The Fourth Soul Ring

In the early morning at the Heaven Dou City imperial palace, the mist had yet to fully dissipate, and the sunlight spilled over the magnificent, golden-tiled eaves, refracting into specks of shimmering light.

Qian Renxue's carriage pulled to a slow stop outside the palace. She hopped down from the carriage, her small face flushed with excitement.

Qian Daoliu, who had come to greet her, saw his long-absent granddaughter and a loving smile immediately blossomed on his face. He asked in a gentle voice, "Xue'er, you haven't seen Grandpa for several days. Did you miss me?"

"No."

Qian Renxue denied it mercilessly, her little head tilting slightly to the side.

Even Qian Daoliu, a 99th-level Limit Douluo, was instantly emo.

His expression stiffened. He squatted on the ground, picked up a twig, and began drawing circles in the dirt unconsciously. It was as if a spotlight of sorrow had shone down upon him, making him look utterly pitiful.

Seeing Qian Daoliu in this state, Chen Qi and Qian Renxue both wore expressions of helplessness and spoke in unison.

"So childish."

BOOM!

It was as if Qian Daoliu had taken a heavy blow to the chest.

The method he had racked his brains to devise to set the mood had actually been dismissed as childish by his granddaughter and Martial Soul Hall.

His old face was filled with hurt, and his heart even ached faintly.

Behind them, Golden Crocodile Douluo walked over with a swagger, draped in a newly tailored imperial cloak that snapped in the morning breeze.

When he saw Qian Renxue, a gentle and generous smile appeared on his face.

"Little Xue is here. Did you miss Grandpa Golden Crocodile?"

The moment Qian Renxue saw Golden Crocodile Douluo, her eyes lit up instantly. Happy as a little rabbit, she threw herself into his thick, broad embrace and said in a sweet voice, "I did! I missed Grandpa Golden Crocodile the most."

BOOM!

Qian Daoliu's heart suffered another critical hit, as if his chest had been crushed by a hundred-ton king.

Watching his granddaughter hug someone else so affectionately, he screamed internally: who is the real grandfather and who is the honorary one?!

"Haha, with those words from Little Xue, Grandpa Golden Crocodile couldn't be happier."

Golden Crocodile Douluo laughed heartily, gently patting Qian Renxue on the back.

"By the way, I heard Little Xue is here to hunt for her fourth soul ring?"

Qian Renxue lifted her head from his embrace and nodded earnestly.

"Yes, Grandpa Golden Crocodile. It has been a while since I broke through to level forty, but I haven't had the time to hunt for a soul ring. After resting for a few days at Martial Soul Hall, I am ready to officially advance to a Soul Ancestor."

"And who does Little Xue plan to go with?"

When it came to her previous soul rings, Qian Daoliu had personally taken his granddaughter to obtain them.

This time, Qian Daoliu was almost certain his granddaughter would choose him.

He tossed the stick aside and stood confidently by Qian Renxue's side, waiting expectantly for her to say, "I want to go with Grandpa."

"I already made arrangements with Sword Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to have him take me to hunt for my remaining soul rings."

Wait? This script wasn't right, was it?

The smile on Qian Daoliu's face froze instantly.

It was one thing not to choose him, her own grandfather, but how did she get involved with that Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a place that had nothing to do with them?

"No! I don't agree!"

Qian Daoliu's face darkened on the spot, and he refused with a firm tone.

He could never tolerate an outsider taking his precious granddaughter to the dangerous Star Dou Great Forest.

Qian Renxue furrowed her delicate brows at these words, her small face showing undisguised impatience as she said bluntly, "Grandpa, you are so annoying."

You are so annoying.

So annoying.

Annoying.

Annoying.

Qian Daoliu's fragile heart shattered completely.

His face turned deathly pale, and he silently retreated to the side to squat down again. His silhouette looked desolate as he continued to draw circles with the twig, muttering to himself as if praying to the Angel God.

The once obedient little Qian Renxue was gone forever. Oh, great Angel God, please bring back the familiar Xue'er!

Qian Renxue couldn't be bothered to pay him any more mind. Until she reached the rank of Titled Douluo, Grandpa was the most detestable person of all.

"Good morning, Lord Golden Crocodile."

Just then, Tang Ming emerged from the recently constructed security booth, his back straight and a respectful smile on his face. Seeing him, Chen Qi felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Wait a minute... isn't that Tang Ming, the Great Elder of the Clear Sky Sect from the Douluo Continent manga? How on earth did he turn things upside down and end up working as a security guard for the Spirit Hall Empire? Is this really something the proud and arrogant Clear Sky Sect would do?

Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded slightly upon seeing Tang Ming and introduced him to Qian Renxue.

"Xue'er, this is my newly hired security guard, Lei Ming. From now on, he's in charge of watching the gate for me."

Qian Renxue looked at the approachable old man and nodded politely.

"Hello."

The group entered the imperial palace, and along the way, they encountered Tang Qingqing, Tang Ziyi, and other Clear Sky Sect elders who were busy cleaning. Chen Qi stared in bewilderment, thinking to himself, is this the palace of the Spirit Hall Empire, or the new headquarters of the Clear Sky Sect?

Just then, he suddenly felt a bloating sensation in his stomach, as if the floodgates were about to burst.

"Um... I think I need to use the restroom."

Qian Renxue nodded. Having spent so much time together, the solution for such matters had long since been established.

Inside the restroom, Chen Qi had barely stepped in when he heard a series of intense, splashing sounds.

In one of the stalls, a man with bulging veins on his forehead and a face full of murderous intent was wielding a plunger with all his might, muttering curses under his breath.

Chen Qi took a closer look. Isn't that Tang Lie, the elder with the fiercest temper in the Clear Sky Sect? How did he end up here plunging toilets? Has the competition for janitorial work become this fierce? Is it true that you aren't even qualified for this job unless you're a high-ranking member of a sect?

A few minutes later, Chen Qi emerged from the restroom with a look of confusion on his face.

He walked over to Golden Crocodile Douluo and whispered.

"Golden Crocodile Douluo, it seems like many of the custodial staff are elders from the Clear Sky Sect."

Golden Crocodile Douluo chuckled upon hearing this, his expression relaxed as he replied.

"Who knows what kind of madness has taken hold of them? They think that by changing their outfits, I wouldn't recognize them. In truth, I recognized every single one of them at first glance; I hired them purely for the amusement of it."

Just then, a Seven Kill Sword carrying a person descended slowly from the high sky, its sword aura sharp yet perfectly controlled.

Chen Xin stepped steadily off the sword, his gaze falling upon Qian Renxue and the others as he cupped his hands in a salute.

"I have been instructed by Sect Master Ning to come and escort Miss Qian Renxue to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a spirit ring."

"When did you find out my real name?"

Qian Renxue asked, somewhat surprised.

"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has eyes everywhere; a bit of inquiry was all it took to find out," Chen Xin replied calmly.

"What a bold Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, daring to pry into the private affairs of our Martial Soul Hall! You are truly courting death!"

Qian Daoliu's eyes lit up. He immediately seized the opportunity to try and regain favor in his granddaughter's eyes, his tone stern.

"Grandfather, what are you doing? Sword Douluo Grandfather is here to take me to hunt for a spirit ring; so what if he knows my real name? Are you not even going to allow others to know my name?"

Hearing the words "Sword Douluo Grandfather," a flicker of obvious joy crossed Chen Xin's eyes.

Seeing his granddaughter siding with an outsider again, Qian Daoliu's fragile heart shattered once more. What a "leaky little cotton-padded jacket" she was!

"No! I don't feel at ease with you going with Chen Xin. The Star Dou Great Forest is too dangerous; one Title Douluo is not enough."

"I shall accompany our Master as well."

A cloud of green Jade Phosphorous Serpent poison mist suddenly appeared out of thin air beside Qian Renxue. A second later, the figure of Dugu Bo slowly emerged from within, his presence imposing.

"It's Dugu Bo!"

Qian Renxue's eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

Seeing Dugu Bo appear, Qian Daoliu cursed under his breath. Why couldn't this old poison master just enjoy his retirement instead of meddling in this?

"Dugu Bo has only just broken through to Title Douluo; his strength is still too weak. You would need at least three..."

"Young Master, the two of us shall accompany you as well."

Pufferfish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo walked over from the side, their presence steady and composed.

Qian Renxue was even more delighted at the sight. With four Title Douluos accompanying her on a hunt, who else in the entire continent could compare?

"Grandfather, do you have anything else to say?"

Looking at this lineup, Qian Daoliu was completely speechless.

Four Title Douluos were more than enough, even for hunting a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring. If he tried to find another excuse, Xue'er would likely get angry again.

Qian Daoliu let out a long sigh, his face filled with reluctance but utter helplessness as he whispered.

"No."