Lonely Heart Chases Flames, Borrowing Strength to Climb the Clouds

Two years had passed since Qian Renxue's departure, and Qian Lingche was now nearly nine years old.

During this time, his soul power had broken through to level 30, and he had successfully obtained his third soul ring, officially becoming a Soul Elder.

The nourishment of his soul power had caused his body to grow rapidly, and he now resembled a young teenager.

His intellect, too, far exceeded that of ordinary people; he was even more mature than the average twenty-something commoner.

It is worth mentioning, however, that today, Lin Yuan successfully broke through to level 90. She was now only one ninth soul ring away from becoming a true Title Douluo.

Yet, the choice of that soul ring gave both Qian Lingche and Guang Ling a headache.

According to Qian Lingche's wishes, he certainly hoped to hunt a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast for Lin Yuan, as this concerned her future potential.

A hundred-thousand-year soul ring would not only significantly boost her strength and potential but also grant her two powerful soul skills.

Lin Yuan and the others had firmly chosen to follow him; even if they had their own private motives, they were ultimately loyal at heart.

He could not bring himself to fail those who trusted and accompanied him, but the problem was that Brother Ling could not hunt a hundred-thousand-year soul beast alone. Winning the fight was one thing, but ensuring Lin Yuan could land the final blow was another matter entirely.

Still, Qian Lingche was unwilling to give up. A person's ninth soul ring determined their entire life; he could not simply let it go so easily.

He buried himself in various documents and finally found a record of a hundred-thousand-year Cinder Fire Phoenix that had appeared in the Sunset Forest.

The attributes of this soul beast were a perfect match for Lin Yuan's martial soul, and its age was sufficient.

As for how to hunt it... relying solely on himself and Guang Ling was clearly not enough. Qian Lingche sat at the table, his fingers tapping lightly against the surface.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he thought of a solution—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. He had previously reviewed intelligence on the sect, and given the personality of that Sect Master Ning, borrowing a helper shouldn't be too difficult, right?

Although it might cost him a bit of pride, pride could not be eaten as a meal. Right now, Lin Yuan's ninth soul ring was the most important thing.

Thinking of this, Qian Lingche turned to Guang Ling and shared his idea, his eyes filled with a hint of anticipation.

However, after listening, Guang Ling frowned in confusion: "Why not go to the Pope to borrow someone, or call the Third Brother and the others?"

Hearing this, Qian Lingche gave a bitter laugh and shook his head: "Brother Ling, you know I can't borrow anyone from them." His tone carried a trace of helplessness.

His grandfather would not help him, and he had barely seen the Second Worship or the other consecrators a few times, so they were even less likely to assist him.

Guang Ling was stunned for a moment before he suddenly realized the situation. He patted Qian Lingche on the shoulder and laughed: "It's fine, it's fine! Then let's go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

"It's just borrowing a person. If they dare to refuse, I'll beat them until they agree!" After saying this, he clenched his fists, looking eager to try.

Qian Lingche couldn't help but laugh, feeling much more at ease.

Qian Lingche immediately called for Lin Yuan, preparing to head to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect together.

When Lin Yuan learned that Qian Lingche intended to swallow his pride and go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to borrow help just to obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring for her, a wave of complex emotions surged in her heart.

She bowed her head respectfully and said with emotion: "Thank you, Young Master. This subordinate... swears loyalty to you until death."

Qian Lingche waved his hand: "Sister Lin Yuan, there is no need for that. You are my person; naturally, I will strive for the best for you. Let's go, time waits for no one."

Lin Yuan nodded and said no more. She immediately activated her Martial Soul Avatar, and a giant Blazing Fire Spirit Kite instantly appeared in the sky.

She respectfully signaled for Qian Lingche and Guang Ling to climb on, as Qian Lingche's soul power level was not yet high enough for long-distance flight.

The two did not stand on ceremony and leaped onto the back of the Blazing Fire Spirit Kite.

With a clear, sharp cry, the Blazing Fire Spirit Kite spread its wings and soared high, trailing long tail flames as it quickly flew away from Martial Soul City, heading in the direction of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

At this moment, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was immersed in joy, as their Sect Master's Wife had been found to be pregnant, and the sect was about to welcome a Young Master.

Her pregnancy was a major event for the entire sect, and the disciples were buzzing with discussion about what kind of talent the future Young Master would inherit.

The sect was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, and the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Ning Fengzhi wore an irrepressible smile as he personally arranged various matters to ensure his wife could rest and nurture the pregnancy in peace.

The sect elders were also beaming with joy, as if they could already see a more glorious future for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Just amidst this festive atmosphere, a giant firebird tore through the sky and landed steadily in front of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's mountain gate.

Qian Lingche and Guang Ling flew down from the bird's back, and Lin Yuan dispelled her Martial Soul Avatar, the phantom of the Blazing Fire Spirit Kite gradually dissipating.

The appearance of the three caught everyone's attention. They turned toward the mountain gate, their gazes filled with vigilance.

Following this, a formal letter of introduction flew from Qian Lingche's hand and landed precisely in Ning Fengzhi's grasp.

Ning Fengzhi was slightly taken aback. He took the letter, and before he could even open it, he heard a voice ring out: "Spirit Hall, Qian Lingche has come to pay a visit."

Ning Fengzhi looked up to see a handsome, composed young man walking toward him slowly.

A flash of realization crossed Ning Fengzhi's eyes as he put away the letter: "So it is Young Master Qian. I apologize for not meeting you sooner; please, come inside so we may talk."

Just as Qian Lingche's party followed Ning Fengzhi toward the main hall, a sharp gaze suddenly fell upon Guang Ling.

Sword Douluo stepped out from the side, scrutinized Guang Ling carefully, and then spoke: "The Fifth Consecrator of Spirit Hall, Guang Ling Douluo."

His voice was not loud, but the surrounding disciples heard it clearly. The words "Guang Ling Douluo" instantly caused an uproar.

After all, Title Douluos were not common goods; they were existences standing at the pinnacle of the continent.

Guang Ling stopped in his tracks upon hearing this and turned to look at Sword Douluo, still wearing that lazy smile: "Yo, isn't this Sword Douluo? It's been many years, and you're still as elegant as ever."

Sword Douluo Chen Xin let out a cold snort, his gaze filled with a hint of wariness: "Guang Ling Douluo, what brings you to grace us with your presence?"

Guang Ling Douluo shrugged, his tone relaxed, "Don't be so tense. I'm just accompanying our young master to pay a visit and discuss a few minor matters."

Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, "Uncle Sword, Young Master Qian and Guang Ling Douluo are our guests. Let us head inside to discuss the details."

By the time Qian Lingche finished a cup of tea, Ning Fengzhi had roughly grasped the purpose of the trio's visit.

He set down his teacup, his gaze sweeping between Qian Lingche and Guang Ling Douluo as he pondered in silence.

Information regarding this young master of the Spirit Hall surfaced in his mind; his relationship with the Pope Palace and the Worship Hall was not harmonious, and could even be described as somewhat delicate.

Furthermore, from their previous conversation, it was clear that although this person was young, he was a man of deep schemes. It was unlikely that this visit was as simple as it appeared.

However, Ning Fengzhi suddenly considered that if Qian Lingche's relationship with the upper echelons of the Spirit Hall was not close, did that mean the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could take this opportunity to establish a deeper connection with him?

After all, even a sidelined young master had a Title Douluo by his side, along with another individual stuck at level 90, just one ninth spirit ring away from advancing.

If they could be on good terms with him, it would undoubtedly be of great benefit to the long-term development of the sect.

Lost in these thoughts, before Ning Fengzhi could speak, Qian Lingche suddenly stood up and said with a sincere tone, "Sect Master Ning, you are an elder. May I address you as Uncle Ning?"

"I have long heard that Uncle Ning treats others with kindness and courtesy. Seeing you today, the rumors are indeed true."

As soon as these words were spoken, Ning Fengzhi was taken aback, but he immediately put on a genial smile and replied in a cordial tone, "In that case, I shall take the liberty of calling you Xiao Che."

The two exchanged a smile, and the atmosphere instantly became much more relaxed.

Although both parties knew exactly what was happening, the necessary formalities had to be observed; as long as there were benefits to be gained, everything else was secondary.

Qian Lingche took the opportunity to sit back down and continued, "Uncle Ning, I have indeed come to ask for a favor. I wish to obtain a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring for Lin Yuan, but I fear that Brother Ling alone cannot accomplish this."

"Therefore, I would like to request the assistance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Ning Fengzhi nodded, "Xiao Che, a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring is no small matter. However, since you have asked, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will naturally do its utmost to assist..."

Off to the side, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, Bone Douluo Gu Rong, as well as Guang Ling Douluo and Lin Yuan, watched as Qian Lingche and Ning Fengzhi called each other "Uncle Ning" and "Xiao Che" so affectionately, acting as if they were long-lost friends, and all wore expressions of speechlessness.

They didn't have so many schemes and couldn't fathom the two, but to use an analogy, it was essentially two cunning foxes playing a game of chess.

Sword Douluo crossed his arms and couldn't help but whisper to Bone Douluo, "Old Bone, what kind of act do you think they're putting on? How did they end up becoming relatives?"

Bone Douluo shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness, "Who knows? But looking at Fengzhi's expression, he's likely planning to take this opportunity to win over this young master of the Spirit Hall."