One of Spirit Hall's Three Love-Brains, Scarlet-Scaled Lava Fruit

In a lounge within the imperial palace, Xue Ye sat on the bed while Ning Fengzhi lay there with his eyes closed.

On the sofa nearby, Chen Xin wore a grave expression. He had already used soul power to stop the bleeding from his left arm.

"Your Majesty Sword Douluo."

Emperor Xue Ye rose and sat down on the sofa across from Chen Xin.

Chen Xin raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, as though he had not slept for days and nights.

Xue Ye looked at Chen Xin's missing left arm and sighed.

"Your Majesty Sword Douluo, you and Sect Master Ning were attacked by an unidentified powerhouse at the Heaven Dou Auction House today. Do you know who that attacker was? Could he have been from Spirit Hall?"

An unknown powerhouse had appeared in Heaven Dou City and attacked the sect master and guardian Douluo of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

If they could not offer a reasonable explanation for this matter, it would inevitably spell disaster for the Heaven Dou Empire.

Chen Xin recalled the powerhouse he had encountered at the Heaven Dou Auction House today, the one who had unleashed his eighth soul skill the moment he appeared. A trace of fear could not help surfacing in his eyes.

That black giant dragon he had never seen before, along with the soul ring configuration beyond ordinary comprehension, were both sources of his fear.

Chen Xin shook his head.

"No. He was not from Spirit Hall. He was a powerhouse who has never appeared in the records of the continent."

After calming down following the battle, Chen Xin had thought it through. He had heard of Spirit Hall's powerhouses, and even the mysterious Grand Consecrator had been mentioned by his father.

A mysterious Black Dragon Martial Soul and a soul ring configuration of seven black and two red—neither matched any of Spirit Hall's Title Douluo.

Of course, it was also possible that the man was Spirit Hall's hidden trump card.

But that possibility was practically nonexistent.

The entire lounge immediately fell silent. Nearby, Xue Qinghe, played by Qian Renxue, furrowed his brows deeply.

At first, she had also thought that her grandfather had concealed it from her and sent those consecrates to Heaven Dou City to assassinate Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin.

Though that guess was absurd to the extreme and even impossible, among the recorded information on Title Douluo across the continent, Qian Renxue truly could not find any powerhouse outside the Hall of Consecrates who surpassed Chen Xin.

Even if there was one, it would be the missing Tang Chen.

Xue Ye sat on the sofa and tiredly rubbed his brow.

An unknown powerhouse had appeared in Heaven Dou City and fought Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin. He even dared to attack the sect master and guardian Douluo of one of the Upper Three Sects—what else would he not dare to do?

If they knew who that powerhouse was and what faction he belonged to, things would not have reached this point.

"Your Majesty Sword Douluo, rest well for now. If you need anything, our Heaven Dou Empire will give you its full support."

Xue Ye actually did not want Chen Xin to leave the palace at all. If the mysterious powerhouse Chen Xin spoke of targeted the royal family next—

With Sword Douluo here, they would at least have a chance to resist rather than wait to be slaughtered.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xue Ye nodded. As he rose and walked over to Xue Qinghe, he paused.

"Qinghe, stay here and keep your teacher company these next few days."

Xue Qinghe nodded and respectfully answered, "Yes."

After Xue Ye left, Xue Qinghe went straight to Chen Xin's side.

There was a question she had wanted to ask ever since Chen Xin said that the powerhouse who had attacked him and Ning Fengzhi was not from Spirit Hall.

"Your Majesty, Qinghe has a question. May I ask it?"

Xue Qinghe walked up to Chen Xin and spoke respectfully.

Chen Xin glanced at the crown prince before nodding.

"Your Majesty, when you and Teacher were at the Heaven Dou Auction House today, was there a six-year-old child there as well? He roughly looked like this."

After speaking, Xue Qinghe took out a portrait drawn based on Lu Li's appearance from her storage soul tool and handed it to Chen Xin.

Chen Xin accepted the portrait from Xue Qinghe, feeling rather puzzled.

He did not understand why the crown prince before him was asking about a six-year-old child.

Chen Xin looked at the image of Lu Li in the portrait, and his thoughts drifted back to the auction house earlier that day.

Since there had only been Ning Fengzhi, Lu Li, and himself at the auction house today, he had retained a slight impression of Lu Li.

Although the Lu Li in the portrait differed somewhat from the real person, it was still seventy or eighty percent similar.

"There was such a child. Though the portrait is only about seventy or eighty percent similar to the real person, I can confirm that the child did indeed look like this."

After receiving Chen Xin's answer, Qian Renxue felt a little delighted.

Based on Chen Xin's words, her guess was most likely correct.

The only thing she could not understand was why, at Dugu Bo's residence that day, the child had been standing behind Dugu Bo.

By all rights, Dugu Bo should have been standing behind that child!

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Qinghe will not disturb your rest any longer. I need to deal with some matters first, and I will return later to see Teacher."

Chen Xin nodded. Though Xue Qinghe's question and words had left him deeply puzzled—

He had no mind to think about them now. He only wanted some peace and quiet.

Though Qian Renxue felt somewhat pleased inside, the Xue Qinghe she portrayed did not show it outwardly.

Qian Renxue hurried back to her residence. After dismissing the servants, she summoned She Long and Stingray.

"Young Mistress."

The moment the two generals appeared, Qian Renxue impatiently said to them, "We can now almost confirm that the mysterious powerhouse who locked onto you at Dugu Bo's residence that day has a great deal to do with that six-year-old child."

The two generals had also secretly heard the conversation between Qian Renxue and Chen Xin just now.

They had tightly concealed their auras, and Chen Xin was currently in low spirits, so he had not noticed either of them.

"Have our people memorize the child in this portrait. If they find him, do not follow him. Return immediately and report it."

"Yes, Young Mistress!"

Stingray and She Long nodded in acknowledgment, then withdrew to arrange the plan Qian Renxue had ordered.

"A six-year-old child, most likely accompanied by a Title Douluo as strong as level ninety-seven... Could he be from one of those reclusive factions?"

Qian Renxue sat by the bed, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

The factions of Douluo Continent were not limited to those in plain sight. There were also many hidden factions lurking in secret.

Those never recorded could not possibly be nonexistent.

"I just wonder why they attacked Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin."

Qian Renxue was extremely familiar with her nominal teacher.

He was amiable toward everyone and made others feel comfortable whenever he handled interpersonal relations.

Other than an enemy, Qian Renxue simply could not think of why that child and the powerhouse behind him would attack Ning Fengzhi.

"If they are enemies, that would not be a bad thing."

As for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Qian Renxue intended to suppress it. Their relationship with the Heaven Dou Royal Family was far too close.

Once she completed the Usurpation Plan, keeping the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect around would likely become an exceedingly troublesome problem for her later.

"Forget it. Once I fully confirm whether that child truly fits all my guesses, it will not be too late to try befriending him if he does."

Lu Li, at the center of this matter, had no idea that one of Spirit Hall's three love-brains had set her sights on him.

"Ah, this is nice~"

At Lu Li's residence, he rhythmically rocked in a recliner. A table beside him was piled high with all kinds of snacks.

But just as Lu Li was thoroughly enjoying himself, the system, silent for a long time, suddenly exploded in his mind.

[Detected that bonded target Tang San has obtained the opportunity, Thousand-Year Scarlet-Scaled Lava Fruit. The host may obtain a Ten-Thousand-Year Scarlet-Scaled Lava Fruit. Enter within one hundred meters of Tang San to obtain it.]