Heaven Dou City.
Chen Xin Tavern.
Afternoon sunlight passed through the window lattice, falling upon a wooden table beside the window.
Qian Daochen leaned back in his chair, holding a cup of clear wine.
Across the table, Qian Renxue had changed out of her usual attire, her blonde hair draped casually around her shoulders, and her exquisite face drew many gazes.
She raised her wine cup and took a light sip.
The taste is smooth, yet the aftertaste is fiery.
Chen Xin Tavern, the name is quite fitting.
Qian Daochen put down his wine cup and said:
"I brewed the wine, and I chose the name."
A trace of appreciation grew in Qian Renxue's eyes.
"The boss has great taste."
"The tavern's location is peaceful, and the furnishings are very elegant."
Qian Daochen raised his eyes to look at her.
"My taste in picking customers is even better."
"The young lady who walked through the door today is very beautiful."
Qian Renxue's movements paused slightly, then she nodded openly.
"The boss truly has great taste."
Qian Daochen let out a chuckle.
"I complimented you, and you accepted all of it."
Qian Renxue put down her wine cup and said:
"The truth naturally must be accepted."
"I certainly can't deliberately say I'm not good-looking just to be humble."
Qian Renxue was lost in thought.
Every time she came to Peaceful Heart Tavern, her mind felt much more at ease.
The boss before her looked young, yet his words and actions were completely composed.
No matter what she asked, the other person could casually answer a few sentences.
Those words seemed ordinary on the surface, but upon careful thought, they carried profound meaning.
Qian Renxue raised her cup and said:
"Boss, if you didn't run a tavern, you should be able to achieve great things."
Qian Daochen picked up his cup and clinked it lightly against hers.
"I have already done enough things."
"Nowadays, selling some wine and watching people is quite nice."
Qian Renxue still wanted to question further when the discussion from the neighboring table suddenly drifted over.
"If you ask me, the strongest person alive on the continent today must be the former Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Chen!"
"The Clear Sky Hammer is hailed as the number one offensive martial soul under heaven, and Tang Chen has even pushed the Clear Sky Secret Arts to their absolute limit."
"Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi holds down Sea God Island, so her strength shouldn't be any less than Tang Chen's, right?"
"Then what about Angel Douluo Qian Daoliu?"
"Qian Daoliu is certainly strong, but he once lost to Tang Chen; that can't be fake."
"Put that way, among the three Limit Douluos, Tang Chen is number one."
Many soul masters all around nodded in agreement.
The gazes of a few soul masters landed on Qian Renxue from time to time, greed and malice hidden deep within their eyes.
Qian Renxue glanced at them and ignored them.
Yet hearing that Qian Daoliu was inferior to Tang Chen, her brow still furrowed.
Qian Daochen poured himself a cup of wine.
"Among the three, Angel Douluo is the strongest."
The tavern fell quiet for a moment.
A soul master at the neighboring table turned his head and said:
"Boss, you've got it wrong there."
"Qian Daoliu's defeat to Tang Chen has long since spread across the continent. How could he possibly be considered the strongest?"
Qian Daochen drank the clear wine in his cup.
"If all rumors were believable, ordinary people wouldn't need brains."
If the younger brother he had personally taught truly couldn't beat Tang Chen and Bo Saixi, when they met in the future, he wouldn't mind giving him a severe beating.
Qian Daoliu was a genius of the Angel Clan.
He hadn't lacked beatings back during his cultivation days.
After so many years, who knew how much he had improved.
Qian Daochen held his wine cup, his thoughts drifting far back into the past.
He was not originally a person of Douluo Continent.
After transmigrating here, he became Qian Daoliu's older brother.
Qian Daochen.
In that lifetime, he emerged abruptly, suppressing his peers and ascending to the peak of the continent in just a few short years.
He had also left behind a towering reputation.
Yet he rose too quickly and touched upon certain taboos.
Ever since then, Qian Daochen vanished from the world.
As long years passed, the old acquaintances on the continent grew fewer and fewer.
He originally thought the world had long since forgotten his name.
He wondered if there were still any rumors about him left on Douluo Continent today.
"Tang Chen might not necessarily be number one."
In the corner of the tavern, a white-haired soul master suddenly spoke up.
The crowd looked over one after another.
That soul master took a sip of wine and said:
"When I traveled the continent in my youth, I once heard about a person from a Titled Douluo."
"That was a mysterious swordsman."
"If he were still alive, the three Limit Douluos might not even be able to match him."
A neighboring soul master sneered.
"He doesn't even have a name; it's probably just another case of spreading falsehoods."
The white-haired soul master shook his head.
"Do you all know of Slaughter City?"
The tavern fell quiet once more.
The expressions of several soul masters changed slightly.
