"Marriage alliance? What kind of arrangement are you suggesting?" Tianlin asked in confusion. Right now, within their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, there didn't seem to be any suitable candidates for such an alliance.
All of Ning Fengzhi's sons were already married, and his only daughter, Ning Rongrong, was already engaged to Tianlin himself.
Among the other Guardian Douluos of the sect, only Dugu Bo and Dragon Duke had granddaughters, but they too already had lovers. There really weren't any suitable candidates.
"Of course, I mean Ning Rongrong. One of the main reasons my father summoned you all here today is to propose a marriage between me and Ning Rongrong," Xue Beng said, looking at Tianlin with a mocking smile. He certainly knew about Tianlin and Ning Rongrong's relationship; he did this precisely to disgust him.
Moreover, this was the last chance the Heaven Dou Empire would give the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If they still refused, their future in the Empire would be anything but peaceful. Even if the two sides didn't become open enemies, covert suppression would be unavoidable.
The royal family is always highly suspicious. No matter how powerful a sect they don't trust is, they can't accept it. After all, even an Ultimate Douluo like Chen Xin couldn't stand up to an army of a million. They weren't afraid of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Besides, the sect had already become mortal enemies with Spirit Hall, and had been at odds with the Star Luo Empire for years. If Heaven Dou abandoned them as well, they would be enemies of the entire world.
That was the real reason Emperor Xue Ye agreed to Xue Beng's request. He believed that Ning Fengzhi was wise enough to know how to choose.
This would benefit both sides. After the marriage, the sect would be fully tied to the Empire, and Xue Ye could trust them again.
Upon hearing this, Tianlin's expression turned completely cold. "Xue Beng, do you not know that Rongrong is my fiancée? Do you remember what I said to you before? If you want to die, I can kill you with a flick of my finger. I don't care about your status. At worst, I'll fight my way out of the palace today—with my strength, I can do it."
Tianlin's soul power erupted, and the overwhelming pressure made Xue Beng and Tang San unable to move at all.
Just then, two burly men descended from the sky, crashing through the roof of the pavilion and landing in front of Xue Beng and Tang San. Both were Soul Douluos: one's martial soul was the Giant Strength Gorilla, the other's the Armored Rhinoceros.
"So it's Tai Tan, chief of the Strength Clan, and Niu Gao of the Defense Clan. What, you want to try your luck against me?" Tianlin raised a finger, and his Deathgod Domain exploded, merging with his soul power.
He even drew on the aura of the War God and Mountain God from the Holy Spirit Pearl.
Under the sudden pressure, Titan and Niu Gao were greatly weakened—their state was barely any better than Xue Beng and Tang San's just now.
"How is this possible? This terrifying pressure is almost on par with my master!" Tai Tan was shocked. Over four years ago, he'd met Tianlin in Heaven Dou City. At that time, Tianlin was no match for him.
He never expected that in just a few years, Tianlin's power would increase so much.
Now at rank seventy-nine, Tianlin's cultivation speed had skyrocketed after breaking through to the ultimate attribute at rank seventy. The progress from seventy to eighty was as fast as the progress from twenty to thirty. In only four months, Tianlin had gained two more levels.
Even though eighty to ninety would slow down, at this rate, Tianlin could become a Titled Douluo within three years.
"Brother Jun, please stop. His Highness hasn't finished speaking," Tang San pleaded, seeing that even two Soul Douluos were no match for the furious Tianlin.
Hearing this, Tianlin lowered his finger and looked at Tang San. "Speak. If you don't give me an explanation, I'll kill you too."
With the pressure gone, all four collapsed to their knees, gasping for breath—even the Soul Douluos were no exception.
"Terrifying… I thought our young master with twin martial souls was already a genius beyond compare, but this young man's talent and potential are unfathomable." Tai Tan thought to himself. He used to believe that with Niu Gao, he could easily handle a Soul Sage like Tianlin, but now even standing was a challenge.
Tai Tan liked to use soul power to suppress his opponents and show off his strength. This was the first time he'd been on the receiving end.
"Brother Jun, we invited you here today simply to discuss matters. Whether it's the brotherhood or the marriage alliance, we just wanted your consent," Tang San said, cupping his hands. "Because of the Xue Qinghe incident, there's been tension between the Empire and the Sect. To resolve this, we need a stronger bond than ever. We know this would be a grievance for you, but for the bigger picture, we hope you'd voluntarily give up your engagement to Ning Rongrong. In return, His Highness has prepared another wonderful match for you."
"The Heaven Dou Empire's Princess Xue Ke is beautiful and noble, in no way inferior to Ning Rongrong. His Highness and His Majesty have agreed to marry her to you, with three ten-thousand-year soul bones as dowry."
"That way, you'd still get a beauty, three soul bones, and become the Imperial son-in-law, while restoring the trust between Empire and Sect. Isn't that a win-win? What do you say, Brother Jun?"
Tianlin admitted that, from a high-level perspective, this was a good solution.
The sect leader's daughter and the Guardian Douluo's disciple would marry the Empire's prince and princess respectively, making both sides in-laws. Tianlin wouldn't lose anything, would gain soul bones, and become the prince consort—he'd profit as much as Xue Beng.
Unfortunately, Tianlin cared nothing for those things.
He swept a cold glance at Tang San. "In that case, I have a suggestion too. The Empire recently sent troops against the Clear Sky Sect, right? Even if you've agreed to cooperate, there must still be a grudge. How about this: Brother Tang, you bring Xiao Wu back from the Star Dou Forest and have her marry Prince Xue Beng, and then let the prince marry Princess Xue Ke to you?"
"Brother Jun, please don't joke about Xiao Wu. She has nothing to do with this," Tang San said angrily. "Besides, Xiao Wu isn't a member of the Clear Sky Sect, so what's the point of a marriage alliance?"
Tianlin sneered. "How is she unrelated? With her beauty, I'm sure Prince Xue Beng would be interested. Besides, when the prince is tired of her, he can use her as a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone. Wouldn't that be a great gift? The bond between the Empire and Clear Sky Sect would be even closer than through marriage. After all, even spouses can betray each other, but a soul bone or ring integrated into your body truly belongs to you."