Spirit Pagoda Core.
The first core high-level meeting in many days was underway.
Besides the Pagoda Master, Qiangu Dongfeng, the Vice Pagoda Master, Leng Yaozhu, and familiar faces such as Han Tianyi and Zhang Geyang, there was an unfamiliar yet handsome young man.
Even Qiangu Dieting, the former head of the Qiangu Family who had already stepped into retirement, attended this meeting.
Everyone's gaze was focused on the young man beside Leng Yaozhu, who stood with his arms crossed and his eyes closed in repose.
Their expressions varied, carrying different emotions.
The Phoenix Family had never intended to deliberately conceal information about Leng Hanyuan.
As a result, some information concerning Leng Hanyuan swiftly appeared on these people's desks.
Yet that was precisely the reason for their reactions.
The ancestor of the Phoenix Family from ten thousand years ago...
Their first response upon receiving this information was disbelief.
But aside from that, they could find no other information whatsoever about Leng Hanyuan.
It was as though he did not belong to this era.
How could a quasi-god have no prior records at all?
Thus, no matter how shocked they were, they still chose to believe that information.
The young man sitting beside Leng Yaozhu with his arms crossed was someone from the same era as the Spirit Ice Douluo ten thousand years ago!
"This is my proposal."
"My family's ancestor is qualified to enter the core ranks of the Spirit Pagoda."
Leng Yaozhu spoke coldly.
Her expression was icy, entirely unlike the obedient junior she had been before Leng Hanyuan.
This was her true bearing.
The head of the Phoenix Family, Vice Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda, the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo!
Emotions churned in Qiangu Dongfeng's eyes.
That hypocritical smile still remained on his face.
"I think this may be somewhat inappropriate."
"Yaozhu, it isn't that I don't believe you. It's just that someone from ten thousand years ago appearing in the present is truly rather inconceivable..."
Qiangu Dongfeng had his own calculations.
Whether Leng Hanyuan truly was a figure from ten thousand years ago, or whether he was truly the ancestor of the Phoenix Family, was not important at all.
Qiangu Dongfeng simply did not want to see another member of the Phoenix Family enter the Spirit Pagoda's core ranks.
Because that would undoubtedly affect the Qiangu Family's control over the Spirit Pagoda.
Leng Yaozhu's willow brows rose as she was about to snap in anger, but Han Tianyi, the silent owner of the Brain martial soul, suddenly spoke softly.
"This old man believes the Vice Pagoda Master's proposal presents no issue."
"Since Lord Hanyuan belongs to the Phoenix Family and his strength surpasses that of Pagoda Master Qiangu, he should naturally be able to enter the core ranks of our Spirit Pagoda."
Qiangu Dongfeng's face turned livid.
He knew that the matter of his secret clash with Leng Hanyuan that day, in which he had come out worse off, must already have spread among the Spirit Pagoda's upper echelons.
"This old woman also sees no problem with it."
Another elderly woman slowly stated her position.
She was also a hidden Limit Douluo of the Spirit Pagoda, as well as one of its thirty-six councilors. Her position and authority were immense.
The simultaneous support of these two made Qiangu Dongfeng's expression grow even uglier.
How could he fail to see it?
Their reasons were far more than the ones stated on the surface.
They wanted to use Leng Hanyuan to restrain the Qiangu Family.
The Qiangu Family's influence within the Spirit Pagoda ran far too deep.
Qiangu Dongfeng, Qiangu Qingfeng, and Qiangu Dieting—three Limit Douluo—had enjoyed boundless prestige in the Spirit Pagoda for a time.
Their family's influence within the Spirit Pagoda had also reached its peak.
Over the years, they had greatly expanded their own power.
Naturally, this had stirred dissatisfaction in others.
It was merely because they feared the Qiangu Family's might that no one dared openly provoke them.
Now, with Leng Hanyuan, a quasi-god who claimed to be the ancestor of the Phoenix Family, appearing among them—
Naturally, they would support Leng Hanyuan's entry into the Spirit Pagoda's core ranks.
With the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu, included, the Phoenix Family would then possess two Limit Douluo.
They would not be much inferior to the Qiangu Family.
For them, two tigers fighting was always more beneficial than one family dominating alone.
That was the greatest reason they had declared their support without hesitation.
That old fox Qiangu Dongfeng naturally saw through all these petty schemes.
It made his teeth itch with fury.
These old geezers truly had not given up their ambitions!
"This old man believes it cannot be allowed."
Just as Qiangu Dongfeng was about to make trouble over the positions these people had taken, Qiangu Dieting beside him slowly opened his eyes.
There was none of an old man's murkiness in his aged gaze. On the contrary, his eyes were even brighter than those of a young man.
This former Pagoda Master was clearly more intimidating than Qiangu Dongfeng.
At the mere sound of his voice, Han Tianyi and the female Limit Douluo both fell silent with some apprehension.
Qiangu Dieting remained calm and composed.
"Lord Leng Hanyuan's identity is, after all, still questionable. Of course, this does not mean this old man suspects the Phoenix Family of harboring ulterior motives."
"It is simply that if he enters the Spirit Pagoda's core ranks directly, I fear it will be difficult to convince the public."
"In this old man's view, Lord Hanyuan might as well wait for now and produce some achievements before discussing this matter again. That would be more appropriate."
However...
Leng Hanyuan paid no heed at all to Qiangu Dieting's delaying tactic.
"Convince the public?"
He sneered, and his tightly shut eyes slowly opened.
A cold, sharp gleam flickered within those pure white pupils.
The temperature throughout the meeting room began dropping at a visible rate.
"Simple."
"If I crush all of you, won't I naturally convince the public?"
Achievements?
Those were indeed important.
But this was the world of soul masters, a place where strength reigned supreme.
If one still needed achievements to convince others, that could only prove one's strength was not great enough.
But if his strength surpassed everyone in the Spirit Pagoda, why would he need achievements to convince anyone?
No one would question an ultimate powerhouse capable of crushing everyone!
"Arrogant!"
Qiangu Dieting had not expected Leng Hanyuan to be so arrogant.
He did not wish to become enemies with Leng Hanyuan.
The reason he had spoken just now was only to delay matters.
He did not want the Phoenix Family to affect the Qiangu Family's authority in the Spirit Pagoda too early.
Yet he had not expected Leng Hanyuan to be so forceful.
He was a quasi-god, a figure standing at the pinnacle of the soul master world—true.
But Qiangu Dieting himself was also a genuine quasi-god!
"Then let this old man witness your fine techniques."
A sharp light flashed in Qiangu Dieting's eyes. The Coiling Dragon Staff flew from his hand, carrying the force of a dragon's roar as it instantly annihilated the long table before him and shot straight toward Leng Hanyuan.
He did not wish to become enemies with Leng Hanyuan.
But matters had reached this point. If he still failed to make a stand, the Qiangu Family's authority within the Spirit Pagoda would undoubtedly suffer tremendous damage.
Watching the Coiling Dragon Staff sweep in with a vicious gale, already inches away, Leng Hanyuan smiled disdainfully.
"A trifling trick."
He raised his hand.
His fair, well-defined fingers lightly tapped the air before him.
The Coiling Dragon Staff, carrying endless destructive force, was forcibly halted just before his fingertip, unable to advance even half an inch.
Before you continue