In a secret chamber, two figures sat cross-legged facing each other. Two cups of tea steamed on the table between them.
"Is there something you need from me?"
Qian Daoliu looked at the Black-Robed Man before him, puzzled by his sudden visit.
"My lord had a dream. In the future, the entire continent will be held in one person's grasp."
"And what of it? Anyone capable of uniting the entire continent must be a person of both wisdom and courage. The continent would be fortunate to be united."
"That person's surname is Tang. He is the son of the current Clear Sky Douluo."
"And then?"
Qian Daoliu lifted his teacup and took a small sip. Whoever it was, anyone capable of uniting the continent would be a powerful figure worthy of trust.
"He destroyed Spirit Hall, killed Pope Bibi Dong, and crippled your granddaughter—the next Angel God."
The Black-Robed Man dropped another piece of news. The hand holding Qian Daoliu's teacup trembled.
"Di Tian, how can you prove that the dream your lord had will come true?"
Qian Daoliu set his teacup down and stared intently at Di Tian.
"My lord is a God King."
Di Tian's words crushed every last hope Qian Daoliu had. What kind of immense power did a God King possess? His own ancestor had been no more than a First-Level God.
"What do you need me to do?"
Qian Daoliu didn't believe Di Tian had secretly come to see him just to tell him about this despairing future.
"In my lord's dream, Su Zhen never appeared. He is the only variable who can put an end to this tragedy."
"Then I'll bring him back to the Worship Hall and protect him until he becomes a Titled Douluo."
"That won't work. Protection isn't what he needs."
"Please enlighten me, Brother Di!"
Qian Daoliu bowed deeply. After a lifetime of upright conduct, he bent his back for the future of Spirit Hall and his granddaughter.
"When Su Zhen next returns to the Worship Hall, tell him every suspicion you have about the force behind Tang Hao."
"That would make Xiao Zhen break down!"
Qian Daoliu roared and slammed both hands onto the table, jolting tea out of the cups. He couldn't imagine how despairing Su Zhen would feel when he heard his suspicions, or what reckless thing he might do.
"That's exactly what we need. Only by subjecting him to the most powerful shock can his Martial Soul truly awaken. Only after awakening can he truly stop this disaster."
Di Tian rose to face Qian Daoliu, refusing to back down.
The two stood locked in a standoff for a long time. Qian Daoliu wrestled with himself just as long. On one side stood the Qian Family's thousand-year legacy and the granddaughter he cherished most; on the other was the disciple he had raised with his own hands and regarded as his successor. He couldn't bring himself to hurt either of them.
"What if Xiao Zhen can't endure it?"
After a moment's thought, Qian Daoliu asked another question.
"He will endure it. He has to. If he can't, it won't just be you who die—it'll be us, too."
Di Tian practically roared the words. Su Zhen's fate was tied to the survival of two factions.
Whoosh—
Qian Daoliu slowly exhaled and sat down. In the end, he had yielded—for that distant, elusive future.
Qian Daoliu picked up the cold tea on the table and gulped it down. The plan he and Di Tian had made days earlier had just been put into action.
"Xiao Zhen, you have to make it through this."
In the secret chamber, Qian Daoliu looked at the tabletop, still faintly streaked with water, and closed his eyes in pain.
Deep in the vast forest, three streaks of light shot past one after another. The Soul Beasts below looked up in alarm, and many were drawn into pursuit.
Boom—
The leading streak of light crashed heavily beside a jade-green lake, smashing a person-sized crater into the ground.
The other two streaks of light arrived in quick succession.
"Xiao Zhen!"
Qian Renxue landed and rushed toward the crater, wanting to dig Su Zhen out.
"Xue'er, don't act rashly. Something's wrong with Xiao Zhen."
Guang Ling appeared behind Qian Renxue and held her back.
"Fifth Grandpa, Xiao Zhen is sick. Let's take him back. I'm sure Grandpa can use the power of our ancestor to cure him."
Qian Renxue's voice caught in her throat. She desperately wished that Xiao Zhen's current condition was only an illness.
"Xiao Xue, let's first—"
"Humans, who gave you the nerve to trespass here?"
Before Guang Ling could finish, an angry shout drowned him out.
Two enormous figures rose from the jade-green lake nearby.
One had a bull's head and a python's body; the other was a gigantic ape-like creature.
"Sky Azure Bull Python, Titan Giant Ape!"
Guang Ling's voice was grave. For two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, creatures at the very pinnacle of the Soul Beast world, to appear together was alarming. Even as a level-97 Super Douluo, he couldn't take on both at once—not with Qian Renxue and the unconscious Su Zhen beside him.
