Xue Ye's Resentment

"Not a ' Swan,' or rather, not an ordinary ' Swan.' 🍓 ⋆ 🍦 🎀 🎀 🍦 ⋆ 🍓"

In the Imperial Garden, a petite figure with wings on its back spreads its arms and kicks gracefully in an open space. Not far away, under a pavilion, a stone table sits in the center, with three men and one woman sitting around it.

Ling Yi sat sideways on the stone bench, watching Xue Qianxun gracefully practice the third move of "Beast Martial Soul - Xingyi Fist Style - II" - Swan Goose Soars into the Vast Heavens.

"How so?"

Xue Ye was also looking at Xue Qianxun, her emotions were very complicated.

He truly never expected that his eldest daughter, whom he had never paid attention to, would actually possess the aptitude of Innate Full Soul Power!

Although she is a woman, her Innate Full Soul Power means that as long as she is trained step by step, she will be guaranteed to become an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo in the future!

If they accumulate more resources, and if Xue Qianxun's comprehension doesn't hold them back, and with a bit of luck, their ["Swan" Xue Family] will produce its first Titled Douluo!

Titled Douluo!

Think about the royal family of the Star Luo Empire, the Dai Family. So what if their "White Tiger" Martial Soul is powerful? Over the years, we haven't seen a single Titled Douluo emerge from them. Aren't they just relying on their Martial Soul Fusion Skill with the "Spirit Cat Zhu Family," the "Hell White Tiger," to maintain their facade?

The Xue Ye that once made me feel a little bittersweet, now suddenly gives me a sense of triumph.

There's just one thing...

"I wish it were a son!"

Looking at the graceful figure of Xue Qianxun in the Xue Ye, Ling Yi couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Although his expression remained unchanged, maintaining his affection for Xue Qianxun, the hint of regret in his eyes couldn't be hidden from Ling Yi beside him.

Ling Yi was fully aware of Xue Ye's inner thoughts, but he didn't expose them, and continued speaking unhurriedly:

"Based on my observation, the feathers of the Xue Family's ' Swan ' Martial Soul are primarily snow-white. Occasionally, when they mutate to other attributes, they will change to other colors, such as the vermilion of the fire attribute, the light blue of the wind attribute, and the emerald green of the wood attribute..."

Although Xue'er's "Swan" Martial Soul feathers are also white, they are a milky white with a hint of pale gold.

"Golden?" Xue Ye quickly suppressed his regret and focused his gaze on the pair of wings that Xue Qianxun had spread out on her back after her Martial Soul was possessed.

"Light attribute?"

Upon seeing the faint golden light shimmering in the sunlight, Xue Ye thought of her queen Dixiya.

He remembered that Empress Dixiya's Martial Soul was "Radiant Bird of Paradise." Judging from the name, it was a bird-type Soul Beast with the attribute of light.

"Hmph!" Xue Ye narrowed her eyes, her voice turning colder. "It seems the royal family has been living too comfortably these past few years!"

The fact that Ling Yi had to remind him of this, instead of confirming it directly during the ' Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony,' made him feel somewhat embarrassed in front of Ling Yi. Already in a bad mood because Xue Qianxun wasn't his son, his mood immediately soured.

"During the previous ' Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony,' everyone was too surprised by Xue'er's Innate Full Soul Power, which is why they overlooked—" Ling Yi offered a way out at the right time.

Upon hearing this, Xue Ye Ye's slight anger vanished instantly, and she naturally changed the subject, asking, "Since Master Ling has discerned that Qianxun's Martial Soul possesses the attribute of light, do you have any insightful opinions or guidance regarding Qianxun's future cultivation strategy?"

After speaking, he gave Chen Xin, who had been silent and aloof beside Ling Yi, a friendly smile.

In response, Chen Xin simply nodded indifferently.

"No rush~" Ling Yi shook his head with a smile, looking at Xue Qianxun, who was sweating not far away, and said, "Let me ask the little girl about her own choice of future path before we start to discuss it."

Seeing this, Xue Ye gritted her teeth secretly, feeling a tightness in her chest.

Beside her, Queen Dixiya watched the conversation between the two men. Having recovered from the shock of Xue Qianxun's amazing talent, she could clearly sense the difference between Xue Ye and Ling Yi.

Thinking back to the six years since her daughter Xue Qianxun was born, Xue Ye had only visited them a handful of times, while Ling Yi, though also infrequent, regularly received interesting items and delicious food from the Green Wood Merchant Association ...

Sometimes even Dixiya couldn't tell whether she looked forward to seeing Xue Ye more each day or to seeing Ling Yi more.

Just then, a clear "Mother" rang in her ears, and a fiery figure rushed into her arms.

