"I don't deserve such praise; it's just a bad reputation," Zhao Wuji said with a fake smile. "I haven't been active in the world of Soul Masters for a long time. These days, I'm just a teacher at an academy. This time, I've come to the Star Dou Forest to help a few of my students hunt for their third soul rings. As for this thousand-year Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snake, it happens to be suitable for one of them."
Just as Chao Tianxiang had suspected, Zhao Wuji showed no intention of yielding the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snake to her out of courtesy.
Chao Tianxiang frowned. "Are you saying that several of your students have already reached level 30? These kids?"
With her discerning eyes, she could naturally tell that among the group of children, the oldest, Dai Mubai, was about the same age as her granddaughter, Meng Yiran. The youngest looked no more than eleven or twelve. What surprised her most was that several of them had already broken through level 30. Was this a gathering of prodigies?
"Hmph! Even if this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snake is suitable for your student, so what? We were the ones who found and started hunting it first. Hand it over immediately," Meng Yiran said anxiously. It was rare to find a soul ring so perfectly suited in terms of age and attributes. She simply couldn't give it up.
The importance of level 30 was self-evident. A suitable third soul ring had a profound impact on one's future achievements.
"You claim that this soul beast was hunted by you first—do you have any proof?" Oscar asked, equally concerned about the soul ring.
"Heh, young man, don't be so hasty. Look at the snake's abdomen—do you see those wounds? Those were caused by my staff. If it weren't for this snake's exceptional ability to escape, it would've already died by my hand," Chao Tianxiang said, pointing to the snake's abdomen. Sure enough, there were several deep wounds, each of them fatal.
This confirmed that Chao Tianxiang wasn't lying. It was reasonable for her to demand the snake. Zhao Wuji turned to look at Tianlin, who had subdued the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snake. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Sister Chao I didn't subdue this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snake. It was this young friend from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan who did it. He's not a student at my academy but a friend of one of my students. I can't give him orders. Since both of you contributed to capturing this snake, why not discuss its ownership between yourselves?"
Zhao Wuji had cleverly shifted the responsibility. He couldn't afford to offend the Dragon Serpent Duo, but could they afford to offend the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan?
As expected, upon hearing the name "Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan," Chao Tianxiang's expression changed. That clan was a hundred times more powerful than her Dragon Serpent family.
Tianlin smiled faintly. Zhao Wuji, despite his rough appearance, was quite meticulous. This arrangement worked well, as it allowed him to do a favor for Oscar while also advancing his plans with the Dragon Serpent couple.
However, Zhao Wuji would have to pay for using his clan's name as leverage. Next time, he'd have to bring the Bone Douluo or Sword Douluo to have a chat with him. Grandpa Eagle didn't have a strong enough deterrence, after all.
"Young man, I didn't realize you were from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. May I ask your name?" Chaotianxiang asked.
"I am Jun Tianlin. Greetings, Senior," he replied.
"Jun Tianlin! You're the direct disciple of Sword Douluo, the Sword Prince?" Chao Tianxiang exclaimed in shock. At this point, there was no way they could touch him. Even her husband wouldn't dare. A single Chen Xin was enough to obliterate their entire family.
"Since the Sword Prince himself is here, we'll let this matter rest. Yiran, we're leaving!" Chao Tianxiang sighed, pulling Meng Yiran along.
"No way! This is my soul ring—I won't give it up!" Meng Yiran stubbornly shook off her grandmother's hand and stepped forward. "Even if you're from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, you can't be unreasonable. Since both sides contributed to capturing this snake, let's settle this the Soul Master way—with a fair fight. The winner gets the soul ring."
"No," Tianlin said, shaking his head.
Seeing this, tears welled up in Meng Yiran's eyes. "You're bullying me! So what if your clan is powerful? You're just throwing your weight around, and I, Meng Yiran, refuse to accept it!"
"Miss Meng, you misunderstand. My refusal is because your proposal is impossible to fulfill. The person on our side who needs this soul beast is Oscar, and he's a food-type Soul Master. His martial soul is a sausage. How could he possibly fight you fairly?" Tianlin explained.
"What? A food-type Soul Master?" Chao Tianxiang was stunned. Food-type Soul Masters were notoriously difficult to cultivate, yet this boy, who was even younger than her granddaughter, had already reached level 30. Perhaps no other food-type Soul Master on the continent could match his talent.
Intrigued, she immediately asked, "Young man, which clan are you from? Are you also part of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan?"
"I don't have a clan. My dean says my sausage martial soul mutated, which is why this happened," Oscar replied with a shake of his head.
"No clan?" Chao Tianxiang's joy was evident. Since he wasn't part of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, she immediately considered recruiting him. A talented food-type Sou; Master like him could perfectly complement her granddaughter.
Just as Chao Tianxiang was about to extend an invitation, Tang San seemed ready to step forward and fight on Oscar's behalf. However, Tianlin quickly pulled him back. "Brother Tang, can't you see that Senior Snake is interested in Oscar? Don't interfere now—you might ruin his future and his potential match."
Without Tang San interfering, Chao Tianxiang finally said the words she hadn't been able to in the original story: "Young man, since you don't have a clan, would you consider joining us after you graduate? My granddaughter Yiran could use someone like you by her side. If you agree, not only will we leave this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snake to you, but my husband and I will also personally help you obtain all your future soul rings."
"Grandma, what are you saying?" Meng Yiran protested, embarrassed. Her grandmother wasn't recruiting—she was matchmaking!
Stealing a glance at Oscar, she realized he was unexpectedly handsome. Compared to Tianlin, he wasn't far off. And with his talent, she had to admit he was a good match.
Oscar, however, turned beet red at Chao Tianxiang's bluntness. He had only just experienced heartbreak—was the universe compensating him by sending such a beautiful girl his way?
"Well, uh… my parents passed away when I was young, and I've been raised by the academy. A decision like this would need my dean's approval," Oscar stammered.
Chao Tianxiang smiled. "Very well. In that case, I'll speak to your dean myself. Go ahead and absorb the soul ring."
From her perspective, Oscar hadn't outright refused, which meant he was open to the idea. With her family's strength and her granddaughter's beauty, she couldn't imagine his dean refusing.
Ning Rongrong gave Tianlin a puzzled look. She knew he had plans for Oscar, yet he stood by and let the Snake Grandma recruit him. This wasn't like him at all.
What she didn't know was that Tianlin wasn't just interested in Oscar—he also had his sights set on the Dragon Serpent couple. If he could bring them under his banner, then Oscar's joining the Dragon Serpent family would simply mean he was joining the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan.