At first, Luofan hadn't suspected that Snake Lance Douluo was deliberately stalling him!
But once the thought occurred to him, a lot of things started to make sense!
He had barely stepped out of his courtyard when Snake Lance Douluo blocked his path.
If the man hadn't been waiting specifically for him, what else could explain it?
Then, when Luofan asked what he wanted, Snake Lance Douluo couldn't answer at first. Only after a pause did he bring up the Soul Bone and Self-Created Soul Skill.
And yet he had found nothing at all.
It looked as though he was spouting nonsense just to delay Luofan.
With that thought in mind, Luofan said to Snake Lance Douluo, "All right. Sorry for the trouble of searching for a Self-Created Soul Skill, Uncle She. I'll go find Brother Xue first. I have some good news to share with her!"
As he spoke, Luofan moved to step past Snake Lance Douluo and find Xue Qinghe.
"Wait, Luofan..." Seeing him head for Xue Qinghe, Snake Lance Douluo called out in a hurry, his voice rising despite himself.
Luofan stopped and gave him a questioning look.
"Well, His Highness is receiving guests right now. I'll let you know when he's free," Snake Lance Douluo explained under Luofan's gaze.
"All right, then. I'll speak to him later!"
Luofan understood. Snake Lance Douluo had stalled him because he didn't want Luofan to see Xue Qinghe.
He turned back to his courtyard, pulled over a wicker chair, and lay down. His eyes closed as though he were dozing, but his thoughts kept turning.
Snake Lance Douluo doesn't want me to see Xue Qinghe? What's going on?
The more they tried to keep him away, the more curious he became.
With a thought, Luofan's spiritual consciousness left his body.
The Primordial Spirit Out-of-Body, invisible and untouchable but undeniably real, flew out of his courtyard!
Sure enough, Luofan saw Snake Lance Douluo still standing guard outside his courtyard, watching it closely!
Was the man really keeping watch over him like a prisoner?
His curiosity only grew, and he drifted toward the front hall.
Just then, he saw Xue Qinghe emerge from it!
Several familiar faces came out with her!
Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong, and Sword Douluo Chen Xin!
From a distance, he heard Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe discussing advertising fees for the newspaper!
So Ning Fengzhi had come to talk business with Xue Qinghe about placing an advertisement for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the newspaper!
"Brother Crown Prince, don't forget what you promised me! You must do your best to find Brother Luofan!"
When the group reached the entrance to the Crown Prince's Residence, Ning Rongrong reminded Xue Qinghe again, still uneasy.
So that's it!
After coming to look for himself with his Primordial Spirit Out-of-Body, Luofan finally understood why Snake Lance Douluo had stopped him from seeing Xue Qinghe!
It was Xue Qinghe's idea, wasn't it?
Was she afraid he would meet the people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, waver, and go back with them?
Come to think of it, Xue Qinghe really did value him. Was she afraid of losing him?
Luofan could only say she was overthinking it.
He wasn't some devoted follower of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Why would he run back just because they beckoned?
And if they offered him benefits to return?
As far as Luofan was concerned, however much the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect offered, could it match what Xue Qinghe could give him?
Her other identity was the Young Master of Spirit Hall, which would all belong to her someday!
And this identity was already the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire!
Whether he considered his own interests or simple personal loyalty, any sensible person would know whom to choose!
But Ning Rongrong had specifically asked Xue Qinghe to help find him?
The girl really did care about him. Helping her last time they met hadn't been for nothing!
After all, he had helped her stand against Spirit Hall!
"Hm?"
While Luofan was lost in thought, something else was happening.
Just as Xue Qinghe escorted Ning Fengzhi's group to the entrance of the Crown Prince's Residence, Sword Douluo murmured softly.
Then, as though sensing something, he turned toward Luofan's spiritual consciousness.
"Who's there? Who's spying on us?" Chen Xin shouted!
The shout startled Luofan.
Even Chen Xin's gaze felt sharp, like a blade forged from spiritual power. Luofan's spiritual consciousness felt as though it were being lightly cut!
Luofan's spiritual consciousness shot back into his body. He opened his eyes and thought, Sword Dao Chen Xin really lives up to his name!
He's like a sword cultivator from the fantasy stories I read in my past life!
Is this a sword heart that sees all? He even sensed my spiritual consciousness watching him. Snake Lance Douluo didn't notice a thing when I passed right by him!
Titled Douluo may stand at the pinnacle of this continent, but even among them, there are differences!
"What happened, Uncle Jian?"
Ning Fengzhi hadn't noticed anything himself, but he trusted Uncle Jian and asked him what was wrong.
"Fengzhi, I just felt someone watching us," Sword Douluo Chen Xin replied.
"Someone watching us? Was someone hiding nearby? But Sword Grandpa, weren't you looking up at the sky when you shouted?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
"Either someone used an invisibility-type Soul Skill and was flying above us!"
"Or..."
Sword Douluo paused and carefully considered what he had sensed. "A powerful spiritual force was hovering there, watching us directly!"
With his sword heart's clarity, even his soul had become sword intent. Sword Douluo thought back over the sensation. If someone had merely turned invisible, their departure would have stirred the air!
But the presence had vanished suddenly, as though it had teleported away, without disturbing so much as a speck of dust.
So Sword Douluo believed a powerful spiritual force had been watching them.
Was that Luofan? Did he find out after all?
The others didn't know what was going on, but Xue Qinghe knew Luofan had a Soul Bone Skill that let his Primordial Spirit leave his body. Sword Douluo's words told her what had happened.
"Sorry, Teacher. I have a friend staying here whose spiritual power is quite strong. Perhaps he happened to sense what was happening here, and Senior Sword Douluo noticed him," Xue Qinghe said, offering a casual explanation.
"Qinghe, you've been keeping such an extraordinary person here? Could you introduce me?" Ning Fengzhi asked, his interest thoroughly piqued.
Before you continue