Pope Hall, the Pope's bedchamber.
A young man who resembled Qian Daoliu by seventy or eighty percent, with long brilliant golden hair and a white robe, leaned against the bed. His face was pale, and his chest was caved in.
This young man was Qian Xunji, whose childhood name was Ji'er.
Before Qian Xunji stood two women, one older and one younger. The older one had long purple hair and looked around twenty-four or twenty-five. She wore a light purple gown, with nearly flawless features and skin as fair as snow.
Every smile and frown was captivating, enough to topple kingdoms, yet upon closer inspection, her smile seemed to carry a trace of falseness.
The other was a young girl dressed in an ancient-style palace gown. Her delicate face still had a hint of baby fat, with thin lips, curved willow-leaf brows, and clear azure eyes devoid of the slightest impurity, as though they could speak. Her skin was fairer than snow, while her golden hair fell behind her in a braid.
Though her brows still held a trace of childishness, one could already imagine that she would grow into a peerless beauty no less stunning than the woman beside her.
These two were Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue.
"Teacher, it's time for your medicine."
A gentle smile hung on Bibi Dong's face as she lifted the bowl of medicine, blew on it by her lips, and brought it toward Qian Xunji's mouth.
Qian Xunji looked delighted as he drank the medicine. "Good disciple, go cultivate. Your cultivation is what matters most. Leave such things to the maids."
Bibi Dong said softly, "Teacher, let your disciple do it. Your injuries are severe. You are the Pope of Spirit Hall; nothing can be allowed to go wrong."
Qian Xunji sighed. "Disciple, it was all because your teacher was too weak. I lost to Tang Hao and failed to bring back that Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast to serve as your ninth Soul Ring."
You call that being too weak? You were just complete trash. You led two Title Douluo and so many people from Spirit Hall, yet Tang Hao, who had only just broken through to Title Douluo, still hammered you flat.
A trace of mockery and disdain flashed deep within Bibi Dong's eyes, but her voice remained exceedingly gentle and pleasant. "Teacher, it's all right. There is more than one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. The Star Dou Great Forest is still there. If this one is gone, we can find another."
"Once your disciple breaks through to Title Douluo and cultivates diligently, I will surely avenge your injuries against Tang Hao."
"Me too, Daddy."
Qian Renxue hurriedly added.
Qian Xunji smiled kindly and rubbed Qian Renxue's head. "Xiao Xue's talent surpasses Daddy's by far. She is the first member of our Angel Clan in ten thousand years to possess Innate Full Soul Power at level twenty. One day, she will surely surpass Daddy."
Just then, Qian Daoliu entered. His gaze swept over Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue before settling on Qian Xunji.
"Grandpa."
"Father."
"Grand Pontiff."
Qian Daoliu felt somewhat miserable inside at suddenly becoming both a father and a grandfather, making his seniority seem so ancient. Yet Qian Xunji would sooner or later be sacrificed. A Limit Douluo in Douluo One had a lifespan of a thousand years, and this body had been cleansed by divine power. He was still young and powerful, which eased Qian Daoliu's discomfort considerably.
"Xiao Xue, Bibi Dong, leave first. I have something to discuss with the Pope."
Bibi Dong once again performed the farewell salute of a junior to an elder, then left the bedchamber with Qian Renxue.
Outside the bedchamber.
"Mom."
Qian Renxue asked cautiously.
Bibi Dong forcefully suppressed the disgust in her heart, looked at Qian Renxue, and asked, "What is it, Xiao Xue?"
Qian Renxue asked with both anticipation and unease, "Mom, I want you to play with me."
Since she was putting on an act, she had to see it through. Bibi Dong crouched down and rubbed Qian Renxue's head. "Xiao Xue, didn't you just tell Daddy that you would cultivate hard and avenge him against Tang Hao someday? Why do you want to play now? Go cultivate properly first. Once you break through, Mom will play with you, all right?"
"All right," Qian Renxue replied obediently.
Her acting really is mediocre. Every detail reeks of stiffness. She can only fool that father and daughter.
Qian Daoliu observed Bibi Dong's performance with his spiritual power and gave his assessment.
His gaze returned to Qian Xunji, a hint of mischievous amusement flashing through his eyes as he said, "Little Ji'er."
Qian Xunji's mouth twitched slightly. "Father, just call me Ji'er. Could you not add 'little'? I'm not little anymore."
Qian Daoliu looked utterly embarrassed. "You are a level ninety-five Title Douluo. You even led two level ninety-five Title Douluo and a large group of Spirit Hall Soul Masters, yet you still could not defeat Tang Hao, who had only just broken through to Title Douluo. You have utterly disgraced both Spirit Hall and the Angel Clan."
"When you earn back all that face, I will drop the word 'little.'"
Qian Xunji looked helpless. "Father, you don't understand. Tang Hao was simply a freak. The power of his Ring Detonation lasted for a full three days. For those three days, his Soul Power seemed endless, while the Soul Power of the two elders and me was continuously drained, our strength constantly declining. In the end, we fell beneath Tang Hao's hammer."
Qian Xunji was filled with confusion and distress. He could not understand why Tang Hao had been so fierce. Had Tang Hao improved the Great Sumeru Hammer's Ring Detonation secret technique? Or had that Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast, while sacrificing herself, also given Tang Hao her hundred-thousand-year supply of Soul Power?
Otherwise, how could the Soul Power of three level ninety-five Title Douluo and a large group of Spirit Hall Soul Masters have failed to exhaust Tang Hao?
Qian Daoliu frowned slightly. "Is this true?"
"Absolutely true, Father. How would your son dare deceive you?" Qian Xunji hurriedly replied. Even if he were making up a lie, he would not choose something so absurd.
Everything Tang Hao knew, Tang Chen also knew. Tang Chen had fought Qian Daoliu's father who knew how many times, in battles great and small. The more Qian Daoliu's father understood Tang Chen, the more he understood Tang Hao.
Qian Daoliu's eyes narrowed. If what Qian Xunji said was true, then this battle truly was suspicious.
Based on the contents of Tang Hao's two conversations with Tang San, Tang Hao had fought Qian Xunji and the other two for three days and three nights, using Ring Detonation to severely wound Qian Xunji.
As a divine technique, Ring Detonation granted an enormous increase in combat power once activated. It could be said that if Tang Hao detonated a few more Soul Rings, he could completely kill Tang Hao without Ring Detonation in a direct clash.
His wife had just sacrificed herself and died. Tang Hao would surely have gone completely mad at once, wanting to kill Qian Xunji for revenge. He would definitely have used every method at his disposal, detonating his rings frantically and attacking like a madman. He could not possibly have calmly assessed the battle, waited until most of his Soul Power had been consumed and defeat was looming, then used Ring Detonation to turn the tables.
If Tang Hao could still think about battle so calmly, then it could only mean that he did not love the Blue Silver Emperor at all—or that he loved her, but not very much.
Following that logic, Tang Hao really had detonated his rings for three days.
Then another question arose: how could Ring Detonation possibly last three days?
Ring Detonation was equivalent to shattering Soul Rings, releasing all the Soul Power contained within them and attaching it to the Martial Soul. Once the fight was over, it was gone. It was an extreme technique of high burst and high consumption.
During an all-out battle, the Soul Power from one Soul Ring would be impressive if it could sustain you for a minute. Tang Hao certainly would not detonate them one by one, since the power of detonating a hundred-year Soul Ring could not possibly exceed a ten-thousand-year soul skill. Tell me, could a Soul Master or Soul Grandmaster blow themselves up and kill a Soul King?
Before you continue