The Main Story is About to Begin, Qian Xunji is in Danger

The night grew deep.

Qian Anci sat alone in the study, the moonlight outside the window cold and clear.

He did not light a lamp.

The pair of eyes in the darkness were deeper than the night itself.

The information Qian Renxue revealed today had arrived faster than he had anticipated.

Qian Xunji had already led a team out, with Tang Hao and that Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor who had transformed into human form as his targets.

"What are you thinking about?"

Castorice's voice echoed in his Sea of Consciousness, carrying a hint of inquiry.

"I am calculating the time."

Qian Anci closed his eyes, his mind sinking into that gray-white Underworld Wasteland.

The girl with long, pale purple hair was leaning against the top of a Bone Dragon, the Underworld Flower on her skirt flickering in and out of sight amidst the gray mist.

She lowered her gaze to look at him.

"Given Qian Xunji's personality, he won't bring many people. He is too arrogant."

Qian Anci sat down on the wasteland, his tone as calm as if he were stating a predetermined fact.

"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast about to give birth, and a Spirit Douluo who has yet to break through to level ninety. He will basically only take a few trusted aides with him."

"And Tang Hao, although he is only an eighty-ninth-level Spirit Douluo, after Ah Yin sacrifices herself, Tang Hao will gain the dual amplification of a spirit bone and a spirit ring, plus his Ring Detonation..."

"Qian Xunji's defeat is already sealed."

Castorice said softly.

"More or less; at the very least, he will be heavily injured."

Qian Anci nodded in response.

The gray mist on the wasteland surged for a moment.

Castorice leaped down from the top of the Bone Dragon, her bare feet treading on the cracked earth as she walked before him.

"You do not intend to save him."

This was not a question.

Qian Anci raised his eyes, meeting her gaze.

"Why would I save him?"

His voice was not loud, yet it permeated with a coldness that seeped from his very marrow.

"As long as Qian Xunji lives, the power of Martial Soul Hall will forever be concentrated in his hands. Grandfather is advanced in age, the Worship Hall does not concern itself with worldly affairs, and I, this Saint Son, may look glorious, but I am merely a fledgling under Grandfather's wings."

He paused.

"If Qian Xunji dies, it is not a bad thing for Martial Soul Hall."

"At least, not for me."

"Bibi Dong will succeed him as Pope." Castorice reminded him, "You should remember that she already carries the aura of the Rakshasa God. Letting her sit on the throne of the Pope is equivalent to handing Martial Soul Hall over to the Rakshasa God."

"But if Qian Xunji does not die, she will be even more dangerous."

Qian Anci stood up and paced across the wasteland. In the distance, the massive body of Pollux lay silently, dim blue soul fire flickering slowly in its eye sockets.

"From the day Qian Renxue was born, that woman has been locked in hatred. As long as Qian Xunji lives, her resentment will ferment. The Rakshasa God relies on this resentment to erode her soul. If Qian Xunji never dies, it will significantly alter the plot, and I will lose the advantage of my foresight."

He stopped his footsteps.

"Therefore, not only can I not save him, I must ensure he dies much like he did in the original story."

Castorice was silent for a moment.

"Have you considered the consequences of Bibi Dong turning completely toward the Rakshasa God?"

"I have." Qian Anci turned around, the gray-white mist churning beneath his feet, "But that woman is no fool."

"She will not do something as foolish as cutting off her own arms."

He paused.

"Moreover, as long as Grandfather is still here, and the Worship Hall still stands, she must have some reservations."

"She can be the Pope, but Martial Soul Hall is more than just the Pope."

"The Elder Hall, the Worship Hall, and the bishops of the various branches—these forces will not defect just because of a single word from her."

"Do you intend to vie with her for power?"

"Not vie."

The corners of Qian Anci's mouth curled upward slightly.

"It is to wait."

"Wait for her to sit in that position, only to discover that the authority of the Pope is not as great as she imagined, and to find that her orders cannot even leave the Pope's Palace..."

"By that time, she will either cooperate with me or be sidelined by me."

"Are you certain?"

"I am."

Qian Anci's voice was resolute.

"Because I have you behind me! As long as you are still here, it is only a matter of time before I grow stronger."

Castorice watched him quietly, her expression unreadable.

"Anci, you have changed."

"Is that not a good thing?"

"It is not that it is bad."

She said softly, her fingers brushing through the stray hair on his forehead.

"It is just that sometimes, I miss the child who used to listen to me sing on the wasteland."

Qian Anci was silent for a moment.

"That child is still here." His voice dropped a few degrees. "It is just that he has learned to hide his softness."

Castorice smiled slightly and said nothing more.

A long while later.

He withdrew from his Sea of Consciousness and pushed open the door to the study.

"Ya Yi."

In the darkness, a lean, tall figure landed silently and knelt on one knee.

"This subordinate is here."

"There are a few things I need you to handle."

Qian Anci stood with his hands behind his back, the moonlight making his plain white robe look like snow.

"First, keep a close watch on the Pope's Palace. I want to be the first to know the moment news of Qian Xunji's return arrives."

"Second, have your men disperse to the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire. There is no need to get close to the battlefield; just observe the movements from the periphery."

"If there is anything unusual, report it immediately."

Ya Yi was silent for a moment, then bowed his head. "This subordinate understands."

He did not ask why.

Just like that day in the cave, after he saw the Bone Dragon that blotted out the sky with his own eyes, he chose to kneel and lower his gaze, saying, "This subordinate saw nothing."

Qian Anci watched him disappear into the night, then turned to look in the direction of the Pope's Palace.

That magnificent, golden Sacred Hall appeared solemn and holy under the moonlight.

But he knew that before long, a bloody transformation would occur within those walls, one capable of shattering the very foundations of Martial Soul Hall.

And what he had to do was not to stop it.

It was to seize the broken pillars for himself before anyone else could react.

"The sky is about to change."

He said softly.

"Anci?"

A voice suddenly came from behind a pillar.

Qian Anci turned his head to see Qian Renxue leaning against the corner of the corridor, her golden hair draped over her shoulders; clearly, she had not been sleeping.

"Why is Sister not resting yet?"

"I couldn't sleep." Qian Renxue walked to his side and looked toward the Pope's Palace with him. "Father has been gone for several days, and there hasn't been a single message."

Her voice was very light, yet it hid a trace of imperceptible worry.

"The Pope is a Titled Douluo, and he has several elders accompanying him; nothing will happen to him." Qian Anci comforted her.

Qian Renxue did not respond.

She was silent for a long time before she suddenly spoke.

"Anci."

"Yes."

"If one day... Father is no longer here, what will happen to Martial Soul Hall?"

Qian Anci felt a jolt in his heart, but his face remained calm.

"Why does Sister suddenly ask this?"

"It is nothing." Qian Renxue turned her face away, looking toward the clock tower in the distance. "I just suddenly feel that while Martial Soul City looks sturdy, everything is actually held up by Grandfather and Father. If they were not here... I do not know what I should do."

Qian Anci was silent for a moment.

"I will be here."

His voice was calm, yet carried a sense of certainty Qian Renxue had never heard before.

"No matter what happens, I will remain at Martial Soul Hall. With you, sister."

Qian Renxue turned her head to look at him, her golden eyes shimmering with a complex emotion under the moonlight.

After a long silence, she let out a soft huff and turned her face away.

"Who asked for your company?"