Qian Renxue Builds Goodwill! Off to Soto City for Spirit Fighting!

On the spirit fighting platform.

Only after the referee announced the end of the match did Gu Ling slowly withdraw the bone claw pressed against Yu Tianheng's throat.

The ghastly white bone spikes that had grown from the ground around them gradually dissolved into pale specks of light as the soul power dispersed.

Yu Tianheng steadied himself, glanced at Gu Ling, then lowered his head to look at his still faintly numb right arm. After a moment of silence, a smile appeared on his face instead.

"I lost."

He said it plainly, without making any excuses.

"Gu Ling, you really are impressive."

"Especially that final soul skill. It could attack me while disrupting the circulation of soul power within my body. If this had been a true fight to the death, Yan Zi and I would probably already be dead."

Hearing this, Gu Ling did not put on the airs of a victor. He merely smiled and shook his head.

"I just got lucky."

Yu Tianheng naturally knew that Gu Ling was giving him a way to save face. He smiled, then took the initiative to extend his hand.

Gu Ling extended his hand as well. Their palms clasped firmly together before they exchanged a brief embrace.

This sight brought a faint smile to Ye Lingling's eyes in the distance.

The two had been teammates to begin with.

Giving their all on the spirit fighting stage was perfectly normal.

A loss was a loss, while victory did not mean one had to act arrogantly.

Dugu Yan, however, was clearly still unconvinced. After dismissing her Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul, she strode over and glared at Gu Ling.

"What do you mean, just lucky?"

"You clearly calculated my retreat and deliberately forced me into the range of your third soul skill. Tian Heng and I have fought so many soul masters of the same rank, yet we've barely ever lost!"

By this point, Dugu Yan was clearly becoming more and more unwilling to accept it.

"Gu Ling!"

"Let's fight again! This time, I definitely won't fall for your Bone Prison Dragon's Roar!"

Before Gu Ling could speak, Yu Tianheng helplessly reached out and pulled her back, saying quietly,

"Yan Zi, enough. We lost, and that's that."

Dugu Yan turned toward Yu Tianheng and snapped, "What do you mean, enough? That brat clearly plotted against us just now. Otherwise—"

Seeing this, Yu Tianheng frowned slightly. He swiftly stepped forward, placing himself between the two, and interrupted Dugu Yan again.

"Yan Zi, you say he plotted against you, but why didn't you plot against him?"

"We knew his soul skills, and he knew ours as well. Even so, he used his soul skills to force you step by step into the position he wanted. That's his ability."

At this point, Yu Tianheng's expression grew more serious.

"And it was still two against one just now. Ling Ling never even made a move from beginning to end. A loss is a loss. There's nothing shameful about admitting it."

Dugu Yan opened her mouth, but for a moment, she could find no reason to argue.

After all, the facts were right before them. Not only did they know the abilities of Gu Ling's three soul skills, they had even prepared counters in advance, yet they had still lost in the end.

"Hmph!"

Dugu Yan snorted, her face full of defiance.

"Anyway, I'll definitely win it back next time!"

Gu Ling smiled at her words and cupped his hands.

"Sure. I'll be ready anytime."

With that, Gu Ling did not remain on the spirit fighting platform any longer.

After all, this spirit fight had ended, and other soul masters still needed to take the stage. He turned to Ye Lingling in the distance and said,

"Ling Ling, let's go."

Ye Lingling nodded gently and slowly withdrew the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul from her palm. The two left the spirit fighting platform one after the other, heading toward the waiting area through the contestants' passage.

However.

They had only just exited the passage when three figures approached them from ahead.

At the sight of the newcomers, Gu Ling's steps paused slightly. He moved sideways in front of Ye Lingling and did not continue forward.

Walking in the middle was a refined middle-aged man in white robes, his face carrying a gentle smile that made others feel as though they were touched by a spring breeze.

To his left stood an exceptionally tall, black-haired elderly man, while on the other side was a noble-looking man in his twenties.

Gu Ling naturally recognized all three at a glance.

The master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi!

Bone Douluo, Gu Rong!

And the current crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire—Xue Qinghe!

Ye Lingling, beside him, was visibly stunned upon seeing the three. She came from the Nine-Heart Begonia lineage, so she was naturally familiar with the figures who truly stood at the pinnacle of the Heaven Dou Empire.

"Greetings, Sect Master Ning, Bone Douluo, and Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Ye Lingling bowed slightly and took the initiative to greet them.

Hearing this, Gu Ling followed suit, pretending that he had only just learned their identities. He cupped his hands slightly and said,

"Greetings, Sect Master Ning, Bone Douluo, and Your Highness the Crown Prince."

His expression remained calm on the surface, but the moment he saw Xue Qinghe, a ripple stirred in his heart.

As a transmigrator, Gu Ling naturally knew full well that the gentle and refined young man before him was not the real Xue Qinghe at all.

The one standing here now was actually the young mistress of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong's daughter, and the owner of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul—Qian Renxue!

Even her current appearance was merely a disguise created with a special soul bone.

I didn't expect to run into her so soon.

Gu Ling thought to himself, though his face showed no hint of anything unusual.

"No need for such formality." Ning Fengzhi smiled warmly. His gaze fell on Gu Ling, and after examining him from head to toe, he could not help but praise him. "At around twelve years old, you have already reached the Soul Elder realm and even possess a Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring. Just now, you defeated Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan by yourself."

"Young man, you are quite remarkable."

At these words, Xue Qinghe beside him nodded slightly as well.

"My teacher is right. To possess such strength at your age, there are likely only a handful of people in the younger generation across the entire Heaven Dou Empire who could compare to you."

Hearing their praise, Gu Ling merely smiled.

"Sect Master Ning and Your Highness flatter me."

"I was merely a little luckier than most."

Gu Rong, standing beside Ning Fengzhi, could not help but curl his lip upon hearing that.

"Lucky? You call obtaining a Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring luck? Not to mention how you used that spatial soul skill just now, as well as that third soul skill capable of disrupting the circulation of soul power."

"You're quite humble with your words, kid."

Ning Fengzhi clearly did not take Gu Ling's words seriously either.

After a moment, he suddenly turned his head and glanced at Gu Rong beside him. Gu Rong naturally understood what he meant. The two had known each other for many years, and some matters did not even need to be spoken aloud.

Ning Fengzhi looked back at Gu Ling, his tone still gentle.

"Gu Ling."

"There is something I'm rather curious about."

Though Gu Ling was somewhat puzzled, he still nodded.

"Please speak, Sect Master Ning."

Ning Fengzhi smiled.

"Your Martial Soul is a Bone Dragon, and your surname also happens to be Gu. Bone Dragon Martial Souls are exceedingly rare to begin with, so I would like to ask: where do you come from? Do you have any elders in your family?"