Hearing Tang Lan's teasing,
Ning Rongrong admitted it without hesitation.
"Yeah."
"Looking back, I really was annoying, huh?"
"Luckily, I met you, Uncle Tang~"
"Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble I'd have gotten myself into?"
As she spoke,
She moved a little closer to Tang Lan—never missing an opportunity.
Tang Lan rolled his eyes.
Then, without another word,
He summoned his Life Martial Soul: Blue Silver Emperor.
Beneath his feet, five soul rings appeared—Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black.
The spirit pressure of a Rank 51 Soul King instantly crushed down on Huo Wu!
Just as Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang were about to walk over to check the commotion—
They froze.
Good heavens!
One month apart, and this kid jumped 4 levels?!
Huo Wu clearly hadn't expected this either.
This boy, younger than herself, had an absurdly high cultivation level?!
The talent she had always been proud of suddenly felt insignificant.
But her pride wouldn't allow her to back down.
She forced herself to stand tall.
"What do you want?"
Tang Lan spoke casually.
"Actions have consequences."
"What's the punishment for disrupting a public recruitment event?"
The squad leader from earlier stepped forward smartly.
"Reporting to the lord—under Heaven Dou law, disrupting public events carries a penalty ranging from three days to three years of detention, depending on the severity."
Tang Lan glanced at him approvingly—good awareness.
"Then three days it is. Let this be a lesson to others."
That was already a light punishment.
But Huo Wu had never been treated like this before.
She was raised like a princess—how could she tolerate this humiliation?
"You wouldn't dare!" she snapped.
"My father is the Headmaster of Blazing Academy! He's a Marquis of Heaven Dou Empire! If any of you touch me—"
Ning Rongrong shook her head in amusement.
So what?
Her father was the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Yet Tang Lan had still used Russian roulette to scare her to tears.
Tang Lan wasn't even mad—he was amused.
"You people… always relying on your fathers."
"Alright then—tell me, what do you have to offer?"
Huo Wu opened her mouth,
But no words came out.
Her biggest strength was her talent.
But compared to Tang Lan…
She was humiliated and furious.
"Yeah? Well, I am relying on my dad! If you've got the guts, bring yours out too!"
…Huh.
Even Yu Xiaogang, standing behind, looked speechless.
—Did she even know who she was talking to?
His father was Tang Hao, the Haotian Douluo!
Her father? Wasn't even worth mentioning.
Even if the Heaven Dou Emperor himself were here, he'd still have to call Tang Hao "Your Excellency."
Tang Lan sighed.
In the anime,
Huo Wu had seemed like a passionate and strong-willed girl.
But now that he was dealing with her in person…
He wanted to slap her.
—At his own sect's recruitment event, she had repeatedly disrespected him, the Sect Master.
Did she really think she could just walk away unscathed?
Just as he was about to escalate the situation,
The sound of galloping hooves approached rapidly.
Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, arrived at the scene, leading a cavalry unit.
The crowd instinctively parted for the prince's procession.
As soon as she dismounted,
A guard rushed forward to explain the situation in hushed tones.
Qian Renxue's gaze locked onto Huo Wu immediately.
Without hesitation,
She cut her off with a cold, commanding tone—
"You're saying my men can't touch you?"
Huo Wu wasn't stupid.
She knew better than to speak against the Crown Prince.
Not even her father could save her if she did.
But—
She was too stubborn to admit defeat.
So she simply stood her ground, stiff-necked, without saying a word.
Qian Renxue wasn't interested in arguing.
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Take her away. Blazing Academy can send someone to ransom her from Tang Sect."
She didn't specify how long she'd be imprisoned.
And instead of saying she'd be held in Heaven Dou's prison,
She specifically said Tang Sect would handle the ransom.
Tsk, tsk.
—How could they ransom her back without coughing up something significant?
Huo Wu realized what was happening.
She opened her mouth to speak—
But didn't know what to say.
Throw a fit?
The Crown Prince was right there—she wasn't that stupid.
Beg for mercy?
Her pride wouldn't allow it.
The guards didn't wait for her decision.
They simply shouldered their spears, surrounding her, and marched her away.
Neither Qian Renxue nor Tang Lan even spared her a second glance.
The Meeting with "Xue Qinghe"
"You got here pretty fast, Qinghe." Tang Lan said, shaking his head.
