The Flame Lord of the Martial Soul—Yan, a level 35 Soul Master, stood tall among his peers in Spirit Hall. Alongside Xie Yue and Hu Liena, he formed the legendary Golden Generation, a trio handpicked and personally honored by Bibi Dong with the prestigious Purple Record Medal. Their fame echoed across the continent.
And yet, here he was—on the verge of breaking down.
"I didn't reject her," Ye Tianxing said, confused.
"Then you agreed!" Yan barked, his voice rising in pitch.
Ye Tianxing blinked. "I didn't agree either."
He paused, shrugged, and added with a hint of awkwardness, "Brother Yan, Sister Na and I… We're just normal acquaintances. I think you misunderstood."
"No." Yan's eyes gleamed with deranged conviction. "I saw it."
Ye Tianxing frowned. "…Saw what?"
"Just now, when Nana asked you what kind of girl you like."
Yan was always there when Hu Liena appeared. Like a loyal golden retriever shadowing its favourite human.
"I just said I like intimate, charming, and cute little sisters. What's the problem?" Ye Tianxing asked, clearly playing dumb.
Of course, he knew what Bibi Dong was trying to pull. Guangling Douluo had already warned him—if she couldn't win him over with power or status, she'd try emotional manipulation. Probably starting with a pretty face.
Good thing he'd chosen a vague enough answer to stall for time. Fool her now; lean on the elders when the pressure gets real.
"The problem is huge! I saw Nana run away, blushing!" Yan's voice cracked with emotional devastation. "You think that's no big deal?!"
That single moment—the sight of Hu Liena dashing off with a crimson face—shattered Yan's fragile little world.
He had pursued Hu Liena for years. Relentlessly. Tirelessly. To no avail.
Even with his strong bond with her brother, Xie Yue, she remained distant. Unmoved.
And now this.
Of course, Yan didn't know Hu Liena's blush had nothing to do with romance. She had merely realised what her teacher intended to do next.
The infamous Bibi Dong Special™—beauty trap.
The stakes were high. With the internal divide between the Worship Hall and the Pope Hall growing worse, Ye Tianxing's sudden rise had shifted the balance of power.
Whoever won him over would essentially control the Spirit Hall's future.
Bibi Dong was no fool. With Ye Tianxing's monstrous talent—twin martial spirits, a thousand-year second soul ring achieved through sky-thunder tempering, and a soul power level of 23 at just six and a half years old—she had to make a move.
And if that move meant arranging a marriage…
Well, she'd done worse.
Ye Tianxing sighed, staring at Yan's bloodshot eyes. "Brother Yan… Really, there's nothing going on between me and Sister Na. I'm six years old."
Just then, Hu Liena stepped out of the Pope's Palace.
Still lost in thought over what Ye Tianxing had said earlier, she caught sight of him nearby. Her eyes flicked to Yan, and she gave a polite nod.
Yan's broken heart ignited with hope.
But then—
"Tianxing, Sister Na has a question for you."
—Pfft.
The fire went out. Yan froze in place, hollow-eyed. His clenched jaw made his molars ache.
"…Sister Na?" Ye Tianxing turned toward her.
"You really meant what you said? About liking… little sisters?" she asked, cheeks tinged pink.
Ye Tianxing rubbed his temples. Time to switch gears.
"Sister Na, let's speak frankly. We're both from Spirit Hall—what's the real difference between us?"
He looked her in the eye. "You're from the Papal Hall, I'm from the Worship Hall. You know better than I how your teacher and my grandpa view each other."
"I'm tired of all this infighting. We should be planning the future of the Hall, not dragging each other down every day."
Hu Liena was silent for a moment. She understood what he meant.
"I get it," she sighed. "But I'm just the teacher's disciple. I can't choose. I have to follow orders, even if I don't like them."
For a second, she wondered if Bibi Dong might actually try to arrange a political marriage. The thought gave her chills.
"So," she said, lips curling into a sly smile, "you were lying."
"You believed a lie?" Ye Tianxing grinned.
"I almost did," she muttered. "I mean, you're just a kid. I didn't think…"
She trailed off, not quite able to say, I didn't think kids lied so easily.
Just then, she leaned close to whisper in his ear.
Yan watched it all happen.
A secret!Between them!And he wasn't included!
Ye Tianxing's eyes lit up at the whisper. Then he glanced at Yan's crumbling face and smirked. "Too bad some people are too busy trying to stop me instead of minding their own business."
Hu Liena instantly caught the vibe. She stepped forward.
"You go on, I'll handle Yan."
Ye Tianxing nodded and walked right past the broken-hearted teen.
Yan didn't stop him this time. His eyes remained fixed on Hu Liena, filled with longing as she came closer… closer…
But then she stopped.
Why stop?! Come closer! Hug me! Comfort me!
"Yan," Hu Liena said coldly, "stay away from Tianxing from now on. He and I are just ordinary siblings. Don't get the wrong idea."
Her voice was flat, practiced. She was used to dealing with Yan's daily offerings and occasional "surprises." None of it meant anything to her.
All she wanted was to see Spirit Hall flourish.
"Nana, I…"
But she didn't give him the chance to finish. She turned and walked away, her figure resolute. It was clear—she was severing whatever fantasy Yan had left.
"…Nana, this must be a test," Yan whispered, trembling. "You wanted to test me. You made Ye Tianxing say those things… just to test my love for you."
The fire rekindled.His love burned anew.He had ascended.
Not far off, Ye Tianxing watched the whole scene unfold. His mouth twitched.
"…He's hopeless," he muttered. "Even his self-hypnosis is advanced. No wonder he's stuck on Hu Liena. What's he even thinking?"
There were a lot of strange people in the world.
Half of them seemed to live in Spirit Hall.
Especially the ones in love.
Back in his room in the Worship Hall, Ye Tianxing pulled out a large map of the Douluo Continent.
He marked a few key places, eyes sharp.
"Sister Na really dug into my intel files on Tang San," he murmured. "Bibi Dong must've seen them."
It wouldn't take her long to realize what they implied—that Tang San was born with full soul power, but his martial soul was Blue Silver Grass.
She'd start making moves.
Ye Tianxing scratched off a dot near Saint Soul Village, then turned his eyes toward Soto City.