Xue Qinghe stayed in Tianlin's room until dusk, reluctantly preparing to leave.
She couldn't help it—cultivating alongside Tianlin felt so incredible. If she weren't playing the role of the wise crown prince, she'd probably have tied Tianlin up and taken him away by now.
"By the way, Xiaotian, why don't we name the fusion power we just used? What do you think?" Xue Qinghe suddenly suggested.
Giving it a name, like how Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong later had their "HaoDong Power," wasn't a bad idea.
Tianlin nodded. "Sure! How about we use characters from our names? My 'Tian' and your 'He.' We could call it 'Tianhe Power.'"
"No, let's call it 'Tianxue Power (Heavenly Snow),'" Xue Qinghe corrected. "Compared to Qinghe, I prefer the word 'Xue.'"
Xue Qinghe's smile was radiant, and no one would find her suggestion strange. After all, "Xue" was part of the imperial family name of the Heaven Dou Empire, and it was only natural for a crown prince to take pride in his lineage.
But the real reason was something only she knew—the name "Xue" was given to her by the father she respected.
...
Over the next month, Tianlin kept his promise and visited the Eastern Palace every few days to cultivate with Xue Qinghe using Heavenly Snow.
The results were astonishing. The cultivation efficiency of Heavenly Snow Power far surpassed the Holy Breath Domain. For Tianlin, who was pressed for time, this was a game-changer.
Thanks to Heavenly Snow Power, the soul power breakthrough that would have taken 2-3 months occurred in just over a month. Tianlin was overjoyed—this meant he could now hunt for his second soul ring.
When he shared the news of his breakthrough at the training grounds frequented by Yu Tianheng and the others, they were utterly stunned. A seven-year-old reaching Level 20?
Was he cheating?
Oslo circled Tianlin, examining him from every angle. He poked Tianlin's cheek, lifted his arm, and exclaimed, "Xiao Tian, are you even human? Could you be a soul beast reincarnated? When I was seven, I was barely at Level 10. Level 20 is just ridiculous!"
"Oslo, reincarnated soul beasts have beast martial souls. Don't you know my martial soul is a sword? And if you touch me one more time, don't blame me for being ruthless with my sword!" Tianlin restrained his urge to strike.
"I told you, Xiao Tian has been wanting to cut you down for a long time," said Ye Lingling. She didn't say much, but her words were sharp.
Her ability to save lives was matched only by her sharp tongue.
"Xiao Tian, congratulations! It looks like our promise will soon come to fruition. I'll be waiting for you to get your second soul ring and come back!" Yu Tianheng patted Tianlin on the shoulder with a smile. He was referring to their agreement with Sword Douluo: once Tianlin obtained his second soul ring, the two would have a fair fight.
"This is a good thing. Competition fosters progress," Qin Ming said as he approached with Zhou Yan. The two of them were now officially a couple.
Qin Ming had high hopes for these talented youngsters. He planned to train them to shine in the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament in a few years.
When he was a student, Qin Ming regretted not being able to participate in the tournament due to Shrek Academy's unofficial status. Now, if he could nurture a team capable of winning the championship, it would bring him some solace.
"Xiao Tian, do you need my help hunting your second soul ring?" Zhou Yan asked. "My soul skills are perfect for hunting soul beasts. Once you get your soul ring, Qin Ming said we'll start combat training for you all!"
Zhou Yan's martial soul was a butterfly, but she was a control-type soul master. Tianlin had always wondered how someone with a butterfly martial soul could specialize in control. When he asked her, she explained that her soul skills involved scattering various powders—poison powder, paralysis powder, sleep powder, and so on.
Her abilities made her the ideal assistant for hunting low-level soul beasts. If a soul beast fell asleep, it could be dealt with however one wished.
But Tianlin shook his head. "No need. My master warned me not to hunt soul beasts carelessly. Once I reach Level 20, I'm to return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. He'll choose the soul beast for me."
Hearing this, Zhou Yan and Qin Ming didn't press further. After all, it was titled Douluo's instruction. For an exceptional disciple like Tianlin, any master would go to great lengths to ensure there were no mistakes in his cultivation. They understood Sword Douluo's reasoning.
The real reason, however, was that Sword Douluo worried that if Tianlin hunted soul beasts with the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team, he wouldn't be able to use his Holy Breath Domain without revealing his secret as a twin martial soul user. This would limit him to hunting soul beasts of around 700 years, the maximum for a second soul ring.
For Tianlin, whose first soul ring was already 600 years old, this would be a waste. Sword Doulou wouldn't allow it.
His disciple's second soul ring had to be at least 900 years old. The difference of just 200 years would significantly enhance the attributes and power of the soul skill, making it far superior.
...
After bidding farewell to the group, Tianlin began his journey home.
The route wasn't far, and he didn't need any guards. With a soul master's stamina, it would take just half a day to reach Seven Treasure Mountain at full speed.
Tianlin rushed forward, and three hours later, he arrived at the foot of the mountain. However, instead of heading straight up, he first returned home to visit his parents.
Jun Tianhai and Mo Lan were overjoyed to see their son return.
But compared to Mo Lan, who was purely happy to see her son, Jun Tianhai had more on his mind. He asked sternly, "Tianlin, I heard from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect that you went to study at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Why are you back so soon? Don't tell me you're skipping class?"
"What are you saying? My son is so well-behaved. He'd never do such a thing," Mo Lan immediately defended. Tianlin was her treasure, and even his father wasn't allowed to criticize him.
Many spoiled children are the result of doting mothers, but fortunately, Tianlin's mature soul allowed him to stay grounded.
"No, Father. I've broken through to Level 20. I've returned to ask my master to help me hunt my second soul ring," Tianlin said, shocking Jun Tianhai so much that he shuddered.
Level 20?
He had spent his whole life cultivating and was only around Level 23. Was this really his son? The gap was unbelievable.
By the time Tianlin obtained his second soul ring, Jun Tianhai feared he wouldn't even be able to beat his son. He regretted not disciplining him earlier—once his son surpassed him, his authority as a father would be nonexistent.
Tianlin wanted to tell him, "You already can't beat me." In addition to his level, he had powerful techniques like Shu Mountain Swordsmanship and Seven Kill Swordsmanship.
Not to mention, their martial souls weren't even in the same league.
However, Tianlin decided to spare his father's feelings. After all, he was still his parent.
PS: Qian Renxue is grooming her little man. xD