```
After a long while,
under Qin Xiao's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing's long lashes trembled twice before she slowly opened her eyes.
Upon seeing the familiar figure before her, Zhu Zhuqing's face lit up with joy, "Your Highness."
Qin Xiao's lips curled into a smile, "You've had a breakthrough in cultivation, haven't you?"
"Yes, yes!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded vigorously, "Your Highness, the Immortal Herbs you bestowed upon me are incredibly powerful. My cultivation level has jumped directly from Level Thirty-Five to level 40, and I feel this still isn't the limit."
In her voice, there was an unmistakable sense of amazement.
She had never imagined that such treasures existed in Soul Land.
"Haha, it's good that your strength has increased. For now, don't think about anything else and just focus on solidifying your cultivation level. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Aquipeia Forest for soul hunting," Qin Xiao said with a chuckle, reaching out to ruffle the girl's hair.
Zhu Zhuqing gently rubbed against the palm of Qin Xiao's hand and asked, "Your Highness, won't you stay the night?"
"Stay the night...."
Remembering the intimacy of the previous night stirred Qin Xiao's heart.
But he shook his head, "As I said just now, you've just had a breakthrough, and right now, you should focus on consolidating your cultivation level and try to refine all the medicinal power to improve your strength as much as possible."
After hearing Qin Xiao's words, Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a moment, then could only reluctantly nod her head, "Alright then..."
...
After leaving Zhu Zhuqing's room,
Qin Xiao felt somewhat restless.
It had to be said, if it weren't for Zhu Zhuqing just having consumed the Immortal Herbs, Qin Xiao really would have taken her on the spot.
Clang-clang.
Qin Xiao felt he kicked something, and a crisp sound came from below his feet.
He looked down and saw a wine bottle?
"Who threw this here?" Qin Xiao asked in surprise.
"It's... me!"
Suddenly, from a clump of grass in the distance, a blurry voice came through.
"That's Liu Erlong..."
From the voice alone, Qin Xiao had already identified the person's identity.
He walked over.
Indeed...
Liu Erlong was lying sprawled out on the ground.
Qin Xiao: "...."
He frowned, "You're drunk?"
Liu Erlong shook her head, "I, Liu Erlong, have never been drunk... I came here to fulfill a promise, do whatever you want..."
After saying that, she turned her head and fell into a deep sleep.
"I've never been so speechless in my entire life...."
Qin Xiao was at a loss for words, am I that frightening? To the extent that she has to numb herself with alcohol?
After some thought,
he decided to carry Liu Erlong back to her room.
No,
more precisely, Qin Xiao dumped Liu Erlong into a bathtub full of water to sober her up properly.
...
The following day,
Early morning,
"Qin Xiao, you've gone too far!"
"Splash!"
Liu Erlong stood up from the bathtub,
anger written all over her face.
She even forgot her fear of Qin Xiao.
"The likes of me personally offer myself to him and he just tosses me into a water tub for the whole night?"
This made Liu Erlong feel like a joke,
And Qin Xiao...
faced with such a beauty, he felt nothing?
He's worse than a beast.
"Early in the morning, after waking up, you should do whatever you need to do. Why the fuss?"
Suddenly, a voice rose from behind Liu Erlong.
"You, when did you come here?"
Surprise and disbelief appeared on Liu Erlong's face.
The person behind her was none other than Qin Xiao himself.
Suddenly, she panicked.
Qin Xiao, annoyed, said, "You're in my room. When do you think I came here?"
"Ah, this...."
Liu Erlong's face immediately turned into an expression of embarrassment.
Yes.
This was Qin Xiao's residence, after all.
It wasn't too out of place for him to show up here.
"I'll, I'll leave now,"
Liu Erlong hurriedly said, stepping out of the pool and heading towards the door, once she figured out the direction.
"Remember, I, Qin Xiao, am not a man who is desperate for women,"
Just as Liu Erlong was about to leave the room, Qin Xiao's voice came from behind her.
Liu Erlong's body stiffened.
After a moment of silence, she said, back facing Qin Xiao, "I will remember that."
Creak,
The door was pushed open then closed.
Qin Xiao remained alone in the room,
He pondered for a while, then made a decision, "First, go to the Icefire Polarized Eyes to bring Ah Yin back, then head to the Aquipeia Forest for soul hunting. After that, I'll set sail for Sea God's Island."
...
Elsewhere,
Martial Soul Hall.
Outside the most exalted Angelic Hall,
a pair of elderly twins who looked quite similar were quietly waiting.
Despite their level 96 cultivation levels and outward calmness, they were constantly exchanging thoughts in secret.
"Brother, do you think the Grand Worshipper will really leave seclusion today? But why haven't we seen any movement despite waiting for so long?"
"Stop worrying. The Grand Worshipper leaves seclusion once every three months, and today marks the end of this period. There won't be any mistake. He's probably just a bit late this time."