"The most chaotic place on the continent, Slaughter City, which is known as the Evil Paradise?"
"Could it be you're talking about that person?"
The white-haired soul master slowly nodded.
"It's said that a massive riot once occurred in Slaughter City back then."
"The evil soul masters in the city poured out in full force, almost breaking out of Slaughter City."
"Right at that moment, a swordsman in white clothes forced his way in."
"He relied on a single sword to slaughter numerous evil soul masters."
"Rumor has it that he used only a single sword strike at the end to defeat the Slaughter King."
The surrounding soul masters swallowed hard.
"What kind of figure is the Slaughter King?"
"That is the master of Slaughter City!"
"To defeat him with a single sword strike is simply too exaggerated."
The white-haired soul master said:
"That is why I said this is merely a rumor."
"However, after that riot, Slaughter City truly behaved itself for many years."
Qian Daochen smiled calmly.
He hadn't expected that after such a long time, rumors about him still lingered on the continent.
He hadn't used much strength with that sword strike back then.
The so-called Slaughter King was nothing special in his eyes.
Qian Renxue noticed his expression.
"Boss, what are you smiling at?"
Qian Daochen picked up a peanut and tossed it casually into his mouth.
"I just think that swordsman has good taste."
"Killing evil soul masters is always better than bullying ordinary people."
Qian Renxue stared at him for a moment.
"You seem to know him."
Qian Daochen shook his head and said,
"Drink."
Qian Renxue did not continue to press.
She knew the boss of Peaceful Heart Tavern harbored many secrets.
Since the other party was unwilling to say, she would slowly find out in the future.
Qian Daochen looked at the bustling crowds outside the window.
The current Douluo Continent might seem peaceful, but its trajectory had long since been arranged by someone.
In the future, there would be a Son of Destiny named Tang San.
The Divine Realm had chosen him, and the gods would also pave the way for him.
He had lain dormant until now, always waiting for a chance to reverse the universe.
Qian Daochen looked back at Qian Renxue.
Golden hair, Angel Bloodline.
This girl possessed quite the bearing of an old friend.
Just at that moment.
The sunlight outside the tavern suddenly dimmed.
Qian Daochen raised his head to look out the window.
On the originally clear firmament, golden light converged, transforming into a heavenly screen that blotted out the sun and sky.
Inside Heaven Dou City, countless pedestrians stopped in their tracks.
Soul masters in the tavern stood up one after another and hurried out the door.
"What is that?"
"A martial soul anomaly?"
"Whose martial soul can cover the entire sky!"
Qian Renxue stood up as well.
She came to the window, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.
Even with Spirit Hall's foundation, such a heaven-and-earth anomaly had never been recorded.
Magnificent golden text slowly emerged on the heavenly screen.
[The Heavenly Dao Ranking descends.]
[Those ranked on the list can receive Heavenly Dao rewards.]
Just two short sentences made the entire Heaven Dou City completely boil over.
"Heavenly Dao rewards?"
"As long as you make the list, you can get rewards?"
"Will it reward spirit bones?"
"If it rewards a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, that would be a true fortuitous encounter!"
Qian Daochen stood up, looking at the heavenly screen with his hands behind his back.
His state of mind, peaceful for many years, finally stirred with ripples.
The variable had arrived.
Meanwhile.
Spirit City.
Inside the Papal Hall.
Bibi Dong rose from the pope's throne, the scepter in her hand striking heavily against the ground.
She looked up at the golden heavenly screen outside the hall.
"Heavenly Dao Ranking."
"Heavenly Dao rewards..."
Bibi Dong's gaze gradually grew ardent.
She had already accepted the Rakshasa God Trial, drawing closer and closer to that supreme realm.
If she could obtain Heavenly Dao rewards, perhaps it could help her become a god ahead of schedule.
The next moment.
Streaks of golden text flashed across the firmament.
[Sword Douluo Chen Xin: Strongest Ranking? This old man would like to see who can make the top ten.]
[Bone Douluo Gu Rong: Sword freak, you should first think about whether you can make the list.]
[Clear Sky Sect Seventh Elder: There are numerous strong experts on the continent; the top three positions will definitely belong to strong experts of our Clear Sky Sect.]
[Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan: Quite a bold tone.]
[Xing Luo Emperor: The manifestation of Heavenly Dao can by no means be fathomed by mortals.]
In Heaven Dou City, the crowd looked up at the firmament, the anticipation on their faces growing thicker.
"What will the first ranking be?"
"Soul Master Ranking?"
"Martial Soul Ranking?"
"Or Spirit Ring Ranking?"
The golden heavenly screen shook.
Boundless radiance spilled across the continent.
Six large characters manifested.
[Reviewing the Ten Peak Strongest Experts of Douluo Continent!]
[The Strongest Ranking officially begins!]
Before you continue