After hearing Qian Renxue's account of her fifth Soul Skill, even Qian Daoliu's usually placid face showed a hint of emotion.
"Both Soul Skills are excellent."
Two life-saving Soul Skills would provide Qian Renxue with the greatest possible protection from now on. Qian Daoliu had only one granddaughter, but he couldn't watch over her every moment. These two Soul Skills made up for that perfectly.
"But why didn't that beast offer up its Soul Bone to Xiao Xue as well?"
Qian Daoliu used his Soul Power to draw the Soul Bone from the ground into his hand, asking in puzzlement.
"I told it to keep the Soul Bone. Sister Xue's Angel Divine Suit was already reserved for her. Even a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone couldn't match the Angel Divine Suit for compatibility with Sister Xue."
Su Zhen interjected.
Qian Daoliu was skeptical of Su Zhen's explanation. After all, he had lived for so many years and had never seen anything like this.
"Xiao Zhen, since Xiao Xue can't use this Soul Bone, you should absorb it."
Qian Daoliu tossed the Soul Bone in his hand to Su Zhen.
"Teacher, I already have a right leg bone. I'll hold on to this Soul Bone for now. It might come in handy later."
Su Zhen caught the Soul Bone and put it straight into his Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch.
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu remembered what Guang Ling had told him about the events of those few days after he returned.
"Big brother, where are Xiao Xue and Xiao Zhen? Didn't I just see them come back? Where'd they go?"
At that moment, Lion's gruff voice came from outside the secret chamber.
The three of them left the secret chamber and found that several of the elders had gathered in the Worship Hall.
"Xiao Xue, come here. Let your second grandpa give you a hug."
Seeing Qian Renxue, Golden Crocodile went right up to her and opened his arms to hug her. But his arms closed around empty air. When he looked up, he saw Qian Renxue cradled in Azure Luan's arms.
"Second brother, Xiao Xue is so adorable. How can you treat her so roughly?"
Azure Luan's teasing voice rang out.
"Azure Luan!"
"Third brother, put Xiao Xue down. I want to hold her too!"
"Me too! Nobody else gets to cut in!"
Inside the Worship Hall, several Super Douluo—each of whom could make the entire Soul Master World quake with a single stomp—were now arguing over a young girl.
Watching the chaotic scene unfold, Su Zhen suddenly felt that maybe he wasn't all that important after all.
"Teacher, where's Fifth Grandpa? I don't see him."
Shaking his head to clear away his wandering thoughts, Su Zhen noticed that one of the liveliest members of Qian Renxue's family was missing.
"Fifth Elder set off for Heaven Dou City this morning to find you two. Didn't you run into him?"
Qian Daoliu asked.
"Right, looks like we passed each other without even a glimpse. But I guess that means Little Ao's going to have a rough time."
Su Zhen said, rubbing his forehead.
"Teacher, how did you know there was a god behind Tang Hao?"
Su Zhen changed the subject, asking the question that had been weighing on his mind for days.
"It all started with you."
"Me?"
Su Zhen was baffled by Qian Daoliu's words. What did a god behind Tang Hao have to do with him?
"Six years ago, when I was pursuing Tang Hao, I happened to see you awaken your Martial Soul."
"The phenomenon your awakening caused was enormous. Normally, anyone being hunted would avoid a place like that, where it would draw the attention of powerful people."
"Tang Hao initially tried to flee in the opposite direction, but then he turned and flew toward you. At that moment, I sensed the presence of a god."
"Besides, the attack Tang Hao used to destroy your village was far beyond what a seriously injured, Rank 91 Titled Douluo could unleash."
"Later, when I sent you into the trials in Spirit City, that hundred-year-old Spirit Tiger that killed Otto also carried the same god's aura."
"Only after Di Tian gave you that Dragon Scale did the god's aura stop appearing."
By then, Su Zhen was numb. He couldn't believe what Qian Daoliu was telling him. He stared at Qian Daoliu, hoping the other man would laugh and say it was all a joke.
