Second Grandpa, Time to Take Your Medicine

That bowl of soup was still bubbling.

Purple bubbles burst, releasing wisps of black smoke that seemed capable of warping space.

Qian Renxue stared expectantly, her beautiful Golden Eyes practically screaming, "Praise me, drink it, or I'll cry if you don't."

Qian Mo's Adam's apple bobbed.

This was no soup. It was clearly Meng Po's foot-washing water, forgotten on the Bridge of Forgetfulness.

After drinking it, forget an Auspicious Physique—even if the Angel God descended in person, he would need emergency treatment that very night.

"Big Sister, this is far too precious."

With a solemn expression, Qian Mo held up the massive bowl capable of poisoning a Titled Douluo with both hands, his gaze so sincere it nearly brought tears to one's eyes.

"As they say, an elder brother is like a father, and elders are as lofty as the heavens. How could I, a junior, enjoy the first mouthful of this 'God-Bestowed Essence' alone?"

Qian Renxue froze. "Huh?"

Just then.

A burly figure passed by outside the hall, humming a tune.

Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo had just finished inspecting the city defenses. In high spirits, he was about to return to the Worship Hall to play chess with the Great Worship.

The Spirit Power Fluctuation of a rank ninety-eight expert made him stride with the wind, carrying himself like a dragon and tiger.

Qian Mo's eyes instantly lit up like two giant lanterns.

[Passive Skill: Better a dead fellow Daoist than a dead poor Daoist, activated!]

"Second Grandpa!"

That shout carried the heartfelt affection of a long-lost biological grandson.

Holding the bowl, Qian Mo rushed out on his tiny legs and directly blocked Golden Crocodile Douluo's path.

Golden Crocodile Douluo paused, then his old face bloomed into a smile. "Well, if it isn't our Holy Son! What is it? Did you miss your Second Grandpa?"

"Second Grandpa, you've worked hard!"

Qian Mo held the bowl out before Golden Crocodile Douluo and declared righteously, "Big Sister specially used Angel Holy Fire to brew this bowl of 'Ten Thousand Longevity Great Tonic Soup' to reward you for your tireless work! I originally wanted to drink it, but when I thought of your hunched back—though you don't have one—my heart ached terribly! You have to drink this soup first!"

Qian Renxue, who had chased after him, halted in her tracks when she heard that.

So... her younger brother was this considerate?

Her eye sockets reddened.

What a wonderful younger brother! Even though he could not bear to drink it himself, he still wanted to show filial respect to an elder!

"Xue'er made it herself?"

Golden Crocodile Douluo was flattered beyond measure.

The Young Master had personally cooked? That was an enormous honor!

He lowered his head and glanced at the contents of the bowl.

The color was a little strange, the smell was a little harsh, and purple smoke was still rising from it...

But this was the Young Master's heartfelt gesture! It was the Holy Son's filial devotion!

"Good! Good child!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo declared heroically as he grabbed the large bowl. "Then this old man won't stand on ceremony!"

He tipped his head back.

Gulp.

He drained it in one go.

Qian Mo silently made the sign of the cross in his heart.

Amen.

Three seconds of dead silence.

Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression began to turn wonderfully colorful.

First, it became rosy—that was the blood rushing to his head.

Then it turned deathly pale—that was stomach cramps.

Finally, it became an eerie sickly green—that was his soul leaving his body.

"This taste... is a little... intense..."

Golden Crocodile Douluo opened his mouth, and a puff of black smoke billowed from his throat.

Then, a thunderous muffled rumble came from his abdomen.

Grrrrumble—!!!

His peerless rank ninety-eight cultivation could not suppress that prehistoric force rushing forth in an unstoppable torrent!

"Mo'er... Xue'er... This old man... this old man just remembered he left the gas on at home..."

Golden Crocodile Douluo clutched his backside as golden light erupted around him.

He did not use the door.

Because there was no time.

