Refined Egoism in the Name of Love

Only eight thousand years? My two All-Purpose Soul Rings had been wasted for nothing. Qian Xunji responded to the Old Man. As he continued watching, the Old Man understood.

Even at the eight-thousand-year mark, Qian Renxue had yet to reach her limit. Qian Daoliu was stunned as well. He stopped speaking and quietly watched the changes in Qian Renxue.

When the Soul Ring shifted from deep purple to pale black, Qian Daoliu's breathing caught. He stared at Qian Renxue in disbelief, yet the Soul Ring's age continued to rise.

At the twenty-thousand-year mark, Qian Renxue began to feel a trace of pressure, but she could still endure it.

By the twenty-five-thousand-year mark, sweat began seeping from Qian Renxue's pores.

At the thirty-thousand-year mark, Qian Renxue finally reached the edge of her limit. As streaks of blood began seeping from her pores, Qian Daoliu urgently said:

"Enough, enough, Xue'er. This is enough. You've already done amazingly well."

Yet Qian Renxue still refused to stop raising it, only halting when its age reached thirty-one thousand four hundred years.

"Thirty-one thousand years. That's already equivalent to the age of a seventh Soul Ring for other Titled Douluo," Qian Daoliu said as he stroked his beard.

Once the Soul Ring had fully condensed, the Six-Winged Angel Spirit appeared behind Qian Renxue. Two black Soul Rings circled the angel, and this black Soul Ring rose to join them.

Qian Daoliu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sight.

"Xue'er, what's going on? Grandpa remembers preparing two hundred-year Soul Rings for you," Qian Daoliu said in shock.

Qian Renxue cautiously glanced at Qian Xunji. After he nodded, she said, "The two Soul Pearls Dad gave me increased my Soul Rings' ages by ten thousand years, which is why I have two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings."

Qian Daoliu turned his gaze toward Qian Xunji. Qian Xunji said, "Old Man, it isn't convenient to explain this right now. Let me put it this way: after Tang Hao gave me a beating last time, I awakened a divine trial as well, though it's different from the Angel God's divine trial."

"A divine trial?" Qian Daoliu stroked his beard and said, "Although I can't sense any divine power from you, Brat, that is currently the only explanation."

Qian Daoliu said excitedly, "It seems the Qian Clan will soon have two gods in one family."

Tang Chen, your grandson may be impressive, but my son has already received a divine trial. Even if I can't surpass you, my son and granddaughter will become gods before you do.

"Grandpa, could you leave first? I have something I want to ask Dad," Qian Renxue said.

The moment Qian Daoliu heard Qian Renxue's words, he froze into stone.

His granddaughter had forgotten Grandpa now that she had Dad's affection!

"Grandpa, I really do have something to ask Dad," Qian Renxue said helplessly.

"Fine, fine, fine. Grandpa won't listen. Grandpa will leave first." With that, Qian Daoliu flashed away in a streak of light.

Only Qian Xunji and Qian Renxue remained in her bedroom.

"Go on. What do you want to ask me?" Qian Xunji asked.

Qian Renxue struggled with herself for a long while before finally deciding to say it.

"Dad, I had a dream."

Qian Renxue then began telling Qian Xunji about the dream. She had dreamed of a Saintess who fell in love with *, secretly pledged herself to him for life, and planned to elope with him. On the night they were to flee, the Saintess felt it would be wrong to leave without saying goodbye, so she went back to tell her teacher. Who could have known that her teacher would undergo a drastic change in temperament, imprison the Saintess in the Secret Chamber, and #%& the Saintess, and then—

The more Qian Xunji listened, the more familiar it sounded. Isn't this fucking talking about me? No, wait, my predecessor?

"Who told you this?" he asked with a frown. This was Qian Xunji's dark history. How could it be told to such a pure child? It would corrupt children, you know?

Bibi Dong was the first person Qian Xunji thought of.

"No, Dad, no one told me." Qian Renxue said, "I've been staying in the Angel Temple this whole time. It's just that lately, I've kept having dreams about Mom."

"Dreams?" Qian Xunji looked at Qian Renxue. She did not seem to be lying. He pondered carefully. Who had spoiled this for Qian Renxue? Could that All-Purpose Affection Card have stabbed me in the back???

"Ahem!" Qian Xunji coughed twice and asked, "Then, Xue'er, do you think that teacher was the one in the wrong?"

Qian Renxue said, "I'm not sure. What the teacher did was indeed excessive, but Xue'er feels it may not have been entirely the teacher's fault either."

Although this revelation had caught Qian Xunji completely off guard, it was better for Qian Renxue to learn about it now than suddenly find out someday in the future. In the original ending, Bibi Dong told Qian Renxue everything before her death, directly destroying Qian Xunji's image in Qian Renxue's heart. That would not do.

Qian Xunji asked, "Then if one day you met someone you loved, would you abandon everything—your family, all that you had—for your love, and spend the rest of your life with that person?"

Qian Renxue shook her head. "No. Xue'er would never abandon Grandpa, Dad, or Mom."

After saying that, Qian Renxue asked, "Are you talking about that Saintess?"

"Yes," Qian Xunji said. "Have you ever considered this? That Saintess was raised by this faction from childhood. This faction gave her the best education, helped her hunt Soul Rings, and as the Saintess, she enjoyed authority countless people could only dream of—"

"But behind authority come obligations. One cannot discard obligations while speaking only of rights. If a faction raised you, then you must repay the faction that raised you."

"She fell in love with a man from a faction hostile to this one, brought him into this faction, and even revealed countless secrets to him—the names of the Seven Great Elders, your Angel Divine Armor, and so on. Isn't that a betrayal of the faction that gave birth to and raised you?"

"Abandoning the obligations I ought to bear for love—that is refined egoism wrapped in love."

As he spoke, many figures who had played major roles in the original work flashed through Qian Xunji's mind.

Bibi Dong, Tang Hao, Tang Chen.

Qian Renxue fell silent. In her dream, she had heard of Bibi Dong's unbearable past. Though she sympathized with what Bibi Dong had endured, after hearing Qian Xunji's words, she could not help but think further.

She was someone with Twin Martial Souls. Spirit Hall had raised her to this point, and when she grew up and wanted to pursue her own love, if that teacher had fulfilled her wishes with her lover, would such an ending truly be good?