The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
Yu Tianheng stood there, having just been caught and beaten black and blue by Dugu Bo.
His face was swollen and bruised, and he looked utterly miserable. The sight made the elders turn to stare.
"Ahem, well... Tianheng, there's no rush about the Soul Bone. You, uh..."
It was almost too painful to look at. They could more or less guess who'd done it, but there was no need to beat him that badly.
Could it be? Had the boy already been unable to resist and gotten together with Dugu Yan?
"I'm not here about the Soul Bone this time. I've come to deliver a wedding invitation."
As he spoke, Yu Tianheng pulled out the invitation that Dugu Yan had asked him to deliver on her behalf.
The Ye Family couldn't deliver it to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, so they had to entrust the task to Yu Tianheng.
But who knew what had happened? Dugu Bo had caught him halfway there and beaten him without saying a word.
Now Yu Tianheng had no idea what he'd done to offend the man. Just look at the state he'd left him in.
"A wedding invitation? You're moving fast, kid!"
The elders were delighted, thinking it was an invitation to Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan's wedding. But when they took a look—
Well, they'd gotten their hopes up for nothing. Still, they'd heard of Fang Xuan.
The "Seven-Day Kneeling Talk," was it? Quite a few people in the sect were talking about it now.
The old men had heard a little about it too, so Fang Xuan's name rang a bell.
But why was a direct descendant of their sect delivering an invitation for this Fang Xuan's wedding? Who was he to warrant such deference?
"Elders, Fang Xuan is my friend, and he's exceptionally talented. He's already a Soul King at eighteen—a rare genius. Our sect should make an effort to befriend him."
When he'd returned last time, he'd been focused on asking for a Soul Bone to cure Dugu Yan's poison, and had forgotten to mention Fang Xuan.
He might as well tell them now, so they could show their support and build a closer relationship with him.
"Also, he's now Poison Douluo's disciple, and Ye Lingling is a friend of Yanyan's. I'd like to ask my grandfather to come out of seclusion."
If they were going to do this, they might as well go all in. Yu Tianheng had a feeling that if Fang Xuan kept this up, even Dugu Bo might kick him out and send him over to Fang Xuan's side.
The Ye Family really had guts, too. The invitation said they wanted to find a few more wives for Fang Xuan.
That was downright shocking. He knew the Nine Star Begonia was special, but couldn't they show a little restraint? Couldn't they discuss it in private?
Yu Tianheng was under immense pressure, so he swallowed his pride and came to ask his grandfather for help.
That meant the current patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the sect's only Titled Douluo, Yu Yuanzhen.
He had to settle things with Dugu Yan, or he really would lose her.
Just imagining Dugu Yan running into Fang Xuan's arms made him want to vomit blood.
"This..."
The elders exchanged looks, weighing whether it was worth doing.
They'd seen the contents of the invitation and understood Yu Tianheng's concern.
But was asking the patriarch to come out of seclusion making too much of a fuss?
Still, according to Yu Tianheng, Fang Xuan was a talent worth recruiting. And with Dugu Yan's situation on top of that, perhaps it was worth the effort after all.
The patriarch was still in seclusion, and only a major matter could justify disturbing him. The elders were caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Then I'll go out for a while. It's been some time since I last showed my face. Before long, those old fellows might start thinking I've kicked the bucket."
A deep voice came from afar. A moment later, a towering figure appeared before them.
Electric arcs coiled around him as he flew through the air, his exposed skin showing clearly defined muscles.
His short black hair rippled in the thunder, lending him an imposing air.
"Patriarch."
The elders bowed in unison. The newcomer was Yu Yuanzhen, patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
Yu Yuanzhen landed before them and flicked his hand. The invitation Yu Tianheng had brought flew into his grasp.
"Looks like an interesting young man has appeared while I've been in seclusion."
"Go. Take two Soul Bones from the sect's treasury. Pick ones with higher age."
"One as a wedding gift, the other as a betrothal gift. I'll deliver them personally."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
As one of the Upper Three Sects' intelligence hubs, they'd naturally learned about Fang Xuan and Ye Lingling long ago.
They also knew about Fang Xuan's earlier conflict with Shrek.
"I didn't expect it to be that kid. Rongrong took quite a beating at his hands. She was nearly frantic trying to track him down, and now he's actually come here."
Gu Rong was quite interested in the matter and chatted on from his seat.
"Fengzhi, what do you think?"
Chen Xin wasn't particularly concerned about Fang Xuan.
The important thing was that Fang Xuan had a grudge with the little princess of their sect.
They were bound to cross paths in the future. Before, they might have chosen to deal with him without anyone knowing.
But they couldn't do that now. Not only was he Dugu Bo's disciple, he'd also become famous throughout Heaven Dou City.
If they went after him, would the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect be willing to throw away its reputation?
"It's a small matter. They're just children. A little squabbling is normal. They can talk it out."
"Besides, he didn't know Rongrong's identity. You can't blame someone for what they don't know."
Ning Fengzhi didn't think much of it. He'd sent Ning Rongrong out in the first place to temper her.
A little hardship would do her good. She'd been too unruly for far too long.
"Fang Xuan is someone worth recruiting. I had people look into him before. The kid's already a Soul King, and he's only eighteen."
"I don't need to spell out what kind of talent it takes to become a Soul King at eighteen."
In any faction, reaching Soul Ancestor at eighteen would already make someone a top-tier genius.
A Soul King? That was a genius among geniuses.
And this genius was unaffiliated. He'd reached this point entirely through his own efforts, without relying on any sect or faction. His potential was immeasurable.
Someone like that had to be recruited or destroyed. There was no third option.
"He certainly is a talent, but he seems closer to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon side. What about us...?"
Fang Xuan was marrying Ye Lingling, whose best friend was Dugu Yan, whose boyfriend was Yu Tianheng.
No one knew how close the two of them were yet, but they were certainly closer to each other than either was to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
And the sect had no advantage here. What could they offer to attract him?
"Which side he's closer to isn't for them to decide. As long as the benefits are good enough, he can be made to work for us."
"Uncle Gu, go bring Rongrong back."
"The Ye Family wants this child to carry on their bloodline. I'll help them with that."
A crafty glint flickered in Ning Fengzhi's eyes. He looked like a cunning old fox.
"The greatest healing Martial Soul in the world belongs with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"I want Fang Xuan, and I want the Nine-Heart Begonia too."