After more than ten exchanges, he'd had a thoroughly satisfying fight. It was rare for him to have such a pure battle.
So he hadn't changed Myriad Silk's form.
Chrysanthemum and Ghost had tried to interfere, but Chen An had swept them away with a single blow from his staff once he'd built up momentum. They'd lost any desire to get involved after that.
"Damn it, how is this guy so strong?"
Qian Jun was horrified. Chen An had taken every one of his Soul Skills head-on. Judging by their staff techniques alone, he was no match for Chen An.
He'd lasted this long only because his level was higher, his Soul Power was abundant, and he was from the Power Attack System, which made him more durable.
"About time."
The figure in the shadows still hadn't made a move, so Chen An had no idea what he was thinking. All he could do was stay alert in case the man suddenly attacked.
Myriad Silk was actually more like the Thousand Mechanism Umbrella. When Chen An got serious, this Martial Soul became terrifying.
With Mastery of All Weapons paired with Myriad Silk, one moment it was a long staff, and the next a short blade was at your throat.
Or he'd block one moment, then send threads surging at you the next.
As for cannons, they weren't as quick or effective as a storm of threads.
"Is this guy a porcupine?"
He'd never seen such a bizarre Martial Soul and had no way to deal with it. So when Chen An abruptly changed his rhythm, he was immediately put at a disadvantage.
He couldn't keep up and was beaten into a swollen mess.
"Young friend, could you do me a favor?"
The man hiding in the shadows finally couldn't hold back and stepped out.
But his words left Chen An at a loss for words.
What did he mean, do him a favor? Since when did even Calabash Brothers Saving Grandpa require favors? Did everyone think they'd eaten the Face Fruit or something?
Still, Chen An had to take this man's request seriously. The unfathomable depth of his Soul Power made him wary.
"I am Qian Daoliu, the man you mentioned. I don't know how you know who I am, young friend, but could you do me this favor?"
Qian Daoliu said with a genial smile, but as he spoke, he'd already summoned his Martial Soul. The Six-Winged Angel descended upon him, and a trace of the Angel God's aura emerged.
At once, Chen An felt an immense pressure. He sensed countless people—no, countless gods—probing him through that aura.
Fortunately, his origin protected him, so he'd be fine for the time being.
"Of course not."
Chen An didn't sound as forceful as he had when speaking to Qian Jun.
Qian Daoliu understood that Chen An wanted compensation. He was clearly the sort who yielded to gentleness, not force.
"What if I'm willing to offer compensation on behalf of Spirit Hall?"
Qian Daoliu still smiled as he spoke. They could work something out. He wasn't confident he could capture Chen An by force.
He'd watched the fight closely. Chen An had to have nine Soul Rings, yet he'd used only seven against Qian Jun, all of them Soul Rings that enhanced his own abilities.
If he brought the remaining two into play, Qian Daoliu couldn't say he'd be able to keep him there.
What's more, the Angel God's aura had little effect on Chen An. With his own Angel Inheritance and other considerations, Qian Daoliu didn't want to overturn the table completely.
Just like the West and the East, who knew what would happen if the table were flipped? But one thing was certain: Chen An and Spirit Hall would become mortal enemies.
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Chen An took two steps back, but Qian Jun was still within striking range. As for Chrysanthemum and Ghost, they'd obediently withdrawn when the Great Enshrined appeared.
"All the land in the surrounding area will belong to you. I'll also compensate you in full for your losses and the cleanup costs. How does that sound?"
It was tantamount to granting him a fief and making him its lord. Chen An would've been suspicious if anyone else had made the offer, but coming from Qian Daoliu, it was credible.
He was one of the three strongest people in the world and the Great Enshrined of Spirit Hall. Those two facts alone spoke volumes.
It didn't even have to come to this. The Heaven Dou Imperial Family, which was affiliated with Spirit Hall, could've resolved the matter too.
It would've been more trouble, that was all. So the offer was highly credible.
"Fifty million in resources. I don't want Gold Soul Coins."
Chen An named his compensation. It was practically extortion, because he didn't mean fifty million Gold Soul Coins.
Even Spirit Hall would wince at the cost of fifty million in resources—and the sum sat right at the edge of what Qian Daoliu could accept.
"Fine."
Qian Daoliu gritted his teeth as he answered.
As for taking students hostage to force Chen An's hand, they couldn't bring themselves to do that. They weren't that stupid, either. Now that they could negotiate, the most important thing was to keep the table steady.
Qian Daoliu tossed him a Storage Soul Tool and added some more resources.
Chen An checked it. There were indeed all sorts of resources inside, many of them quite suitable for students.
It seemed they'd prepared for this before coming. As expected of Spirit Hall—they'd even thought of the worst-case scenario.
"All right, you can go."
Chen An smiled and saw them out.
Qian Daoliu told Qian Jun, Chrysanthemum, and Ghost to leave first. He seemed to have something else to say.
"Oh, right. Tell your Pope that her decision-making is really terrible."
Chen An called after the three departing men. When they heard that, they quickened their pace.
After they'd all left, only Chen An and Qian Daoliu remained.
"Great Enshrined, may I ask why you stayed behind? Do you have some advice for me?"
Now it was Chen An's turn to smile at Qian Daoliu. He kept his guard up in secret; the old man still hadn't dismissed his Martial Soul.
But Qian Daoliu dismissed it the very next moment and reined in his aura.
Chen An was baffled. He had no idea what the old man was up to. But when he saw Qian Daoliu repeatedly hinting at something, he acted to shield the area from the heavens' gaze.
Not for any other reason—he didn't like being watched by that crowd.
"Young friend, you really do have remarkable abilities."
Qian Daoliu now seemed like an ordinary old man, looking at Chen An with the admiration of someone who'd found a rare genius.
"Great Enshrined, if you have something to say, just say it."
"There are gods in the heavens who want to target you."
Qian Daoliu dropped a bombshell, all but revealing everything outright. But Chen An wasn't afraid; he could grow stronger in time.
What Qian Daoliu worried about was the gods descending at all costs to suppress Chen An. If that happened, the world would be laid to waste.
Though he was the Angel God's guardian, he was also a man of Douluo. How could he stand by and watch the world be laid to waste?
"I know."
"Dean Chen truly is extraordinary. I only wanted to remind you to be careful."
Chen An accepted the man's good intentions, and Qian Daoliu continued.
"I have two questions I'd like to ask..."
Qian Daoliu paused, and only after Chen An gave him the go-ahead did he continue.
"First, what do you think of the situation on the continent?
"Second, what are your admissions standards?"
Chen An didn't hesitate much.
"I have no intention of involving myself in the power struggles at the top. As for my admissions standards, you only need to pass the assessment."
Chen An made his position clear. Whether the other man believed him was up to him; there were just some things better left unsaid.
"Can Spirit Hall Soul Masters study at your academy?"
"They can."
As long as they passed that damned entrance exam, he'd let them in. He had the strength to back it up and feared nothing.
After all, the exam treated everyone equally. He'd said the same to Ning Fengzhi earlier. He didn't want to educate an Evil Soul Master or a Soul Master who was a danger to humanity.
"Good. I understand."
Before you continue