Brought Back to the Consecration Hall by Qian Renxue

"Just passing through?" Qian Renxue's voice turned cold.

"This is a restricted area of Spirit Hall. Any outsider who trespasses dies."

"I didn't trespass; I came to pay my respects."

"Pay your respects?"

"I have long admired the late Pope Chihiro Ji. Since I was passing through Spirit City today, I specifically came to offer my respects."

Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed.

"You wear a mask to pay your respects?"

"I'm ugly, I was afraid of scaring people."

"And you wear these rags?"

"Can't a poor person have faith?"

"Are you twelve?"

Ji Ye was stunned for a moment. "How did you tell?"

Qian Renxue did not answer.

She raised her hand, golden light condensing in her palm as a long sword slowly manifested.

The blade was entirely gold, the hilt shaped like an angel spreading its wings, and faint light-flames flowed along the edge.

Angel Holy Sword.

"A petty grave robber." Qian Renxue's tone was calm.

"Is all this nonsense just to stall for time while you wait for your accomplices?"

Ji Ye glanced at the sword, then at Qian Renxue's face.

A Spirit Emperor.

In the original story, Qian Renxue was just over six rings at this time, around level sixty-something.

He was a four-ring level forty-two; they were two major ranks apart.

"I'm really not a grave robber." Ji Ye raised his hands to show he had no ill intent.

"If I were a grave robber, I would have pried the coffin lid open before you walked in. You would have walked in just in time to see me stuffing gold into my pockets—that would be grave robbing. I'm clean as a whistle, I haven't taken a thing. At most, this is just trespassing."

Qian Renxue's hand gripping the sword faltered.

She likely hadn't expected this masked thief to come up with such a line of logic.

"Trespassing is also a capital offense."

"Are the rules of your Spirit Hall really that strict?"

"This is my home; I make the rules."

Ji Ye shut his mouth.

There was no arguing with that.

Qian Renxue didn't want to waste any more breath.

She raised the Angel Holy Sword, the tip pointing at Ji Ye.

The soul power of a six-ring Spirit Emperor surged forward, creating a ripple in the air.

Ji Ye's clothes were blown back, and his mask fell from his face.

It revealed the boy's stunning appearance.

His features were deeply defined, his skin fair, and his lines clean.

At twelve years old, his face still held a trace of lingering youthful innocence.

Qian Renxue looked at that face and froze for a second.

She had never seen such a handsome boy before.

He was the first.

But it was only a momentary lapse.

The next second, the tip of the Angel Holy Sword pushed forward two inches, stopping less than a fist's distance from Ji Ye's throat.

"Come back with me to be punished, or die here."

Qian Renxue's voice was cold, showing no mercy.

Ji Ye looked down at the golden sword, then back up at Qian Renxue's face.

"Why are you so stubborn? I already told you I was just passing through."

"Stubborn?"

"It means single-minded, set in your ways, and unable to adapt."

Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed, and golden light began to condense at the tip of the sword.

Ji Ye felt that sharp surge of soul power.

A six-ring Soul Emperor, over level sixty. If they were to actually fight, he was only a level forty-two Soul Ancestor; even with the heaven-defying traits of his martial soul, his odds of winning were less than thirty percent.

Moreover, this was Spirit City, their home base. Beat the young, and the old would come; beat the old, and the even older would appear. If that level ninety-nine Qian Daoliu finally showed up, he wouldn't even have a chance to run.

He had just gone through so much trouble to escape from Flender, only to be hunted by Spirit Hall right after?

Ji Ye sighed in his heart.

Such a bitter life.

"Fine."

"I'll go back with you."

Qian Renxue stared at him for two seconds, seemingly judging whether he was playing any tricks.

"Put your mask on."

Ji Ye bent down to pick up the iron-gray mask from the ground and buckled it back onto his face.

Qian Renxue turned and walked out, not putting away the Angel Holy Sword; she held it in her hand, the golden tip trailing toward the ground.

Ji Ye followed behind her, maintaining a distance of three paces.

As they walked out of the tomb's entrance.

A row of guards in white stood at the door, and upon seeing Qian Renxue emerge, they all knelt on one knee in unison.

"Greetings, Young Mistress."

Qian Renxue ignored them and walked straight ahead.

Ji Ye followed her out as well.

The guards looked up and saw a gray-clad, masked youth trailing behind the Young Mistress; everyone's eyes widened simultaneously.

What was going on?

When did this person get in?

They had guarded the place all day and hadn't even let a fly in, so how did this person appear inside?

One guard instinctively pressed his hand to his sword hilt, but after a glance at Qian Renxue's back, he let go.

The person the Young Mistress brought out should... be fine, right?

Qian Renxue paused for a moment as she passed the group of guards, glancing over her shoulder.

"Change the guard shift."

"...Yes!"

No one dared to ask why.

As Ji Ye passed by, he shrugged at the nearest guard.

"Don't be nervous, I walked in through the front door fair and square."

The guard's expression turned even uglier.

Qian Renxue walked in front, her pace neither fast nor slow.

Ji Ye followed behind, observing his surroundings as he walked.

Soon, the two entered Spirit Hall.

It was even more magnificent than he had imagined.

Most of the buildings were constructed of white stone, the walls covered in intricate reliefs, and every few steps stood a massive stone pillar with blue soul-power flames burning at the top.

The patrol squads they encountered on the road all knelt on one knee upon seeing Qian Renxue, not even daring to raise their heads.

Ji Ye felt a bit uneasy.

He just didn't know what kind of person that Angel Douluo, Qian Daoliu, was.

In the original story, this old man didn't appear much, but his impression was that of a grandfather who would risk everything for his granddaughter.

As for his strength, a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo, one of the few remaining Limit Douluos in the world.

Ji Ye calculated in his heart.

If Qian Daoliu was also an unreasonable old madman, he would accept his fate and find a way to run again.

Or just drop dead.

If he was a normal person...

Then staying in Spirit Hall for a while wouldn't be impossible.

It was better than Shrek, anyway.

Qian Renxue suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Ji Ye almost bumped into her, but fortunately, he braked in time.

"We're here."

Ji Ye looked up.

Before him stood a massive hall, three large characters carved into the lintel.

Consecration Hall.

The doors were wide open, and the sound of voices drifted from within.

Qian Renxue stepped inside.

Ji Ye took a deep breath and followed.

The Consecration Hall had been quite lively.

Lion Douluo was holding a cup of tea, boasting to Feather Douluo about how he had once taken on three ten-thousand-year spirit beasts single-handedly.

Feather Douluo sat in a chair, cracking melon seeds with an expression that said, "Keep blowing your horn, I'm listening."

Azure Phoenix Douluo leaned against a pillar with his eyes closed, resting, while the brothers Qianjun and Xiangmo played chess.

The moment Qian Renxue entered, the atmosphere shifted instantly.

"Little Xue, my niece!" Lion Douluo was the first to speak, his voice so loud the entire hall trembled.

"Didn't you go to visit your father's grave today? Back so soon?"

Qian Renxue nodded slightly.