"I don't duel ordinary Titled Douluo who can be injured by my disciple. Even if I won, it wouldn't mean a thing."
Chen Xin restrained the smile on his face and delivered those words with tremendous swagger.
"Hey, you Old Sword Man, I'll..."
Gu Rong exploded on the spot-quite literally. Soul Power erupted from his body, his long hair flying as he stared at Chen Xin in utter displeasure.
"All right, all right. Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone, calm down. Rongrong is still sleeping. Don't wake her."
Ning Fengzhi spoke up. Gu Rong glanced at the still-sleeping Ning Rongrong and could only withdraw his raging Soul Power.
Seeing this, Lin Xing summoned the Oceanid and guided the Intent within Gu Rong's body, binding him as a friendly unit.
Then Gu Rong felt his injured body recover completely in a mere instant. Not only that, even the tiny hidden injuries left from long ago were all healed.
His bodily functions returned to their current peak in an instant.
Gu Rong looked at his fully restored palm in astonishment, then turned to glance at the Oceanid standing beside Lin Xing.
"Impressive, kid. Even ten Nine Heart Begonias couldn't match your healing ability."
"What a shame... what a shame. Why did the Old Sword Man have to be the one to find you?"
Gu Rong was exceptionally vexed. Had he known, he would have kept Chen Xin at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect no matter what this time and accompanied Rongrong to hunt Soul Rings himself.
Such extraordinary talent, such outrageous stats-to directly injure a Titled Douluo like him at this Soul Power Level.
Although he hadn't even used thirty percent of his strength, he had actually been injured despite overwhelmingly surpassing Lin Xing in physical toughness, Soul Power quantity, and Soul Power quality.
And the injury hadn't been light, either. His left arm had nearly fractured.
He was the Titled Douluo with the strongest defense on the continent, yet even he had been injured by a fourteen-year-old child, then mercilessly mocked and humiliated by that fellow Chen Xin.
Gu Rong was filled with regret now. How was that Old Sword Man Chen Xin so lucky?!
Lin Xing recalled the Oceanid and put away the Splendor of Tranquil Waters.
Of what had allowed him to injure Gu Rong, the Splendor of Tranquil Waters had contributed sixty percent, Intent thirty-five percent, and the remaining five percent had come from the other powers and Soul Power he had poured into it.
With various buffs bolstering him, Lin Xing had finally brought out some of the Splendor of Tranquil Waters' power. With Intent amplifying its killing power, he had injured Gu Rong, who possessed the continent's strongest defense.
"Forget it, forget it."
Although Gu Rong felt it was a great pity, the wood had already been made into a boat. There was little he could say.
"All right, it's getting late. If there's anything else, we can discuss it tomorrow."
Ning Fengzhi spoke at the right moment, easing the atmosphere before it could turn awkward.
"Hmm... Xiao Xing, may I call you that?"
"Of course."
Lin Xing nodded. He was fourteen now, and even adding his age from his previous life, he probably still couldn't match Ning Fengzhi. All he could say was that this truly was a world of Soul Masters.
Chen Xin looked like a handsome old man, Ning Fengzhi looked like a pretty boy, and he himself looked like a little cake.
Perhaps certain nobles with particular tastes would be very fond of someone like him, but Lin Xing couldn't change that for now. He could only let himself grow with the passage of time.
"How about this, Xiao Xing? Stay with Uncle Jian for now. If I remember correctly, he still has an empty room. I'll have someone send you a new set of daily necessities shortly, and we'll arrange everything else tomorrow. What do you think?"
"That's fine, Sect Master Ning. I'm not picky."
Ning Fengzhi smiled and tapped his cane against the ground.
"Don't call me Sect Master Ning anymore. You're Uncle Jian's disciple. Just call me Uncle Ning."
"All right, Uncle Ning."
Lin Xing didn't mind any of this at all. Fufu was asleep now, and he reckoned she would be clamoring for little cakes when she woke up tomorrow. Although he hadn't lost much power today, the mental exhaustion was real.
Keeping his domain active continuously while traveling had also consumed a great deal of mental stamina. Unfortunately, he had forgotten something tonight.
He had forgotten to use the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale while fighting Gu Rong. Otherwise, he could have taken the opportunity to strip away and learn one of his Soul Skills.
Then again, there was no rush. He would have plenty of opportunities in the future, and even if he asked outright, Gu Rong would probably agree on the spot.
"Let's go, you little rascal."
Chen Xin turned, and the Seven Kill Sword rose beneath his feet as he prepared to leave.
Lin Xing still politely turned back to say goodbye.
"Uncle Ning, Senior Gu, I'll be leaving with my teacher, then."
"Mm."
The two nodded. A Seven Kill Sword likewise rose beneath Lin Xing's feet, and he followed Chen Xin away.
Only Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi remained.
"Fengzhi, although I'm very envious that the Old Sword Man took this disciple, I have to admit, if this little fellow keeps growing at his current pace..."
"Perhaps... our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will no longer be a head beneath the Clear Sky Sect."
Excitement showed on Gu Rong's face. Their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had always been a head beneath the Clear Sky Sect because the Clear Sky Sect's foundations were truly formidable.
Even though the Clear Sky Sect had sealed its mountain and closed its gates, its lingering prestige remained across the continent.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect differed from the other two. The Clear Sky Sect had deep foundations, and the Clear Sky Hammer's inheritance could practically be called unbroken, with extremely formidable combat strength.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was the same. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon could be called a universally acknowledged top-tier Beast Martial Soul, and its combat strength was equally formidable.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, however, was in a rather awkward position. Because the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was a support-type Martial Soul, it could practically be said to have no combat strength.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect remained among the Upper Three Sects purely because he and Chen Xin were so powerful.
The Clear Sky Sect had low-level fighting forces, mid-level fighting forces, high-level fighting forces, and even top-level fighting forces.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was the same.
Only their situation was rather awkward. They had low-level fighting forces and mid-level fighting forces, though not many, but no high-level fighting forces at all. At the very top, however, he and Chen Xin held things up.
Now, though, a relatively good solution to this awkward situation had arrived.
That solution was Lin Xing.
Lin Xing could already injure him now. What would happen once Lin Xing had another decade or so to grow? Once they gained another top-tier Titled Douluo-level powerhouse who practically surpassed both him and Chen Xin, the situation on the continent would change in an instant.
Especially that so-called Clear Abyss of the Azure Stream. With his keen eye, he had understood at a glance the absolute dominance this domain brought.
Ning Fengzhi also wore a smile.
"Yes, this time, Uncle Jian... truly brought a treasure back to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."