A Marriage Alliance? (Please invest! Please vote with monthly and recommendation tickets!)

Black Dragon Kingdom, a side hall of the Offering Hall.

"When the emperor heard the good news about Xu's martial soul awakening, he specifically asked me to bring a congratulatory gift."

Zhao Yong explained why he had come, then took out the emperor's gift and placed it before everyone.

He came to deliver a gift? Qin Xu's gaze naturally fell on the gift Zhao Yong had produced. It was a brocade box made from an unknown material, and it looked quite valuable, leaving him curious about what lay inside.

"Take a look," Zhao Yong said, opening the brocade box. "A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone!"

Just as Zhao Yong had said, the box did indeed contain a soul bone. Judging by its appearance, it was a Head Soul Bone, deep blue-green in color and shimmering with a strange halo that distorted and scrambled the air around it.

"A thirty-thousand-year Phantom Demon Dragon skull, carrying an offensive soul skill called Reality-Illusion Interweaving," Zhao Yong explained. "Xu, take a look. This soul bone is yours to do with as you please."

"Mm, all right." Qin Xu nodded. After examining the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone carefully, he said, "Then let's put it away for now. We can decide what to do with it when it becomes useful."

For an ordinary soul master, the best choice upon obtaining a soul bone was naturally to fuse with it immediately. They would never consider whether it suited them or was compatible with them. Such things were simply not theirs to worry about.

But for a soul master like Qin Xu, raised by a great family and a powerful faction, fusing with soul bones was a subject well worth studying.

Taking Qin Xu as an example, he would not choose to fuse with any soul bones before becoming a Titled Douluo, because soul masters like him never judged a soul bone's quality merely by its age and type.

The best soul bone would undoubtedly come from the very same soul beast as one of his soul rings. This was called Same-Origin Ring and Bone.

One tier below that was a soul bone from the same species of soul beast as one of his soul rings. This was called Same-Species Ring and Bone, and the older it was, the better.

The next tier consisted of soul bones that shared neither origin nor species with his rings. For these, their placement and the soul beast they came from had to be considered. Again, the older they were, the better.

Qin Xu had twin martial souls. In theory, he needed eighteen soul beasts and eighteen soul rings. If none of those eighteen soul beasts produced a soul bone, he would still prioritize soul bones produced by those eighteen species, only considering those from other soul beasts as a last resort.

Their attitudes toward soul bones alone revealed the difference between great aristocratic soul masters and ordinary ones. Great aristocratic soul masters truly picked and chose their soul bones, while ordinary soul masters had no room to choose at all.

Of course, the great aristocratic soul masters in question had to be people like Qin Xu. There were probably only a dozen or so people on the entire continent who qualified.

"All right." Qin Tianji nodded and put the Phantom Demon Dragon skull away with a wave of his hand.

Zhao Yong said nothing more about it and moved straight on to the second matter. His expression grew serious. "This next matter is the main purpose of our visit. The emperor would like his eldest princess, Vielvi, to enroll in the Heavenly Profound Academy and become Xu's classmate."

At those words, Qin Tianji narrowed his eyes, looking as though he already held every piece of the puzzle in his palm. Bai Jian burst out laughing, while Zhang Lexuan's expression turned somewhat subtle, a trace of sadness flickering deep within her beautiful eyes. As for Qin Xu, realization dawned on him too. Well, would you look at that. They were after me all along!

"Why?" Qin Tianji lifted his teacup and took a leisurely sip. "The Di'ao Academy is the fourth-ranked soul master academy on the continent. Why would the emperor's daughter come to our Heavenly Profound Academy in Yongdu City instead of going there?"

"It was actually my suggestion," Zhao Yong said. "I wanted to arrange a marriage alliance between the imperial family and the Qin Family. I was even planning to ask the sect master to officiate Xu's wedding. But the emperor dotes on his daughter and worries she might suffer, so he chose a compromise: have the princess attend school in Yongdu City and get to know Xu."

"Oh, so that's how it is. I understand." Qin Tianji's tone remained perfectly calm. "Lexuan, what do you think of Golden Heart Douluo's suggestion?"

Qin Tianji's reason for singling out Zhang Lexuan was self-evident. After all, she was the great-granddaughter-in-law he had personally chosen. No matter how many women Qin Xu might have in the future, Zhang Lexuan would certainly carry the most weight with Qin Tianji.

"Great-grandfather, this is certainly a good thing," Zhang Lexuan said, a faint smile on her lovely face. "Over the past few years, the Sun Moon Empire's troops in the Mingluo Mountain Range have been stirring restlessly. Only this year have they settled down a little.

"We have reason to believe that once the duchy breaks away from the empire and establishes its independence, the Sun Moon Empire will certainly move against it. After all, declaring war on a duchy is far easier than declaring war on an empire. For now, we still need the name of the Heaven Dou Empire behind us.

"Having His Highness marry an imperial princess would keep the duchy and the empire at odds without allowing a complete rupture. That undoubtedly serves the duchy's interests best. It would ensure the duchy's safety while also providing an opportunity to draw in talented people. The advantages would absolutely outweigh the disadvantages."

"Sister Xuan..." Qin Xu looked at Zhang Lexuan as she spoke with such composure, his heart aching for her.

"Hahaha, excellent, excellent! That is exactly what I had in mind." After hearing Zhang Lexuan's analysis, Zhao Yong laughed heartily. "Old Qin, by now, both your Qin Family and the imperial family ought to understand one thing: you were all victims of the Heaven Dou Rebellion!

