บท 24: Chapter 24: Qian Xunji – Using Bibi Dong to Lure Zhou Yi?
"Not just getting married again, but he's also accepting another disciple. And this time, it's not someone like Yu Xiaogang but none other than Sword Douluo himself!"
"What? Is that true? A Titled Douluo would acknowledge Zhou Yi as his master?"
"It's absolutely true! My aunt's third uncle's sixth sister-in-law's ninth nephew is in Notting City, and the news has already spread like wildfire there. Everyone knows about it!"
"My goodness, Zhou Lang is incredible! Another marriage, another disciple—he's truly reached the pinnacle of life!"
"I heard that Zhou Yi's new wife, though not well-known, is as beautiful as a celestial goddess, even surpassing Lady Liu in beauty!"
"Hiss! Even more stunning than Lady Liu? Zhou Lang truly has unparalleled fortune!"
"It seems to me that ever since Zhou Yi married Lady Liu, his fortunes have soared! Could it be that Lady Liu really brings great luck to her husband?"
"Of course! On their wedding night, his discarded Iron Sword martial soul transformed into the supreme weapon martial soul, the Divine Dragon Sword. The very next day, he unveiled his 'Theory of Mental Energy.' On the third day, he accepted Yu Xiaogang as his disciple. And now, just a short time later, he's taken Sword Douluo as his disciple and is about to marry another celestial beauty. He's undoubtedly the ultimate winner in life!"
"Confirmed: Lady Liu is indeed a tremendous blessing to her husband!"
"She's a dragon, after all!"
"I heard that Zhou Yi's martial soul transformed because it was imbued with dragon energy and underwent countless trials and tempering, even being refined with dragon blood, before it completed its metamorphosis."
"To think that a peerless powerhouse like Sword Douluo would bow to Zhou Yi as his master… What kind of magic does Zhou Yi possess?"
"Does he have some special talent?"
"I heard a rumor that Zhou Yi's mastery of swordsmanship is divine, and Sword Douluo, being obsessed with the way of the sword, was completely convinced by Zhou Yi's teachings. That's why he took him as his master!"
"No way! Even though Zhou Yi was infamous for creating his own soul skill, the 'Thirteen Deadly Swords,' since childhood, could his swordsmanship truly surpass Sword Douluo's? How is that possible?"
"Believe it or not, I also heard that Zhou Yi struck down a Titled Douluo with a single sword!"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Lies! That's utter nonsense!"
"It's true. I heard that Zhou Yi not only knocked a Titled Douluo away with one strike but also injured him, all through the power of his swordsmanship!"
"Bluffing! You're all exaggerating!"
"Do you even know what a Titled Douluo is?"
"Who doesn't know what a Titled Douluo is? But do you understand Zhou Yi's true prowess? Just wait—this news will soon spread across the continent, and then the truth will come to light!"
The news of Zhou Yi marrying again and taking Sword Douluo Chen Xin as his disciple spread like wildfire, originating from Notting City and sweeping across the continent.
At first, everyone who heard the news dismissed it as unbelievable, thinking it was surely false.
However, as more and more people corroborated the story, the truth slowly sank in.
People transitioned from shock and disbelief to reluctantly accepting this absurd reality.
Of course, many remained skeptical. Some even decided to travel to Notting City to witness Zhou Yi's greatness for themselves and verify whether the rumors were true.
While common folk and average Soul Masters were abuzz with heated discussions, the major powers across the continent received verified intelligence.
Spirit Hall.
In the grand hall, the current Supreme Pontiff, Qian Xunji, read the reports brought by Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and the Holy Maiden, Bibi Dong. His expression remained unreadable for a long time.
When he first saw the report, his immediate reaction was disbelief.
Absurd.
How could someone as proud as Sword Douluo Chen Xin bow to Zhou Yi as his master?
But he knew that neither Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan nor Holy Maiden Bibi Dong would dare to deceive him about such a matter.
Moreover, such a claim would be easily debunked if false, making any attempt to lie meaningless.
Which meant that Sword Douluo Chen Xin truly had acknowledged Zhou Yi as his master.
Qian Xunji continued reading the report.
The intelligence provided by Chrysanthemum Douluo was exceptionally detailed, including the exact dialogue exchanged between Zhou Yi and Chen Xin.
