Qian Daoliu's Vision

In the Pope's Palace, Qian Xunji thought alone for a long time.

After turning it over in his mind, he decided to discuss Bibi Dong's proposal with his father, Qian Daoliu.

"Father, Uncle Golden Crocodile!" Qian Xunji greeted them with a bow.

He began by reporting on the plan. "Father, the infiltration plan is underway."

Qian Daoliu opened his eyes. "Mm. You came here specifically because you got the latest news from Lin Fan, I assume."

"Nephew, what else has that boy said against Spirit Hall?" Golden Crocodile asked with interest.

"Nothing bad this time," Qian Xunji said. "He's started talking about Tang San. But we learned that Tang San's mother and wife are both Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts who took human form to cultivate anew."

Surprise crossed Golden Crocodile Douluo's face, and a golden glint flashed in his eyes. "Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts? Killing one would be an enormous opportunity!"

"Nephew, we can't let an opportunity like this pass us by."

Qian Daoliu was surprised too, but nowhere near as excited as Golden Crocodile. He was merely struck by the good fortune Tang San and his father had encountered.

He had no desire to claim it for himself. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was tempting, but at his level, it would only give him one more soul skill.

"Calm down, Golden Crocodile," Qian Daoliu said. "I suspect those two Soul Beasts are why Tang San and his father turned against Spirit Hall."

"Tang Chen knows Spirit Hall's strength. He and I are old rivals, but neither friends nor enemies. He would never make an enemy of Spirit Hall unless something happened to him and he could no longer keep the Clear Sky Sect in check."

"You're right, Father," Qian Xunji said. "Those two Soul Beasts are indeed what set Spirit Hall's downfall in motion. So don't get too excited yet, Uncle Golden Crocodile."

Golden Crocodile slowly composed himself. "All right. You must have discussed this with Elder Yue and the others. What do you plan to do?"

Qian Xunji nodded. "According to Lin Fan, Spirit Hall has grown increasingly domineering as its power has expanded over the years. We're always trying to claim talented people or Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts for ourselves."

"So we settled on one word: 'indirectness.' Starting with me, we'll change the way Spirit Hall conducts itself."

"Finally, my disciple proposed an approach that I think could work. I came to ask you and Uncle Golden Crocodile what you think."

Qian Xunji then recounted everything Bibi Dong had said, from beginning to end.

Qian Daoliu did not respond immediately.

Golden Crocodile, however, looked astonished. "She's a Soul Beast, Nephew. Aren't you afraid of tainting the Angel God's bloodline?"

Qian Xunji nodded. "That's why I came to ask Father. What do you think?"

"That child Dong'er..." Qian Daoliu finally spoke, his voice low. "She sees things more clearly than you realize."

Qian Xunji froze. "What do you mean, Father?"

"She's right." Qian Daoliu looked at him. "The Angel God's legacy cannot end. And the Qian family's angel Martial Soul does need a sufficiently gifted woman to carry it on. But how many women on the continent have Innate Full Soul Power and are also the right age?"

He continued, "A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form has bloodline potential no weaker than a human's. The Blue Silver Emperor gave birth to Tang San. That proves her bloodline is strong enough to produce an heir to a godhood."

He paused, his tone growing heavier. "As for whether the Angel God would strike you down... she is the Qian family's ancestor. What she wants is for her legacy to continue. If your future child can succeed her, she won't care where your wife came from."

Qian Xunji nodded slowly. "So you think it could work?"

"It could." Qian Daoliu looked at him. "But something about it doesn't sit right with me. Ah Yin is a plant Soul Beast—a Blue Silver Grass, no less. Our Qian family's angel Martial Soul has sacred and fire attributes and is suited to direct combat. Xiao Wu would be a better match by comparison, but her time is still far in the future."

Qian Xunji considered this and nodded. "Then what do you think I should do, Father?"

"Your disciple was right. We can take an indirect approach. She's only one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. If Spirit Hall truly wanted one, we could raze the Star Dou Great Forest. But we haven't done that. We've even decreed that Soul Masters must not slaughter Soul Beasts beyond what is reasonably necessary to obtain soul rings. Sparing one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast is hardly a problem."

"So here's what I think. Take some people to speak with Ah Yin first. If you reach an agreement, good. If not, don't force her. Either way, invite her to Spirit Hall. We can forgo her soul ring and soul bone, but now that we know she exists, we can't simply hand her over to a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect."

Qian Xunji paused. "You mean... courtesy first, force afterward?"

Qian Daoliu slowly shook his head. "No. I mean giving her a choice."

Qian Daoliu rose and stood before the statue of the Angel God. "Why do Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts take human form and cultivate anew? Put simply, they want another path through life."

"According to the records left by the Angel God, a Soul Beast faces heavenly tribulation when it reaches a hundred thousand years. If it fails, it dies. If it survives and keeps cultivating, another tribulation comes a hundred thousand years later. Each is stronger than the last. It must survive ten in all to become a god. We humans have no such concern."

"That's why some Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts choose to take human form and cultivate anew, while others continue as they are. Ah Yin chose human form. That means she has ambitions. She isn't content with her lot. She wants to break free of the limits placed on Soul Beasts and reach a higher realm."

"And Spirit Hall has the strength to offer her a safe, comfortable place to do it."

"So Lin Fan's arrival hasn't just changed Tang San's future. It has changed Spirit Hall's as well."

Qian Xunji nodded thoughtfully, then bowed. "I understand, Father. I'll personally take people to speak with Ah Yin."

"Mm." Qian Daoliu turned to face him. "As for that future child named Qian Renxue and finding a suitable mother for her, you can ask Lin Fan. He knows what lies ahead, and because he sees things from a different perspective, he may have insights we don't."

"Yes, Father!" Qian Xunji left Qian Daoliu's quarters.

Back in the Pope's Palace, Qian Xunji ordered, "Summon Elders Yue and Gui to the hall."

Before long, Yue Guan and Gui Mei arrived at the Pope's Palace. "Your Holiness!"

"Combine the overt and covert intelligence networks you each oversee," Qian Xunji instructed. "Find Ah Yin, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, as quickly as possible."

Recalling Lin Fan's description, Qian Xunji said, "She has blue hair and looks like a gentle, beautiful young woman under twenty. She'll most likely be wearing blue. She's probably traveling between Small Town and nearby villages, helping people."

"Find her before Tang Hao does."

"Yes, Your Holiness," Yue Guan and Gui Mei replied at once.

"And keep her identity as a Soul Beast secret. Once our intelligence agents locate her, have them report back immediately. We'll speak with her ourselves."

"As you command!"

After leaving the Pope's Palace, Yue Guan and Gui Mei immediately put Spirit Hall's intelligence network to work.