Qian Daoliu paused, then turned and stared at Su Zhen, who stood frozen in place. Slowly, he revealed an unbelievable truth.
"So every tragedy that happened was caused by the Martial Soul you awakened—the Thunder Prison Qilin."
"No, no, that can't be true! It can't! Teacher, you're lying to me, aren't you? There isn't really a god behind Tang Hao, is there? You just don't want me to go after him, right? He was trying to use Hound Village to distract you that day, wasn't he? That attack was his full strength, and that's why it was so terrifying, right? That Spirit Tiger just happened to wander into the village, right?"
"Teacher, say something! You're lying to me. You're joking, aren't you? Say something!"
Hearing Qian Daoliu's conclusion, Su Zhen gave a laugh and fired question after question at him. His voice grew louder and louder.
Qian Daoliu stared at Su Zhen, who was on the verge of breaking down, and remained silent for a long time, his gaze fixed on him.
"Xiao Zhen, I..."
"Shut up! Shut your mouth! Qian Daoliu, you made all of this up. You're just afraid of Tang Chen, afraid of the Clear Sky Sect!"
Qian Daoliu's burning gaze tore through Su Zhen's final defenses, and his emotions collapsed. He roared at his teacher, Qian Daoliu, without stopping.
As he shouted, Su Zhen's eyes turned blood-red. Roars of beasts sounded from within him, one after another. Countless black lightning bolts surged out of his body, completely enveloping him as he transformed into a humanoid bolt of lightning.
"Xiao Zhen!"
Qian Renxue and the others, on the other side of the Worship Hall, noticed what was happening and rushed to Qian Daoliu's side, their eyes full of concern as they stared at the humanoid lightning.
Qian Renxue went up to Su Zhen and reached out to take his hand, but the black lightning struck her back.
"Grandpa, what's happening to Xiao Zhen? Please, save him!"
Qian Renxue went to Qian Daoliu, pleading with her grandfather to save Su Zhen.
Seeing his granddaughter so worried she was on the verge of tears, Qian Daoliu gave a slight shake of his head and answered calmly.
"This is Xiao Zhen's own inner trial. No one can help him; he has to come to on his own. If he can't get past this, he'll never become a true powerhouse."
Qian Daoliu's tone was calm, as though the one breaking down before him wasn't his disciple. But no one noticed the trace of worry in his eyes.
It all started with you. Your awakening caused an enormous phenomenon, and Tang Hao turned and flew toward you. Every tragedy that happened was caused by you.
Qian Daoliu's words circled endlessly in Su Zhen's mind, tormenting him like the whispers of a demon.
He felt his entire world collapsing. He had used revenge to fuel his cultivation, only to discover that he had caused everything. He had become a complete clown.
The humanoid lightning that Su Zhen had become slowly rose into the air. The roars within him grew louder and more real.
"Raaah—Awoooo—"
A beast's roar, terrifyingly real, came from Su Zhen as he hovered in the air. Its thunderous sound left everyone in the Worship Hall dizzy and ringing in the ears, even Qian Daoliu.
Boom~
Su Zhen abruptly turned in midair and shot out of the hall, moving faster than an ordinary Titled Douluo.
"Xiao Zhen!"
Seeing Su Zhen fly away, Qian Renxue ignored her own discomfort, spread her six wings, and chased after him. Though only a Soul King, she flew faster than a Titled Douluo.
"Xiao Xue!"
Guang Ling was the first to react. Terrifying Soul Power surged from him as he pursued the two who had flown away.
The instant the three departed, Qian Daoliu straightened up as if nothing had happened. He walked out of the Worship Hall and gazed into the distance at the three streaks of light, his expression grave.
With a casual wave, he knocked away the two figures that had just risen from Pope Hall, then turned and went back inside the Worship Hall. The doors shut tight, and a solemn voice reached Pope Hall just before they closed.
"This is a private matter of the Worship Hall!"
Those words crushed all of Bibi Dong's plans. Her grip tightened on the Pope Scepter until it creaked, the sound strikingly clear in the empty Pope Hall.
Before you continue