A trace of reluctance showed on Chen Xin's face.
Compared with the sect's overall strength, he was more reluctant to make Ning Rongrong sad.
Besides, they could strengthen the sect by raising Lin Yan to become its future protector. Why, then, was Ning Fengzhi so stubbornly refusing to see reason?
Did it really have to end with them separated by life and death? Chen Xin couldn't understand it, and didn't want to support it...
Fortunately, Ning Fengzhi hadn't yet reached the point of completely falling out with Lin Yan. He spoke slowly.
"Don't worry. We'll let him stay for now."
"Since he can use Rongrong to threaten us, then naturally, we can use Rongrong to find him in the future."
A faint smile lingered at the corner of Ning Fengzhi's mouth as he spoke, as if nothing in the world could sway his emotions.
But when the Sword and Bone Douluo saw this, both of them widened their eyes.
What did he mean by that last sentence? What did he mean by using Rongrong to find Lin Yan? Was this man even calculating against his own daughter?
Chen Xin clenched his fist in silence. Gu Rong gritted his teeth, while Ning Fengzhi stood there as if nothing had happened, gazing up at the empty sky.
It was as though he saw a chessboard in the sky, with himself manipulating the pieces.
At last, Chen Xin and Gu Rong realized how Ning Fengzhi had managed to elevate an auxiliary sect to the ranks of the Upper Three Sects.
After a long while, Gu Rong finally emerged from his disbelief and asked tentatively,
"So what do we do now...?"
Ning Fengzhi gave a slight nod. "Teach him a lesson."
With those four simple words, he said no more, even turning his back to them.
His meaning was clear: one of the Sword and Bone Douluo was to give Lin Yan a little lesson. It was something along the lines of, "The death penalty may be spared, but punishment is unavoidable."
After all, Lin Yan had been extremely disrespectful to them just now. No matter how talented an ordinary Soul Master with no background might be, that was no excuse for failing to observe basic courtesy.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong had no objections. As long as they didn't do anything to harm Ning Rongrong for the time being, they could do whatever they liked.
Chen Xin smoothed his sleeves and went to the closed door.
"Rongrong, come out."
"We're going back to the sect. Come out and say goodbye to us."
Inside the room, Ning Rongrong and Lin Yan both breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this.
It seemed the uproar over what had happened today had temporarily died down. Otherwise, Sword Douluo would have barged in by now. It wasn't as if Lin Yan could stop him.
At the thought, the two exchanged a glance, then opened the door hand in hand.
As soon as the door swung open, Ning Rongrong saw Sword Douluo grinning at her. She let out an indignant huff.
"Hmph!"
"From now on, you're not allowed to—"
Boom!
Before she could finish, the wooden door beside her was crushed into splinters by spatial pressure. The tremendous crash erupted beside the girl's ears, making her tense in fright.
Lin Yan, meanwhile, promptly let go of Ning Rongrong's left hand.
Sure enough, the next second, Gu Rong's spatial skill teleported him to the center of the training field.
"Damn it!"
"If I hadn't let go so quickly, I'd probably have lost my whole arm."
Lin Yan cursed inwardly, his violet eyes fixed on the expressions of the Sword and Bone Douluo, afraid he might miss the slightest detail.
Had he guessed wrong? Had Ning Fengzhi really been ruthless enough to put Ning Rongrong in danger?
No! There was no murderous intent on their faces... They were probably just testing his strength!
At that moment, Ning Rongrong finally reacted and shouted at Chen Xin.
"What are you doing, Sword Grandpa?!"
Chen Xin summoned the Seven Kill Sword and walked toward Lin Yan one step at a time. As he went, he explained to Ning Rongrong behind him,
"Don't worry. If he's going to be your boyfriend, he needs to be strong enough to protect you."
"Your Sword Grandpa is just testing how much he's got."
Gu Rong also put a hand on Ning Rongrong's shoulder, stopping her from interfering.
Ning Rongrong wanted to say more, but Gu Rong had already sealed her voice with Soul Power.
By then, Chen Xin had reached Lin Yan.
Lin Yan completed Martial Soul Possession in an instant. The Evil Fire Demon Dragon appeared in the air, then plunged into his body.
In an instant, eerie purple flames rippled outward. But just as they were about to reach Chen Xin, they seemed to hit an invisible wall and came to an abrupt halt.
Lin Yan knew he was bound to take a beating today. He might even lose a few limbs—or his life.
After all, his opponent was a Titled Douluo. Even without any murderous intent, the man wasn't going to hold back on every move just because Lin Yan was some "yellow-haired brat"...
Realizing this, Lin Yan decided he might as well spit out a few final taunts before he died.
He pointed at Chen Xin and cursed,
"You old bastard!"
"I'll repay you a hundredfold for the abuse you're inflicting on me today!"
Chen Xin smiled contemptuously, pointing his sword tip at Lin Yan in turn.
"Heh. Big words."
"I'd like to see you try!"
[First Soul Skill: Long Sword Sharpens!]
One of the nine Soul Rings beneath him, a dark-yellow one, flared brightly. In the next instant, a fierce sword aura seemed to leap through space, rapidly growing larger in Lin Yan's field of vision.
Not good!
Seeing the sword aura about to strike his face, Lin Yan frantically drove his Soul Power to the limit. The Dragon Wings of his External Soul Bone burst open behind him, carrying him clear of the ground in an instant.
Boom!
The sword aura struck a nearby forest, slicing through a swath of trees at the waist.
"Oh? An External Soul Bone?"
"You've got some good fortune on your side, brat."
Chen Xin gave a faint exclamation, looking as if he couldn't care less.
But Lin Yan, hovering in the air, flew into a rage.
"You're actually serious?"
"Heh. Or did you think just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could provoke the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
"Show me everything you've got. If you're still holding back at this point, don't blame my Seven Kill Sword for being too sharp."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xin unleashed another slash.
Lin Yan had no choice but to keep dodging in midair.
Honestly, this was exactly what he'd feared. Grown men never knew how to hold back. If they really cut off one of his hands or feet, all the other man had to do was say, "I didn't mean to," and Ning Rongrong would be powerless against the two old bastards.
But things had come this far, and he no longer had the time to think about anything else. Just dodging the dense barrage of sword auras was already taking every bit of concentration he had.
One careless move, after all, and he'd lose his life.
Off to the side,
Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong felt much less stifled as they watched Lin Yan's sorry state.
Hmph! He'd had Ning Rongrong in his grasp and acted so arrogantly toward them. Now he was finally getting what he deserved.
Where had the kid gotten that External Soul Bone, anyway? How could it unleash such terrifying speed? And his movements were so nimble. Even if Chen Xin got a bit more serious, he probably couldn't be sure of landing a hit.
The two were somewhat surprised by Lin Yan's dodging skills, and even more curious about how strong he really was.
On the open ground, Ning Fengzhi sent Chen Xin a telepathic message. "Uncle Jian, give him a chance to attack. Let's see just how much strength he can unleash."
Before you continue