"We can loosen things up a little. Keep the same screening process for Soul Masters, but as for nobles..." Qian Chongling thought for a moment, then continued.
"Look at their reputations. For those with good reputations, leave everything unchanged. For those with bad reputations, make the screening requirements as lenient as possible, but charge a little more interest. I'll leave the specifics to you."
Anyone who could cultivate to the rank of Titled Douluo was shrewd enough to know exactly what Qian Chongling intended. Still, one was willing to strike, and the other was willing to take the beating. Repaying debts was only right and proper.
"Yes!" Wuyun Douluo replied.
Next, the Martial Soul Newspaper, the Martial Soul Forging Department, and the many other departments reported on their situations one by one. It took about an hour to finish all the reports.
"I feel the Gold Soul Coins are coming in a little too slowly. Everyone, take a look at this proposal." Qian Chongling took out a second document.
After receiving it, the elders stared at the document in disbelief and began voicing their objections to Qian Chongling's proposal.
"Great Enshrined, you absolutely cannot do this!"
"This will likely anger quite a few powers on the continent!"
"Indeed, Great Enshrined, please reconsider!"
There was only one line on the document: Soul Masters who were neither commoners nor members of Spirit Hall must pay thirty Gold Soul Coins per person to enter any Soul Hunting Forest belonging to Spirit Hall.
Most of the Soul Hunting Forests across the continent currently belonged to Spirit Hall. If they could not enter those forests, most low-ranking Soul Masters would have no choice but to venture into the exceedingly dangerous Star Dou Great Forest.
But sending a Soul Master at level ten or twenty into the Star Dou Great Forest was asking for death, even with someone protecting them.
Even if high-ranking Soul Masters were dispatched to protect low-ranking ones while they obtained soul rings in those dangerous regions, the death rate would remain extremely high. It would inevitably drain the strength of the two great empires and the sects.
Thus, once this policy was introduced, it would inevitably meet opposition from the two great empires and the Upper Three Sects. They might even come straight to Spirit Hall to demand an explanation.
But that was precisely the outcome Qian Chongling wanted. The current Supreme Pontiff, Qian Bufan, had rather poor talent. He was already a hundred and fifty years old, yet his cultivation was only at level ninety-five. There was practically no room left for improvement.
The enshrined of this generation's Worship Hall were not particularly powerful either, with the strongest only at level ninety-six. Therefore, Qian Chongling intended to establish deterrence-with the blood of the Titled Douluo from the two great empires and the Upper Three Sects!
Qian Bufan was the grandson of Qian Chongling's elder brother, Qian Chongguang. Although Qian Chongguang had married at around eighty, he had not fathered a son until he took his umpteenth wife at over seven hundred years old (having increased the ages of his soul rings through divine trials).
"All the elders and enshrined have opposed my proposal. Only you, Silver Wolf Douluo, haven't objected. Could you tell me why?" Qian Chongling abruptly changed the subject, shifting everyone's attention to the elder seated at the end of the white jade chairs.
"Oh, and I also heard that you became a Titled Douluo five months ago, then took a new concubine every month to celebrate!"
"Why haven't I heard any news of Elder Silver Wolf taking more concubines these past few months?" Qian Chongling asked with a smile.
An inexplicable dread coiled around Elder Silver Wolf's heart like a venomous snake. Somewhat panicked, he explained, "I'm getting on in years, and my body can no longer keep up. I need to take care of my health."
"Oh? Is it that your body can no longer keep up and you need to take care of your health, or that your eighth and ninth concubines were abducted on their way to you?" Qian Chongling narrowed his eyes slightly, still smiling.
Startled, Elder Silver Wolf blurted out in horror, "How did you-"
"Heh. Because I was the one who took them."
Qian Chongling put away his smiling expression. An unimaginably terrifying killing intent poured from his seemingly decrepit body as he coldly told Elder Silver Wolf, "You forced respectable women to become your concubines, and slaughtered the families of those who refused! Which of Spirit Hall's ten great tortures would you like to choose, Silver Wolf?"
At those words, everyone in the Elders' Hall was utterly shocked. None of them had imagined that their colleague Silver Wolf could be so despicable.
"Silver Wolf, how dare you act so lawlessly!"
"I'm ashamed to be associated with you!"
"Silver Wolf, you deserve ten thousand deaths!"
The elders and enshrined all condemned him. Those elders who knew Silver Wolf relatively well were particularly furious.
"Hmph! I joined Spirit Hall for power and status. They're only a handful of commoners. Can they possibly compare to a Titled Douluo like me?"
Seeing that his deeds had been exposed, Silver Wolf stopped concealing his true nature. His eyes turned vicious as he snarled, "We're both Titled Douluo. You might not be able to kill me!"
The atmosphere abruptly fell silent. The elders and Titled Douluo exchanged glances, all looking as though they wanted to laugh but were holding it in. They moved aside, clearing a space.
"Come, Mr. Silver Wolf Douluo. Please begin your performance." Qian Chongling laughed outright. He had never expected to encounter such a dim-witted Titled Douluo.
"Silver Wolf Avatar!"
"Ninth soul skill, Silver Wolf Cannon!"
Without much hesitation, Silver Wolf immediately activated his Martial Soul Avatar. Nine soul rings-yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black-rose and fell around him. Judging by his aura, Silver Wolf was roughly at level ninety-one.
After activating his Martial Soul Avatar, Silver Wolf transformed into a half-wolf man with silvery-white fur and sharp canine teeth. His fang-filled mouth opened slightly, gathering air within it before a silvery-white beam of light erupted from his mouth.
The silvery-white beam tore through the air, leaving ripples in its wake. In the blink of an eye, it reached Qian Chongling.
Qian Chongling shook his head slightly and pressed his pale palm against the silvery-white beam. Under Silver Wolf's shocked gaze, his five fingers tightened, crushing it into fragments with a crack.
"He blocked my full-strength attack with one hand. How is that possible...?"
Ignoring Silver Wolf's horror, Qian Chongling took a whip crackling with blue lightning from his soul tool. As he swung it, the lashes fell like raindrops.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The very first lash shattered Silver Wolf's Martial Soul Avatar. As the whip continued to fall, Silver Wolf was beaten until he rolled all over the floor.
Screams echoed through the Elders' Hall. Only when Silver Wolf's cries grew fainter and fainter did Qian Chongling put the whip away.
By then, Silver Wolf was covered in wounds, his flesh a bloody mess, and barely clinging to life.
"Guards, drag him away!" Qian Chongling ordered the temple guards, who had long been waiting, to lock Silver Wolf in prison to await his punishment.
Half an hour later, after the temple guards had cleaned the meeting hall, the meeting resumed. However, Qian Chongling had no desire to waste any more time. "We're all adults here. I don't want to waste words on empty platitudes."
"As I said before, however much profit you can squeeze out of the imperial nobles is a matter of your own ability. I will never interfere!"
"But if you reach your hands toward ordinary commoners or commoner Soul Masters, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Qian Chongling treated commoners and commoner Soul Masters with such favor only because Spirit Hall's foundation consisted of the commoners and Soul Masters who worshipped the Angel God. At its root, all of this was merely a matter of interests!
After all, even a skyscraper towering into the clouds needed a foundation. Without one, it was nothing but a castle in the air, liable to collapse at any moment.
"As for the Soul Hunting Forests, the matter is settled. If any problems arise, I will handle them personally."
"Meeting adjourned!"
"Yes!" the elders answered in unison.
Before you continue