Dai Weisi, Zhu Zhuyun, and the various people from the empire who had fainted and been woken up by the noise were left too shocked by the scene before them to speak.
They had only slept for a short while, so how had such a massive commotion been stirred up?
Qian Zong enjoyed the adoration of the crowd, releasing his Martial Soul by virtue of the remaining Soul Power and Angel Divine Power inside his body.
Five soul rings-yellow, purple, purple, black, and red-generated above Qian Zong's head, revolving ring within ring all the way down to his soles.
The moment the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring emerged, even the air trembled, and a vast might swept through the Library, causing every Soul Master present to feel that shuddering terror welling up from the depths of their hearts.
"A... A... A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!"
"Someone's fifth soul ring is actually a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, how is this possible!"
"Isn't the upper limit for a second soul ring 764 years? Why is the Young Hall Master's a Thousand-Year Soul Ring!"
The instant the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring appeared, everyone's gaze converged on Qian Zong.
Shock, perplexity, confusion, exploration, the thirst for knowledge, and fear-countless emotions surfaced from the bottoms of the Soul Masters' hearts.
Qian Zong had no time to mind the crowd; he was making a name for himself and establishing his prestige at the cost of his physical health, maintaining absolute focus throughout the entire process.
A huge projection of the Six-Winged Angel manifested above Qian Zong's head, and sunlight pierced through the atrium's skylight, showering down upon Qian Zong.
Holy radiance spilled in all directions, and the Soul Masters enveloped by the holy light felt entirely comfortable and relaxed, their hearts experiencing unprecedented peace.
Right now, Qian Zong looked just like an angel descending to the mortal world.
"No, I can't hold on."
Less than twenty seconds after the Martial Soul projection appeared, waves of a tearing sensation erupted from within Qian Zong's body.
Qian Zong let out a long breath and pulled his Martial Soul back.
The soul ring also dissipated between heaven and earth at this moment.
His current physical condition was still insufficient to support a Martial Soul imbued with Angel Divine Power for a long time.
And the very next moment after Qian Zong retracted his Martial Soul, an abstruse and mysterious aura gathered around his entire body.
It then transformed into strands of invisible thread that pierced through the Angel Divine Power and surged into Qian Zong's glabella.
Afterward, it flowed along his limbs and bones to every corner of his body, finally merging into his heart.
"What is this? It feels so good."
At this very moment, Qian Zong's mind was clearer than ever before, and the heavy, tearing sensation in his body had faded by a lot.
He acutely sensed that his body had undergone changes, especially that cluster of Sinful Power near his heart, which had swelled by a fraction and was even emanating a sort of unspeakable, enigmatic power.
Qian Zong released his spiritual power to introspect his own body, but detected no abnormalities whatsoever.
Forget it, I'll research it properly when I get back.
Unable to unearth the cause, Qian Zong stopped dwelling on the details.
Commoners yearned for justice and peace, and the Holy Angel could become the faith of the commoners.
Soul Masters admired strength, and a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring could establish prestige.
Men of ambition respected great figures, and aspirations for the common people could rally them together.
The holy Six-Winged Angel, the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and the grand ambition of thinking of the people of the world-this combined set of punches was enough to make Qian Zong's mighty name spread across the continent.
As he thought and thought, Qian Zong laughed inwardly at himself:
"I never expected I'd have the talent to be a charlatan."
Seeing the countless gazes gathered on him in the arena, Qian Zong raised his hand to signal all the Soul Masters to be quiet.
Amidst his shock, Chrysanthemum Douluo quietly released Soul Power into the crowd, cooperating with Qian Zong.
In a mere two minutes, the lively crowd quieted down.
It was truly because the pressure Qian Zong brought was simply too great-with both a Titled Douluo and a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring present, no Soul Master dared to act presumptuously in front of Qian Zong.
Chrysanthemum Douluo stepped forward at the opportune moment, bowed in salute, and then inquired:
"Young Hall Master, how should these two sinners be dealt with?"
Qian Zong's gaze fell back onto Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, and he spoke in a furious voice:
"Your conduct is no better than pigs and dogs. If you are not put to death, it will be hard to appease the hatred in my heart!"
With a sudden twist in his tone, Qian Zong turned around, his hands clasped behind his back, and said imperiously:
"I spare your lives today so that you may go back and relay this to the forces behind you: those who violate my Martial Soul Library shall be executed no matter how far away they are!"
When people mentioned the Young Hall Master, the first thing they thought of was Spirit Hall.
Yet when they mentioned the Master of the Martial Soul Library, the first thing they thought of was Qian Zong.
A single word's difference created a world of difference in the initial impressions people formed.
Qian Zong had to establish his prestige under the identity of the Martial Soul Library Master, rather than as the Spirit Hall Young Hall Master.
"What a fine 'executed no matter how far away they are'. Such a Spirit Hall is truly worthy of my joining."
"This Young Hall Master is far too overbearing, but... I love it~"
"Spirit Hall isn't bad either. Although the new Pope's ascension was somewhat high-handed, she truly has provided a great deal of help to the commoners. It seems I can no longer hesitate."
"This Young Hall Master is no ordinary person; from now on, we must never offend Spirit Hall."
Qian Zong's domineering speech drove many rogue Soul Master powerhouses to harbor the intention of joining Spirit Hall.
Some rogue Soul Masters admired strength, and were subdued by Qian Zong's tyrannical remarks.
Yet more rogue Soul Masters were afraid of being liquidated by Qian Zong, and after careful consideration, they chose to lean on Spirit Hall.
After all, most of these rogue Soul Masters had bounties and human lives on their hands.
When encountering a ruler as strong and despotic as Qian Zong, none of them were willing to gamble their lives on tomorrow.
Hearing this, fear spread from the depths of Dai Weisi's heart, and he could not believe that Qian Zong actually wanted to make a move against the empire.
Wasn't it just provoking you a little? How did it escalate into a full-scale war between nations?
Dai Weisi's face turned pale, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
He clenched his fists, forcefully suppressing the terror in his heart to keep himself as calm as possible:
"Young Hall Master, are you planning to start a war with the empire!"
Qian Zong turned his head and said sternly:
"The majesty of the Martial Soul Library brooks no offense!"
Every hair on Dai Weisi's body stood on end; receiving a definitive answer, his terror escalated to its absolute peak at this moment.
He had only come to find out the purpose behind the various policies issued by Spirit Hall, not to issue a challenge for battle.
If this message were transmitted back to the empire, he could not imagine what kind of punishment he would suffer.
He did not doubt in the slightest that the person before him was capable of carrying out such a mad act.
Just by opening his mouth, he could summon five Titled Douluo and Soul Douluo powerhouses, killing without hesitation.
This man was simply a lunatic.
Dai Weisi put on a facade of calm, mustered his momentum, and confronted him:
"Young Hall Master, the strength of the empire is not something you can imagine. Your decision cannot represent the will of Spirit Hall!
"I believe Spirit Hall does not want to go to war with the empire!"
The Star Luo Empire and Spirit Hall had engaged in secret contests for decades, and each other's intentions were clear to both sides.
The two factions would frictionally clash for the sake of their own interests.
But going to war-that was utterly impossible.
Qian Zong turned around, his gaze revealing decisiveness and resolve:
"What? The empire can assassinate this Master! The empire can destroy the dreams of countless readers!"
The corners of Qian Zong's mouth curled into a sneer:
"As for strength, you people of the Star Luo Empire are truly laughable. You don't even have a single Titled Douluo-where on earth do you get the confidence to speak of strength?
"Any random person dispatched from my Martial Soul Library could level the imperial palace!
"In the eyes of this Master, the Star Luo Empire is nothing more than a fart!"
"You..."
Dai Weisi's face turned ashen. He pointed a finger at Qian Zong, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long time.
And Qian Zong was indeed not wrong. Now that the Clear Sky Sect lived in seclusion, any random Titled Douluo entering the imperial palace could massacre everyone.
Furthermore, Titled Douluo could fly; if they wanted to leave, the empire's forces simply could not stop them.
Before you continue