Tianlin and Qian Renxue: The Bond of Divine Spirits

With arrangements for Tianlin confirmed, Xue Qinghe bid Ning Fengzhi farewell. After agreeing to come pick Tianlin up early the next morning, he departed.

Only after watching his figure disappear beyond the Main Hall did Tianlin ask, "Uncle Ning, do you really want me to attend that Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

"Yes. Cultivation is not something one can accomplish by shutting oneself away. You have only ever cultivated alongside Rongrong and have met too few people. That is not good either. I still hope you will go and make more friends." Ning Fengzhi truly meant well for Tianlin, but his good intentions had brought trouble instead.

Still, Ning Fengzhi could not be blamed for it. After all, he did not know Xue Qinghe's true identity.

"Uncle Ning, I don't think this Xue Qinghe is a good person." Tianlin attempted one final resistance.

Ning Fengzhi's eyes lit up at that. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Because he became the Crown Prince. As far as I know, the Heaven Dou Empire's Second Prince had great talent and ambition, with many supporters in court. The Third Prince had exceptional cultivation talent and was favored by the military officials. Yet now, both of them suddenly died. I suspect Xue Qinghe had something to do with it."

"Just because he became Crown Prince? Xiao Tian, do not speak recklessly without evidence," Sword Douluo rebuked him. He did not want Tianlin to make unnecessary enemies through loose talk.

Ning Fengzhi interrupted, "It's fine, Uncle Sword. Let Xiao Tian continue. I want to hear his thoughts."

"Alright, Uncle Ning. Then I'll continue. Although I have no evidence, I have always believed that when a murder occurs, the most suspicious person is generally neither the first discoverer nor the one who seems to have the strongest motive. It is the person who benefits the most from the murder. Since Xue Qinghe became Crown Prince, I cannot help but suspect him." Tianlin voiced his opinion.

"Well said, truly incisive!" Ning Fengzhi was delighted. He had originally thought Tianlin was merely a genius in Soul Master cultivation, but he had not expected his intelligence to be just as remarkable. At seven years old, he could already see through to the essence of things. With him supporting his daughter in the future, Ning Fengzhi could rest easy.

"Xiao Tian, I can tell you that your suspicions are correct. Qinghe was certainly involved in the sudden deaths of the two princes. But so what? There is no family affection in the imperial house. To stop at nothing in order to ascend the throne—that is what makes a true hero."

"When Xue Ye ascended the throne, he too went through a baptism of blood. In truth, regarding Qinghe's affairs, it is not only you who can guess the truth. Many ministers, even His Majesty himself, can guess it as well. But as long as he is outstanding enough, no one will bring it up." Ning Fengzhi was subtly reminding himself that those in high positions needed to possess both a virtuous side and a ruthless side kept hidden from view.

When your virtuous side shone brighter than your ruthless side, people would gradually overlook your sinister nature and come to acknowledge you.

Tianlin sighed. Things had already been said to this extent; it seemed there was no saving him now. Since that was the case, he could only take things as they came. In any event, Qian Renxue definitely would not make a move against him for the time being.

Then he might as well build a good relationship with this Xue Qinghe on the surface. After all, he was in the dark while his enemy stood in the light. With the advantage of foreknowledge, perhaps he could obtain plenty of useful information from Xue Qinghe.

Early the next morning, at the gates of Seven Treasure City, Ning Fengzhi brought Ning Rongrong and the two Douluo to see Tianlin off. It was quite an impressive send-off.

"Brother Sword, you have to come back often! If you dare forget Rongrong, I'll bite you!" Ning Rongrong cried her eyes out in Tianlin's arms.

Little girls were just emotional. This was not a life-and-death farewell. Seven Treasure City was not far from Heaven Dou Royal Academy; it only took half a day to travel there. Tianlin could come back whenever he wanted.

"Xiao Tian, cultivate diligently after you arrive at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. When you return next time, I will assess your progress. If your Seven Kill Swordplay or Soul Power has not improved at all, do not blame your master for letting you experience the Seven Kill Domain!" Chen Xin threatened fiercely.

Tianlin knew his master was not merely talking. He truly would do it. Although he was usually very kind, when it came to cultivation, he was stricter than anyone.

"Don't worry, Master. I will not slack off," Tianlin immediately promised. Then he looked at the four of them. "Master, Uncle Ning, Grandpa Bone, I'm leaving."

With that, he boarded the carriage with Xue Qinghe and departed Seven Treasure City, where he had lived for a year.

Inside the carriage, Tianlin was somewhat nervous. Xue Qinghe smiled and asked, "What's wrong, Junior Brother Tianlin? You seem unhappy. Is it because you are leaving home?"

It's because of you, Tianlin thought, but he nodded on the surface.

Xue Qinghe could understand. Back when she had still been Qian Renxue, she had also left home at a young age and come to Heaven Dou City, such an unfamiliar place, to play someone who was not herself.

"It's alright, Little Brother Tian. Your big brother will take good care of you from now on, so there is no need to worry!" Without realizing it, Xue Qinghe's form of address for Tianlin had changed from junior brother to little brother.

In Xue Qinghe's heart, Tianlin, who could perform Spirit fusion with her, would sooner or later become her person. He was younger than her too, so was he not naturally her little brother? She had long wanted to indulge in being an older sister.

What, Xue Beng and Xue Ke? Forget it. To Qian Renxue, those two were people she would eliminate sooner or later. There was no need to dote on them at all.

"Thank you, Brother Xue!" Tianlin said with seemingly sincere gratitude.

One was a scheming woman, the other a smiling tiger. In a sense, they truly were a perfect match.

"By the way, Xiao Tian, you must have felt it yesterday too, right? It seems our Spirits resonated with each other. I heard that your Spirit is a sword, correct? Can you let me see it?" At that moment, Qian Renxue asked what concerned her most. She needed to confirm whether yesterday's feeling had been real.

"Alright." Tianlin did not hesitate and immediately summoned the Demon Sword.

At once, that wondrous feeling appeared again. Joy flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes. That was right, it was this beautiful sword. She had not expected it to be a Divine Spirit.

"Brother Xue, my sword is a top-tier Spirit. Since it can resonate with your Spirit, does that mean you also possess a top-tier Spirit?" Tianlin asked hypocritically.

A top-tier Spirit?

Qian Renxue was briefly puzzled. Only after carefully observing it did she realize that Tianlin's sword was a latent Divine Spirit. It seemed to still lack many things; only after they were made whole would the majesty of a Divine Spirit reveal itself.

It seems Little Brother Tian does not know that he possesses a Divine Spirit. That is good too—it saves me from explaining why I possess a Divine Spirit. Qian Renxue instantly came up with an excuse.

"That's right. Your big brother is also the owner of a top-tier Spirit. The Swan Spirit inherited by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family underwent a favorable mutation within me and gained a trace of sacred attributes, thus becoming a top-tier Spirit."

"So that's how it is, Brother Xue. I heard that if people whose Spirits can fuse cultivate together, their efficiency will increase. In the future, can I come find you at the palace when I have time?" Tianlin asked.

Qian Renxue was overjoyed upon hearing this. She had been worrying about finding a reason to get closer to Tianlin. "Of course. Here, this is my Crown Prince Token. With it, you may enter and leave the palace freely."

Tianlin happily accepted the Crown Prince Token. Naturally, he understood Qian Renxue's intentions, but who would lead whom astray in the future was still uncertain.