"Haha, I can't wait to see Grand Worshipper Qian Daoliu's expression when he finds out about the Young Master's achievements in the Tiandou Empire."
Rumble, rumble,
As the two brothers whispered amongst themselves, the tightly shut doors of the temple began to rumble loudly.
"Qian Jun, greeting the Grand Worshipper!"
"Jiang Mo, greeting the Grand Worshipper!"
The brothers immediately bowed in the direction of the Angelic Hall, their words filled with respect.
Without a doubt, the only person who could command such respect from the siblings in the Martial Soul Hall was Grand Worshipper Qian Daoliu alone.
"You've worked hard,"
At that moment, a middle-aged man with golden hair walked out from the temple.
His face carried a warm smile.
"Not at all."
"At the service of Martial Soul Hall."
The two replied hastily.
"In these three months, has anything significant happened in Soul Land?"
"And is Xue'er still safe?"
Qiandaoliu asked indifferently.
"To answer the Great Priest, the Young Master is still safe and sound, you needn't worry,"
Qianjun Douluo replied promptly.
"However, there indeed have been some major events, and they are related to the Young Master,"
"Oh?"
When Qiandaoliu heard this, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, "Related to Xue'er, what happened?"
"Great Priest, the Emperor of Tiandou Empire, Xue Ye, has passed away. The Young Master has now become the new Emperor Tiandou,"
"What?"
Qiandaoliu's face showed surprise as he listened to Jiangmo Douluo's description.
"How is that possible? Although Xue Ye was frail, living another three to five years wouldn't have been a problem for him. And the situation in Tiandou Empire, while seemingly calm on the surface, is full of undercurrents. Prince Xue Xing is also an ambitious man; I've always felt that he's plotting something. But no matter what he's plotting, he definitely wouldn't willingly let Xue'er become emperor, right?"
Confusion filled Qiandaoliu's voice.
His brows furrowed tightly.
He felt that it was highly illogical.
"Great Priest, you're indeed perceptive,"
Jiangmo Douluo buttered up a little before hurriedly explaining: "Xue Xing indeed harbored wild ambitions and disguised himself as a waste for decades, finally exploding into action and almost taking the Young Master's life."
"Xue Xing!"
"He's asking for death!"
"Where is Xue Xing now? I want to kill him."
Upon hearing these words, Qiandaoliu's face was filled with towering rage.
Boom!
A powerful soul power fluctuation burst forth from Qiandaoliu in an instant.
Like a flash flood.
Thump, thump, thump...
Before this formidable aura, Qianjun and Jiangmo, frail as willows, took steps back.
Only by distancing themselves from the Great Priest could they be safe.
After moving back more than ten meters,
the two managed to stabilize themselves at a distance.
Qianjun Douluo shouted, "Great Priest, please calm down. The Young Master has already averted the crisis, and Xue Xing is dead. Look, isn't the Young Master fine? He has already succeeded to the position of Emperor Tiandou, this is all the best outcome..."
Concern indeed led to chaos... Qiandaoliu belatedly calmed down upon realizing.
At the same time, he was aware of his own impulsiveness.
But Qian Renxue was his raw nerve; anyone who touched her would send Qiandaoliu into a frenzy.
"Phew..."
He sighed deeply before looking at Qian Jun and Jiang Mo, saying, "Tell me exactly what happened."
"Yes!"
The brothers exchanged glances and hurriedly said, "Actually, the Young Master's safe emergence as Emperor Tiandou starts with a young man named Qin Xiao..."
Qin Xiao?
Qiandaoliu frowned slightly upon hearing the name, not recalling such a person in Soul Land from his memory.
However, this time he did not interrupt and listened quietly instead.
Gradually, as more information was spoken, an unavoidable solemnity appeared on Qiandaoliu's face.
After a while,
he couldn't help but exclaim, "A hero emerges from youth, truly a hero emerges from youth."
"In my time, I too was an exceptional prodigy, looking down upon my peers, but in terms of talent, I lag far behind Qin Xiao, by who knows how much."
"I can hardly believe that such a person could appear in Soul Land."
Actually,
Qiandaoliu's evaluation of Qin Xiao was far more than these words in his heart.
A youthful deity!
A divine being in the making!
Qiandaoliu feared unnecessary panic and did not voice these thoughts.
Even according to the records of Martial Soul Hall, not even the Sea God possessed such innate talent.
"Such an extraordinary prodigy, at all costs, he must be recruited into Martial Soul Hall!"
Qiandaoliu had already begun to consider how to persuade him.
"With such a person emerging in Soul Land, the Pope certainly wouldn't choose to ignore him, right?"
"What did she do?"
Qiandaoliu turned to look at Qian Jun and Jiang Mo and asked again.
"Great Priest, Bi Bidong offered Qin Xiao a position as a guest elder of Martial Soul Hall,"
Qianjun Douluo immediately divulged the news he had received.
