Qian Xunji slapped his thigh and immediately wrote two characters on the parchment: "Snow Empress."
Snow Empress, the Heavenly Snow Woman born from the convergence of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, was no ordinary physical Soul Beast. Not only did she possess the Ultimate Ice attribute,
but in terms of talent and strength, she could crush 99 percent of the creatures on the continent.
Most importantly, her history was as spotless as the snow of the Far North.
She had spent countless years deep in the polar region, untouched by the mortal world. She was cold and pure by nature, with no messy history whatsoever.
As for that whole mess with Huo Yuhao in the original story, it was still a full ten thousand years before Huo Gua would be born.
Now that he was here, the Dai Clan might not even exist in the future, let alone Huo Yuhao.
"Right! How could I have forgotten her?"
"Perfect. She's simply the perfect candidate for the position of Papal Lady right now."
Qian Xunji excitedly tossed aside the quill in his hand and stood up.
Since the old man was so eager for a grandchild, and the system had offered such generous mission rewards, then as Pope, he had to make a trip to the Far North, no matter what.
The next morning,
inside the Pope's bedchamber, after washing up, Qian Xunji changed into a relatively understated yet luxurious white outfit trimmed with gold. He stood before a floor-length bronze mirror, stroking his chin as he studied his reflection.
"Mm, with this face and this bearing, my looks are definitely up to snuff for a matchmaking visit to the Far North."
Before setting out, Qian Xunji didn't order the old men of Elder Hall to assemble.
If he brought Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo along with five or six Super Douluo, each of them now at level ninety-eight or ninety-nine thanks to their skyrocketing strength, and they went charging over in a great uproar... then he could pretty much forget about Snow Empress.
If he showed up at her door for the first time with a group of murderous old geezers whose heads were full of nothing but muscle,
Snow Empress probably wouldn't even bother listening. She'd just unleash Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless and hack him to pieces.
That would be terribly impolite and damage the image of his own radiant and imposing self as Pope.
When it came to pursuing a girl, the key was to take things one step at a time and show her what he was worth.
Of course, confidence was one thing, but there was no way he could show up empty-handed. He had to demonstrate the resources backing him as Pope.
With that in mind, Qian Xunji opened the door and strolled over to Elder Hall.
Today, Qian Daoliu had, for once, set aside his concerns over Spirit Hall. Instead, he was in a good mood, trimming a precious potted plant in the corner of the hall with a small pair of scissors.
"Father." Qian Xunji walked up and greeted him with a beaming smile.
"Oh, Ji'er's here."
Qian Daoliu set down the scissors and turned to size his son up. "Why are you dressed so smartly?
Not wearing your papal robes? Are you heading out?"
"Yes, I'm going on a long trip." Qian Xunji didn't beat around the bush. He got straight to the point.
"After hearing your advice last night, your son thought long and hard. I've decided to put marriage on the agenda. I've already found a suitable candidate, and I'm setting out now."
"Clatter."
The small scissors fell right out of Qian Daoliu's hand, and the old man's eyes instantly widened like copper bells.
"R-really? You're not pulling my leg, are you? Which family is the girl from? One of the Upper Three Sects? Or the imperial family of one of the Two Great Empires?"
"Neither." Qian Xunji smiled mysteriously.
"The one I'm looking for has exceptional talent and tremendous strength, and her history is absolutely spotless. But she lives somewhere rather remote and has a cold temperament, so she probably won't be easy to pursue.
"That's why I've come to ask you for something to help me make a good impression."
"Something to borrow? Anything at all—just tell me!" Qian Daoliu was so excited he could barely get his words out.
"It's not that dramatic. I just want a keepsake from the Angel God Ancestor."
Qian Xunji's eyes gleamed. "Preferably something that represents the will of the gods. And I'll have to trouble you to infuse it with a little more pure Angel Divine Power."
Qian Daoliu froze for a moment.
"What do you need the ancestor's keepsake for?"
