Meanwhile, at the Worship Hall.
Seeing the frown on Qian Xunji's face, Qian Daoliu couldn't help getting annoyed.
His daughter had grown into such a fine woman, yet every time she came to see him, she gave him a sour look.
He couldn't help blurting out again:
"Why do you always make that face when you see your father? You're already getting on in years, so why haven't you started a family?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Qian Daoliu regretted them.
He had clearly meant to ask about Lin Chuan.
Golden Crocodile Douluo was dumbstruck when he heard that. Hadn't they agreed to talk things over calmly? Why had Qian Daoliu come out breathing fire?
Qian Xunji was clearly getting angry too.
Wasn't it just that she hadn't found a partner?
She handled all of Spirit Hall's affairs diligently.
Was he dismissing her just because she hadn't found a partner and had children?
She said, displeased, "Is that what you wanted to see me about? Then I'm leaving."
Running away was shameful, but it worked best.
All Qian Xunji wanted now was to make a run for it, or she would soon have to endure another lengthy lecture.
But Golden Crocodile Douluo stepped between them to smooth things over. "Great Enshrined, honestly, say a little less."
Hearing Golden Crocodile Douluo's words, Qian Daoliu returned to the subject at hand.
"Why didn't you bring the disciple you took in? Let me have a look at him."
Qian Xunji snorted. "Lord Great Enshrined, taking in a disciple is my business. It wasn't you who took him in."
Qian Daoliu frowned at her retort.
"If you insist on keeping things official, fine."
"Then if you want to make them Holy Son and Holy Daughter in the future, shouldn't you consider their interests?"
Qian Xunji frowned again and said with a half-smile, "If you reject them, it'll just show that you lack discernment."
If he did reject them, so much the better. It would show that her vision had already surpassed her father's.
Golden Crocodile Douluo couldn't help interjecting.
He really didn't want to watch Qian Daoliu keep trading barbs like this, so he said:
"It seems Xunji has a great deal of confidence in her disciples."
Qian Daoliu also gave a fair assessment:
"A year has passed, and we all know what kind of talent Bibi Dong has."
"None of us objects to making her Holy Daughter."
"But if you want to make Lin Chuan Holy Son, he still needs to prove himself further."
After all, although he valued the Angel Martial Soul more highly, a single Angel Martial Soul that wasn't even a Six-Winged Angel still fell somewhat short of Bibi Dong's Twin Martial Souls.
Hearing this, Qian Xunji knew they had already gathered quite a bit of information about Lin Chuan.
After all, her father had spent far longer than she had cultivating his influence in Spirit Hall.
As the previous Pope, he had a stronger power base and greater prestige than she did.
But so what?
Her disciple was even more outstanding.
The three-day deadline had arrived. Now was the time for her, Qian Xunji, to hold her head high!
She then said calmly:
"It seems you still don't know."
"Chuan'er has Twin Martial Souls: a Wishing Angel and a Fallen Angel."
At those words, Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo's expressions changed instantly.
"What? Twin Angel Martial Souls?"
Qian Daoliu in particular could scarcely remain standing.
In the hundreds and thousands of years of Spirit Hall's history, there had never been Twin Angel Martial Souls.
Seen in that light, Lin Chuan's talent was far beyond anything he had imagined.
He had originally thought that, as a healing-type Soul Master, Lin Chuan would likely struggle to shoulder the heavy responsibility of becoming Spirit Hall's future Holy Son.
But now it was clear that Qian Xunji had deliberately kept it from him, wanting to give him, the Great Enshrined, a great shock.
He couldn't help looking at Qian Xunji.
Very good, my daughter. You succeeded.
No wonder she hadn't been willing to bring Lin Chuan to see him. It had clearly all been for this moment.
Qian Daoliu felt a headache coming on. He said:
"These Twin Angel Martial Souls concern the future of our Spirit Hall."
"And you just kept them from me?"
Qian Xunji's eyes shifted, and she said with a touch of girlishness, "But you never asked me."
At that, black lines appeared across Qian Daoliu's forehead.
Still, his attitude softened completely.
After all, everything else had to step aside before this little genius with Twin Angel Martial Souls.
He also understood why Qian Xunji was so confident.
So this was how she had her father wrapped around her finger?
Yet he was even less willing to give up.
With talent like Lin Chuan's, it would actually have been better if his daughter had originally planned to raise him as her future husband.
Wouldn't it be even better if they had a child with twin Wishing Angel and Six-Winged Angel Martial Souls in the future?
Unwilling to give up, he probed:
"Then what do you think about the future of that little fellow Lin Chuan?"
Qian Xunji sensed none of the deeper meaning in his words and instead said:
"Of course I'll raise him to be Holy Son."
"Chuan'er is a good disciple who shows filial respect to his teacher."
Sure enough, Qian Daoliu sighed and said:
"There's no problem with raising him to be Holy Son."
"But whatever other secrets he has, you absolutely mustn't keep them from me."
Qian Xunji had originally wanted to shock the old man in stages, but then she reconsidered, so that Lin Chuan could obtain more cultivation resources.
She laid her cards on the table and stopped pretending. Such an outstanding disciple was hers.
"There's nothing much I'm keeping from you."
"It's just that Chuan'er comprehended a variant of his very first Soul Skill and developed it to conceal his form."
"He also absorbed a Soul Bone and obtained Light Wing Blade, a Soul Bone Skill that surpassed its source and was even stronger than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's."
"And our Chuan'er can also absorb the Power of Faith."
"That Power of Faith can also improve his Soul Power, Soul Bones, and Soul Rings."
"Alas, the price is that his cultivation speed will slow down."
Hearing Qian Xunji's final words and seeing her worried expression,
Qian Daoliu wanted to give her a beating.
This is what you call keeping just a little from me?
If he could absorb the Power of Faith, what did that little drawback matter?
After all, Qian Daoliu had been praised as an unparalleled genius of Spirit Hall since childhood.
And that was indeed the case.
With Innate Level 20 Soul Power, he had cultivated smoothly all the way to level ninety-nine and brought Spirit Hall to a new peak.
But he had never heard of such outrageous talent.
Developing a Soul Skill and obtaining a stronger Soul Bone Skill were one thing.
But what did it mean for a Soul Master to be able to absorb the Power of Faith?
Even with the drawback of a slower cultivation speed, it was still far too outrageous.
He even wondered whether Lin Chuan might be a god reincarnated from the heavens.
Meanwhile, Golden Crocodile Douluo was completely stunned as well.
The information he had obtained was only the tip of the iceberg.
No wonder Qian Xunji placed such importance on that little fellow. He was surely the future of Spirit Hall.
Seeing their shocked expressions, Qian Xunji's smile grew even wider.
She had been waiting for this day.
She had originally wanted to wait a while longer, but her father had insisted on having her come over and show off, so she happily accepted.
Qian Daoliu recovered and said:
"You know about the Clear Sky Sect's proposal for an exchange and sparring, don't you?"
Qian Xunji nodded.
Qian Daoliu said gravely, "Tang Chen will personally lead their group this time."