Qian Daoliu Appears

Qian Xunji's gaze was fixed on the phantom behind Deng Tianxin.

The pink-gold light wasn't dazzling, yet it made the air throughout the Pope Palace grow still.

The illusory figure wore flowing gauze and held a heart-shaped scepter. Six radiant wings slowly unfurled behind it, while countless red threads and heart-shaped lights drifted around it, giving off an aura that was at once supremely gentle and supremely majestic.

This was no ordinary Martial Soul.

Qian Xunji's pupils contracted slightly.

As the Pope of Spirit Hall, he knew tens of thousands of Martial Souls, from useless Blue Silver Grass to the supreme Six-Winged Angel. He had never seen a Martial Soul make him look like this.

Yet now, for the first time, unmistakable shock showed on his usually impassive face.

He couldn't identify this Martial Soul.

Every known top-tier Martial Soul on the continent flashed through his mind.

Clear Sky Hammer, Six-Winged Angel, Nine-Heart Begonia, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon...

None of them matched.

No Martial Soul took on this form or gave off an aura like this.

This wasn't the oppressive presence of a powerful being. It was something far deeper.

Bibi Dong stood to the side, her pupils trembling slightly as well.

She had been extremely curious about Deng Tianxin's Martial Soul, but he had never let her see it. Now that she finally had, she was utterly astonished.

The phantom's gaze was gentle and compassionate, as if it were looking down upon all living beings and embracing everyone who looked up at it.

A flood of emotions suddenly welled up inside Bibi Dong, but she quickly suppressed them.

Qian Xunji finally recovered from his shock.

He took a deep breath, shifted his gaze from the phantom, and looked again at Deng Tianxin's young face.

"Not bad."

Just then, a dignified male voice rang out.

Bibi Dong and Qian Xunji both looked surprised once again.

They knew exactly who the speaker was.

Qian Daoliu!

The head of Spirit Hall's Elder Hall and its Great Enshrined, the master of Douluo Hall, a Level 99 Peerless Douluo of the Power Attack System, titled Angel and known as the Invincible Sky.

The moment Qian Daoliu entered the hall, the air throughout the Pope Palace seemed to freeze.

He wore a plain white robe with no elaborate adornments, yet his innate authority made everyone in the hall hold their breath without thinking.

His gaze swept past Qian Xunji, paused on Bibi Dong for a moment, then settled firmly on Deng Tianxin.

The pink-gold phantom of the God of Love behind Deng Tianxin had yet to disappear. Its six radiant wings were slightly spread, and its heart-shaped scepter glowed with a gentle, sacred light.

Qian Xunji had recovered from his shock. He hurried forward and bowed. "Father, what brings you here?"

Qian Daoliu didn't answer. Instead, he slowly walked up to Deng Tianxin and looked down at the little boy with dragon horns growing from his forehead.

"Little one," Qian Daoliu said. His voice was old and dignified, yet carried a hint of unusual gentleness. "What's your name?"

Deng Tianxin tipped his head back to look at the Peerless Douluo before him. His heart was already pounding, but he kept up his well-behaved, polite expression.

Inside, he was completely numb with shock. He had no idea why Qian Daoliu had shown up.

Deng Tianxin gave a neat bow and answered, "Senior, my name is Deng Tianxin."

Qian Daoliu gave a slight nod. His gaze lingered on the phantom behind the boy before he suddenly asked, "Do you know what your Martial Soul is called?"

Deng Tianxin shook his head. Of course he knew, but he couldn't say.

A six-year-old blurting out that his Martial Soul was the God of Love would be far too suspicious.

"The God of Love," Qian Daoliu said slowly.

Deng Tianxin was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Qian Daoliu to know.

But when he thought about it, it made sense. It would've been strange if Qian Daoliu didn't know.

Qian Xunji abruptly turned to look at his father, his eyes filled with undisguised astonishment.

If a Martial Soul could be linked to a god, it was the best of the best.

"The God of Love?" Bibi Dong repeated the words without thinking, her voice tinged with a daze she hadn't even noticed herself.

She looked at Deng Tianxin, at the childish face where he was trying so hard to maintain a well-behaved expression, and at the six-winged phantom behind him, glowing with a gentle light.

All at once, the things she hadn't been able to figure out before suddenly fell into place.

No wonder this little rascal could say such things. No wonder a six-year-old could analyze her feelings so thoroughly, hitting the nail on the head.

No wonder he cared so much about Yu Xiaogang, every word precisely striking the very thing she was most afraid to face.

She had thought he was merely precocious, merely sharp-tongued, or that he had just happened to guess right.

Now she saw that it hadn't been a coincidence at all.

Most likely, the God of Love Martial Soul had given Deng Tianxin the ability to sense anything related to emotions.

Her doubts, her hesitation, her uncertainty about Yu Xiaogang—before this little rascal, they were probably as clear as words written across her face.

At the thought, Bibi Dong's cheeks grew warm.

That meant the little rascal had seen right through the thoughts she refused to admit, from the very beginning.

"Senior, you know about this Martial Soul?" Deng Tianxin looked up at Qian Daoliu with round eyes, his voice carrying just the right amount of curiosity.

Qian Daoliu didn't answer right away.

He slowly walked up to Deng Tianxin and studied the boy's young face for a long while, a trace of recollection appearing in his eyes.

"Many years ago, when I was still young, I once read an account of the God of Love in an ancient text," Qian Daoliu said, recalling the passage as he spoke. "There are countless gods in the Divine Realm, each with their own duties. But in ancient legends, the God of Love held an extremely special place. That god didn't command the elements, govern life and death, or rule over territory, yet possessed a power even the God Kings couldn't match: emotion."

Qian Daoliu paused, then looked back at Deng Tianxin. A note of emotion entered his voice. "The legends say the God of Love controls the emotional bonds of every living being in the world. Love, family affection, friendship, even hatred and obsession—all fall within that god's domain. Every sentient being is watched by the God of Love. That power seems gentle, but in truth it seeps into everything and is impossible to guard against. When I first read those accounts, I thought they were merely myths and legends. I never expected... that a successor to the God of Love Martial Soul would truly exist in this world."

Qian Xunji stood to the side. After hearing his father's words, he furrowed his brows even more deeply.

He studied the little boy before him again, and the scrutiny in his eyes gradually gave way to another, more complicated emotion.

If what his father said was true, then the value of this child before him far exceeded that of a young genius with extraordinary talent.