The moment Lin Nuo stepped down from the Soul Fighting Arena, two attendants dressed in royal uniforms blocked his path.
"Student Lin Nuo, His Highness the Crown Prince wishes to see you."
The attendants were respectful, but they kept their voices low.
"Furthermore, Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and His Excellency Sword Douluo are also in the private room upstairs."
At those words, Lin Nuo's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
That bastard Ning Fengzhi, always jumping around everywhere, had caught the scent and come looking already?
Luckily, he had already made contact with the Angel Lady, who possessed equally World-Shocking Wisdom.
Otherwise, facing the sect master of one of the Upper Three Sects, he truly would not have known how to handle this for the moment.
"I understand. Lead the way."
Lin Nuo concealed his emotions and gave a slight nod.
Following the attendants into the luxurious private room, his view suddenly opened up.
Not only was the room extravagantly decorated, but rows of beautiful, graceful maidservants stood on either side, ready to attend to them at any moment.
As expected of the evil feudal system!
When Lin Nuo entered, "Xue Qinghe" immediately put on that trademark gentle, refined smile and stepped forward to greet him.
"Little friend Lin Nuo, I have already learned everything that happened in the Soul Fighting Arena just now."
"That Yu Tianheng relied on his age to bully you. Later, I will certainly give the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan a proper warning. This is utterly outrageous!"
"Furthermore, I will also inform His Excellency Poison Douluo of the full circumstances afterward. You need not worry about anything else."
As she spoke, Xue Qinghe's face displayed just the right amount of righteous indignation.
Lin Nuo promptly took the hint and cupped his hands in salute.
"Your Highness need not be angry. I did not suffer any real grievance. I'll just take it as stretching my limbs."
Xue Qinghe smiled and shook her head. She stepped forward naturally and gave Lin Nuo's shoulder a friendly pat.
"Little friend Lin Nuo, I am not that much older than you.
"If you do not mind, you may call me Brother Xue in private. Do not keep calling me His Highness the Crown Prince. It makes us seem distant."
It had to be said that if Lin Nuo had not already seen through this disguise, the imperial crown prince's courteous and spring-breeze-like methods of winning people over would have made any commoner genius burst into tears of gratitude and pledge his loyalty on the spot.
She wanted him to call her big brother, did she?
He, Lin Nuo, would call her big brother for now. As for later...
Sooner or later, he would show this Angel Lady through practical action who the real "big brother" was.
"Alright, Brother Xue." Lin Nuo raised his head, his gaze clear and sincere.
Seeing how readily Lin Nuo played along, Xue Qinghe nodded in satisfaction. She then turned and introduced him to Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin, who were seated nearby.
"Lin Nuo, come. Let me introduce you.
"This is Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Not only is he the strongest support-type Soul Master on the continent today, he is also my mentor."
Xue Qinghe's tone was full of admiration.
"There is a widely accepted saying in the Soul Master world: 'No team would refuse the addition of a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master.'
"As soon as Teacher heard of your astonishing performance, he could not wait to meet you."
After a pause, Xue Qinghe pointed at the white-haired man beside them, who sat with his eyes closed in quiet repose.
"As for this gentleman, he is Senior Sword Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"He is as famous as Senior Bone Douluo. Together, they are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's pillars that hold up heaven and brace the sea."
Ning Fengzhi clearly enjoyed his disciple's flawless flattery.
He rose to his feet, wearing the same gentle smile as Xue Qinghe, though his was at an even higher level.
"Little friend Lin Nuo, I heard Qinghe mention that an unparalleled genius had arrived at the academy, and my interest was immediately piqued.
"Please do not take offense at the unannounced visit from Uncle Sword and me."
Listen to that. The sect master of one of the Upper Three Sects was being so courteous and humble. How could one not be moved?
Although Ning Fengzhi smiled throughout and his tone was beyond criticism,
Lin Nuo found the old fellow deeply unpleasant. That smile on his face was far too rehearsed, far too fake.
Still, one spoke human words to humans and ghost words to ghosts.
Lin Nuo immediately put on an overwhelmed expression, bowed deeply, and said excitedly,
"I never expected this youngster's trifling talent to draw the presence of Sect Master Ning and His Excellency Sword Douluo. It is truly the fortune of three lifetimes!"
"Ah, little friend Lin Nuo, do not call me Sect Master any longer."
Ning Fengzhi smiled and waved his hand, his tone becoming even kinder.
"If you do not mind, simply call me Uncle Ning."
Seriously? Again? Did all you high-ranking people just like claiming relatives the moment you met someone?
"Yes, Uncle Ning..." Lin Nuo nodded obediently.
Next, Ning Fengzhi acted like a kindly elder, pulling Lin Nuo into a casual conversation about everyday matters.
Yet beneath that seemingly casual chatter, every word concealed a blade as he continuously probed Lin Nuo's origins and background.
Throughout their conversation, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, standing at the side, did not utter a single word.
However, his sharp eyes, like tangible swords, remained fixed on Lin Nuo the entire time.
That invisible spiritual pressure seemed determined to see through him completely, inside and out.
In the midst of this seemingly harmonious chat, Ning Fengzhi suddenly changed the subject.
He set down his teacup and looked at Lin Nuo with deep eyes carrying a gentle smile, asking in feigned curiosity,
"Little friend Lin Nuo, there has always been something that puzzled me."
"With talent as exceptional as yours, something seen perhaps once in a century across the entire continent, Spirit Hall should by all rights spare no effort to recruit you and pour every resource into cultivating you.
"Then why did you not choose Spirit Hall Advanced Academy, but instead travel all the way to enroll at Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Here it came!
Lin Nuo remained calm on the surface, but inwardly he thought, Just as expected.
He knew that the old fellow had not spent all that time chatting about domestic matters with him out of good intentions. So this was what he had been waiting for.
Hearing this extremely sensitive question, "Xue Qinghe," seated nearby, also held her breath slightly.
Others might have been fooled by Ning Fengzhi's elegant and easygoing facade, but Qian Renxue knew better than anyone.
In order to suppress Spirit Hall's rise from the grassroots, her good teacher had never shown any mercy in the secret hunting operations he conducted against commoner geniuses.
Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect handled every operation flawlessly and erased all direct evidence, the traces left behind by those prematurely fallen geniuses ultimately all pointed toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
If Lin Nuo's next answer was even slightly careless and aroused Ning Fengzhi's suspicion, or even his killing intent...
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, and a flash of resolve passed through her lowered eyes.
If the situation truly deteriorated to that worst possible point,
Then even at the risk of flaws appearing in the Heaven Dou Nation-Stealing Plan, she had to immediately send word to the Worship Hall and let her grandfather learn of this younger brother's existence ahead of time.
No matter how irresponsible that woman was, Qian Renxue's family was absolutely not for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to lay a hand on!
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