"All the more reason to let past grievances melt away like ice, restore your friendship, and stand together against outside enemies, rather than do something that pains your loved ones and delights your foes!"

Qin Tianji closed his eyes. After a moment of silence, he slowly opened them and sighed. "Yes. You're right."

"Good!" Zhao Yong brightened and immediately said with excitement, "Once I return, I'll relay your wishes to the emperor. After Xu and the eldest princess have spent a few years together and are a little older, we can announce the marriage alliance outright. When that happens, I'll definitely have the sect master come in person to officiate the two children's wedding!"

And just like that, the marriage alliance between the grand duke of the Black Dragon Duchy and the princess of the Heaven Dou Empire was decided.

Qin Xu felt rather withdrawn. Why did no one ask what I thought? He was not being affected. He was simply annoyed that, despite being the person involved, he was shown no respect.

Still, that mood lasted only a moment, because he himself would benefit most from the marriage alliance. Whether for the princess or the interests behind her, he had no reason whatsoever to oppose it.

He had only just seen how adorable Vielvi was.

That evening.

Qin Tianji hosted a banquet in the palace for Wisdom Douluo Ya Yun and the eldest princess, Vielvi.

"Elder Qin!" Ya Yun bowed respectfully to Qin Tianji. "Vielvi, this is His Eminence Black Dragon Douluo!"

"Vielvi pays her respects to His Eminence Black Dragon Douluo!" Dressed in an exquisite little formal gown, Vielvi obediently offered Qin Tianji a court curtsy. Her voice was clear and bright, very pleasant to the ear.

"Haha, calling me Your Eminence is far too distant. Even your father calls me Grandpa. You should call me Great-grandpa." Looking at Vielvi, as delicate and lovely as carved jade, Qin Tianji thought of how she would one day marry into the Qin Family and immediately smiled kindly.

"Great-grandpa," Vielvi called sweetly.

That "Great-grandpa" pleased Qin Tianji immensely. He beckoned, and Ge Nie, who stood beside him, immediately stepped forward, lifting the object in his hands and presenting it before Ya Yun and Vielvi.

It was unmistakably a Head Soul Bone, its entire surface as pure and translucent as colored glass, radiating dreamlike rainbow light.

"This is a welcoming gift for Vielvi," Qin Tianji said.

Ya Yun recognized it at a glance as a ten-thousand-year Superpower Spirit Weasel skull. Her eyes lit up. "Then I'll accept it on Vielvi's behalf!"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the banquet began.

There were only six people at this banquet: Qin Xu, Qin Tianji, Zhang Lexuan, Zhao Yong, Ya Yun, and Vielvi. It was a simple affair.

"Little Brother Qin Xu, we meet again!" The moment Vielvi saw Qin Xu, she ran over and sat right beside him, showing no awkwardness at all.

"Yes, we meet again," Qin Xu replied with a smile. So this little girl has a lively personality. She should be easy to get along with.

Zhang Lexuan sat on Qin Xu's other side and observed Vielvi as well. For now, her assessment matched Qin Xu's: a lively, enthusiastic little girl who should not be difficult to get along with.

"Elder Qin, Elder Zhao should have spoken to you about Vielvi enrolling in the Heavenly Profound Academy. What do you think?" Ya Yun asked, getting straight to the point.

"It's a good thing," Qin Tianji said. "The Heavenly Profound Academy has just established a new Youth Class for Xu. Once the term begins, Vielvi can simply enroll along with him."

Hearing that, Ya Yun relaxed. "That's wonderful."

"By the way, have Vielvi's lodgings been arranged?" Zhao Yong suddenly asked. "I say she might as well move into the palace. There are so many empty rooms here, and leaving them empty serves no purpose. If Vielvi moves in, she can travel to and from school with Xu. It would be safe and convenient."

"There's no need to trouble you. The White Lotus Merchant Association has already made all the preparations," Ya Yun hurriedly declined, mentally giving Zhao Yong a stomp. Whose side is this old fellow on, anyway? Why is he so eager to hand the princess over?

But Qin Tianji said, "There's no rush to settle her lodgings. Once the term starts, she can simply stay at the academy. That will also reduce the trouble and risks of traveling back and forth every day."

"Stay at the academy?" Both Zhao Yong and Ya Yun were surprised.

"Hahaha." Qin Tianji was quite satisfied with their reactions. "You can go take a look at the Heavenly Profound Academy yourselves. Its upgrades cover every aspect. In terms of facilities alone, it can stand against any top academy on the continent!"

Both Zhao Yong and Ya Yun had their curiosity piqued.

The banquet ended perfectly, with hosts and guests alike enjoying themselves to the fullest before parting.

Qin Xu and Zhang Lexuan returned to the sleeping quarters. With Zhang Lexuan's help, Qin Xu washed up, then climbed straight onto his bed, sat cross-legged, and began meditating. Zhang Lexuan returned to her own sleeping quarters as well and, after washing up, began meditating to cultivate.

Late that night, Qin Xu finished meditating and lay down to sleep. Then he sensed someone climbing onto his bed, and a soft body immediately wrapped itself around him from behind.

"Lexuan?" Qin Xu called in surprise.

"Xu, go to sleep." Zhang Lexuan's voice was soft and gentle, carrying a barely perceptible trace of sadness. Each passing day meant one fewer day when she could have Qin Xu all to herself. "I'll sleep with you tonight."

Qin Xu turned over and held her.