Chen Xin's face twitched twice.
"Let's forget it. If you really want to test your skills, I'll find you a powerful Soul Beast later, or someone to fight once we return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Chen Xin had already been tricked once. Who knew what mischief this little fellow was brewing? If he really sparred with him, he might get blindsided again.
A good thing like this was better saved for his old friend to experience once they returned.
"I see..."
Lin Xing was still a little disappointed. He deeply regretted not letting Chen Xin personally experience his Clear Abyss of the Azure Stream. After all, it was a move developed using Chen Xin's intent root and that Seven Kill strike just now.
Seeing Lin Xing's disappointed expression, Chen Xin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Judging by the little fellow's reaction, he most likely really had been brewing some mischief, waiting to catch him off guard.
Once they returned, he absolutely had to let that old bag of bones properly experience this good thing at the first opportunity.
Friends as good as him were truly rare. That old fellow really ought to treasure him.
Disappointed that he hadn't gotten to let Chen Xin experience it, Lin Xing went off to one side and sat down, staring at the Scaled Beast in boredom.
As he stared, he suddenly remembered something. If she remembered correctly, Ning Rongrong's Soul Ring skills should have gone in the order of strength, speed, Soul Power, and defense.
But unless he was mistaken, this seemed to be Ning Rongrong's Second Soul Ring.
In the original story, it should have enhanced her speed.
So why was she absorbing a Scaled Beast now?
Surely no one was going to tell him that such a cumbersome Scaled Beast with such high defense would grant a speed enhancement.
Could his presence have caused some changes to the original story?
Forget it. It didn't matter.
He shook his head and stopped thinking about such odds and ends.
Propping his head on one hand, Lin Xing felt rather bored. Having just developed a new skill, he really wanted to find someone and have a proper fight.
But Chen Xin refused to fight him, and there were currently no traces of other Soul Beasts nearby.
All he could do was chat with Fufu.
"Fufu, tell me, do you think you look like an idiot?"
Furina: ?
Inside the Sea of Consciousness, the utterly bored Fufu's expression went from blank to puzzled, then from puzzled to shocked.
"Lin Xing!"
Lin Xing calmly blocked out Fufu's shriek, then watched her rage helplessly inside the Sea of Consciousness.
"Bullying Fufu is so much fun."
A smile appeared on Lin Xing's face. Chen Xin happened to glance back and catch it, and a chill immediately ran through his entire body.
This brat was definitely brewing some mischief.
That obedient manner when they first met, along with that inferiority complex, had all been an act. Only after he had formally become his disciple and everything was settled had this fellow begun revealing his true colors.
Chen Xin silently retreated a few steps. He was better off keeping his distance from Lin Xing.
Ning Rongrong's Soul Ring absorption went exceptionally smoothly and was soon complete. Her Soul Power also successfully reached level twenty-one.
"Grandpa Sword, I broke through to level twenty-one!"
Ning Rongrong bounced up happily, looked toward Chen Xin, and threw herself in his direction.
Lin Xing glanced at Chen Xin's beaming face. An idea struck him, and he immediately let out Fufu, who was still sulking.
At the sight of Furina suddenly appearing, Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. She decisively changed direction and rushed toward the still-dazed Fufu.
"Big Sister Furina, I broke through to level twenty-one!"
Looking at the little girl who had plunged headfirst into her arms, Fufu finally came to her senses. She shot Lin Xing a vicious glare, then smiled and picked Ning Rongrong up.
"Really? Our Rongrong is amazing."
Chen Xin's smile froze on his face, his outstretched hands suddenly looking terribly awkward.
Lin Xing very kindly stepped forward to ask a question.
"Teacher, why are you holding your hands out?"
"Could it be that your disciple is so cute you want a hug from me?"
Chen Xin's face twitched.
Calm down, calm down. He's my disciple. I can't hit him. If I break him, I won't have such a talented disciple anymore.
Besides, even if I really did hit him, this little brat is full of underhanded tricks. Who knows where he might catch me off guard? As his teacher, I couldn't even lose my temper if he got me.
Calm down, calm down. Hitting him would be too much of a loss, too much of a loss...
Chen Xin calmed down again, withdrew his hands expressionlessly, and clasped them behind his back once more, putting on a cold, aloof air.
Lin Xing smiled. This old man was so adorable.
At least where Ning Rongrong was concerned, he really was entertaining.
"Ahem. All right, Rongrong. Since you've finished absorbing your Soul Ring, let's head back. If we leave now, we can make it back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect tonight."
"No, no! Big Sister Furina hardly ever comes out. Grandpa Sword, just let me play with her a little longer."
"But..."
"Please, Grandpa Sword~"
In the end, Chen Xin couldn't withstand Ning Rongrong's wheedling.
With the adorable little girl in her arms, Fufu's mood, which had been ruffled by his teasing, improved somewhat.
Lin Xing was happy to see this as well.
"Teacher, are you really not going to try my domain?"
"Besides, now that I've let Fufu out to play with Miss Rongrong, the domain's effects are weakened. Are you sure you don't want to experience it?"
Chen Xin looked at the two playing over there and stood in silence, weighing it for a long time before finally agreeing to Lin Xing's request.
It really wasn't that he was petty. Under normal circumstances, he would have immediately agreed to a fight. But this brat was too underhanded. In just this one day, Chen Xin had more or less figured Lin Xing out.
Underhanded. Far too underhanded. Not only was he underhanded, even his Soul Skills were underhanded.
For him to be so persistent about a one-on-one fight, he was probably brewing some mischief.
If that old bag of bones had been in Lin Xing's place, he would have drawn his sword immediately.
Seeing Chen Xin agree, Lin Xing also revealed a bright, utterly sincere smile.
At least on the surface, that smile really did look lovely.
"Then... domain expansion!"
"Court of Surging Conviction!"
Chen Xin's face twitched. Hearing that name, he knew he had underestimated Lin Xing. This brat had another domain tucked away, waiting to use it in a spar against him.
The scene before his eyes kept shifting, finally revealing a magnificent courtroom.
Lin Xing stood high above in the presiding judge's position, while Chen Xin stood below in the sinner's place.
"You little brat..."
Chen Xin felt an invisible pressure weighing down on him. This was completely unreasonable. He was a Titled Douluo, yet he actually felt his strength being suppressed somewhat.
This suppression did not target his Soul Power, but his physical attributes.
His strength, defense, and speed were all weakened to a certain degree.
Lin Xing still knew his own limits. Suppressing a Titled Douluo's Soul Power Level was completely unrealistic with his own abilities alone, unless he used the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale.
So he chose to abandon suppressing Soul Power outright and suppress Chen Xin's physical attributes across the board instead.