Qian Renxue had a headache.
She really wanted to pin Angel God down and spank her, making her stop babbling in her head.
But she did not have the nerve.
Still, Angel God's incessant chatter had given her plenty of useful information about the God Realm.
There was simply too much information, and it involved so many God Kings!
"Li Qinglian's background is actually this formidable."
Qian Renxue stared intently at Li Qinglian, a streak of golden light blooming deep in her eyes.
Seeing Angel God's mixture of excitement and fear, Qian Renxue became certain once more.
This was her only chance to get close to Li Qinglian.
If she waited until Li Qinglian grew powerful, they would no longer be on the same level.
If she wanted to climb higher, she had to befriend Li Qinglian no matter what.
Becoming a god was one stage; what came after becoming a god was another.
"Bibi Dong, that foolish woman, still has just as poor an eye for people."
"How could she possibly afford to offend someone with Li Qinglian's background?"
"Even if she inherited a divine position, she still would not get far in the God Realm after offending him."
Qian Renxue turned her gaze toward Bibi Dong.
As though they sensed each other, Bibi Dong raised her eyes as well, and mother and daughter exchanged a glance.
But this time, there was no longer any hostile animosity between them.
The only thing in Qian Renxue's gaze as she looked at Bibi Dong was a trace of pity.
To be fair, Bibi Dong's talent was exceptionally high, second only to hers. But Bibi Dong's eye for people was simply too poor.
A woman could afford to have less talent, but she could not afford to have poor judgment of people, especially when choosing a man. Bibi Dong was clearly an idiot in that regard.
At that thought, some of Qian Renxue's hatred for Bibi Dong faded away.
"Li Qinglian... Where exactly did he come from?"
"Where did the Worship Hall find such a genius?"
"You have to know that all cases of awakened Martial Souls throughout the realm are submitted to me for review."
Bibi Dong felt as though her heart had been stabbed viciously.
She believed that Spirit Hall would never overlook any genius.
Unless Li Qinglian had not awakened his Martial Soul at a Spirit Hall branch. But people like that generally came from great clans.
Li Qinglian's Martial Soul was unique; it was her first time seeing one like it.
It was probably a mutated Martial Soul.
Li Qinglian was definitely not from some Martial Soul family. She was certain of it.
But where had Li Qinglian come from?
At this moment, winning or losing no longer mattered.
What mattered was that the Worship Hall was hiding something from her!
Li Qinglian's origins were likely extraordinary!
"Was I wrong this time?"
Bibi Dong stared blankly at Li Qinglian, lost in thought.
"Third Soul Skill—Hellfire!"
Yan's entire body suddenly burst into flames. Crimson fire spewed from every pore of his skin, instantly wrapping him into a massive fireball.
The flames were so scorching that even the ground beneath his feet reddened and softened.
The vines binding the granite began to char and curl the instant they touched the flames, forcing Li Qinglian to withdraw them for defense.
"Now that's more like it."
Li Qinglian watched the sea of flames rushing toward him, a trace of satisfaction appearing on his face.
Like a falling meteor, Yan crashed fiercely toward Li Qinglian, engulfed in flames that filled the sky.
Everyone held their breath.
Even Soul King-level spectators could see that this strike was already the greatest power a thirty-first-level Soul Elder could unleash.
With the physique of a six-year-old child, even being grazed by the aftermath would likely leave Li Qinglian seriously injured.
Yet Li Qinglian stood where he was without retreating half a step.
He closed his eyes.
The two purple Soul Rings revolving around him suddenly sped up at the same time, and the second Soul Ring blazed with light.
Gray-black vines erupted from the earth once more. This time, however, they did not lash outward to attack. Instead, they climbed upward, interwove, and twisted together, instantly weaving a thick wall of vine shields over Li Qinglian's head.
Dark green droplets seeped from the vines' surface, carrying a decayed, corrosive stench.
Boom!
Hellfire slammed into the wall of vines.
The flames madly licked at the vines, scorching their gray-black bark until it blackened and curled, producing sharp sizzling sounds.
But at the same time, those vines released Withering Factor, constantly corroding the Soul Power structure within the flames.
The flames' temperature plummeted rapidly, while the vines burned more slowly.
It was not only life that could wither. Fire could wither too; any energy would eventually wither as it was consumed.
Veins bulged across Yan's forehead.
He could feel his Soul Power draining at an astonishing rate, far exceeding the normal consumption of using a Soul Skill.
The dark-purple roots beneath his feet had never vanished. They had been continuously drawing in and devouring.
And from beginning to end, Li Qinglian had not even moved!
"How much longer can your Soul Power hold out?"
"Three minutes? Two?"
Li Qinglian suddenly opened his eyes, his black pupils carrying an eerie pale whiteness as they stared directly at Yan.
Yan clenched his teeth.
He could not speak.
The moment he opened his mouth, the breath he had been holding would escape.
But while Yan could not speak, Li Qinglian still could.
"With your talent, in a normal fight, I would not need to go to so much trouble. But this is Pope Mountain. I have to win without leaving any room for dispute."
"So, I will defeat you only after you have given it everything you have."
Yan's pupils abruptly constricted.
What did he mean?
Li Qinglian did not explain.
He merely raised a hand and pointed lightly.
The dark-purple roots that had spread across every inch of the paving stones beneath Yan during their standoff suddenly lit up with a faint glow.
During the brief exchange of only a few dozen breaths, those roots had already drained Yan's Soul Power and absorbed the heat from the flames he had released.
And now, all that power was fed back to Li Qinglian.
The tree shadow behind Li Qinglian suddenly surged upward.
An oppressive presence far beyond what a six-year-old child should possess swept across the entire arena like a tidal wave.
"It is over."
He said.
Gray-black vines shot out like venomous snakes from their dens, surging toward Yan from every direction at once.
This time, Yan's Hellfire had already reached its end. With his Soul Power exhausted, he could no longer sustain the flames protecting his body.
This was Li Qinglian's second Soul Skill, Withered Glory Prison!
This was a powerful group-control Soul Skill!
It generated gray-black vines covered in barbs from the ground or from the user's body, forming a Withered Glory Prison.
The prison released Withering Factor, causing tissues to shrivel, muscles to go numb, and wound-healing speed to plummet...
Yan let out a muffled groan. His knees buckled, and he dropped to one knee.
He struggled to stand, only to discover that he could not summon even the slightest bit of strength.
The vines did not tighten around his neck, yet they stripped away his last chance to resist.
Yan was thoroughly terrified.
He felt that if he continued forcing himself to endure, his entire body would be drained dry!
A deathly silence descended over Pope Mountain.
The wind blew over the square again, dispersing the lingering scorched smell.
Everyone stared at the black-haired child standing in the center of the arena.
The two purple Soul Rings around him slowly stopped spinning, while the tree shadow behind him gradually withdrew and faded away.
The dust had settled.
Li Qinglian lowered his head to look at Yan kneeling before him and fell silent for a moment.
"Your talent is not bad. You simply chose the wrong opponent."
After saying that, he turned and looked toward Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo on the raised platform.
"Am I the Holy Son now?"
The entire arena remained silent.
But after several breaths, the first applause came from the direction of the Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu.
Immediately afterward, Golden Crocodile, Azure Luan, Light Plume... all the worshippers began applauding.
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