Father, This Is God's Will

Qian Xunji flew before the Snow Empress and, emboldened, took her ice-cold hands into his own, his voice softening to an unprecedented degree.

"That was my father. He... he is getting on in years, and his mind is a bit rigid. He is a dyed-in-the-wool old stubborn mule, but his heart is not evil. What he did just now... it was out of a protective instinct for his son; he mistook you for an assassin sent to kill me."

The Snow Empress looked at Qian Xunji, the tight, murderous intent in her ice-blue eyes finally beginning to dissipate after feeling the warmth of his palms.

Though she was aloof, she was not foolish. The power the gray-robed old man had unleashed moments ago made her tremble from the soul; not only was his strength peerless, but she had truly sensed the presence of divine power.

"You humans... you are all lunatics." The Snow Empress let out a cold huff, yet she allowed Qian Xunji to hold her hand, making no move to pull away.

"Don't be afraid." Qian Xunji looked into her eyes, his tone firmer than ever before.

"With me here today, no one can touch you. Remember what I said back in the Far North: from now on, this is your home. What happened just now will never happen again. My father is actually... he is a good man, truly. Once you get to know him, he will surely like you."

Qian Xunji pursed his lips and added with earnest gravity:

"Even if the sky were to fall, even if I had to turn against the entire Martial Soul Hall today, I would never let you suffer the slightest grievance. Today, even if I were to die, you must not."

Hearing this, the Snow Empress's delicate body trembled slightly. Looking at this man who stood before her, daring to defy that terrifying powerhouse, the last shred of resentment in her heart finally melted away like snow.

Though she had lived for seven hundred thousand years and seen countless storms, in this human world—in this strange, sacred place—Qian Xunji's almost obsessive protection had struck the softest part of her heart.

"Let's go, come meet my father." Qian Xunji pulled her hand and slowly descended to the ground.

Throughout the journey, Qian Xunji never let go of her hand. Even under the shocked gazes of the Hall Guard Knights and the various elders peeking from the shadows, he walked with unwavering resolve.

Inside the main hall of the Pope Hall, the great doors were shut tight.

Qian Daoliu sat upon the throne at the head of the hall, gripping a teacup so tightly that the cracks spreading across it betrayed the turbulent waves within this Peerless Douluo's heart.

The heavy bronze doors of the Pope Hall slowly closed, completely sealing off the gossiping and shocked gazes of the elders and hall officials outside.

Inside the hall, only three remained: Qian Xunji, the Snow Empress, and the Grand Elder Qian Daoliu.

The moment the hall doors were completely sealed, the aura of the ninety-ninth-rank powerhouse—which had just moments ago been so majestic and imposing—vanished into thin air.

This pillar of Martial Soul Hall, acting like a common old man, rushed a few steps toward Qian Xunji, grabbed his son's sleeve, and whispered with a face full of heartbreak and distress:

"My son, you are muddled! What on earth are you thinking? She may look like a celestial being, but her true form is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast! You are the Pope of Martial Soul Hall, bearing the sacred bloodline of the Six-Winged Angel, and you are... this is beast-defilement!!!"

Qian Daoliu hopped in place, his tongue running wild: "Our Qian Clan has been a single-line succession for nine generations; how am I supposed to face our ancestors in the afterlife..."

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, even bringing up backup plans for how to scout other human geniuses for his son, completely ignoring the Snow Empress, whose face had turned cold enough to freeze.

Qian Xunji stood calmly, even taking a moment to smooth out the sleeve his father had wrinkled. Only when Qian Daoliu had run out of breath did he slowly lift his head.

With a solemn expression and a profound gaze fixed upon Qian Daoliu, Qian Xunji spoke word by word:

"Father, this is the will of the gods."

Silence.

An eerie silence.

Qian Daoliu's frantic, clawing gestures froze in mid-air, as if he had a whole roasted chicken stuck in his throat.

"The... the will of the gods?" Qian Daoliu's entire body shuddered.

In his mind, he instantly recalled the miracle at Jialing Pass: the four ten-thousand-year black rings and five hundred-thousand-year red rings beneath Qian Xunji's feet. As the Grand Elder who served the gods, he knew better than anyone that only a true god could break the laws of the continent to forcibly elevate soul ring ages! Since his son stood behind a supreme deity, then his choices...

"Cough... cough!"

Qian Daoliu's heartbroken old face underwent a transformation that could only be described as a medical miracle within a single second.

He spun around, the posture of someone ready to fight a soul beast to the death vanishing entirely, replaced by an extremely amiable, almost fawning, kindly smile.

He bowed slightly to the Snow Empress, his tone so sincere it made one's scalp tingle: "Oh my, so it was a divine decree from a great god! This... this is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple; we were family and didn't even recognize each other!"

"Lady Snow Empress, I have offended you greatly just now. My old eyes were dim, and I failed to recognize your peerless talent. Please, do not take it to heart!"

Qian Daoliu patted his chest, swearing with absolute certainty, "From today on, you are the most honored Young Mistress of our Martial Soul Hall! In Martial Soul City, or even the entire Douluo Continent, if anyone dares to trouble you, I shall be the first to strike them down with the Holy Sword!"

The Snow Empress stood to the side, completely dumbfounded.

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

"Are the strongest of you humans... all this thick-skinned?" The Snow Empress turned her head stiffly to look at Qian Xunji, her tone laced with deep self-doubt.

"Cough, my father is simply a man who knows how to adapt to circumstances." Qian Xunji coughed, quickly steering the conversation back on track.

He walked to the Snow Empress, his expression turning serious:

"Snow Empress, although my father's words were crude, there is a very real problem. While you are currently in human form, your origin remains that of a soul beast. Walking the human world in such a state will not only invite the greed and covetousness of those Title Douluos, but more importantly, the rules of the God Realm strictly block the path for soul beasts to achieve divinity."

Hearing this, the Snow Empress's eyes dimmed slightly. This was indeed the death warrant hanging over her head, and the fundamental reason she had been willing to leave the Far North.

"But rest assured, since I have promised to help you break this fate, I naturally have a way."

Qian Xunji flipped his wrist, and the Origin Power Converter, radiating a soft light of creation, appeared in his palm.

"This divine artifact can completely and perfectly convert your soul beast origin into a pure human bloodline. While there will be a slight loss of energy during the process, causing your strength to temporarily dip, it will allow you to retain the vast majority of your cultivation."

Qian Xunji looked at her with burning intensity. "Most importantly, after the conversion, you will be a human through and through. The dead-end set by the God Realm for soul beasts will be completely ineffective against you. You will possess the potential to condense a godhead in a human body and ascend to the God Realm!"