When Spirit Hall said it would send Soul Douluos to transport them, not one of these people doubted it. They all believed them.
Now he could cash in on the reputation his old man had built, as his son.
Thinking this, Qian Xunji looked toward the area covered by the poisonous fog.
The purple fog looked extremely dangerous. The surrounding land had turned barren in an instant, and the plants were visibly withering and rotting.
The figures inside were now completely obscured.
"How effective is this poisonous fog? Could it kill a Titled Douluo?" Qian Xunji asked.
"This—this Poison Gas Bomb refined by Bian Que is mainly made from Poison Douluo's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor venom, with a tiny amount of Blood Swan Kiss. Its toxicity has been multiplied several times over, so it's definitely effective against Titled Douluos. It's just that it's too dangerous, so we've only tested it on Soul Beasts." Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had joined the Alchemy Hall, took the initiative to explain.
"Mm. Then how do we get them out and confirm whether they're dead?" Qian Xunji looked at Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"For now, the method is to use a Soul Skill to blow away the poisonous fog, then put on protective suits and take antidote pills before going inside." As he spoke, Chrysanthemum Douluo took protective suits and antidote pills out of a Space Soul Tool and handed them to a Soul Douluo, sending him inside.
Another elder with a wind-attribute Martial Soul used a Soul Skill to blow the two clouds of poisonous fog toward an unoccupied area.
The people inside were revealed. Yu Yuanzhen and the black-clad Tang Xiao had both collapsed. The exposed skin on their bodies had turned somewhat purple, and purple-black blood trickled from the corners of their mouths as their body temperatures continued to drop.
Rather than rushing to detoxify the two men, they bound them with chains made of fine iron and rare metals. Then they gave them the Specialized Soul Power Sealing Pills that Bian Que had spent the night making at Qian Xunji's request. After all that, the two men had only half a breath left, so they were finally given half an antidote pill.
As long as they didn't die, that was enough. If they fully detoxified them, they'd have to worry about them escaping.
"Your Holiness, we've captured everyone. What should we do with them now?" These people were all influential figures outside Spirit Hall, so Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't dare make the decision himself.
Qian Xunji replied without hesitation, "Send them to the Alchemy Hall and hand them over to Bian Que."
Why send them to the Alchemy Hall? Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't understand.
To test medicine? Using Titled Douluos and Soul Douluos to test medicine was far too extravagant.
Qian Xunji was unusually perceptive just then. He saw what Chrysanthemum Douluo was thinking. "What are you thinking? How could we use them to test medicine? Obviously, they're for refining pills!"
"R-refining pills?!"
Using people to refine pills? Wasn't that what Evil Soul Masters did?
The surrounding elders wore shocked expressions, while the prisoners struggled frantically when they heard this.
Even Qian Renxue, perched on Qian Xunji's head, curiously asked, "Dad, how can people be used to refine pills?"
"This is a method I came up with using my peerless wisdom. Martial Souls are inherited through bloodlines, so if I use these people, might I be able to develop Martial Soul Awakening Pills that can awaken their Martial Souls?" Qian Xunji smiled knowingly.
"Your Holiness, that's really..." Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't think it would work.
But Qian Xunji did.
In the end, Chrysanthemum Douluo could only say helplessly, "What a brilliant idea."
He hoped that Bian Que, that peerless young genius of alchemy in the Alchemy Hall, could withstand His Holiness's peerless wisdom.
The prisoners' faces turned green. Martial Souls were the foundation their families depended on to survive. If Spirit Hall really managed to research something, their families would be finished.
Three days later, Bian Que was dragged out of bed. Looking at the Titled Douluo and Soul Douluo prisoners in front of him and listening to his crazy Summoner's latest outrageous demand, all he wanted was to return to Honor of Kings Canyon. This man was beyond saving.
He was a pharmacist and alchemist, not an all-purpose wish-granting machine!
He was afraid that one day this Summoner, with his "peerless wisdom," would ask him to make an Invincibility Pill—the kind that made you invincible after you ate it.
The system was just as crazy. "His brain's not right. Why bother arguing with him? Just focus on making pills. Or is it your own fault for not working hard enough? If you'd cured him sooner, would any of this have happened?"
What right did the system—whose lightning strike had worsened its own host's condition—have to say something like that?
"By the way, System, where did you get the points to buy Qian Xunji all those medicines?" Bian Que remembered the medicines the system had given him before and asked curiously.
"Those points came from the newcomer gift packs left behind by my previous hosts." The system, which had killed 9,999 hosts, sounded a little melancholy.
"..." Bian Que stopped complaining.
Although the Summoner was crazy, at least he had a host now, so they could come out. Damn that ill-fated system—this was all its fault. It had made all these heroes wait with it for so long before they finally got a Summoner.
Bian Que felt like joining in the madness.
Spirit Hall Academy
The principal looked at the document personally issued and signed by His Holiness the Pope.
[Spirit Hall Academy Exchange Tournament Notice]
The names listed on it were Qian Renxue, Dongfang Jing, Xiang Yu, and Arthur.
"Your Holiness, even if you want to hold an exchange tournament, you should at least pick some older students!" He acknowledged the talent of Qian Renxue and the others, but they were far too young.