Subconsciously, she hugged the petite, soft body in her arms. Dixiya gently lifted her hand and brushed the golden hair that was sticking to Xue Qianxun's flushed cheeks with sweat behind her ear, softly scolding, "A girl should pay attention to her manners. Why are you acting like a little monkey..."

For some reason, if it were in the past, with Xue Ye present, Dixiya would have seriously instructed her daughter Xue Qianxun in order to make Xue Ye pay more attention to Xue Qianxun.

But Dixiya didn't do that now. Instead, she treated her daughter with the same doting affection that a mother in an ordinary family would show when only Ling Yi was present.

Whether it was because Ling Yi was present or because her daughter's Martial Soul Awakening with top-tier talent like Innate Full Soul Power, her confidence suddenly surged, giving her a sense of fearlessness.

I suppose it's the second reason?

As Dixiya thought this to herself, her gaze involuntarily drifted to Ling Yi beside her. Upon seeing those gentle and warm eyes, she felt a strange sense of guilt welled up inside her. She subconsciously looked away and forced herself to refocus her attention on her daughter.

"Cough..."

Just as Xue Ye coughed lightly, preparing to call Xue Qianxun over for a chat and rebuild their father-daughter relationship, Ling Yi spoke first, "Xue'er— "

Upon hearing Ling Yi's voice, Xue Qianxun immediately stopped lingering in Dixiya's arms and jumped to Ling Yi like a little deer. As if remembering what her mother had just said about etiquette, she immediately put her hands behind her back, and her rosy cheeks, which were already flushed from practicing boxing, became even redder.

Xue Ye: "..."

A dozen steps away, Xu Yixiu and Xiao Tie exchanged a glance among the two rows of guards standing watch.

Xiao Tie: "Old Xu, why does it seem like our Emperor doesn't have much of a presence in the pavilion?"

Xu Yixiu: "It's not just that I have no presence, it's that I have absolutely no presence! I feel embarrassed!"

Xiao Tie: "Indeed, it's incredibly embarrassing..."

Unaware that someone among the guards was plotting against her on that Xue Ye, she genuinely felt embarrassed and uncomfortable.

However, when he thought of Ling Yi's current status and position, and then of the ' Sword Douluo ' Chen Xin sitting next to Ling Yi, and the two Soul Douluo -level Imperial Palace Guardians standing not far behind him, he suppressed all his discomfort and maintained a kind smile called 'fatherly love' on his face.

Feeling uncomfortable being watched by Xue Ye Xue Qianxun shifted her body awkwardly, her large, watery eyes looking up at Ling Yi: "Uncle Ling Yi, I've learned the ' Swan Goose Soars into the Vast Heavens ' you taught me—"

You could tell from the little girl's clear voice that it was full of joy and pride, and her little face had a "Praise me, praise me" expression on it.

Ling Yi didn't praise her. Instead, he shook his head and said with a perfectly normal expression, "Xue'er is so smart, it's not surprising at all that she can learn it."

Although she didn't receive direct praise from Ling Yi, Xue Qianxun was even happier, raising her chin high. "That's right—!"

"Cough—!"

Just then, Xue Ye coughed lightly again, drawing Xue Qianxun and Ling Yi's attention to herself. After the two looked over, she straightened her already upright back even more.

"Father..."

Xue Qianxun looked at Xue Ye's somewhat unfamiliar face. Although he was smiling, she felt a little scared. The joy on her little face disappeared instantly, her head instinctively lowered slightly, and her body hunched over. She didn't know where to put her little hands that were originally behind her back.

She had just tried very hard not to look at her unfamiliar father, burying her head in the sand like an ostrich, telling herself that there were only her mother and Uncle Ling Yi in the pavilion, just like when Uncle Ling Yi had visited them before.

On the other side, seeing Xue Qianxun's change, Xue Ye Ye's smile froze, and the lines he had prepared in his mind suddenly stopped.

Xue Ye felt a pang of regret, regretting that she hadn't cared about her eldest daughter all these years, and hadn't even exchanged a few words with her.

But more than anything, he was angry. In his eyes, he was Xue Qianxun's father, and regardless of whether he hadn't cared for her all these years, she shouldn't ignore or resist him like this.

Especially since he was so intimate with Ling Yi, an outsider, just a moment ago, but now he showed such a fearful expression towards him, it made his anger, which was both jealous and hateful towards Ling Yi, almost reach the top of his head.

In Xue Ye's view, when Ling Yi approached him, who was then the Third Prince, with "Blue Silver Rice" and a crossbow, he must have wanted to become his follower.

Out of respect for Ai'er Timosi and Xue Xing, and for the merit of presenting "Blue Silver Rice" and crossbows, Xue Ye did not mind taking Ling Yi as his subordinate.

Even with the involvement of the Spirit Hall and the Menethil Clan of the Great Soul Fighting Arena Alliance in the matter of "Blue Silver Rice," he only believed that Ling Yi's secrecy was inadequate, allowing these two families to see the potential benefits and come after hearing the news.

