In the high-level arena of Spirit Hall's main hall, where gods fought everywhere, Lor Diarra might have been a roadside nobody, but out in the wider world, with his cultivation as an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, who would not respectfully address him as "Brother Lor"?
After dealing with the small fry, Lor Diarra flashed back to Chen Qianqiu's side.
Usually, this was when he would offer a few perfectly timed words of flattery to claim some credit.
This time, however, Lor Diarra kept his eyes lowered and his thoughts inward, unusually silent.
Call him incompetent, but he really could not tell whether Chen Qianqiu had missed deliberately or by accident.
If he spoke up now and happened to say the wrong thing, wouldn't he be slapping his superior in the face in public?
"Drip, drip..."
Just then, a nauseating, pungent stench of urine spread through the air.
Meng Shan stood alone where he was, yellow liquid running down the bottoms of his trouser legs.
He had pissed himself in fright.
His whole body convulsed violently with fear, yet he still put on a fierce front and warned in a cracking voice:
"D-don't come any closer! I'm a member of the Silves Royal Family! If you kill me, the kingdom will never let you get away with it!"
"I know, I know. You don't need to keep stressing who you are. You're exactly the one I'm beating up."
Chen Qianqiu spoke indifferently. How had he even ended up pissing himself? This was far too comical.
Meng Shan's face immediately alternated between green and white, his expression spectacular.
He swallowed, realizing that threats of authority had no effect whatsoever on the monster before him. His mind turned, and he decided that if force would not work, he would try a softer approach.
"Wait! My lord, what do you want? Gold coins? Or power? As long as you spare me, the Silves Royal Family can give you anything! I can give you countless benefits."
Chen Qianqiu tilted his dragon head slightly, his dark-gold slit pupils watching him quietly, as though he had fallen into thought.
Seeing this, Meng Shan thought the monster had been swayed by his generous terms, and wild joy immediately surged through his heart.
His survival instinct instantly unleashed strength unlike anything he had ever possessed. He spun around abruptly, scrambling and crawling as he tried to escape.
However, he had only taken two steps.
"Buzz."
The sky overhead instantly darkened.
A dragon claw as black as iron descended from above and seized him tightly like a little chick.
"You were trying so hard to prove yourself because you wanted me to know how noble your status was, weren't you?"
"All right, now I believe you."
Chen Qianqiu casually tossed him at Lor Diarra's feet like a piece of trash.
"But now here's the question."
"If I capture you and ask your father directly, wouldn't I get even more?"
"Keep him alive. We might be able to squeeze a hefty haul of benefits out of the Silves Kingdom with this thing."
Lor Diarra nodded in acknowledgment.
When his claw had grabbed Meng Shan's body just now, Chen Qianqiu had accidentally probed the depths of Meng Shan's cultivation.
He would never have known without checking, and the result gave him a fright.
This guy was actually only a Soul Grandmaster in the twenties?!
Just look at this fucked-up world!
Chen Qianqiu was inwardly speechless. In a fantasy world like this, wanting the life of equality everyone had enjoyed in his previous life was clearly rather unrealistic.
But he could accept people like Akainu and Kizaru in One Piece gaining corresponding power and status through their military achievements, their raw strength, or even their talent.
What he absolutely could not accept were disgusting existences like the Celestial Dragons. Your wealth and status came solely from your bloodline. Because of your surname, you stood above everyone else, even if you were useless!
Just because he had been born into the right family and had that thin trace of royal blood flowing through his veins, a worthless Soul Grandmaster who would not amount to a fart outside could openly dictate the lives and deaths of hundreds of Soul Masters struggling to survive, and even wantonly humiliate a sect leader.
What the hell was that?
This inevitably reminded him of Tang San. One saying probably really did have it right: that thing called Tang San truly was feudalism's sharpest warrior, the sternest father to commoner Soul Masters, and the gentlest mother to royalty and empires.
Looking back over Tang San's actions, which one had not reinforced bloodline supremacy and the barriers between classes?
In the Tang Sect he founded, core secrets were forever held only by members of the Tang Clan and the upper ranks. As for the Shrek Academy he championed, that hardly needed mentioning. It was the worst place for forming cliques, yet it would not allow anyone else to form their own. Its double standards were taken to the extreme.
As for the rest, none of it stood up to close scrutiny. He clearly had no connection to Heaven Dou, yet he practically wished to serve it until his dying breath. Xue Ye really ought to kowtow to the entire Clear Sky Sect and Tang Hao. Without them, his throne would have been toppled ages ago.
At least Spirit Hall was willing to spend vast amounts of manpower and resources awakening Martial Souls for people of humble origins across the continent free of charge, giving those at the bottom some hope;
but after Tang San overthrew Spirit Hall? The Douluo Continent became nothing more than a playground where the great empires and top sects played their games.
Class divisions solidified, commoners never had a chance to rise, and later on there were even geniuses selling themselves to save their mothers!
"Forget it."
Chen Qianqiu sighed, gathered his thoughts, and turned to look at the Spirit-Nurturing Sect members on the steps.
At this moment, the Spirit-Nurturing Sect's disciples and Liu Yan had huddled into a ball, their eyes all trembling with shock. What had just happened?
Someone had actually dared to attack a kingdom's prince, and...
Their attention first fell on Lor Diarra. Eight Soul Rings slowly moved beneath his feet.
Eight rings, a Soul Douluo!
Then what was this black dragon's identity?
On a kingdom's border like this, a Soul Emperor was enough to establish a sect, while a Soul Saint would be honored as a distinguished guest by the royal family.
Just what sort of terrifying existence was this black dragon, to command such respect even from a Soul Douluo?!
Looking at the stunned, dumbstruck crowd, Chen Qianqiu wasted no words. His dark-gold slit pupils looked directly at Liu Yan:
"I'll give you one day to consider it. I provide protection and resources; you provide loyalty and ability. Are you willing to join me?"
"There's no need for a day."
Liu Yan drew a deep breath and, without the slightest hesitation, dropped to one knee and swore her loyalty.
She was an exceptionally intelligent woman. With members of the royal family's party dead here, they no longer had any way out.
If they did not find a sufficiently powerful backer, the royal family's army would raze the Spirit-Nurturing Sect to the ground tomorrow.
"The Spirit-Nurturing Sect is willing to follow you directly, my lord."
Chen Qianqiu nodded in satisfaction and left the handover arrangements here to Lor Diarra, while he himself went inside the Spirit-Nurturing Sect to look around.
Seeing this, Liu Yan hurriedly rose and carefully accompanied him a little behind and to his side.
After making a circuit, Chen Qianqiu discovered that although the Spirit-Nurturing Sect's buildings were somewhat shabby, it actually had every facility it ought to have.
In particular, its academy system was quite thoroughly developed, with everything clearly organized, from Martial Soul Theory lessons to positioning drills for support-type Soul Masters.
I can apply this system directly to my own territory.
Chen Qianqiu quietly made his plans. As for how to arrange this sizable group of support-type Soul Masters, he already had an excellent idea in mind. He would work out the details after returning.
Walking along a path covered in fallen leaves, Liu Yan mustered her courage and asked softly:
"My lord, may I ask whether you and that Soul Douluo from earlier are from Spirit Hall?"
Chen Qianqiu's steps paused slightly. He was not surprised that Liu Yan had discovered his identity. After all, Lor Diarra was wearing Spirit Hall's red clerical robes; anyone with a little knowledge could recognize them.
"You could say that."
Hearing this answer, Liu Yan's somewhat worried expression visibly eased and relaxed.
Chen Qianqiu turned his head in some puzzlement.
"What? Have you had dealings with Spirit Hall?"