"Qian, what Soul Beast did your fourth Soul Ring come from?"
Bibi Dong asked atop the ruins.
Unable to hide it and never intending to, Lin Qian laid out the whole story of his hunting trip to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Beyond its standing among the Upper Three Sects, Bibi Dong's impression of this sect was of its two Titled Douluo, Sword and Bone.
Once Lin Qian's cultivation method was promoted, the power of the noble families would inevitably suffer a heavy blow. And now he had made connections with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect...
The plan had taken another great stride forward!
Even the resistance to Spirit Hall unifying the continent would grow smaller and smaller.
Only after chatting a while longer did Lin Qian manage to send Bibi Dong on her way.
He had set up Spiritual Lockdown beforehand, so it had not caused much of a disturbance. The only problem was...
He had nowhere to sleep tonight.
Looking at the ruins of the villa, Lin Qian found himself in a bind.
The Papal Palace.
"Lin Qian invented a cultivation method anyone can practice. Yu Xiaogang... you never would have imagined that, would you!"
Although she very much wanted to send him the cultivation method, she then thought of how he had neither asked after her nor shown any concern for all these years, preferring to hide away in that wretched Nuoding Academy rather than come back to see her.
Her irrepressible resentment made her abandon the idea of giving it away for free.
Now, Bibi Dong very much wanted to see whether Yu Xiaogang would swallow his pride and beg her once he discovered this cultivation method.
Lin Qian, you really are a treasure!
She had never known that the disciple she had picked up so easily could have this wonderful use.
"Soon... very soon..."
Bibi Dong grew more and more eager.
The academy was enormous. When the teachers discovered that Lin Qian's dormitory had been destroyed, they immediately arranged another detached villa for him.
However, Lin Qian did not move in. Instead, he used it as an excuse to play the victim and ran off to Hu Liena's dormitory.
Of course, they did not sleep together. Even if he wanted to, Bibi Dong would not allow it. They merely stayed under the same roof, in separate rooms.
A month later.
On the day the vacation ended, Bibi Dong sent word ordering Lin Qian to go to the Worship Hall.
As mentioned at the beginning, the Worship Hall was Qian Daoliu's territory. Besides the great enshrined elders, it also housed a descendant of the Qian Family, Spirit Hall's future heir.
That was precisely where the problem lay.
The Papal Palace had already appointed Lin Qian as the Saint Son, making him the future successor. Then what did that make the one in the Worship Hall?
This contradiction had arisen with Lin Qian's appearance, and now, at last, it had to be faced!
In front of the Worship Hall.
Beneath the statue of the Six-Winged Angel.
"You're Lin Qian?"
An elegant, aloof woman in court attire stood there, noble and imposing. Clearly, she had been waiting for some time.
Lin Qian asked in return, "You're Qian Renxue?"
"You know me? She told you about me!"
A trace of delighted surprise flitted across Qian Renxue's exquisite face.
Lin Qian knew whom she meant, but deliberately played dumb. "Who's she? And who would she be?"
Ignoring this contrarian line of questioning, Qian Renxue knitted her delicate brows. "You seem to have misunderstood something. Here, I'm the host!"
Lin Qian folded his arms, looking utterly defiant. "I am the Saint Son, and His Holiness the Pope has given her solemn word that I will inherit Spirit Hall. Aren't you the one who's mistaken?"
Something he said struck a nerve. Qian Renxue clenched her teeth. "I challenge you!"
Lin Qian answered without a second thought. "I refuse."
"Why?"
"His Holiness the Pope sent me to the Worship Hall, not to brawl with some little girl. So, if there's nothing else, please step aside."
Qian Renxue retorted, "Little girl? I'm six years older than you! You're the little brat!"
Lin Qian said, "Am I really that popular? Even the Worship Hall's Saintess has gone to the trouble of welcoming me personally~"
"Who's welcoming you? You really have some nerve..."
