**Chapter 139: I Feel a Little Itchy**
After arriving at the Tiandou Palace by carriage, Zhao Ling followed the attendants to the entrance of Qinzheng Hall.
The attendant stopped, bowed respectfully, and said, "Please wait here for a moment. I will go inside to announce your arrival."
Zhao Ling nodded casually, watching the attendant enter the hall before leaning against a stone pillar nearby and closing his eyes to rest.
The soldiers guarding the hall pretended not to see anything, standing straight and motionless, as if carved from stone.
After a few minutes, the attendant reappeared and respectfully informed him, "You may enter now. His Majesty and the Prince are waiting for you."
Zhao Ling opened his eyes, nodded indifferently, and strode into the Qinzheng Hall.
Inside, the first thing Zhao Ling saw was Emperor Xue Ye seated majestically on his throne. Prince Xue Xing sat to the left, while to the right sat a middle-aged man with an elegant demeanor, exuding ease and grace.
Standing behind the middle-aged man were two individuals who immediately caught Zhao Ling's attention. One of them had long silver hair and wore a snow-white robe. He had a simple appearance but skin as delicate as a baby's. The other man had a gaunt face, dry and weathered skin, and sunken eye sockets, though his towering frame was not overly muscular.
Zhao Ling raised an eyebrow slightly, immediately sensing that these two men were Titled Douluo. Judging by their appearances, he guessed they were Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong.
Although they both appeared to be in their thirties, Zhao Ling knew that in the later parts of the original story, both men were over a hundred years old. Considering the timeline, they should currently be in their sixties or seventies, with their strength firmly at the Titled Douluo level.
As for the middle-aged man, Zhao Ling deduced that he must be Ning Fengzhi's father—certainly not Ning Fengzhi himself. In the original novel, Ning Fengzhi was portrayed as younger than Tang Hao, making it impossible for him to be this mature figure before him.
Reining in his thoughts, Zhao Ling turned to Emperor Xue Ye and asked, "Your Majesty, why have you summoned me to the palace?"
Emperor Xue Ye rose from his throne with a warm, flattering smile. "Demon Suppression Worshiper, it is good to see you. Please, bring a seat for the Demon Suppression Worshiper."
At his command, attendants quickly brought a throne and placed it beside Prince Xue Xing. Zhao Ling sat down without hesitation, his posture relaxed yet commanding.
Once seated, Zhao Ling glanced curiously at the three men opposite him and asked directly, "Your Majesty, who are these individuals?"
Emperor Xue Ye let out a hearty laugh and gestured toward the middle-aged man. "This is the current leader of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and behind him are the Sect's two Protector Douluo."
Turning toward the trio, Emperor Xue Ye introduced Zhao Ling. "Master Ning, this is Zhao Ling, the Demon Suppression Douluo and the first worshiper of our Tiandou Royal Family."
Hearing Zhao Ling's title, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect leader cast a curious gaze at him. He had heard rumors of the royal family hiring a Titled Douluo as their worshiper, but the identity had remained a mystery—until now.
Suddenly, recognition flashed in the Sect leader's eyes. Demon Suppression Douluo? Wasn't this the same person who had been engaged to the new Saint of the Spirit Hall recently?
At that time, he had investigated Zhao Ling and discovered he had met the Spirit Hall's new Saint in Soto City. The two had apparently fallen in love, which led to an incident involving the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Later, Zhao Ling had returned to Wuhun City, where the Pope himself officiated their engagement ceremony.
However, the Sect leader also recalled that Zhao Ling had little interest in staying in the Spirit Hall and had promptly "escaped" after the engagement, preferring the life of a wanderer. He couldn't help but find the situation amusing—how could the Spirit Hall fail to keep a single man in place?
Unbeknownst to him, Zhao Ling would have cursed him to his face if he'd heard those thoughts.
"Damn it, do you think I'd abandon my Dong'er? That old fool Qian Xunji forced me to leave because he thought I was holding Dong'er back. How could I not miss her? Stupid rumors..."
Meanwhile, Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong were studying Zhao Ling intently. They exchanged glances, clearly intrigued.
"Chen Xin, what do you think? Interested in testing him out?" Gu Rong whispered to Chen Xin.
Chen Xin raised an eyebrow and shot back, "What? Do you want to spar with him?"
Gu Rong nodded eagerly. "Seeing a worthy opponent makes me feel itchy. I want to give it a try."
Zhao Ling, sensing the rising fighting spirit in Gu Rong's eyes, was confused. What's up with Bone Douluo? I've done nothing to provoke him, so why is he eager to fight me?
In truth, Zhao Ling had no interest in fighting Gu Rong. His Demon Suppression Tower martial soul far surpassed Bone Douluo's in quality, and with his superior martial soul configuration and soul bones, victory was a given. Winning so one-sidedly didn't excite him in the slightest.
However, Bone Douluo didn't seem inclined to let him off the hook. He stepped forward, clasped his fists, and addressed Emperor Xue Ye.
"Your Majesty, I sense that Demon Suppression Douluo possesses immense strength, and I would like to spar with him. May I have your permission?"
Emperor Xue Ye was taken aback. He glanced nervously at Zhao Ling, worried the request might offend him.
Zhao Ling sighed inwardly but nodded in agreement. I don't have a choice. I'm the royal family's first worshiper, hired at a ridiculous price. If I refuse this challenge, people will assume I'm weak. It won't be long before ministers write petitions questioning my qualifications. And while I don't care for their gossip, I'd rather not give them any ammunition.
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(End of Chapter)