He spoke slowly, his tone grave. "I scanned his entire body, but it was like dropping a stone into the sea. I couldn't detect even the slightest fluctuation of Soul Power."
"Either... he has an exceptionally rare concealment treasure, far beyond the ordinary, that can evade a Titled Douluo's detection."
"Or..."
Chen Xin paused, then voiced a possibility even he found absurd:
"His cultivation is far beyond mine."
Ning Fengzhi sucked in a sharp breath.
His cultivation was far beyond Chen Xin's?
How was that possible!
The other boy looked no older than six or seven. Even if he had started cultivating in the womb, there was no way he could have reached such a level.
"Perhaps he has some rare innate constitution?"
Ning Fengzhi ventured a guess.
There had indeed been people with unusual innate constitutions on the Douluo Continent, but most of them were nothing special.
Chen Xin fell silent for a moment, then gently shook his head.
"No matter how unusual an innate constitution is, it can't hide the flow of Soul Power. This boy... is too strange."
His gaze narrowed as it settled on Poseinan's hand, resting casually on the edge of the table, then swept across the feast before him.
He behaved casually, eating with gusto, his expression relaxed. He didn't look as though he were putting on an act in the slightest.
He didn't seem like someone hiding his true abilities. It was more as if...
He simply couldn't be bothered to hide them.
After all, Chen Xin was a level 95 Titled Douluo, and according to him, he estimated he would break through to level 96 within the next few years.
A level 95 Titled Douluo couldn't even see through a young boy's cultivation?
Ning Fengzhi lifted his teacup, tapping a finger lightly against its side as he mused, "Blue hair, traveling with a girl from the Dugu Family despite his young age, acting carefree yet hiding his true depths..."
He suddenly looked at Chen Xin, a trace of suspicion flickering in his eyes.
"Uncle Sword, do you think... he might be the heir of some reclusive family?"
On the Douluo Continent, besides the Seven Great Sects in the open, there were many reclusive families as well.
As the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi knew some of the continent's secrets.
Chen Xin didn't answer. He simply gazed somberly at the figure below.
He had a strange intuition.
This boy who had suddenly appeared would surely stir up a tremendous storm on the Douluo Continent one day.
"Let's observe him for now. As long as he doesn't threaten the interests of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, there's no need to interfere."
Ning Fengzhi's heart jolted, and he pressed further. "Uncle Sword, in your estimation, just how high has this child's cultivation reached?"
"It's hard to say."
Chen Xin slowly shook his head, his voice carrying an unusual note of uncertainty. "But it's definitely not a level one would expect at his age. Even the most gifted young Soul Masters on the continent have a youthful roughness to their cultivation and Soul Power fluctuations. He's different."
He paused, then turned his gaze back to Poseinan, carefully studying his mannerisms.
At that moment, Poseinan was calmly serving Dugu Yan food, his expression composed, a hint of easygoing nonchalance in his eyes and brows.
Faced with the curious stares around him, he showed no awkwardness or ostentation, remaining calm and unruffled.
"Judging by his bearing alone, this boy is remarkably composed."
Chen Xin assessed him with utter seriousness, one word at a time. "So young, yet unmoved by praise or disgrace."
"Then there's his manner. He's carrying a fortune, yet he's neither arrogant nor impatient. He spends lavishly at the Seven Treasures Restaurant without wasting food; he's nearly finished everything he ordered."
"He acts on a whim but never shows off. Even with everyone watching him, he has none of a young person's restlessness or overt ambition, and not a trace of vulgarity."
As Chen Xin spoke, a hint of approval gradually appeared in his eyes.
As a Titled Douluo, he had met countless talented youngsters.
Some were spoiled and domineering, some flaunted their sharp edges, and some were timid and cowardly.
But someone like Poseinan, so young yet already possessed of such a steady mind and reserved bearing—
He had never met anyone like him.
"What's more, though he seems casual with the girl beside him, he looks after her in every little way. Serving her food, reminding her of things... those small details show how thoughtful he is. He's certainly no cold-hearted person."
