It was an oppression that words could not describe.
If Bibi Dong's presence was that of a cold queen, mixing slaughter with authority, then this new aura was that of a god from above the clouds, looking down upon all living things.
Pure, vast, sacred.
Before this aura, whether they were Titled Douluo from Pope Palace or elders from Elder Hall, everyone felt as insignificant as dust.
They all reined in their auras in unison and leaned forward slightly, assuming the most respectful posture they could.
The killing intent Bibi Dong had directed at Demon Bear Douluo vanished in an instant.
She jerked her head up and looked toward Worship Hall. For the first time, profound wariness appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face, frozen for ten thousand years.
A flash of golden light.
An old man in a simple golden robe appeared soundlessly atop the platform.
He looked like an immortal, with a kindly face, as though he were merely an ordinary old neighbor.
But behind him, three pairs of pure white wings slowly unfurled, every feather flowing with sacred radiance.
He released no Soul Rings at all. Simply standing there, he became the one and only center of the world.
Spirit Hall's Great Worship, the level-ninety-nine Peerless Douluo, Qian Daoliu.
"Greetings, Great Worship."
Every Titled Douluo present, including the unruly Demon Bear Douluo and the distinguished Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos, dropped to one knee and pressed their right hands to their chests, paying the highest respect to Spirit Hall's true pillar of stability.
Bishop Sino and the Temple Knights around him bowed their heads so low they nearly buried them in the ground. Their bodies trembled violently with overwhelming reverence.
On the platform, only three people remained standing.
The Pope, Bibi Dong; the Great Worship, Qian Daoliu; and Su Chen, holding two Martial Souls.
Bibi Dong's fingers tightened around her scepter until they paled slightly.
Though she did not kneel, she bowed slightly to show respect for the old man.
"Great Worship, what brings you here in person?"
Qian Daoliu's gaze seemed to pierce through the void. It did not linger on anyone, falling directly on Su Chen and the two weapons in his hands.
When his gaze touched the Judgment Holy Sword, burning with golden sacred flames, his placid eyes rippled with violent emotion for the first time.
It was a sacred aura with the same origin as his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
In fact, in terms of quality, its purity and nobility seemed to faintly surpass even his Angel Martial Soul.
"What an Ultimate Light. What an Ultimate Fire."
Qian Daoliu spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, yet it rang through the depths of everyone's souls like the pronouncement of Heaven's Law.
He ignored Bibi Dong's question and the God-Slaying Magic Spear in Su Chen's left hand, walking toward the boy one slow step at a time.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo reflexively tried to step forward and shield the Pope, only to find their bodies pinned as if by a immobilizing spell. Under Qian Daoliu's aura, even moving a single finger was incredibly difficult.
This was the power of a Peerless Douluo.
One man could suppress the entire crowd.
Qian Daoliu stopped in front of Su Chen and crouched down, looking the six-year-old boy in the eye for the first time.
His gaze was gentle and kindly, filled with a senior's affection for a younger generation.
"Child, don't be afraid. Tell Grandpa, what is the Martial Soul in your right hand called?"
Qian Daoliu's voice held a power that soothed the heart.
Su Chen met his gaze calmly.
He could feel the kindly sacred power radiating from the old man before him trying to seep into his mind and establish a dominant connection.
But the divine-grade Martial Soul Origin within him was far too exalted to be moved.
"The Judgment Holy Sword."
Su Chen answered flatly, without a trace of the timidity one would expect from a child.
"Judgment..." Qian Daoliu repeated the word, the light in his eyes growing brighter. "It judges all evil in the world? Good. A fine name."
He reached out a wrinkled hand, intending to touch the holy sword.
Bibi Dong's icy voice rang out at that moment.
"Great Worship, I have already decided to take Su Chen as my personal disciple. He belongs to Pope Palace."
She had finally been unable to hold back.
She knew why Qian Daoliu had come.
That old man valued the inheritance of the Angel Martial Soul more than his own life.
The Ultimate Light Su Chen had displayed had touched his most sensitive nerve.
Qian Daoliu's hand halted in midair.
He slowly rose and turned to face Bibi Dong.
The kindly smile had vanished from his face, replaced by indifference.
"Bibi Dong, you possess Twin Martial Souls yourself. You should understand that biting off more than you can chew will only leave you choking."
Qian Daoliu's voice held no emotion. "This child possesses the purest attributes of light and holiness. His Martial Soul shares the same origin as my Angel lineage. Only Worship Hall can give him the best training."
"As for that thing in his left hand..." Qian Daoliu glanced at the God-Slaying Magic Spear, a trace of barely perceptible distaste flashing in his eyes. "It is merely the shadow born when light came into being. As long as he comes back to Worship Hall with me and undergoes the baptism of Angel Divine Power, I can find a way to cleanse this ill-omened Martial Soul and let him devote himself to the sacred path."
At the word "cleanse," Su Chen's gaze turned cold.
Cleanse?
His God-Slaying Magic Spear was a supreme divine-grade Martial Soul on par with the Judgment Holy Sword, representing Ultimate Darkness and ultimate destruction.
In this old man's eyes, it was nothing but an impurity that needed to be cleansed away?
Bibi Dong let out a cold laugh.
"Cleanse? Great Worship, have you grown senile? It's another top-tier Martial Soul, on par with the Judgment Holy Sword. Just because you look down on it doesn't make it worthless. You see only the holiness of light, but not this child's potential to wield darkness."
She took a step forward, facing Qian Daoliu head-on and refusing to yield an inch.
"The path of cultivating Twin Martial Souls is perilous beyond measure. Only someone who has walked it firsthand can understand. I can guide him in balancing the forces of light and darkness. You, on the other hand, will only cripple him."
Bibi Dong's words cut like a knife, striking Qian Daoliu where it hurt.
Qian Daoliu's expression darkened.
Her words had hit a gap in his knowledge.
He had cultivated the Angel Martial Soul his entire life, and his understanding of sacred power had long since reached its peak. But when it came to darkness and cultivating Twin Martial Souls, he truly knew nothing.
"Impudent!"
Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo appeared in the distance. He had been there for some time, but hadn't dared to act rashly in front of the Great Worship.
"Bibi Dong, mind your tone when speaking to the Great Worship!"
Bibi Dong did not even glance at Golden Crocodile Douluo. Her eyes remained fixed on Qian Daoliu.
The tension at the scene reached its peak.
The standoff between Spirit Hall's two highest authorities seemed to freeze the air itself.
After a long silence, Qian Daoliu suddenly laughed.
"You're right, Bibi Dong. When it comes to teaching someone with Twin Martial Souls, you do have more experience than I do."
At his words, even Bibi Dong was taken aback.
She had not expected Qian Daoliu to back down.
But his next words sent her heart plunging to the bottom.
"However, this child was born with Innate Full Soul Power of level twenty and possesses a divine-grade Martial Soul. Neither you nor I can decide where he belongs."
Qian Daoliu's gaze swept over the crowd. "He is the future hope of Spirit Hall and must receive the best training. So he will come back to Worship Hall with me."
"As for you, if you wish to teach him, you can come to Worship Hall at any time. I won't stop you."
His words sounded noble and reasonable, yet his overbearing, unquestionable intent was unmistakable.
He was going to take the boy right out of Bibi Dong's hands.
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