"The Angel Legion!!"
Hearing Murong Huai's words, Qian Xunji's expression froze. Then he said quietly:
"Huai, how do you know about them? They're the most elite legion in Spirit Hall. We have over fifty thousand men on this expedition, more than enough to take Sea God Island. Wouldn't bringing them along be overkill?"
The Angel Legion Murong Huai had mentioned was Spirit Hall's most elite force. It had only a little over a hundred members, all powerful Soul Saints or above. Their Martial Souls were all two-winged angels, giving them unparalleled aerial combat strength. Working together, they could even rival a Titled Douluo.
Hearing Qian Xunji's words, Murong Huai was unconvinced. Instead, he said:
"Senior Brother, Sea God Island is no ordinary place, and the sea is perilous. Having the Angel Legion with us would give us an extra measure of security."
After listening to Murong Huai, Qian Xunji considered it for a moment, then made up his mind. He took a golden token from his Soul Tool, handed it to Murong Huai, and instructed him:
"Huai, your senior brother trusts you. This token is my Angel Token. It can be used to mobilize the Angel Legion three times. Take it..."
Murong Huai was about to refuse, but Qian Xunji stopped him.
"Huai, hear me out. The Angel Legion is one of the trump cards of the Qian Family in Spirit Hall. Under ordinary circumstances, we can't deploy them. Still, your concerns are reasonable."
"How about this? To be safe, once I set out and reach the sea, I'll send you a message every three days. If I suddenly stop sending them, that means the situation has turned dangerous. Then take the token to Angel God Mountain behind Douluo Hall and find the Angel Legion's commander, Qian Lingjun. Have him assemble the legion and send it to Sea God Island as reinforcements." Qian Xunji gripped Murong Huai's shoulder and gave him his instructions earnestly.
At that, Murong Huai looked at the token in his hand and nodded firmly.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother."
"Good! Now, I give the order: the army marches!" Qian Pocheng had finished his pre-battle speech and immediately ordered the troops to set out.
"We obey!"
"We obey!"
Everyone shouted in unison, their voices surging with fervor. Then they boarded the ships, and amid the sound of horns, the warships slowly pulled away.
Murong Huai, Wu Xianyun, and the others stood by the river, watching the army depart. Murong Huai's eyes were full of worry. He had made many preparations, but whether he could change what was to come remained unknown.
He secretly swore to himself, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
"Sea God Island, my family had better not suffer too much harm in this battle. Otherwise, given time, I'll personally wipe you off the map!!"
A month later, Star Dome Valley.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The morning mist in Star Dome Valley lay like a veil over the rolling mountain ridges. Murong Huai stood alone in an open practice ground in the valley. Though the long sword in his hand was in motion, it lacked its usual sharpness and focus.
A gentle breeze drifted through the valley, stirring a few fallen leaves, just like his restless thoughts. His swordplay grew increasingly disorderly, his movements slowing until they were utterly without form.
Not far away, Gui Mei, Yue Guan, Tu Zhen, and Ju Qinglan saw this and could only shake their heads helplessly.
"The Holy Son can't go on like this..."
"This is the first time the Holy Son has ever had to face something like this. Sigh, this is the first time Spirit Hall has launched a direct attack on Sea God Island. Who knows how dangerous it'll be?"
"Three of the four elders in his family went with the army. Who wouldn't be worried...?"
Seeing this, Yue Guan shook his head.
"Ah, enough. You're giving me a headache. Think of a way to solve the problem. Over this past month, His Highness the Holy Son has barely improved his swordsmanship at all, aside from his physique and Soul Power. If this goes on, won't His Holiness the Pope beat us to death when he gets back?"
Ju Qinglan sighed. "His mind's unsettled. There's no point practicing his sword like this..."
"Then what do we do? The few of us can't talk him around..."
"Hey, why don't we go find Hall Master Wu?" Tu Zhen raised his hand and suggested. Yue Guan immediately slapped it down.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Is Hall Master Wu in any better shape than the Holy Son? She spends all day in the Martial Soul Sanctuary handling government affairs. Anyone can see she's worried about Marshal Murong and the others..."
"Then what are we supposed to do...?"
"..."
"Wait, I just thought of someone..." Ju Qinglan's eyes lit up.
"Who?"
"Who?"
The few of them huddled together, and Ju Qinglan quietly shared her idea.
"What if we... blah blah blah..."
"Hey, good idea!"
"Sounds good to me..."
"Let's do it!"
"Good. So who's going?" Gui Mei asked. As soon as he finished speaking, the other three all turned to look at him. He froze, then rolled his eyes.
"Uh, sigh. All right, all right. I'll go!"
"Counting on you, old Gui!"
The next day,
After arriving at Star Dome Valley and finishing his usual physique and Soul Power training, Murong Huai summoned the Immortal Lord Nine-Arrival Sword, but he had no desire to practice.
Murong Huai knew what was wrong with him. A person's greatest weakness was their family. Though he had the soul of an adult from his previous life, he couldn't escape it either.
Just as he was about to draw his sword, a sweet, lilting voice rang out.
"Brother Murong!!!"
Murong Huai froze and turned around. A girl in a pink-and-purple dress came running toward him. Recognition dawned, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Dong'er, what brings you here?"
It was Bibi Dong. Hearing Murong Huai's question, she blinked and lightly tapped a finger against her cheek, looking especially adorable. Then she turned and pointed in one direction.
"That uncle brought me here... Huh, where did he go?"
Bibi Dong realized that Gui Mei, who had brought her there, and the others had vanished. She stared around in a daze. Murong Huai immediately understood that Yue Guan and the others had arranged this. He knew what they were thinking, too.
Murong Huai stepped forward and ruffled Bibi Dong's hair. "Don't bother looking, Dong'er. You won't find them."
Bibi Dong nodded, then looked at Murong Huai with a smile.
"Brother Murong, your place is so pretty. Do you usually train here?"
"That's right. How's training at the Primary Martial Soul Academy going, Dong'er?"
At that, Bibi Dong planted her hands on her hips, tipped up her little chin, and said proudly:
"Brother Murong, I'm amazing! My Soul Power is already at level sixteen, and I'm first in my class!"
"You've gained three levels of Soul Power in a little over half a year. You're incredible, Dong'er." Murong Huai patted Bibi Dong's head.
Bibi Dong truly lived up to her talent as a twin-Martial-Soul prodigy with Innate Full Soul Power. With Spirit Hall's resources to cultivate her, she had a much higher starting point than certain blacksmith's sons in the future.
At the Primary Martial Soul Academy, the teachers ranged from Soul Elders to Soul Kings. They were far better than some of those half-baked teachers, too.
In the original story, Bibi Dong's talent was far greater than Tang Hao's. She had to be under forty when she became a Titled Douluo—perhaps only in her thirties. She was simply low-key. Otherwise, what would Tang Hao have to do with being the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent?
"Brother Murong, I want to go shopping in Spirit City. Will you come with me?" Bibi Dong clung to Murong Huai's arm and asked in a sweet, childlike voice.
"Of course. I'll go with you, Dong'er." Murong Huai smiled fondly, then glanced at a large boulder not far away and shook his head with a smile.
"All right, you can stop hiding. You've heard everything, haven't you? Get the carriage ready. We're going to Spirit City..."
Hearing Murong Huai, the four of them hurried out from behind the boulder.
"Right away, Holy Son. The carriage is already waiting outside..."
"Holy Son, Miss Dong'er, this way..."
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