As Qian Daoliu led the group into the reception hall, Sea Dragon Douluo sprang to his feet almost instinctively.
Though he had only dealt with Qian Daoliu before, he could tell at a glance that not one of the people following him was weaker than himself.
In other words, every one of them was at least a Level 95 Super Douluo.
The especially imposing old man, with his rugged features, had likely reached Level 97, or even Level 98.
"What profound strength..." Sea Dragon Douluo marveled inwardly.
No wonder Spirit Hall was hailed as the continent's number-one power. The strength of these few pontiffs alone was enough to leave countless other forces in the dust.
Qian Daoliu's gaze paused briefly on Sea Dragon Douluo, then fell on the child beside him, who was happily eating from a box of pastries.
At first, Qian Daoliu thought nothing of it. But the moment he looked closer, his expression abruptly turned grave.
An exceptionally rich holy aura swirled around the child.
It was completely different from the sacred radiance of the Angel God, yet it contained the same unsettling fluctuations of divine power.
It seemed he had sensed this aura somewhere before.
After all, Qian Daoliu had lived for nearly a century. He was not only a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, but also the Angel God's representative in the mortal world.
When it came to sensing divine power, he was far beyond ordinary people.
So he almost instantly settled on one of two possibilities.
Either the child possessed a god-level Martial Soul, or he had already received the inheritance of a deity.
The former would be one thing.
But if it was the latter... For a child so young to have earned a deity's favor, his talent and fortune could well be called unparalleled in ten thousand years.
After all, ever since the Angel God and Sea God had successfully attained Self-Created Godhood and ascended to the Divine Realm ten thousand years ago, no deity had appeared on the Douluo Continent.
Not even an inheritor of a deity.
"Sea Dragon, it's been many years. What brings you to Spirit Hall?"
With that thought, Qian Daoliu spoke first. His voice was calm, yet carried an unmistakable authority.
He took the seat of honor opposite Sea Dragon Douluo.
Qian Xunji and the other pontiffs sat down in turn, and an invisible pressure spread through the room like a rising tide.
Sea Dragon Douluo opened his mouth, but his throat seemed to close up.
How could he say that Tang Hao and Tang Xiao had joined forces to drive him back, stolen the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast he had set his sights on, and left him with no choice but to beg his sworn enemy for help?
Honestly, he couldn't bring himself to say it. It was just too humiliating.
It would be like grinding Sea God Island's face into the dirt.
After all, he was a Titled Douluo, while Tang Hao and Tang Xiao were Soul Douluos.
He had the advantage in level, yet not only had he failed to take the two of them down, they had defeated him and stolen what he wanted. It was a disgrace beyond measure.
Seeing him remain silent for so long, Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji exchanged puzzled glances.
What was going on? Had something serious happened?
Surely not!
"Honored seniors, it's really nothing serious!"
Just then, Ye Qing finally put down his pastry box, wiped the corner of his mouth, and broke the silence. "We've run into a bit of trouble and would like to cooperate with Spirit Hall, that's all."
As he spoke, he shot Sea Dragon Douluo a sidelong glance, as if to say, "Why are you being such a coward?"
Sea Dragon Douluo's mouth twitched as he cursed Ye Qing a thousand times over in his heart.
You weren't the one who got beaten up. Of course you weren't afraid of losing face!
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu grew interested. A probing light flashed in his golden eyes. "Cooperate? If so, why didn't Bo Saixi come in person? And you, child—what role do you play in this?"
"We only ran into this after coming to the mainland, so Sister Bo Saixi doesn't know about it yet."
Ye Qing met Qian Daoliu's gaze without hesitation and replied naturally, "As for me... Uncle Sea Dragon is accompanying me on my mainland training."
"Oh?" Qian Daoliu nodded thoughtfully, letting his gaze linger on Ye Qing for a few moments longer.
For a Sacred Pillar Douluo like Sea Dragon Douluo to accompany the child so closely, the boy's identity was surely no ordinary one. He just didn't know what it was.
His thoughts raced, but his expression remained composed. "In that case, tell us what sort of cooperation you have in mind."
It wasn't only Qian Daoliu. Qian Xunji and the other pontiffs were listening closely as well.
Ever since that incident, Sea God Island and Spirit Hall had kept to their own sides and avoided conflict.
They couldn't imagine what there was to cooperate on.
Ye Qing didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "May I ask what you seniors think of the Clear Sky Sect?"
"The Clear Sky Sect?"
At the name, Qian Xunji raised an eyebrow. His tone immediately cooled, and he spoke with open disdain. "They're nothing special. If they didn't have Tang Chen, a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, would they be able to hold on to their place as the world's number-one sect?"
The other pontiffs nodded in agreement. Clearly, they had no fondness for the Clear Sky Sect either.
It was the classic "Who do you think you are, sitting at the same table as Spirit Hall?"
They should just go play in the mud with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!
Qian Daoliu said nothing, but often, silence was an answer in itself.
In short, in his eyes, the only one worth taking seriously was Tang Chen.
As for everyone else, they were no different from ants.
Seeing this, Ye Qing understood. He smiled and said, "It seems our goals are the same."
"You want to deal with the Clear Sky Sect?"
At last, Qian Daoliu understood. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes. "Just the two of you?"
"Of course not."
Ye Qing shook his head and explained, his tone carrying a hint of persuasion. "The Clear Sky Sect is powerful. If Sea God Island tried to take them on alone, or Spirit Hall did so by itself, either side would have to pay a steep price. But if we joined forces..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but his meaning was perfectly clear.
The reception hall fell silent. Only the faint crackle of the incense could be heard.
Qian Xunji looked to Qian Daoliu, silently asking what he thought.
The pontiffs exchanged glances, weighing the pros and cons.
Join forces with Sea God Island to attack the Clear Sky Sect?
It was a bold idea, but also an irresistible temptation.
Qian Daoliu tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest. After a long pause, he looked up at Ye Qing, his gaze sharp as a blade. "What grudge do you have against the Clear Sky Sect?"
Ye Qing smiled faintly and delivered the story he had prepared in advance. "We found a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest and planned to take it back to Sea God Island for study. But Tang Hao and Tang Xiao of the Clear Sky Sect forcibly took it from us. If we put up with such high-handed behavior, wouldn't everyone think Sea God Island was easy to bully?"
He had deliberately stressed that it was a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, certain that Spirit Hall would never pass up the chance to strike at the Clear Sky Sect.
Sure enough, when Qian Xunji and the other pontiffs heard the words "transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast," their breathing hitched.
If the Clear Sky Sect had truly gained such a prize, its strength would rise yet another level, making it an even greater threat to Spirit Hall.
After a moment of silence, Qian Daoliu suddenly laughed. "They've gone too far. Since that's the case, Spirit Hall will help you."
Sea Dragon Douluo jerked his head up, clearly not expecting Qian Daoliu to agree so readily.
Ye Qing had expected it, though. His smile deepened. "Then I thank you, Grand Pontiff."
Qian Daoliu waved a hand, a calculating gleam flashing in his eyes. "However, we can cooperate, but we set the rules. The Clear Sky Sect is a juicy prize. How to divide it up—that's something we'll need to discuss carefully..."