When Qian Renxue brought Xue Ke and Tang Yuehua to Qi Lin's dormitory, only Qi Lin and Gu Yuena were there.
Nowadays, Xiao Wu and the others were able to train independently unless they encountered a significant bottleneck. There was no longer a need for Qi Lin to supervise them personally.
Qi Lin and Gu Yuena were sitting under the shade of a large tree in the courtyard outside the dormitory, peacefully occupied with their own tasks.
Gu Yuena was engrossed in a novel, while Qi Lin continued his research on soul tools.
Although Qi Lin possessed the power of the Liuding Divine Flame and could easily forge the most powerful divine weapons without needing external techniques, he wasn't content with that. What he truly desired was to compile all his soul tool knowledge into a book and spread it across the continent one day.
To Qi Lin, this process was both enjoyable and fulfilling.
Even though the legacy of soul tools had nearly vanished from the Douluo Continent, Qi Lin could use the Liuding Divine Flame to create the soul tools he envisioned and then reverse-engineer them to deduce conventional manufacturing methods.
As he was immersed in his research, Qian Renxue arrived in the courtyard with Xue Ke and Tang Yuehua and walked quietly over to him.
Noticing how focused Qi Lin was, she chose not to disturb him.
Gu Yuena, however, noticed their arrival. She lifted her head and gave them a slight nod before returning to her book.
"What a beautiful woman!"
Qian Renxue, Xue Ke, and Tang Yuehua were momentarily stunned by Gu Yuena's nearly flawless appearance. Even Qian Renxue, who had always been confident in her own beauty, had to admit this woman outshone her slightly.
Who knew where Qi Lin had found someone this stunning?
If certain brazen nobles of the empire saw her, they might even risk everything just to possess her.
Qian Renxue wasn't exaggerating—she'd seen the filth behind the curtain of nobility and understood all too well the depths of their depravity.
While Xue Ke and Tang Yuehua were still stunned by Gu Yuena's beauty, Qian Renxue recovered quickly and walked to Qi Lin's side.
Her gaze lingered on the floating array of soul tool components in front of him, a trace of surprise flickering in her eyes.
From her earlier conversations with him, she already knew Qi Lin had some understanding of soul tool forging. And since she herself wasn't very knowledgeable about them, seeing him tinker with components didn't shock her.
What truly surprised Qian Renxue was his exquisite control over soul power.
For instance, right now—
He was using soul power to levitate all the soul tool components midair without the slightest tremor. Such precise control required an extraordinary level of mastery.
And yet, this youth—how old was he?
It was simply astonishing!
Qi Lin always managed to surprise her.
A glimmer of admiration and awe flickered in Qian Renxue's eyes beneath her disguise.
After another minute, Qi Lin finally moved.
In less than a minute, he had assembled the pile of components into a cannon platform about thirty centimeters in diameter.
The cannon shimmered in gold and silver, roughly 1.2 meters long. It could be carried or held, and it looked incredibly sleek.
Qian Renxue looked at the cannon, a curious light in her eyes.
What kind of soul tool was this?
On the Douluo Continent, soul tool knowledge had nearly disappeared. Offensive soul tools were especially rare and virtually nonexistent on the market.
So even Qian Renxue couldn't immediately discern the function of the device Qi Lin had just assembled.
Only after the cannon was complete did Qi Lin look up and greet her with a smile.
"Brother Xue, you're here. I was right at a critical moment in my research just now. Forgive me for not welcoming you properly."
Qian Renxue smiled warmly. "Your research is more important, Brother Qi Lin. How could I possibly blame you?"
"By the way, let me introduce someone to you."
"This is my younger sister, Xue Ke."
Qi Lin turned to the girl, around eleven or twelve years old, with a sweet and charming appearance. He smiled gently. "Princess Xue Ke, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Their eyes met.
Looking at his clean, handsome face and the warm smile on it, Xue Ke's fair cheeks instantly flushed with a rosy hue.
"H-hi!"
"You're my brother's friend—just call me by my name," she said, flustered.
Qian Renxue chuckled teasingly.
"Haha, looks like Brother Qi Lin is quite popular with the ladies. It's the first time I've seen Xue Ke shy around a boy."
Indeed, Xue Ke was shy.
Children matured quickly on the Douluo Continent. In ordinary families, kids might be married off by the age of twelve or thirteen.
"Big Brother, if you keep teasing me, I won't talk to you anymore!"
Her cheeks flushed even deeper at Qian Renxue's teasing, but her eyes couldn't help stealing another glance at Qi Lin.
At that moment, Gu Yuena silently raised her head.
She looked at Qian Renxue and Xue Ke, her expression thoughtful.
Meeting Gu Yuena's gaze, Qian Renxue's brows subtly furrowed.
Something about this woman felt strange, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Especially her eyes—like stars in a vast galaxy—made Qian Renxue feel as if her identity had been seen through once again.
But she quickly shook off the thought.
She chalked it up to being undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire for too long and growing paranoid. Otherwise, why would she keep having this feeling?
First Qi Lin, now this woman of otherworldly beauty…
Even ordinary Soul Douluo couldn't detect her disguise. Only her grandfather could sense the truth.
How could it be exposed twice in a row?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
She dismissed the unsettling thought, ruffled Xue Ke's hair, and smiled.
"All right, all right. Big Brother won't tease you anymore. You're a grown-up now."
Then, she turned to introduce Tang Yuehua.
"This is Lady Yuehua, the head of the Moon Pavilion."
"She's responsible for teaching noble etiquette in the empire. She's highly respected, even by the Emperor himself."
Of course, Qian Renxue didn't mention that Emperor Xue Ye respected Tang Yuehua not only for her talents but also because of the Clear Sky Clan backing her. Though the Heaven Dou Empire already had the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the emperor still wished to foster goodwill with the Clear Sky Clan.
Qi Lin looked at the elegant and dignified noblewoman and smiled politely.
"Greetings, Lady Yuehua."
Tang Yuehua studied the youth with a refined, lazy air. Just from his bearing alone, she could tell:
This was no sinister or scheming boy.
She had taught countless nobles at the Moon Pavilion—what sort of people hadn't she encountered?
Moreover, Tang Yuehua possessed a natural domain: the Noble Ring. It not only purified the heart but also gave her a unique way of reading people.
Her success in navigating the political waters of the Heaven Dou Empire wasn't just due to Emperor Xue Ye's protection. Her insight allowed her to roughly judge others' characters.
When she looked at Qi Lin, all she saw was a transcendental and hazy figure.
Someone like that would never intentionally harm another.