Let no rich water flow into outsiders' fields

"Your turn." After releasing her Martial Soul, Zhu Zhuqing kept her beautiful eyes on Xu Ran. She wanted to know his cultivation level.

Although she did not think Xu Ran was a Soul Elder, he should at least be a Soul Grandmaster.

Zhu Zhuqing felt a little anticipation. She hoped Xu Ran was somewhat stronger, so the family would take him seriously. Otherwise, with him getting so close to her, he would be targeted sooner or later.

Many disciples of the Zhu Family were also watching Xu Ran, wanting to see his cultivation level. If he was not strong enough, there would be no place for him in the Zhu Family in the future. How could he hold his ground when he was so close to Zhu Zhuqing without the strength to back it up?

Xu Ran quieted his mind and stirred his Martial Soul.

With his current talent as a twelve-year-old Soul Elder, even Bibi Dong would have to receive him personally if he went to Spirit Hall. No one in the Zhu Family, or even the entire Star Luo Empire, had greater talent than him. Moreover, with the system, his talent would become even greater in the future.

Under everyone's gaze, a black longsword appeared in Xu Ran's hand. The sword was three feet long, its blade pure black, yet it seemed to contain endless mysteries.

The moment he gripped the longsword, Xu Ran's bearing abruptly changed.

His gaze sharpened, as though he himself were a sword, and an air of invincibility radiated from him.

Everyone stared at Xu Ran in astonishment. With the longsword in hand, he possessed a distinctive bearing that made their hearts tremble.

Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes also widened as she stared blankly at Xu Ran's figure.

What was Xu Ran's cultivation level? The answer was already obvious.

Three Soul Rings, two yellow and one purple, appeared around him.

Xu Ran was indeed a Soul Elder!

The gazes of many disciples changed instantly as they looked at Xu Ran. Although they did not know his age, they could tell he was young. He was no more than fifteen at most. Having reached the Soul Elder level at such an age meant he was a genius Soul Master.

Such a genius would have a smooth road ahead, and his future was beyond imagining. If they could cling to Xu Ran's thigh, they would reap many benefits in the future.

Many young women gazed at Xu Ran with tenderness flowing like water. Quite a few even openly cast flirtatious glances at him. Such a genius would hold a very high position in the family in the future. If they could form a close relationship with him, or even become his woman, they could certainly spare themselves decades of struggle.

"You really are a Soul Elder?" Zhu Zhuqing could not help exclaiming as she looked at Xu Ran. The shock he gave her ran even deeper, because she had observed him very carefully. He should be about her age, at most a year or two older.

At such an age, he had already broken through to Soul Elder.

Xu Ran's talent was even somewhat greater than hers! She could not help blushing at what she had said earlier.

"I told you, I'm a Soul Elder. Even if I lied to others, I wouldn't lie to you." Xu Ran smiled as he looked at the young woman before him, who stood blushing silently to herself.

"Hmph."

The blush on Zhu Zhuqing's face faded a little. Without another word, she picked up speed and charged straight at Xu Ran.

As an agility-attack-type Soul Master, she pushed her speed to the limit, attacking Xu Ran like a black shadow. Her fingers curled, and her long nails glinted coldly.

Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power was currently at rank twenty-five, which was far from weak among the Zhu Family's younger generation. In everyone's eyes, her speed could hardly be called slow.

Yet in Xu Ran's eyes, that speed was incredibly slow.

Xu Ran remained where he was, shifting his feet and turning his body slightly as he held the scabbard in front of himself. Zhu Zhuqing's sharp claws scraped right across the pitch-black scabbard.

A scraping sound rang out as Zhu Zhuqing's fingertips left five white marks on the scabbard. Naturally, the scabbard suffered no damage. These were traces left by her nails rubbing against it.

When the target of her attack suddenly dodged, Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face changed slightly, and she tried to turn around to continue attacking Xu Ran. But in her fluster, her body's momentum sent her falling straight forward.

"Careful," Xu Ran said, reaching out to gather Zhu Zhuqing into his arms.

Countless people around them were struck speechless by the sight.

They were filled with envy. Xu Ran had actually managed to hold the breathtakingly beautiful Zhu Zhuqing in his arms. At the same time, they could not help thinking of Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai had reportedly fled to the Heaven Dou Empire. How would he feel if he knew Zhu Zhuqing was being held in another man's arms?

Thinking of this, many could not help feeling a little anticipation.

They had long been displeased with Dai Mubai. The Dai and Zhu Families had intermarried for generations, leaving quite a few members of the Zhu Family resentful.

All the finest women of their Zhu Family married into the Dai Family, with not a single one left behind. Who would not be angry about that?

As the saying went, let no rich water flow into outsiders' fields. Yet generation after generation, the Zhu Family's rich water had all flowed into the Dai Family's fields. A year or two would have been fine, but after so many years, these Zhu Family disciples had long grown unhappy.

However, they all understood the relationship between the Zhu Family and the Dai Family. With their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, marriage alliances were the best choice, so they normally did not make an issue of them.

But that wastrel Dai Mubai had directly stirred up their resentment.

Dai Mubai was cowardly and incompetent, without a shred of fighting spirit. Afraid he could not compete with Dai Weisi, he had simply slipped away, leaving Zhu Zhuqing alone in the Star Luo Empire to bear the pressure from both great families.

To everyone, this was the most contemptible behavior of all.

They would not have cared too much whether Dai Mubai was strong or not. Abandoning his fiancée, being cowardly and incompetent-such character was what they despised most.

This behavior of Dai Mubai's had doomed him to be nothing but a wastrel.

Countless Zhu Family disciples felt dissatisfied. Why could even a wastrel like that be betrothed to such an outstanding woman of their Zhu Family?

Just because the Dai Family was the imperial family?

"Dai Mubai is nothing but a joke. He's nowhere near Xu Ran."

"How could a wastrel who abandoned his fiancée and ran off on his own deserve the second young lady?"

"But who knows what Xu Ran is thinking? I'd never heard of him in the family before. I wonder whether he really is interested in the second young lady. If he truly is, things will get interesting."

"One is the family's supreme genius, and the other is the imperial family's useless third prince. Who knows what the family head will decide?"

Countless voices rose in discussion. If Xu Ran could be together with Zhu Zhuqing, they would have nothing to say against it. After all, Xu Ran was one of the Zhu Family's own. Keeping it within the family was no problem.

But if Zhu Zhuqing and Xu Ran got together, wouldn't that wastrel third prince, Dai Mubai, be wearing a green hat?