"I have to let the lady see what our family is made of, don't I?" Qian Xunji raised an eyebrow and launched into his sales pitch.
"The one I'm after has exceptionally high standards. Ordinary worldly possessions won't catch her eye. I need to bring something imbued with divine radiance."
Qian Daoliu was baffled at first, but he quickly caught on.
For those top-tier powerhouses, gold and silver were meaningless. Only "godhood" was a truly irresistible temptation.
"You little rascal, you've got it! That's a brilliant move."
Qian Daoliu burst into laughter and flipped his hand without hesitation. A token made entirely of red gold appeared in his palm, carved with the image of a Six-Winged Angel and radiating a sacred, imposing aura.
"This is the Angel God Token. It's normally only used to begin the Angel God Trial, and it contains a trace of the divine power left behind by the God Ancestor."
As he spoke, Qian Daoliu's expression turned solemn. The immense Soul Power of a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo surged forth without restraint, and he infused it with a trace of Angel Divine Power as well.
He poured power into it for the time it took an incense stick to burn. Only when the Angel God Token began to emit a strained hum did Qian Daoliu stop.
"Take it." Qian Daoliu wiped the sweat from his forehead and shoved the token into Qian Xunji's hand, speaking with grand confidence.
"Let her see what the number one force on the continent is made of!"
"Thank you, Father."
Qian Xunji happily stowed the Angel God Token in his storage ring. With this thing, no matter how icy Snow Empress's temperament was, she'd have to sit down and hear him out.
Qian Xunji returned to his bedchamber, locked the door, and summoned the system in his mind.
"Resources alone aren't enough. I need a proper gift for our first meeting, too.
"System, open the shop. Filter for the finest ice-attribute treasures, then pick out a few other things."
A translucent blue screen unfurled in an instant.
Qian Xunji currently had a hundred thousand Subversion Points in his account, so he had plenty of confidence.
He rummaged through the [Heavenly Treasures] section, until his eyes finally settled on a box radiating a deep-blue chill.
[Douluo Planet Companion Profound Ice Marrow Core (极品)]: A source crystal formed from the cold accumulated since the birth of Douluo Planet.
It contains an exceptionally pure ice-attribute energy. For ice-attribute Soul Beasts, it is an unparalleled treasure that can break through cultivation bottlenecks and help them resist heavenly tribulations. Price: 30,000 Subversion Points.
"That's the one!"
Qian Xunji snapped his fingers and redeemed it immediately.
Snow Empress had a cultivation of seven hundred thousand years, but Soul Beasts faced a heavenly tribulation once every hundred thousand years, and each one was more terrifying than the last.
The energy contained in this Douluo Planet Companion Profound Ice Marrow Core was definitely the divine treasure Snow Empress desired most right now, and the one she'd find hardest to refuse. She might not even have seen one before.
Even a female Soul Beast who had lived for seven hundred thousand years was still, at her core, a female creature. The pursuit of "beauty" was written into her DNA.
Qian Xunji opened the [Miscellaneous] section and set the filters to: luxurious, breathtaking, top-quality materials.
Before long, a dress so dazzling that even a grown man like Qian Xunji was nearly blinded popped up.
[Ice Dream Fairy Feather Divine Dress]: Woven by the system from silk spun by Nine Heavens Ice Silkworms, accented with the colors of the aurora and fragments of stars. It stays spotless, withstands both water and fire, and adjusts itself to the wearer's figure and temperament.
When worn, it produces the effects of "lotuses blooming with every step" and "surrounding the wearer with ice and snow." It can also shift at will between seven different luxurious styles. It offers no defensive power whatsoever; its whole purpose is to make its wearer the most beautiful and ostentatious person in the universe!
Price: 20,000 Subversion Points.
"Twenty thousand for an outfit with no stat bonuses? System, your money-grabbing tricks are starting to look more and more like Tencent's."
Qian Xunji grumbled, but his finger pressed the "Redeem" button with complete honesty.
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