Qian Xunling Takes Bibi Dong Along as He Runs Away

"Second Brother, let him go. I want to see what he has to say today," Qian Daoliu shouted.

Give it a rest, you father and son! Do you still want Spirit Hall or not?

Golden Crocodile had grievances he dared not voice. He could only beg Qian Xunling desperately to rein himself in. "Xunling, I'm begging you," he whispered.

"All right, all right." Qian Xunling pushed away Golden Crocodile's huge, salty hand and wiped his face with his sleeve before he recovered. He looked at Qian Daoliu. "If you've got something to say, spit it out. Wait too long, and I won't be able to hold myself back."

Golden Crocodile breathed a long sigh of relief and smiled. Thank goodness, thank goodness.

Qian Daoliu snorted coldly, though he was also reining in his emotions. Only then did he realize he might have hit too hard just now.

But he quickly cast the thought aside. The brat Qian Xunling had brought it on himself. Qian Daoliu said, "The position of Pope cannot remain vacant forever. You and Xunji can both stand on your own now, and I'm old. It's time I divided my authority between you. So I came to ask you, do you want to be-"

"No."

Before Qian Daoliu could finish, Qian Xunling blurted out his answer.

Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile stared at Qian Xunling in surprise.

He had answered so quickly that he couldn't have even thought about it.

"Wait, Xunling, won't you reconsider?" Golden Crocodile glanced at Qian Daoliu, then asked Qian Xunling.

In fact, before they came, the old men of the Worship Hall had already decided that Qian Xunling was better suited to be Pope.

His talent, character, and vision were all far superior to Qian Xunji's.

Qian Xunling looked displeased and waved a hand. "If that's why you called me here, then let me make myself clear: I won't be Pope. I don't want to be."

"Xunling, can you tell us why?" Golden Crocodile asked.

Qian Xunling replied, "I don't like being tied down, and I'm even less willing to stay in one place all the time. I don't like dealing with a mountain of trivial matters every day, either, and I hate that so-called power. Do I need to explain any more?"

Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile both fell silent.

Qian Xunling's answer was unexpected, yet it made sense.

Over the years, they had seen that Qian Xunling loved mountains and rivers and liked to fool around. He really wouldn't enjoy being Pope.

"But Xunling..." Golden Crocodile had more to say.

Qian Xunling raised a hand to stop him first. "There's no need to persuade me anymore, Uncle Golden Crocodile. Besides, my good-for-nothing big brother would actually make a decent Pope. His strength might be a bit lacking, but he's learned to hide his ambition well over the years. That alone is enough for him to be a good Pope.

"And you'll all be around anyway, so what trouble could there be? Once he's done it long enough, he'll naturally know how."

They actually had no way to refute him.

It did make sense.

Qian Daoliu turned around. "All right, you can leave."

Qian Xunling left without another word.

After leaving the Worship Hall's gates, Qian Xunling gritted his teeth and stormed down the mountain. The flowers, grass, and trees he passed were blasted to pieces by lightning.

The guards along the way stood ramrod straight, not daring to look back. Fear gripped them. Who had provoked this second-generation heir again!?

Please, whatever you do, don't stop!

Qian Xunling arrived at the square outside the Pope's Hall.

He saw Bibi Dong, the little figure standing in the center, huddled up and looking around.

Qian Xunling sneered. Bibi Dong, standing in the middle of the square, spotted him too and hurried over. "M-Martial Uncle."

"How long have you been waiting here?" Qian Xunling asked.

"Not long. I only just got here." Bibi Dong lowered her head slightly and asked in a small voice, visibly nervous, "Martial Uncle, Dong'er knows she was wrong. Could you make Dong'er's punishment a little lighter?"

"What makes you think you're in any position to bargain?" Qian Xunling raised his hand, and Bibi Dong covered her forehead, fear on her little face. But instead of knocking her on the head, Qian Xunling grabbed her by the back of her collar and lifted her up.

"Martial Uncle, what are you doing?" Bibi Dong asked, puzzled.

Qian Xunling chuckled. "Little Spider, have you ever been outside Spirit City?"

"Huh? Why do you ask, Martial Uncle?" Bibi Dong continued in a small voice, "Dong'er was sent to Spirit Hall's orphanage when she was very little, so I suppose I haven't."

"Actually, I've never been outside either," Qian Xunling said with a grin.

Bibi Dong was even more surprised. Her purple eyes widened. "How is that possible? Martial Uncle, with your lofty status, can't you go wherever you want?"

Qian Xunling looked indignant. "Right? I'd love to know too. Why are that damned old man and the old geezers in the Worship Hall so dead set against letting me out?"

