MTLNOVEL Chapter 176: Obedient Nan Qiuqiu
Nan Shuishui was no weaker than most Title Douluo, but the Heaven Dragon Sect's current leader was a Super Douluo—a gap she couldn't bridge.
Still, Nan Shuishui had, through her own wisdom and strength, built the Earth Dragon Sect into the city's second power—a real feat, given that most of their martial souls were sub-dragon types, forever suppressed by the true dragon lineage of their rivals.
Only the Rouge Dragon martial soul could truly compete with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon; all others fell short.
Despite the rivalry, the two sects had a millennium of deep ties, and their competition was healthy. Heaven Dragon held the north, Earth Dragon held the south—each with their own sphere of influence.
With Nan Shuishui personally leading the way, the city guards let Lu Jingming's group pass without question.
They soon arrived at the Earth Dragon Sect's grand compound, marked with an imposing plaque. The soul masters even guarding the gates were all genuine Soul Kings—a testament to the sect's deep foundation.
Back at the sect, Nan Qiuqiu became even more lively, eagerly giving Lu Jingming a detailed tour and history lesson.
Xu Shenshu and the others exchanged surprised looks. Was this really their mischievous, hot-tempered boss lady? When had she become so gentle and considerate?
Nan Shuishui covered her forehead helplessly. She knew her daughter had inherited a weakness for good looks, but the effect of the hero saves beauty cliché—combined with Lu Jingming's looks—had left Qiuqiu completely smitten.
Watching her daughter look ready to spill all the sect's secrets, Nan Shuishui worried that if she ever handed over the sect, Qiuqiu might just run off with it in tow.
Within the Earth Dragon Sect, aside from Nan Shuishui, there were two other Soul Douluo elders and nearly ten Soul Sage elders—pillars of the sect.
Upon hearing about the evil soul master ambush, the elders were alarmed and grateful to Lu Jingming for saving their future heirs.
Had the evil soul masters succeeded, the sect would have faced ruin.
Learning there were traitors in Dragon City, the elders' eyes flashed with murderous intent. They quickly led their best disciples off to root out the spies, determined to make them pay.
But for Lu Jingming and the others, that was just background noise.
As honored guests, they were led to a serene private garden—Nan Shuishui's own residence, usually off-limits to all but her closest kin.
There, Nan Qiuqiu sweetly brewed Lu Jingming a cup of tea. He smiled and got straight to the point: "Sect Master Nan, I'll be direct. We came here for the underground cold spring."
Nan Shuishui narrowed her eyes, watching her daughter's unusual attentiveness. Even as her mother, she rarely enjoyed such service.
And when she heard Lu Jingming mention the cold spring, she was shocked.
The underground spring was a tightly kept secret—only she and two Soul Douluo elders knew of it, not even her daughter. How did Lu Jingming know?
She set aside her suspicions—for someone who'd saved their lives, there was no point in fussing over the source.
With a bitter smile, she said, "I won't ask how you know. It's true, we have an underground spring, but it's just a special resource for training our young disciples. I can't imagine why someone as strong as you would come so far for it."
Haiyuan City was across the entire Heaven Soul Empire, after all.
The spring was useful for body tempering and consolidating soul power, especially for beginners. All the young talents had benefited from it, but for high-level powerhouses, its effects were negligible.
Nan Shuishui glanced at Xue Di. Someone who could kill two Title Douluo in a blink wouldn't care about the likes of the spring, would she?
Perhaps Lu Jingming was after the ore below the spring—the top-grade ice-attribute metal their ancestors once discovered by chance?
"Sect Master, you don't have to be so formal. Just call me Jingming. To be honest, we're here for what's below the spring," Lu Jingming replied gently.
He knew the spring was precious to the sect, but they had no idea what treasures lay beneath—or even what the Ice Polar Divine Crystal they once brought up actually was.
"Well then, I won't stand on ceremony. Jingming, the spring is important to us, but compared to the kindness you've shown, it's nothing. Besides, I know little about what lies beneath."
She had tried to explore deeper herself, but the extreme cold forced her to retreat before she got far. Even entering the ancestor-built cave below was a struggle for her, let alone mining any ore.