"Greetings, my Lord!"
"Greetings, Lady Queen!"
Sima Jinchi knelt respectfully before Tang Luochuan and Gu Yue, his heart brimming with awe and excitement.
The Lord and the Silver Dragon Queen—these were figures he had only ever seen in the Dragon Valley. Now, he was finally standing before them in person.
Throughout his journey, the mere thought of meeting his Lord had kept his emotions in turmoil. And now…
He had finally laid eyes on them!
"Rise, Jinchi."
"How was your journey?"
Tang Luochuan wore a faint smile as he looked at the young man kneeling on one knee before him. Stepping forward, he helped Sima Jinchi to his feet, his tone light and warm.
"Thank you for your concern, my Lord. The journey was smooth…"
Sima Jinchi stood up, slightly flustered by the gesture, and quickly replied. How could it not be smooth? The sheer joy of finally meeting his Lord had carried him all the way here!
"That's good to hear."
Tang Luochuan nodded with a smile, his gaze lingering on the tall young man before him. The more he looked, the more satisfied he felt. Truly, this was the embodiment of the Dragon Slayer Blade.
Without a doubt, Sima Jinchi was a Soul Master in the truest, most formidable sense. His sheer size alone radiated an overwhelming sense of security. As a guardian…
His potential was limitless.
"The embodiment of the Dragon Slayer Blade…"
"Even if his current strength is but a fraction of what it once was, he still lives up to the name of the Dragon Clan Law Blade…"
Gu Yue observed the man's aura with a thoughtful nod.
Given three to five years, with the innate potential of the Dragon Slayer Blade and his own capabilities on the Douluo Continent, few would be able to rival him.
At the very least, he would surpass Di Tian in cultivation. There was even a chance he could reach the level of the Dragon Kings in the Dragon Valley.
"Jinchi, since you're here, follow me."
"Why stand there any longer?"
Tang Luochuan chuckled softly and gestured for him to come along.
"As you command, my Lord."
Sima Jinchi bowed respectfully.
Just as he turned, a figure appeared in his line of sight—none other than the stunned golden-haired young man, Le Zhengyu.
"Si—"
"Brother Sima, what is this…?"
Le Zhengyu felt as though his throat had tightened. He swallowed hard, utterly bewildered, struggling to find words.
Brother Sima… was deferring to a young man?
And this young man—Le Zhengyu gritted his teeth as his gaze shifted—was someone he recognized all too well.
It was none other than Tang Luochuan, the strongest among the first-year newcomers. Their paths had crossed more than once, the first time being during that misunderstanding with Yuanen Yehui…
If Yuanen Yehui was already far stronger than him, and second-years like Ouyang Zixin and Mu Xi had crushed him in Soul Power and auxiliary professions respectively…
Then this person before him existed on an entirely different plane. At thirteen, while Le Zhengyu was still struggling to break through to Soul Ancestor, Tang Luochuan had already reached Soul King.
They might as well have been from different worlds!
"But…"
"How does he have this kind of relationship with Brother Sima?!"
Le Zhengyu's eyes were filled with confusion as he clenched his fists tightly. He understood the reason, but...
His big brother Sima...
Such a peerless genius of their generation, destined to reach the Ultimate Douluo in the future, already a Titled Douluo now—how could he possibly submit to someone else?
Even his own grandfather, an Ultimate Douluo, had never made the other show such deference!
"Hmm?"
"Zhengyu, I have my own matters to attend to now. I'll come find you when there's a chance in the future."
Sima Jinchi looked at Le Zhengyu with a smile.
Zhengyu was practically raised under his watch, so their relationship was naturally excellent—one could even say it was as strong as gold. But before their master...
Naturally, the master came first.
"..."
Tang Luochuan cast an indifferent glance at Le Zhengyu beside him, his expression utterly calm, showing no particular interest.
From the very beginning, he had noticed the other's reactions and expressions. However, the person before him simply wasn't worth his attention.
Not only did he have no interest in the Sacred Family, but even if he did, the existing connections between Sima Jinchi and Le Zheng'en were already sufficient to bridge any gap with the so-called Angel Family.
Le Zhengyu?
He truly didn't care.
"Big Brother Sima..."
"No, don't go, don't leave..."
Watching the departing figures of Tang Luochuan and Sima Jinchi, Le Zhengyu gritted his teeth, his heart filled with unbearable refusal.
"No, impossible."
"This can't be happening..."
Le Zhengyu lowered his head in despair, his suspended heart dying once more. Biting his lip, he choked back a sob.
"..."
"Wow."
"Brother, is this our new companion?"
That afternoon, Tang Wulin's eyes sparkled as he looked at Sima Jinchi standing beside Tang Luochuan, unable to hold back his excitement.
Beside him, Xie Xie, Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Wei Xiaofeng also brightened up. For boys, nothing was more attention-grabbing than a formidable warrior.
"Everyone, I am Luo Chuan Gongzi's subordinate."
Seeing so many people around, Sima Jinchi adjusted his demeanor, revealing a friendly smile.
This was, of course, arranged by his master—address him as "Gongzi" in public and "master" in private. He had already memorized it well.
"The boss's subordinate!"
Hearing this, the group of youths grew even more excited, their curiosity about Sima Jinchi deepening. Anyone worthy of being taken in by their boss—
Must be no ordinary person!
"May I ask..."
"What level have you reached?"
On the other side, Wu Siduo, Dai Yun'er, Xu Xiaoyan, Ye Xinglan, Mu Xi, and Ouyang Zixin were more contemplative, because this man...
Practically had the word "powerful" written all over his face.
Unable to resist, Dai Yun'er asked curiously.
"91st-rank Titled Douluo."
Sima Jinchi grinned and answered without hesitation.
"Oh, so a Titled..."
"Titled Douluo?"
Hearing this, the others, who had remained calm earlier, were stunned, their expressions blank.
"Indeed."
"Genuine and authentic."
As Sima Jinchi spoke, nine Soul Rings materialized around him one by one.
Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red!
Nine red—a top-tier Titled Douluo!
"Blade God Douluo, Sima Jinchi."
"At your service."
"..."
Fun fact—it's said that before Sima Jinchi became a Titled Douluo, he once considered the title "Dragon-Slaying Douluo." But as the Dragon God's most loyal subordinate...
"Dragon-Slaying?"
"Me?"
The anonymous Sima Jinchi pointed at himself with a bewildered expression.
(End of chapter)