Qian Renxue

"Fengzhi, how could you be so heartless! Rongrong is only seven years old; is there any need to send her to some academy so early? Besides, you know full well how chaotic the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is!"

"Exactly! Furthermore, is it absolutely necessary to attend an academy? Which academy in the world understands the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda better than we do? It is certainly best for Rongrong to study at home. With two Title Douluo like Old Bone and me teaching her, who could compare to us? Don't tell me you look down on us?"

Chen Xin and Gu Rong looked down at Ning Fengzhi, their faces stern, looking as if they would not let the matter rest without a proper explanation.

Cold sweat beaded on Ning Fengzhi's forehead; he had not expected such a strong reaction from the two. "Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, please, sit down first."

Chen Xin and Gu Rong snorted coldly and sat back in their original seats.

Ning Fengzhi said, "Closing the door to build a carriage only leads to stagnation; Soul Masters need to be tempered. An academy is a microcosm of the Soul Master world, and for young Soul Masters under twenty-five, training there is sufficient."

"Moreover, Rongrong is an auxiliary-type Soul Master. What auxiliary-type Soul Masters rely on is connections, and most importantly, finding powerful comrades to whom they can fully entrust their backs."

"Among the children in the sect around Rongrong's age, their talent is merely average, so I want to let Rongrong try the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Perhaps she might even recruit some talent for the sect."

"Besides, Rongrong has been causing endless trouble in the sect since she was seven, even earning the nickname 'Little Witch.' If I may be so bold, it is all because you, Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone, have spoiled her. Letting her go out to be polished is for the best!"

Chen Xin immediately retorted with dissatisfaction, "What kind of talk is that? When have Old Bone and I spoiled Rongrong? You only see the side of Rongrong that likes to play and make trouble; you haven't seen her well-behaved side. You have plenty of sons, but only this one daughter, and you are actually willing to let her go. In any case, I disagree!"

Gu Rong sneered, "Fengzhi, the old sword-man might not see it, but can't I? You just want to use Rongrong to get close to Xing Tian, just like Yu Tianheng is using Dugu Yan to get close to Dugu Bo."

"But Rongrong is still so young, and you are already thinking about having her find a boyfriend? This old man absolutely will not allow it!"

"If that Xing Tian were alone, it might be one thing, but he is so close to Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan. Where would that leave Rongrong?"

"In short, two words: forget it!"

Chen Xin finally realized, "So that was your scheme. Fengzhi, I know that as the Sect Master, you must consider the overall interests of the sect, but don't forget that you are also a father. Old Bone and I have no descendants, and we have always treated Rongrong as our own granddaughter. Have you considered the feelings of us two grandfathers by doing this?"

Ning Fengzhi raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It was my lack of consideration. Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, please calm your anger. I won't let Rongrong go, is that enough?"

"Hmm—"

Ning Fengzhi continued, "However, the issue with Rongrong's personality still needs to be addressed. Let's observe for a few years first. If there is no change, even if I risk being disciplined by you two, I will still have her go out for training. She is not only my daughter but also the heir to the sect; she carries the burden of the entire sect on her shoulders."

Chen Xin and Gu Rong fell silent, which meant they had agreed.

Heaven Dou Empire, inside the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

"Young Master, that is how it happened; Yu Tianheng was defeated with ease." An elderly man, over two meters tall and as thin and sharp as a spear, spoke to Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

Another elder of medium build, neither too fat nor too thin, added, "I had long heard that this Xing Tian possessed peerless talent, but I never expected him to be such a monster. He will surely become a Title Douluo in the future. Young Master, this subordinate believes you must do your best to recruit this person; we must not wait for him to grow up and stand against our Martial Soul Hall!"

Martial Soul Hall?

These two elders were actually hidden Title Douluo elders of Martial Soul Hall: Snake Lance Douluo She Long and Pufferfish Douluo Ci Xue.

Both elders were there to assist the person before them, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, who was actually Qian Renxue, the only daughter of the former Martial Soul Hall Supreme Pontiff Qian Xunji.

Qian Renxue had infiltrated the Heaven Dou Empire at the age of nine to execute a plan to usurp the nation.

She first pretended to be a girl in distress, feigning being saved by the real First Prince Xue Qinghe to become his maid. Then, she spent a year observing Xue Qinghe's every word and action before finding an opportunity to kill him and replace him entirely.

Following that, she spent six years becoming the Crown Prince and apprenticing under Ning Fengzhi, during which she successively killed the Second Prince Xue Luochuan and the Third Prince Xue Haicang.

Qian Renxue said leisurely, "The first time I met Xing Tian, I tried to get close to him, but he acted very indifferent, neither cold nor warm. I couldn't grasp his temperament, but through this incident, I have a rough idea."

"At his core, Xing Tian is a person who is extremely confident, even looking down on the world, but he does not easily show it."

"Just as he said, if the other party has something worthy of his respect, even if it is just their age, he will show some courtesy. If the other party pushes their luck, then in his eyes, they are nothing."

"No, I should say, they aren't even qualified to catch his eye."

Snake Lance asked, "Young Master, how much confidence do you have?"

Qian Renxue said, "For a person like this, wealth cannot corrupt him, and poverty cannot move him. Relying solely on the identity of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, I fear it will be impossible to subdue him."

"In that case, this Xing Tian should be difficult to recruit. Young Master, why not let me or Ci Xue handle him while he is out hunting for soul rings..." Snake Lance Douluo made a throat-slitting gesture.

Qian Renxue raised her hand to signal against it, then said with a confident face, "To conquer a person like this, one can only rely on absolute strength to defeat him and crush the pride in his heart. Only then will he be willing to serve me."

"Does the Young Master intend to strike in your true form? Wouldn't the risk be too great?" Pufferfish Douluo asked with some concern.

Qian Renxue explained, "I certainly cannot use the identity of Xue Qinghe. After all, Xue Qinghe's talent is known to everyone, and the Swan Martial Soul is not a top-tier martial soul; how could he possibly defeat Xing Tian?"

"However, why must it be Qian Renxue?"

Snake Lance Douluo began to understand: "The Young Master means..."

"There is no rush for this matter. Xing Tian is currently only a second-ring Soul Grand Master. If I defeat him at my current level, he will certainly not be convinced."

A smile that seemed to control everything curled the corners of Qian Renxue's mouth. "Only by bringing such a person into the fold is it interesting, and it will also let that woman see!"

Snake Lance Douluo and Pufferfish Douluo exchanged a glance, filled with helplessness.

In truth, both of them felt it would be better to eliminate Xing Tian as soon as possible. After all, with the scale of Martial Soul Hall, they did not strictly need Xing Tian, and it was better to play it safe.

However, due to the long-term cold violence she suffered from her mother Bibi Dong during her childhood, Qian Renxue's heart was somewhat twisted.

Qian Renxue was a person who was arrogant and possessed an extremely strong desire for control.

Therefore, even if there were risks, Qian Renxue was determined to keep Xing Tian under her control.

Qian Renxue also roughly guessed their thoughts and said confidently, "Uncle She, Uncle Ci, rest assured. Given Xing Tian's temperament, it is impossible for him to submit to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family!"