Apprenticeship to Bone Douluo, Departure for Star Dou Forest

Ning Fengzhi found himself in a difficult position, feeling a pang of regret and worrying that his two elders might damage their relationship over a disciple. He spoke up to mediate, "Why not ask Han Yu for his thoughts?"

"Very well." Chen Xin nodded in agreement.

"No problem." Gu Rong glanced at Chen Xin, who had reverted to his cold, detached persona, and shook his head with a smile.

Ning Fengzhi turned and summoned a deacon, instructing him to repair the sword marks on the ground. It had been his oversight; he hadn't realized that a true powerhouse could deduce the general capabilities of Han Yu's martial soul from such minute traces.

Until Han Yu matured, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could not afford any complications.

All information regarding Han Yu's awakening was strictly sealed by Ning Fengzhi, and everyone who knew the truth was confined within the sect, forbidden from leaving.

After making all the arrangements, Ning Fengzhi brought the two men to Han Yu's residence.

"Han Yu, come and meet our two patrons. This is Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and this is Bone Douluo Gu Rong." Ning Fengzhi introduced them to Han Yu with a gentle, easygoing tone.

"Han Yu pays his respects to Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo." Han Yu bowed respectfully, his voice neither servile nor overbearing.

"So, you are Han Yu?" Gu Rong narrowed his eyes, looking somewhat ill-intentioned.

Ning Rongrong, who had always loved clinging to her two grandfathers, had found a new favorite in Han Yu. Having abandoned the old for the new and leaving the two old men lonely, Gu Rong naturally found Han Yu an eyesore.

"Yes, I am Han Yu."

Han Yu replied, feeling an inexplicable chill in the air.

He circulated the soul power within his body, and a transparent Cold-Avoiding Formation manifested beneath his feet, enveloping him. The chill dissipated instantly.

Gu Rong widened his eyes, watching as the flowing soul power beneath the boy's feet pushed aside the spatial pressure he had exerted out of thin air. His heart was filled with shock.

That was the pressure of a Title Douluo; even if he had been holding back, it shouldn't have been neutralized so easily. He truly wanted to compete with Chen Xin for this disciple now.

"Han Yu, do you remember what I said earlier about taking on a master?" Ning Fengzhi asked with a smile.

Han Yu nodded, looking toward Sword Douluo Chen Xin with anticipation.

"Kid, both Chen Xin and I want to take you as a disciple. You choose for yourself; I'm quite fond of you." Gu Rong raised an eyebrow, resting a hand on Chen Xin's shoulder with a playful tone.

Chen Xin's mouth twitched slightly at these words, but he said nothing, merely smiling and nodding at Han Yu.

Han Yu first bowed respectfully to both Title Douluos, observing their expressions calmly. After a brief moment of thought, he had his answer.

"Forgive my offense, but Han Yu is dull-witted. I wish to take both seniors as my teachers."

"Haha, what a bold kid! Why would you think of that?" Gu Rong asked in confusion, his tone tinged with delight.

Seeing that Ning Fengzhi did not intervene, Han Yu understood the situation and spoke slowly with a sincere tone: "The two seniors are the closest of friends. Even if Han Yu only took one as a master, would the other not still guide me with care? It would be better to let Han Yu serve you both as a disciple."

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the three men present lit up, and they couldn't help but nod.

On the Douluo Continent, the master-disciple relationship was held in high regard. A soul master usually had only one teacher in their lifetime, and they would not change until death, lest they be despised by others. As a teacher, one would devote their heart and soul to guiding the disciple, protecting their growth, assisting in hunting soul beasts for rings, and even passing down their own unique, self-created soul skills.

Given Gu Rong's temperament and his friendship with Chen Xin, he would undoubtedly treat Han Yu as his own disciple and teach him everything he knew. Han Yu's approach was truly the most correct choice.

Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a smile and said to Han Yu, "Very well, today we shall both take you as our disciple."

"This disciple greets both teachers." Han Yu performed the disciple's bow twice with great seriousness and sincerity.

Watching this scene, Ning Fengzhi was beaming, completely unaware that he seemed to have overlooked another promise.

Before the sect entrance.

"Han Yu, Rongrong, the two patrons will accompany you to the Star Dou Forest. You must be obedient." Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter, a wry smile on his lips.

"Yes, Sect Master."

"Hmph." Ning Rongrong stood beside Han Yu, deliberately turning her head away to avoid looking at Ning Fengzhi.

The original plan was for Bone Douluo Gu Rong to take Han Yu to hunt for his soul ring alone. With his Bone Dragon martial soul's mastery over space, protecting a child was more than enough, and it would save a significant amount of time.

However, when Ning Rongrong learned that Han Yu had already become the disciple of both grandfathers, she was so angry that her eyes turned red from crying. But since the master-disciple bond was already established, it was not appropriate to change it. Ning Rongrong settled for the next best thing, insisting on accompanying Han Yu after the apprenticeship.

Ning Fengzhi had also dispatched Chen Xin; after all, Gu Rong alone could not fully protect both of them. Having two Title Douluos escort them ensured a safe return.

This was standard practice for major sects; no one would truly let a disciple face the possibility of injury or death under the guise of "training."

Only those small, under-resourced, and weak factions would send a single person, calling it "honing the disciple's coordination and combat skills," which often led to talented geniuses dying at the hands of soul beasts.

Recruiting talent without providing protection and resources was an extremely irresponsible act. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect relied on its generous treatment to win the favor of civilian soul masters, which was why it held its current status among the Upper Three Sects.

"Let's go." Chen Xin said, his hands behind his back.

Gu Rong understood his intent; a black hole appeared before him, and he stepped into it alone, vanishing from sight.

The three of them left the mountain gate by carriage.

Inside the carriage, Chen Xin sat facing the two of them.

Chen Xin comforted them in a slow voice: "Han Yu, do not worry about the flaws in your martial soul. This is actually good news. It is not necessary for a twin-martial-soul user to cultivate one before the other. In history, those who added ten-thousand-year soul rings to their second martial soul all ended up exploding from the pressure."

"Hmph, Grandpa Sword is biased; he didn't talk about Rongrong's martial soul." Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong gripped her skirt with slight force, stealing a worried glance at Han Yu beside her.

"Once Grandpa finishes talking to Han Yu, I will talk about yours." Chen Xin smiled, looking at Ning Rongrong with doting eyes.

Seeing that Han Yu's expression remained calm and showed no signs of discomfort, Ning Rongrong breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

Han Yu remained silent, though a touch of warmth stirred within his heart.

They were genuinely worried that Han Yu's state of mind might be damaged by his martial soul's defect; even Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who was always reticent, had painstakingly offered him guidance.

Next, Chen Xin carefully explained the key points of soul ring absorption to Han Yu, even guiding the soul power within his body to simulate the entire process, acting with the dedication of a thoughtful elder.

During this process, Chen Xin discovered that his disciple's meridians were filled with the golden arcs he had seen before, which were surprisingly resilient, easily withstanding the impact of the simulated soul power.

Several hours later, a familiar black hole appeared outside the carriage.

Gu Rong had made a round trip and found no danger along the way after scouting, so the four of them began short-distance travel through the black hole led by Gu Rong, moving rapidly toward the Star Dou Forest.