Song Qingling and Xia Hui had both reached the peak of rank twenty-nine, just one step away from the bottleneck before becoming Soul Elders.
Qin Xuan, on the other hand, had already reached the rank-fifty bottleneck. Once he obtained another Soul Ring, he would break through to Soul King.
He had obtained his fourth Soul Ring by hunting a thirty-thousand-year Evil Spirit Flood Dragon. The Soul Skill it granted him was called Dark Soul-Breaking Kill.
This Soul Skill compressed his speed and strength to their utmost for a short time, allowing him to unleash an explosive burst in an instant. What's more, Dark Soul-Breaking Kill could ignore all defensive skills!
After they climbed into the luxurious carriage reserved for Spirit Hall that was waiting by the roadside, Xia Hui said with a smile:
"Brother Qin, my father's been wanting to meet you for ages."
"You're a great benefactor to our Purple Heaven Sect!"
Qin Xuan nodded slightly without saying much. They were on their way to the Purple Heaven Sect, located in Star Luo City.
He wanted to see whether this second-rate sect was worth cultivating. And as for the Herb Garden, he also needed to find out whether he could entrust it to Sect Master Xia Lei.
The Star Luo Empire had a vast territory.
The Purple Heaven Sect was situated in a valley on the outskirts of Star Luo City.
Second-rate sects occupied an awkward position, whether in the Star Luo Empire or the Heaven Dou Empire.
After all, their strength and resources were neither here nor there. They weren't powerful enough to be considered top-tier, so they could only survive in the cracks, and business was hard to come by.
The Purple Heaven Sect had just over a hundred disciples, and its only top-tier fighter was its sect master, Xia Lei, an eighty-first-rank Soul Douluo.
Even with so few disciples, the Purple Heaven Sect was still spending more than it earned and stood on the brink of bankruptcy.
After all, aside from the Elephant Armor Sect, the Lower Four Sects were all based in the Star Luo Empire.
When it came to doing business, most people still preferred the Lower Four Sects. Who would choose the obscure Purple Heaven Sect?
That also explained why Xia Hui had hesitated at the Spirit City Auction House back then.
It took them half a month to reach the Purple Heaven Sect.
Qin Xuan had initially planned to travel by Wind Bird, but on second thought, he decided it wasn't necessary.
The Wind Bird required Soul Power to operate, and the journey was long. If they ran into any unexpected trouble, that could be a problem.
Besides, Qin Xuan wasn't in a hurry. He had nothing else to do afterward.
Looking ahead,
a middle-aged man in a purple robe, with stubble on his chin, paced back and forth before the gate, looking anxious.
When he saw Qin Xuan and the others approaching, the man hurriedly bowed with respect.
"Xia Lei, sect master of the Purple Heaven Sect, pays his respects to Young Master Qin!"
"Please, Sect Master Xia, there's no need for formalities," Qin Xuan replied casually.
"Dad!" Xia Hui cried, rushing into Xia Lei's arms, her eyes damp.
"Young Master Qin is right here. Show some restraint," Xia Lei whispered.
"It's all right, Dad. Brother Qin's a good person. We're all friends." Xia Hui turned to look at Qin Xuan and smiled.
"Please forgive us, Young Master Qin. This way, please." Somewhat ill at ease, Xia Lei led the three of them into the sect.
Qin Xuan was the young master of Spirit Hall and the Pope's personal disciple. Xia Lei was only the sect master of a second-rate sect, so it was only natural that he felt nervous meeting him for the first time.
Rumor had it that Bibi Dong had personally taken Qin Xuan to Sunset Forest to hunt Soul Beasts, where they happened upon Dugu Bo.
Bibi Dong had needed only one strike to nearly kill the ninety-first-rank Poison Douluo right there in Sunset Forest.
Poison Douluo hadn't died, but his foundation was damaged, and his rank had fallen to Soul Douluo.
That made Xia Lei all the more wary of Qin Xuan and the Pope behind him.