At most, Ling Yi is playing both sides, waiting for the right price to go, and increasing his own value through the involvement of these two companies.

The Water Wood Duchy couldn't win Ling Yi's heart, but Xue Ye was the future ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire. He would definitely be able to tame the resourceful and ambitious Ling Yi and make him obediently serve him.

However, to Xue Ye's surprise, when he repeatedly offered to recruit Ling Yi into the Heaven Dou Empire's court and to work in his Xue Ye, Ling Yi refused!

He actually refused!

At that moment, if Ling Yi hadn't had a close relationship with Salas and others from the Heaven Dou Martial Soul Temple, hadn't been accompanied by the newly promoted Seven-Ring Soul Sage Dugu Bo, the "Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor," and hadn't been inseparable from Yang Shelly, the daughter of a collateral branch of the "Breaking Clan," he would have truly wanted to send someone to physically eliminate Ling Yi.

However, Xue Ye was only the Third Prince at the time, had many concerns. In addition, there were many complicated relationships entangled with Ling Yi. In the end, he chose to endure, thinking that he would endure until he ascended the throne and sat on the throne of the Heaven Dou Empire before turning around and dealing with the unruly Ling Yi.

Unfortunately, once Xue Ye ascended to the throne, Ling Yi's strength and influence grew step by step over the years, and he associated with more and more forces. The speed of his development was so fast that it alarmed Xue Ye.

But what followed was an even stronger anger.

If Ling Yi had joined his ranks earlier, would everything Ling Yi later possessed have belonged to Xue Ye?

Therefore, Xue Ye hated Ling Yi for being ungrateful and refusing his recruitment efforts multiple times; he was also jealous of Ling Yi's luck, as he had managed to develop such a large-scale power from a commoner in just over ten years, making the throne that he had been striving for pale in comparison.

But no matter how much hatred and jealousy she felt, facing the already accomplished Ling Yi, the Seven Kill Douluo Chen Jianjun who was stationed far away in Lingyun City, and the Sword Douluo Chen Xin was right in front of her, Xue Ye could only bury all her resentment and jealousy deep in her heart. She forced a kind smile, nodded to Ling Yi, and said with a bitter smile, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Master Ling."

"No, not at all," Ling Yi replied with an understanding smile, his voice calm.

Xue Ye turned her gaze back to Xue Qianxun, and said softly, "Qianxun, Father Emperor was just asking Master Ling what advice he had for your future cultivation. Master Ling said he needed to ask about your plans first..."

After a pause, watching Xue Qianxun's expression slowly return to calm from fear, Xue Ye continued, "Tell me, what are your thoughts on your next steps?"

"Although our Xue Family's ' Swan ' Martial Soul isn't a particularly powerful Martial Soul, it has considerable advantages in both flight and Soul Power recovery. You could consider the Power Attack System or the Agility Attack System. Father, your Ninth Imperial Uncle, and the other elders and uncles are basically following these two paths..."

As Xue Ye spoke, she subtly observed Ling Yi's changing expressions.

He had some ulterior motives, because Ling Yi himself was a Healing System Soul Master, while Xue Qianxun's "Swan" Martial Soul had the attribute of light due to her mother Dixiya's "Radiant Bird of Paradise" Martial Soul bloodline. Xue Ye was worried that Ling Yi would lead Xue Qianxun down the Healing System path.

As is well known, the cultivation speed of Support System Soul Master such as Healing System on the Douluo Continent is slower than that of Combat System Soul Master. Ling Yi's ability to achieve the Seven-Ring Soul Sage realm at the age of thirty-two or thirty-three is attributed by everyone to Ling Yi's Martial Soul Second Awakening and the current environment of widespread cultivation of "Blue Silver Grass" on the Douluo Continent. This is a special case that cannot be replicated.

Given Xue Qianxun's Innate Full Soul Power, Xue Ye believed that even if she chose the Healing System route, her cultivation speed would not be too slow. However, he still hoped that Xue Qianxun would take the Combat System route.

Besides allowing for faster cultivation, this method can also become a trump card for the Heaven Dou Empire in the future.

The boost to a nation's strength brought by an Power Attack System Titled Douluo and a Healing System Titled Douluo are completely different.

This can be seen from the fact that the various forces on the mainland are not particularly wary of Ling Yi's progress in strengthening himself.

Ling Yi paid no attention to Xue Ye's little thoughts, nor did he interrupt her. He simply watched silently. Whether she was Healing System or Combat System, it wouldn't affect his future training of Xue Qianxun.

Surely no one really thinks that Master Ling, Healing System Soul Saint, is weak and frail?

The little girl was just practicing the advanced version of "Beast Martial Soul: Xingyi Fist" that he taught her~