"In that situation, leaving Yu Tianming alone was the right choice."
A glint of shrewd calculation flashed through Tai Tan's eyes as he continued in his gruff voice:
"In fact, looking at the bigger picture, if this opportunity could make the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Spirit Hall fall out completely, that might well be a good thing for us!"
Despite Tai Tan's praise, Tang Hu did not seem particularly happy. Recalling how Yu Tianming had called him a brother earlier, he could not help feeling a twinge of guilt.
"But... Grandpa Tai Tan, Yu Tianming is my friend, after all. Wouldn't doing this seem, well, a little disloyal?"
Tang Hu asked somewhat hesitantly.
"How could it!"
Hearing this, Tai Tan bristled and glared, correcting him with the exasperation of someone frustrated that iron would not turn to steel:
"Tang Hu, you're just too softhearted! You must remember this! There are no eternal friends in this world. Even with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan of the Upper Three Sects, we only have a few verbal promises. That sort of relationship is very fragile."
"Of course, there is an exception: our Four Great Clans and the Clear Sky Sect. Our relationship is the closest and most dependable of all! When danger comes, adversity reveals true friendship. I'm sure we'll show astonishing unity then and weather the storm together!"
Even after saying so much in one breath, Tai Tan still felt it was not enough. He took a sip of water and was just about to launch into another impassioned declaration of loyalty.
"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"
For some unknown reason, an inexplicable chill suddenly shot up his spine. Without warning, Tai Tan let out several loud sneezes in succession, making even the hall's floor hum with the vibrations.
He rubbed his itching nose, muttering inwardly. How strange. I never catch colds. Could something I said have been wrong?
How could that be? I must be overthinking it.
After spending a little more breath soothing Tang Hu, Tai Tan's expression returned to normal as he faced the accompanying group below him. He waved his large hand and ordered:
"Although we didn't clash directly with Spirit Hall, we've already offended them. To be safe, we should hurry back. Pack your things. We won't be attending this exchange gathering. Return to the sect immediately!"
"Yes!"
Everyone nodded in acknowledgment and went back to pack their bags.
Once everything was arranged, Tai Tan walked alone down the empty corridor, unable to hold back a regretful sigh deep inside as he walked.
Ah, this boy Tang Hu may be talented, and his surname is Tang, with countless threads connecting him to Master, but ultimately, he's only from a sect elder's line. He isn't the flesh and blood of my master Tang Hao's direct line.
Thinking this, Tai Tan shook his head, feeling rather dissatisfied:
Guarding him always feels as though something is missing. I'm not devoted enough, and there's no real sense of sharing honor and disgrace.
But soon, hope rekindled on Tai Tan's weather-beaten old face.
Forget it, forget it. For now, I'll just use Tang Hu as a warm-up.
Last time, I overheard Tang Xiao let something slip while he was drunk. Master has been away for so long without returning this time, and it should have something to do with a woman. This is wonderful news. Who knows? One day, Master might return to the sect with a son in his arms.
At this thought, Tai Tan clenched his immensely thick fists, his old eyes filled with longing.
Once Master's child is born, no matter where he is, I'll be the first to rush forward and protect him. I absolutely cannot betray Master's kindness in recognizing my worth!
Meanwhile, in Qian Renxue's luxurious bedroom in Spirit Hall.
Chen Qianqiu was now thoroughly enjoying himself. Nowhere on the entire Douluo Continent could anyone find a life as comfortable as his.
All sorts of precious medicinal herbs rarely seen in the outside world had actually been piled into a little mountain that gave off an enticing medicinal fragrance.
This was all thanks to Qian Renxue spending so much at the herb shop in one go earlier, thoroughly opening the shopkeeper's eyes. Bowing and scraping, he had thrown in a delivery service, paying out of his own pocket to hire several capable assistants and personally delivering every last herb by carriage to Spirit Hall's gates.
Chen Qianqiu lay sprawled on his back in the little mountain of herbs, holding a hundred-year-old Purple Rhyme Ginseng in his left claw and hugging a Crimson Blood Spirit Fruit in his right. Every now and then, Qian Renxue even popped another couple of herbs into his mouth. It was sheer bliss.
Still, as he wolfed down the herbs, Chen Qianqiu was also reviewing the day's events in his mind.
Today's outing had served as a reminder: geniuses needed time to grow, and that applied to both Qian Renxue and himself.
He might have frightened a Soul King into collapse with a single glance at the market earlier, but Chen Qianqiu knew perfectly well that it had all come down to the right timing, the right place, and the right circumstances. The reason he had been able to exert such terrifying suppression, and even devour one level's worth of the other party's energy,
was entirely because of the other party's Martial Soul. To put it nicely, it was a Rock-Armored Earth Dragon. To put it bluntly, it was a mutated mongrel dragon, with who knew how much of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's draconic bloodline remaining in its veins.
When a mongrel dragon like that faced a black dragon embodying devouring, despair, and destruction, its bloodline was simply countered outright. Its Martial Soul collapsing directly was only to be expected.
But if he had been unlucky today and faced a Tool Martial Soul, or even a support-type Martial Soul, with this little body of his that had only just hatched, the other party could probably have turned him into charcoal-grilled meat with any random Soul Skill!
I have to keep my feet firmly on the ground. Since my starter village is Spirit Hall, it'll be hard to avoid opposing the Clear Sky Sect and Tang San in the future, even if I want to. I have to build up enough strength before then.
And another obvious problem is that my appearance has clearly affected the world line. For example, Qian Renxue's clash with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Clear Sky Sect this time never came up in the original story. Who knows whether the future will change because of it?
The more Chen Qianqiu thought about it, the more precarious the situation seemed, and he unconsciously began eating faster.
"Oh, Xiao Hei, nobody's going to steal your food. Slow down, eat a little slower~"
Leaning over the edge of the bed, the little blonde watched the little black dragon wolf down his food, resting her cheeks in both hands as she giggled like tinkling silver bells.
Before long, seeing the little black dragon's formerly slender belly visibly swell into a round little ball, Qian Renxue hurriedly stopped feeding him and reached out to poke Chen Qianqiu's round belly with some concern.
"Oh, all right, all right, Xiao Hei. You can't eat any more."
Qian Renxue hurriedly swept the remaining herbs aside,
"The book says baby Soul Beasts get indigestion if they eat too much. Spirit Hall doesn't have any skilled veterinarians. If you stuff yourself until your belly bursts, who am I supposed to find to save you?"
Looking at the few herbs left, Chen Qianqiu finally smacked his lips, still wanting more.
"Here, I almost forgot. This is that skeleton you insisted on buying at the market. Take it."