NOVEL NEXT Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Qian Renxue Feels Defeated
Chapter 105: Qian Renxue Feels Defeated
After Su Mo and Ning Rongrong successfully joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Team, news of Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda evolving into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda naturally spread, leaving everyone astonished.
Among the team members, the happiest about Su Mo and Ning Rongrong's addition was Ye Lingling, who possessed the Nine Hearts Begonia martial soul.
With Ning Rongrong's arrival, the team gained another female member.
Although Dugu Yan was also a girl, her relationship with Yu Tianheng meant she didn't have much time to spend with Ye Lingling.
Now that Ning Rongrong was here, Ye Lingling had a new companion.
The two quickly hit it off, becoming close friends and confidants in a short time.
Meanwhile, the fears of Oslo and Yu Feng eventually came true.
Two months after Su Mo and Ning Rongrong joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Team, Oslo and Yu Feng were relegated to substitutes. Later, the team leader determined that the team's configuration was already optimal, so the two were demoted to the second team.
Unless the first team needed substitutes, there was no longer any chance for them to return.
As Oslo and Yu Feng fell to the second team, the time until the next Soul Master Tournament grew closer.
Dugu Yan was the second member of the team, after Yu Tianheng, to break through level 40 and become a Soul Elder.
Next were the Shi brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo's sibling, who also successively broke through level 40 to become Soul Elders.
Soon, only Su Mo, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling remained as Soul Grandmasters.
Under normal circumstances, given the soul power levels of Su Mo and Ning Rongrong when they joined, it would have been impossible for them to break through to Soul Elder before the tournament.
However, Su Mo and Ning Rongrong were far from ordinary. Both had consumed immortal herbs, which had significantly enhanced their cultivation talents.
During the first six months after consuming the herbs, their effects hadn't completely faded, leading to exceptionally rapid cultivation progress.
Additionally, Su Mo had a new cultivation method that further accelerated his progress, making his upgrades feel like riding a rocket.
Perhaps because Su Mo and Ning Rongrong were at the perfect age for cultivation, their rapid advancement seemed unbelievable to Yu Tianheng and the others.
Ning Rongrong was advancing roughly one level every two months, while Su Mo was breaking through in under two months.
By the time the tournament was about to begin, both Su Mo and Ning Rongrong had successfully reached level 40.
"Brother Su Mo, Little Junior Sister, you two are unbelievable! You really broke through before the tournament!"
Qian Renxue stared at Su Mo and Ning Rongrong in genuine astonishment. Her surprise was entirely authentic.
Out of curiosity about Su Mo and her affection for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, Qian Renxue had frequently visited Su Mo and Ning Rongrong after they joined Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
Like Yu Tianheng and the others, Qian Renxue was shocked by the duo's rapid advancement in soul power.
She even found herself visiting them regularly, just to see if their speed was consistent.
Now, witnessing their breakthrough to level 40 with her own eyes, Qian Renxue was utterly speechless.
"Rongrong is a genius. She's been working so hard lately, so it's only natural for her to level up quickly!"
Su Mo laughed, shifting the attention entirely onto Ning Rongrong.
"No, Su Mo is the one who's truly been working hard!"
Ning Rongrong quickly shook her head, feeling that her efforts paled in comparison to Su Mo's.
"…"
Qian Renxue felt as though she had just been force-fed a mouthful of dog food.
"Fine, your progress is clearly the result of hard work," she conceded with a resigned smile.
Qian Renxue offered her praise casually, but inwardly, she found it hard to truly accept.
No matter how much effort someone put in, it shouldn't result in such dramatic improvements. However, realizing that Su Mo and Ning Rongrong's progress was largely due to fortuitous encounters, she could only sigh inwardly. Such opportunities were a matter of luck—envy wouldn't change anything.
"You're only 14 years old now. If you maintain this pace, the two of you might break through to Soul Emperor by the time you're 20. That would be incredible!"
"This year, the Spirit Hall team is very strong, so it will be difficult for our Heaven Dou Imperial Team to win the tournament. But if it's the next one, no one will be able to stop the two of you!"
"By then, even if you form a team of just the two of you, you'll be unbeatable!"
"Su Mo, Little Junior Sister, the Empire's performance in the Soul Master Tournament depends entirely on you now!"
"Keep up the hard work—the Empire will not treat you unfairly!"
As the Crown Prince, Qian Renxue not only complimented Su Mo and Ning Rongrong but also expressed her high hopes for them.
Saying this out loud left Qian Renxue feeling somewhat conflicted.
From her perspective, Su Mo and Ning Rongrong truly had a chance to break through to Soul Emperor before they turned 20. That would make them more outstanding than herself.
She had only reached Soul Emperor at the age of 23!
In the past, Qian Renxue had always believed her talent was unparalleled. However, Su Mo and Ning Rongrong's current performance had undeniably shaken her confidence.
Fortunately, both Su Mo and Ning Rongrong were members of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, and thus, under her influence. Otherwise, she might have been tempted to deal with them in the same way she had handled the other princes of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family—making them disappear forever.
"Yes, Senior Brother. Rongrong and I will do our best!"
Su Mo smiled. Like Ning Rongrong, he now addressed Qian Renxue as "Senior Brother."
As for Qian Renxue's remarks about the next Soul Master Tournament, Su Mo wasn't sure there would even be another one.
If events followed the original story, Douluo Continent would plunge into chaos within five years. Soul Master Tournaments would become irrelevant.
For example, in the original timeline, the five elemental academies splintered. Aside from Elephant Armor Academy joining Spirit Hall, the other four merged into Shrek Academy.
But Su Mo had no intention of letting events unfold as they had in the original story. While he had no objections to Spirit Hall destroying the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan was off-limits.
To protect the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, Su Mo needed to maintain a good relationship with Qian Renxue and ensure that her plan to seize the Heaven Dou Empire succeeded.
Only if Qian Renxue successfully took control of the Heaven Dou Empire could the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan avoid becoming a target in Bibi Dong's "Soul Hunting Action."
"Wait…"
"Which came first: the Soul Hunting Action or the coup at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace?"
"It seems the Soul Hunting Action began first. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan were destroyed before the palace coup happened…"
Suddenly, Su Mo realized something was amiss.
He had been mixing up the sequence of these events all along.
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