"A guest elder from the Martial Soul Hall?"
Qiandaoliu furrowed his brows.
"Indeed, actually, even we brothers think that the benefits offered aren't enough to woo Qin Xiao."
"No, this is already the limit."
But Qiandaoliu shook his head.
"The limit?"
Qian Jun and Jiangmo, the two brothers, didn't expect Qiandaoliu to say such a thing.
Was such a monster with boundless potential like Qin Xiao really only worth these benefits?
"Heh, you've misunderstood,"
Qiandaoliu, with keen observation, noticed the expressions on the brothers' faces, cracked a slight smile, "What I mean is, recruiting Qin Xiao as an elder of the Martial Soul Hall is already the maximum authority Bi Bidong can exercise."
"But, I believe that's still not enough, so I plan to up the ante."
So that was it...
Qian Jun and Jiangmo, the two brothers, both suddenly understood.
But then the question arose, what more could be offered as a bargaining chip?
"I wonder, Great Priest, what you are suggesting is...."
"I plan to directly recruit Qin Xiao as a guest elder of the Martial Soul Hall, and moreover, all his actions will be unconstrained by the Martial Soul Hall's rules, and he will also enjoy full protection from the Martial Soul Hall."
Qiandaoliu laid out his thoughts, then turned to the dumbstruck brothers, asking, "What do you think of this proposition?"
"Hiss..."
Upon hearing Qiandaoliu's words, the two brothers simultaneously drew in a breath of cold air.
What did they think?
They thought nothing of it!
"Great Priest, since its founding, the Martial Soul Hall has upheld the rule that only level-96 Titled Douluos can become guest elders."
"But Qin Xiao's strength, after all, has only recently surpassed that of a Titled Douluo...."
What could Qian Jun Douluo do?
He had no choice but to brazenly remonstrate, head-on.
"Indeed, Great Priest, aren't the terms for Qin Xiao too lenient?"
Jiangmo Douluo had yet to voice his full thought, which was that had the Martial Soul Hall become Qin Xiao's personal garden?
Qin Xiao didn't need to answer to the Martial Soul Hall, yet the Martial Soul Hall had to answer to Qin Xiao. What kind of logic was that?
This wasn't like inviting a guest elder to the Martial Soul Hall, it was like inviting a father!
Upon hearing this, Qiandaoliu frowned, "I naturally have my own considerations in this matter. Just remember, rules are inflexible, but people must be adaptable,"
"In my eyes, nothing is absolutely unchangeable, as long as it has enough value to make me willingly pay a sufficient price to break the rules."
"And to me, Qin Xiao is well worth it."
Without a doubt, the young deity with divinity in his future was worth Qiandaoliu going so far.
Qiandaoliu felt that only by offering enough favor when the other party was weak could he gain Qin Xiao's true loyalty to the Martial Soul Hall in the future.
After hearing Qiandaoliu's words, the brothers Qian Jun and Jiangmo also fell silent.
Seeing that the two brothers no longer spoke, Qiandaoliu indifferently asked, "Do you still harbor any doubts now?"
"No, no more."
Almost simultaneously, the two brothers Qian Jun and Jiangmo shook their heads.
They weren't masochistic, there was no need to deliberately defy the Great Priest.
All that needed to be said had been said, now they could just go with the flow.
Qiandaoliu nodded, then continued, "Since there are no issues, I plan to entrust this task to you two."
"I will personally write a letter, which you two will deliver directly to Qin Xiao in Tiandou City."
"The two of us..."
"Together?"
The brothers Qian Jun and Jiangmo feared they had heard wrong.
Qiandaoliu nodded, "Exactly, you two will go together. Only then can we show how much the Martial Soul Hall values him."
For the greater prosperity of the Martial Soul Hall, Qiandaoliu saw no problem with this.
"Alright."
The two brothers Qian Jun and Jiangmo nodded fervently.
Yet in their hearts, there was a surge of sorrow.
Qiandaoliu didn't regard them as people, it was clear that he was using them, level-96 Titled Douluos, as messenger pigeons.
At the same time, the very thought of them, formidable level-96 Titled Douluos, having to bow and scrape before a junior filled them with discomfort.
...
On the other side.
In front of a small cabin in the backyard of the Blue Tyrant Academy,
A look of astonishment passed across Liu Erlong's face: "Old Master Fu, Yu Xiaogang, what are you doing here? And Yu Xiaogang, why haven't you left?"
Flander pointed to Yu Xiaogang, "It's him who decided to wait here for you, claiming he wanted to see you one last time."
With that, his voice grew complicated, "Yet we didn't expect such a wait would last all night."
Waited all night...
Liu Erlong was momentarily stunned.
And at that moment,
Walking laboriously with snow-white hair, Yu Xiaogang, leaning on a walking stick, made his shaky approach to Liu Erlong while speaking, "Er Long, I was wrong. Would you consent to return to my side?"
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT