Ling Yuan Douluo

Hearing this, Jing Ni seemed to understand something. "Your only conflict with the Pope is the Holy Maiden, so you brought me back?"

"As long as outsiders see that you have a wife, it means you've lost the qualifications to marry the Holy Maiden. Then you'll go back to being that insignificant figure in the Pope's eyes—the kind not worth dealing with?"

Qin Xuan pinched Jing Ni's chin. "Smart, but you only guessed half of it."

Jing Ni asked instinctively, "What's the other half?"

"The other half is that I really crave your body." As Qin Xuan spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her.

Qin Xuan looked at the fruits of his labor, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. Then he held Jing Ni and closed his eyes. Ever since recovering the memories of his past life, he had not had a peaceful night's sleep in a long time.

"After tonight, it'll have been seven months."

Jing Ni lay limply in Qin Xuan's arms and shot him a fierce glare.

Her expression clearly said she didn't believe a word of it. Regardless of whether Qin Xuan was asleep, she suddenly reminded him.

Qin Xuan answered her with muffled snores.

Yet Qin Xuan had not truly fallen asleep. He silently activated the system, and a system screen visible only to him appeared before his eyes.

"Qin Xuan—"

"Age: 20"

"Martial Soul: Everbright Sword (Vermilion Bird)"

"Cultivation: Level 68"

"Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Black, Black, Black"

"Physical Constitution Level: Soul Douluo"

"Mental Power Level: Soul Douluo"

"Soul Bones: Spirit-Concentrating Wisdom Skull, Hundred-Thousand-Year Vermilion Bird Left Leg Bone"

"Domains: Divine Slaughter's Domain, Vermilion Bird Domain"

"Talent: SSS"

"Self-Created Soul Skills: Vertical and Horizontal Sword Technique, Ghost Valley Breathing Technique, Sword Flight Technique (Wushuang Sword Case)"

"Emotion Points:"

"Blind Boxes: Bronze Blind Box ×1, Silver Blind Box ×1"

"Lottery Draws: 0"

Seeing that his talent had risen to SSS, Qin Xuan was not surprised. After all, the Vermilion Bird had been unsealed, and he had gained two more major domains. If that still could not make up for the gap between him and those with top-tier Twin Martial Soul talent—

He might as well die.

What truly surprised Qin Xuan was the Emotion Points. In just a few hours, they had shot past four hundred thousand and were still steadily increasing.

"Looks like Qian Xunji is getting anxious. Good thing I came straight to the Elder Hall. Otherwise, if that old bastard didn't know about Jing Ni, he might have jumped the gun."

"But the later that old bastard finds out, the better."

With that in mind, Qin Xuan turned off the pop-up and voice functions, held Jing Ni close, and slowly drifted into sleep.

Early the next morning, Qin Xuan groggily opened his eyes and activated the system, only to find that his Emotion Points had already reached nine hundred and seventy thousand.

When he looked toward Jing Ni, the space beside his pillow was already empty.

On the clothes rack beside the bed were only the washed and Soul Power-dried [Phoenix Fire] and [Thousand-Gold Fur], still carrying a faint scent of camellia.

Qin Xuan draped [Phoenix Fire] over himself. When he walked out of the bedroom, he found Jing Ni sitting cross-legged on the living room sofa, circulating her internal cultivation method.

As though she sensed that Qin Xuan had awakened, she swiftly formed several strange hand seals to conclude her cultivation, then slowly opened those large, doll-like eyes.

Qin Xuan had not activated [Phoenix Fire]'s disguise skill to alter his clothing's appearance.

The luxurious, vivid scarlet fitted robe had not been tidied and was slightly disheveled. Yet combined with his flawless handsome features and waterfall-like long black hair, it naturally gave him a noble, kingly air.

Looking at the handsome young man before her, she was slightly dazed for several seconds. Then, thoughtfully rising to her feet, she walked over to straighten Qin Xuan's clothes.

"Breakfast has already been prepared by the attendants. Your teacher came by half an hour ago and told you to go find him downstairs after breakfast."

"Mm." Qin Xuan did not stand on ceremony, allowing Jing Ni to arrange his clothes.

He was a man, after all. He had spent a year fighting for his life in Slaughter City—what was wrong with enjoying himself a little?

The husband and wife ate together. Before long, Qin Xuan had finished his portion.

Jing Ni, meanwhile, was still eating slowly and delicately.

"I asked the maid who brought the food. Those worshippers, elders, and even the Pope will all be coming today. The Papal Hall will arrange your opponent. Be careful."

"Don't worry. I'll be careful." Qin Xuan was not concerned that he would encounter any danger.

Not only was he confident in his own strength, but he did not fear a Soul Douluo.

Even if a Soul Douluo truly stepped forward, the worshippers would never allow it. Having a Soul Douluo fight a Soul Emperor—did they have no shame at all?

There was an eighty percent chance they would arrange for a Soul Saint.

As for that old bastard Qian Xunji, Qin Xuan had already thought of a way to deal with him.

After breakfast, Qin Xuan did not hurry downstairs. He waited until Jing Ni finished eating and cleared away the dishes before leaving for the first-floor hall of the Elder Hall.

The first-floor hall of the Elder Hall.

Unlike the quiet atmosphere when Qin Xuan had arrived yesterday, all the worshippers and Titled Douluo elders in the hall had gathered here. Whether Qin Xuan had met them before or not, nearly all of them were present, aside from Jiang Mo Douluo, who was still in seclusion attempting to break through to Level Ninety-Seven.

The six great worshippers still stood before the angel statue, while the Titled Douluo elders below Level Ninety-Six stood in two rows to either side.

Some of them might already have learned something from Douluo Qian Jun. Seeing Qin Xuan, this genius who had escaped Slaughter City in only a year and raised his Soul Power to Level 68, they all revealed friendly looks in unspoken agreement.

Naturally, Qin Xuan did not dare be negligent. He straightened his posture and gave them a slight bow. At Qian Daoliu's gesture, he moved to stand beside the only female Titled Douluo present.

She looked to be in her early thirties. She wore black armor patterned with eagles, with feather-shaped shoulder guards.

Beneath her short, ear-length hair combed to the left was a refined, fair, mature face.

A faint smile remained on her face at all times, as though it could soothe the heart. She gave off the feeling of a warm older sister next door.

Of course, that was only on the surface. It was all based on Qin Xuan being a colleague from Spirit Hall. If he had been an enemy, she could scatter even his ashes to the wind.

She was precisely the female Titled Douluo from the original story who had joined Snake Lance, Ci Xue, and Demon Bear, the three Titled Douluo, in ambushing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—Ling Yuan Douluo.

Her Martial Soul was the Fire Spirit Kite, a fire-attributed eagle-type Martial Soul. Her true age and real name were unknown.

She had advanced to Titled Douluo last month.

By the time Qin Xuan returned to Spirit City, the news had already spread everywhere.

The female Titled Douluo was clearly very interested in Qin Xuan. She threw him a flirtatious glance and whispered in a bewitching voice, "Little brother, you dared to face fear and even survived that hellish place. Pretty cool."