Douluo's Spiritual Pearl and Divine Sword

Seeing Tang San admit defeat, Jun Tianlin stepped down and helped the unconscious Yu Tianheng up. The Shi twins each carried one of the two agility attack spirit masters and walked toward their lounge.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered the room, Yu Tianheng pushed Jun Tianlin away and said, "My dear little Tian, I lost my dignity today because of you."

"That's right. It would be so embarrassing if the seniors and juniors in the academy knew that I was beaten by a Spirit Elder." Osler and Yu Feng also jumped off the backs of the Shi brothers, looking completely unharmed.

It was obvious they had been faking. Otherwise, how could Tang San, a mere Spirit Elder, have defeated three Spirit Ancestors? Even Huan Yin's second spirit skill had not been charged to its full potential; otherwise or else it might not have been possible to see through it with only the second level of the Purple Demon Eye.

All of this was carefully orchestrated to highlight Tang San's strength and his ability to see through illusions and ensuring Shi Nian's attention was drawn to him—turning Tang San into the perfect bait.

Taking advantage of Tang Hao's absence, now was the ideal time to act.

Jun Tianlin smiled and patted their shoulders reassuringly "Alright, I'll make it up to you. Tianheng, I'll send someone to deliver the bottle of Zhenyuan Pill I promised after the competition. And Osler, you're free from the debt you owe me and Gu Ran. But as for Senior Sister Lingling, that's up to you—you'll have to discuss it with her yourself."

"That's not bad at all." Yu Tianheng nodded, satisfied. The Zhenyuan Pill and the Xuanyuan Pill, which Jun Tianlin had given to Tang San, shared similar appearances and names, but their effects were vastly different. The Zhenyuan Pill was refined using rare herbs with extraordinary potency and making the enhanced spirit power exceptionally dense without damaging the user's foundation. It was an invaluable treasure for assisting mid- and low-level spirit masters in their cultivation.

Though the pill held little value for Yu Tianheng, who was already close to becoming a Spirit King, he could use it to support the younger generation of his clan. Compared to the development of his clan, his personal embarrassment was insignificant.

As for Osler, he felt it was worth it—escaping a massive debt was a huge relief. Now, he was finally debt-free. As for Ye Lingling, he would settle things with her soon enough. Her family, while not as wealthy as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, could still scrape together hundreds of thousands of gold spirit coins by living frugally.

"Well, I have something else to attend to. See you later!" Jun Tianlin left the Emperor Team's lounge and headed toward Shrek's team.

With his mental power, he had already sensed a powerful spiritual master locking onto Shrek. There was no doubt—it was Shi Nian. However, while Shi Nian's hostility was clear, his killing intent was not strong enough. That wouldn't do.

At this moment, the Shrek team was about to leave. Jun Tianlin stepped forward and called out "Brother Tang, please wait."

"Ah, Brother Jian, why are you here?" Ning Rongrong ran up to Jun Tianlin in surprise. They had been avoiding each other for a while to prevent suspicion, but she had missed him terribly.

"Rongrong, be good. I need to discuss something important with Brother Tang. Go back with Dean Flender and the others first." Jun Tianlin winked at her

Having spent so much time with him, Ning Rongrong instantly understood his intentions. Jun Tianlin never acted kindly toward those he had fallen out with. If he was suddenly approaching Tang San again, it had to be part of a scheme.

Though Tang San was her classmate, he was far from being a true friend. In her heart, Jun Tianlin was far more important, so she nodded and said "Alright, Brother Jian, make sure to come see me later."

"Of course." Jun Tianlin nodded before turning back to Tang San "Brother Tang, would you do me the honor of having a private conversation?"

Tang San hesitated for a moment. He knew that, eventually, he would have to take control of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, so meeting with Jun Tianlin now wouldn't hurt "Teacher, you all go back first. I'll return shortly."

"Alright, but don't stay out too long." Elder Yu Xiaogang instructed, then shot Jun Tianlin a cold glance before turning away without another word.

Clearly, he still held a grudge over what had happened before.

Jun Tianlin didn't care. He led Tang San to an empty lounge, where they sat opposite each other. Tang San got straight to the point "Brother Jun, just say it. If this is about cooperation, forget it. You insulted my teacher last time—I will get justice for that."

"Hmph, justice? I'd say the same thing if given another chance. And as for working with you, if you're not interested, that's fine. I came today simply to settle an old debt." Jun Tianlin retrieved a small treasure box from his belt "Since our cooperation is over, I should return your blueprints. But they're extremely valuable to my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, so I'm here to buy them out completely. The contents of this box should be a fair price."

Tang San was confused "Didn't you already pay for them? Why are you buying them again?"

Jun Tianlin scoffed "Don't be naive. I know the actual value of those blueprints is much higher than what I originally paid. Back then, we had a partnership, so the price was discounted. But our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan never takes advantage of others. We always settle our debts. After today, you and I are completely even."

Tang San's opinion of Jun Tianlin shifted slightly. Truthfully, if not for the Buddha's Wrath Tanglian deal, he wouldn't have sold the blueprints even for five million gold spirit coins. Jun Tianlin, for all his scheming, had strong principles. No wonder the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's reputation had been improving—this integrity was the key.

However, in Tang San's eyes, Jun Tianlin was still too naive. No matter how many benefits Jun Tianlin provided, his determination would not waver. The Tang Sect's hidden weapon blueprints rightfully belonged to him, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would eventually be his as well.

Of course, for now, he had to play along.

"In that case, I won't be polite." Tang San accepted the box without hesitation.

When he opened it, his breath caught—inside was a spirit bone, a poisonous skull that had never been used in Jun Tianlin's clan. With his keen eyesight, he immediately recognized its immense value. The potent poison attribute made it incredibly compatible with him.

Jun Tianlin felt the spike in Tang San's heartbeat—as well as the interest of the figure lurking in the shadows. The spirit bone was bait, meant to further entice Shi Nian. After all, even if someone already possessed a skull spirit bone, no one would turn down an extra. Skull bones were more precious than limb bones, and having one meant the possibility of exchanging it for a more suitable piece later.

"Brother Jun, then we're even. Goodbye." Tang San could hardly contain his excitement. He needed to find a safe place to absorb the spirit bone—this could push him directly to rank 40.

Jun Tianlin remained seated, a faint smile on his face 'Shi Nian, Tang San… my spirit bones aren't so easily acquired. Be prepared to pay the price.'