"But I've figured out why those old fossils won't let me leave. Not that I give a damn. I've swallowed their crap here for so many years, and I've had enough of it."

Nine times out of ten, Qian Daoliu was treating him as the Angel God's successor, which was why he was so determined to keep him safe.

But the old fossil's way of thinking was truly something else. He had actually chosen to imprison him in Spirit City. Then again, his thinking in the original story had been just as peculiar: he had agreed to let Qian Renxue carry out that thankless undercover plan that wasted her youth.

In two words: real genius.

"Martial Uncle, so you're leaving?" Bibi Dong asked.

"Yes." Qian Xunling was somewhat excited. "I've waited a long time for this day."

"But why tell Dong'er?" Bibi Dong asked in confusion.

Qian Xunling grinned. "That's your punishment."

"?"

Before Bibi Dong could fully understand, a scarlet Soul Ring rose from beneath Qian Xunling's feet. He said, "Seventh Soul Skill, Wormhole Jump."

A pitch-black panel, as though it did not belong in this world, appeared before them. Viewed from the side, it seemed as if nothing were there at all, yet it stood before them now.

Qian Xunling carried Bibi Dong into it.

A sneer curled his lips. He looked back and waved a hand, and thunderclouds instantly blanketed the sky over Spirit Hall, thunder rumbling in low growls.

Bibi Dong: "..."

"Off we go." Qian Xunling entered the wormhole.

A few minutes earlier, inside the Worship Hall.

"Big Brother, are you still blaming Xunling for what happened to Sister-in-law? The Big Brother I remember wasn't like this." Golden Crocodile looked earnestly at Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu had been silent for a long time since Qian Xunling left.

Golden Crocodile sighed. "Sister-in-law died giving birth to Xunling. That's a fact, but if she were still alive, she certainly wouldn't want to see you treating him like this, Big Brother."

"Things haven't been easy for Xunling either. Other children have been able to venture out into the world from a young age and enjoy what this continent has to offer.

"But what about Xunling? Ever since he showed extraordinary talent as a child, you've strictly forbidden him from leaving Spirit City and treated him as the Angel God's successor. You could clearly see how much he wanted to go out and see the world."

Qian Daoliu sighed as well. "Enough, Second Brother."

"It's not enough, Big Brother!" It was the first time Golden Crocodile had ever talked back to Qian Daoliu. His chest was still heaving with tension, but he forced himself to suppress it. Qiandao stared at Golden Crocodile in astonishment.

After calming himself, Golden Crocodile said, "And in Spirit City, he still has to put up with cold looks from his own father. No matter how exceptional his talent, he never receives a word of praise. If it were me, I'd be terribly downhearted too.

"Big Brother, after all these years, haven't you seen it? Why does Xunling keep picking fights with Xunji? Isn't it just to get your attention?"

"R-really?" Qian Daoliu began to doubt himself.

Golden Crocodile gritted his teeth. "Xunling didn't even want the position of Pope. He chose to give it to Xunji. Isn't that obvious enough? He wasn't fighting Xunji for the position of Pope at all."

Qian Daoliu clenched his fists. Recalling how he had treated Xunling just now, he felt as if a great chunk had been carved from his already guilt-ridden heart. It hurt terribly.

But just then, Qian Daoliu abruptly straightened, six wings sprouted from his back, and he shot out of the Worship Hall.

Golden Crocodile was startled, but he soon sensed something and rushed after him. The two hovered above Spirit Hall, and Azure Luan Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo also rose into the air.

The thunderclouds overhead boomed, and a bolt of heavenly lightning as thick as a bucket struck down. Qian Daoliu and the others waved their hands to block it, but some of the current still struck the Spirit Hall buildings below them, charring them black.

But they paid it no mind. Instead, they focused all their efforts on sensing Qian Xunling's presence.

Qian Daoliu gazed intently across the continent. "He's gone. Xunling's presence is no longer within a hundred li of Spirit City."

"Could he have been captured?" Demon Subduing Douluo asked.

Light Feather Douluo shook his head. "Impossible. Who could be capable enough to snatch Xunling from right under Big Brother's nose? Xunling could only have disappeared on his own."

Everyone pondered for a moment. Golden Crocodile raised his head. "That's right. Xunling has never shown us the Soul Skill of his Seventh Soul Ring. By rights, the Seventh Soul Ring should be a Martial Soul Avatar, but Xunling's Martial Soul is special. It may very well retain the Soul Beast's original traits."

"I remember that Soul Beast was called the Worm of Space," Azure Luan Douluo said.

"Right." Everyone nodded and looked at Qian Daoliu. Whether they pursued him depended entirely on Big Brother's decision.

After a long silence, Qian Daoliu sighed. "Let him go."