Qin Yao stopped and looked up at the figures above him, each radiating a terrifying pressure.
He clasped his hands and bowed slightly, greeting them one by one. "Grandfather, Second Grandfather, Third Grandfather, Fifth Grandfather, Sixth Grandfather, Seventh Grandfather."
At the sound of those forms of address, Dugu Bo, following behind him, felt his legs give a violent tremble.
Dugu Yan hardly dared to breathe.
Aside from the red-haired Qin Xiong, the other five were all Worshipers of Spirit Hall!
By rank, that meant the Second through Seventh Worshipers had all gathered.
With six Peak Douluo above Level 96 assembled together, even the Soul Power they naturally radiated was enough to pin the two of them in place.
Qin Xiong strode down the steps and clapped a hand on Qin Yao's shoulder.
"Xiao Yao, I thought you'd spend a year or two running wild out there. How come you're back after only two months?"
Beside him, Fifth Worship Light Feather Douluo, who looked like a young boy, curled his lip.
"Fourth Brother, quit pretending. You've been muttering about your grandson in the hall every day this past month. Now he's back, and you're putting on airs?"
Qin Xiong's old face flushed red. He glared at Light Feather Douluo. "Go on, get out of here! What's wrong with caring about my own grandson?"
Qin Yao shrugged off the weight on his shoulder. "I came back to take care of a few things."
He turned aside, revealing Dugu Bo and his granddaughter behind him.
"This is Dugu Bo, Poison Douluo. He's now an elder of Spirit Hall. And this is his granddaughter, Dugu Yan."
How could Dugu Bo dare put on the airs of a Titled Douluo? He hurriedly bent at the waist, clasping his hands and raising them above his head.
"Dugu Bo pays his respects to the Worshipers!"
Dugu Yan quickly followed his lead, keeping her head bowed.
Falling Devil Douluo looked Dugu Bo up and down. "So this is the snake-handler, Poison Douluo? I heard you used to throw your weight around in the Heaven Dou Empire and even ignored Spirit Hall's offer to recruit you."
Cold sweat beaded on Dugu Bo's forehead, and he bowed even lower.
"Seventh Worship jests. Dugu Bo was blind to his own place back then."
"Now, thanks to His Highness the Holy Son taking me in and curing the poison that was eating away at my family, this old man's life belongs to the Holy Son from here on."
Golden Crocodile Douluo held his hands behind his back and laid down the law.
"Since Xiao Yao brought you into the fold, as long as you serve faithfully, Spirit Hall won't treat you unfairly."
Dugu Bo repeatedly agreed, his back already drenched in cold sweat.
He used to roam the Heaven Dou Empire unchecked, thinking a Titled Douluo was already at the pinnacle of the continent.
Only after arriving at the entrance to the Worship Hall today did he realize that, before these people, his level of cultivation was less than nothing.
Any one of them could pin him to the ground and hammer him flat.
Qin Xiong waved a hand. "All right, don't stand around at the entrance. Big Brother's waiting inside. Come on, let's go in and talk."
The group crossed the corridor and entered the central hall of the Worship Hall.
At the far end of the great hall stood a colossal statue of a Six-Winged Angel.
Below it, Qian Daoliu stood in a white robe, his back to them and his hands clasped behind him.
Hearing their footsteps, he slowly turned around, a warm smile appearing on his face.
"Greetings, First Grandfather." Qin Yao stepped forward and cupped his hands in salute.
Qian Daoliu smiled and nodded, ready to ask about what he'd seen during his training journey.
Suddenly, the smile froze on his face.
The Level 99 Peerless Douluo took half a step forward and stared hard at Qin Yao, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly congealed.
Noticing something was wrong, Qin Xiong hurried over. "Big Brother, what is it? Is Xiao Yao hurt?"
Qian Daoliu ignored Qin Xiong and stared straight at Qin Yao. "You... reached Level 50?"
The words set off an uproar in the hall.
Falling Devil Douluo was utterly stunned. He dashed over to Qin Yao and started squeezing him all over.
"Level 50? Big Brother, are you sure? He was only Level 43 when he left!"
Falling Devil Douluo's voice boomed loud enough to make their ears ring.
"It's only been two months, and he jumped seven levels? He even broke through the Soul King bottleneck? Back when I went from Level 43 to Level 50, it took me over two whole years!"
Thousand Jun Douluo slapped Falling Devil Douluo's hand away.
"Stop pawing at him. Xiao Yao, what happened? Did you use some forbidden art that forcibly burned through your potential?"
Even Golden Crocodile Douluo, who was usually unflappable, couldn't sit still. He hurried down the steps, his expression grave as he examined Qin Yao's Soul Power fluctuations.
"His Soul Power is solid, and his vitality is robust. There's not the slightest sign of instability."
Third Offering Azure Luan Douluo stood nearby, his voice full of disbelief.
"Not only has he reached Level 50, but his foundation is rock-solid."
Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan stood at the edge of the hall, hardly daring to breathe.
Surrounded by a group of old men, Qin Yao helplessly spread his hands.
"Sixth Grandfather, you're overthinking it. I just took an Immortal Herb and gained a few levels of Soul Power. Then..."
He paused to think for a moment.
"Then, in a cave on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, I happened to find a Hundred Thousand Year right leg bone. After absorbing it, I broke through to Level 50."
The hall fell utterly silent.
Qin Xiong's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a fist.
Falling Devil Douluo turned to look at Thousand Jun Douluo.
"Sixth Brother, did you hear that? He said he... found what in a cave?"
"A Hundred Thousand Year right leg bone," Thousand Jun Douluo repeated in a daze.
Light Feather Douluo came over too and shook Qin Yao by the arm.
"Xiao Yao, which cave? I'm going to the Star Dou Great Forest and start digging out caves right now!"
Qin Yao shrugged. "I really did find it in a cave."
That wasn't a lie, either. The cave behind Holy Soul Village was still a cave, after all.
Qian Daoliu drew a deep breath, tamping down the turmoil in his heart. Looking at Qin Yao, he couldn't help bursting into laughter.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Qian Daoliu said "good" three times, his voice echoing through the hall.
"Truly worthy of being the Holy Son of my Spirit Hall! Such fortune—heaven itself must have ordained it! You go on one training journey, wander into some cave, and find a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. The Angel God must be watching over you!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo sighed in agreement.
"A twelve-year-old Soul King, and he already has two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones. Xiao Yao's talent and fortune are unmatched on the continent. Fourth Brother, your grandson's a monster."
Qin Xiong lifted his chin proudly. "Of course! Just look at whose grandson he is!"
Everyone gathered around Qin Yao to praise him, and the excitement finally began to settle.
Just then, Fifth Worship Light Feather Douluo leaned his boyish face in close.
He slung an arm around Qin Yao's shoulders.
"Xiao Yao, Fourth Brother said the Immortal Herb you gave him made his Soul Power shoot up all the way to Level 98."
"You must've brought something back for us grandfathers too, right?"
At that, everyone in the hall stopped moving.
Falling Devil Douluo and Thousand Jun Douluo, along with Third Offering Azure Luan Douluo, all turned their heads toward him in unison.
Even Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo, who was usually so composed, looked a little impatient.
First Worship Qian Daoliu didn't move, but the smile on his face made it clear he was waiting to hear what Qin Yao would say.
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