After Tang San left, Li Sen was just about to rest when he suddenly felt a disturbance from his martial soul.
Tang Hao was looking for him.
The imperial palace, Heaven Dou City
"Your Majesty, two battles between soul masters broke out in Heaven Dou City! They showed utter disregard for the law, the safety of the people, and their property. They must be severely punished!!!"
"Your Majesty, someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect said that the daughter of their second-in-command, Yu Luomian, has died. They demand an explanation."
"Your Majesty... from what I have learned, both battles involved that Li Sen. He relied on his Titled Douluo strength to defy imperial authority. We should arrest him and bring him to justice!"
"As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they have always been on good terms with our nation. They must have had a reason for acting. We need only question them!"
Xue Ye's expression darkened as he watched the officials reporting on Heaven Dou City keep fanning the flames.
Damn it, two battles—one fought by Titled Douluos, the other backed by a Titled Douluo.
Arrest him?
With what?
The empire could stand against a Titled Douluo only through grand formations, through the lives of a million soldiers and low-ranking soul masters!
Li Sen wasn't attacking a city. Who could catch a Titled Douluo?
If we acted, never mind whether the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect would be satisfied—the empire would be finished.
I was already courting the favor of both Douluos from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
And this was a Titled Douluo whom even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had sent their Little Princess to befriend.
Who were we supposed to arrest?
Who were we supposed to fight?
Xue Ye listened to their discussions without a word, until all the officials joined together to petition him.
"Your Majesty, please uphold our nation's prestige, defend its honor, and arrest Li Sen!"
Xue Ye smiled.
Anyone who suggested arresting a Titled Douluo was either a traitor or an idiot.
Or they had been enticed by Li Sen's Martial Soul Evolution Theory and wanted to kill with a borrowed blade, then reap the profits.
In that case...
Xue Ye said amiably, "My dear ministers, you make excellent points."
"Since you all believe we must defend our nation's prestige, I will leave Li Sen's arrest to you!"
"Don't worry. Every soldier and citizen in the nation will await news of your triumphant return and celebrate with you!"
At those words, the imperial palace instantly fell silent.
Whether they were Spirit Hall's agitators, nobles coveting the Martial Soul Evolution Theory, or people close to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, they all exchanged bewildered looks.
A Titled Douluo!
If they could defeat him, would they need to goad Xue Ye into acting?
The elderly minister who had proposed upholding the nation's prestige rose shakily and asked,
"Your Majesty, what... what do you mean?"
"Ahem..." Fighting through his physical weakness, Xue Ye said, "My dear ministers, I think your words make excellent sense."
"Our nation's prestige must not be violated!"
"But... a Titled Douluo is not someone to provoke lightly."
"It was out of concern for the lives of our citizens and brave soldiers that I hesitated to give the order."
"Since you have all proposed and supported the plan to arrest Li Sen, I trust that you must have the means and strength to accomplish it. I will leave it to you!"
The ministers: "..."
With a single remark, the atmosphere changed abruptly, and all the ministers began searching for excuses.
One rolled his eyes back and said, "Your Majesty, my epilepsy has flared up. I have no idea what I just said. May I withdraw to recuperate?"
Another lay straight down on the floor, panting heavily. "Your Majesty, an old injury has flared up. I need to see a healing-type soul master. May I withdraw?"
Another stammered, "Your Majesty, several of my grandsons are preparing to marry soon. I cannot spare the time and cannot take on this duty."
Amid the string of excuses, Xue Ye slammed the table and roared, "All of you, shut up!"
The imperial palace fell silent.
Xue Ye swept his gaze around them, berating them in bitter disappointment.
"Every last one of you! You dare not do anything, yet all you do is shout!"
"Since no one is going, the matter of arresting Li Sen ends here. But..."
Xue Ye took a deep breath and sat down. "The battles in Heaven Dou City must be dealt with."
