Held in Qian Xunji's arms, Qian Renxue felt safe enough to wrap her arms around his neck. The gesture made Qian Xunji stop. With the girl in his arms, he had no free hand to direct his speech.
Suddenly, he had an idea, and a knowing smile spread across his face.
He lowered his head, lifted Qian Renxue above his head with both hands, turned her around, and set her down.
Qian Renxue was bewildered, but she sat down as he positioned her. Her view suddenly rose, and she breathed in the air of the two-meter-high world, her legs resting against Qian Xunji's chest.
Qian Xunji looked at his now-free hands and nodded with satisfaction, then glanced at Qian Renxue's position.
Another idea struck him. He took a golden, glowing halo out of his Space Soul Tool.
Opportunity favored the prepared. He'd had the halo specially made earlier, but it couldn't float above his head, so it wasn't impressive enough. He'd put it away.
Now, though, it was just the thing.
"Here, hold it like this. Yes, just like that. If your arms get tired, lower it for a bit. When someone comes, pick it back up, got it?" Qian Xunji instructed.
"Dad, is this some kind of special Soul Tool? What does holding it over my head do?" Qian Renxue asked curiously, examining the dazzling halo in her hands.
"Mm... It makes people more likely to believe what Dad says."
"R-really?" Qian Renxue sounded doubtful.
"Anyway, let's get down to business. Don't fuss over the little things. Dad's taking you to see something fun." With a grand wave of his hand, Qian Xunji set off again, accompanied by his little prop for looking impressive.
Before long, Qian Renxue started chattering.
"Dad, where are we going?"
"The Heaven Dou Empire."
"What are we going there to see?"
"Someone's coming to steal something from the Spirit Hall. Dad's taking you to beat up the bad guys."
"Why do they want to steal our things?"
"Because they're bad people."
"Oh!"
"But we have school tomorrow..."
"I've already written your excuse notes."
"Huh? But what should we write as the reason?"
"Well, I forgot..."
Watching the two of them leave, still chatting happily, Arthur smiled and followed. A little relaxation now and then wasn't a bad thing.
Qian Xunji had originally planned to bring the grandchildren of the offerings along too, but then decided that bringing too many children would be inconvenient, so he gave up on the idea.
Qian Daoliu knew his rebellious son was once again trying to use Xiao Xue to take advantage of him. After hearing the father and daughter's conversation, he had a vague idea of what was about to happen.
He didn't know the full story, though. He only assumed the Spirit Hall had received word and was making preparations in advance.
But why had he brought the other three children along?
Qian Xunji had no idea what Qian Daoliu was wondering. Otherwise, the answer he gave would surely have earned him a loving lesson in filial piety.
Of course... it was to kick down the door!
Qian Xunji was out of prestige points to spend on draws, so this was the perfect chance to earn a batch.
Chapter 69: The Secret Weapon
He brought the four little ones along on a grand "undercover visit."
A Peerless Douluo was also there to keep them safe.
Following information from his undercover agents, Qian Xunji had arrived early and waited some distance behind the ambush site, where he could see everything.
He spread out a cloth, laid out the feast he'd packed from Falling Devil Douluo's home, and handed a pair of chopsticks to Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, who was sitting beside him with a bewildered look.
"Bo, the poison zone's all set up, right?" Qian Xunji asked.
Poison Douluo's mouth twitched. He was beginning to suspect that the Spirit Hall's pope had something wrong with his head.
Was he really calling him "Bo"?
He glanced at the food laid out on the cloth, then at the row of children sitting nearby. Heh. They'd come out for a picnic.
Even so, Dugu Bo was shocked.
As a Titled Douluo, it wasn't difficult for him to sense the children's Soul Power Levels and ages.
Two eight-year-olds were thirty-eighth-level Soul Elders, while the other two eight-year-olds were both twenty-ninth level and could break through at any moment.
For a moment, Poison Douluo even wondered if his perception as a Titled Douluo had failed him.
If Qian Xunji had known Poison Douluo doubted his senses, he would've assured him that this was the power of doping.
Three or four Immortal Pills swallowed down, and your fate was yours to decide, not heaven's. Your level and aptitude shot right up.
And this still wasn't the ultimate version. The four eight-year-olds weren't physically strong enough yet. They hadn't eaten Immortal Pills made from Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, then soaked in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Who are they?" Dugu Bo took a deep breath and looked at the four little ones gnawing on lotus-leaf-wrapped chicken, asking with his eyes.
"They're my adopted children." Qian Xunji poked Qian Renxue on the forehead as she gnawed on a chicken leg.
"This is my daughter, Qian Renxue, the Angel God's successor. Don't underestimate her. She's the secret weapon that can summon a Peerless Douluo."
Dugu Bo's mouth twitched. He didn't think much of the exaggerated description and didn't believe it.
"The other three are Dongfang Jing, Xiang Yu, and Arthur!" Qian Xunji merely introduced the other three by name.
He couldn't be bothered to come up with introductions for them.
Suddenly, the sounds of battle came from far away.
