Tianlin's Thoughts, Xue Qinghe's Arrangements

"Master, so you'd been watching me all along!" Tianlin muttered.

"That's right!" Chen Xin admitted without the slightest hesitation. "Heaven Dou Royal Academy may have excellent teaching facilities, but its students are truly terrible. I wanted to see whether coming to a place like this would influence you into falling into decline, or make you fawn over the powerful and wealthy, losing a swordsman's dignity."

Chen Xin's words made Bai Baoshan's mouth twitch. He wanted to get angry but did not dare. He knew that most of his academy's students were disappointing, but wasn't this far too blunt?

Chen Xin continued, "However, after watching for two days, I'm very satisfied with the result. Your cultivation hasn't stagnated. Not only has your Soul Power broken through, but you've also already entered the basics of Seven Kill Swordplay. Before the powerful and noble, you remained neither servile nor overbearing, without showing the slightest fear. That is what it means to be Chen Xin's disciple."

"Your Excellency Sword Douluo is so concerned and responsible toward his disciple. Yu Tianheng admires you." Yu Tianheng stepped forward. As the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he could not neglect proper etiquette before Chen Xin, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sect Protecting Douluo.

"Oh, so you're Yu Tianheng. Gu Ran, Old Bone's disciple, was the one you beat up, wasn't he?" Chen Xin glanced at him and asked expressionlessly.

"Your Excellency jests. Gu Ran and I merely had a normal Soul Fight. It was only because my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul is too overbearing that I failed to hold back for a moment. However, Gu Ran's Skeleton Warhorse has astonishing defensive power. I believe he should not have suffered any serious harm, right?" Yu Tianheng was not worried that Chen Xin would settle accounts with him over such a small matter. Titled Douluo had their pride as well.

Chen Xin nodded. Gu Ran's injuries were indeed not severe, merely superficial wounds. Judging from Yu Tianheng's strength, he had likely deliberately held back. The other party had no intention of provoking the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Old Dragon King is truly fortunate to have a grandson like you."

Coming from someone as strict as Chen Xin, that small bit of praise was already quite remarkable.

Pride appeared on Yu Tianheng's face. Just as he was about to thank Chen Xin for the praise, he heard him continue, "However, I am luckier than your grandfather, because before long, my disciple will surpass you. He is the true genius!"

Tianlin was startled. He had not expected his master to praise him in front of outsiders.

Yu Tianheng clasped his hands. "Your Excellency's disciple naturally will not be lacking, but he is still young. It is impossible for him to surpass me without several years of hard work, and during that time, I will continue working hard as well."

As the descendant of a great clan, Yu Tianheng had his own pride. He firmly believed that he was inferior to no one.

Chen Xin suddenly laughed. "Hehe, is that so? Then after my disciple breaks through Rank 20 and obtains his second Soul Ring, I will have him challenge you. When the time comes, don't avoid the battle."

"Very well. I, Yu Tianheng, will await him at any time!"

"Good. Then I have nothing else to do. Xiao Tian, your master truly must return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect this time. Cultivate well here, and remember these words from your master: never forget your original aspirations." After saying that, Chen Xin did not even wait for Tianlin to say farewell before riding his sword and vanishing into the horizon.

So unrestrained and elegant—he truly possessed the bearing of an immortal.

With the Titled Douluo finally gone, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, the pressure on them lightening considerably. Sword Douluo's oppressive presence had simply been too great.

"Senior Ye, thank you for helping me this time. And Brother Yu, Senior Dugu, thank you for supporting me as well!" Tianlin did not forget to thank the three of them.

"With His Excellency Sword Douluo here, you would have been fine even if we hadn't helped you. Besides, Ye Lingling was the only one who testified. If you want to thank someone, thanking her is enough." Yu Tianheng did not want to take credit.

However, Tianlin shook his head. "One thing is one thing. Master could only guarantee my safety; he could not prove my innocence. Therefore, I must express my gratitude to all of you."

Tianlin understood very clearly that Ye Lingling had naturally shown him kindness. But without Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan supporting her behind the scenes, she might not have dared to disregard her family and speak the truth so openly.

Tianlin clearly distinguished gratitude from grudges. Since they sincerely wished to befriend him, he did not need to remain overly aloof. Just as Ning Fengzhi had said, he could not always be alone.

"You're too polite." Yu Tianheng smiled. Tianlin was smarter than he had imagined. "Then we'll take our leave first. Junior, I hope you break through Rank 20 soon. I look forward to battling you."

The future Royal Fight Seven departed. Tianlin silently thought, Royal Fight, huh? They seem pretty good. Perhaps I should join a team too.

An idea came to Tianlin. He needed a group of companions as well. In the future Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament, no matter how strong he was, he could not possibly fight through everyone alone.

The Royal Fight Seven were quite good. Compared to the Shrek Seven Devils before they consumed immortal herbs, their aptitude was only slightly inferior. Tianlin was confident that together with them, he could contend for the future Soul Master Competition championship.

To Tianlin, Tang San's side was the protagonist group, while Spirit Hall's Golden Generation was the boss. Joining either the protagonist group or the big boss group would indeed let him win effortlessly, but wouldn't that be far too boring? What Tianlin wanted was to crush them all.

After leaving the Dean's Office, Tianlin followed Zhou Yan back to their classroom. Zhou Yan now hardly dared to look Tianlin in the eye. She had originally thought he was merely a talented young boy, but his background was actually so immense.

Most importantly, he had not told her, making her worry so much. Worse still, because of him, she had accidentally confessed to the man she loved under those circumstances.

Zhou Yan now recalled what had just happened. How was she supposed to face Qin Ming in the future? At the same time, in the East Palace of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Xue Qinghe was listening to a report from his subordinates. Since he intended to take Tianlin under his wing, he naturally paid close attention to him.

The commotion caused by Sword Douluo flattening the Dean's Office with a single strike had been enormous. He had received the news long ago, and the people he had arranged had already told him the entire sequence of events.

"Good. What a fine O' Family of the Balak Kingdom." Cold light flashed in Xue Qinghe's eyes as he softly called toward the shadows, "Uncle She, are you there?"

A middle-aged man had appeared in what had originally been an empty corner at some unknown time. "I'm here, Young Master. Please give your orders."

"Do me a favor. Intercept and kill someone, then cut off O'lf's other ear," Xue Qinghe said coldly.

"Only cut off his ear? Should I kill him as well?" This Uncle She seemed not to regard O'lf, a Soul Douluo, as a threat at all. He was surely a Titled Douluo himself.

Xue Qinghe shook his head. "No need. If someone dies, the nature of the matter changes. The Balak Kingdom will certainly investigate it thoroughly. But if only one ear is cut off, the O' Family will believe that someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has returned. They have no grounds to stand on in Tianlin's matter, so they will certainly swallow their anger. As for what to say then, I trust Uncle She understands."

"Yes, Young Master!" With a flash, the man vanished back into the shadows.

"Uncle Ci, please make a trip back to Spirit Hall and tell that woman about this. The Balak Kingdom's military strength is not weak. With such a good opportunity, she will certainly seize it." Xue Qinghe issued another order toward a different corner.

There was another Titled Douluo hidden in the shadows there.

Worthy indeed of being the Pope's daughter—her protective forces were so formidable.

And her own intelligence was equally remarkable. Taking advantage of this matter, she wanted not only to drive a wedge between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Balak Kingdom, but also to find an opportunity to subdue the Balak Kingdom. She was not merely trying to vent Tianlin's anger.