Worship Hall Meeting

With his first spirit ring secured, Radiant Feather Douluo sent someone to handle Qian Yuxi's enrollment procedures. His martial soul would naturally only be listed as the Aurora Sacred Feather Bow. To avoid unnecessary trouble, they did not report that he was Radiant Feather Douluo's disciple either. As for his talent, they just praised it as extravagantly as possible.

The academy would be on break tomorrow, and he would not enroll until the day after tomorrow. Qian Yuxi was delighted; that meant he could spend another day with his Angel Sister.

In Worship Hall, Qian Renxue knelt beneath the Angel God Statue. Her hands formed a peculiar gesture before her chest, thumbs clasped together and index fingers touching, while her other six fingers spread out to either side, resembling a Six-Winged Angel spreading its wings.

"Ancestor, please bless my father... Please let him be safe. Mother doesn't like me... I can't lose Father too..."

Is Xue'er praying?

The voice in her heart broke Qian Renxue's train of thought. She turned around and saw Qian Yuxi standing at the main entrance, roughly fifty meters away.

Little brat...

The Little Angel gave a soft snort, determined to teach this rotten little brother a small lesson.

Qian Yuxi had no idea what was about to happen. Grinning cheekily, he ran over and greeted her, "Sister, I'm back! I got my spirit ring, so I'm a soul master now! From now on, I'll have the power to protect you!"

Qian Renxue immediately took offense. What was that supposed to mean? She was a high-level three-ring Soul Elder, not some decorative vase who had nothing but a pretty face and could do nothing except loaf around waiting to be fed.

The moment her rotten little brother ran up to her, the Little Angel reached out, pinched both his cheeks, and tugged hard. Perhaps because his body had been nourished by Soul Power after absorbing the spirit ring, Little Yu Xi's face felt even better to the touch than before.

"You little brat, who's protecting whom? Do you want to experience the might of a three-ring Soul Elder?"

Qian Yuxi remained all smiles, completely unbothered. "Heh heh, hard to say right now. But one day, I'll definitely let you know how formidable I am!"

I keep my word. As long as you give me time... I'm willing to spend my whole life proving it!

This time, the voice in his heart was unusually resolute, leaving Qian Renxue slightly stunned.

"Sister, um... I won't be attending Spirit Hall's academy until the day after tomorrow. Tonight and tomorrow, your little brother will keep you company and play to your heart's content!"

"Okay. Thank you... little brother."

In another grand hall of Worship Hall, the seven great Worships had gathered, along with Qian Xunji. Father and son sat opposite each other at a square table, with three others seated on each side.

"What? Pope, that little girl actually tried to kill you?!" Fourth Worship, Mighty Lion Douluo, whose temper was somewhat explosive, rose to his feet with anger in his eyes.

"Yes... She poisoned me. Fortunately, Little Xue and Little Xi warned me in time, allowing Snake Lance and Ci Xue to save me. Her plan failed, and she is currently confined to Saintess Hall. Demon Bear and Spirit Kite have been assigned to guard her in twelve-hour shifts. It could be said that I survived this time thanks to those two children!"

"Pope, in this old man's opinion, we should simply kill her and be done with it. It would be a pity, certainly, but Spirit Hall has always valued loyalty above all else." Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, seated beside Qian Daoliu, spoke up.

As soon as he spoke, the Third and Fourth Worships nodded in agreement.

"Not yet." Qian Daoliu rejected the suggestion.

"Big Brother, why not?"

Qian Daoliu tossed the matter to his son. "Xunji, you explain."

Qian Xunji nodded, his voice low. "Because I recalled something. During the operation to capture the Blue Silver Emperor, I noticed something wrong. Tang Hao's strength was simply too absurd."

"As everyone knows, even a Titled Douluo needs time to adapt to a Hundred-Thousand Year Spirit Ring. Even if it came from the sacrifice of his spirit beast wife, he should not have been able to wield it immediately without any discomfort. Not to mention that this Hundred-Thousand Year Spirit Ring directly boosted his cultivation to level ninety-five! Second Worship, you and Father both possess Hundred-Thousand Year Spirit Rings. You should understand better than any of us that while such spirit rings are powerful, they cannot possibly allow someone to jump five levels in one go, can they?"

After Qian Xunji's explanation, Golden Crocodile Douluo could find no fault in it. "Indeed. When this old man absorbed a Hundred-Thousand Year Spirit Ring, I only advanced two levels. Your father gained merely one more than I did, and that was only because of the innate advantage of a God-level Martial Soul."

"Becoming a level ninety-five Super Douluo in one leap... That is absolutely abnormal. Moreover, when I fought Tang Hao, he shattered my full-powered ninth soul skill with a single strike! When the Great Sumeru Hammer hit me, I sensed an extremely tyrannical energy from his Clear Sky Hammer. Bibi Dong also passed through the Road to Hell, yet his Divine Slaughter's Domain is completely different from Bibi Dong's. They are like two opposing sides of the same thing."

Qian Xunji's expression was grave, his fists tightly clenched. As one of those involved, he knew best that under Tang Hao's attacks, he and Ju Gui had possessed no ability to fight back at all. They could only passively endure the beating.

"So, Pope, Tang Hao's abnormality made you think of Bibi Dong?" Seventh Worship, Jiang Mo Douluo, asked.

"Yes. Bibi Dong may have undergone similar changes that we know nothing about. We cannot touch her for now. Besides... she is Little Xue's mother."

After hearing this, Golden Crocodile Douluo tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "Pope, you said Bibi Dong is filled with an evil aura. Why don't you father and son try to drive it out? Perhaps that aura is what caused her transformation."

"No!" Qian Daoliu refused decisively. "If what Xunji says is true, then Tang Hao may very well have received the aid of some power, just like Bibi Dong did. And Radiant Feather."

The Grand Elder called him out, and Radiant Feather Douluo's expression turned serious as well. "Yes. When Bibi Dong left Spirit Hall for Slaughter City, her Soul Power cultivation was only at the peak of Spirit Saint. Yet when she returned, she was already level eighty-four. We also have no idea how she obtained her eighth spirit ring. According to Spirit Hall's records, all soul masters' soul skills are sealed within Slaughter City. Their cultivation speed should naturally be suppressed as well. Yet Bibi Dong progressed at an astonishing pace in only a year, so..."

"The Rakshasa God!" After uttering those three words, Qian Daoliu's expression became grave. "According to Spirit Hall's records from a thousand years ago, the chaos caused by Evil Souls across the continent was brought about by the Rakshasa God. Our ancestors ultimately won that earth-shaking divine war, but there has never been any trace of the Rakshasa God's fate, whether dead or alive."

"Hiss..." The Worships all sucked in cold breaths. Of course they believed gods existed, but they had never truly seen one. Now that traces of a god had appeared beside them, it was still difficult to believe.

"It seems we should be more cautious!"

Radiant Feather Douluo pinched the corner of his clothes, then finally clapped his hands. "Then let's leave Little Dong'er's matter at that for now. Anything else? I still have to handle my good disciple's enrollment."

Are you really thinking about your disciple? Handling enrollment in the middle of the night?

They saw through him but did not expose him. They had worked together for so many years; Fifth Brother had always been like this. He alone kept the atmosphere in Worship Hall lively, so they might as well let him go.

"Speaking of Fifth Brother's disciple... Grand Elder, I heard you accepted him as your god-grandson?" Sixth Worship, Qian Jun Douluo, asked with an odd look in his eyes.

"Yes, he is a good child." Qian Daoliu smiled at the mention of Qian Yuxi and stroked his chin. "This old man thinks that the most correct thing Radiant Feather has done in recent decades was bringing Little Xi back from Cold Light Valley. When he was still an infant, this old man determined from the Sacred Aura on his body that he must possess an exceptionally powerful light-type martial soul. Yet even that was an underestimate. The surprise came too suddenly."

"Twin God-level Martial Souls, Innate Soul Power of level fifteen—Yu Xi's talent may even surpass Little Xue's. With such powerful God-level Martial Souls, his background cannot be simple. However, that child is definitely willing to remain in Spirit Hall."

"Why are you so certain, Father?" Qian Xunji asked in confusion.

Qian Daoliu rolled his eyes at him, gathered a thread of Soul Power in his hand, and smacked this disappointing son's head. Laughing as he scolded, "How would old fellows like us understand children's hearts? Especially girls' hearts. You spend all day managing Spirit Hall, and as for Bibi Dong... forget it. Over the past six years, who do you think has been keeping Little Xue company and letting her grow up happily?"

Qian Xunji rubbed the back of his aching head, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Why did he suddenly feel as though the little cabbage in his family had already been targeted before she had even officially celebrated her ninth birthday?

No matter how carefully you guard against thieves, you can never guard against the thief in your own house... Wait!

"Little Xue..." Qian Xunji's eyes suddenly lit up as he anxiously said, "Father, if I remember correctly, tomorrow seems to be Little Xue's ninth—"

Bang!

Qian Daoliu gave him another sharp knock on the head. "So you still remember that, do you? What do you think Radiant Feather hurried off to do just now?!"

"You can't compare to Tang Chen's grandson in cultivation, you couldn't even keep an eye on your disciple and nearly let some useless waste steal her away, and every day you leave your daughter for us old men to raise! What sin did I commit to end up with a disappointment like you?!"

"Father, Dad... don't hit my face!"

Whoosh!

As the Sky-Measuring Sword appeared, the other five Worships wisely hurried away, lest their eldest brother get worked up and beat them too.

It was better not to watch the father berate his son any further.

"Pope, just consider it punishment for what you did to Bibi Dong. In any case, the Grand Elder would never bear to beat you to death."

All the Worships silently mourned for Qian Xunji for one second.