Snatching Gangzi's "Master" Title

In the courtyard of the Crown Prince's residence, a squad of royal guards stood solemnly, their expressions tense.

Just then, Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, stepped outside.

Seeing this, the captain of the guards immediately stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness! His Majesty ordered me to investigate. As for that pillar of light just now—"

Before the guard captain could finish, Qian Renxue smiled calmly and raised her right hand.

"There is no need for alarm. It was merely an evolution of my martial soul!"

As her words fell, a soft white glow gathered in her palm.

The next moment, a lifelike swan martial soul emerged.

Unlike before, this swan was shrouded in a holy golden aura. Every feather seemed to be formed from pure light, radiating an immensely powerful presence far beyond that of an ordinary swan martial soul.

This was the "Holy Light Swan" Qian Renxue had simulated with soul power.

All the guards present, including their captain, stared in stunned silence.

They all knew perfectly well that the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's martial soul was merely an ordinary swan—exceptionally weak, and a longstanding source of distress for the imperial family.

Yet the "Holy Light Swan" before them radiated such a terrifying aura that it had clearly entered the ranks of top-tier martial souls!

"Th-this... His Highness's martial soul evolved?" The guard captain's voice trembled.

"That's right." Qian Renxue gave a slight nod, then turned her gaze toward Jiang Yu beside her. "And it was all thanks to Brother Jiang Yu's help."

Everyone's eyes instinctively focused on Jiang Yu, filled with shock and disbelief.

This seemingly ordinary young man actually possessed the ability to help the Crown Prince evolve his martial soul?

It was simply unbelievable.

The guard captain did not dare delay. He immediately sent someone racing back to the palace to report news of the Crown Prince's martial soul evolution to Emperor Xue Ye.

Upon hearing the report, Emperor Xue Ye was greatly astonished. Without the slightest hesitation, he rushed over at once.

Before long, Emperor Xue Ye's imperial carriage arrived at the Crown Prince's residence.

Emperor Xue Ye practically ran down from the dragon carriage. In just a few strides, he rushed before Qian Renxue, all of an emperor's composure gone from his face, leaving only urgency and anticipation.

"Qinghe! Your martial soul truly evolved? Quickly, let Father see!"

"Yes, Father."

Qian Renxue summoned the disguised "Holy Light Swan" once more.

The instant the swan bathed in holy light appeared, Emperor Xue Ye—the ruler of an entire nation—had his eyes redden at once, his body trembling violently with excitement.

"It's real... It's real!..."

"Good... good... This is truly wonderful..."

"Heaven blesses Heaven Dou! Heaven blesses the imperial family!"

Emperor Xue Ye excitedly seized Qian Renxue's shoulders and said "good" three times in succession, his voice full of excitement and wild joy that had been suppressed for years.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Family's weak martial souls had always been Emperor Xue Ye's greatest concern, as well as the empire's greatest weakness.

But now, Heaven Dou's Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, had evolved his martial soul to the top tier!

What did this mean?

It meant that the Heaven Dou Imperial Family would have a top-tier powerhouse of its own in the future! It meant that the imperial bloodline would no longer be a burden upon the empire!

Once his excitement subsided, Emperor Xue Ye turned his gaze to Jiang Yu.

"You are Jiang Yu?"

"This one is Jiang Yu. Greetings, Your Majesty." Jiang Yu bowed, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Good! What an outstanding Jiang Yu!"

Emperor Xue Ye was overjoyed, and he announced on the spot:

"Jiang Yu has aided the Crown Prince in evolving his martial soul. This is a tremendous merit! Today, I grant you the title of Imperial Viscount, one hundred thousand gold soul coins, and one hundred mu of fertile land!"

"I also bestow upon you the title of 'Master'!"

Jiang Yu's face was filled with surprise upon hearing Emperor Xue Ye's reward.

A viscount! A viscount of the Heaven Dou Empire.

One had to know that even the captain who led a team to victory in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament would only be granted the title of viscount.

Yet he had merely helped the Crown Prince "evolve" his martial soul, and he had received a viscountcy.

What surprised Jiang Yu even more was the title of "Master."

Wasn't that the title that Gangzi called himself?

He had stolen Gangzi's title.

Although he was not particularly interested in either a viscountcy or the title of "Master," there was no reason to refuse something given for free.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's reward!"

News that Jiang Yu had helped Heaven Dou's Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, evolve his martial soul into a Holy Light Swan quickly spread throughout Heaven Dou City.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi was also utterly shocked upon hearing the news.

"What did you say? Xue Qinghe's Swan martial soul evolved into a Holy Light Swan?"

Ning Fengzhi looked to Sword Douluo Chen Xin beside him for confirmation.

Sword Douluo gave a slight nod, and even his normally placid eyes held a trace of surprise.

"It's true..."

"I personally examined Xue Qinghe's martial soul. His Swan martial soul evolved into a Holy Light Swan!... It's already a top-tier martial soul..."

"Jiang Yu..."

Ning Fengzhi rolled the name over in his mouth, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.

Jiang Yu's ability to absorb spirit rings beyond his limit had already been shocking enough to Ning Fengzhi.

He had never expected Jiang Yu to be capable of evolving martial souls as well.

A thought immediately flashed through Ning Fengzhi's mind.

Their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's martial soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, was known as the continent's number one support martial soul.

Yet it possessed a fatal flaw—throughout one's life, it could only gain seven spirit rings.

This flaw was like a set of shackles, trapping generation after generation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's most gifted talents.

Since Jiang Yu could evolve the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's Swan martial soul, then... could he possibly evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda as well, making up for its flaw?

Even raising its spirit ring limit by just one would be an enormous improvement!

Once this thought emerged, it could no longer be suppressed.

"Uncle Sword, prepare the carriage!"

"Bring Rongrong. We're going to visit Jiang Yu immediately!"

Ning Fengzhi abruptly rose to his feet and spoke to Sword Douluo beside him.

When Ning Fengzhi hurried over to visit Jiang Yu with Ning Rongrong, he happened to see Dugu Bo in green robes, along with his granddaughter, Dugu Yan.

"Poison Douluo?" Ning Fengzhi raised a brow.

"Sect Master Ning?" Dugu Bo was somewhat surprised as well.

Both were shrewd men. At a single glance, they had guessed each other's purpose.

Dugu Bo's thoughts were much the same as Ning Fengzhi's.

His transaction with Jiang Yu had given him new "theories on poison usage," from which he had benefited immensely, finding a way to suppress the backlash of his own poison.

However, cultivating poison arts ultimately meant hurting the enemy by a thousand while injuring oneself by eight hundred.

He did not want his most beloved granddaughter to follow in his footsteps down the same painful old road.

That was why Dugu Bo had brought his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, to seek out Jiang Yu, hoping that Jiang Yu could help evolve her martial soul and remove its drawbacks.