Yu Xiaogang panted heavily. A near-mad grin spread across his swollen, twisted face.
In his long-distorted mind, Bibi Dong was still the woman who loved him to the depths of her soul.
Everything that had happened was merely because that little bastard named Lin Qiu had interfered.
As long as Lin Qiu was eliminated, everything would return to normal!
Time slipped by in the blink of an eye.
For cultivators, half a month was no more than the flick of a finger.
Tomorrow was the day of the Spirit Hall's grand banquet.
Inside the Holy Son Palace.
Lin Qiu sat cross-legged. No dazzling Soul Power fluctuations surrounded him; instead, he was enveloped by a serenity that seemed to return him to his natural state.
Within his body, the golden Bitter Sea surged like a raging ocean. Every wave that crashed carried enough terrifying force to shatter mountains and split rocks.
"Phew..."
Lin Qiu slowly opened his eyes. Two golden beams shot out like swords, making the space before him ripple and twist.
"Level seventy-nine."
Feeling the power surging through him like a mighty river, he let the corners of his mouth curl upward.
Although his Soul Power Level had only risen by a few levels, the tempering of the Covering Sky Method had taken his physical strength, spiritual sense, and even the purity of his Soul Power to an utterly incredible level.
Now, even without using a single Soul Skill, his physical strength alone was enough to thrash an ordinary Titled Douluo.
As for the so-called Soul Saints and Soul Douluo, they were nothing but slightly stronger ants in his eyes.
"Tomorrow's the banquet. Staying cooped up and cultivating all day has gotten a little dull."
Lin Qiu rose to his feet and stretched. His bones cracked and popped like thunderclaps.
"I should go for a walk."
He changed into casual clothes, took no attendants, and left the Pope Palace alone.
Spirit City was even livelier and more prosperous than it had been half a month ago.
Lanterns and decorations lined both sides of the streets, while countless vendors hawked rare treasures from every corner of the continent.
With the banquet approaching, the number of Soul Masters in the city had soared. Among them were many disciples from various sects, dressed in finery and carrying themselves with unmistakable distinction.
Lin Qiu strolled through the crowds, taking in the bustle of everyday life. His mind was quite at peace.
He passed a stall covered with exquisite Soul Tools and casually picked up a pendant carved in the shape of a jade rabbit, intending to have a closer look.
"I'll take that!"
A crisp, imperious voice suddenly rang beside him.
Lin Qiu raised an eyebrow and turned his head.
A few steps away stood a girl in a pink, ruffled dress.
She looked about twelve or thirteen, with a doll-like face and snow-white skin. Soft pink hair spilled over her shoulders, and her bright eyes brimmed with arrogance.
At that moment, she was pointing at the pendant in Lin Qiu's hand, chin held high as if it were only natural that it belonged to her.
Four guards in fitted clothes stood behind her. Their auras were steady, and they were clearly capable Soul Masters.
Lin Qiu's gaze swept over the girl, then settled on her signature pink dress and the air of princess-like entitlement that seemed carved into her very bones.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Lin Qiu understood at once.
With that age, that outfit, and that spoiled, overbearing manner, who else could she be but Ning Rongrong, the girl known as the "Little Demoness"?
Ning Rongrong noticed Lin Qiu staring at her and was about to snap at him. But when she got a good look at his face, most of the anger vanished from her eyes, replaced by a flicker of admiration.
What a handsome young man!
He was countless times better-looking than the so-called geniuses in her sect who spent all day trailing after her.
That cool, otherworldly air of his was especially captivating. She could hardly tear her eyes away.
Ning Rongrong's eyes darted about, and her impulse to force him to hand over the pendant promptly changed.
She walked up to Lin Qiu, clasped her hands behind her back, looked him over, and said with a haughty air:
"Hey, you're pretty good-looking, and you seem strong, too."
"I happen to be short a personal guard on this trip. You'll do! Stick with me, and you'll eat well and live well. I'll even give you this pendant as a reward."
As she spoke, she reached for the pendant in Lin Qiu's hand, as if it already belonged to her.
Lin Qiu turned his wrist and avoided her hand.
He gently set the pendant back on the stall and said calmly:
"Not interested."
Then he turned and started to leave.
Ning Rongrong froze.
Ever since she was little, she had been the center of attention in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Even her two Titled Douluo grandfathers indulged her at every turn. When had anyone ever rejected her so bluntly?
"Y-you dare reject me?"
Ning Rongrong's face flushed with anger. She stamped her foot and shouted at Lin Qiu's back:
"Stop right there! No one's ever dared to disrespect me!"
"You four, grab him! No one I want gets away!"
The four guards exchanged glances, their faces troubled.
This was Spirit City. Snatching people off the street was hardly appropriate. Besides, the young man in front of them had an extraordinary bearing. What if he was the young master of some powerful family...?
"What are you standing around for? Have you stopped listening to me?"
Seeing the guards hesitate only made Ning Rongrong angrier.
The guards had no choice but to steel themselves and step forward. Their leader, a Soul Ancestor, said in a grave voice:
"My young lady has a bit of a temper. She only wants to invite you over for a chat. Please don't make things difficult for us."
As he spoke, all four released their Soul Power, hoping to intimidate Lin Qiu into giving in.
Lin Qiu stopped.
He slowly turned around and looked at the girl and her four attendants. A playful smile curled his lips.
"So this is what they call one of the Upper Three Sects?"
"Kidnapping a man in broad daylight here in Spirit City?"
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's discipline really is an eye-opener."
Lin Qiu's voice was not loud, yet everyone present heard him clearly.
Ning Rongrong flew into a rage. "You dare say I have no manners? Get him!"
The four guards hesitated no longer. They sprang forward and lunged at Lin Qiu.
They did not dare to seriously hurt him, but taking down this young man should have been no problem.
However.
Just as they were about to touch the hem of Lin Qiu's clothes—
Boom!
A suffocatingly terrifying pressure erupted from Lin Qiu without warning.
No Soul Rings flashed. No Martial Soul Possession took place.
The sheer force of his presence alone crashed down on the four guards like a Primordial Divine Mountain falling from the heavens.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Four dull impacts rang out.
The guards, Soul Ancestors and Soul Elders alike, could not even manage a groan before their knees buckled as if struck by lightning. In perfect unison, they dropped to the ground.
The hard stone pavement shattered beneath their knees, cracks spreading in every direction like a spiderweb.
"Ah—!"
Their faces turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down them like rain. They felt as if they were carrying a burden of ten thousand jun, and even lifting their heads had become an impossible dream.
It was a shudder that came from the depths of their souls.
The arrogance on Ning Rongrong's face instantly froze.
She stared blankly at the guards kneeling on the ground, then at Lin Qiu, who remained calm and stood with his hands behind his back. Her mouth fell slightly open, but she could not utter a word for a long moment.
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