"Oh, right. Since you can inscribe a domain onto my Soul Ring, little fellow, could you inscribe one onto Fengzhi's Soul Ring too?"
"Do you want me to inscribe the Clear Abyss of the Azure Stream onto both Uncle Ning's and Miss Rongrong's Soul Rings?"
"That's right, but it depends on what you can do. If there are restrictions, remove the domain inscribed on my Soul Ring and inscribe it onto Rongrong's or Fengzhi's."
Gu Rong still looked rather excited. Everyone on the continent knew that Soul Masters with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had no ability to protect themselves, but if they had Lin Xing's domain...
"That won't be necessary. It's just that my capacity is limited right now. If you want me to inscribe it for another person, Senior Gu, you might have to wait six months to a year."
"That's no problem at all."
A mere six months to a year was nothing. Gu Rong even wanted to erase the inscription on his own Soul Ring right then and have it inscribed onto Ning Rongrong's or Fengzhi's instead.
"Right, if that's the case, and you can do all this, couldn't Old Sword Man do it too?"
Gu Rong thought of the move Chen Xin had used earlier.
Seven Kill Domain: Ten Thousand Rivers Return to the Sword Realm!
With the amplification of his Martial Soul Avatar, that move's power had definitely reached the level of an ordinary Titled Douluo's ninth Soul Skill.
"No."
Lin Xing shook his head.
"The only reason I can do this is that my domain is far too special. This result was made possible by the powerful rules of the Court of Surging Conviction."
"But my teacher doesn't have a domain like mine. And although he's become a little more cultured, he's still a rough man at heart."
"Even if he really had a domain ability similar to the Court of Surging Conviction, he wouldn't be able to do what I did."
"After all, you can't expect a sword-wielding Titled Douluo to pick up an embroidery needle and embroider your clothes, can you?"
Hearing that, Gu Rong calmed down too.
"All right."
Gu Rong could only set that idea aside for now, but Lin Xing had still brought him and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect a huge surprise.
"Come on, let's eat."
Gu Rong placed a hand on Lin Xing's shoulder. Then his Soul Power rippled, and a black spatial vortex swallowed them both.
The next second, the two appeared in a sitting room.
This was where they ate their meals under normal circumstances.
Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi were already seated. Ning Rongrong and Fufu weren't there. It seemed Ning Rongrong really had taken his words to heart and taken Fufu out for little cakes.
"Oh, you're back."
Chen Xin picked up the congee in front of him and took a sip.
"You two stayed there so long. Were you plotting with Old Bone about how to screw me over, you little rascal?"
"Of course not. Teacher, you really have no faith in me."
Lin Xing calmly sat down, his expression unchanged.
Chen Xin, however, gave a disdainful snort.
"I know exactly what's going through that rascal's mind of yours. But do as you please. I've already touched the threshold of Level 97. Judging by the time, I should be breaking through very soon."
"Even if you're plotting something with Old Bone, once I break through to Level 97, he might not be able to beat me even with Fengzhi's support."
Chen Xin calmly set down the bowl in his hand, looking as though he was asking for a beating. He was clearly a handsome old man, so why did he give off that impression?
"What?!" ×2
"Level 97!" ×2
"Uncle Jian (Old Sword Man), you're about to break through to Level 97!" ×2
Unlike the calm Lin Xing, Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi couldn't remain composed.
A smile hung at the corner of Chen Xin's mouth as he put on airs, staying silent and aloof.
Lin Xing, however, grew thoughtful.
"Teacher, if I'm not mistaken, you're about to break through because of me, aren't you?"
At those words, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong turned their gazes toward him again.
Chen Xin still kept up his aloof silence.
"My earlier use of Intent, development of my domain, and control of Soul Power gave you inspiration."
"And building on that inspiration, you developed the Seven Kill Domain: Ten Thousand Rivers Return to the Sword Realm. Fully perfecting that move today also means you gained a new understanding of Intent."
"Your state of mind shifted, so naturally you saw the road ahead clearly. The restraints that had held you tight all this time suddenly became clear too, allowing your Soul Power, which hadn't grown for years, to show signs of a breakthrough."
Chen Xin still maintained his aloof silence, seemingly accepting Lin Xing's explanation.
That made Gu Rong grit his teeth. He really wanted to stand up right then and fight Old Sword Man again.
This time, with Lin Xing's Clear Abyss of the Azure Stream and Intent, he could definitely gain the upper hand over Old Sword Man. At worst, it would end in a draw.
But Lin Xing reached out and placed a hand on his leg, stopping him.
Gu Rong looked over in confusion, and Lin Xing answered with nothing but a smile.
"If I'm not mistaken, breaking through to Level 97 isn't something you can just do whenever you say so. At most, Teacher has only found some signs and an opening for a breakthrough."
"If he wants to truly break through to Level 97 without a real, desperate battle..."
"Then he can only rely on his own foundations, slowly accumulating from now on until the time comes to burst through his shackles and break through to Level 97."
"But it will take at least another year for that moment to arrive."
"Only after at least a year of accumulation will Teacher have a chance to truly break through to Level 97."
Lin Xing laid everything out very clearly.
Reality wasn't a novel. Apart from a cheat user like himself, a Titled Douluo like Chen Xin couldn't simply break through to Level 97 on command. Even if the Ten Thousand Rivers Return to the Sword Realm had given him inspiration, he still needed time to accumulate.
Unless someone fought a genuine life-and-death battle with him right now, in which case, under absolute pressure, he might break straight through that Level 97 bottleneck.
But without a major battle, he could only accumulate on his own.
"So you still need a year..."
"Then what are you showing off for, Old Sword Man? I thought you were going to break through to Level 97 tomorrow or the day after."
"That still makes me far stronger than you. After all these years, you're still stuck at Level 95. What right does a weakling who hasn't even broken through to Level 96 have to criticize me?"
"Hey, you Old Sword Man, you're actually getting smug now! I'll..."
Seeing the two about to start arguing again, Ning Fengzhi helplessly tapped his cane.
"All right, all right. Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone, that's enough. We're eating."
"Besides... Uncle Bone, weren't you happy for Uncle Jian when you heard the news?"
"Who-who would be happy for that flashy Old Sword Man who only knows how to show off?"
Gu Rong sat back down and turned his head aside with a disdainful expression, refusing to look at Ning Fengzhi or Chen Xin across from him.
"Hahaha..."
"You old bag of bones..."