Giving Qian Renxue Whale Glue!

Tie Zhan felt a slight jolt in his heart upon realizing the newcomer was the First Prince, Xue Qinghe.

He remained composed on the surface, but his thoughts raced; when had Yang Teng become associated with the First Prince? Although he was a titled Douluo, the golden-haired young man before him was, in all likelihood, the future Emperor of Heaven Dou.

It would be far from wise to sour relations with a future monarch just because of a whim to take on an apprentice.

Tie Zhan bowed slightly, expressing his apology.

"Your Highness, it was this old man who was reckless."

Tie Zhan spoke, his gaze flicking toward Yang Teng, who remained seated leisurely at the table as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

"It is just that this young friend Yang Teng's performance in the arena today was truly stunning, and his talent and strength are rare in this world. I was momentarily moved by a desire to cherish such talent, and my words were perhaps a bit too hasty. I hope Your Highness will not take offense."

His words were quite clever; he not only clarified his original intention of "cherishing talent" but also downplayed his previous implicit coercion into mere "hasty words," all while lowering his posture to give Xue Qinghe face.

He truly lived up to the title of Douluo; none of these people were easy to deal with!

A polite smile remained on Xue Qinghe's jade-like, gentle face as he nodded slightly, choosing not to press the matter further.

The situation had not escalated to an irreparable point; Yang Teng was unscathed, and Tie Zhan had backed down and apologized in time.

It was not a wise choice to burn bridges with a powerful titled Douluo over a conflict that had yet to occur.

"Senior Tie is too modest. It is a wonderful thing for a senior to work for the country and promote the younger generation."

Xue Qinghe's voice was calm; he accepted the apology while subtly pointing out Tie Zhan's status and the decorum expected of him.

"Brother Yang Teng is a guest of Heaven Dou and a dazzling talent in this tournament. The Empire naturally wishes to protect him. A minor misunderstanding is best resolved by talking it out."

Hearing this, Tie Zhan felt his heart settle.

Liu Qingfeng still felt unconvinced, but he dared not say anything and soon departed.

Xue Qinghe turned his gaze toward Yang Teng, walking over to the opposite side and pulling out a chair to sit down with natural ease.

His movements were elegant and composed. Yang Teng looked up at him, the same half-smile still playing on his lips, and gave a nod to acknowledge his presence.

I suppose I owe him a favor, Yang Teng thought, his fingertips unconsciously tapping against the smooth tabletop.

But should this favor be credited to Xue Qinghe, or to Qian Renxue?

After sitting down, Xue Qinghe's gaze was naturally drawn to the dozen or so exquisite, colorful cakes spread across the table.

A look of perfectly measured surprise and curiosity appeared on his face as he asked with a smile.

"Brother Yang Teng, did you order all these specialty desserts to enjoy alone? That is... quite a feast."

Yang Teng shook his head, picked up a clean small silver fork from the side, and handed it to Xue Qinghe, gesturing for him to help himself to the cakes on the table.

"Not alone. These are for Gu Yena on my team; she quite likes desserts."

Upon hearing the name "Gu Yena," a faint, imperceptible glimmer flashed deep within the eyes of Xue Qinghe—or rather, the Qian Renxue hidden beneath the disguise.

She naturally remembered that silver-haired, purple-eyed girl whose beauty was so otherworldly that Qian Renxue had been struck with wonder when they first met and exchanged brief introductions.

"I see."

Xue Qinghe realized, his smile gentle.

"Your Highness, do try some. This shop's craftsmanship is quite good, and these styles are rare to find elsewhere."

Xue Qinghe did not decline, and the atmosphere between the two shifted into a relaxed and casual chat.

"Speaking of which..."

Yang Teng cut off a small piece of cake and popped it into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, he brought it up as if it were a casual remark.

"After the matches ended today, I must thank Your Highness for... putting in a good word before His Majesty?"

He looked up at Xue Qinghe, his eyes clear and carrying a probing smile.

"I noticed that His Majesty seemed more interested in the Shrek side initially."

Xue Qinghe picked up his teacup and blew gently on the steam, his movements elegant.

He caught the probing nature and the gratitude in Yang Teng's words and smiled slightly, not denying it.

"The strength and potential displayed by Brother Yang Teng and Miss Gu Yena are enough to catch anyone's eye. The Empire treasures every talent, especially those who are... as unique as the two of you."

"Unique?"

Yang Teng raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face. "Does Your Highness refer to my spirit rings, or Xiao Na's Element Control?"

"Both."

Xue Qinghe sipped his tea, his gaze meeting Yang Teng's with calm composure.

Yang Teng chuckled. He set down his silver fork, seemed to ponder for a moment, and then retrieved a smooth, dark wooden box from his personal soul tool.

He pushed the wooden box across the table toward Xue Qinghe.

"Your Highness stepping in just now saved me some trouble."

Yang Teng's tone was casual, yet carried a note of sincerity.

"A small token, consider it a gift of thanks."

Xue Qinghe looked at the wooden box, confusion appearing in his eyes.

"This is...?"

Yang Teng leaned forward slightly, a roguish smile that was a mix of cunning and candor on his face, and lowered his voice to spit out two words.

"Whale Glue."

"What?!"

The hand Xue Qinghe used to hold his teacup trembled, causing the tea inside to ripple slightly.

His handsome, gentle face flushed a distinct red in an instant, the color spreading all the way to his earlobes.

It was not shyness, but a mixture of shock, embarrassment, and even a hint of annoyance at being offended.

"What is the meaning of this, Brother Yang Teng?"

Xue Qinghe's voice still strove to remain steady, but if one listened closely, one could detect a clear increase in displeasure and coldness.

"This item... as far as I know, it is something between men and women..."

He did not finish his sentence, but the meaning could not have been clearer.

In the common understanding of the Douluo Continent, Whale Glue was indeed viewed as an item with special, suggestive connotations due to certain properties, often used between men and women as an aphrodisiac or a gift.

For the dignified Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire to receive such a "thank you gift" was truly embarrassing and easily misunderstood.

Yang Teng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized his mistake and slapped his own forehead, inwardly cursing his own negligence.

As a transmigrator, he knew well that specially processed Whale Glue could significantly improve a soul master's physical fitness, widen meridians, and have miraculous effects on absorbing higher-age soul rings.

However, in the current era of the first Douluo, this was still an unrecognized and potentially misunderstood "niche" piece of knowledge.

More importantly, the "Xue Qinghe" sitting in front of him was actually a girl! Giving a girl Whale Glue... this misunderstanding had blown up.

"Your Highness, please don't misunderstand!"

Yang Teng waved his hands hurriedly, his roguish smile replaced by a desperate, wry explanation.

"It's my fault for not being clear! This isn't the kind of... uh, ordinary Whale Glue you're thinking of."

He pointed at the wooden box, his speech quickening.

"This Whale Glue has been refined, purified, and processed using my unique methods, removing all unnecessary impurities and... uh, those effects."

"Its current function is of immense benefit, whether for daily cultivation, combat, or absorbing higher-age soul rings in the future!"

To increase his persuasiveness, Yang Teng added:

"I won't hide it from Your Highness, but everyone at Tianshui Academy, including Shui Bing'er, uses this version of mine."

Xue Qinghe listened skeptically, the flush on his face not yet fully faded.

Improving physical fitness? Strengthening meridians? Assisting in soul ring absorption?

Could this Whale Glue really have the miraculous effects Yang Teng claimed...

A cold thought uncontrollably surfaced in the depths of Xue Qinghe's mind: could he have seen through my female identity and intentionally gifted this item, emphasizing its "legitimacy" to test or hint at something?

This thought caused Xue Qinghe to tense his nerves instantly.

She had extreme confidence in her disguise, which was a skill brought by the Angel Inheritance Soul Bone; even a Super Douluo would find it difficult to see through.