Hearing his son's steady greeting, Lin Gang snapped back to his senses, realizing he had lost his composure.
He quickly tamped down the storm raging in his heart, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully. "Lin Gang pays his respects to the two Titled Douluo."
Chrysanthemum Douluo waved a hand casually, his attention entirely captured by Lin Ze'an. He clearly had no interest in such formalities. "No need for ceremony."
Then he came to Lin Ze'an's side, bent down, and began examining him closely, as if admiring a perfect work of art.
"Hmm, an exceptional constitution, vigorous blood and qi. His foundation is certainly solid..."
As he murmured to himself, he reached out without a hint of restraint and lightly squeezed Lin Ze'an's arms, shoulders, and other areas, testing the strength of his bones and the resilience of his muscles.
Then he placed two fingers lightly on Lin Ze'an's wrist. A thread of Soul Power, so faint and gentle it was barely perceptible, entered his body to assess his Soul Power and bone age.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression grew more and more pleased. He couldn't even help exclaiming in admiration. "He really did just turn six not long ago, and he's already at level twenty..."
The more he looked, the more delighted he became. This child before him had not only a talent so astonishing it beggared belief, but also a composure and courage far beyond those of his peers.
Most people couldn't even bring themselves to speak when they saw him, yet this child remained completely calm.
And with such an outstanding constitution, he was practically perfect.
Apart from the young lady, was there anyone else on the entire Douluo Continent with innate Soul Power at level twenty?
He straightened up and looked at Ghost Douluo beside him. "Old Ghost, we've struck gold this time."
Ghost Douluo nodded and spoke to Lin Ze'an. "Kid, release your Martial Soul and let us have a look."
At that, Lin Ze'an held his breath and focused, his thoughts stirring slightly.
In an instant, an incomparably pure, warm, and surging aura of life quietly spread out from him.
Emerald-green motes of light gathered like fireflies, slowly taking shape behind him.
Chrysanthemum Douluo looked at Mo Ruier, feeling the aura of life wash over him.
"This... this is..."
This Martial Soul's aura of life was even richer than that of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor he had seen all those years ago.
Yet in the very next moment, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Martial Soul within him seemed to be drawn by some invisible force. It surfaced of its own accord.
The proud and haughty Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum now seemed like a subject before its sovereign. It drew in its radiance, expressing its submission.
Chrysanthemum Douluo was utterly dumbfounded.
His Martial Soul, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, was a top-tier immortal herb, one of the overlords among plants across the entire continent. When had it ever been suppressed into submission?
Feeling the two Titled Douluo's auras suddenly turn grave, Lin Ze'an instinctively stirred his thoughts and recalled his Martial Soul.
As Mo Ruier vanished, the restless Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum within Chrysanthemum Douluo finally calmed down. The oppressive feeling receded, and it sank back into silence.
He slowly raised his head. When his gaze fell on Lin Ze'an again, it had changed completely.
He was no longer looking at an exceptionally promising young genius. He was looking at...
Lin Ze'an felt a little uncomfortable under that stare.
If he wasn't mistaken, he had become a tempting, fragrant hunk of meat.
And Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes were like those of... well, a formidable dog that had gone hungry for three days and suddenly spotted a bone?
Ghost Douluo watched Chrysanthemum Douluo in exasperation, apparently displeased by his companion's loss of composure. He rasped a reminder. "Yue Guan."
At the call, Chrysanthemum Douluo jolted, seeming to realize that he had frightened the precious child.
He hurriedly blinked a few times, reining in the excessive heat in his eyes. "Ahem... Little An, right? Don't be scared, don't be scared!"
"I'm just so happy! That's right, so happy!" He rubbed his hands together and was just about to speak when he suddenly remembered something and swallowed his words.
Looking at the almost-green gleam in Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes, Lin Ze'an immediately understood.
He knew exactly what Chrysanthemum Douluo was thinking.
The man had simply seen that Lin Ze'an's talent was astonishing and his Martial Soul happened to be a top-tier plant type—well... at least by the standards of the Douluo Continent.
He was practically an heir to Chrysanthemum Douluo's legacy dropped from the heavens. Naturally, the man adored him and wanted to take him as a disciple.
Then, just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered Bibi Dong and swallowed them back down.
But the moment Lin Ze'an thought of Bibi Dong, a powerful resistance rose within him.
To say nothing of the fact that she already had Hu Liena, a direct disciple into whom she had poured immense effort. Resources and connections would naturally be tilted in her favor.
More importantly, Bibi Dong was a complete madwoman.
The trauma Qian Xunji had inflicted on her had twisted her mind beyond repair, filling her with hatred for the world. It wasn't that he could blame her, but Lin Ze'an really didn't want anything to do with her.
In her eyes, he would probably be nothing more than a more valuable tool for realizing her ambitions.
Besides, he was a boy. Become her disciple? What if she snapped one day... Just thinking about it made Lin Ze'an shudder.
He wanted to grow stronger and protect those he cared about, but he absolutely didn't want to become a stepping stone for another madwoman's ambition, much less be dragged into the heart of a whirlpool destined for tragedy.
In an instant, Lin Ze'an made up his mind.
Meanwhile, the two Titled Douluo were communicating silently.
Ghost Douluo said helplessly, "Chrysanthemum Guan, keep your thoughts in check."
"This child has already been reported. In the end, His Holiness the Pope will surely take him as a disciple personally."
"Do you think you can compete with His Holiness the Pope for him?"
At that, the excitement in Chrysanthemum Douluo's heart was doused like a flame beneath a bucket of ice water. He was instantly crestfallen.
That was true. How could His Holiness the Pope possibly give up such an astounding child?
After a moment of silence, all he could do was let out a soft sigh.
He looked at Lin Ze'an and said, somewhat dejectedly, "Kid, your talent is rare beyond compare. Staying in a little place like this would only waste your potential, and might even bring you a fatal disaster."
"Come back to Spirit City with us. That's where you'll have the best chance to grow."
After speaking, Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't look at Lin Ze'an's face, which had gone pale in an instant. Instead, he turned to Lin Gang, whose expression had changed dramatically.
With a flick of his wrist, a heavy, bulging money pouch appeared in his hand. He tossed it casually to Lin Gang.
The pouch landed in Lin Gang's hands with the dull clink of colliding coins. It was so heavy that it far surpassed any wealth he had ever seen in his life.
"This money is enough to see you through the rest of your life in comfort."
"As for your son..." He paused. "He'll join the inner circle of Spirit Hall and receive the best training. He can still come back to visit you now and then."
It sounded like reassurance, but the meaning behind it couldn't have been clearer.
They were using money to buy out the time father and son might have spent together, binding Lin Ze'an's future completely to Spirit Hall.
The promise that he could visit from time to time would probably be nothing more than an empty pledge, given Spirit Hall's strict system and the heavy responsibilities that awaited him.
Lin Gang gripped the pouch of Gold Soul Coins, feeling as though he were holding a red-hot branding iron. It burned his heart.
But what could he do? He couldn't stand in the way of his son's future...
Before you continue