The next day!
Dugu Yan still had to return to school. Dugu Bo doted on his granddaughter and could not bear to make her walk, so he personally took her back to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
At the same time, two special parties of guests arrived at Dugu Mansion in Heaven Dou City.
The first was the current Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe.
The second was Xue Qinghe's teacher, Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Upon seeing Ning Fengzhi, Xue Qinghe approached with a broad smile and took the initiative to offer a disciple's bow, refined in manner and respectful in bearing.
"Teacher, sorry for the trouble of making this trip today."
Ning Fengzhi wore a moon-white robe of exceptional fabric. He had a scholarly air and handsome features, with a faint smile forever lingering at the corners of his lips.
He neither moved aside nor avoided the bow, accepting it from Xue Qinghe. After all, Xue Qinghe was still the Crown Prince, not the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire.
As Xue Qinghe's teacher, he was entitled to receive his bow.
Still, Ning Fengzhi knew his bounds. After accepting Xue Qinghe's bow, he immediately stepped forward to help him up and spoke gently.
"Your Highness, there is no need for such ceremony!"
"The message I received from Your Highness last night truly left me unable to sleep a wink. My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has always treated others with goodwill. I never imagined that we would unwittingly cause such an enormous misunderstanding with a genius Spirit Master."
"To have forced him to change his appearance and conceal his name was my fault. If we can clear up this misunderstanding today, I am willing to apologize to him personally and offer some compensation."
His words certainly sounded pleasant!
But deep down, Ning Fengzhi was extremely anxious.
To a certain extent, Support Spirit Masters naturally cultivated more slowly than Battle Soul Masters.
Yet this Lan Chen had reached rank 69 Soul Power at only around thirty years old. Such talent was truly terrifying.
As long as this man did not die, he would certainly become a Titled Douluo of the support system.
When that happened, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda would probably lose its position as the continent's foremost support Martial Soul for good.
The mere thought left Ning Fengzhi unbearably anxious.
He truly had been unable to sleep all night after receiving the message.
He had never imagined that despite his relentless efforts to snuff them out, such a massive oversight could still occur.
A Support Spirit Master had quietly grown to rank 69 Soul Power without anyone noticing.
A surging desire to kill Lan Chen had already risen within Ning Fengzhi.
For now, however, both Xue Ye and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe intended to protect Lan Chen and bring him under the control of the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family.
That made it difficult for Ning Fengzhi to act too soon.
He could only wait for the current stir to die down, then find an opportunity to send Gu Rong or Chen Xin to eliminate Lan Chen, this thorn in his heart, once and for all.
On the surface, Ning Fengzhi naturally had to maintain his image. His face was filled with guilt and self-reproach as he sighed repeatedly and kept reflecting on his own faults.
This was Ning Fengzhi: seemingly kind to others, but ruthless in truth. He deserved much of the credit for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's rise to its present position.
Watching Ning Fengzhi reproach himself so deeply, the corners of Xue Qinghe's mouth twitched, but he still offered words of comfort.
"Teacher, you need not blame yourself too much. After all, oversights are inevitable when managing a sect as large as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"We have come together today to clear up this misunderstanding. As long as we can make amends, I believe Lan Chen will forgive you."
Ning Fengzhi nodded noncommittally.
"I hope so."
As they spoke, an attendant from the Crown Prince Mansion stepped forward and knocked on the door. When the gates of Dugu Mansion opened, Dugu Bo's steward came out.
Neither servile nor overbearing, the attendant explained that Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi had come to visit Lan Chen.
This gave the steward quite a fright!
One was the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the other was the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. With these two arriving together, how could a mere steward possibly stop them?
With Dugu Bo absent as well, the steward could only cautiously invite Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi into the mansion's reception room, then hurry off to notify Lu Chen.
A short while later, in a guest room at Dugu Manor!
After learning the full story from the steward, Lu Chen could not help looking helpless.
The Douluo Continent was only so big. Once he revealed his whereabouts in public, it was only a matter of time before someone set their sights on him.
Especially after coming to Heaven Dou City-Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi were like sticky oxhide candy. He could not shake them off even if he wanted to.
There was nothing for it. He would meet them!
Fortunately, his Martial Soul had already evolved from Blue Silver Grass into the Blue Silver King, and he had also awakened the Blue Silver Domain.
Using the Blue Silver Domain's disguising ability, he had disguised himself.
What he had exposed was all inconsequential. On the surface, he was merely an unremarkable Support Spirit Emperor around thirty years old with rank 69 Soul Power.
If people learned that he was not yet ten but was already a rank 69 Spirit Emperor, and that his Spirit Ring configuration was purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, there was no telling how many would want to silence him.
For now, things were all right. He had already proven his value to Dugu Bo, who would certainly protect him. As long as he held out until Dugu Bo returned, he would not be in any danger.
Lu Chen then followed the steward to the reception room to meet Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi.
Inside the reception room!
Lu Chen strode in with a composed expression. Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi both had quite recognizable appearances, so he recognized them at a glance upon entering.
A young man who appeared gentle and courteous.
That was Xue Qinghe!
A middle-aged man who looked scholarly and easygoing.
That was Ning Fengzhi!
After entering, Lu Chen was just about to speak when he suddenly sensed intense malice. The hairs on his back stood on end, and every muscle in his body tightened.
Who was it?
His gaze flashed like lightning as he instantly looked over!
Behind Ning Fengzhi stood a towering figure more than two meters tall. He looked large and imposing, yet had little muscle; his bulk was supported entirely by his skeletal frame.
The man had sunken eye sockets, hollow cheeks, sparse hair, and an exceedingly ugly face.
At first glance, he resembled a skeletal fiend!
Bone Douluo, Gu Rong!
The instant Lu Chen saw him, he realized who he was.
His heart immediately tightened. Compared with Chen Xin, who was reasonably upright, Gu Rong was nothing but a villain.
It was only because, in this period, there was merely the term Fallen Spirit Master, not Evil Soul Master.
Otherwise, Gu Rong would unquestionably be an Evil Soul Master.
Ning Fengzhi brought Gu Rong along. It looks like he has ill intentions toward me. First, he lets Gu Rong recognize my face; next time, he'll be coming to kill me!
Lu Chen gritted his teeth and buried all his emotions deep inside.
It was not yet time to fall out with Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong.
He had to endure for now!
But Lu Chen had committed this matter to memory. Once his strength increased in the future, he would definitely give the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi, and Gu Rong a very big "surprise."
Lu Chen stopped looking at Gu Rong. Even with his hair standing on end, he acted as though the man did not exist. Taking the initiative to adopt a humble posture, he bowed and said:
"I am Lan Chen. Greetings, Your Highness. Greetings, Sect Master Ning."