Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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Princess Xu Jiujiu truly lived up to her reputation as the eldest princess of the Star Luo Empire; raised under the influence of the Star Luo Imperial Family since childhood, her every word and action carried an Innate political sensitivity.
Even when facing an unfathomably powerful stranger, her mind continued to race.
Setting aside exactly how high this Senior's strength was, just based on Grandma Manyi's reaction as if facing a great enemy, it was enough to determine that the opponent's strength was at least at the Titled Douluo level, and far above Grandma Manyi.
With such a Super Douluo sitting right in front of her, if she didn't try to win them over, she, as the Star Luo Princess, would be truly failing in her duties.
In any case, asking a question cost nothing; what if they actually agreed?
Leng Yaozhu didn't have a bad impression of Princess Xu Jiujiu to begin with, and after their interactions just now, she felt that this eldest princess acted with grace and propriety, and though she was clever, she wasn't annoying.
She smiled and shook her head, her tone frank: "I have no interest in serving as an enshrined protector for the Star Luo Imperial Family."
"Besides, this ninth-grade soul tool didn't come from my hands either."
She naturally heard the hidden probe in Princess Xu Jiujiu's words; the princess had specifically guided the conversation from the auction house's Spirit Tools all the way to the Starry Glazed Shield, then tossed the topic to her.
She simply wanted to confirm if she, Huo Yuhao's teacher, was the Soul Engineer who had crafted this powerful ninth-grade soul tool.
Princess Xu Jiujiu did indeed have such thoughts in her heart; after all, Huo Yuhao had previously stated that all his knowledge of Spirit Tools came from his teacher.
If Leng Yaozhu were that Soul Engineer, then she would not only be a powerful Spirit Master but also a Class 9 Soul Engineer capable of contending with the Hallmaster of the Sun Moon Empire's Illustrious Virtue Hall; such a talent's value to the Star Luo Empire would be immeasurable.
Before the fleeting surprise in Princess Xu Jiujiu's eyes could fully surface, Leng Yaozhu added unhurriedly: "Yuhao doesn't have only me as a teacher."
Princess Xu Jiujiu's red lips parted slightly, and her bright eyes blinked, clearly hit hard by this information.
Huo Yuhao took in all of Princess Xu Jiujiu's changing expressions and felt the timing was right.
Thus, he stood up and spoke with a solemn expression: "Princess Jiujiu, I forgot to introduce in detail just now. The one who taught me about Spirit Tools is actually my other teacher, a Class 9 Soul Engineer, a Rank 95 Super Douluo, titled Phantom Brain."
Hearing this, Princess Xu Jiujiu's pupils suddenly constricted.
A Class 9 Soul Engineer and a Rank 95 Super Douluo—either of these titles alone was enough to shake a region, let alone being combined in one person.
Before she could digest this information, Huo Yuhao had already turned sideways and solemnly gestured toward Leng Yaozhu: "And this is the teacher who guides my Spirit Cultivation. Hailing from a Hidden Family, she is a Rank 99 Limit Douluo, titled Heaven Phoenix."
As soon as these words were spoken, the face of Manyi, who was standing behind Princess Xu Jiujiu, changed drastically. Although she had already sensed that Leng Yaozhu's aura was unfathomable, she hadn't dared to guess at that level.
A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on Manyi's back, and she secretly felt lucky. It was a good thing she hadn't actually made a move just now; otherwise, her old life probably wouldn't have even lasted through one of the opponent's moves.
Huo Yuhao and Leng Yaozhu had come to Star Luo City specifically to showcase their strength. So at this moment, Huo Yuhao revealed Leng Yaozhu's true cultivation without reservation, and the effect indeed seemed quite good.
Opposite them, Princess Xu Jiujiu and Manyi's bodies visibly stiffened, and immediately, an unmaskable shock appeared on their faces in unison.
Both of them held extraordinary status; normally, very few things could shock them to this extent. But what kind of concept was a Limit Douluo?
That was an existence standing at the very Peak of the entire continent, a peerless expert who might not appear even once in a century, a Peak combat power capable of rivaling a nation alone.
So hearing now that Leng Yaozhu was actually a Limit Douluo, it was only natural for the two of them to show such shocked expressions.
Princess Xu Jiujiu and Manyi's gazes fell back onto Leng Yaozhu, but this time, their eyes were completely different from before.
All previous emotions were replaced at this moment by a single one: awe.
Princess Xu Jiujiu became significantly more restrained; she respectfully bowed to Leng Yaozhu once more, her tone carrying twelve points of solemnity: "To think Your Excellency Heaven Phoenix is a Limit Douluo. Jiujiu was quite rude just now."
