Qian Daoliu

In an instant, the temperature throughout the hall dropped several degrees.

Qian Daoliu spoke. "Are you certain he's an ordinary man?"

Qian Xunji said, "I examined him myself, Father. He's an ordinary man in his early twenties whose Martial Soul has never awakened."

"An ordinary man whose Martial Soul has never awakened?" Golden Crocodile was surprised.

On Douluo Continent, once a person's Martial Soul awakened, it remained within them, even if they could not cultivate.

Qian Daoliu said, "That is interesting."

"If what that young man said is true... if an Angel God really will arise from the Qian family and Spirit Hall will still fall, then there must be another factor we know nothing about."

"I want to meet this man who came from the heavens myself."

Qian Xunji bowed. "Yes, Father."

Golden Crocodile Douluo, unconvinced, followed them too.

In the rear courtyard residence.

Lin Fan had just finished lunch and was absently touching the bandage on the back of his head.

"Strange. This wound healed far too quickly." He moved his neck. It barely hurt anymore. "That village doctor's herbs are incredible... How are they more effective than a hospital in the city?"

"But I still can't see. I hope it's only temporary."

As he pondered this, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.

There were more than before, and they sounded steadier too.

Lin Fan tilted his head in confusion. "Village chief? Is that you?"

"Yes."

Qian Xunji entered with Qian Daoliu, Golden Crocodile, and Bibi Dong.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei remained outside on guard.

But Lin Fan could not tell they were there. Assuming it was only the same few people as before, he greeted them with a smile. "Village chief, you're early today. Shall I carry on with the story this afternoon?"

Qian Xunji said nothing. Instead, Qian Daoliu asked directly, "Young man, does that novel of yours mention someone named Qian Daoliu?"

"Village chief, who's this?" Lin Fan asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar voice, deep and weathered.

"Brother Lin Fan, this is my father, the old chief of our village," Qian Xunji explained. "Over lunch, I told him about you and your story, and he wanted to come listen."

"I see. Your whole village seems to love novels." Lin Fan nodded.

Qian Daoliu said, "We do. When I heard the name Qian Daoliu, I became curious. Could you tell me more about him, young man?"

On the way over, Qian Xunji had told him the basics about Lin Fan, including that Lin Fan believed Spirit Hall was a village.

"If you're interested, of course I can." Suspecting nothing, Lin Fan began recounting Qian Daoliu's story.

"Qian Daoliu was level ninety-nine, one of Douluo Continent's three Peerless Douluos. Known as Invincible in the Sky, he was the grandfather of Qian Renxue, the Angel God in the book, and the father of Qian Xunji."

"Wait!" Qian Daoliu interrupted. "Three Peerless Douluos?"

Besides Tang Chen, there's another Peerless Douluo I don't know about? Qian Daoliu thought.

"All right, I'll explain in more detail," Lin Fan said.

"The three Peerless Douluos were Qian Daoliu, Invincible in the Sky; Tang Chen, Invincible on Land; and Bo Saixi, Invincible at Sea."

"Wait again!" Qian Daoliu interrupted once more. "Invincible at Sea? Is there someone overseas?"

Lin Fan paused. The old village chief really is curious about everything. He must be over seventy.

Despite the thought, Lin Fan explained carefully. "That's right. Beyond Douluo Continent, there's an island called Sea God Island. Bo Saixi was its Grand Worshipper. Like Qian Daoliu, she guarded a Divine Position while awaiting its successor."

"Actually, both Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen pursued Bo Saixi, but she chose Tang Chen, not Qian Daoliu."

"Bullshit! I—" Qian Daoliu immediately began to argue, but Qian Xunji stopped him in time.

He sent a voice transmission. "Father, don't get upset. He might be talking about something that happens in the future."

"Go on, young man," Qian Daoliu said, immediately calming down.

"That's about it. The novel doesn't devote much space to him. In the end, Qian Daoliu sacrificed himself so his granddaughter Qian Renxue could inherit the Angel God's position. That was the duty of a Divine Position's guardian."

"That was also why Bo Saixi chose Tang Chen instead of Qian Daoliu. What a shame Tang Chen was obsessed with cultivation. He never understood how Bo Saixi felt, and he missed his chance."

"In the novel, those three Peerless Douluos were characters the author created to help the protagonist and the villains become gods."

"So they didn't get much attention."

Qian Daoliu nodded. "I see. Then Qian Daoliu's granddaughter inherited the Angel God's position. Was the Sea God's successor the protagonist you mentioned?"

"You really are the old village chief. You guessed it before I said a word." Lin Fan smiled. "That's right. The protagonist inherited the Sea God's Divine Position. Like the Angel God, the Sea God was a First-Level God."

Qian Daoliu asked another question. "If they were of the same rank, why couldn't the Angel God defeat the Sea God? Why was Spirit Hall destroyed?"

Lin Fan smiled. "That's simple. In the book, the Angel God and the Rakshasa God did join forces to kill the protagonist."

"But he was the protagonist. He had the Protagonist Halo. Though he died, two gods from the Divine Realm used a divine resurrection technique to bring him back. And he gained another Divine Position on top of that."

"Another Divine Position?" Bibi Dong exclaimed.

Lin Fan explained, "That's right. It belonged to one of the five God Kings of the Divine Realm, far stronger than a First-Level God. After his resurrection, he defeated the Angel God and the Rakshasa God in a single move."

"So naturally, Spirit Hall was destroyed."

When Lin Fan finished, everyone in the room clenched their fists.

They had never imagined he knew of beings whose existence even they were unaware of.

To them, it made no sense at all.

After a long silence, Qian Daoliu asked slowly, "Young man, what is this Protagonist Halo? And who exactly destroyed Spirit Hall?"

"Old village chief, if I tell you the ending now, why would you keep listening? I have to leave a little suspense."

You already told us the ending! several of them roared inwardly.

Steadying himself, Qian Daoliu said, "Never mind. It's a fascinating story. Now that you've told me this much, I'll be restless if you don't at least give me his name."

Lin Fan thought nothing of it. "All right. This isn't the only novel I've read anyway. Once we finish this one, I can tell you another."

Lin Fan continued, "As for the Protagonist Halo, it just means he's the Child of the World's Fortune. This world chose him."

"And as for who he is, I just told you the fates of two of the three Peerless Douluos. Tang Chen's fate was to bring the protagonist the God King's Divine Position. In the end, he sacrificed himself and died too."

"But what you don't know is that the protagonist was Tang Chen's great-grandson."

"His name was Tang San."

"Tang San?" Qian Daoliu asked, puzzled. "Tang Chen's great-grandson?"

"That's right." Lin Fan nodded.

Qian Daoliu asked, "Then if Spirit Hall killed Tang Chen, his son, his grandson, and his great-grandson Tang San, would Spirit Hall still fall?"