In the courtyard.
Hu Liena had tactfully made an excuse to leave as soon as Qian Daoliu bestowed the Soul Bone on Qin Feng.
She knew her status as the Spirit Hall Saintess. In front of a Peerless Douluo, she had to maintain the proper decorum.
Seeing that they were alone, Qin Feng took the Golden Crocodile Dragon Right Leg Bone out of his ring again.
Brilliant golden light instantly illuminated the entire courtyard.
Qin Feng closed his eyes and sent a wisp of Soul Power into it.
A surge of violent energy immediately rushed up his arm and into his body.
Qin Feng carefully sensed the skill attached to the Soul Bone.
"Crush..."
He savored the word over and over.
He suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them.
"This skill can actually double the power of the next Soul Skill I use!"
Qin Feng was overjoyed.
This was pure, unadulterated numerical beauty!
No flashy mechanics whatsoever. Just a straightforward doubling of its power!
With his already absurd Thousand-Jin Dragon Fist, who at the same level could withstand a punch from him?
Even against a high-ranking Soul Douluo, he could catch them off guard and blast them to bits with a single punch!
"Now that's what I call maxed-out stats!"
Qin Feng put the Soul Bone away, thoroughly satisfied.
The night breeze swept past, bringing a chill.
Looking at the empty courtyard, Qin Feng suddenly realized something.
He thought back to Qian Daoliu's string of actions and that meaningful look he had given him.
It all clicked at once.
"That old geezer!"
"He gave me such a top-tier Soul Bone for no reason, then specifically told me to go find Qian Renxue!"
"How is that 'cherishing talent'?"
"He's obviously lusting after me and wants me to become his granddaughter's husband!"
Qin Feng slapped his thigh and couldn't help blurting out his complaint.
"That old bastard came out in the middle of the night and ruined everything!"
"Nana was already in the mood. We were just one step away from going to my room to discuss life."
"And then he barged in and ruined the whole thing!"
Qin Feng rolled his eyes, full of regret.
With nothing else to do, Qin Feng focused his thoughts and opened the Chat Group in his mind.
A screenful of messages instantly popped up.
He skipped over the trivial chatter.
A grin spread across Qin Feng's lips as he typed a line into the message box.
Without hesitation, he hit send.
[Douluo People Don't Deceive Douluo People]: "The Grand Pontiff of Spirit Hall's Untold Love Story!"
As soon as the message appeared, the Chat Group, which had been fairly lively, fell into a brief silence.
At the same time.
Spirit City, Pope Palace.
Candles flickered in the grand, imposing hall.
Bibi Dong sat upon the Papal Throne, a symbol of supreme authority.
She held a gem-encrusted scepter. Her stunning face looked especially imposing in the shadows.
Just then, the heavy doors slowly swung open.
A tall, upright figure strode inside.
Bibi Dong furrowed her brows and turned her piercing gaze toward the newcomer.
"Grand Pontiff, what brings you to the Pope Palace in the middle of the night?"
Qian Daoliu stopped at the foot of the steps, his hands behind his back and his expression calm.
"I came to inform you of something."
His voice was even, yet carried an air of lofty authority.
"I value that child, Qin Feng."
"I've decided he will marry Xiao Xue."
At those words, Bibi Dong's hand tightened sharply around her scepter.
Her knuckles turned faintly white with the force of her grip.
A surge of displeasure rose within her.
"Qian Daoliu!"
"Qin Feng is a leading figure among the younger generation of Spirit Hall."
"And with a single word, you've decided his marriage for him?"
"Qian Renxue is currently undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire. To treat such an important matter so flippantly is outrageous!"
Bibi Dong felt a deep aversion and loathing toward Qian Renxue.
That name was a thorn lodged in her heart.
But whatever else was true, Qian Renxue was still her own flesh and blood.
Her daughter was getting married, yet she, the mother and the Pope, was merely being informed?
Qian Daoliu raised his chin slightly and looked at Bibi Dong with indifference.
"I've already made the decision."
"Qin Feng's talent and strength are unmatched in this age. Only he is worthy of Xiao Xue."
"I came here tonight to inform you, not to ask for your consent."
Qian Daoliu's tone was utterly domineering.
There was no room for discussion or objection.
Having said his piece, Qian Daoliu didn't spare Bibi Dong another glance.
He turned and walked straight out of the Pope Palace.
A deathly silence settled over the hall once more.
Bibi Dong slammed her scepter against the floor tiles.
It landed with a dull thud.
"What a Grand Pontiff!"
"Leaning on your strength and seniority, you dare treat this Pope as if she were nothing!"
Her chest heaved. She took several deep breaths before she managed to suppress her anger.
Then a wave of intense curiosity swept over her.
"What exactly is so special about this Qin Feng?"
"How did he earn the approval of someone as proud as Qian Daoliu?"
"Enough for him to marry off his most precious granddaughter?"
Bibi Dong was in a turmoil.
With a thought, she opened the Chat Group in her mind.
Seeing the screenful of messages only deepened the knot in her heart.
The group leader whose nickname was "Douluo People Don't Deceive Douluo People" was utterly infuriating.
She was the dignified Pope of Spirit Hall, and she had asked him so many questions in the group.
Yet he dared to ignore her!
He hadn't even sent back a punctuation mark!
"This Pope still has so many questions about the future that need answering!"
"And yet he treats this Pope like thin air?"
Bibi Dong bit her red lip, feeling miserable.
Just as she was about to leave, a new message popped up at the bottom of the screen.
[Douluo People Don't Deceive Douluo People]: "The Grand Pontiff of Spirit Hall's Untold Love Story!"
Bibi Dong's eyes lit up the instant she read the message.
Qian Daoliu's love story?
That old geezer who was always so high and mighty, claiming to be invincible in the sky—he had gossip worth hearing?
Bibi Dong sat up straight, a smile appearing at the corner of her lips.
Her mood cleared in an instant.
"Well, this is interesting."
"This Pope absolutely has to see how this plays out!"
At the same time, everyone else in the Chat Group noticed the explosive message, too.
Heaven Dou Empire, Crown Prince Mansion.
In an extremely secret underground chamber.
Qian Renxue had shed her Xue Qinghe disguise.
Her golden hair fell like a waterfall to her slender waist.
Her skin was as smooth as jade, and her stunning face was breathtaking in the lamplight.
She sat at the table, reading through the Chat Group's messages.
When she saw what the group leader had posted, she froze.
Her beautiful eyes widened, her face full of astonishment.
"Grandpa's love story?"
Ever since she was little, the Grand Pontiff had been like a god in her heart.
Solemn, dignified, always as still as an ancient well.
She had never heard that her grandfather had ever had a love story!