"The sword energy spans thirty thousand miles; a single blade shines cold across nineteen provinces… Sword Deity… The sword is the sword; I am myself… The sword is not the sword; I am not myself…"
"Absolute sincerity to the sword, and the sword will never fail me. To master the sword, one must first master oneself. The merciless sword…"
"To feel deeply is to master the sword deeply… The sentimental sword…"
"Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai… Sharp swords, soft swords, heavy swords, wooden swords… No sword surpasses having no sword…"
"Learning from heaven and earth, I gazed upon Dongting Lake and realized the Overturning Rain Sword. Observing nature, I comprehended the Sword of Nature. Three thousand armored troops are no match; with a single strike, I once defeated an army of a million…"
Qian Xunji's expression grew increasingly solemn, tinged with awe. Although he didn't practice the way of the sword, as a Titled Douluo, he could still sense the extraordinary strength contained within.
This was no baseless boasting.
However, the figures mentioned—Dugu Qiubai and the others—were completely unfamiliar to Qian Xunji.
Given the immense power of the Spirit Hall and its extensive collection of ancient records, the fact that he had never heard of these individuals suggested one thing: they simply did not exist.
In other words, Dugu Qiubai was Zhou Yi.
The Shepherdess was Zhou Yi.
The Heartless Swordsman was Zhou Yi.
The Passionate Swordsman was also Zhou Yi.
All these identities stemmed from Zhou Yi's personal comprehension of swordsmanship.
"I thought I had already overestimated Zhou Yi, but it turns out I was far from understanding his true potential—I still underestimated him!
"Although I knew he had created the soul skill Thirteen Deadly Swords, I didn't realize his mastery of swordsmanship reached such heights or that his foundations were this profound!
"It's no wonder Chen Xin chose to apprentice under him!
"After reaching Rank 95, ascending further isn't merely a matter of accumulating Soul Power—it requires insight and comprehension!
"Chen Xin, a practitioner of the sword, apprenticing under someone as unfathomably skilled in swordsmanship as Zhou Yi, is perfectly reasonable!"
As the Supreme Pontiff of the Spirit Hall and a Titled Douluo himself, Qian Xunji's thoughts swiftly pieced together the reasoning behind Chen Xin's decision to become Zhou Yi's disciple.
"Chen Xin's apprenticeship to Zhou Yi undoubtedly strengthens the bond between him and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. But since Zhou Yi hasn't officially joined the sect, it's not too concerning—for now."
Qian Xunji deliberated silently. While he had harbored the thought of eliminating Zhou Yi before, the current situation no longer justified such actions.
Zhou Yi had never positioned himself as an enemy of the Spirit Hall.
Now, his fame was growing rapidly.
To kill Zhou Yi would deal a severe blow to the Spirit Hall's reputation.
It wasn't worth the trouble.
"Dong'er has a close relationship with Zhou Yi. If I were to marry her to him, perhaps we could draw him into our fold…"
Qian Xunji's mind raced with possibilities.
Of course, Zhou Yi marrying Bibi Dong would require one condition: he must join the Spirit Hall.
Otherwise, it was out of the question.
As the unparalleled genius of the twin martial souls, Bibi Dong could neither leave the Spirit Hall nor marry outside it.
In life, she belonged to the Spirit Hall.
In death, she would serve it as well.
"But there's no need to rush. Let's observe for now."
Though Zhou Yi was a prodigy and had demonstrated immense value, he was, after all, just a Soul Elder.
In this world, strength spoke louder than anything else.
At present, a mere Titled Douluo sent at random could easily crush Zhou Yi.
As such, Qian Xunji didn't place too much weight on him for now.
As for the incident where Chrysanthemum Douluo was sent flying with a single strike, Qian Xunji dismissed it as a moment of carelessness on Chrysanthemum Douluo's part, caught off guard.
Moreover, Chrysanthemum Douluo hadn't been injured—or so it seemed.
In truth, Chrysanthemum Douluo had sustained injuries. The sword intent Zhou Yi had left within him would take at least half a month to completely expel.
But Chrysanthemum Douluo was still a Titled Douluo.
Could he admit to being injured?
Of course not.
Thus, Chrysanthemum Douluo had told no one about the severity of his injuries and had gone to great lengths to conceal them.
Naturally, others assumed Chrysanthemum Douluo remained unharmed.
This misconception, however, proved to be a disaster for those who harbored ill intentions later.
Qian Xunji: Chrysanthemum Guan, you've misled me!
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