Tasks on the Recruitment Card

However, Cao Mengde's weakness was that his martial soul itself possessed little combat power. Once separated from an army, he was no different from a Titled Douluo who had cultivated an auxiliary martial soul to a Title.

This was Cao Mengde's shortcoming, but to Qian Xunji, it was no shortcoming at all.

"Mengde, upon our first meeting, I shall bestow a sword upon you for self-defense." As Qian Xunji spoke, he took out the martial soul card, Golden Bamboo Light. He crushed it in his hand, and the card turned into motes of light that merged into Cao Mengde's body.

Cao Mengde froze slightly, then an incredulous look appeared on his face. Immediately afterward, he reached out and grabbed, and a golden sword fell into his hand.

This...

Cao Mengde had thought Qian Xunji would grant him a personal sword. He never expected that what he was given would actually be a martial soul.

"Thank you, Pope Your Majesty. Cao shall spare no effort to repay Your Majesty for the grace of this bestowed sword!" Cao Mengde said.

Qian Xunji looked at Cao Mengde. He did not know whether this Cao Mengde differed from the one in his impression. If he truly was that Cao Mengde, then he was surely a master of political schemes. Such a good card could not simply be left in Spirit Hall to retire; he had to be put to use.

As for how exactly to use him, that could wait until Cao Mengde became a Titled Douluo. For now, Cao Cao was merely a level 89 blank slate, without a single Soul Bone on his body.

"For the time being, stay in Spirit Hall and cultivate. Once your strength reaches level 90, I will find you a ninth Soul Ring," Qian Xunji said.

"Yes, Pope Your Majesty."

Elsewhere, after arranging for Cao Cao, Qian Xunji took out another task reward.

Future Recruitment Card: The host may use this card to travel to the future and recruit the corresponding Titled Douluo. Of course, every recruitment card has a corresponding recruitment task. The harder the recruitment card, the more powerful the person recruited.

Upon hearing the system's explanation, Qian Xunji turned over the Future Recruitment Card. The golden light on its surface faded away, revealing the image of a woman in a rose-colored dress, with long rose-colored hair.

An introduction was written above it:

Hua Qiang

Age: 51

Level: 96

Martial Soul: Hell Rose

Title: Rose

Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red

Soul Bone Configuration:

Introduction: A Titled Douluo born during the thousands of years after the main storyline of Douluo Continent ended and the Shrek Seven Devils ascended, when Evil Soul Masters wreaked havoc across the world. She deeply hated Evil Soul Masters and swore to eradicate them from the world, joining Shrek Academy. She was once one of the Shrek Seven Devils, but was expelled from Shrek Academy because she was dissatisfied with Shrek's passive response toward Evil Soul Masters, believing they should be bloodily suppressed. While investigating certain truths erased by the rulers, her stance changed. She came to revere the era when Spirit Hall ruled, and was wanted across the entire continent. In the end, she died with bitterness in her heart.

Recruitment Task: Rescue her while she is being besieged by several Shrek Titled Douluo.

Companions Allowed: 0

Task Difficulty: A+ Rank

Task Rewards: Rose Douluo's loyalty +100%, Immortal Grade Gold Dragon Accumulation Fruit, Immortal Grade Radiant Paradise Lotus, two Hundred Thousand Year All-Purpose Soul Bones

"So it isn't a direct summoning. I need to travel to the future and bring her back!" Qian Xunji said. "But system, aren't you underestimating me a little? Even if Shrek Academy develops well a thousand years from now, at most it will have a few Titled Douluo. An A+ rank difficulty? Are you looking down on me?"

Respected host, this rating takes into account the Shrek Seven Devils who have become gods. Although the God Realm restricts gods from descending to the lower realm easily, if Tang Hao and the others recognize you, there remains a possibility that Tang San may descend. This A+ rank difficulty was assigned in consideration of that risk.

After hearing the system's reminder, Qian Xunji immediately became wary. His abilities allowed him to roam freely across Douluo Continent, but in the future Douluo Continent, all living beings had a Pure and Chaste Tang God King standing above their heads.

Qian Xunji turned his gaze toward Hua Qiang, the Titled Douluo available for recruitment this time.

Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—her configuration was fairly good, the standard setup of a top-tier Titled Douluo.

Her talent was also exceptional. By the current standards of Douluo Continent, Tang Hao was presently the youngest Titled Douluo, having become one at forty-five. But could he become a level 96 Super Douluo six years later? Naturally, he could not.

Qian Xunji was even more embarrassing. He had become a Titled Douluo at around fifty. While that was not bad either, look at her—at fifty-one, she was already a level 96 Super Douluo. Others had exhausted their potential and were stuck at level 96, but Hua Qiang likely still had room to rise further.

If he could recruit her, his Papal Hall would effectively gain a combatant on the level of a Spirit Hall consecrated elder.

Respected host, would you like to begin future travel and head to the future time point to recruit Rose Douluo?

"Not for now. We will discuss it after I have finished my business," Qian Xunji said.

Qian Renxue still had her third Soul Ring to absorb. Once she had finished absorbing it, he would go recruit Hua Qiang.

The next morning.

Bibi Dong rose expressionlessly. Just as she dressed and prepared to leave, she heard sobbing from beside her.

Bibi Dong turned around and saw Yu Erlong lying on the bed, weeping. She suddenly thought of her past self, the helpless self whom Qian Xunji had locked inside the Secret Chamber. Disgust rose in her heart, and she could not help but say sarcastically:

"Even if you cry here from night till dawn, and from dawn till night, can you cry that bastard Qian Xunji to death?"

Yu Erlong wiped the tears from her eyes and said unhappily, "What do you mean?"

Bibi Dong sneered. "Crying is a sign of weakness. If you want to escape this situation, if you want Xiao Gang's safety to no longer be threatened, the only solution is to kill Qian Xunji and destroy the Angel Clan. If you want to kill him, you can only endure and wait for the right opportunity. As long as Qian Xunji lives, what use is there in crying your tears dry?"

After hearing Bibi Dong's reminder, Yu Erlong wiped away her tears and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Bibi Dong."

"What has happened cannot be changed. Though we are romantic rivals, we face the same problem. You want to escape Qian Xunji, while I want to escape the situation of being threatened by him and ensure Xiao Gang's safety. There is only one way now: kill that bastard Qian Xunji. Only then will no one in this world be able to threaten Xiao Gang again." Bibi Dong looked at Yu Erlong. "Let us work together."