This Second Worship, who had once dominated the world, smashed through three reinforced palace walls and transformed into a miserable streak of golden light, shooting straight toward the latrine.

In his wake came a series of terrifying Sonic Booms.

Qian Renxue was moved to tears. "Second Grandpa ran so fast—he must be overflowing with strength after drinking the soup! Xiao Mo, there's still some in the pot..."

"Big Sister! I just remembered Grandpa has something urgent to discuss with me!"

Qian Mo grabbed the stunned Zhu Zhuqing, greased his heels, and vanished in an instant.

That afternoon.

With a dark expression, Qian Daoliu personally posted a seal across the kitchen entrance.

It bore eight large words:

[Qian Renxue and dogs are forbidden entry.]

Spring passed into autumn, and time flew like a white colt through a crack.

For Spirit Masters, three years were no more than the flick of a finger.

But for certain people on Douluo Continent, those three years had been years in which their worldview completely collapsed.

Spirit City, Royal Martial Arts Arena.

The enormous Arena Stage was surrounded by elite members of the younger generation.

Even Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, known as the "Golden Generation," stood at the edge of the arena with grave expressions, as though they were watching immortals battle.

At the center.

Two figures were clashing at high speed.

No, to be precise, a bolt of black lightning was frantically attacking a point of golden light.

"Netherworld Hundred Claws!"

A cold, delicate shout rang out.

Zhu Zhuqing was already nine years old.

Unlike the childishness of children her age, she had developed somewhat "illegally" thanks to the nourishment of countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

A set of Black Tight Leather Clothes outlined the budding curves of her maidenly figure.

The baby fat had faded from her face, replaced by a cold and breathtaking oval face.

A ghostly glow flickered in her catlike pupils, while three Soul Rings pulsed behind her.

Red, red, red!

Although she had yet to obtain her Fourth Soul Ring, this Soul Ring configuration alone was enough to scare Yu Xiaogang to death a hundred times over.

Even more terrifying was her speed.

A Crystal Clear leg bone on her left leg shone brilliantly.

[Hundred Thousand Year · Evil Spirit Orca Left Leg Bone Skill: Orca Shattering Fang Slash!]

A sky full of claw shadows tore through the air with piercing Sonic Booms, sealing off every possible route of retreat for her opponent.

At the heart of the storm.

Qian Mo kept one hand behind his back and strolled leisurely.

He was nine years old as well.

Dressed in a fitted white-and-gold outfit, he stood tall as a pine tree, and his handsome face made the female Spirit Masters at the edge of the arena forget to breathe.

Facing Zhu Zhuqing's relentless barrage, he had not even activated his Martial Soul.

A faint layer of golden light merely shimmered across his body.

[Hundred Thousand Year · Auspicious Beast Qilin Torso Bone Skill: Auspicious Beast Hegemony.]

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Claws capable of shredding metal and stone struck that thin layer of golden light, yet they produced crisp sounds like hammering iron and failed to leave even a white mark.

"Do you only know how to dodge?!"

Zhu Zhuqing was getting angry.

Three years!

A full three years!

Every day, she rose earlier than a chicken and slept later than a dog. Her Soul Power had soared to level forty, and she possessed three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones.

Yet she still could not even touch the corner of Qian Mo's clothes!

This guy clearly spent every day sunbathing, drinking tea, and teasing birds, so why was his Soul Power already level forty-five?

This was not scientific!

"Who said I was dodging?"

A mischievous smile curled at the corner of Qian Mo's mouth.

Just as Zhu Zhuqing's old strength had been exhausted and her new strength had yet to emerge.

He moved.

There was no flashy motion.

He merely took a simple step forward, yet it felt as though he had crossed space in a single stride.

"Caught you."

His low voice sounded beside her ear.

Zhu Zhuqing only felt her waist tighten.

The world spun around her.

The next moment.

Qian Mo had caught her around the waist. Her feet left the ground, and her entire body was pressed against his chest.