After all, she had not gone undercover. The current Qian Renxue was thin-skinned, and her shrewdness was nowhere near what it would be in the future. A few words were enough to leave her floundering.
Lin Qian found it a little dull and went around her to enter.
"Stop!" Qian Renxue blocked the entrance and drew her sword. "Since you know I'm the Worship Hall's Saintess, don't even think about stepping through this door today without my permission!"
Lin Qian turned. "Then may I ask, my dear Saintess, what must I do to get through this door?"
Qian Renxue muttered, "Who's your dear..."
After their brief exchange, her impression of this boy had improved slightly. But at the thought of that woman in the Papal Palace, her expression immediately turned cold.
She brandished her longsword. "Enough idle chatter. No matter how honeyed your words or ingratiating your manner, you'll have to get past me today!"
Lin Qian shrugged. "So there's no room for negotiation~"
"Qian Renxue, Martial Soul: Six-Winged Angel. Level fifty-two Power Attack System Battle Soul Master."
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black. Five Soul Rings appeared.
Without waiting for his response, Qian Renxue introduced herself, forcing the battle to begin!
As descendants of the Angel God, every member of the Qian Family possessed the top-tier Martial Soul, the Six-Winged Angel. When Qian Renxue activated Martial Soul Possession and spread the six wings behind her, her sacred appearance closely resembled the Angel Statue at her back.
Lin Qian also noticed that after she activated her Martial Soul, a faint Six-Winged Angel brand appeared between her brows. Her golden eyes were as tranquil as water, making her already pure, striking face even more beautiful.
In terms of sacred bearing alone, even Bibi Dong fell a few degrees short.
"Such a noble air, so holy, just like my Bingbing. I really want to kneel at her feet!"
Tian Meng was practically a worm in Lin Qian's belly, voicing his thoughts perfectly.
But this time, Lin Qian did not agree. Instead, he sealed off his Sea of Consciousness. "No one else gets to lay a finger on my woman. Not even looking is allowed!"
Yes, that was right. From his very first glimpse of Qian Renxue... no, even long before that, he had already had this thought.
He remembered that when Douluo Continent first came out, Qian Renxue had been the first woman Lin Qian liked. Only later, after the animation came out, had he let his principles follow a pretty face and transferred his affections to Bibi Dong.
After all, when it came to tragic lives, Qian Renxue was unquestionably number one.
Her father died young, she lacked a mother's love, her undercover mission failed, her divine status shattered...
Across the whole Douluo Continent, there was simply no one more unfortunate. Compared with all that, what the hell did Bibi Dong's secret chamber even count for!
"You brat, have you stared enough?!"
Qian Renxue had been poised to strike, yet Lin Qian had made no move at all. Instead, he kept staring at her.
She had never met such an annoying man!
And yet, strangely enough, Qian Renxue discovered that she did not dislike this handsome boy looking her over.
Forget it. A few looks won't cost me anything...
No, wait. What did I come here to do today?
Struggling to clear away her distracting thoughts, Qian Renxue raised her sword again. "Fight or leave. Pick one!"
As the only person on the Douluo Continent with level-twenty Innate Soul Power, she believed no one on the entire continent would have higher Soul Power than she did.
Lin Qian is only twelve, and I'm already eighteen. How could I possibly lose?
Once he loses, I'll force Lin Qian to sign a few unequal treaties. Then won't he be mine to order around?
Hmph, that'll teach you to covet my beauty!
Qian Renxue turned into a daydreamer, popping the champagne before the race was over as she imagined the pleasure of having Lin Qian under her thumb.
Faced with this ultimatum, Lin Qian finally came back to his senses. He released the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm from his Sea of Consciousness while activating Martial Soul Possession.
"Lin Qian, level forty-nine All-Round System Battle Soul Master. Martial Soul: my own body. Please instruct me!"
Black, black, black, red!
All four rings erupted at once, shaking heaven and earth!