This was the first time Ning Fengzhi had seen Chen Xin give a boy such high praise.
He lifted his teacup and took a small sip, but astonishment churned in his eyes.
"We don't know where this boy comes from, yet he's traveling with Dugu Yan... It seems Heaven Dou City will soon see some interesting new faces."
Outside the window, Poseinan seemed to sense something.
He casually raised his eyes and glanced toward the private room where Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were sitting. His gaze was calm and unreadable.
Then he looked away and continued chatting and laughing with Dugu Yan.
It had been only a casual glance, but it made Chen Xin's heart skip a beat.
"What keen senses!"
Chen Xin thought to himself, and his estimation of Poseinan rose another notch.
After eating their fill, they settled the bill.
Poseinan and Dugu Yan returned to Dugu Manor.
After washing up, he planned to cultivate for a while and then go to sleep.
Just then, someone knocked on the guest room door.
Poseinan opened it.
Dugu Yan stood at the doorway, clutching the Earth Dragon Golden Melon. She looked timid, her little hands so tense they were damp with sweat.
"Brother Nan, Grandpa hasn't come back yet, and Dad's resting. Could you... keep watch over me?"
Her voice was very quiet, as if she were afraid Poseinan would refuse.
Poseinan let out a soft sigh and stepped aside. "Come in."
"Hehe, thank you, Brother Nan!"
Dugu Yan's eyes instantly curved into crescents, all her nervousness vanishing. Clutching the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, she skipped into the guest room.
Then the two sat facing each other.
They sat cross-legged, facing each other. Poseinan patiently and carefully taught Dugu Yan how to consume the Earth Dragon Golden Melon and explained how to circulate her Soul Power to refine it afterward.
Dugu Yan listened intently, obediently following his instructions. She ate the entire Earth Dragon Golden Melon bit by bit, then closed her eyes and followed Poseinan's guidance, calming herself as she began to refine the Soul Power within her.
After watching for a while and confirming that there were no safety concerns, Poseinan began cultivating too.
An hour later.
Dugu Yan slowly awoke, a flash of golden light passing through her eyes.
She was about to cry out in delight, but seeing Poseinan cultivating, she covered her mouth again, barely able to contain her excitement. "Oh my gosh, I actually broke through straight to level 19!"
One Earth Dragon Golden Melon had made her Soul Power soar by eight levels. This chance was beyond anything she could have imagined.
What kind of greeting gift was this?
Who gave a gift this good?
This was clearly a rare heavenly treasure!
But why had Brother Nan given her something so precious?
Dugu Yan was a little confused.
Suddenly, she remembered a story her grandfather had once told her.
According to the tale, when a boy liked a girl, he would give her his most precious possession as a token of his love.
Could it be that Brother Nan liked her?
The moment the thought crossed Dugu Yan's mind, her delicate eyes went wide. She hurriedly covered her burning cheeks.
She stole a glance at Poseinan, who was concentrating on his cultivation beside her.
The boy had handsome features and a clean, gentle profile. A faint glow of Soul Power surrounded him, and all at once, she found him very captivating.
Since she was so close, Dugu Yan could even smell a faint, delicate fragrance on him.
"Brother Nan, you smell so nice!"
As if possessed, Dugu Yan leaned closer, rose onto her tiptoes, puckered her lips, and swiftly planted a gentle kiss on Poseinan's cheek.
The moment she had done it,
She fled the room like a startled little rabbit, her face burning with embarrassment.
Back in her room, she covered her face, her mind in a muddle. "I'm done for, I'm done for. How could I... I actually kissed Brother Nan!"
"I kissed his cheek... Does that mean we're going to have a baby?"
The childish thought surfaced uncontrollably.
Dugu Yan returned to her room, but for a long time she couldn't collect herself. She decided to distract herself by cultivating.
When she summoned her Martial Soul,
A startled cry rang through all of Dugu Manor.
"Ah! Why has my Martial Soul changed!!!"