Should We Kidnap That Kid?

Yun Chen was still happily pondering the future combination of his soul skills, completely unaware that She Long beside him was already breaking out in a cold sweat. When Yun Chen looked at him, She Long's smile could not have been more forced.

"Alright, Young Master Yun Chen. It's time for us to head back."

Yun Chen sighed softly to himself and nodded.

Indeed, it was time to return.

However, soul rings and soul bones were not Yun Chen's only gains from this trip. He had also roughly figured out the terrain of Sunset Forest.

Of course, that only applied to the outer regions.

As for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, it was most likely located in the deepest core of Sunset Forest, but he had not found any matching terrain on the map.

It seems the matter of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well will need to be considered over the long term.

While Yun Chen was deep in thought, She Long had not stopped thinking either. The two walked along in silence with their heads lowered, none of the liveliness they had shown on the way here.

Near Heaven Dou City, within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Uncle Sword, is this true?"

Ning Fengzhi pressed for an answer with some urgency, even neglecting his usual gentlemanly composure. Clearly, this matter held great significance in his eyes.

"It's true. Salas had originally already reported it to Spirit Hall, but that little fellow was snatched away first by His Highness the Crown Prince."

Chen Xin's tone was calm, but his words made Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi's expressions darken.

"Such a genius... how could our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect fail to find him?"

Ning Fengzhi was somewhat unwilling to accept it.

"There was nothing we could do. I've already investigated the child's background."

"He was an orphan. That day, the orphanage brought him to Spirit Hall's main hall for his martial soul awakening."

"Xue Qinghe happened to be there as well. Because he made contact first, he poached him right from under Spirit Hall's nose."

As Ning Fengzhi listened, his expression grew increasingly strange. In the end, he could not help but speak.

"Still... how exactly did Xue Qinghe persuade this child to go back with him?"

Ning Fengzhi's confusion was also shared by Gu Rong. No matter how one looked at it, the Heaven Dou Empire had no reason to be able to take in such a genius.

After all, Salas was there. Could it be that Salas had truly grown old? Or had he defected to the Heaven Dou Empire? How else could he have allowed such a genius to be taken away so easily?

That completely went against his usual style.

"Uh... that child grew up in an orphanage established by the Heaven Dou Empire, where he had been taught from childhood that he should serve the nation in the future."

"So, when he learned that Xue Qinghe was the crown prince, the little fellow decided to go with him."

Ning Fengzhi was speechless. Even having weathered many storms, he was left somewhat bewildered by a child's bizarre way of thinking.

"Uh... that orphanage certainly teaches well."

"Fengzhi, I think we need to take some measures as well. That child has been taken away by the Heaven Dou Empire for several days, yet we only just learned the details."

"The Heaven Dou Empire is clearly guarding against us."

"That child awakened a lion-type martial soul and possessed innate full soul power. I also heard that during his awakening, that lion-type martial soul suppressed everyone present."

"This shows that the child's future will certainly be far from ordinary."

"We..."

Before Gu Rong could finish, Ning Fengzhi interrupted him.

"Enough, Uncle Gu. Say no more."

"We absolutely cannot do that."

Ning Fengzhi spoke with firm resolve. Gu Rong and Chen Xin both turned their eyes toward him as he slowly continued.

"Uncle Gu, Uncle Chen. What was the continent like when I was still young?"

"Wars raged everywhere, and Title Douluo-level experts roamed across the continent."

"But what about these recent years? Spirit Hall clearly possesses so many Title Douluo, yet it has fallen into silence."

"It is as though the soul master world had been paused in an instant, and everyone settled down."

Neither Chen Xin nor Gu Rong's expressions changed. That was born from their absolute confidence in their own strength.

"But we also have two Title Douluo."

"No, Uncle Gu."

"The number of Title Douluo Spirit Hall possesses far exceeds ours."

"Moreover, over these years, our allies have become fewer and fewer."

"The Upper Three Sects are bound together by common cause, but in reality? We only have four Title Douluo."

"With the Clear Sky Sect remaining hidden from the world, we only have three altogether."

"And what worries me even more is the future situation of the continent. I always feel that Spirit Hall is brewing an astonishing storm..."

"The wind fills the tower before the mountain rain arrives."

Ning Fengzhi was feeling exceedingly troubled. He had a premonition that the Soul Master world was about to undergo an earth-shaking change.

Yet the cards held by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect seemed insufficient to let them sail steadily through the coming storm.

"Uh... Fengzhi, I'm not saying I want to kill the child. I'm saying, can't we tie him up?"

Upon hearing that, Ning Fengzhi, who had just been putting on a melancholy act, nearly threw out his back.

"Cough, cough... Tie him up?"

Ning Fengzhi looked at Gu Rong with utter disbelief, as if asking: What kind of brain did you use to come up with that solution?

"Gu Rong, I think you should eat more pig brains in the future. Maybe they'll help yours."

"Can you take your brain out from under your ass and actually use it?"

Some things were inconvenient for Ning Fengzhi to say, but Chen Xin, who had spent a lifetime bickering with Gu Rong, did not hold back in the slightest.

"You old sword bastard! What the hell are you talking about? You're the one without a brain!"

Gu Rong rolled up his sleeves and started shouting.

"Not convinced? Then come have a go."

Chen Xin sneered. Accompanied by an incomparably sharp hum, the Seven Kill Sword instantly appeared at his side.

"That's enough, Uncle Gu, Uncle Sword. Stop arguing."

"Have the servants prepare some gifts and send a calling card to the Crown Prince's residence. Tomorrow, we'll go meet this little genius."

With Ning Fengzhi present, the two elders could not say anything more. They merely snorted and turned their heads away.

"So, are we going to tie him up or not?"

Gu Rong asked again. Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched, and in the end, he could only answer helplessly:

"Of course we're not tying him up. If we did, how would we explain it to the Heaven Dou Empire?"

Gu Rong was no fool. He had merely been carried away by the news of innate full soul power. After all, he wanted to take such a genius as his disciple. He was also unwilling to let a talent of that caliber end up in the Heaven Dou Empire's hands, where it was uncertain whether his resources would even be guaranteed.

"Uncle Gu, if you really want to take this child as your disciple, that's possible too."

"We're still allies with the Heaven Dou Empire, and you're a Titled Douluo. There's nothing wrong with him taking you as his teacher."

"Exactly! Fengzhi, you're still the clever one. We'll do that. Have the servants prepare another set of gifts for taking on a disciple. Tomorrow, I'll go with you, and that old sword bastard can stay home and guard the place."

Chen Xin merely snorted and did not respond to Gu Rong's provocation.

Ning Fengzhi nodded. In his view, Yun Chen becoming Gu Rong's disciple was practically a certainty. Once they shared the bond of master and disciple, Yun Chen could contribute to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the future.

Of course, they would not let Yun Chen suffer for it. They could provide protection in the early stages, as well as help him hunt soul rings later on.