On the other side, deep within the Spirit Hall, in that quiet courtyard.
When Ye Qing and Qian Daoliu appeared at the courtyard gate, Qian Xunji and Sea Dragon Douluo, who had been waiting anxiously for a long time, sprang up from the stone stools almost simultaneously and hurried over to greet them.
"Father!"
"Xiao Qing!"
They spoke in unison, their voices filled with urgency and questions.
Sea Dragon Douluo moved faster.
He dashed up to Ye Qing and, without hesitation, crouched down in front of him with his burly frame.
Then he placed both hands on Ye Qing's shoulders. His gaze flashed like lightning as he examined Ye Qing carefully from head to toe, several times over.
He even cautiously used his Soul Power to probe Ye Qing's condition.
Only after confirming that Ye Qing had not a single scratch on him, that his breathing was steady and his Soul Power was circulating normally,
and that even his mental fluctuations showed no obvious disturbance, did the taut string in Sea Dragon Douluo's heart finally snap loose. He let out a long breath of relief.
"Thank goodness... You're all right. That's all that matters..."
He murmured under his breath, the heavy stone in his heart finally settling to the ground.
If anything had happened to Ye Qing in the Spirit Hall, summoned by the Angel God, then forget about returning home—Sea Dragon Douluo would have wanted to kill himself on the spot to atone for his failure.
Once he had relaxed, Sea Dragon Douluo's doubts and curiosity surged up at once.
He led Ye Qing aside and crouched down, doing his best to make his expression seem gentle as he lowered his voice and asked:
"Xiao Qing, tell Uncle Sea Dragon what happened in there just now... What did the Angel God say to you? Why did she summon you? Was something the matter?"
He asked with great caution. After all, this involved another deity.
And one who was clearly at odds with the Sea God.
At the question, a distinct look of hesitation and trouble appeared on Ye Qing's little face.
How was he supposed to explain it?
Tell him that the Angel God not only wanted him to inherit the Angel Godhood, but was even willing to offer herself to him as a reward?
Would Sea Dragon Douluo believe that?
And if he did, would he faint on the spot?
Or would he grab Ye Qing and run, fleeing the Spirit Hall without looking back?
Ye Qing felt as though he had a splitting headache.
He wasn't especially concerned about what Sea Dragon Douluo—or Bo Saixi, far away on Sea God Island—would think once they found out.
A Godhood Inheritance was, in the end, a choice made by both sides.
A deity could be picky about its successor, so naturally, the successor had the right to compare, choose, and even reject a deity.
Although rejecting a deity sounded utterly unbelievable, deep in his subconscious, Ye Qing felt that he wasn't necessarily bound to the Sea God forever.
Both the Angel God and the Sea God had been powerful figures who ascended from Douluo Continent.
Their divine power had originated from this continent, so in essence, neither was absolutely superior to the other.
It was only because Qian Renxue had been completely crushed by Tang San that people had come to think the Angel Godhood was inferior to the Sea God Godhood.
So, as far as he was concerned, both the Sea God Godhood and the Angel Godhood were viable choices.
What mattered was which side offered better terms, and which deity suited him better.
To be fair, Ye Qing's impression of the Sea God, Poseidon, wasn't bad.
That much was clear from the original story, when Tang San obtained the Sea God Inheritance: the Sea God was fiercely protective of his successor.
As long as his divine sense hadn't vanished, he really would rush in.
Even if his opponent was Qian Renxue, who had only just become a deity.
That boldness and sense of responsibility suited Ye Qing perfectly.
As for the Angel God...
She was breathtakingly beautiful, and her voice was lovely, too.
But the question was, could beauty put food on the table?
Could it make him stronger right away?
If what she offered wasn't as tangible as the Sea God's, Ye Qing figured he could fall for someone else...
No, he meant choose the Sea God rationally. That wasn't out of the question either.
But clearly, it wasn't the right time to lay out all those tangled thoughts for Sea Dragon Douluo.
Left with no choice, Ye Qing could only lift his little face and turn a pleading gaze toward Qian Daoliu beside him.
The meaning in his eyes was obvious: Senior, what do you think we should do about this?
Should I tell him the truth?
And how?
Receiving Ye Qing's look, Qian Daoliu felt a headache coming on as well. The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
This matter...
No matter how he put it, it was bound to burn his tongue!
He pondered for several seconds.
Then, under the increasingly puzzled gazes of Qian Xunji and Sea Dragon Douluo, he finally spoke, his tone grave and solemn:
"Sea Dragon, Xiaoji, regarding what Lord Angel God discussed with Ye Qing when she summoned him..."
He paused. Seeing that both men had turned their attention to him, he continued, his voice carrying an unshakable decisiveness:
"You need not ask further, nor probe too deeply. This matter is no longer something we mortals can comment on. In fact... it is no longer something Bo Saixi or I can easily interfere in."
Looking at their astonished faces, he spoke slowly. "This has escalated into a direct contest and choice between two deities. This child, Ye Qing, is at the heart of that contest. All we can do is wait and obey the final divine decree."
At those words, Qian Xunji and Sea Dragon Douluo both froze.
Then they exchanged glances, each seeing undisguised shock in the other's eyes.
They had been mentally prepared for this, knowing that the Angel God and the Sea God were vying for Ye Qing.
But hearing Qian Daoliu say it outright still sent shock waves through them.
It meant that the Angel God might value Ye Qing far more than they had expected.
She might even have reached the point of openly battling the Sea God for him!
Still, after their initial shock, the two quickly accepted the reality.
After all, anyone with eyes could see that both deities were determined to claim Ye Qing.
As the Angel God's Grand Pontiff, Qian Daoliu had no reason to lie to them about something like this.
And besides... even if he had lied, what could they do?
Could they question a deity, or change a deity's will?
Obviously not.
So Qian Xunji and Sea Dragon Douluo wisely refrained from pressing for details, simply burying their shock deep in their hearts.
After a brief silence, Qian Xunji drew a deep breath and steered the conversation in another direction, toward something he had intended to bring up all along:
"Father, since we can't ask about the deities, then... I have something else I'd like to discuss with you."
Qian Daoliu looked at him. "What is it?"
Qian Xunji gathered his thoughts and once again explained his idea of arranging a betrothal between Ye Qing and Qian Renxue—a proposal he had already mentioned to Sea Dragon Douluo—this time in greater detail and more formally.
When he finished, he looked at Qian Daoliu expectantly, seeking his opinion.
"Father, what do you think? Is there any chance Bo Saixi would agree?"
As soon as the question was raised, the mood in the courtyard turned delicate again.
Sea Dragon Douluo stood beside Ye Qing, gazing down at his nose and nose at his heart, looking as if he knew nothing and would leave the decision to them.
He had already made his position clear.
He couldn't make the decision himself. It depended on what Bo Saixi and Ye Qing thought.
Meanwhile, Ye Qing and Qian Daoliu both wore complicated expressions.
Arrange a betrothal between Ye Qing and Qian Renxue, then have them marry when they were grown?
On the surface, it seemed like a match made in heaven.
They were about the same age. One was the Sea God's chosen successor, while the other was the Spirit Hall's designated heir.
Their status and standing couldn't have been better matched.
And the marriage alliance would greatly benefit both sides as well.
But the problem was...