"I greet the Third Offering."
Snake Lance and Ci Xue bowed together, but Azure Luan Douluo merely nodded at them before ignoring them.
He set the Holy Light Eagle on the ground, then bowed slightly to Qian Renxue, his expression kind and affectionate, like that of an elder doting on a younger family member.
"Xiao Xue, Big Brother asked me to tell you that this Holy Light Eagle has a cultivation of thirty thousand years. Its light attribute is exceptionally pure, making it the most suitable for your Sixth Soul Ring.
"He originally planned to have me take it straight to Heaven Dou City, but then I received your letter saying you had already set out for Sunset Forest, so I came right over.
"Your grandfather also asked me to find out how you've been faring in Heaven Dou City all these years, and whether you've suffered any grievances."
The corners of Qian Renxue's mouth lifted slightly. She wore the genuine smile she showed only when she was with the elders of the Worship Hall.
"Sorry for the trouble, Grandpa Azure Luan. Please also tell Grandfather that everything is going well for me in Heaven Dou City.
"I've spent years building Xue Qinghe's identity, and it's now as solid as a rock. No one in the Heaven Dou Empire's court, from top to bottom, has ever suspected me."
"That's good."
Azure Luan Douluo nodded with relief, then his expression turned a little more serious.
"But Xiao Xue, you've brought only Snake Lance and Ci Xue with you. The depths of Sunset Forest are home to quite a few Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. If you encounter danger, those two might not be able to keep you safe.
"Next time you go on an operation like this, remember to notify the Worship Hall in advance. I'll come protect you myself."
"I understand, Grandpa Azure Luan."
Qian Renxue answered obediently, then suddenly changed the subject.
"By the way, Grandpa Azure Luan, you arrived at just the right time. There's something I'd like to ask you about."
"Go ahead."
Qian Renxue briefly recounted what had happened: two Titled Douluo had been protecting a young man as he hunted for a Soul Ring. One was a level ninety-three Fire Leopard Martial Soul user, while the other, a gray-robed man, was unfathomable— even Ci Xue couldn't see through him.
On top of that, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo was on friendly terms with them. Together, the three groups had the fighting strength of three Titled Douluo.
The more Azure Luan Douluo listened, the deeper his frown grew.
When she finished, he did not speak right away. Instead, he fell silent for a long while.
"Fire Leopard Douluo... I don't recall him.
"But there are plenty of Titled Douluo on the Douluo Continent who live in seclusion. Some haven't left their mountains for decades. It's only natural not to know of them."
He spoke slowly. "As for the gray-robed man whom Ci Xue couldn't see through—Ci Xue's perception is among the best of the Titled Douluo. If even he couldn't see through that man, then either his cultivation is far above level ninety-five, or he's practiced some special technique that hides his aura.
"Either way, it shows that this man is no ordinary person."
"One level ninety-three, one Peak Douluo, and Dugu Bo with his newly evolved poison dragon."
Azure Luan Douluo slowly shook his head. "Xiao Xue, this force is already strong enough to openly challenge any one of the Seven Great Sects on the Douluo Continent.
"And yet so many Titled Douluo are willing to revolve around a teenager. Are you certain that young man's Martial Soul is a blood-red long halberd?"
"Certain."
Qian Renxue replied, "I saw him use that halberd to land the finishing blow on the Golden Thunder Python. Blood-red baleful energy and lightning coiled around its blade at the same time. Judging by its aura, it should be a Mutated Martial Soul with both lightning and baleful energy attributes.
"He chose the perfect moment to strike. His battle instincts far surpassed those of others his age."
Azure Luan Douluo pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You said the gray-robed man never released his Martial Soul?"
"He didn't. He just stood there the entire time. He didn't even reveal his Soul Rings."
"That makes him even more extraordinary."
Azure Luan Douluo's gaze grew profound.
"A powerful fighter at the Titled Douluo level who can make Ci Xue feel pressured without releasing his Martial Soul has reached the point where he can completely conceal his aura, yet still let his sharpness show naturally without meaning to.
"Your grandfather and I only managed to touch that level after breaking through to level ninety-six."
He paused, then looked at Qian Renxue. "Xiao Xue, your judgment was right.
"Until we learn more about them, don't make enemies of them, but don't give up on winning them over, either. A young man who can gather three Titled Douluo around him either has a massive, unknown force behind him, or possesses some special charm or means of his own.
"Either way, he's worth keeping an eye on."
"But you don't need to worry too much."
Azure Luan Douluo's tone softened. He reached out and gently patted Qian Renxue on the shoulder. "Your grandfather once said, 'No matter how many powerful figures there are on this continent, in the end, they all have to choose a side.'
"As long as they don't stand against Spirit Hall, they're potential allies. Besides, you have your grandfather and the entire Worship Hall behind you. Even if that gray-robed man really is a Peak Douluo, he can't turn the world upside down."
Qian Renxue nodded, but her brow did not completely unfurrow.
She wasn't afraid. It was more a sense of unease, instinctive and hard to explain. As the young man left, he had glanced at her, his eyes as calm as if he had seen right through everything.
That feeling unsettled her more than facing a Peak Douluo would have.
"All right, let's put that aside for now."
Azure Luan Douluo pointed at the Holy Light Eagle on the ground. "Absorb your Sixth Soul Ring first. This thirty-thousand-year-old Holy Light Eagle is of even higher quality than the Sixth Soul Ring your father had back then. Don't let Big Brother's thoughtful gift go to waste."
Qian Renxue took a deep breath and pushed her tangled thoughts aside.
She walked up to the unconscious Holy Light Eagle. Her Fifth Soul Ring flashed, and an Angel Holy Sword formed from pure light element appeared in her palm.
The phantom of the Six-Winged Angel slowly unfurled behind her, and its sacred golden radiance lit up half the stream.
She drove her sword through the Holy Light Eagle's heart.
Her movements were clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
A jet-black Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring slowly rose from the corpse. Its darkness was so deep that, in the sunlight, it seemed to shimmer with a faint, almost imperceptible dark-red sheen.
It was already among the highest-quality Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings.
Qian Renxue sat cross-legged by the stream and began absorbing her Sixth Soul Ring.
Golden angelic light surged from within her, colliding fiercely with the energy of the black Soul Ring.
Her body trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. A Soul Ring with a cultivation of thirty-two thousand years placed immense strain on the spirit. Even the bearer of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul could not take it lightly.
But she gritted her teeth and never let out a single groan. Golden radiance and black light intertwined around her, gradually shifting from resistance to fusion.
Snake Lance, Ci Xue, and Azure Luan stood in a triangular formation around her, protecting her at the center. All three released their auras at once, startling every Soul Beast within several miles into fleeing in all directions.
Azure Luan Douluo stood at the front with his hands behind his back. Though he warily scanned the surrounding forest, his mind kept returning to Qian Renxue's account.
A blood-red long halberd, blood-red baleful energy, lightning... He had lived for nearly two hundred years, yet no matter how thoroughly he searched his memories, he couldn't find a single junior of any Titled Douluo who matched that description.
Where had that young man come from? Who was the gray-robed Peak Douluo? And what was their relationship with Dugu Bo?
For now, there were no answers.
But one thing was certain: once he returned, he would have to tell his elder brother Qian Daoliu about this in person. This newly emerged force deserved the Worship Hall's close attention.
Before you continue