"I was just about to head to the palace to see you."
"Who knew I'd get held up by this nonsense?"
Qian Renxue smiled warmly, adopting her usual gentle and approachable facade.
"It doesn't matter. Since I'm here, we might as well talk now."
"Shall we discuss inside?"
"Of course. After you."
Qian Renxue and Tang Lan walked side by side.
Yu Xiaogang took the hint and led the way.
Liu Erlong stayed behind to manage the event,
While Ning Rongrong, understanding the situation, chose to help her instead of following along.
The Inner Territory of Tang Sect
As they walked,
Yu Xiaogang briefed Tang Lan on the changes that had occurred over the past month.
At first, they passed through Tang Sect Academy.
The students' uniform designs hadn't changed.
But as they moved deeper into the compound—
They stepped into Tang Sect's true inner domain.
The newly recruited outer sect disciples all wore long trench-coat-style Tang Sect uniforms.
No need to ask—Tang San's design.
Tang Lan didn't mind.
If anything, this kept Tang San more invested in Tang Sect and let him milk his labor to the fullest.
After passing through the outer sect, they reached the sect's core territory.
The inner sect disciples, including Zhu Zhuqing, trained here.
"Additionally, we've purchased all land within a 10-kilometer radius around Tang Sect," Yu Xiaogang reported.
"Some areas have been converted into factories, warehouses, and dormitories."
"But most of it is reserved for future expansion."
Oh?
Tang Lan nodded, pleased with the progress.
With the addition of the old Blue Tyrant Academy,
Tang Sect's territory now spanned over 30 kilometers in diameter.
A massive section of Heaven Dou City's southern district.
No other sect would be allowed to expand this much.
But Tang Sect could.
Because to the Heaven Dou royal family,
Tang Sect was their "military arsenal."
And where's the safest place to keep your weapons?
Right under your nose.
As for the future…
Tang Sect was still a young sect.
Who knew what would happen down the road?
The Sect Master's Palace
Yu Xiaogang led Tang Lan and Qian Renxue to a grand building.
"Sect Master, this is your palace. The surrounding area houses the Hall Masters, and the First-Generation Disciples live nearby."
"If you need anything, you can summon us at any time."
"I will take my leave."
With that,
Yu Xiaogang bowed respectfully and exited, closing the doors behind him.
Tang Lan's eyes narrowed slightly.
…This guy.
Why was he suddenly acting so obedient?
Had he really changed?
Or was he just biding his time?
But before Tang Lan could dwell on it,
Qian Renxue's gentle voice called out—
"Little Lan."
"Uncle Ning told me the news—a 12-year-old Soul King… you're one of a kind!"
Tang Lan smiled modestly.
"It was just luck—nothing to do with talent."
Qian Renxue shook her head.
"Luck is part of one's strength. Fate is like that—we don't get to choose."
Oh?
She must be thinking about her mother.
But the moment of melancholy passed quickly—
She was still a spy.
Letting her guard drop for even a second was dangerous.
"I also heard about the upcoming Academy Exchange Tournament," Qian Renxue continued, frowning.
"The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud Soul Tool… I couldn't get it directly."
Tang Lan's eyes flickered.
Here it comes.
"But I convinced my father to include it as one of the rewards for the tournament champion."
"Additionally, the winning team will receive a direct qualification for the final rounds of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament."
Tang Lan blinked.
A direct qualification?
That wasn't standard.
Normally, only the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Main Team had that privilege.
And now they were offering it up for this exchange event?
Qian Renxue smiled.
"I proposed it."
"After all, I originally promised to give it to you directly—but since things got complicated, I wanted to make up for it."
Ah.
A consolation prize for not delivering on her promise.
Got it.
Tang Lan had originally planned to let the team handle the match.
But now?
Looks like he'd have to step onto the battlefield himself.
Keeping a polite expression,
Tang Lan responded graciously—
"You're too kind, Qinghe. Just having the opportunity is already a great honor."
But—
Despite his courteous tone,
He didn't mention a single word about the Nine Yang Divine Skill or the exclusive firearm trade agreement.
Why should he?
She didn't keep her promise—why should he hand over benefits for free?
Qian Renxue's smile stiffened.
She hadn't expected that.
She thought she had already compensated him.
Suddenly,
The atmosphere turned tense.