Azure Divine Dragon

An hour later, Xiao Qing's aura gradually calmed.

Xiao Qing slowly opened her eyes. The cyan soul power swirling around her had changed, now faintly carrying a trace of pressure. The phantom of the original Azure War Dragon had vanished, replaced by a more sacred, more oppressive divine dragon.

This was the Azure Divine Dragon.

Xiao Qing stood up, feeling the surging power within her body, and immediately walked before Qian Xunji, bowing in salute: "Many thanks to Uncle Qian for the gift of rebirth."

Qian Xunji closed his eyes to sense her state, then nodded: "Level forty-six, not bad. The energy contained within that blood bead is vast; you have only absorbed a portion, and the rest will subtly transform your constitution. Go back and consolidate your gains; I have matters to discuss with you all tomorrow."

"Yes." Xiao Qing nodded obediently, then flashed away, disappearing into the woods.

Qian Xunji stood in place, watching the moonlight on the horizon, and began to calculate. Upon returning to the Surface World, besides himself, his son Qian San must be brought along. Xiao Qing, as a top-tier combatant, must also follow. As for Dai Zhuqing, that girl's temperament and potential were quite good, making her a suitable candidate as well. As for the others, he would ask for Qian San's thoughts tomorrow; after all, he had never met them.

Another hour passed.

Dugu Bo's voice drifted over: "Senior, Gu Xin of the Seven Treasure Overlord Pagoda Sect has arrived."

Qian Xunji's figure flickered, instantly returning to the spot where Yu Fengzhi had been kneeling.

Under the moonlight, an emaciated old man exuding a heavy sword intent stood holding a blade. It was Gu Xin, with the Bone Sword martial soul. At his feet lay over a dozen bloody cloth bundles, and a thick, pungent scent of blood permeated the air.

Gu Xin had nothing to say in his heart at this moment. After receiving the secret letter, he had traveled almost without rest to slaughter every talented seedling in Haotian Academy, save for the Platinum Generation. Those were over a dozen hopes who might have become Soul Douluos or even Titled Douluos, and he had hacked them down one by one with his sword.

He looked up at Qian Xunji, then glanced at the kneeling Yu Fengzhi and the one-armed Chen Rong. What pained him most was that the sect's apple of their eye, Yu Rongrong, was currently buried in the dirt, only her head visible as she sobbed.

Gu Xin gripped his Bone Sword, but he did not move, for Yu Fengzhi's previous intelligence had stated clearly: the visitor was a Peerless Douluo; if they dared to resist, the sect would be annihilated.

"Senior." Gu Xin's voice was hoarse as he lowered his head. "The task is complete. The core talents of this generation of Haotian Hall, excluding the Platinum Generation, are all here."

Yu Fengzhi trembled as he spoke: "Senior, we have done what you requested. Now... can you let us go?"

Qian Xunji glanced at the severed heads, his tone indifferent: "Not bad. Sect Master Yu, you certainly acted decisively."

He waved his hand, pulling Yu Rongrong out of the dirt, and simultaneously lifted the pressure from Yu Fengzhi and Chen Rong.

"That's enough, get up," Qian Xunji said.

"Go back and dispose of these heads cleanly. Don't let outsiders know I ordered you to do this, but don't let Haotian Hall fail to trace it back to you either."

Yu Fengzhi and Chen Rong helped each other stand. Chen Rong's face was deathly pale; although the wound on his severed arm had stopped bleeding, the humiliation was accompanied by intense pain.

As soon as Yu Rongrong was freed, she threw herself into Yu Fengzhi's arms and sobbed. She wanted to wail but dared not. She had never suffered such an ordeal in her life, nor had she ever seen a scene where someone would slaughter an entire family over a disagreement.

Qian Xunji looked at Yu Fengzhi and smiled: "Sect Master Yu, I will say it again: the Upper Three Sects must stand together. You were in the wrong first this time, and I did this to help you remember a lesson. Now, this matter is considered settled."

Yu Fengzhi suppressed the hatred in his heart, bowing and scraping: "Yes, Fengzhi understands. Many thanks to Your Excellency for your magnanimity."

"What do you plan to do next?" Qian Xunji asked.

Yu Fengzhi wiped away cold sweat and answered truthfully: "I plan to take my people back to the sect to hold our ground and increase intelligence gathering. Haotian Hall has lost an entire echelon of talent; they will surely go mad searching for the culprit. We must be prepared to deal with them coming to hold us accountable."

Qian Xunji nodded slowly: "That will do. Your Seven Treasure Overlord Pagoda Sect is best at such things."

He paused, looked at Yu Fengzhi, and added: "Tomorrow night, come here alone to see me."

Yu Fengzhi froze. He subconsciously assumed Qian Xunji felt the previous tribute was insufficient and wanted more resources as compensation. He dared not refuse and hurriedly agreed: "I will arrive on time; Fengzhi will certainly satisfy Your Excellency."

"That's all, get lost." Qian Xunji waved his hand.

Yu Fengzhi felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He took the one-armed Chen Rong, the head-carrying Gu Xin, and the still-sobbing Yu Rongrong, and left the vicinity of Kelaishi Academy overnight.

The back mountain returned to silence.

Dugu Bo jumped down from a tree, looked in the direction they had left, and asked with some confusion: "Senior, since you have already made them provide a pledge of allegiance, why not simply absorb them into your ranks?"

Qian Xunji looked at the moon and said faintly: "Absorb them? Old Poison, even a dog will jump over a wall if cornered. No rush. They fear me now, and they have offended Haotian Hall to the death; their days ahead will not be easy. As for tomorrow... we shall see."

For now, he had to go back and absorb that Angel Right Arm Bone. It was a god-level soul bone; even as a Peerless Douluo, he needed to be fully focused.

Late at night.

Qian Xunji took advantage of the darkness to leave Kelaishi Academy alone, arriving at a cave.

In the center of the cave, a blue-silver Spider cocoon rested quietly. Qian Xunji slowed his pace as he approached and watched it silently for a while.

He reached out, gently pressing his hand against the silk, sighed, and whispered: "You have suffered."

Hearing his voice, the previously quiet Spider cocoon trembled slightly, as if responding to him.

Qian Xunji smiled and withdrew his hand. He turned and walked to the other side of the cave, channeling his soul power to lay down a sturdy barrier. Then, he sat cross-legged and took out the god-level Angel Right Arm Bone bestowed by the Angel God King.

The golden-red soul bone hovered in the air. Qian Xunji did not hesitate; he guided the soul bone to press against his right arm and began to absorb it.

Three hours passed.

The golden light within the cave gradually receded. Qian Xunji opened his eyes, stood up, and flexed his right arm. The absorption process had been very smooth; the original Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone had been replaced by this god-level soul bone.

He could clearly feel that the life level of his right arm had opened a massive gap from the rest of his body. His right arm was filled with divine power, but to make his entire body reach the god level, he would need to accumulate it slowly; it could not be achieved overnight.