"No limit?"
Su Ling stared at the black card in his hand in disbelief.
"That's right. There are only two black cards like this in the entire world. One is in my hands, and the other is the one you're holding."
"Here, take them."
Su Ling handed the remaining two Soul Bones to Ning Fengzhi.
Like a thief, Ning Fengzhi slipped them straight into his Storage Soul Tool without even taking a proper look.
Wealth was not something to flaunt. Even though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had two Titled Douluos overseeing it, there were always people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens. It would be trouble if a powerful expert set their sights on them.
"Then let's leave it at that. It was a pleasure doing business with you both."
Su Ling was about to put on the ring-shaped Storage Soul Tool Xue Ye had given him when he noticed Snow Ji constantly playing with her slender, delicate hands beside him.
"Master, don't you think I look a little bare?"
Uh, well...
Su Ling could not help feeling that putting a ring he had obtained from Xue Ye on his wife's finger was a little strange.
While Su Ling hesitated, Ning Fengzhi's keen nose sniffed out an opportunity to win him over, and he immediately took out a Storage Soul Tool.
"Inside is a batch of jewelry in new designs, made from a rare gemstone called ice crystal that was recently mined in the Far North. Consider it a gift, young friend."
Before Su Ling could speak, the Storage Soul Tool was already in Snow Ji's hands.
"Then thank you, Sect Master Ning."
Snow Ji happily took the Soul Tool back into Su Ling's Martial Soul.
Faced with Snow Ji's sudden disappearance, Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi exchanged looks, both wearing expressions of disbelief.
They had not detected even the slightest fluctuation in Soul Power. It was as though she had vanished into thin air.
Even Bone Douluo, who had some proficiency in spatial power, could not accomplish something like that.
"Then we'll leave it there. Sect Master Ning and I won't disturb you any longer. Young friend Su Ling, remember to attend tonight's state banquet."
After the two left, Su Ling had nothing to do, so he wandered around the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Before he knew it, the sky gradually darkened. Watching the sun slowly sink, Su Ling felt a good deal more melancholy.
It had been almost seven years since he had come to the Douluo Continent. He wondered how his parents in his original world were doing.
"Master seems a little down."
Snow Ji suddenly appeared beside Su Ling. Their hearts were connected, so naturally, she had sensed the change in his mood.
She drew Su Ling into her arms and gently stroked his head. In Snow Ji's warm embrace, his low spirits improved a little.
"Su Ling? Big Sister Snow Ji, why are you still here?"
The banquet was about to begin. Seeing no sign of Su Ling, Xue Ye had sent Xue Ke out to find him.
"Ah, we'll head over right away."
Snow Ji released Su Ling, her eyes filled with reluctance. Having found herself such a young boyfriend, she now had to be both wife and mother-and she had no experience with either.
She did not know what Su Ling had experienced before, but her instincts told her that he was certainly not as simple as a mere six-year-old.
But none of that mattered. Su Ling had saved her from the brink of death.
With Xue Ke leading the way, the two headed toward the banquet.
"Xue Ke! Do you know what level of banquet this is today? How dare you bring outsiders!"
The speaker bore a fifty-to-sixty-percent resemblance to Xue Ye. It was none other than Prince Xue Xing.
He was currently fretting over his inability to find Xue Beng. Seeing Xue Ke bring strangers to the state banquet, he naturally intended to vent his frustration.
"They're Big Brother Su Ling and Big Sister Snow Ji! Father is holding this banquet for Su Ling!"
Xue Ke hurriedly explained. Xue Xing had always been at odds with her and Xue Qinghe. A little everyday bickering was one thing, and saying a few things about Su Ling was no great matter either-at most, he would beat you up.
But Snow Ji would kill at the slightest disagreement! She was a Soul Beast. Apart from Su Ling, other humans were nothing but pests in her eyes.
Of course, she would also feel favorably toward people Su Ling cared about or liked. That was an effect of their connected hearts.
Conversely, the things she liked would also influence Su Ling.
"Hmph! You're saying Xue Ye did all this for some wet-behind-the-ears brat? Do you take me for a fool? Seize them! I think they're spies sent by Spirit Hall or the Star Luo Empire! They're most likely behind Xue Beng's disappearance."
The guards beside Xue Xing were all Soul Emperor-level. Without another word, they summoned their Martial Souls and closed in on Su Ling and the others.
Alas, kind words could not dissuade a ghost bent on dying. Xue Ke stepped aside for Su Ling and Snow Ji, leaving it to whichever of the two felt more inclined to act.
"Would you rather become idiots or cripples?"
Hearing Su Ling's provocation, the Soul Emperors all looked disdainful. A pair of twin Soul Saint brothers stepped forward first. They were presumably Prince Xue Xing's trusted men; after all, those were the only two Soul Saints among his guards.
"Where did this little brat come from? Do you know what your granddaddy's Martial Soul is? The golden-haired bear king!"
The other Soul Saint summoned his Martial Soul as well-the red-haired bear king!
"Quite a show, but your strength falls a little short."
Su Ling had no intention of wasting words on them. He had not gotten his cheats just to play the meek grandson. He immediately used his hundred-thousand-year skull bone's Soul Skill, Soul Shock.
Of course, he targeted only those two.
"Hehehe, Briar, I wanna eat honey." The eyes of the golden-haired bear king Martial Soul's wielder turned vacant.
Seeing this, Xue Xing broke into a cold sweat down his back. Could... could that boy really turn someone into an idiot in an instant?
"Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is eating!" the wielder of the red-haired bear king Martial Soul roared at his younger brother.
Hearing this, Prince Xue Xing let out a long breath of relief. The older brother was still dependable.
"Stop eating, Bramble! Logger Vick's here to chop down trees again!"
What? Logger Vick? Prince Xue Xing could not make heads or tails of the scene before him.
"I'll leave the rest to you."
Snow Ji gave Su Ling a look that said to leave everything to her. Striking out to either side with a punch and a kick, she instantly sent the two Soul Emperors beside Xue Xing flying backward, their fates unknown.
Prince Xue Xing swallowed. It seemed he had kicked an iron plate this time. Had he known the two possessed such strength, he would not have dared act that way even with ten times the courage.
"Don't worry. If we say we'll cripple you, we'll cripple you. We won't take your lives."
Snow Ji's footsteps grew faster and faster, and Prince Xue Xing's heart beat faster and faster.
"Your Majesty, save me!"
In fact, Xue Ye had been watching from the shadows for quite some time. Although Soul Saints already counted among the empire's strongest fighting forces, they all belonged to Xue Xing's faction and might even help him seize power in the future.
If they died, they died. Compared with Su Ling, they were not worth a penny.
As for Prince Xue Xing...
While Xue Ye had been bedridden, Xue Xing had already begun courting powerful officials and carving up spheres of influence.
It was not that he favored Xue Qinghe, but neither did he wish to see Xue Beng become a puppet emperor upon succeeding to the throne.
"Prince Xue Xing, you've offended young brother Su Ling. I'm afraid I truly cannot help you, however much I might wish to. Rest assured, even if Her Excellency Snow Ji cripples you, you will still be Prince Xue Xing of the Heaven Dou Empire!"
Before you continue