"Besides the challenge, bring up any other requirements you have all at once!"
Qian Xunji looked at Tang Hao coldly.
Things had reached this point. If she still couldn't see that they had ulterior motives, she would truly be a fool.
Although she didn't know what the Clear Sky Sect's true objective was.
But Qian Xunji was now utterly confident. She had absolute faith that she could crush them.
"Miss Qian Xunji, greetings."
"My name is Tang Hao, and I'm the future heir of the Clear Sky Sect."
"You may not remember, but we've met before. Back then, you were already peerlessly beautiful, while I was just a child who knew nothing."
"But that encounter was carved deeply into my mind, and I fell in love with you."
"The reason I've worked so hard to cultivate is that I wanted to stand before you one day. Now, I've done it."
"Today's challenge isn't just to witness your brilliance. I also want to ask for your hand in marriage."
"I hope you'll agree that, if I win, you'll give me a chance to court you."
"..."
Tang Hao delivered these words awkwardly. Naturally, his elder brother, Tang Xiao, had helped him come up with them.
Saying all this in front of so many people was deeply embarrassing for Tang Hao.
But for his grandfather's goal, and to lure this woman back to the Clear Sky Sect, he had no choice but to do it.
"So this is what you were really after?"
"Are you going to take it a step further and make a bet with me next? If you defeat me despite being weaker than I am, you'll ask me to become your fiancée?"
A chill filled Qian Xunji's gaze as she looked at Tang Hao.
She loathed this man from the bottom of her heart.
The main reason was that he was just too ugly.
The moment she saw him, she disliked him.
To be honest, Tang Hao wasn't ugly.
In fact, he had a rugged, manly air about him.
But in Qian Xunji's eyes, that was exactly what made him ugly.
She liked refined men, not rough ones like him.
As for how she had exposed Tang Hao's intentions in one sentence, it was because Golden Crocodile Douluo had just told her through a sound transmission.
Over the past few days, Spirit Hall had naturally investigated the Clear Sky Sect's intentions. Though they hadn't learned the exact details, they had uncovered plenty.
Combining that with what Tang Hao had just said, Golden Crocodile Douluo had formed a guess. He'd taken this chance to test the other side.
"This..."
Tang Hao hadn't expected Qian Xunji to know what they were after.
Now, he truly didn't know how to continue his act.
Tang Chen was also utterly taken aback.
He hadn't even made his move, yet Qian Daoliu's daughter had directly exposed everything. It seemed there was no point in going on.
"I can give you that chance!"
"If you defeat me despite being weaker, I can be your wife. I might even marry into your Clear Sky Sect. But what if you lose?"
"What wager has your Clear Sky Sect prepared?"
"Or did your Clear Sky Sect not prepare a wager at all?"
"If so, what do you take me, the Pope, for?"
As she spoke, the chill radiating from Qian Xunji grew stronger.
Her eyes were filled with endless killing intent and sharpness.
The atmosphere turned heavy in an instant.
The many elders of Spirit Hall all stepped forward, making their stance clear.
Even Qian Daoliu showed his displeasure.
Tang Chen's grandson wanted to marry my daughter? He could have come openly. If she liked him, Qian Daoliu wouldn't have objected.
The only thing they would have needed to discuss was whether Tang Hao would marry into their family or his daughter would marry into the Clear Sky Sect.
But now, the other side had used such underhanded means to scheme against them. What kind of sense did that make?
He had always regarded Tang Chen as a brother.
All along, he had believed Tang Chen regarded him as a brother, too.
But from what had happened today, Qian Daoliu could see the truth.
Perhaps it had all been wishful thinking on his part.
"What does the Pope want?"
Things had reached this point. Tang Hao could only grit his teeth and press on.
Besides, his grandfather had just sent him a sound transmission, giving him some confidence.
"As the Pope of Spirit Hall, there's nothing your Clear Sky Sect can offer that would put us on equal footing."
"Since that's the case, I'll take a small loss and accept your sect's inherited secret arts in exchange."
"If you defeat me, I won't just be your wife. I'd even be your concubine."
"If you lose, leave the Clear Sky Sect's inherited secret arts here."
Qian Xunji spoke coldly.
Her father cared about appearances. She didn't.
Besides, she was a woman. Even if word of today's events got out, who would have much to say?
At worst, people would say she was narrow-minded, spoiled, and overbearing.
So what?
The benefits in hand were what really mattered.
"Impossible!"
The moment Qian Xunji mentioned the Clear Sky Sect's inherited secret arts, Tang Hao rejected her outright.
Not only that, the others from the Clear Sky Sect also glared viciously at Qian Xunji.
They looked ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
The Clear Sky Sect owed its present achievements and prestige to the secret arts Tang Chen had created himself.
Those arts were the foundation of their inheritance. They absolutely couldn't let outsiders obtain them.
"Fine."
At that moment, Tang Chen spoke up.
But his gaze fell on Bibi Dong, who was standing beside Golden Crocodile Douluo.
He wasn't completely certain, but he could roughly tell that the inheritance Qian Xunji wanted might have something to do with that young girl named Bibi Dong.
After all, their attitude before had clearly been aimed at making the Clear Sky Sect offer up an appropriate wager on its own.
They had only chosen a clear direction and target after that young girl approached Golden Crocodile Douluo.
Though he knew they coveted the Clear Sky Sect's secret arts, Tang Chen was still willing to put them up as the wager. Naturally, he had his reasons.
For one thing, he had comprehended those secret arts based on the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul. Even if outsiders obtained them, they wouldn't be able to cultivate them unless their Martial Soul was also the Clear Sky Hammer.
Even if they got their hands on the arts, they still couldn't use the secret techniques to find the corresponding methods to counter them.
If worse came to worst, he could make a few small changes to the crucial parts later.
Of course, there was another key reason: he wanted to show them to Qian Daoliu.
After that little girl Qian Xunji had exposed their intentions in one sentence, the Clear Sky Sect had been put on the back foot.
They had already displeased that old fellow Qian Daoliu. Though Tang Chen didn't care about him, he understood the situation.
The Clear Sky Sect's foundations were now nowhere near Spirit Hall's.
A falling-out would do them no good. It might even plunge the Clear Sky Sect into turmoil.
Besides that, Tang Chen was confident in his grandson.
Although he could barely sense what level Qian Xunji had reached, Qian Daoliu had probably helped conceal it.
But one thing was certain: no matter how strong Qian Xunji was now, she could only be a Soul Douluo.
Before you continue