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When a strong presence approached, Qin Xiao felt it too.
He looked over to see a figure in a black robe with a pale, bloodless face, as white as paper. Though the figure was alive, it gave off a dead vibe.
In the whole of the Martial Soul Hall, or even on the entire Soul Land, only Ghost Douluo of the Martial Soul Hall had this not quite ghostly, not quite human appearance.
As Ghost Douluo drew nearer, Qin Xiao joked, "I wonder what wind blew Elder Gui our way?"
"Just happened to be patrolling nearby and saw you. Came over to say hello," Ghost Douluo replied with a smile that was uglier than crying.
Qin Xiao knew he had tried his best.
"Anything happen while I was away these past few days?" he asked.
"Nothing much for the time being, but the two empires and the various powers have been quite busy, taking precautions in advance," Ghost Douluo replied.
"Preparing ahead of time is wise, after all, no one knows what will happen next," Qin Xiao remarked.
"Indeed," Ghost Douluo sighed slightly, "I've lived for decades and never faced such a crisis..."
In fact, not just during his lifetime, but even upon looking through history books, there had been no incident on Soul Land where thousands of Soul Masters had perished.
"We mustn't neglect our defenses," Qin Xiao couldn't help but remind him.
He always had a feeling that Tang San's next offensive would be even fiercer.
"Rest assured, even Title Douluos have joined the patrolling teams in our Martial Soul Hall. Spirit City now only allows Soul Masters to enter. With such rigorous defenses, not even a fly can get in," reassured Gui Douluo.
"That's good to hear," Qin Xiao nodded, then added, "This person is a strong ally I brought with me, we'll enter the city together."
Upon hearing this, Ghost Douluo saluted with folded hands, "Please, go ahead."
In truth, he had noticed the extraordinary man in purple Battle Armor beside Qin Xiao, but no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't recall when such a powerhouse had emerged on Soul Land.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King nodded slightly to Ghost Douluo and proceeded into Spirit City with Qin Xiao.
"Haha, this place is indeed the holy land of Soul Masters. With just a casual sweep of my spiritual sense, I've detected tens of thousands of Soul Masters," exclaimed the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
"I feel that if I could have a good feast here, I might be able to break through my current realm without even going to the Demonic Plane," he said, licking his lips excitedly, his eyes filled with restless desire.
"You dare!"
Qin Xiao's gaze sharpened, his brow furrowed, and with a sidelong glance at the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, he coldly spat out those two words.
"Hiss."
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King shivered immediately, bared his white teeth in a forced smile, and said, "Just kidding. Look, you took it seriously."
Qin Xiao, however, did not give him any pleasant looks.
Because he knew well that while one could change their environment, it was harder to change their nature. The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, used to reigning over the seas, had to be kept in check by someone, or he would turn the heavens upside down.
In silence, Qin Xiao and the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King arrived at the square in front of Pope Hall one after the other.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was stunned by the sight before him—a massive gateway stretching before his eyes.
Behind the gateway lay a dim world with an evil aura rushing towards him.
Could that be the Demonic Plane?
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's heart surged with excitement.
From that point on, there wasn't the slightest doubt in his heart.
"Who goes there!"
Two Temple Knights clad in Golden Armor stretched out their hands to bar Qin Xiao and the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's way.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King frowned. Someone was blocking his path at this moment—how foolish could they be?
However, before he could demonstrate his ferocity, a vigorous and powerful voice from the direction of Pope Hall suddenly called out, "Let them in."
In the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's line of sight, a man in a magnificent golden robe had appeared on the square before the hall, standing in front of the space gateway.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King looked at the figure, his brow furrowing in contemplation.
From the man, he felt a sense of crisis.
In an instant, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was certain; this man was a powerhouse on par with that woman Poseissi.
In contrast, the two Temple Knights, hearing the voice, trembled and promptly cleared the path, declaring aloud, "Please."
While walking, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King transmitted a message to Qin Xiao, "He must be the Great Priest you mentioned, the Level 99 Qiandaoliu, right?"
"Yes, that's him," Qin Xiao confirmed with an almost imperceptible nod. "That's why I told you to restrain yourself in Spirit City."
"Here is not the sea, and your cultivation and strength will be greatly reduced. But it's Qiandaoliu's home turf; his power will be hugely amplified here. You are very likely no match for him, and my advice is not to provoke him if you can avoid it."
"I'm not foolish, nor am I tired of living, so of course I won't provoke him," the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King responded to Qin Xiao before immediately closing his mouth.
After a glance at the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King beside Qin Xiao, Qiandaoliu asked meaningfully, "I didn't expect you to return so soon. Is the matter settled?"
He was obviously referring to Qin Xiao's journey overseas to inherit godhood.
After a moment's thought, Qin Xiao answered somewhat ambiguously, "You could say it's settled."
He wasn't trying to evade Qiandaoliu's question; his situation genuinely wasn't ideal, and the details of what exactly had happened were complicated.
One could not say he had failed to inherit the godhood as it resided within him, and he was able to communicate with it, wielding the power of a God Rank.
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