Qian Renxue: Xue Beng, You Really Are My Lucky Star!

"Reporting to Sect Master Ning, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Sword Douluo, and His Holiness Lightning: this man was acting suspiciously near the palace. According to the Fourth Prince, he also insulted the imperial family. We were about to arrest him," the patrol captain said with a salute.

"Oh, I see." Ning Fengzhi nodded, losing interest. "Then take him into custody quickly, lest His Majesty be alarmed."

"Yes, sir." With so many powerful figures backing them, the palace guards grew bolder and readied themselves to attack.

Xue Qinghe opened his mouth, then hesitated. Knowing Xue Beng as she did, she suspected he had started the trouble on purpose.

"Wait." Sword Douluo and Yu Yuanzhen spoke at the same time, stopping the patrol.

"Uncle Jian?" Ning Fengzhi asked, puzzled.

Sword Douluo used Soul Power Transmission. "Fengzhi, I sense a threat from this man."

"So do I," Yu Yuanzhen replied through Soul Power Transmission. Sword Douluo had included him in the exchange.

Ning Fengzhi's heart skipped a beat. He always presented himself as courteous and mild, avoiding conflict whenever possible. Even when he stabbed someone in the back, he did it with a smile.

Realizing this man was probably no ordinary person, he put his smile back on.

Seeing Sword Douluo's grave expression, Xue Qinghe seemed to understand. He fixed Xue Beng with a stern look. "All of you, stand down and resume your patrol."

The patrol members exchanged glances, then put away their weapons and Martial Souls. It was an order from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, after all.

"Xue Qinghe, what's the meaning of this? This man insulted our Heaven Dou imperial—"

"Silence! Fourth Brother, you must have slandered this gentleman first. Apologize to him."

"I..." Xue Beng's eyes reddened.

Ignoring the brothers' dispute, Ning Fengzhi walked straight up to Toji and smiled. "I am Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I offended you just now without meaning to. Please forgive me."

"It's fine." Toji looked utterly unconcerned.

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "May I ask your name, and what brings you to the palace?"

"Titled Douluo Investiture." Toji sounded impatient. He scratched his ear.

[Detected intense emotional fluctuations from Ning Fengzhi. Emotion Points +1,000]

[Detected intense emotional fluctuations from Qian Renxue. Emotion Points +1,200]

[Detected...]

"So you are a Titled Douluo. I was discourteous." Ning Fengzhi cupped his hands and apologized again.

Xue Qinghe hurried over to welcome the Titled Douluo as well, though only she knew what she was thinking.

Qian Renxue was hardly pleased. Spirit Hall had more than a dozen Titled Douluo, but who would turn down another for their side?

A Titled Douluo would normally choose to undergo investiture at Spirit Hall. Spirit City was renowned as the holy land of Soul Masters, after all.

Yet this man had chosen the Heaven Dou Empire. That alone said something about his intentions.

Still...

Qian Renxue glanced back at Xue Beng and nearly burst out laughing.

The man had come all this way to the Heaven Dou Empire, a gesture of goodwill, and one of its princes had gone and angered him. Wasn't that an opening for Spirit Hall?

Qian Renxue had never been more grateful that she had deliberately left that useless Xue Beng alive, both to keep Xue Ye from thinking she was heartless and to make herself look wise by comparison.

And now, before anything had even begun, the boy had wiped out whatever goodwill a potential Titled Douluo ally might have felt toward the Heaven Dou Empire.

Xue Beng's eyes went wide. He knew perfectly well what a Titled Douluo was worth.

"Impossible. He has to be lying." Xue Beng's eyes darted around in panic, and the words slipped out.

The moment he said it, he wished he could take it back. It was too stupid.

Even an idiot like him understood that he had caused a disaster!

Before Xue Beng could salvage his dignity or Xue Qinghe could offer another apology, Toji shot Xue Beng an impatient glare. Soul Rings slowly appeared beneath his feet, blazing with light.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red.

A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring?!

Emotion Points flooded in.

Some were stunned. Some frowned. And one person looked ready to die on the spot...

The sight of that final Blood-Red Soul Ring nearly scared Xue Beng to death.

"Get lost!" Toji glanced at Xue Beng, his voice flat.

Xue Beng could not remember how he left. It seemed Xue Qinghe had ordered someone to escort him away.

When he came to his senses, he felt something wet on his clothes. Had a Titled Douluo frightened him so badly that he had broken into a sweat?

Impossible!

He was the future emperor of Heaven Dou. How could he be scared into sweating?

Xue Beng checked, and his expression darkened further. It was not sweat. He had wet himself.

"Your Holiness, my fourth brother is young and doesn't know any better. I will have my father punish him and make him apologize to you." Xue Qinghe looked deeply remorseful as he bowed low.

She looked apologetic, but inside, she was nearly laughing herself sick.

Xue Beng, oh Xue Beng, you really are my lucky star! My dear little Otouto!

For the crown prince of a nation to go this far was a considerable show of sincerity, but Toji's face remained cold.

He merely nodded and withdrew his Soul Rings. Then he tipped his chin toward the palace and asked, "Do I get Gold Soul Coins for the investiture? If not, go in and pass on the message. I won't bother going inside. I've got debts to pay and money to earn."

Everyone present looked speechless.

"Uh... Your Holiness, what do you mean by 'debts to pay'?" Qian Renxue's mouth twitched. She hoped he did not mean what she thought he did.

"I owe money, so I have to pay it back!"

He stared at Qian Renxue as though his face said, You don't even understand that? How did you become crown prince?

"Uh, of course you'll receive Gold Soul Coins. Please come with me, Your Holiness. I'd also like to ask for some basic information so we can register you with Spirit Hall and announce your title to the world."

"Fine. Ask away." Toji fell in beside the group.

"May I ask your name, Your Holiness?"

"Toji Fushiguro." The name Kuro Toji sounded too strange, so he decided to use Fushiguro as his surname.

"And your Martial Soul and its characteristics?" Qian Renxue asked tentatively, hoping to learn more about this Titled Douluo.

"Heavenly Restriction. It trades Soul Power for a body pushed to its limits. I retain only a sliver of Soul Power to keep my Martial Soul in existence," Toji said calmly.

Sword Douluo and Yu Yuanzhen exchanged a glance and quietly breathed a little easier. They had been unable to gauge Toji's Soul Power Level at all. All they could vaguely sense was something on the level of a Soul Ancestor.

But how could that be? A Titled Douluo with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring had Soul Power comparable only to a Soul Ancestor?

Now they understood: his Martial Soul was unusual.

They were surprised, but not overwhelmingly so. Martial Souls came in all kinds, after all.