Chapter 32: Heavenly Snow Force Breaks Through to Level Twenty - Douluo's spirit bead sword

Chapter 32: Heavenly Snow Force Breaks Through to Level Twenty Xue Qinghe lingered in Tian Lin’s room until dusk, reluctantly preparing to leave. She couldn’t help it; the sensation of cultivating alongside Tian Lin was too delightfully intoxicating. If not for her identity as a wise and noble crown prince, she might have impulsively taken Tian Lin away. "Oh, by the way, Xiaotian, should we give a name to the power we just fused? What do you think?" Xue Qinghe asked suddenly. Naming it, like the way Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong later named their power, wasn’t a bad idea. Tian Lin nodded. "Alright, how about we use the characters from our names? My 'Tian' and your 'He,' calling it the 'Tianhe' Force?" "No, let's call it the 'Tianxue' Force," Xue Qinghe amended with a smile, "I prefer the character 'Xue' over 'Qinghe.'" Xue Qinghe beamed brightly, and no one found it strange, as 'Xue' was the imperial family name of the Heaven Dou Empire. For a prince, it was perfectly natural to take pride in her family name. But the truth was, only she knew the real reason—the name "Xue" was personally given to her by her father, whom she both 'respected' and held in complex regard. Over the next month, Tian Lin kept his promise, visiting the Eastern Palace every few days to cultivate together with Xue Qinghe using their Tianxue Force. After all, it was truly rewarding. The efficiency of cultivating with Tianxue Force was far superior to the Holy Breath Barrier without a spirit ring. Tian Lin's most scarce resource was time. Thanks to the Tianxue Force, Tian Lin broke through the twentieth level of spirit power in just over a month, a feat he had anticipated would take two to three months. This joyful advance meant he could now acquire his second spirit ring. When he shared the news of his breakthrough at the training field frequented by Yu Tianheng and others, they were utterly stunned. At over seven years old, reaching level twenty seemed unbelievable, almost like cheating. Oslo circled around Tian Lin, examining him from every angle, poking his cheek, lifting his arm. "Xiaotian, are you really human? Or are you a spirit beast reincarnated? I was only around level ten at seven years old. Twenty is just exaggerated." "Oslo, people who reincarnate as spirit beasts have beast spirits. Don't you know my spirit is a sword? And if you touch me again, don't blame me for being ruthless with my sword!" Tian Lin restrained his urge to slash at him. "I knew it; Xiaotian's been wanting to cut you down for days," Ye Lingling remarked with her usual sharp tongue, her life-saving abilities rivaled only by her cutting remarks. "Xiaotian, congratulations! It seems our agreement can soon be fulfilled. I look forward to you coming back with your second spirit ring!" Yu Tianheng congratulated him warmly, referring to the promise with Chen Xin for a fair duel once Tian Lin acquired his second spirit ring. "This is good news—competition brings progress," Qin Ming noted as he approached with Zhou Yan. They were now officially a couple. Qin Ming was very optimistic about these youngsters, intending to train them to shine in the upcoming Continental Spirit Master Elite Tournament. Back when he was studying at the academy, the informal nature of Shrek Academy had precluded him from competing in that prestigious tournament, a lifelong regret for him. Now, nurturing a team capable of winning would bring him some solace. "Xiaotian, do you want me to help you hunt for your second spirit ring?" Zhou Yan offered. "My spirit skills are perfect for hunting spirit beasts. Once you get your ring, Qin Ming says we can arrange some competitive training!" Zhou Yan's spirit was a butterfly, but she was a control-type spirit master. Tian Lin never understood how a butterfly spirit could exert control until Zhou Yan explained: her spirit skills involved scattering various powders. Poison powder, paralysis powder, sleep powder—they made her an ideal candidate for assisting in capturing lower-level spirit beasts. She could easily incapacitate a creature and dictate what happened next. Tian Lin, however, shook his head. "No, my teacher advised me not to hunt spirit beasts recklessly. After reaching level twenty, I must return to Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School where my teacher will choose the spirit beast for me." Hearing this, Zhou Yan and Qin Ming did not insist further. After all, it was a request from a Title Douluo. For a standout disciple like Tian Lin, any teacher would invest immense effort to ensure his training was flawless; they understood Chen Xin’s intentions. The real reason, however, was Chen Xin’s concern that if Tian Lin went with the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team to hunt spirit beasts, he wouldn’t be able to use his Holy Breath Barrier for fear of exposing his twin spirits, limiting him to hunting approximately 700-year spirit beasts for his second ring. For someone whose first spirit ring was already over 600 years, that would be a waste, something Chen Xin couldn’t permit. His disciple’s second spirit ring had to be at least 900 years or beyond. Despite a difference of merely two hundred years, it drastically affected power augmentation and spirit skill impact. Tian Lin bid a temporary farewell to everyone, setting off on his journey home. The distance wasn’t great, and he didn't need an escort. With the endurance of a spirit master, he could reach Seven Treasure Mountain within half a day. Traveling at full speed, Tian Lin arrived at the foot of the mountain in three hours. Instead of ascending immediately, he first went home to see his parents. Jun Tianhai and Mo Lan were thrilled to see their son return. Yet compared to Mo Lan's pure joy of missing her son, Jun Tianhai had more on his mind, asking seriously, "Tian Lin, I heard from people at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School that you went to study at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Why have you returned so soon? You haven't run away, have you?" "What are you saying? Our son is so well-behaved; he wouldn’t do such a thing." Mo Lan immediately defended him. Tian Lin was her precious child, and even his father was not allowed to speak ill of him. Indeed, many spoiled scions are often the product of doting mothers. Fortunately, Tian Lin’s soul was mature enough to hold onto his principles. "No, Father. Actually, my spirit power broke through to level twenty. I’ve come back to ask my teacher to help me hunt for the second spirit ring," he stated, surprising Jun Tianhai into a jolt. Level twenty? He had spent a lifetime of cultivation only to reach about level twenty-three. Could this remarkable son truly be his own? The disparity was enormous. He feared that once Tian Lin acquired his second spirit ring, he, as a father, would be unable to contend with him. Indeed, discipline should have been enforced early on. He regretted not doing so, as his fatherly authority was rapidly diminishing. In truth, Tian Lin wanted to tell him that he was already beyond his father’s reach—not only in level but also because of the powerful martial techniques like Shushan Swordsmanship and Seven Kill Swordsmanship he possessed. Moreover, their martial spirits were not even in the same league. Considering Jun Tianhai was his father, Tian Lin opted not to mention this, sparing him any further agitation.