"They've started fighting. Want to join in? You could even go undercover. They don't know you've joined the Spirit Hall yet." Qian Xunji swiftly packed up, wiped his and the four little ones' mouths, then lifted Qian Renxue, who was obediently holding the halo, back onto his neck. He couldn't forget his prop for looking impressive.
Looking at the little blond girl and halo perched on his head, Dugu Bo once again understood what Chrysanthemum Douluo meant by saying Qian Xunji was seriously ill. "No. I'll stay here and keep watch."
"Then we're off. Xiao Xue, remember to spread your wings later. It'll look better that way." Qian Xunji fixed his hair.
"Got it, Dad!" Xiao Xue nodded obediently, though she didn't understand what good that would do.
By the time Qian Xunji reached the ambush site, the two sides were already fighting.
Thunder Douluo, a black-clad man wielding a Clear Sky Hammer, and Soul Douluos from various factions had all joined in, lying in wait to ambush the Spirit Hall's convoy.
Following behind the Spirit Hall convoy were several Titled Douluo elders, along with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, who had advanced to Super Douluo.
The two sides had already finished their first exchange.
Thunder Douluo and his allies were being overwhelmed. Their faces were grim as they realized it was a trap and tried to retreat before it was too late.
But the Spirit Hall had clearly come prepared. They had more people, higher levels, and had formed a circle around them.
As the strongest Douluo on the attacking side, Thunder Douluo was being targeted by the two Super Douluos, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
However...
"Hasn't the Clear Sky Sect declared that it's closed to the outside world? What brings you here?" Chrysanthemum Douluo glanced distractedly at the black-clad man, who kept his face concealed and focused on breaking through the encirclement with his Clear Sky Hammer spirit.
He was a Titled Douluo too. The Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect elders had maintained secret contact, and Qian Xunji had discovered that they knew nothing about the Soul Power Breakthrough Pill or the Alchemy Hall.
There was only one person capable of keeping this information from them: Tang Yuehua's brother, the current sect master of the Clear Sky Sect.
He'd concealed the information and secretly come out alone to seize the Soul Power Breakthrough Pill.
He was skilled and bold. Considering his circumstances, it wasn't hard for Qian Xunji to guess why he'd done it: he wanted to claim the credit alone and improve the standing of his branch within the Clear Sky Sect.
That was typical of the Tang family.
Tang Chen had become the Slaughter King in Asura City, and no one in his family knew. His grandson, Tang Hao, had passed through Asura City without realizing the other man was his own grandfather.
Tang Hao had married a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast without telling anyone in his family, either. Then, without a word, he'd claimed that he alone would take responsibility and disappeared, abandoning his home and leaving the Clear Sky Sect to deal with the fallout.
The Clear Sky Sect followed the same tradition: they'd shut themselves away and let their subordinate sects take responsibility for everything.
They loved showing off and having fun, but whenever trouble arose, they ran. That was the Tang family for you. You always had to be on your guard around them.
"You attacked the Spirit Hall and now you think you can just leave?"
Qian Xunji strode through the air, dressed in his white papal robes trimmed with gold. He liked this outfit. It wasn't as practical as his armor, but wearing these robes when giving a speech made it easier to earn prestige and persuade people.
"Qian Xunji, was this pill delivery a trap?" Yu Yuanzhen shouted. He showed not the slightest embarrassment at being caught doing something wrong. He even managed to blame his victim, as if he were in perfectly good spirits and didn't want to trouble himself at all.
"Trash. You came to rob us, then blamed the Spirit Hall for being too strong when you failed. You're weak and poisonous." Qian Xunji launched into a string of insults that didn't match his dignified appearance, catching everyone completely off guard.
"Forget it. What's the point of talking to a bunch of robbers? Take them down." Qian Xunji frowned, his mood for making a grand speech completely gone. What a buzzkill.
"Yes, Your Holiness." The elders answered and charged in, not letting the pope's profanity distract them. This was a one-sided fight to begin with.
They would've taken the enemy down already if Qian Xunji hadn't told them to hold back.
Seeing their opponents charge, Thunder Douluo and the masked Tang Xiao both tensed. Yu Yuanzhen cursed Qian Xunji for attacking without warning and making him lose face, while Tang Xiao cursed Yu Yuanzhen for being an idiot and provoking the other side.
They exchanged a glance and tacitly unleashed their full strength, charging in opposite directions to split the enemy's attention and break through the encirclement.
Seeing which way the two were running, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo both eased off. One dodged Tang Xiao's Explosive Ring, while the other avoided Yu Yuanzhen's charge in his Dragon Transformation state.
Neither continued the pursuit.
Yu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiao were a little confused, but they had no time to think about it. They could only keep running with all their might.
As the two reached their respective spots, two clouds of green poison suddenly burst into view and engulfed them.
Chapter 70: Dugu Bo Felt Something Was Off
Looking at the prisoners bound tightly in front of him,
Qian Xunji couldn't help thinking again: this was what reputation was all about!
Before you continue