Ning Fengzhi was at a loss, regret rising in his heart as he worried the two elders might fall out over taking a disciple. He spoke up to mediate. "Why don't we ask Han Yu what he thinks?"
"Sounds good." Chen Xin nodded in agreement.
"No problem." Gu Rong glanced at Chen Xin, who had once again turned into an aloof man, and shook his head with a smile.
Ning Fengzhi turned and summoned a steward, telling him to repair the sword marks on the ground. He had been careless earlier. He hadn't expected a true expert to be able to infer the general abilities of Han Yu's Martial Soul from such tiny traces.
Before Han Yu grew stronger, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect couldn't afford any trouble.
Ning Fengzhi had strictly sealed away all information about Han Yu's awakening. Everyone who knew about it was kept within the sect and forbidden to leave.
Once he had made all the arrangements, Ning Fengzhi brought the two men to Han Yu's residence.
"Han Yu, come and meet the two elders. This is Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and this is Bone Douluo Gu Rong." Ning Fengzhi thoughtfully introduced them, his tone easygoing.
"Han Yu greets Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo." Han Yu bowed respectfully, his voice neither servile nor arrogant.
"So you're 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. Out with the old and in with the new, leaving two lonely old men behind—naturally, Gu Rong took a dislike to Han Yu.
"Yes, I'm Han Yu."
Han Yu answered, feeling an inexplicable chill in the air around him.
As his Soul Power circulated, a transparent Cold-Avoiding Formation appeared beneath his feet and enveloped him. The chill faded at once.
Gu Rong's eyes widened as he watched the Soul Power flowing beneath Han Yu's feet force apart the spatial pressure he had imposed, just like that. He was astonished.
That was the pressure of a Titled Douluo. Even though he had held back, it shouldn't have been dispelled so easily. Now he truly wanted to compete with Chen Xin for this disciple.
"Han Yu, do you remember what I said earlier about taking a master?" Ning Fengzhi asked with a beaming smile.
Han Yu nodded, looking expectantly at Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"Kid, Chen Xin and I both want to take you as our disciple. You can choose for yourself. I'm quite fond of you." Gu Rong raised an eyebrow and rested his hand on Chen Xin's shoulder, a playful note in his voice.
Chen Xin's mouth twitched slightly at his words, but he said nothing. He simply smiled and nodded at Han Yu.
Han Yu first bowed respectfully to each of the two Titled Douluo. Then, as he discreetly studied their expressions, he quickly came to a decision.
"Forgive my boldness. Han Yu is dull-witted and hopes to take both seniors as his teachers."
"Haha, what a bold kid. Why would you think that?" Gu Rong asked, puzzled but delighted.
Seeing that Ning Fengzhi didn't object, Han Yu understood. He spoke slowly and sincerely. "The two seniors are close friends. Even if I became the disciple of only one of you, wouldn't the other still teach me wholeheartedly? It would be better for me to treat you both as my teachers."
At his words, all three men's eyes lit up, and they nodded without thinking.
On the Douluo Continent, the bond between teacher and disciple was taken very seriously. A Soul Master would often have only one teacher in their entire life, never changing even until death; to do otherwise would earn them everyone's scorn. A teacher, in turn, would devote themselves to teaching and protecting their disciple as they grew, helping them hunt Soul Rings and even passing on their own unique Self-Created Soul Skills.
Given Gu Rong's nature and his friendship with Chen Xin, they would certainly treat Han Yu like their own disciple and pass on everything they knew. Han Yu had made the best choice possible.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged smiles, then said to Han Yu, "Good. From today on, we'll both take you as our disciple."
"This disciple greets both his teachers." Han Yu performed the disciple's bow twice, his expression earnest.
Ning Fengzhi watched with a radiant smile, completely unaware that he seemed to have forgotten another promise.
At the sect's entrance.
"Han Yu, Rongrong, the two elders will accompany you to Star Dou Forest. You must listen to them." Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
"Yes, Sect Master."
"Hmph." Ning Rongrong stood beside Han Yu and deliberately turned her head away from Ning Fengzhi.
The original plan had been for Bone Douluo Gu Rong to take Han Yu soul hunting by himself. With his Bone Dragon Martial Soul's command of space, protecting one child would be more than easy, and it would save a great deal of time.
But when Ning Rongrong learned that Han Yu had become the disciple of both her grandfathers, she cried until her eyes were red with anger. The teacher-disciple bonds had already been established, so they couldn't be changed. As a second choice, she had insisted on accompanying Han Yu after his apprenticeship.
Ning Fengzhi sent Chen Xin along as well. Gu Rong alone couldn't protect both children with his full attention, so he sent two Titled Douluo to escort them and ensure they returned safely.
This was standard practice among the major sects. No one would truly risk their disciples getting injured—or even killed—in the name of training.
Only minor forces with shallow foundations and little strength would send one person to lead their group, claiming it was to hone their disciples' teamwork and combat skills. This often led to even the most talented young disciples dying at the jaws of Soul Beasts.
Recruiting talented disciples without being able to provide protection and resources was utterly irresponsible. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had earned its standing among the Upper Three Sects by offering generous benefits that won it the support of ordinary Soul Masters.
"Let's go." Chen Xin spoke with his hands behind his back.
Gu Rong understood at once. A black hole appeared in front of him, and he stepped inside alone, vanishing from sight.
The three of them left the mountain gate in a carriage.
Inside the carriage, Chen Xin sat facing the two children.
Chen Xin spoke gently to reassure Han Yu. "You don't need to worry about the flaw in your Martial Soul. It's actually good news. Twin Martial Souls don't have to be cultivated one at a time. In history, Soul Masters who gave their Second Martial Soul nothing but Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings ended up exploding and dying.
"The strength of a Martial Soul doesn't depend entirely on its Soul Rings. What matters is how the Soul Master uses it. There are only the weakest Soul Masters in this world—there are no weakest Martial Souls."
"Hmph, Grandpa Sword is playing favorites. You haven't even talked about Rongrong's Martial Soul." Ning Rongrong's fingers tightened around her skirt. She stole a glance at Han Yu beside her, worry flashing through her eyes.
"I'll talk about yours after I'm done explaining things to Han Yu." Chen Xin smiled fondly at Ning Rongrong.
Seeing Han Yu's calm expression and the fact that he didn't seem at all uncomfortable, Ning Rongrong relaxed and nodded.
Han Yu gave no sign of it, but warmth welled up in his heart.
They were genuinely worried that the flaw in Han Yu's Martial Soul would damage his confidence. Even the usually taciturn Sword Douluo Chen Xin was patiently trying to comfort him.
After that, Chen Xin carefully explained the essentials of absorbing Soul Rings to Han Yu. He even guided Soul Power through Han Yu's body to simulate the entire process of absorption, doing his utmost like a caring elder.
During this, Chen Xin discovered that Han Yu's meridians were covered in the golden electric arcs he had seen before. They were astonishingly resilient, easily withstanding the simulated Soul Power's impact.
Several hours later, the familiar black hole appeared outside the carriage.
Gu Rong had made a round trip and found no danger along the way. Then he led the other three through short-distance jumps with his black holes, hurrying toward Star Dou Forest.