Looking at the number of participants, the old principal, whose beard had gone white after years of dedicated service at Spirit Hall Academy, once again wore an expression of pure anguish.
"Even if you're bringing younger students, you should at least put together a team of seven!"
You're sending four people to an exchange tournament. Are you expecting them to take on seven?
Meanwhile, their Pope had also arrived at Element City, home to the Four Element Academies.
The Four Element Academies included Godwind Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, Thunder Academy, and Skywater Academy. Each specialized in one of the four elemental attributes: wind, fire, thunder, and water.
But a fifth academy had suddenly risen to prominence: Elephant Armor Academy, which specialized in the earth element. It had been founded by the Lower Four Sects, and there were faint signs that Spirit Hall supported its entry into Element City.
This was also part of the effort to counter Thunder Academy, which was backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
At this stage, Elephant Armor Academy, an outsider in Element City, was constantly ostracized and targeted by the other elemental academies.
And now, Qian Xunji...
He wanted to cut in line!
Element City was extremely prosperous thanks to its academies, and there were many people coming and going. A long line had formed.
Qian Xunji looked at Dugu Bo behind him and took out his golden Pope's Decree. "Xiao Bo, can I use the Pope's Decree to cut in line?"
Dugu Bo felt helpless, remembering that he'd once been pushed around by a man like this. And this man was the Pope, no less. He'd really managed to get the better of him. Still, Dugu Bo replied, "I haven't stood in a queue since I became a Soul Elder, anyway."
"Are you proud of that, line-cutter?"
"..." You're jealous, aren't you? What's there to be jealous of? You're the Pope!
But...
It had seemed perfectly natural before. Why did it feel so embarrassing now that Qian Xunji had said it?
Dugu Bo found it a little strange.
Chapter 71: Element City
In the end, Qian Xunji entered without waiting in line.
Soul Masters had a special passage and didn't need to undergo inspection with ordinary people. Besides, Qian Xunji was dressed in white and gold papal robes, wearing the Pope's crown, and accompanied by a Titled Douluo. It was obvious he wasn't an ordinary person.
The guards at the city gate politely let Qian Xunji pass.
They'd been stationed here for years and had seen countless people come and go. They knew how to read the room.
As soon as Qian Xunji entered, he planned to head straight for Skywater Academy.
He'd start by testing the waters against the girls, then go to Blazing Fire Academy.
Poison Douluo, walking beside him, was dumbfounded by his aggressive attitude.
"Your Holiness, are you sure you're here for an exchange tournament?" After thinking it over, Poison Douluo finally asked.
"Of course!"
"Then have you sent an invitation or a letter in advance to arrange a time?" Poison Douluo felt that something was wrong. Not a single person had come to welcome Qian Xunji, the Pope.
The two sides should have arranged a friendly meeting in advance for an exchange tournament. Poison Douluo had never worked at an academy, but he'd seen enough to know that much.
"I did write one before we left..." Qian Xunji calculated the time.
"At Spirit Hall's processing speed, it should arrive tomorrow."
Don't think that was slow. Qian Xunji was a Titled Douluo. Apart from the time wasted capturing the people who'd ambushed them, he'd spent the rest of the journey flying with the children.
Poison Douluo had nearly failed to keep up several times.
"Dad, are we still going to the exchange tournament today?" Qian Renxue asked, holding Qian Xunji's hand.
Qian Xunji thought it over. "Let's skip it today. We'll look around and check out the Spirit Hall Branch in Element City. We can go tomorrow."
"Oh, did you drink your Health Milk today?" Qian Xunji asked.
He'd specially asked Bian Que to prepare the Health Milk so the little ones would grow strong and build up their bodies. It contained nutrients like camel milk, Whale Rubber, and calcium powder.
After twelve courses of treatment, they'd be ready to bathe in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The blonde little girl nodded. Her Space Soul Tool held a thermos of hot water and Health Milk so she could drink whenever she wanted.
The other three were very disciplined and didn't need Qian Xunji to remind them.
The two adults and four children wandered around Element City.
Because of the influence of the Four Element Academies, most of the Soul Masters in Element City specialized in the four attributes of fire, thunder, wind, and water. A small number specialized in the earth attribute, which had only become popular in recent years.
The streets were packed with people, and stalls lined both sides of the road. Some of the vendors were Soul Masters. Most of them weren't very good at fighting and made a living with their unusual Soul Skills.
Some performed acrobatics, transforming flames into all kinds of animals. One moment, the flames took the shape of a soaring phoenix; the next, they became a hunting tiger. It was quite a spectacle, but their attack power was laughable, making them useless in actual combat.
Some used their Soul Skills to create lifelike woven grass animals or beautiful flower garlands.
There was also a food-type support Soul Master selling little buns that let people float briefly. They were a bit pricey.
Qian Xunji bought one for everyone, after which the Soul Master decided to close up and go home. He'd used up all his Soul Power for the day.
Poison Douluo Dugu Bo looked at the scene and couldn't help thinking of his granddaughter, Dugu Yan. Maybe he should bring her along next time and show her around like this!
Chapter 72: The Holy Grail
Before you continue