In the Crown Prince Residence in Heaven Dou Imperial City.
As soon as the four of them landed, Yu Tianshuo clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Although he had controlled his clone to self-destruct, the strain of placing his consciousness inside it had been immense. Moreover, the explosion meant he wouldn't be able to summon another blue clone for some time. He would have to wait for it to recover gradually.
Seeing Yu Tianshuo in such a wretched state, Qian Renxue felt a pang in her heart and hurriedly asked about his injuries.
Yu Tianshuo merely waved a hand, swallowed the blood in his mouth, and sat down cross-legged to regulate his breathing.
For now, there was no need to worry about Di Tian chasing after him in a fit of humiliation and killing him. That is, unless he had lost his mind and wanted to expose the fact that the Star Dou Forest was home to a great many Ferocious Beasts.
But that would go against the Silver Dragon King's plans. She still needed time to recover; even now, the wounds left by the Asura God when he cut her in half could only heal little by little.
The words he had left Di Tian were also meant to keep him in check for the time being. His self-destruction had likewise shown that he wouldn't submit easily.
Still, to be safe, his top priority now was to recover as quickly as possible. If Di Tian really did come after him without thinking, he would need to be able to blow him up again.
As Yu Tianshuo regulated his breathing, his previously listless condition visibly improved.
His pale complexion quickly regained its color.
Just then, an unfamiliar, elderly voice suddenly reached Yu Tianshuo's ears.
"Such terrifying recovery, young man..."
There was no time to finish listening. Yu Tianshuo sprang up from his cross-legged position and instantly activated Martial Soul Possession. His Second Soul Ring lit up, and a red clone emerged from his body, swelling in size in an instant.
He shot backward in a flash, not forgetting to grab Qian Renxue as he fled. Just as the two of them were about to crash through the window and escape,
a bright, gentle energy enveloped all four of them. In an instant, Qian Renxue and the two Titled Douluo recognized who had arrived. The two Titled Douluo dropped to one knee, clasped their fists, and respectfully addressed the old man as his figure gradually appeared.
"Snake Lance/Pufferfish pays respects to the Grand Pontiff!" ×2
Qian Renxue also bowed slightly before speaking.
"Grandpa."
Yu Tianshuo was stunned by the sight, but he had no time to think it over. He stiffly imitated Qian Renxue's movements and words.
He bowed awkwardly, then copied Qian Renxue and said,
"Grandpa."
In an instant, the entire room fell silent.
Snake Lance and Porcupinefish Douluo stared at Yu Tianshuo in disbelief, then shifted their eyes to Qian Renxue, as if they wanted to ask her something.
What? We just weren't paying attention while you two were resting after the fight, and you've already gotten together?
Qian Renxue was just as bewildered, but the next instant, her face flushed crimson. She stomped hard on Yu Tianshuo's foot.
Only then did Yu Tianshuo realize what had happened. Thinking about what he had just said, he began to worry that Qian Daoliu might tear him apart on the spot.
Who called someone's grandfather the first time they met? Even if he tried to explain now, there was no way he could make himself understood.
While Yu Tianshuo's mind raced as he tried to figure out how to make things right, Qian Daoliu stroked his beard with a smile. There was unmistakable approval in the way he looked at Yu Tianshuo.
Not bad, this young man. He has ability and brains, and even in danger, he didn't forget to pull Xue'er along. It'd be a waste to have him serve only as her protector.
At that thought, Qian Daoliu's eyes shifted, as if he had come up with something. He smiled and spoke.
"Not bad, young man. But it's a little early to call me Grandpa just yet. Once you pass the divine trial, I'll approve of your marriage to Xue'er. Then you'll have every right to call me Grandpa."
The room fell silent again.
Yu Tianshuo was too stunned to think straight. How had things suddenly jumped to marriage? He had only met Qian Renxue a handful of times.
He looked at Qian Renxue in bewilderment, only to find her looking back at him. She seemed just as confused as he was, and even a little flustered and angry. Against her lovely face, the expression looked especially adorable.
Seeing the two youngsters exchanging glances right in front of him, Qian Daoliu's smile widened.
You little rascal. As if I can't see what you're thinking. It's a little perverse that Xue'er has taken a fancy to someone three years younger than herself, but an older woman with a younger man brings good fortune. This kid's getting quite the bargain.
Thinking this, Qian Daoliu casually caught the red clone that was about to explode. He sent holy energy into it to delay the detonation, then looked at Yu Tianshuo.
"Little fellow, shouldn't you put this trick of yours away? If it goes off, the biggest news in Heaven Dou City tomorrow will be that the crown prince was attacked."
Seeing the clone in Qian Daoliu's hand, Yu Tianshuo came to his senses. He summoned it back with a casual gesture and began to withdraw its violent Soul Power.
Watching Yu Tianshuo do this, Qian Daoliu grew quite interested.
One person had mastered four Ultimate Attributes and could control them perfectly. Even storybooks wouldn't dare imagine such a thing. Yet he had encountered it today, so he would have to watch closely.
The more Qian Daoliu watched, the more astonished he became. This was no delicate control at all. It was brute force, plain and simple. Yu Tianshuo wasn't separating the different energies and absorbing them one by one. He was swallowing them by force, even taking in all the light Soul Power Qian Daoliu had sent into the clone to delay the explosion. Not a trace was left behind.
Moreover, Qian Daoliu had completely lost his sense of the absorbed Soul Power, as if it had simply vanished.
At that thought, Qian Daoliu's gaze turned sharp. The only ones he had seen do something similar were the Fallen Soul Masters, who cultivated by devouring other people's life force. Their utter disregard for commoners had felt like a blasphemy against the Angel God.
In the past, whenever he encountered such a thing, he had killed them without hesitation. But the person standing before him was the protector Xue'er had chosen. Should he kill him anyway?
While Qian Daoliu struggled with the decision, Yu Tianshuo finished absorbing the clone that had been on the verge of exploding. Yet there was a strange power inside it that felt odd to him.
With a thought, he forced several wisps of divine power, tinged with a sacred aura, out of his body.
Only then did Qian Daoliu's expression return to normal. The complicated look in his eyes as he regarded Yu Tianshuo vanished as well.
So it was isolation, not devouring. Then there's no problem.
What Qian Daoliu didn't know was that Yu Tianshuo simply hadn't absorbed the Radiant Dragon King, and so he didn't possess the ability to absorb light.
Otherwise, the Soul Power tinged with the Angel God's aura would have been excellent nourishment for Yu Tianshuo.
And what Yu Tianshuo didn't know was that his unintentional action had just saved his own life.
Before you continue