Qian Daoliu: Cannot Reveal It

"Heavens, what is that thing?"

"That monster is way too ugly, isn't it?"

"Excuse me, Soul Master, what exactly is that thing?"

"You're asking me? How would I know? Sure, I'm a Soul Master and I've seen plenty of Soul Masters, but that thing isn't a Soul Beast, is it? It's hideous!"

"I don't know either. I've never seen anything that ugly. It probably isn't a Soul Beast. Soul Beasts are beasts, so you can find their features among animals. But those monsters in front of us definitely can't be Soul Beasts!"

How could commoners living across the continent possibly have seen something so ugly?

So they asked the Soul Masters of Spirit Hall. But how could the Spirit Hall Soul Masters have seen such ugly things either? They had never seen anything as abstract as Cthulhu, so all they could do was admit that they had never seen them before.

The comments were dumbfounded as well.

[Yu Yuanzhen: Well, damn. Those things definitely aren't Soul Beasts. At least, I've never seen Soul Beasts that ugly.]

As the sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, he was even older than Ning Fengzhi. He had every right to speak on this matter.

[Qian Daoliu: I can vouch for this as well. Yu Yuanzhen is not lying about this. I have lived for many years too. If Soul Beasts like these truly existed, humanity would have exterminated them long ago. Even Spirit Hall's historical records contain no mention of anything so ugly. Therefore, these things absolutely cannot be Soul Beasts.]

The moment Qian Daoliu spoke on the screen, everyone was stunned. The reason was simple: who was he? He was Spirit Hall's arbiter, its Grand Worshipper, and Spirit Hall's strongest expert.

He had been a renowned powerhouse many years ago. Even someone like him had confirmed that those ugly things could not possibly be Soul Beasts. That meant Douluo Continent had truly encountered a kind of monster unlike any Soul Beast.

[Ning Fengzhi: Senior Qian Daoliu, forgive my ignorance, but may I ask whether Spirit Hall's records contain anything resembling such terrifying monsters?]

Ning Fengzhi had a reason for asking. He knew the Qian Clan's background. Spirit Hall's Qian Clan was actually descended from a god—the descendants the Angel God had left behind in the mortal world many years ago.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had been passed down for a long time, so Ning Fengzhi naturally knew some of the Qian Clan's secrets.

His reason for asking was simple. If even Spirit Hall knew nothing of such monsters, then perhaps the monster had been produced by this heavenly screen itself.

[Qian Daoliu: Ning Fengzhi, I regret to tell you that Spirit Hall's books contain no similar monsters. Therefore, I believe such creatures may truly have never appeared in history. I can guarantee this. Although I have not read every one of Spirit Hall's countless books, the Qian Clan must observe Spirit Hall's history. I have therefore read through its historical records since childhood. If Spirit Hall's history contained any descriptions of monsters, I would certainly know. I swear upon my Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul that Spirit Hall's historical records contain no information related to such monsters.]

Once Qian Daoliu said that, everyone believed him. On Douluo Continent, everyone knew that if one broke an oath sworn upon one's Martial Soul, the Martial Soul would shatter. As a top-tier expert, Qian Daoliu had put both his honor and personal credibility on the line, so everyone believed him.

[Ning Fengzhi: Then, may I ask whether Qian Renxue is a member of the Qian Clan?]

Ning Fengzhi was also curious. Who exactly did the Black Myth: Qian Renxue displayed on the screen refer to?

[Qian Daoliu: That person is actually my granddaughter.]

[Everyone: What?!]

Everyone was stunned by this revelation. The previous Pope had never married, so where had Qian Daoliu gotten a granddaughter?

[Tang Xiao: Senior Qian Daoliu, I am Tang Xiao, the current sect master of the Clear Sky Sect. May I ask—your son, the former Pope Qian Xunji, never married, did he? Then where did he get a daughter?]

Tang Xiao's appearance made everyone's eyes light up. The Clear Sky Sect had sealed its gates for a long time, yet he had appeared now. Moreover, he had voiced what everyone was wondering: hadn't the former Pope never married? Then where had this daughter come from?

[Qian Daoliu: This is something I cannot disclose.]

Qian Daoliu truly had no face to speak of it. The reason was simple: his son had chosen that ungrateful wretch, Bibi Dong, and in the end, it had badly damaged the Qian Clan's reputation. This could not be revealed. Once it was, the consequences would be severe.

Spirit Hall's reputation would be ruined as well. Qian Xunji had been the Pope, yet he had defiled his own female disciple. No matter what, this absolutely could not be revealed.

[Ning Fengzhi: I understand. There must be private matters that cannot be disclosed. Then I would like to ask, Senior Qian Daoliu: if Qian Renxue is your granddaughter, why have you never revealed her existence? If you have a granddaughter, then Spirit Hall's next successor should also be your granddaughter. How did Bibi Dong, an outsider, become the successor instead?]

Ning Fengzhi had spoken the question everyone was curious about.

Spirit Hall was a force established by the Qian Clan, holders of the Angel Martial Soul. It had brought many benefits to commoner Soul Masters, but it had also threatened the interests of many noble Soul Masters. As a result, Spirit Hall had many enemies.

But there was one thing no one understood. If Qian Daoliu had a granddaughter, then shouldn't Spirit Hall's successor have been his granddaughter? Why was it Bibi Dong, an outsider? Bibi Dong's Martial Soul was a spider Martial Soul, not some branch of the Qian Clan that had been separated from the family.

And wasn't he afraid that Bibi Dong would completely seize control of Spirit Hall, leaving the Qian Clan unable to take it back?

Ning Fengzhi had spoken for all those who dared not say it. After hearing it, Qian Daoliu did not know how to answer.

A large part of why Qian Daoliu had allowed Bibi Dong to become Pope was because he felt he owed her.

At first, Bibi Dong had wanted to be with some worthless man from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, setting off all these chained events. But in Qian Daoliu's eyes, even if Bibi Dong was an ungrateful wretch who wanted to be with another family's trash, Spirit Hall had still been at fault first. Defiling a female disciple was, in the end, a disgraceful matter.