Douluo: Starting with an Engagement to Zhu Zhuqing

Chapter 49: Ferdinand's Surprise

"When I first came here, I was also drawn to this portrait of the angel," Ferdinand explained.

"It is said that the Spirit Hall was founded by an angel, so the Sword of the Angel represents the Spirit Hall."

Dai Yao nodded.

The grand offering of the Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu, was the owner of the Angel Spirit, and the Spirit Hall had been passing down this Angel Spirit through generations. Perhaps because of Qian Daoliu's high position, Ferdinand, the bishop, was unaware of this.

"Let's begin," Ferdinand said. "Summon your spirit and release your soul rings."

Dai Yao walked to the center of the palace, extended his right hand, and focused, channeling his soul power. He summoned the White Tiger Spirit.

A mighty roar of a tiger echoed, filled with the king's domineering presence.

Dai Yao's entire body grew more robust, and a pair of snowy white wings appeared behind him.

Two soul rings rose from the ground beneath him, floating up and down around his body.

One yellow and one purple.

The purple soul ring emitted a mysterious and powerful violet glow.

Ferdinand, who had been smiling contentedly with his eyes almost squinted shut, lounging on a recliner, instantly stood up upon seeing the purple soul ring. His expression turned shocked.

He rubbed his eyes and confirmed the color of the soul ring, before exclaiming, "This... is a thousand-year soul ring?"

Dai Yao calmly answered, "Yes."

Ferdinand let out a long breath, trying to calm his excitement.

"You must have gone through a lot of hardship to obtain a thousand-year soul ring. Such a rare and exceptional talent is unprecedented. It's such a pity. If you weren't a prince of the Star Luo Empire, I would have done everything in my power to recruit you into the Spirit Hall."

Revealing the thousand-year soul ring was the first step to proving his potential.

As a normal person, under the cruel family rules of the Dai clan, Dai Yao would never feel a sense of belonging.

He was a transmigrator, and though he had no particular feelings for Dai Mubai's plight when reading the novel, once he crossed over to the Dai family, he truly felt how inhumane these family rules were.

But joining the Spirit Hall was out of the question. Although life in the Star Luo Empire was unpleasant, there were still a few people, like his third uncle, whom Dai Yao cared about.

Joining the Spirit Hall would mean severing ties with them, and not just for him—Zhu Zhuqing would also have to sever her ties with her own family.

Dai Yao wasn't arrogant enough to make decisions for Zhu Zhuqing.

So, he refused, "I'm afraid I must decline your kind offer, Bishop."

However, Ferdinand did not give up. "As I understand it, Your Highness, your current situation is not very favorable."

"What do you mean?" Dai Yao asked, confused.

He had wondered about this himself. The Crown Prince had only sent someone to challenge him on the first day of school, but since then, there had been no further attempts.

Ferdinand patiently explained,

"You know why, after you entered the academy, the Crown Prince didn't act against you?"

"Why?" Dai Yao asked, still puzzled.

Ferdinand continued, "Because he is competing for the position of captain of the Star Luo Royal Team, and his rival for this position is the Second Prince. He was afraid that you and the Second Prince would team up."

"But unexpectedly, you and the Second Prince had a falling out, and he is now delighted. He hasn't caused you any trouble since, hoping you two would continue to be at odds and wear each other down."

"But now that the position of the royal team captain has been decided, the Crown Prince has been chosen as the one to lead, and now he has the time to deal with you."

Ferdinand looked at Dai Yao with a serious expression and continued,

"Your Highness, at first, I thought you had no chance in the duel with the Second Prince, but now that I see your thousand-year soul ring, I have gained confidence in you."

"But even if you win against the Second Prince, what then? You are no match for the Crown Prince. If you're not careful, it could lead to your utter ruin."

At this point, Ferdinand gave Dai Yao a deeply concerned look and earnestly advised,

"Your Highness, come to the Spirit Hall. There are no outdated family rules here. We will provide you with the best training resources. Once you reach a certain level of power, we may even reward you with soul bones."

Dai Yao fell silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

Zhu Zhuqing also anxiously watched him.

"A prince of an empire—do you really think the Spirit Hall will support my cultivation without reservation?" Dai Yao finally spoke slowly after some contemplation.

Seeing Dai Yao still had doubts, Ferdinand hurried to reassure him. "Your Highness, you needn't worry about this..."

Before he could finish, Dai Yao raised a hand to stop him.

"Since you insist, I'll assume that the Spirit Hall will fully support me. But what about the other geniuses of my generation? Will they accept it?"

"Will they allow me to take their share of the resources? And as a defector, can I really gain the trust of the Pope?"

These two questions left Ferdinand speechless. He fell into a moment of silence.

Indeed, Dai Yao's words were spot on. Resources were limited, and if one person took more, others would have to take less. Eventually, the geniuses in the Spirit Hall would likely resent Dai Yao and he could find himself in a situation similar to his time at the Star Luo Royal Academy.

The second issue was also one that Ferdinand had concerns about.

A traitor would forever be looked down upon. Throughout history, many princes who defected to the Spirit Hall were spies sent by the imperial family, and even some rare talents had caused great harm to the Spirit Hall.

These princes had been carefully vetted to ensure they weren't spies before being accepted into the Spirit Hall, but in the end, they had all revealed their true identities. The suffering they had endured in the Star Luo Empire had been nothing more than a disguise.

As a result, Dai Yao would never gain the Pope's trust.

It was a conundrum with no solution, and Ferdinand could only show a regretful expression.

"That's enough for today," Dai Yao thought.

His visit to the Spirit Hall had already made his intentions clear—he was leaning towards the Spirit Hall.

Leaning, not joining.

But anything that came too easily would be taken lightly, including talent. Only those who had to be painstakingly recruited would be truly valued.

In his past life, Dai Yao had seen this happen in the workplace. Experienced veterans worked diligently for a meager salary, while newly hired people who knew nothing sometimes earned even more than long-time employees.

This was human nature.

"I'm also interested in the Spirit Hall," Dai Yao said, looking seriously at the bishop, "but it doesn't seem like the right time to join."

"What do you mean?" Ferdinand asked, confused.

"After the duel with Dai Yaming, I will leave the Star Luo Empire. I may need your help then."

"Rest assured, as long as I'm here, I will ensure you leave the Star Luo Empire safely," Ferdinand guaranteed confidently.

Ferdinand's straightforward attitude made Dai Yao wary.

"Are you not worried that I'm just using the Spirit Hall to leave the Star Luo Empire?" Dai Yao asked, unsure.

"Since I want to recruit Your Highness, I must trust you. Even if you just want to use me, I must show you the sincerity of the Spirit Hall," Ferdinand responded.

(End of Chapter)

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