Yu Tianlong took a deep breath, then said earnestly:
"Is this your other identity, Sister Xue-the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe?"
"Clever!"
Although Yu Tianlong already had an idea, he still let out a sigh.
"When you're under someone else's eaves, you have to bow your head. Sister Xue, I can follow you. I'm sure you already know about some of the changes in me, or rather, my Soul Power Level, so I won't hide it from you."
"But you have to agree to three simple conditions. Is that all right?"
This was the first time Qian Renxue had encountered someone who bargained with her, and that someone was a child at that.
Her interest was immediately piqued.
"You haven't even repaid my kindness yet, and you're already setting conditions."
An ordinary person of his age might already have flushed scarlet, overcome with shame.
But who was Yu Tianlong? He had been a seasoned old hand in his previous life, and after transmigrating here, he had lived another eight years, witnessed the warmth and coldness of human relations, and endured countless brushes with death.
In Yu Tianlong's eyes, in a supernatural world like this, possessing strength was the only true path!
The bigger fist made the rules!
Qian Renxue valued him now and wanted him to follow her. She surely had her own intentions, or wanted to gain something from him.
So although she had saved him, he would never give up anything he ought to fight for.
He certainly wasn't someone whose brain turned to mush over romance.
"You're joking, Sister Xue. There's no rush to repay your kindness, and only by becoming stronger can I repay you better, isn't that right?"
Qian Renxue finally understood why a child like Yu Tianlong had managed to survive in the wilderness for so long.
His skin was simply too thick.
The crucial thing was that he actually had something of a point.
Of course, if an adult had said these things to her, Qian Renxue might not even have bothered to respond.
But looking at such a cute, handsome, sensible little boy, Qian Renxue still couldn't help chuckling.
For some reason, she even saw a shadow of her past self in Yu Tianlong.
Still, her circumstances had been much better than Yu Tianlong's.
At least she had a grandfather who loved her, while Yu Tianlong had nothing left.
At that thought, a trace of maternal warmth shone in Qian Renxue's eyes, and she looked at Yu Tianlong and said softly:
"Let's hear them. Perhaps I might agree to your conditions~"
Although Yu Tianlong didn't understand the look in Qian Renxue's eyes, he realized this was an opportunity and immediately spoke:
"First, you can't restrict my freedom. My Martial Soul and my method of cultivating Soul Power are rather unusual. I need to hunt Soul Beasts to grow stronger quickly. If I follow you all the time, my strength won't improve!"
After saying this, Yu Tianlong looked at Qian Renxue.
His words had aroused Qian Renxue's curiosity.
"Fine, but you have to prove it to me!"
Yu Tianlong didn't hesitate either. Enduring his physical discomfort, he stepped out of the carriage.
Then, under the gazes of Qian Renxue and the two Titled Douluos hidden nearby, he released his Martial Soul.
"Little Cho, come out!"
As Yu Tianlong's words fell, a purple behemoth four meters tall and six meters long instantly appeared before their eyes.
The moment Cho'Gath appeared and saw that Yu Tianlong was safe and sound, he stood guard warily in front of him.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue and the hidden Snake Lance and Pufferfish were utterly dumbfounded.
What on earth was this thing?!
Wasn't his Martial Soul supposed to be a little bug smaller than a finger?
Moreover, the instant this monstrous Martial Soul appeared, they felt a chilling killing presence rush toward them, even making them feel a trace of discomfort deep inside.
And that discomfort was fear, rooted in the deepest layer of human emotion.
"Wait!"
"Little Brother Long, your Martial Soul exists outside your body, as an independent individual?"
Qian Renxue had noticed a clue, because she discovered that the Martial Soul Yu Tianlong had summoned was actually physical, rather than merely a phantom formed from Soul Power!
Yu Tianlong nodded, a hint of a smile in his eyes, then raised his hand and stroked Cho'Gath's body.
"Yes. Little Cho is a physical Martial Soul, and he can also be considered an independent individual!"
Feeling the warmth of his master's palm, Cho'Gath let out a low growl.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, then continued asking:
"Wasn't your Martial Soul tiny before? How is it now..."
Yu Tianlong had long known that he couldn't keep this hidden, so he explained without hesitation.
"That's why I gave you my first condition. My Martial Soul can evolve by devouring Soul Beasts. If I stayed in human society all the time, with my innate Soul Power of rank 0.1, I might never break through rank twenty even if I cultivated until I died!"
"But the appearance of Cho'Gath, or Little Cho, let me defy heaven and change my fate, let me possess strength, and let me stand with my back straight!"
As Yu Tianlong said this, he concealed one detail.
He had only said that devouring Soul Beasts allowed evolution.
He hadn't said that Soul Masters and other things could also be devoured.
After Yu Tianlong finished, even though Qian Renxue and the others had Spirit Hall behind them, their minds still struggled to catch up.
What kind of freakish Martial Soul was this?!
As long as he kept eating, he could keep evolving!
Snake Lance and Pufferfish exchanged a glance, a trace of killing intent appearing in both their eyes, though it quickly faded.
If this child could not be put to use by Spirit Hall, he had to be destroyed.
Naturally, Qian Renxue had thought of this too, but she showed no sign of it.
Because whether in personal charisma or strength, she had absolute confidence in herself.
"Fine. Although your Martial Soul has a very low starting point, its upper limit is very high."
"Let me ask you something. If your Martial Soul were allowed to eat without restraint, could its body handle it?"
"Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, for example!"
When Qian Renxue reached this point, it was as though something exploded in Yu Tianlong's mind!
Right! He couldn't hunt high-level Soul Beasts himself, but with Qian Renxue backing him, wouldn't hunting Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts be child's play?
How quickly would his strength advance then?
At that thought, Yu Tianlong hurriedly looked at Cho'Gath and asked inwardly.
"Little Cho, is there a limit to your devouring?"
Faced with this question, Cho'Gath thought for a moment before answering:
"Master, I've never tried. But I feel like I can devour them. Digestion might just be a little slow."
Hearing Cho'Gath say this, Yu Tianlong forcibly suppressed his excitement.
"My strength was limited before, so I haven't tried yet."
Qian Renxue nodded, then said casually:
"We'll know once we try it later. What are your second and third conditions? Tell me both!"