That long, strong hand was wickedly clasped around her Slender Waist.

The countless claw shadows instantly vanished.

The martial arts arena fell silent.

"Let... let go!"

Zhu Zhuqing's cold face instantly flushed scarlet. She struggled in his embrace like an enraged kitten with puffed-up fur.

"There are so many people watching!"

"If you lose, you accept the punishment. Peel grapes for me tonight."

Not only did Qian Mo not let go, he leaned even closer, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe.

At the edge of the arena.

"Crack."

The railing in Hu Liena's hand was crushed into powder.

She bit down hard on her red lips, and her eyes held three parts envy, three parts jealousy, and four parts bitterness.

"That spot... should have been mine..."

Yan beside her scratched his head. "Nana, do you want to practice wrestling? I can accompany you."

"Get lost!"

Just then.

A graceful and regal figure appeared out of thin air atop the platform.

Bibi Dong.

Time seemed to have left no marks on her face. Instead, it had only made her more captivating.

She looked at the two monstrous children in the arena, and a flash of satisfaction passed through her eyes.

"Alright, stop fooling around."

Bibi Dong spoke softly, yet her voice carried throughout the entire venue.

Only then did Qian Mo reluctantly release Zhu Zhuqing and set her down.

Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly adjusted her clothes, lowered her head, and stood before Bibi Dong as obediently as a quail.

"Mo'er, Zhuqing."

Bibi Dong stepped down from the platform, her gaze sweeping over the two of them.

"Both of your Soul Power levels have reached their bottlenecks."

"Zhuqing especially. You're level forty now. It's time to hunt for your Fourth Soul Ring."

At the mention of the Fourth Soul Ring, the corners of the surrounding Spirit Masters' mouths twitched.

Nine years old.

Soul Ancestor.

If word got out, those geniuses of the two great empires would probably hang themselves en masse.

"This time, I intend to take you to the Core Area of the Star Dou Great Forest."

Bibi Dong paused, and her gaze suddenly became somewhat teasing as she stared directly at Zhu Zhuqing.

"But before that..."

"Zhuqing, come with me to the Imperial Bedchamber."

Qian Mo's heart skipped a beat.

That look...

Why was it even more bizarre than when Qian Renxue had served up that bowl of poisoned soup?

It was the fanatical look of someone who wanted to dress you up like a doll.

"W-What are you doing?" Zhu Zhuqing sensed that something was wrong as well and instinctively shrank behind Qian Mo.

"I'm giving you a reward."

The corner of Bibi Dong's mouth lifted slightly, revealing an unfathomable smile.

"Mo'er, go back and wait for me first."

"Come to my palace tonight to inspect the results. I have a surprise for you."

With that said.

Bibi Dong swept her sleeve, and her Soul Power rolled up the utterly bewildered Zhu Zhuqing before vanishing from the spot.

Qian Mo was left standing alone in the wind, completely disheveled.

A surprise?

As long as it wasn't a fright, it would be fine.

Meanwhile.

On the outskirts of Soul Hunting Forest, far away in Nuoding City.

A youth in ragged clothes crawled out of the bushes, his face smeared with mud.

He carried a half-dead Mandala Snake in his hand.

"Teacher! I did it!"

Tang San excitedly raised his trophy and shouted at the middle-aged man who was still dry-heaving by the roadside.

"I finally broke through to Level 20! This is a four-hundred-year Mandala Snake!"

Yu Xiaogang wiped the sour fluid from the corner of his mouth and nodded approvingly. "Good! Excellent, Xiao San! A nine-year-old Soul Grandmaster—such talent is rare in this world!"

"Once you absorb this soul ring, you'll become a true genius!"

Master and disciple embraced and wept, feeling as though they stood at the peak of the world.

They had no idea.

That at the other end of this world.

Someone was about to treat Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts as snacks, picking and eating them at will.