Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Soul Fighting Arena.
Lin Nuo and Yu Tianheng faced each other from afar.
This sudden spar had already caused an uproar throughout the academy as gossip spread.
The young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was actually going to take the stage to bully a newly enrolled junior over a romantic rivalry, and rumor had it that the female lead was Poison Douluo's beloved granddaughter.
Even students who usually focused solely on cultivation could not resist coming to watch such top-tier gossip.
In a luxurious private room with an excellent view, the three Education Committee Members and Qian Renxue, having hurried over upon receiving the news, had already taken their seats.
Although they were eagerly anticipating the real combat abilities of a genius like Lin Nuo, the absurd cause behind this Soul Duel still made them furious.
"That Yu Tianheng really thinks Heaven Dou Royal Academy is the backyard of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?!"
Bai Baoshan, the most hot-tempered among them, slammed his hand against the armrest and was the first to speak up. "Competing with a newly enrolled student over a woman? This is utterly outrageous!"
The other two Education Committee Members also frowned in agreement.
Just then, Xue Qinghe spoke unhurriedly.
"Three Education Committee Members, once the Soul Duel begins, please pay close attention to the situation on the stage.
"Yu Tianheng is twelve years old, after all, and his Soul Power has reached level twenty-seven, a full two levels above Lin Nuo's.
"If anything unexpected happens, you must stop it immediately."
The three Education Committee Members nodded repeatedly.
If a promising talent like Lin Nuo, someone destined to shake the continent, damaged his foundation over such nonsense, the three old men would be heartbroken to death.
As they spoke, there was a light knock on the private room's door. Then, a gentle and refined voice came from outside.
"Qinghe, I heard that you recruited an unparalleled genius for the empire today.
"What is it? Aren't you going to introduce him to your teacher?"
At the sound of that voice, Qian Renxue's heart sank and her expression darkened slightly.
Her teacher, who loved stirring things up, again?
She knew that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had surely planted informants within Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
But she had never expected—
That Ning Fengzhi would receive the news so quickly?
It seemed that, when necessary, it was time to clean out those Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect spies.
Though she was frantically branding Ning Fengzhi with the Way of Seeking Death in her heart,
On the surface, Qian Renxue still maintained the flawless bearing of a gentle crown prince.
She immediately rose to her feet and bowed slightly toward Ning Fengzhi, who had pushed open the door and entered. Half-jokingly, she said,
"Teacher, your information network is truly impressive.
"That young friend Lin Nuo on the stage below is precisely the exceptional talent your disciple struggled so hard to find.
"Your disciple exerted tremendous effort to recruit him. Teacher, your family business is vast, so please do not steal him from me in person later."
Ning Fengzhi smiled and waved his hand. Following Xue Qinghe's gesture, he turned his gaze toward the Soul Fighting Arena below.
Yet the instant he clearly saw Lin Nuo's face, Sect Master Ning, who had always remained unruffled even before a mountain collapse, suddenly had his pupils constrict.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin, standing behind him as his protector, also narrowed his eyes. His powerful spiritual power swept over Lin Nuo before he opened his eyes and secretly transmitted his voice to Ning Fengzhi.
"Fengzhi, that boy is indeed level twenty-five, and his foundation is incredibly solid. There is not the slightest trace of forced advancement."
With Sword Douluo's confirmation, Ning Fengzhi's thoughts immediately began to race.
He cast Xue Qinghe a meaningful glance and probed,
"Qinghe, don't you think... this young friend Lin Nuo bears quite a resemblance to an 'old acquaintance' we both know?"
Ning Fengzhi stopped there, but the implication behind his words could not have been clearer.
Yet this was also what Ning Fengzhi found most difficult to understand.
As a top-tier support-type sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possessed an intelligence network that was among the best on the continent for the sake of self-preservation. They even had high-ranking spies stationed within Spirit City.
Yet even so, they had never received the slightest whisper that Pope Bibi Dong had once been pregnant and given birth to a child.
"I naturally understand what Teacher means."
Qian Renxue's expression did not change, and her response was flawless.
"But Teacher, why not consider it from another angle? If young friend Lin Nuo truly had such an intimate connection with that person in Spirit City,
"How could she possibly allow such an extraordinary monster to remain out in the open, much less let him swagger into the territory of our Heaven Dou Empire?"
"That simply makes no logical sense."
Xue Qinghe lifted her teacup, her tone firm.
"According to my investigation, young friend Lin Nuo's Martial Soul is the exceedingly rare Death Spider Emperor.
"Any similarity in appearance is most likely due to the assimilation effect this top-tier Spider Martial Soul has on its host upon awakening.
"Moreover, the deacon at the Martial Soul Branch Hall in Nuoding City lacked discernment and mistook it for an ordinary Death Demon Spider.
"That was how I had the chance to exploit the opening and spend a large sum to poach him from Spirit Hall."
Though she spoke confidently on the surface, Qian Renxue herself had been fiercely debating the matter in her own mind these past few days.
Reason told her that if Lin Nuo truly were that woman's flesh and blood, leaving him to grow up unattended in a backwater like Nuoding City would be utterly absurd.
Yet her instincts kept jabbing at her—the boy's face and that cold, aloof air around him absolutely had something to do with Bibi Dong.
She truly could not understand what that madwoman was thinking.
After hearing Xue Qinghe's rigorous analysis, Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly in thought.
Indeed, from the Pope's perspective, handing her biological child over to the Heaven Dou Empire for cultivation without any safeguards was pure fantasy.
"I understand what you mean, Qinghe. It seems it truly was a coincidence."
Ning Fengzhi set aside his doubts and turned his gaze back to the Soul Fighting Arena below, smiling gently.
"Once this Soul Duel is over, be sure to properly introduce this young talent to your teacher."
"Of course." Qian Renxue agreed with a smile.
Though that was what she said, Ning Fengzhi, a merchant by nature, would not simply believe his disciple's side of the story.
As the saying went, without investigation, one had no right to speak.
He preferred to trust what he could see for himself.
If it was confirmed that Lin Nuo was Bibi Dong's flesh and blood, perhaps he would have to resort to certain underhanded means and nip the danger in the bud.
Spirit Hall had placed far too much pressure on them over the years. Appropriately redirecting disaster elsewhere could help the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect reduce much of that pressure.
At the same time, it would prove that his disciple was no longer of one mind with them.
Then he could no longer continue increasing his investment in her.
Conversely, Bibi Dong had already proven the power of the Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul.
If Lin Nuo's background was clean, how could he not be tempted by such a genius?
What the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lacked most was talent—especially talent with the inheritance of a top-tier Martial Soul!
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