Qin Xuan glanced over the Purple Heaven Sect's grounds, his expression calm.
The Purple Heaven Sect wasn't very large. Its grounds were about the same size as those of the Four Single-Attribute Clans.
They entered the Sect Master Mansion and took their seats one after another. Then Xia Lei spoke:
"Thank you for looking after us, Young Master Qin. It was all thanks to your Immortal Herb that my daughter's Crape Myrtle Exquisite Pagoda broke through its limits. Otherwise, she would have been stuck at the Soul Elder rank for the rest of her life."
"I can never repay this kindness. From now on, everyone in the Purple Heaven Sect will serve at Young Master Qin's side."
"Think nothing of it, Sect Master Xia. Xia Hui and I are friends. Giving her an Immortal Herb was just a small favor." Qin Xuan paused, then continued:
"But there is something I'd like to ask you to help me with."
"Please, Young Master Qin. I'll do everything in my power," Xia Lei said at once.
He had called himself a "subordinate," clearly having already chosen Qin Xuan as his leader.
After all, if the Purple Heaven Sect could latch onto such a powerful backer, its future would be boundless!
As a sect master, he knew this was the best chance for the Purple Heaven Sect to break out of its predicament.
Every now and then, he also glanced at Xia Hui, a knowing smile on his face.
"There's a large quantity of medicinal herbs and seeds in my storage ring that need cultivating."
"I got them all from Dugu Bo's Herb Garden. Would you be willing to cultivate them for me, Sect Master Xia?" Qin Xuan asked calmly, touching the ring on his left index finger.
"Cultivating the Herb Garden won't be a problem. But if that Old Poison finds out, won't he come after us?"
"I'm ashamed to admit it, but even though his rank has fallen to Soul Douluo, I'm still no match for him."
Xia Lei voiced his misgivings without holding anything back.
"I expected as much."
"Why don't you move the Purple Heaven Sect to Spirit Hall's territory, Sect Master Xia?"
"From what I can see, the Purple Heaven Sect is in an awkward position in the Star Luo Empire and doesn't have much business. My influence in the Star Luo Empire is limited, so I can't do much to help you."
"As long as the Purple Heaven Sect moves to Spirit Hall's territory, I'll put in a word with the people in charge. You'll have no trouble finding ways to make money."
"And in Spirit City, you won't have to worry about Dugu Bo seeking revenge. You can cultivate the herbs openly without worrying that anyone will discover them."
"It's only a matter of time before the Upper Three Sects change. If you manage your sect well, the Purple Heaven Sect could one day claim a place among them."
"After all, with Xia Hui and Qingling's talent, it's only a matter of time before they become Titled Douluo, isn't it?"
"Then your Purple Heaven Sect will be like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, with two Douluo in one sect!"
At those words, Xia Lei leaped to his feet, unable to believe his ears.
"Young... Young Master Qin, you're not asking Xia Hui and Qingling to join Spirit Hall. You're letting them return to the Purple Heaven Sect instead?"
Qin Xuan gave a quiet "Mm" and didn't deny it.
Seeing this, Xia Lei dropped to one knee, tears filling his eyes. "Thank you, Young Master Qin!"
"Tomorrow, I'll have all the disciples move to Spirit City!"
There was no denying that Qin Xuan's promise was an enticing one. Who could possibly refuse?
Imagining the Purple Heaven Sect's future glory, Xia Lei couldn't help smiling.
"Don't be so formal, Sect Master Xia. Get up." As he spoke, Qin Xuan turned to the two young women. "What are your plans from here?"
Xia Hui glanced at her father, whose hair was already streaked with white, then spoke.
"I'll stay here for a while and help Father handle the sect's affairs. After that, I'll report to Spirit Hall Academy."
"Then I'll stay with Xia Hui," Song Qingling chimed in.
"Mm." Qin Xuan nodded slightly and said calmly, "That works. I'll wait for you both at Spirit Hall Academy."
"I have something else to take care of, so I'll be going."
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