News of Martial Souls Spreads, Reactions from All Sides

"Yan, please tell Teacher Qin Ming that I'm leaving Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

Ye Lingling spoke calmly, as though she had made up her mind long ago.

Dugu Yan froze and stared at her, sympathy rising in her eyes. "Lingling... All right, I'll tell him. Take care of yourself."

After Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan left, Lu Chuan took Ye Lingling to the bedroom.

"Zhu Qing, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Ye Lingling. She'll be staying with us from now on."

Zhu Zhuqing looked up from Gale Step at the sound of his voice. Her gaze settled on Ye Lingling, curiosity in her eyes.

Ye Lingling dipped her head politely. "Hello."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded in reply.

Lu Chuan turned to Ye Lingling, his expression serious. "Settle in first. Soon, I'll start working on breaking the shackles that bind the Nine-Hearted Begonia lineage."

"Thank you, Young Master."

Young Master? That's an interesting way to address me.

Lu Chuan found the title rather novel. He cleared his throat and began making arrangements.

"Stay with Zhu Qing most of the time. You two have similar temperaments, so you'll make good company for each other.

"And Zhu Qing is bound to get hurt during training. With you around, she can be treated right away."

"I understand. I'll do my best."

Meanwhile, in the Battle Through the Heavens World.

In a stretch of the Magical Beast Mountain Range near Wutan City, a small town stood at the foot of the mountains.

A merchant caravan arrived along the road to sell its goods.

As the merchants sorted their wares, they chatted about recent events in Wutan City. News from the city slowly spread.

Inside Ten Thousand Medicine Hall, Xiao Yi Xian prescribed medicine and bandaged wounds for injured mercenaries.

"Xiao Yi Xian," said a mercenary with a cut on his arm, "a caravan passing through Falling Rock Town just brought news. Things haven't been peaceful in Wutan City lately."

Xiao Yi Xian kept wrapping his bandage. "Oh? What happened in Wutan City?"

She had little interest in such rumors. She knew perfectly well what these mercenaries were after.

Every time they came for treatment, they found some excuse to talk to her longer. Some even forced awkward conversation that left her feeling embarrassed for them.

But her reply only made the mercenary more enthusiastic!

"I'm telling you, this is big! Have you ever heard of something called a Martial Soul?"

Xiao Yi Xian's interest stirred. As she prepared the herbs, she asked:

"A Martial Soul? What's that?"

"It's something that gives people another path to cultivation. My friends and I are going to see it for ourselves. I heard some important figures are heading there—even the Sect Master of Misty Cloud Sect might show up!"

Xiao Yi Xian handed him a cloth bag of herbs. "Here's your medicine. Keep the wound dry until it heals."

The mercenary quickly took the bag, excitement still written across his face. He wanted to tell her more rumors from Wutan City.

"Xiao Yi Xian, why don't you come to Wutan City with us and take a look?"

Xiao Yi Xian shook her head. "I need to stay at Ten Thousand Medicine Hall and help everyone, so I won't go. Be careful on the road. Even the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range haven't been safe lately."

With that, she turned to receive the next injured mercenary.

But in her heart, she had already committed two things to memory: Martial Soul and Wutan City.

In the Jia Ma Empire, at the Nalan Family estate.

The messenger from Mittel Auction House had just left.

Nalan Jie, seated in the place of honor, flushed crimson and slammed his palm onto the solid wooden table. The crack echoed through the hall.

"Nalan Su! What a fine daughter you've raised! She dared to go to the Xiao Family and break off the engagement without telling us! You—pfft—cough, cough!"

Rage surged through his chest. His disordered Dou Qi battered wildly through his meridians, and the Seal Poison he had suppressed for two years erupted out of control.

He spat a mouthful of dark, foul blood. It dripped from the corner of his mouth as violent coughs echoed through the hall.

Nalan Su's face changed. He hurried forward to support the swaying Nalan Jie, panic and worry gripping him.

He had had no idea his daughter would be so bold. She had hidden it from the whole family, including the old man, and gone all the way to Wutan City to break off the engagement on her own.

"Father! Please calm down! You mustn't get worked up!"

Nalan Su steadied him, his face tight with anxiety.

"Yanran is young and willful. She acted rashly because I failed to discipline her! You're suffering from Seal Poison—you cannot afford to get upset!"

Nalan Jie panted, his chest heaving, fury and pain filling his eyes.

"Don't call me Father! I have no son like you!"

"Xiao Lin and I forged a bond of life and death. The engagement we arranged was a pledge between our families!

"She trampled all over it! She's made the Nalan Family a laughingstock throughout the Jia Ma Empire! How am I supposed to face Old Lin when I join him in the next life?"

"Father, Yanran has been punished too. He's already repudiated her."

Nalan Su hurried to soothe him, hoping to quell the old man's anger.

But at those words, Nalan Jie's eyes widened. He laughed in sheer fury.

"Repudiated? You feel sorry for her?! She went there to break off the engagement, lost the fight, and got repudiated. Who does she have to blame but herself?!"

Nalan Su's face turned bitter. He did not dare argue.

"Gather some people and prepare gifts. Go to the Xiao Family and apologize, then bring that disobedient daughter of yours back!"

"Yes."

Nalan Su bowed and answered, not daring to delay.

He went out to have gifts and Dou Techniques prepared. He planned to help the family's younger members awaken those so-called Martial Souls before bringing Yanran home.

Nalan Jie's fury was understandable.

To emphasize the benefits of Martial Souls, the people from Mittel Auction House had deliberately embellished the story of Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran's battle over the broken engagement.

In short, Nalan Yanran had initially crushed Xiao Yan, whose Dou Qi was only at the fourth stage, with Misty Cloud Sect's Dou Techniques and her cultivation as a Three-Star Dou Zhe.

But then Xiao Yan had unleashed a Martial Soul called Emberfire, overcoming the vast gap between them to defeat Nalan Yanran.

As it turned out, their account had indeed caught the attention of everyone in the Jia Ma Empire.

But it had also spread the story of how the Nalan Family had tried to break off an engagement only to have their daughter repudiated instead. The entire family had been humiliated beyond measure.

At Misty Cloud Sect.

Yun Yun heard the news about Martial Souls and Nalan Yanran's repudiation.

She rubbed her brow, her head aching.

I shouldn't have given in to Yanran's request back then.

Now they had been branded bullies who looked down on the poor young man from the past after rising in status.

"Sect Master! Xiao Yan has humiliated our Young Sect Master! I request permission to send men to capture him!"

Yun Leng, the great elder of Misty Cloud Sect, stepped forward. His face was livid, his voice full of indignation.

In his eyes, Nalan Yanran represented Misty Cloud Sect's honor. For Xiao Yan to repudiate her in public was to humiliate the entire sect.

Yun Yun shook her head and refused outright.

"No. Yanran was in the wrong first. She has no one else to blame."

"But Sect Master!"

"Great Elder! I am the Sect Master!"

Yun Yun's cool gaze fell on Yun Leng.

Her rebuke stopped his words in his throat. He did not dare argue further.

He wanted to say, You'll regret this!

Then he wanted to turn and leave.

Unfortunately, she was the Sect Master. He could not undermine her in public.

But in private... Hmph.

Xiao Family. Xiao Yan. You will pay for this!