Father, This Is the Will of God...

Qian Xunji flew up to Snow Empress and boldly took her ice-cold hands in his. His voice was impossibly gentle.

"That's my father. He... he's old, and his mind's a little set in its ways. He's a stubborn old man through and through, but he means no harm. Just now, he was... he was only overprotective of his son. He mistook you for an assassin who'd come to kill me."

Snow Empress looked at Qian Xunji. The tense killing intent in her ice-blue eyes slowly faded as she felt the warmth of his hand in hers.

She might have been proud, but she wasn't foolish. The strength that gray-robed old man had unleashed had made her tremble from the depths of her soul. And it wasn't just his strength; she had truly sensed Divine Power.

"You humans... really are all mad." Snow Empress gave a cold snort, but let Qian Xunji hold her hand without pulling away.

"Don't be afraid." Qian Xunji met her eyes, his voice more resolute than ever.

"I'm here today. No one will lay a hand on you. Remember what I said back in the Far North. This will be your home from now on. Nothing like what just happened will ever happen again. My father is actually... a pretty good person, really. Once you meet him, he'll definitely like you."

Qian Xunji pursed his lips, then added earnestly:

"Even if the sky falls, even if I have to turn against all of Spirit Hall today, I won't let you suffer the slightest injustice. Today, even if I die, you must live."

At his words, Snow Empress's delicate body trembled slightly. She looked at the man standing in front of her, daring to defy that terrifying powerhouse for her sake. The last trace of wariness in her heart finally melted like snow and ice.

She had lived for seven hundred thousand years and weathered countless storms. But here in the human world, in this unfamiliar, sacred place, Qian Xunji's almost obsessive devotion had struck the softest place in her heart.

"Come on. Meet my father." Qian Xunji took her hand and slowly descended to the ground.

All the way there, Qian Xunji never let go of her hand. Even under the shocked gazes of the Hall Guard Knights and the few offerings peeking out at them, he walked with unwavering resolve.

The main hall of Pope Hall was sealed shut.

Qian Daoliu sat on the throne at the head of the hall, gripping a teacup tightly in his hand. The cracks in the cup revealed the tumult in the heart of this Peerless Douluo.

The heavy bronze doors of Pope Hall slowly closed, cutting off the gossiping, astonished gazes of the offerings and elders outside.

Inside the hall, only Qian Xunji, Snow Empress, and Grand Pontiff Qian Daoliu remained.

The instant the doors shut completely, Qian Daoliu—who had just been so imposing, carrying himself like an unparalleled master—let the level-ninety-nine pressure around him drain away completely.

The pillar that steadied Spirit Hall suddenly looked like an ordinary old man. He rushed over to Qian Xunji in a few quick strides, grabbed his son by the sleeve, and lowered his voice, his face full of anguish.

"My son, you've lost your mind! What on earth are you thinking? She may be as beautiful as a celestial maiden, but her true form is a several-hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beast! You're the Pope of Spirit Hall, bearing the sacred bloodline of the Six-Winged Angel, and yet you... You're a beast-fucker!!!"

Qian Daoliu jumped up and down in his agitation, launching into an endless tirade. "Our Qian Clan has been a single line for nine generations. How am I supposed to face our ancestors after I die..."

The more Qian Daoliu spoke, the more worked up he became. He even brought out his backup plan for finding Qian Xunji another peerless human genius, completely ignoring Snow Empress's face, which had gone so dark it was nearly freezing over.

Qian Xunji stood there calmly. He even found time to straighten the sleeve his father had wrinkled. Once Qian Daoliu had nearly run out of breath, he slowly raised his head.

Qian Xunji's expression was solemn. He looked at Qian Daoliu with a deep gaze and spoke, word by word:

"Father, this is the will of God."

Silence.

An eerie silence.

Qian Daoliu's flailing limbs froze in midair. It was as if a whole roast chicken had lodged in his throat.

"The... the will of God?" Qian Daoliu shuddered.

The scene atop the walls of Jialing Pass flashed through his mind: the four ten-thousand-year black rings and five hundred-thousand-year red rings beneath Qian Xunji's feet, a feat that defied all reason. As a Grand Pontiff serving a Deity, he knew better than anyone that only a true Deity could break the continent's rules and forcibly raise the age of Spirit Rings! If an exalted Deity stood behind his son, then the choice he had made...

"Ahem... cough, cough!"

Qian Daoliu's anguished face underwent a transformation in a single second that could only be called a medical miracle.

He whipped around. All traces of the stance he'd taken to fight to the death against a Soul Beast had vanished, replaced by an incredibly warm, almost ingratiating smile.

He bowed slightly to Snow Empress, his tone so sincere it made one's scalp tingle. "Ah, so this was a divine decree from a great Deity! This... this is like the Dragon King's temple being flooded by the Dragon King's own waters. We're family, but we failed to recognize each other!"

"Miss Snow Empress, please forgive this old man for offending you just now. My eyes have grown dim with age, and I failed to recognize your peerless gifts. Please don't take it to heart!"

Qian Daoliu thumped his chest and swore, "From today on, you'll be Spirit Hall's most honored young madam! If anyone dares give you trouble in Spirit City—or anywhere on the Douluo Continent—I'll be the first to cut him down with the Angel Holy Sword!"

Snow Empress, standing to one side, was utterly dumbfounded.

Her ice-blue eyes were full of confusion and disbelief. This Ruler of the Far North, who had lived for seven hundred thousand years, had always thought human powerhouses were fiercely proud and rigid. But Qian Daoliu's shameless 180-degree turn today had left her speechless.

"The most powerful humans... are they all this thick-skinned?" Snow Empress stiffly turned to look at Qian Xunji, her voice tinged with deep self-doubt.

"Ahem. My father knows how to read the room." Qian Xunji cleared his throat and hurriedly steered the conversation back on track.

He walked over to Snow Empress, his expression turning serious.

"Snow Empress, my father's words may have been crude, but one thing he said is very real. Even though you now have a human form, your essence is still that of a Soul Beast. Walking among humans in a Soul Beast's body could attract the greedy attention of Titled Douluo at any moment. More importantly, the rules of the Divine Realm have completely barred Soul Beasts from becoming Deities."

At his words, Snow Empress's eyes dimmed slightly. That was indeed the executioner's blade hanging over her head, and the main reason she had finally agreed to leave the Far North.

"But don't worry. I promised I'd help you break free of your fate, and I have a way."

Qian Xunji turned his wrist, and the [Origin Power Converter], glowing with a soft, life-giving radiance, appeared in his palm.

"This divine artifact can completely and perfectly transform your Soul Beast essence into a pure human bloodline. You'll lose a little energy in the process, and your strength will temporarily drop a bit, but you'll retain most of your cultivation."

Qian Xunji looked at her, eyes blazing. "Most importantly, after the transformation, you'll be human through and through. The Divine Realm's trap for Soul Beasts will no longer affect you at all. You'll have the chance to condense a Godhead in a human body and ascend to the Divine Realm!"