Late autumn.
The weather in Xiaoshan City was gradually turning colder. The willows in the Xiao Clan courtyard were withering, and dry, yellow leaves lay scattered across the bluestone path.
In the training ground, a figure stood at the center of the field.
Xiao Yan held the Heavy Xuan Ruler, its pitch-black blade pointing diagonally at the ground, while green-gold Soul Power swirled nimbly around him.
With a thought, a wisp of eerie white flame rose from his fingertip and climbed the ruler in an instant. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and even the fallen leaves on the ground were coated in a thin layer of frost in moments.
Bone Spirit Cold Flame.
After returning, Xiao Yan had devoted himself to cultivation and made further progress in controlling this Heavenly Flame. He could now coat his Martial Soul, the Heavy Xuan Ruler, completely with it, greatly improving his combat ability.
Xiao Yan held the ruler in one hand and wiped the flame off its surface with his left. He recalled the Heavy Xuan Ruler as well and could not help sighing softly.
"Still not enough."
He had no secret techniques specifically for cultivating with a ruler, so he could only fight as though wielding a saber. As a result, he was still getting accustomed to many combat techniques.
Aside from combat, there was the balance between his Martial Souls. The Heavy Xuan Ruler, the Nine Fire Heavenly Plate, and Ultimate Ice had yet to achieve complete balance with one another.
As a result, Xiao Yan did not dare cultivate too quickly. He had gained only two levels in two months, bringing his Soul Power to level forty-five.
He had already made up his mind to head to the Sun Moon Empire to resolve his own problems and see whether he could find a new path of development for his clan there.
"Young master."
Xiao Zhong's voice came from behind him.
Xiao Yan turned to look. "Uncle Zhong, what is it?"
"There's news from the Ling Clan."
Xiao Yan's gaze shifted slightly. "What news?"
Xiao Zhong stepped forward and lowered his voice. "A genius from the Ling Clan has arrived. Her name is Ling Luochеn. She came back this time because she received a request for help from the Ling Clan branch in Xiaoshan City."
"A request for help?"
"Yes."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan quickly understood what was going on, and the faintest smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
"Looks like someone's being used as a spear."
Ling Luochеn.
Naturally, he was familiar with the name.
In the original story, Ling Luochеn had represented Shrek Academy in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament. She possessed an ice-element Martial Soul only slightly inferior to Ultimate Ice, and her strength far surpassed that of ordinary Soul Masters her age.
She later became a Titled Douluo as well, though as a supporting character, she had not received much description. Also, because of some internal conflicts, she and Ma Xiaotao did not get along very well.
As a genius of the Ling Clan's younger generation, she had apparently experienced little of the clan's internal nastiness after entering the academy. Presumably, this was also meant to teach her a lesson and show her how hard it was to fathom people's hearts.
"Where is she now?"
"According to the information we received, she's already staying at the Ling Clan. She should come knocking before long."
Xiao Yan nodded.
"Keep watching. Since the Ling Clan has sent someone, we naturally have to take up the challenge."
"Yes."
Xiao Zhong acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Meanwhile.
At the Ling Clan in Xiaoshan City.
A young woman of seventeen or eighteen wore a pale blue dress, her long hair falling over her shoulders. Her features were delicate and beautiful, but her whole body radiated a chill that kept people a thousand miles away.
She sat quietly at a desk, reading a letter, with a trace of fatigue that was hard to conceal between her brows.
It was Ling Luochеn.
The contents of the letter were not complicated.
The businesses of the Ling Clan's Xiaoshan City branch were under threat, and they hoped she could step in and resolve the matter.
As a student of the Shrek Inner Court, her every action reflected on the academy's reputation.
Ling Luochеn had originally wanted nothing to do with it.
She had gone to the academy to cultivate precisely so she could escape the clan's various arrangements for her, grow strong, and take control of her own fate.
But this time, she had a reason she had to return.
The Evil Fire Phoenix, Ma Xiaotao.
At the thought of that name, Ling Luochеn could not help frowning.
Damn that Ma Xiaotiao. One eruption of Evil Fire cost me three months of cultivation for nothing. The academy just smoothed things over and gave me a token compensation of a few pills to help with cultivation.
But she came from the Ling Clan, so naturally she had no need for the academy's paltry scraps.
What bothered her was the academy's attitude of favoring Ma Xiaotao!
She had taken the opportunity to run back under the pretext of handling clan affairs.
The farther away from Ma Xiaotao, the better. Why didn't that Evil Fire eruption burn you to death?!
Ling Luochеn thought viciously.
Forget it.
In any case, since she was already here, she would find out the truth for herself.
She could not disgrace the clan's ancestor, Ice Ling Douluo.
If things really were as the letter claimed, she did not mind stepping in to resolve them.
But if it was only the branch clan members stirring up trouble and trying to use the Ling Clan's name to bully others...
Then she would show them no courtesy either. I'm in a foul mood right now!
The temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
In the main hall.
The Ling Clan patriarch had already been waiting for quite some time.
When he saw Ling Luochеn enter, he immediately rose to greet her, his words full of warmth.
"Luochen, you're finally here!"
Ling Luochеn ignored his pleasantries and asked directly, "Go on. What trouble have you run into?"
The Ling Clan patriarch sighed. Instead of admitting that his side had wanted to seize the Xiao Clan's businesses, he claimed that the two sides had failed to reach an agreement on cooperation and that the Xiao Clan had simply kicked them aside.
He also exaggerated matters to smear the Xiao Clan's conduct.
According to him, the Xiao Clan had developed rapidly in recent years, not only establishing a firm foothold in Xiaoshan City but also repeatedly suppressing the Ling Clan's businesses.
With a genius disciple and a Soul Douluo in the clan, they had acted arrogantly and tyrannically.
Just a few days ago, members of the Ling Clan had merely gotten into an argument with the Xiao Clan's people, only to be forcefully suppressed by the other side.
"Luochen, you're the most outstanding person of our Ling Clan's younger generation. You can't just stand by and watch our clan be bullied!"
The Ling Clan patriarch wore an expression of deep anguish.
"If we really had any other choice this time, we wouldn't have disturbed the main clan. You must get justice for the Ling Clan!"
Ling Luochеn remained silent. She did not entirely believe him.
But he was, after all, an elder of the clan. Since he had put it this way, she could not simply ignore the matter.
"Fine."
She stood up.
"In that case, I'll pay the Xiao Clan a visit myself. If they really have been oppressing the Ling Clan, I'll naturally demand an explanation and make them pay."
At these words, a trace of delight flashed in the Ling Clan patriarch's eyes.
Those were the words he had been waiting for. As long as Ling Luochеn was willing to step forward, regardless of anything else, he only had to provoke matters further when the time came. With the clan's greater good as his banner, Ling Luochen would naturally find herself riding a tiger she could not dismount.
As for the truth, it did not matter in the slightest. Even if this later caused Ling Luochen and even the main clan to despise them, everything would be worthwhile as long as he could protect the interests of the Ling Clan branch.
Unfortunately, he did not notice that when Ling Luochеn left the hall, her eyes were full of coldness.
That old fellow took her for a fool. Not a single true word had come out of his mouth.
The more righteous indignation he showed, the more she felt the matter was not so simple.