Bo Saixi quietly watched the Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag floating above Li Qing's palm.
The deep-blue banner seemed to contain the endless mysteries of the ocean. As its ancient runes flowed, it radiated a vast aura that made even her heart tremble.
She examined it closely, as though trying to uncover more clues about the flag's origins.
But in the end, aside from that incredibly pure water power, which seemed to stem from the very origin of the world, she learned nothing.
A moment later, she nodded gently. Her beautiful face revealed little emotion as she said to Li Qing in a soft voice, "All right, that's enough. You've absorbed two Thousand-Year Soul Rings in a row today, and it must have taken a lot out of you. Get some rest, and take the time to consolidate your cultivation."
Li Qing gave an "Oh," then willed the Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag back into his body.
He did feel a little tired. After all, absorbing Soul Rings beyond his level took a tremendous toll on both his mental and physical strength.
He obediently replied, "I know, Sister. I'll go rest now."
With that, he gently closed the door.
As the footsteps inside gradually faded, Bo Saixi lingered for a moment. A complicated, hard-to-read expression flickered in her sapphire eyes. Then she turned and walked along the spacious, splendid corridor toward the exit of the Sea God Hall.
When she left the corridor and stepped outside the grand, solemn main hall, she immediately spotted the golden figure standing there with his hands behind his back, seemingly lost in thought.
Hearing her footsteps, Qian Daoliu turned around. His face wore the same gentle smile as ever, but deep in his golden eyes lingered a trace of shock that had yet to fully fade.
Bo Saixi walked over and stood beside Qian Daoliu. Like him, she gazed at the boundless blue horizon. Her voice was calm and emotionless as she asked, "Well? Did you notice anything unusual?"
Qian Daoliu slowly shook his head and let out a sigh that was hard to interpret. His voice was more grave than ever. "I couldn't. This Martial Soul... is far too strange. I've never heard of or seen anything like the nature of its power."
He paused, then turned to Bo Saixi, his gaze sharp and his tone utterly certain. "But, Bo Saixi, I can assure you that in the long, recorded history of Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent, no Martial Soul with this form or aura has ever appeared!"
"Oh?"
Bo Saixi raised an eyebrow, curiosity showing in her beautiful eyes. "Why are you so certain?"
A faintly self-deprecating smile tugged at Qian Daoliu's lips as he explained, "You should know me—or, rather, you should know the Spirit Hall. We keep records and conduct research on all kinds of powerful and unusual Martial Souls with almost obsessive dedication. Any Martial Soul that has made a name for itself in history, or whose owner has reached a certain level, will have at least some record in the Spirit Hall's archives, no matter how prominent or secretive its inheritance may be. I've made a point of committing the top-tier Martial Souls, especially those that have touched the threshold of divinity, to memory."
His gaze grew distant again, as though piercing through time and returning to the Spirit Hall's vast library. "The Six-Winged Angel, the Sea God, the Clear Sky Hammer, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the Nine Heart Begonia... I know the traits, abilities, and histories of inheritance of all these top Martial Souls by heart. But—"
His tone turned firm as iron. "This Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag that child possesses has a quality and an aura so close to the origin of the laws of nature that I dare say it's every bit as powerful as your and my divine-level Martial Souls! In some respects... it feels even more ancient and profound! If a Martial Soul like this had ever appeared in the Soul Master World, even just once, it would surely have left behind legends and records that could never be erased. It couldn't simply appear out of nowhere now, without a trace!"
Bo Saixi listened quietly, her slender fingers unconsciously brushing the cool patterns on the Sea God Scepter.
Qian Daoliu's words confirmed what she had suspected.
She sighed softly and nodded, her voice carrying a complicated emotion even she hadn't noticed. "You're right. This Martial Soul is far more powerful than anything ordinary. I even suspect that this mysterious Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag was a major reason Lord Sea God chose him as his successor. Its affinity with the ocean is almost unbelievable."
Qian Daoliu nodded in full agreement. Then, as though remembering something, he looked back at Bo Saixi with a hint of curiosity. "Since that's settled, you've let me meet the boy, and you've told me what makes his Martial Soul so unusual. So, Bo Saixi, what do you plan to do next? When will you ask this uninvited guest to leave Sea God Island?"
His tone was somewhat playful, but his expression was entirely serious.
Bo Saixi's lips curved into a faint smile, one just enough to make the sun and moon pale in comparison.
She didn't look at Qian Daoliu, keeping her gaze fixed on the distant point where sea and sky met. Her voice was ethereal and calm. "Qian Daoliu, we've known each other for years. Why bother with such pleasantries? You know perfectly well that you came here pretending to visit me, when what you really wanted was to investigate that boy. Now that you've achieved your purpose, why keep up this game of false civility?"
Her words were blunt and incisive, stripping away Qian Daoliu's gentle façade without mercy.
The smile on Qian Daoliu's face stiffened for a moment, then turned into a helpless sigh.
He knew Bo Saixi's temperament and understood that any pretense or evasiveness would be pointless in front of her.
He fell silent for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts. Then he turned and looked solemnly at Bo Saixi's flawless profile, his tone suddenly grave.
"Bo Saixi, since you've laid it all out, I'll speak plainly. I did come for that boy, but not entirely out of hostility or calculation. Quite the opposite—I see an opportunity that might change the future balance of power."
Bo Saixi finally turned her gaze from the horizon to Qian Daoliu. Her deep-blue eyes held a questioning look. "Oh? What opportunity?"
Qian Daoliu took a deep breath. A light called ambition and hope glimmered in his eyes as he said gravely, "I have a suggestion—or, rather... a proposal. Consider whether it might work."
"Go on," Bo Saixi said, her tone still indifferent.
"An arranged marriage."
Qian Daoliu uttered two words that struck like thunder. He stared intently into Bo Saixi's eyes, watching for the slightest change in her expression, and explained, "I have a granddaughter named Qian Renxue. Her talent and appearance are both one in a million, and her Martial Soul is inherited from the purest bloodline of my Six-Winged Angel clan. Its quality is certainly no weaker than that mysterious Martial Soul of Li Qing's!"
He paused, then made his offer even more enticing. "My proposal is that our two families form a marriage alliance. Let Xue'er and that boy become engaged. If this comes to pass, then once they've both grown up and inherited their divine positions, who on the Douluo Continent could stand against us? The resources of the whole continent would belong to our two families! This would be more than an alliance of power—it would be a union of divine bloodlines! Together, we could create an unprecedented age of splendor, one led by gods! And when that time comes, there might be more than just two gods!"
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