?"
"Grandpa, of course you're the best."
Dugu Yan heard the edge in Dugu Bo's voice and immediately changed her tune. She knew her grandfather's temper all too well.
If she kept provoking her grandpa now, Yu Tianheng would be in for a world of trouble.
"That's more like it."
Dugu Bo thought his granddaughter was adorable, but Yu Tianheng still needed a beating. How dare he threaten Dugu Bo's place in his granddaughter's heart? Unforgivable.
Far away, Yu Tianheng was cultivating with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan when a chill suddenly ran down his back. He stopped meditating and glanced behind him.
In the distance, his cousin Yu Tianxin was also focused on cultivating. There was no sign he was about to ambush him! How strange!
Outside Dugu Manor, the Yin-Yang Mirror stirred. Someone was watching Ling Yun from the shadows, but he didn't make a move.
His opponent's spiritual power was more condensed than anything he'd ever encountered. It was on a completely different level from the spiritual power he'd cultivated so far.
"This kind of strength, and that icy aura... Who could it be? Snake Lance? Pufferfish? Or... Dugu Bo?"
He thought it over while acting as if he hadn't noticed a thing. He wandered to a corner, sat on the stone steps, and swung his legs as he watched some children playing nearby.
Before long, Ling Yun was thoroughly absorbed in the game.
He watched for a full quarter of an hour. The children noticed him and invited him to join them.
Only then did he remember that he was a child himself.
Ling Yun quickly made friends with the others. After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the spiritual power resting on him vanished.
"Finally, they're gone!"
To be safe, he kept playing a while longer. Once he was sure no one was watching, he made an excuse and left the happy children behind.
That sudden encounter had made him feel the pressure.
The longer he waited, the more things could change. He had to make the first move.
His Second Martial Soul, the Chaos Bead, appeared.
He activated the Chaos Bead's basic concealment properties, hiding his aura and figure and muffling his footsteps.
That was how a six-year-old like him had made it all the way from Nuoding City to Heaven Dou City without trouble.
Once that was done, he used Wave Treading. Like a fallen leaf wafting gently on the breeze, he drifted onto the roof of Dugu Manor.
As long as no one attacked him, he wouldn't be forced to reveal himself.
He carefully shifted position, searching the manor for Dugu Bo.
Most of the people he saw were servants of Dugu Manor: sweeping, standing guard, or trimming branches. Dugu Bo was nowhere to be found.
When he reached the rear courtyard, he finally spotted the grandfather and granddaughter.
Dugu Bo was gaunt, with green hair. Even from a distance, Ling Yun could smell the faint, foul odor coming from him.
It was a sign that the poison in his body was leaking out.
Dugu Yan's dark purple hair fell to her shoulders, and she had a curvy, slender figure.
Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent really did mature quickly.
As Ling Yun watched, Dugu Bo stirred. The next moment, a powerful wave of spiritual energy swept in his direction, startling Ling Yun into quickly looking away.
Dugu Bo swept the area with his spiritual power three times. When he found nothing, he assumed no one could evade his detection. It was the confidence a Titled Douluo had in his own strength.
Dugu Bo's movements caught Dugu Yan's attention. Curious, she asked, "Grandpa, what's wrong?"
"Nothing! I was just being too sensitive. I felt like someone was watching me just now."
Ling Yun's heart was pounding. If the Chaos Bead's concealment hadn't been so comprehensive, even the sound of his breathing and heartbeat could have given away his position.
"That scared me to death! I still lack experience. But at least this confirms one thing: the people secretly watching me before were Qian Renxue's!"
What Dugu Bo had experienced was a strong person's sixth sense. Ordinary people had it too; when someone watched them from behind at a distance, they would feel uneasy.
That feeling was even stronger for a Titled Douluo.
Fortunately, Ling Yun had quickly averted his gaze, and Dugu Bo had only used spiritual power to search for him.
With the Yin-Yang Mirror protecting his soul, the spiritual pressure of a Titled Douluo had no effect on him.
If Dugu Bo had used Soul Power, Ling Yun might have been exposed.
That had been too close!
He quietly marked Dugu Bo's aura. The Chaos Bead's abilities were powerful enough that Dugu Bo didn't notice anything amiss.
Ling Yun slipped out of Dugu Manor and headed straight for the city gates, sprinting in the direction of Sunset Forest.
The city was too dangerous. He didn't know whether Qian Renxue's people might come back. If they did, he'd be at their mercy.
The Soul Beasts in Sunset Forest were dangerous, but still far less threatening than a Titled Douluo.
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, in the residence of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, was handling government affairs when an old man suddenly appeared.
"Uncle Snake Lance! How did it go?"
"That boy asked for directions to Dugu Bo's home and wandered around outside Dugu Manor."
"He's very interesting. His senses are exceptionally sharp; he noticed someone watching him from the shadows. I didn't expect that."
"His aura fluctuated ever so slightly in that instant, and I confirmed his Soul Power Level: fifteen."
"Judging by his appearance, he's definitely under seven. He must have Innate Full Soul Power! Your Highness has a good eye."
"Oh, and he seems to be keeping watch on Dugu Bo's manor."
After hearing Snake Lance Douluo's report, Qian Renxue became even more interested in Ling Yun. The fact that her Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul had reacted to him, and that he had Innate Full Soul Power, made him well worth recruiting.
"Uncle Snake Lance, please keep watching him. If he runs into danger, protect him!"
"I want him to work for me!"
"It doesn't matter why he's watching Dugu Bo's manor. I only want him."
"Rest assured, Your Highness. I'll see it done."
"Dugu Bo is cunning and suspicious by nature, and he has none of a strong man's scruples. If he realizes someone's watching Dugu Manor, he'll attack, whether it's a child or not."
"I'll choose the right moment to act!"
Snake Lance's analysis struck Qian Renxue as entirely reasonable. Dugu Bo's way of doing things was well known, and she too expected events to unfold that way.
As long as she followed the plan, Ling Yun would eventually fall into her net.
Snake Lance left on his mission, and Qian Renxue continued handling government affairs. Perhaps Xue Ye was deliberately testing her; the amount of work he gave her had grown heavier and heavier!
In Sunset Forest, Ling Yun carefully threaded his way between Soul Beasts. Dugu Bo's spiritual search had sounded an alarm in his mind.
Who knew if some Soul Beast with a special and powerful ability might discover him?
The Chaos Bead Martial Soul's concealment continuously consumed his Soul Power. When more than half of it was gone, he found a hidden place to rest.
It was a cave. Under Ling Yun's watch, an Earth Violent Bear had skewered the Soul Beast inside like a kebab.
Then a black Soul Ring appeared.
The Earth Violent Bear had controlled the earth element, causing sharp stone pillars to rise from the ground. They pierced the opponent's Soul Power defenses and ran it clean through.
The cave was now empty. The aura of a Soul Beast overlord would linger for a while, keeping other Soul Beasts away.
Ling Yun was perfectly safe in this cave.
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