This is just a drill, repeat, this is just a drill

Qian Xunji's cinnabar brush paused abruptly in his hand, his expression shifting drastically.

He knew this aura all too well; aside from that Ruler of the Far North, there was no one else in the entire continent who could possess it!

Before he could even rise to his feet, a roar that shook the heavens erupted from outside the hall, the sound saturated with the magnificent, divine might of a level-99 Peerless Douluo:

"Damnable beast! How dare you run wild in my Martial Soul Hall! Do you truly think my Martial Soul Hall is devoid of masters?"

Qian Daoliu's voice boomed across the horizon like rolling thunder. Immediately following it, a holy golden light, no less intense than the cold wave, surged into the sky, forcibly tearing a gap through the wind and snow covering the heavens.

"Even if your age is profound and your cultivation heaven-defying, is the foundation of my Martial Soul Hall something you can fathom?"

Qian Daoliu's murderous voice rang out once more, the tone unexpectedly laced with the fierce, protective instinct of an old father:

"Today, this old man shall take action personally. I will slay you, claim your bone, and help my son take another step forward. Prepare to die!"

"What the hell!!!"

Qian Xunji's heart skipped a beat, and the teacup in his hand nearly flew out of his grip.

It was over! Everything was a complete mess!

His old man had mistaken the Snow Empress for a wild Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast delivering itself to his doorstep. He had originally planned to wait for her arrival and find a gentle, subtle opportunity to introduce her to the old man, but this woman was just as stubborn—she had likely flown into Martial Soul City with a grand, unbothered air, walking straight into the old man's line of fire!

Qian Xunji stomped his foot against the ground, his entire body transforming into a streak of golden light. He shattered the side window of the great hall and shot into the clouds in an instant.

"Father, stay your hand!!!"

Qian Xunji flew into mid-air and took a steady look, his heart turning cold.

In the vast plaza before the Pope Hall, Qian Daoliu stood suspended in the air. Behind him, the massive avatar of the Six-Winged Angel radiated a blinding golden light, and the Holy Sword, condensed from pure divine power, was already raised high. A destructive pressure had locked onto the target opposite him.

Opposite him, the Snow Empress stood in white robes as pure as snow, her silver hair dancing wildly. Under the crushing pressure of the Martial Soul City home-field advantage, her cold, beautiful face was etched with determination.

Though she knew this place was teeming with experts, the pride of the Ruler of the Far North would never allow her to bow her head. At this moment, her [Snow Dance Shining Sun] domain was fully unleashed. The aura of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Abyss clashed violently with the holy light, causing tiny black cracks to appear in the surrounding space due to the collision of these two extreme forces.

What was even worse was that the Worship Hall and Elder Hall below had been completely stirred into action.

Golden Crocodile Douluo, Thousand Jun, Falling Devil... a whole row of Title Douluo-level powerhouses had arrived in full force. One by one, they were rolling up their sleeves, their Martial Soul Possession active, staring at the Snow Empress with predatory hunger.

In their eyes, this was no beauty; she was a walking, peerless soul bone of the highest quality and the greatest age!

"Ji'er? You've come at the perfect time!" Qian Daoliu caught a glimpse of Qian Xunji from the corner of his eye. Instead of holding back, he let out a loud laugh.

"Watch as your father captures this beast for you! With such high cultivation, its soul bone will surely be of top-tier quality, and it will certainly benefit your grand undertaking of attaining godhood!"

Hearing this, a cold glint flashed in the Snow Empress's ice-blue eyes. The Emperor Sword had already taken shape, signaling her intent to go down fighting.

"Father! Stop! Quickly, stop!"

Qian Xunji used a teleportation technique to block the center of the two clashing auras, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

He knew that if they truly fought, even if the Snow Empress managed to escape, she would never set foot in the gates of Martial Soul Hall again. How was he supposed to play out this script if his future daughter-in-law was engaged in a life-or-death struggle with her father-in-law before she even entered the family?

He took a deep breath, hurriedly channeled his soul power, and employed a technique to focus his voice into a thin line, piercing it into Qian Daoliu's ears like a needle:

"Old man, please retract your divine power! Stop fighting! That is my wife! The daughter-in-law I brought back myself!!!"

"Cough... cough, cough, cough!!!"

Qian Daoliu, who was just about to swing his sword, froze mid-motion. The majestic phantom of the Six-Winged Angel trembled violently in the air, nearly collapsing on the spot.

For the first time, a truly spectacular expression appeared on the face of the peerless expert who usually remained as calm as an ancient well.

He widened his wise, old eyes and turned his head stiffly, looking at the son blocking his path, then at the woman opposite—who, despite her ethereal coldness, possessed a demonic aura... no, a soul beast aura so heavy it could have knocked out an ordinary Title Douluo.

Although the Snow Empress was in human form, as a level-99 Limit Douluo, Qian Daoliu could see clearly that this fundamental aura was absolutely not human!

"You... what did you say?" Qian Daoliu transmitted his voice back, his tone slightly distorted.

"Ji'er, don't joke with this old man! This... this is clearly... a damnable beast...! She is a soul beast, and one that has lived for hundreds of thousands of years at that! You want this old man to hold a soul beast grandchild?"

"Old man, I'll explain everything to you slowly later! In any case, you absolutely cannot make a move now. She is thin-skinned; if you actually hurt her, your son will truly be a bachelor for the rest of his life!" Qian Xunji pleaded in a hurried tone.

Qian Daoliu's feelings at this moment could only be described as a complex mix of everything. He looked down at the various worshippers waiting to watch the show and ready to claim credit, then back at the Snow Empress in mid-air, who was as cold as frost and looked ready to self-destruct at any moment.

Though he had a thousand questions and even wanted to crack open Qian Xunji's skull to see if it was filled with mush, as the pillar of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Daoliu knew he could not falter now.

The Pope's fiancée was a hundreds-of-thousands-year-old soul beast? If this news were confirmed and spread, the righteous image Martial Soul Hall had just established would collapse in a heartbeat.

Qian Daoliu took a deep breath, reluctantly retracting the world-destroying Holy Sword in his hand, and his Martial Soul avatar vanished into thin air in an instant.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression returning to that unfathomable indifference. He spoke to the stunned worshippers and elders below in a calm and authoritative tone:

"Very well, today's surprise drill is concluded. The reaction speed of you worshippers and elders is acceptable, but your vigilance still needs to be strengthened."

The crowd below: "???"

Golden Crocodile Douluo scratched the back of his head, looking completely bewildered:

"Big Brother, this drill... wasn't it a bit too realistic? That cold air even froze my eyebrows off; how can this be a drill?"

Qian Daoliu swept a cold glance at him, and Golden Crocodile Douluo instantly shrank his neck and shut his mouth.

"Ji'er, bring this... this honored guest and follow this old man into the hall." Qian Daoliu did not look at the Snow Empress again, though his tone carried an irrepressible urgency. He turned and descended first to the main entrance of the Pope Hall, walking inside with long strides.

It was a back that waited for Qian Xunji to come and face the music.

Qian Xunji let out a long sigh of relief, feeling his legs go slightly weak. He turned around to look at the Snow Empress, who remained full of caution, her body still flickering with cold air, his heart filled with apology.

"Snow Empress... I am sorry."