Chapter 18: Xue Qinghe Arrives - Martial Soul Resonance - Douluo's spirit bead sword

### Chapter 18: Xue Qinghe Arrives - Martial Soul Resonance Tian Lin and Ning Rongrong entered the Seven Treasures Hall, where five individuals were present. Apart from Ning Fengzhi and the two Title Douluos, Elder Yin Yang was also there, but without a seat. He could only stand beside Ning Fengzhi. Although Ning Fengzhi treated him with respect, ancestral rules couldn't be abolished. Even though Elder Yin Yang was a peak Soul Douluo and the fourth-ranking member in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, unless he achieved the rank of Title Douluo, no seat could be set for him in this hall. This was a way to express the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan's respect for Title Douluos, symbolizing the honor that only they could receive. What surprised Tian Lin, however, was the fifth individual, a young man appearing about sixteen to eighteen years old, who could sit next to Ning Fengzhi. In such a situation, either this youth possessed extraordinary strength rivaling that of a Title Douluo, or he had a significant background. The first was evidently impossible, meaning this young man had to be of considerable stature. "Ning Uncle, Master, Elder Bone, Elder Eagle." Tian Lin stepped forward to greet the four individuals. "Daddy, hello! Greetings, Grandpas!" Ning Rongrong was less formal, darting into Ning Fengzhi's embrace since there wasn't a seat for her; she just sat on Ning Fengzhi's lap. "Rongrong, don't be rude. We have guests today," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile. "Tian, come over too. I'll introduce you and Rongrong to a friend." "This is His Highness, the newly appointed Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire and my disciple, Xue Qinghe." Tian Lin's eyes narrowed. Xue Qinghe, the recently ascended Crown Prince—wasn't this Qian Renxue? Calculating the time, she had already infiltrated the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. Likely, all other princes, barring the fourth prince Xue Beng, had fallen victim to her plots by now. Now wasn't the time to expose her. Firstly, he had no evidence, and his power was still too weak to needlessly offend the Spirit Hall. Secondly, compared to a visible enemy, a hidden one was far more dangerous. What if he disrupted their plans now and they took different actions? Compared to twin martial souls and various cultivation techniques, Tian Lin's greatest asset was his foresight. Rash changes could backfire disastrously. Thus, Tian Lin maintained his composure and respectfully saluted. "Disciple under Sword Douluo, Tian Lin greets Your Highness the Crown Prince." As a disciple of a Title Douluo, there was no need for him to kneel before the prince, simple courtesy sufficed. Ning Rongrong, lacking such concerns, merely uttered, "Hello, Your Highness," and that was it. She and Xue Qinghe had met before—old acquaintances. Xue Qinghe stood up, first looking at Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, it's been a while. You've become even more charming. I came to visit the teacher today, but didn’t bring any suitable gifts. I promise to make it up to you next time." He then turned his gaze to Tian Lin. "I’ve heard from the teacher that Sword Douluo has accepted an in-house disciple. I didn’t expect you to be this young. Your future is boundless." "As the teacher's disciple, in a sense, you're also part of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Thus, you are my junior brother. How about a gift for our first meeting?" Xue Qinghe spoke with such grace and poise, without any hint of arrogance. If Tian Lin didn’t already know his polished demeanor was an act, he might have genuinely taken a liking to him. "There's no need for such formalities, Your Highness," Tian Lin replied, genuinely wary of incurring any connections with Xue Qinghe—far too perilous. "It’s nothing valuable, really. Please accept it." Xue Qinghe took out a Hundred Treasure Pouch. "Junior brother, this Wishful Hundred Treasure Pouch recently sold at the Heaven Dou Auction. It's a rare soul tool capable of storing living creatures. Of the three auctioned, two went to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Poison Douluo Dugu Senior, respectively. The last landed in our Heaven Dou Imperial Family’s hands, and now, it’s yours." Tian Lin's eyes lit up at the mention of the Wishful Hundred Treasure Pouch, recalling that Tang San had acquired one from Dugu Bo, enabling him to transport various immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. "Then I graciously accept your gift, Your Highness," Tian Lin said, unable to resist such a valuable item. After all, this was Miss Qian Renxue, not Xue Qinghe, so it wasn't truly contradicting himself. As Tian Lin accepted the pouch from Xue Qinghe, an unexpected resonance stirred deep within both their souls. Their divine-level martial souls reacted—a precursor to a potential martial soul fusion technique. Tian Lin retracted his hand, anxiety surging within. "Damn it, how could my Holy Spirit Pearl and Demon Sword both resonate with her Six-Winged Angel? I hope she hasn't sensed anything." Glancing up, he found Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, with an unchanged expression, as if nothing had happened, displaying an enviable calm that seemed unaffected, even in the face of disasters. Unbeknownst to him, Qian Renxue was even more excited, "A divine-level martial soul, this child has a divine-level martial soul just like me." Qian Renxue had no doubt about her speculation. The martial souls capable of producing a fusion technique must be closely matched in quality, such as the Dragon-Serpent Staff of the Dragon Lord and Serpent Lady, or the Netherworld White Tiger of the Dai and Zhu families. Even the Holy Dragon from the Golden Triangle's fusion technique followed this principle. Jade Xiaogang's Luo San Pao's true mutation direction was the Golden Holy Dragon, although its failure resulted in its peculiar form. Yet a portion of the Holy Dragon's bloodline was preserved in a recessive gene manner, enabling martial soul fusion with two others. Everyone assumed Tian Lin's Demon Sword to merely be a top-tier martial soul, but in truth, it was divine-level. Its potential remained dormant due to its absence of elemental attributes. Once water, fire, wind, thunder, and earth were gathered into its blade, its power would fully manifest. Fortunately, only Tian Lin was aware that both his martial souls resonated with Qian Renxue, not just the Holy Spirit Pearl. Even if Qian Renxue later investigated, he could just reveal the Demon Sword, as she likely wouldn't suspect twin martial souls, given their rarity rivaled that of divine-level ones. Otherwise, the combination of divine-level and twin martial souls would mean dual divine-level martial souls. How many times must one have saved the continent in a past life to have such fortune in this life? Even so, Xue Qinghe… no, Qian Renxue had already made up her mind. She was determined to win over this child.