Inner Thoughts

Just then, a violent surge of Soul Power suddenly came from the distance.

The unexpected disturbance sounded especially clear and piercing in the deathly silence.

Qian Qizhou and Snow Empress exchanged a glance, then silently flew toward the sound of battle.

A short while later, they quietly reached the edge of the battlefield and hid in the dense canopy of a tree.

Looking down, they saw more than a dozen Soul Masters from Spirit Hall locked in fierce combat with five or six disciples dressed in Clear Sky Sect robes in a clearing among the trees.

Spirit Hall had the numbers advantage. With their seamless coordination, they unleashed a barrage of Soul Skills, their dazzling lights flashing as they pounded the few opponents.

The Clear Sky Sect disciples were fewer, but each was formidable. Relying on the Clear Sky Hammer's powerful attacks, they stubbornly resisted while fighting their way backward, seemingly trying to break through.

But it was clear that Spirit Hall's people had them firmly pinned down.

Several bodies already lay on the ground, some from Spirit Hall and others from the Clear Sky Sect.

Seeing this, Qian Qizhou understood why the surroundings were so quiet and what had happened here.

It could only be that after his nominal father returned, he had gone to war with the Clear Sky Sect.

And there hadn't been some terrifying Soul Beast clearing the area at all. The battle had simply frightened away all the low-level Soul Beasts on the outskirts.

As for why they hadn't seen any Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, they were probably watching from a distance, unwilling to get dragged into a large-scale battle between human Soul Masters.

Qian Qizhou lowered his voice and explained to Snow Empress, "Sister Snow, it looks like the battle I witnessed earlier was the spark that set this off."

"Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect must have gone to war. From the looks of it, Spirit Hall is serious about crushing the Clear Sky Sect completely."

Still, that was only a guess. Once the battle was over, it would be better to go down and question someone.

Snow Empress nodded, watching the people below with a bored expression.

As time passed, the battle below grew increasingly brutal.

The Clear Sky Sect disciples fell one by one, until only two remained, back to back and barely holding on. They were covered in wounds, and their Soul Power was almost exhausted.

Spirit Hall had paid a price as well, losing seven or eight people. Under the orders of the Soul Saint leading them, the few survivors launched one final assault.

Moments later, the last Clear Sky Sect disciple let out a desperate roar as several Soul Skills struck him at once. He crashed to the ground and died.

The remaining Spirit Hall members were panting heavily. They had no time to rest before starting to clear the battlefield, planning to gather their comrades' bodies and withdraw.

Just then, Qian Qizhou and Snow Empress silently descended from the sky and landed in front of them.

The Spirit Hall members jumped in fright. They immediately summoned their Martial Souls again and warily eyed the two unexpected arrivals.

But when they felt the terrifying pressure emanating from Snow Empress, they were instantly overcome with fear.

Qian Qizhou surveyed them, then fixed his gaze on the Soul Saint leading the group. "Tell me the latest you know about the fighting, and what's happened to the Pope."

Under the pressure Snow Empress brought to bear, none of them dared conceal anything. Trembling, they told him everything they knew.

This included the order their squad had received to clear the Clear Sky Sect's outer territory, as well as the progress of the several battlefronts they knew about.

"...That's the general situation."

"As for His Holiness the Pope..." the Soul Saint continued with difficulty. "According to the highest-level announcement, His Holiness the Pope was ambushed by that scoundrel Tang Hao and has unfortunately perished."

At that, the calm expression with which Qian Qizhou had been listening froze. "What did you say?!"

Had he heard that right? The Pope? Dead?

He stared hard at the man, his tone turning hostile. "Qian Xunji is dead? Tang Hao killed him?"

He was happy enough to see Qian Xunji suffer a setback, but he hadn't wanted him to actually die.

Besides, he was a Titled Douluo. When they parted that day, he had been no more than badly wounded. Could his injuries really have killed him?

That didn't make sense...

The Soul Saint hurriedly lowered his head, his voice even more fearful. "R-Reporting to you, sir, the news has been announced across the continent. It... it should be accurate..."

"Her Highness the Saintess has already succeeded him and become the new Pope. She swore to avenge the former Pope and eradicate the Clear Sky Sect completely."

But Qian Qizhou didn't hear what he said next. Standing still, he rapidly replayed the events of that day in his mind.

Tang Hao's decisive strike had indeed been terrifying, but the three of them had joined forces to withstand it. They had been seriously wounded, but Qian Xunji should have survived... How could he be dead?

Had Tang Hao's strike caused some hidden injury?

No... Qian Qizhou wouldn't have missed it. Even if there had been one, it couldn't have been fatal.

Could something else have happened along the way? Or perhaps something within Spirit Hall...

Countless thoughts rushed through his mind, making his expression shift between light and shadow.

He didn't know why...

He was only a little over nine years old. It was impossible to say he didn't care at all.

But for some reason, the news brought him neither grief nor satisfaction.

It was simply an indescribable, deeply uncomfortable feeling.

Snow Empress, too, was slightly surprised by the death of such an important figure in the human world.

But when she turned and saw the boy's reaction, she seemed to understand the relationship between them. She said nothing and quietly stepped aside.

After a while, Qian Qizhou finally came back to himself.

Events had taken a far more complicated turn than he had ever anticipated.

With that thought, he stopped paying attention to the frightened men before him, pushed down the countless doubts in his heart for the moment, and turned to Snow Empress. "Sister Snow, come with me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Soul Power surged around him, turning into a streak of purple light as he flew toward the Pure Land of the King at full speed.

The forest, mountains, and rivers below raced backward beneath him.

This feeling of uncertainty was too uncomfortable. For now, all he could do was return and see whether Guang Ling knew anything more.

After all, under those circumstances, even with an auxiliary-type Soul Master helping him, Tang Hao couldn't possibly have launched a second attack.

And an ordinary Titled Douluo couldn't have stopped Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, who had still been in decent shape, let alone killed Qian Xunji.

Qian Qizhou's sudden decision didn't bother Snow Empress. She merely nodded.

The moment Qian Qizhou set off, she turned into a streak of icy blue light and flew after him.

Though she didn't know much about the human world, from what Qian Qizhou had said earlier, the sudden death of the Pope, Qian Xunji, didn't seem as simple as the official claim that he had been killed.

She trusted Qian Qizhou's abilities and judgment. Someone who had overdrawn his strength with Ring Detonation and whom Qian Qizhou had judged to be on the verge of physical collapse—how could he have launched a second attack?

Just then, her cool voice rang out, clear in Qian Qizhou's ears. "Don't panic. Clear your mind."

A faint chill accompanied her words, instantly quelling the restless turmoil surging within Qian Qizhou.

She said calmly, "Emotional upheaval will only cloud your judgment.

At that, Qian Qizhou slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, forcing himself to rein in his tangled thoughts.

He nodded and murmured, "Thanks for the reminder, Sister Snow."