Three days later, Tian Lin bid farewell to Rongrong, Chen Xin, and the others, and returned once again to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Originally, he was supposed to leave two days earlier, but Ning Rongrong had cried and fussed, refusing to let him go. Tian Lin had no choice but to stay with her for two more days.
After returning to Heaven Dou City, Tian Lin didn't head directly to the Royal Academy. Instead, he first went to the palace to inform Xue Qinghe of his return.
Although Xue Qinghe was disguised as a man, her heart was still that of a woman. Her feminine temperament and pettiness were displayed to the fullest. If Tian Lin didn't visit her the moment he returned, she would undoubtedly hold a grudge for a long time.
Thanks to the Crown Prince's token, Tian Lin could freely enter the Eastern Palace without needing to report his presence. It was midday, and although it was supposed to be lunchtime, Xue Qinghe was still busy handling state affairs. She had no choice but to maintain her diligent and hardworking image as the Crown Prince.
Because of her performance, many ministers who were previously undecided in their allegiance had begun to side with her. After all, aside from Xue Qinghe and Xue Beng, there were no other remaining princes. If they didn't choose her, were they supposed to back Xue Beng, who was infamous for his debauchery and arrogance?
"Your Highness, Young Master Tian Lin is here," a maid whispered into Xue Qinghe's ear.
Since Tian Lin had visited multiple times, the staff of the Eastern Palace were already familiar with him. They all knew that Tian Lin was not only the Crown Prince's fellow disciple but also a close friend.
"Xiao Tian, you're back!" Xue Qinghe set aside her state affairs and stood up with delight.
"Yes, Brother Xue, I successfully acquired my second soul ring. I just returned today and came to pay my respects!" Tian Lin behaved courteously, though this formality slightly displeased Xue Qinghe.
"Xiao Tian, I've told you many times there's no need to be so formal when you're here. Just act naturally," Xue Qinghe said before instructing the maids, "All of you, leave us. I want to catch up with my junior brother."
She assumed that Tian Lin was only acting this way because of the presence of others.
In truth, Tian Lin genuinely did not want to get too close to Xue Qinghe. After spending time around her, he had come to realize that she was indeed a very charismatic person. If she were to revert to her original identity as Qian Renxue, she would surely be even more captivating.
Unfortunately, they were destined to be enemies. If they became too close, Tian Lin worried that one day he might hesitate to strike her down, and at that point, it would be his downfall.
The current situation was ideal: they kept in contact but maintained a certain distance. She used the Heavenly Snow Power to speed up his cultivation, and he used the Nuwa Emperor Meditation Method to help her purify her soul power. Neither owed the other anything. Even if their relationship turned hostile in the future, her killing him wouldn't be considered ungrateful, and his killing her wouldn't be deemed treacherous.
"By the way, Xiao Tian, can you show me your second soul ring?" Xue Qinghe asked as she walked over to Tian Lin. Her greatest concern was his cultivation progress. The stronger Tian Lin became, the stronger the Heavenly Snow Power would grow.
Once Tian Lin reached her level, their cultivation speed would increase exponentially. It might not be long before she could return to Spirit Hall and reclaim the Pope's position from that woman.
"Sure!" Tian Lin nodded. While he could hide his second martial soul and external soul bones, it was impossible to conceal his second soul ring. After all, he couldn't avoid using it in combat.
Summoning his demon sword, a yellow and purple soul ring slowly rose from his body.
"Purple? A thousand-year soul ring!" Xue Qinghe was shocked. Acquiring a thousand-year soul ring with the second ring was something even she wouldn't dare attempt.
"Yes, Brother Xue, my second soul ring comes from a thousand-year Purple Flame Golden-Eyed Beast."
"That was reckless! How could Sword Douluo allow you to take such a dangerous risk?" Xue Qinghe immediately became angry. She wasn't aware of Tian Lin's second martial soul and thus could only feel alarmed at his daring.
"She… is genuinely worried about me?" Tian Lin was momentarily stunned. He could sense that Xue Qinghe's anger was real and stemmed from genuine concern. Did he mean more to her than just a cultivation tool?
"Brother Xue, don't worry. Ever since I awakened my martial soul, my body has grown stronger by the day. Even when absorbing a thousand-year soul ring, I didn't feel much pain," Tian Lin said, unconsciously trying to reassure her.
Though they were about ten years apart—Tian Lin being seven (almost eight) and Xue Qinghe (Qian Renxue) seventeen or eighteen—at this moment, it felt like a younger brother comforting his older brother.
Xue Qinghe smiled. "Fine, as long as you're okay. Xiao Tian, promise me that you'll never do something so dangerous again."
"This time, you were lucky. Your soul ring is a light purple shade, likely just past the thousand-year mark. Plus, the Purple Flame Golden-Eyed Beast isn't a particularly strong offensive soul beast. All these factors combined allowed you to absorb it safely. But next time, you might not be so fortunate. Understood?"
"Don't worry, I promise I won't do it again!" Tian Lin made a solemn vow to reassure her, though he had no intention of keeping it. To grow stronger, surpassing limits to absorb soul rings was his fastest path forward.
Hearing Tian Lin's promise, Xue Qinghe finally calmed down. After sharing lunch at the Eastern Palace, the two cultivated together using the Heavenly Snow Power for two hours before Tian Lin took his leave.
During their cultivation session, Qian Renxue noticed that Tian Lin's soul power had already reached the peak of Level 22 and was about to break through to Level 23. The thousand-year soul ring had indeed significantly enhanced his progress.
"With Xiao Tian's cultivation speed, it's only a matter of time before he catches up with me. I'm looking forward to seeing just how powerful our twin god-level martial souls' fusion technique will be," Qian Renxue said with an expectant smile, watching Tian Lin's departing figure.
...
By the time Tian Lin returned to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, it was nearly dusk. He headed straight for the training grounds. While many of the noble students might have already left to enjoy the nightlife, his group of friends wouldn't. They were deeply driven by their desire to grow stronger and wouldn't leave until the sun had set.
Sure enough, when he arrived at the training grounds, Teacher Qin Ming was supervising his friends as they engaged in combat practice.
The Shi brothers were pitted against Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan.
"First Spirit Skill: Thunder Dragon Claw!"
Yu Tianheng gathered lightning in his palm and struck Shi Mo, the elder of the Shi brothers.
"Heh, First Spirit Skill: Black Tortoise Shield!"
Shi Mo stood his ground without flinching. The Black Tortoise, known for its unparalleled defense, easily withstood the attack from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Not only did Yu Tianheng fail to break Shi Mo's defense, but he was also forced to retreat due to the rebound force.
Elsewhere, Dugu Yan unleashed her Jade Phosphor Serpent's venom, but it was completely blocked by Shi Mo's brother, Shi Mo's shell.
The two brothers had complementary abilities. Shi Mo's defense focused on pure durability, while Shi Mo's defense, though slightly weaker, offered resistance to abnormal statuses.
To everyone's surprise, the weaker Shi brothers were gaining the upper hand in this round of combat.