Marry Lin Fan?

Heaven Dou Empire Royal Academy, office.

The three figures looked at one another, their gazes often drifting toward Lin Fan and Dugu Yan's retreating backs.

"This little guy... Just who is he?"

"He's brought me one shock after another!"

"Can someone in this world really control Spirit Beasts in battle? And with such weak Soul Power, he can command several thousand-year-old Spirit Beasts!"

"If he reaches the Titled Douluo level, I'm afraid even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts will bow their heads and obey his every command!"

"Never mind that. The truly unbelievable part is..."

"Martial Souls can be changed? Soul Rings can be stored? And they can even be sold to other people?"

"Good grief... If Dugu Yan hadn't been so polite to him, and if he weren't connected to Dugu Bo, I'd really want to take him in and study him thoroughly."

The Education Committee's three members had gathered together for the sake of a six-year-old child. If word got out, it would surely cause a huge uproar.

Even more shocking was that none of the three Soul Douluos could understand what made Lin Fan so extraordinary.

"Phew. This boy has a special background and is connected to Dugu Bo. It wouldn't be wise to investigate what makes him so unusual."

"Then should we invite him to join the Royal Academy?"

"No!"

Zhi Lin spoke up. "If we invite him with the intention of studying him, then we'd be deceiving him."

"A child with this kind of talent and such a strange Martial Soul might be able to change the whole balance of the Soul Master World."

"Either we let him grow freely on his own, or we guide him ourselves. We must never take advantage of him."

At these words, Meng Shenji's face darkened. He said coldly, "Do you really think I'd lay a hand on a child?"

"Ahem."

Seeing that Meng Shenji and Zhi Lin were about to argue, Bai Baoshan hurriedly played peacemaker, smiling as he said, "The child might not even want to join us, and you two are already arguing?"

"In my opinion, we have to make contact with him. At the very least, we need to protect him."

"His Martial Soul is far too unusual, and his talent is extremely high. If the wrong people discover him, they might make a move against him."

"Granted, he has that old poison Dugu Bo backing him, but that guy... Aside from caring about his granddaughter and Prince Xue Xing, he can't exactly be relied on when it comes to anyone else."

At this, Zhi Lin nodded. "Then you can go invite him."

"Sure."

Bai Baoshan rose with a cheerful smile, his expression giving nothing away. Looking toward Lin Fan and Dugu Yan's retreating backs, he suddenly said, "When they arrived, that little girl also showed good talent, but unfortunately, there's something wrong with her body."

"Dugu Yan said they're relatives. If we can cure that little girl, our academy might gain two geniuses all at once!"

"Give them a few more years to grow, and we'll be guaranteed to win the Academy Tournament!"

"Exactly. Both of these little ones are worth nurturing. One day, they'll be even more outstanding than Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng."

Meng Shenji suddenly smiled. "I'm curious about the family behind them. How did they raise such excellent children?"

There was no denying that these old fellows were clever.

They'd noticed Lin Fan and the others as soon as they entered the academy, but hadn't shown themselves. They'd simply watched in silence.

That way, they wouldn't come into conflict with Lin Fan, and they'd still have a way out.

Of course, Lin Fan knew nothing about this. He was walking with Dugu Yan toward Ye Lingling's dormitory.

As members of the Royal Academy's team, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling naturally received different treatment from ordinary students. Their dormitory was not only spacious, but also had no other occupants, making it quite peaceful.

At that moment, Ye Lingling and Gu Chen were sitting amid a cluster of flowers. The Nine Heart Begonia appeared as Ye Lingling urged it to its limits, restoring Gu Chen's life force.

Qian Ying stood to one side, her face tense. Anyone who saw her would never believe that this woman was a Soul Master at the Soul Douluo level!

Time passed slowly. Ye Lingling was only a Soul Elder, after all, and she couldn't sustain this all-out effort for long. Before long, the Nine Heart Begonia faded away.

Ye Lingling slowly rose to her feet, her expression cold and composed.

"Could it be... the result wasn't good?"

Qian Ying's expression changed slightly, and fear gripped her heart.

"No."

Dugu Yan hurriedly explained, "Lingling's just like that. I think Chen's complexion looks much better."

Following their gaze, Lin Fan saw that Gu Chen's cheeks had indeed regained a little color. But he could sense that her life force was still slowly ebbing away.

Just as Lin Fan had guessed earlier, the Nine Heart Begonia could only maintain and restore Gu Chen's life force. It couldn't completely resolve the flaw in her Martial Soul.

"I... may not be able to help."

Ye Lingling spoke softly. "Unless I stay by her side all the time, I can keep her living like an ordinary person. But I can't cure her completely."

That "unless" was enough for Qian Ying to understand what she meant.

Truthfully, Ye Lingling had agreed to help this time only for Dugu Yan's sake. Now that she knew continuing would merely waste Soul Power, she certainly wouldn't be willing to keep going.

After all, she still had to cultivate herself!

Gu Chen understood the implication too and smiled. "You've already gone to so much trouble for me, Sister."

"Ah."

Qian Ying sighed, unable to stop despair from rising in her heart.

Even the Nine Heart Begonia, which a Titled Douluo had said could save Gu Chen, couldn't do it. What else could she possibly do?

"Forget it. I was asking for too much."

"Chen, your mother will find rare treasures of heaven and earth, so you can live on as an ordinary person."

"..."

Gu Chen smiled brightly, but inside, she felt just as bleak.

With the talent to become a Soul Master, even a powerful one, how could she possibly want to live as an ordinary person?

She just didn't want to disappoint Qian Ying.

"Maybe I have a way."

Seeing that Qian Ying and Gu Chen were about to get emotional, Lin Fan interrupted them.

Ye Lingling couldn't help but start. She believed her Martial Soul was the pinnacle of healing across the entire continent. If even she was helpless, how could anyone else dare claim to have a solution?

Especially when Ye Lingling saw that Lin Fan was only a child, her curiosity grew all the stronger.

"Fan'er, you..."

Qian Ying was stunned too, staring blankly at Lin Fan.

Gu Chen merely smiled. Ever since awakening her Martial Soul, she'd experienced hope and disappointment too many times. She'd long since stopped daring to hope.

"I remember you once said, Auntie, that Cousin's problem was a flaw in her Martial Soul. And as it happens... I have the ability to advance people's Martial Souls!"

"Hmm?!"

Qian Ying's pupils contracted sharply. Only then did she remember that, and her heart filled with shock, frustration, and joy.

Of course, she wasn't frustrated with Lin Fan. She was frustrated with herself for not thinking of it!

She'd personally seen Lin Fan advance Dugu Yan's Martial Soul. The poison in Dugu Yan's body had vanished without a trace, and she'd even gained the ability to control it!

"But... when you advance someone's Martial Soul... do you have to..."

However, when she remembered that Lin Fan had specifically asked Dugu Yan to go to his room alone, and had even asked for a tub of hot water, Qian Ying hesitated again.

After all, Lin Fan and Gu Chen were cousins.

If something like that happened, it would be hard to explain to their parents. They couldn't exactly have Lin Fan marry Gu Chen, could they?

Fortunately, they were cousins through their mothers, not close cousins on the same side of the family. It wasn't as if they couldn't marry if it came to that...

At this thought, Qian Ying's gaze toward Lin Fan turned strange too.