Another Side Quest

"Mr. Su, you're nearly twenty this year, aren't you?" After a brief, somewhat awkward silence, Qian Renxue spoke again.

"Heh, eighteen."

She nodded at this and smiled politely. "I'll turn ten in three months. Having met such an unparalleled talent as Mr. Su today, I'd like to ask for your guidance."

Su Cheng immediately understood what she meant.

She wasn't convinced. She wanted a fight.

That suited him perfectly.

"It wouldn't hurt to offer some guidance." Su Cheng said calmly. "But whose descendant are you? I don't recall seeing you in Spirit City before."

Hearing how bluntly he spoke, a flash of anger crossed Qian Renxue's still somewhat youthful face.

"I only returned to Spirit City two days ago, so it's normal that you haven't seen me. I heard from Bibi Dong that Mr. Su has yet to agree to join Spirit Hall. I wonder if you dare make a wager with me?"

"What shall we wager?"

"If you lose, you'll voluntarily join Spirit Hall. How about it?"

At this moment, she was not afraid of revealing her Angel Martial Soul for the sake of this wager, because Su Cheng could not win.

Moreover, she wanted to go a step further and use this opportunity to make Su Cheng submit.

Qian Renxue could see the pride and arrogance buried deep within the bones of the man standing before her. Yet there was no questioning his ability. Regardless of his personality, if she could take him under her command, he would surely be of great use in the future.

The prouder a person was, the more he would feel inferior after being easily defeated by someone nearly ten years younger than himself.

Su Cheng did not refuse.

He did not even ask what would happen if he won, since it was a wager.

He merely asked, "Where shall we spar?"

Seeing how readily he agreed, Qian Renxue instinctively assumed that Su Cheng was looking for an excuse to join Spirit Hall, and that all his previous words had merely been an attempt to raise his own value.

Throughout their earlier conversation, Qian Renxue had never taken control of the pace. She had constantly been suppressed by Su Cheng's verbal offensives.

Now that he seemed to be showing signs of yielding, her restless emotions eased somewhat.

She even began considering whether she should go easy on him later.

After all, he would most likely become her subordinate in the future. It would not be good to go too far.

At worst, there's no harm in giving him the title of teacher. Qian Renxue thought to herself, her expression softening as well.

After all, she had had quite a few teachers since childhood.

The elders of the Worship Hall had all taught her at one point or another.

"There's a Martial Arts Arena outside the Worship Hall specifically for practicing Soul Skills. Mr. Su, follow me."

With that, she turned and left the Library Pavilion.

Su Cheng followed after her.

Side Quest obtained: Defeat Qian Renxue and completely make her submit.

Quest Reward: Martial Soul Talent Domain. (To be settled after all Main Quests are completed.)

At the same time, within the Worship Hall.

Golden Crocodile Douluo looked at the tall, imposing figure beside him. "Big Brother, Xiao Xue has gone to see that boy."

Qian Daoliu did not speak, merely nodding. Faint golden light flickered in his eyes as his gaze seemed to pass through the Worship Hall and toward the distant Library Pavilion.

At a Martial Arts Arena in Spirit City, Su Cheng and Qian Renxue stood facing one another.

Naturally, he could not sense Qian Daoliu watching from the shadows, but he had a general idea.

Even if they had not crossed paths today, that ninety-ninth-level Limit Douluo could not possibly pay no attention to his granddaughter.

If Su Cheng wanted to take Qian Renxue as his disciple, Qian Daoliu was someone he absolutely could not avoid.

Given that man's personality, he could compromise with Bibi Dong on many matters for the sake of his granddaughter and Spirit Hall. But if it involved his granddaughter, he would certainly fight with all his strength.

As the Angel God's inheritor with twenty levels of Innate Soul Power, and the future hope of the Qian Family, how could Qian Daoliu, guardian of the Angel God, not care?

His earlier decision to voluntarily relinquish authority and avoid internal strife with Bibi Dong did not mean he had no control over Spirit Hall.

On the contrary, the Worship Hall gathered all of Spirit Hall's top combat power. It could be said that nothing happening within Spirit City could escape his eyes.

Under the watchful gaze of two pairs of eyes hidden in the dark, the battle between Su Cheng and Qian Renxue began.

A thread of brilliant golden light lit up from Qian Renxue's body, starting from her forehead and instantly spreading over her entire body.

Two yellow and one purple Soul Rings appeared alongside it.

Not yet ten years old, Qian Renxue had already reached the cultivation of a Soul Elder above level thirty.

The transformation was not over yet.

As her Soul Rings appeared, her hair began to glow gold as well. A pair of pure white wings unfurled from her back, and her body slowly rose into the air, hovering a foot above the ground.

At the same time, a massive phantom with indistinct features appeared behind her. The only difference between the golden figure and Qian Renxue herself was that it had three pairs of wings—six in total.

Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul!

Compared to the dazzling spectacle of Qian Renxue unleashing her Martial Soul, Su Cheng appeared far more shabby.

A longsword covered in cracks was held in his right hand, with one yellow and one purple Soul Ring encircling it.

He silently activated a Soul Skill.

"First Soul Skill: Tenacity."

This Soul Skill came from a six-hundred-and-thirty-year-old Scaled Armor Beast. Its effect was simple: it could greatly enhance the toughness of his Broken Sword Martial Soul.

However, through his continuous development of it, this Soul Skill could not only strengthen the Broken Sword, but also increase his own defense. In particular, it greatly enhanced his flexibility, allowing him to dissipate a great deal of damage through vibrations.

Naturally, the changes appearing on his Martial Soul could not escape Qian Renxue's notice.

"A Soul Skill that enhances oneself?" Her delicate brows lifted slightly, and she seemed rather dismissive.

Yet her movements were not slow in the slightest.

Her Second Soul Ring lit up. A golden trail of flame stretched behind Qian Renxue as she shot toward Su Cheng like a meteor.

Dazzling golden light bloomed in unison with the golden phantom behind her. An overwhelming pressure, powerful and brimming with sacred aura, descended in an instant.

She was so fast that she nearly surpassed the limit of what Su Cheng's dynamic vision could follow.

The gap in their cultivation was still too great.

Su Cheng made no unnecessary movements, much less tried to meet her attack head-on beyond his means.

His feet shifted lightly, and his knees bent slightly.

His right hand raised the sword in an apparently slow but actually swift motion, taking a defensive stance.

This was the basic sword form he had practiced millions of times—Sword Brace.

At that moment, Qian Renxue's attack arrived as well.

As her First Soul Ring lit up, the golden halo around her body instantly gathered around her right fist. Dense golden light formed a massive round shield as she suddenly threw a straight punch at Su Cheng.

Yet that strike was blocked by the longsword he had raised.

However, Su Cheng was clearly struggling somewhat with this block. His right foot sank into the ground, while his left foot retreated a step.

Under the suppression of that immense force, his bent knees sank a little lower.

More than that, he also felt the unique nature of Qian Renxue's Soul Power.

At the moment of impact, a warmth flowed into his body through their Martial Souls. Within that sacred warmth, his own Soul Power actually showed faint signs of melting away. It was further suppressed, preventing him from exerting his full strength against her.

It could only be said that a super Martial Soul truly lived up to its name.

But Su Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he could successfully block the first strike, he had already won half this match!