"Bai Yu." Qian Daoliu looked at Feng Baiyu and said, "You're quite impressive!"
"It's only been fifteen months since you awakened your Martial Soul, and you've already reached Level 24!" Qian Daoliu looked at Feng Baiyu with admiration. "At this rate, even those with Innate Full Soul Power would struggle to match you—let alone anyone besides my Qian Family, with its Innate Level 20 Soul Power! And yet you've done it!"
Feng Baiyu wasn't surprised that Qian Daoliu could see through his cultivation. A youthful, confident smile touched his face. "You flatter me, Great-Grandpa. I still have a long way to go. I owe everything I've achieved to Grandpa's wholehearted support. If he hadn't devoted the entire clan's resources to me, and even procured a treasure like Whale Rubber to strengthen my body, I couldn't have cultivated this quickly."
Was Feng Baiyu's cultivation speed impressive?
It certainly was. Even geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power could hardly compare.
But the Offerings weren't particularly surprised.
From his very first day of cultivation, Feng Baiyu had enjoyed the finest resources available. Besides cultivating every day, he also had a Titled Douluo to spar with.
Then there was the Whale Rubber that strengthened his body, and his absorption of two Soul Rings far beyond the usual age limits.
Feng Baiyu's progress was only natural, given all that.
Aside from the Third Offering, which of them could spend every day helping their grandsons and granddaughters cultivate? Which of them would lower themselves to spar with their descendants?
Forget that—they were lucky if they remembered how many grandchildren they had, or which day a grandson's birthday fell on.
Of the seven Offerings in the Worship Hall, only Qian Daoliu and Feng Qingluan had a single line of descent. The rest had all amassed wives, concubines, and descendants over the past century.
They only truly cared about the most promising child in the family. The rest didn't matter much to them.
If they, too, were willing to spare no expense in raising their descendants, reaching Feng Baiyu's current level wouldn't be so difficult.
"Bai Yu." Qian Daoliu suddenly spoke. "How would you like me to name you the Holy Son of Spirit Hall today?"
"The Holy Son of Spirit Hall?" Feng Baiyu looked startled and pointed at himself. "Me?"
"Yes, you!" Qian Daoliu said with a smile. "What do you think?"
It had been several years since Bibi Dong succeeded to the position of Pope, and no Holy Son or Holy Daughter had appeared in Spirit Hall during that time.
It wasn't as if Spirit Hall hadn't had any promising newcomers over the years. Qian Renxue, for instance. But she'd insisted on carrying out her father's last wish—that damned "Nation-Stealing Plan." She'd left for the Heaven Dou Empire under an assumed name, so the title of Holy Daughter naturally couldn't go to her.
The descendants of Spirit Hall's Offerings and elders weren't very impressive, either. They couldn't find a single person who could hold a candle to Bibi Dong.
Forget Twin Martial Souls—they didn't even have a genius with Innate Full Soul Power. With the former Holy Daughter setting such a high bar, who else was qualified to become the new Holy Son or Holy Daughter?
Fortunately, Feng Baiyu had been steadily rising, giving Qian Daoliu a new candidate.
At Feng Baiyu's cultivation speed, there was no problem with making him Spirit Hall's Holy Son!
"Great-Grandpa, I ask you to reconsider!" Feng Baiyu was only briefly astonished before declining. "I know you mean well, but I've achieved nothing yet. If I became the Holy Son now, I'm afraid no one would accept it. When virtue and position don't match, disaster follows. Even if you used sheer force to make me Holy Son, the other Soul Masters would only laugh at me."
"Oh?" Qian Daoliu listened to Feng Baiyu and asked, "Such a wonderful opportunity has fallen into your lap, and you aren't tempted at all?"
"Of course I'm tempted by the position of Holy Son. But I'd rather earn it for myself!" Feng Baiyu answered calmly. "The former Holy Daughter, Bibi Dong, had Innate Full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls! Sister Xue inherited the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul and had Innate Level 20 Soul Power. Unless I can surpass the Pope and Sister Xue in some way, I'm not qualified to become Spirit Hall's Holy Son."
"After all, the Holy Son selection has always worked this way!" Feng Baiyu said earnestly. "Without the strength to crush the younger generation, I don't deserve the position."
"Good! Well said!" Feng Qingluan couldn't help applauding his grandson.
He belonged to the Worship Hall. Even though his grandson had received the Phoenix God Inheritance, he had never considered betraying it. If his grandson could receive Spirit Hall's support before becoming a god, it would do Feng Baiyu nothing but good.
"Very well. I'll keep the position of Holy Son open for you!" Qian Daoliu hesitated for only two and a half seconds before answering. "I'll give you ten years. I hope you'll make a name for yourself during that time. Then you'll be Spirit Hall's Holy Son. And perhaps even..."
Qian Daoliu hesitated, but in the end, he didn't make a more generous promise. He tossed Feng Baiyu a token and said, "Go out and see the world. I have faith in you!"
Feng Baiyu bowed. "I won't let you down!"
Before long, Feng Qingluan took Feng Baiyu home.
As they left, the other Offerings departed as well. Qian Daoliu gazed in the direction of the Feng Family and murmured, "A Deity?"
Several days later, Feng Qingluan left Spirit City with Feng Baiyu.
They weren't the only ones leaving. Their party also included the housekeeper, Shui Duanliu; their follower, Wang Long; and War Eagle, who still lacked her ninth Soul Ring.
Feng Baiyu suspected that Qian Daoliu had already guessed he'd obtained a Deity's inheritance. But Qian Daoliu couldn't be sure whether the Deity Feng Baiyu had inherited was friend or foe, so he let him act freely.
After all, Qian Daoliu was a God Servant, blessed with divine power beneath the Angel Statue. It was entirely possible that he'd faintly sensed an aura of the same level.
But since Qian Daoliu hadn't come right out and said it, Feng Baiyu pretended not to know. The time to reveal everything would come only after he or his grandfather grew stronger.
After the five of them left Spirit City, they didn't hurry to the Star Dou Forest to search for a Soul Ring. Instead, they headed north toward the Heaven Dou Empire.
On the road, Feng Baiyu noticed that his grandfather was showing War Eagle a little more concern.
He couldn't tell whether his grandfather was trying to win her over or thought she'd make a good companion for the rest of his life. Either way, Feng Baiyu supported his grandfather's late-blooming romance.
Shui Duanliu noticed everything, too, but saw nothing wrong with it. His master was a Level 97 Titled Douluo. Wasn't he allowed to flirt?
Wang Long was just a goofy little kid, and he continued cultivating as they traveled. Shui Duanliu had assigned him all these training tasks. Since they both had Tool Martial Souls, Shui Duanliu was the best person to teach him.
"Hm?"
As they traveled, Feng Baiyu suddenly spotted someone collapsed by the roadside in the distance.
Feng Qingluan noticed the person at the same time.
"The aura around him is strange. He feels weak, but there's something bizarre about him, too," Feng Qingluan said. "It looks like he's been poisoned and injured."
"Grandpa, let's go help him!" Feng Baiyu said suddenly. "Meeting someone is fate. Since this person is still alive, it means he isn't meant to die yet!"
Guys, can you believe it?
They'd barely arrived in the Heaven Dou Empire, and he'd already found a wild Soul Douluo lying around.
And that Soul Douluo's name just happened to be Dugu Bo!
Before you continue