"Xiao Xue, we're leaving!"
Guang Ling grabbed Qian Renxue's hand and prepared to flee.
"Fifth Grandpa, Xiao Zhen is still here. Let's take him with us!"
Qian Renxue struggled, trying to bring Su Zhen away with them.
Guang Ling saw the tears streaming down Qian Renxue's face, and his heart ached. How could he not want to take Su Zhen with them? He had watched the boy grow up, too. But with two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts watching them, getting Qian Renxue out alone was already a struggle.
"Humans, now that you're here, stay—"
Thud!
The Titan Giant Ape's rough voice rang out, but before it could finish, its body flew backward as if someone had kicked it. It crashed into the forest behind them, smashing a swath of trees.
"Who do you two dogs think you are, laying a hand on my guest?"
A Black-Robed Man appeared on the shore, quietly gazing at Su Zhen in the crater.
"My lord."
The Sky Azure Bull Python lowered its enormous head in greeting.
"Leave!"
"Yes!"
The forest emperor, who had been so imperious moments ago, retreated into the lake at a single reprimand from the Black-Robed Man.
The Black-Robed Man looked up at Qian Renxue and Guang Ling and spoke slowly.
"You two should go back. Su Zhen will stay with me for a while."
"But—"
Guang Ling gave Qian Renxue a tug, cutting off the words that had just reached her lips.
"Senior, you must be Di Tian. I've heard my elder brother speak of you. Since Xiao Zhen is with you, I can rest easy. But if Xiao Zhen suffers even the slightest mistreatment here, we'll spare no cost to raze the entire Star Dou Forest."
Guang Ling stepped forward and spoke, then flew away with Qian Renxue.
"Fifth Grandpa, who is he? Is it really safe to leave Xiao Zhen here?"
On the way back, Qian Renxue couldn't help asking who the Black-Robed Man was. She was deeply worried about Su Zhen's safety.
Guang Ling explained the connection between the Black-Robed Man and Su Zhen, finally calming Qian Renxue's anxious heart.
"Xiao Zhen, wait for me..."
Qian Renxue drew her gaze back from the forest below. At that moment, her resolve grew unshakable.
In a luminous space, Di Tian carried Su Zhen over and laid him down in front of a white figure.
"My lord, I've brought Su Zhen."
"Mm. You may leave."
The white figure's voice rang through the enclosed space, ethereal and filled with boundless authority.
Di Tian bowed and withdrew, leaving Su Zhen alone with the white figure.
"How long are you going to keep this up?"
The white figure looked down at Su Zhen, lying on the ground.
A quarter of an hour passed. Seeing that Su Zhen still hadn't reacted, the white figure spoke again.
"I can help you take revenge—the real kind."
At those words, Su Zhen's body trembled slightly. Then he braced himself against the ground and sat up.
In truth, he had already woken when he fell from the sky. But he still couldn't accept what Qian Daoliu had told him. He had lost all hope in everything, so he had lain motionless like a corpse.
"Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena."
When Su Zhen identified her at once, a trace of a smile appeared on Gu Yuena's cold face.
"You really do know everything."
"Ah! Teacher, it hurts."
In a shabby little bedroom, Tang San writhed on the bed like a maggot in a cesspool.
"Xiao San, calm yourself. This is only the boost from a high-year Soul Ring overwhelming your body. Endure it, and everything will get better."
Yu Xiaogang stood by the bed and spoke as if he knew what he was talking about.
Ever since Tang San had returned from his part-time job over a month ago, his meridians had stabbed with pain whenever he cultivated, as if they were being pierced by thousands of needles. But after examining Tang San, Yu Xiaogang, the theoretical Grandmaster, had concluded that a high-year Soul Ring's boost was too much for his body to bear.
"Ah!"
Tang San let out a cry of agony and passed out.
"Xiao San!"
Smack!
When Yu Xiaogang saw Tang San pass out, he tried to go over and examine him, but a burly figure appeared beside the bed and slapped him flying.
Yu Xiaogang spun through the air several times before crashing hard to the ground, the left side of his face swelling up.
"Fool! I was gone for just over a month, and you let Xiao San end up like this!"
"His Excellency Haotian, I—"
"Silence!"
Tang Hao roughly cut Yu Xiaogang off, then turned and channeled Soul Power into Tang San.
Yu Xiaogang covered his face and quietly watched from behind, but Tang Hao, frantic to save his son, didn't notice the anger in Yu Xiaogang's eyes.
Tang Hao, and that little bastard from the Worship Hall, just you wait.
Before you continue