"Alright, Xiao Xue, save the bickering for later. I came here this time with something to ask Lin Feng. Everyone, please sit down."
"Oh..."
Qian Renxue glanced at Lin Feng, then walked over to sit on the same side of the table as him. She lightly kicked Lin Feng's leg, showing her displeasure.
Then she quietly said, "My name is Qian Renxue, you better remember it!"
Lin Feng smiled and nodded.
Qiandao Liu took a seat opposite them at the table.
He glanced at the piles of books and notes on the table and nodded to himself—no wonder this kid was a genius who had broken through his own cultivation bottleneck.
"This young man is indeed extraordinary. His temperament and wisdom are top-notch, and his appearance is quite fine too. Perhaps..."
Qiandao Liu looked at the two whispering in front of him and suddenly recalled that woman, Bibi Dong—such a similar scene.
How laughable, to actually fancy that useless Yu Xiaogang. The Saintess of the Martial Soul Hall couldn't even tell when he was plagiarizing Martial Soul Hall's classics and even supported him.
Thinking about the trouble caused by Qian Xunji gave him a headache.
"Ahem, Xiao Feng, I just heard you say you want to integrate the soul ring into the body by opening meridians, right?"
"Grandpa, you were eavesdropping on us!" Qian Renxue said in dissatisfaction.
Qiandao Liu awkwardly adjusted his beard.
"Well, Xiao Xue, I really wasn't trying to. You know, the higher the cultivation, the stronger the senses and divine awareness become.
Before I even arrived, your voices automatically reached my ears."
"Is that so?" Qian Renxue looked at Lin Feng in doubt.
Lin Feng glanced at Qiandao Liu discreetly, confirming he was not someone to mess with.
He seriously replied, "Yes, that's right."
Qiandao Liu nodded.
"Oh~ then I misunderstood, Grandpa."
Qian Renxue pretended to apologize to Qiandao Liu.
"No worries, no worries. Let's get back to the topic, Xiao Feng."
Lin Feng thought for a moment:
"Yes, I do think that way, but I haven't started any concrete practical exploration yet."
Qiandao Liu waved his hand, and two books appeared on the table—one thick, one thinner.
"This is my research on Haotian Sect's soul ring shattering secret technique. Although it lacks specific principles, it records the soul power style during casting and changes in personal aura.
The other book is my younger self's research on the soul ring fusion method, which is slightly easier to learn than the shattering method.
However, it has side effects on the body that affect future cultivation, so not many actually study it."
Lin Feng looked at the two books before him, his eyes flickering but he didn't speak immediately.
Qian Renxue poked Lin Feng under the table and whispered:
"Take it quickly! Grandpa is being kind, why aren't you moving?"
This guy, he wouldn't think Qiandao Liu couldn't hear them, right? Lin Feng scratched his head and took the two items:
"Alright, thank you, Grand Preceptor. May I ask what tasks you want me to do?"
Qiandao Liu laughed, tapping Lin Feng's finger.
"You little brat, not old but your mind is deep and complicated. Your thoughts are good, taking these means you do have something to do."
He glanced at Qian Renxue and slowly said:
"It's not a big matter. I want you to swear loyalty to the Martial Soul Hall. Your current aptitude can rival an innate level 8 soul master.
Such a clever talent, you should be able to pioneer a new unique method for generations to come.
If you succeed, you must inform Xiao Xue first. Don't rush to publish your theories, understand?"
Qiandao Liu softened his tone, probably because Qian Renxue was there, so no need to threaten.
Lin Feng nodded and then took the oath.
Qian Renxue watched with some displeasure—it felt like Lin Feng was negotiating a business deal with their family. She shot a glare at Qiandao Liu.
Qiandao Liu pretended not to notice and took a sip of tea.
"I previously had the research institute study you, but it couldn't find a method. I think the problem lies in your Martial Soul, so your future explorations can be directed toward your Martial Soul."
Lin Feng nodded, that was what he thought too.
"Also, I will assign you a Soul Douluo to be your mentor and protector during training, Ling Yuan."
"Present."
Lin Feng looked up, and a graceful figure stood by the table. She appeared about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall and slender, wearing a black long dress.
Her cool and beautiful face concealed a few traces of casualness. Long hair hung down to her waist, faintly revealing her graceful figure beneath the robe.
Lin Feng was stunned. It was the first time he'd seen such an elegant mature woman in this world.
"Clang."
It turned out Qian Renxue was annoyed at Lin Feng's distracted gaze and kicked his leg under the table. She misjudged the force and hit the table instead.
"Uh..."
Qian Renxue lowered her head in embarrassment, a faint flush creeping to her ears, and looked around on the ground.
"Why did you kick me?"
Qian Renxue looked at Lin Feng in disbelief, then glanced at Ling Yuan and Grandpa. Seeing their strange looks, her face blushed even more!
She gritted her teeth and growled, "Lin Feng, just you wait!"
Then, flustered, she ran out of the room, leaving the three staring after her.
"hehe." Ling Yuan couldn't hold back a quiet laugh.
"Ahem."
Qiandao Liu, heart bleeding inside, broke the awkward atmosphere.
He looked at Lin Feng with complex eyes: "This is the newly promoted Soul Douluo, a fire-elemental bird-type Martial Soul with a trace of phoenix origin.
The phoenix is reborn from fire, its origin never withers, somewhat similar to your research on meridian reconstruction. It should be helpful to you."
Lin Feng cupped his fists:
"Greetings, Lady Ling Yuan."
Ling Yuan nodded in acknowledgment.
Qiandao Liu stood up, annoyed, and tossed a storage ring to Lin Feng:
"Remember to apologize to Xue'er. If I find out she's been wronged, don't blame me for being merciless."
Lin Feng blinked, confused, looking at Qiandao Liu:
"What mistake did I make, respected sir? Please enlighten me."
"You..."
Qiandao Liu was at a loss for words. How could he explain? Little Qian Renxue got jealous and was caught, then shyly ran off?
It was childish behavior, and he couldn't say it aloud—it would be ridiculous.
Seeing Lin Feng's confused face made him even more annoyed, so he swept his sleeve and left.
"You brat, it's nothing!"
"Haha."
After Qiandao Liu left for a while, Ling Yuan laughed out loud. It was the first time she saw the Grand Preceptor get outsmarted, and in front of an eight-year-old child no less.
She looked at Lin Feng with interest:
"Are you not going to go apologize to your, uh, good friend?"
Lin Feng packed all the books into the storage ring. The space was small, about five cubic meters.
Helplessly he nodded:
"I don't know why she's mad again. I don't think I did anything wrong."
Ling Yuan waved her index finger:
"Tsk, tsk, girls' thoughts are hard to guess. I advise you to hurry up and chase her, or later, one apology won't solve it."
"Alright, thank you for the reminder, Sister Ling Yuan."
Watching Lin Feng walk away, Ling Yuan's eyes flickered.
"Is this kid's research really that extraordinary? The Grand Preceptor actually allows the young lord to get close to him. That's really strange."