Leng Yaozhu, however, waved her hand dismissively, her expression remaining as easygoing and indifferent as before.
She hadn't come today to put on airs, much less to scare people; displaying strength was one thing, but scaring a partner so much that they didn't dare to speak was quite another.
She smiled and said in a relaxed tone: "Sit down. No need to be so nervous. I just came along for the ride to take a look; you two should continue as you were."
Princess Xu Jiujiu sat back down as told, but her sitting posture was like a different person compared to before.
Before, she had been elegantly leaning against the back of the sofa, her whole person stretched out and relaxed.
Now, only half of her bottom touched the edge of the sofa, her body leaning slightly forward, hands folded on her knees in a posture of listening intently.
Manyi remained standing behind Princess Xu Jiujiu, her back straight as a poker and her hands at her sides, her posture even more respectful than before.
In her gaze toward Leng Yaozhu, besides awe, there was more of a complex and hard-to-describe envy.
In her youth, Manyi had also been a famous Genius, with Innate Full Spirit Power; she had stepped onto the path of cultivation with high Spirits, and back then, she had also heroically set the Limit Douluo as her goal.
But as the years passed, reality had been like buckets of cold water dousing her ambitions; after entering the Titled Douluo Realm, every step forward was incredibly difficult.
After being stuck in this Realm for decades without any progress, she finally understood that the goal was not a distant star for her, but an eternally untouchable phantom.
Now, seeing a living Limit Douluo standing before her, her heart was filled with a thousand emotions—respect, envy, and a trace of inexplicable bitterness.
Leng Yaozhu looked at the still-restrained pair opposite her and chuckled inwardly, saying: "The Spirit Pagoda was founded single-handedly by Yuhao; we elders won't interfere excessively."
"However, if there is anything you need during the cooperation with the Star Luo Imperial Family, you can bring it up with him normally."
"For help we can provide, we won't just stand by and watch."
These words were spoken lightly, but they carried immense weight.
The first half indicated that the Spirit Pagoda was Huo Yuhao's enterprise and wouldn't have its policies changed on a whim due to elder interference.
The second half gave the Star Luo Imperial Family a reassurance; although Huo Yuhao was in charge of the Spirit Pagoda, the power behind him was always there.
Princess Xu Jiujiu hurriedly nodded, her tone even more solemn than before: "Your Excellency, please rest assured. Our cooperation with Young Master Huo has always been very smooth, and I believe it will be even smoother in the future."
As she said this, she was actually sighing inwardly.
Before tonight, the relationship between the Star Luo Imperial Family and Huo Yuhao was less a cooperation and more an investment with good prospects.
It was true that Huo Yuhao's talent was extraordinary and the concept of the Spirit Pagoda was indeed novel, but he was ultimately just a fourteen-year-old boy; in such a partnership, the Star Luo Imperial Family naturally held the stronger position.
But after meeting Leng Yaozhu today, everything was different.
The weight of this cooperation was redefined, and the status of both parties had quietly flipped.
Even if Huo Yuhao stood here alone, the Star Luo Imperial Family would never dare to show the slightest contempt again.
Because behind him stood a Limit Douluo.
And just now, Huo Yuhao had personally said he had another teacher who was a Rank 95 Class 9 Soul Engineer.
Furthermore, a hidden power capable of nurturing a Limit Douluo would have foundations and a number of experts absolutely beyond imagination; no matter how proud the Star Luo Imperial Family was, they had to weigh things carefully.
Leng Yaozhu looked at Princess Xu Jiujiu's respectful yet proper manner and became increasingly satisfied with this eldest princess who knew when to advance and when to retreat.
She suddenly changed the subject, smiling as she spoke: "You and Yuhao are partners now, so don't be so formal as to call him 'Young Master Huo.' Just call him Yuhao; it sounds more intimate."
Princess Xu Jiujiu was slightly stunned, unable to fully grasp the intent behind Leng Yaozhu's words for a moment.
Was this just a casual pleasantry from an elder, or a meaningful hint?
She didn't have time to ponder it deeply, but since a Limit Douluo had spoken, she couldn't refuse.
So she turned her head smoothly and looked at Huo Yuhao openly, a faint smile on her lips, her tone carrying a touch of well-measured playfulness: "Then... Yuhao, I'll call you that from now on?"
Huo Yuhao maintained a proper smile on his face, but secretly, he quickly sent a voice transmission to Leng Yaozhu, his tone full of helplessness: "Aunt Leng, don't mess around."
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.