"Whether it is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, or Li Sen, they must all be appeased."
"Now put your minds to work and come up with a proper solution!"
Everyone looked at one another, then up at the ceiling. Not a single person spoke.
All three parties they needed to appease had Titled Douluos among them. If they accidentally provoked one and got killed, there would be nowhere to seek justice. No one wanted to go.
Looking at these ministers who took their pay without doing any work, who ate for free without a shred of gratitude, Xue Ye felt waves of helplessness. His head even began to ache as he slumped back onto the throne.
Smack!
At that critical moment, Xue Qinghe stepped forward and declared with righteous resolve, "Father, I am willing to handle the aftermath of the battles in Heaven Dou City.
"And the task of appeasing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, and His Excellency Li Sen."
Xue Ye felt deeply heartened. At last, he felt he had a worthy successor.
"Qinghe, you truly are my son. Unlike that bunch of useless gluttons, who only know how to give orders and never accomplish anything..."
After a string of praises, Xue Qinghe left with a faint smile.
For him, his position as heir was already secure.
His main purpose was to find an excuse to meet Li Sen, who was hailed as a grandmaster of martial soul theory and possessed the strength of a Titled Douluo.
After accepting the task, Xue Qinghe wasted no time in deflecting the issues.
Heaven Dou City Notice
"To all citizens and soul masters: Heaven Dou City has been affected by a dispute. The state is duty-bound to provide assistance. You may apply for compensation at the relevant offices."
A reply to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
"Li Sen is connected to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. To prevent the conflict from escalating, the imperial family will not intervene."
After briefly addressing the concerns of Heaven Dou City's residents, Xue Qinghe rubbed his head and stood up.
Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was his teacher. They were on good terms, so there was little to discuss.
That left Li Sen, whom he would visit in person.
The Royal Hotel, Heaven Dou City
Following the information his subordinates had sent him, Xue Qinghe soon found Li Sen.
Looking at his youthful appearance, that of a man in his twenties, Xue Qinghe still found it incredible despite knowing about it beforehand.
In his twenties, and he had fought both Jian Chenxin and Gu Rong, two Titled Douluos, one after another.
Yesterday, two martial souls had appeared in the city: a tree and a Thunder Dragon.
The Tree Martial Soul had six soul rings, with a hundred-thousand-year sixth soul ring. The Thunder Dragon Martial Soul had not displayed any soul rings.
Reportedly, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sword Douluo, Jian Chenxin, had also broken through to rank 96 yesterday, becoming a Super Douluo.
At that moment... Li Sen had Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong tucked against his sides, much as Dai Mubai had held the twins at the Rose Hotel.
He looked around, searching for prospective disciples.
Suddenly, he frowned and instinctively glanced to his left. A man was staring at him.
"Are you Teacher Li, the Theoretical Grandmaster who created the Martial Soul Evolution Theory?"
Seeing that he had been noticed, Xue Qinghe approached with the perfect smile he had cultivated through years of pretense.
Li Sen looked Xue Qinghe up and down.
A noble bearing and composed speech—he had only seen such qualities in Ning Fengzhi before.
Two powerful presences were also concealed nearby, watching this spot.
He must be Xue Qinghe, the identity assumed by Qian Daoliu's granddaughter, Spirit Hall's hidden genius Qian Renxue, right?
Li Sen smiled faintly. "Who are you?"
Xue Qinghe considered for a moment, then politely cupped his fist, extended a hand, and asked,
"I am Xue Qinghe. May I ask what your title is, Grandmaster Li?"
Li Sen could not help narrowing his eyes.
In the original story, she had wanted to recruit Tang San after hearing of his genius.
Was this visit to me also an attempt at recruitment?
"I have long heard that Xue Qinghe, the eldest prince of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, is gentle and refined. You certainly live up to your reputation."
"I am Li Sen. I am not a Titled Douluo and have no title."
"May I ask what brings Your Highness here?"
Before you continue