The news of Qian Gu Zhangting challenging Jing Shaoyu spread throughout Shrek City overnight, even reaching the entire upper echelons of the Federation's Soul Masters.
After all, neither of these two were ordinary Soul Masters. One was the leader of the Shrek Seven Monsters, the dean of Shrek Academy, and the master of the God of Battle Pavilion. The other was one of the four Spirit Transfer Envoys of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda and the young master of the Qian Gu family—both were high-ranking figures of the Federation's top-tier forces.
Most importantly, both had already reached the Titled Douluo realm and were indisputably the leading figures of the Federation's younger generation—one not yet twenty years old, the other not yet thirty. Now, these two were fighting over a woman, making the drama reach its peak.
Whether it was the friends and family of those involved or mere bystanders, anticipation for this duel had skyrocketed. Many rushed to Shrek City overnight, eager to witness the event firsthand.
An hour after Qian Gu Zhangting issued his challenge to Jing Shaoyu, in the office of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda's Tower Master.
Spirit Transfer Douluo Qiangu Dongfeng listened calmly to his grandson's explanation, though the flickering light in his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. Regardless of whether Qian Gu Zhangting's actions were right or wrong, Qiangu Dongfeng held only one stance.
Back then, his father had clashed with the Heaven's Chosen Douluo over a woman. He, in turn, had clashed with Yun Ming over a woman. And now, his grandson was clashing with Yun Ming's disciple—again, over a woman. Truly, the Qian Gu family and Shrek Academy were fated to be at odds!
Qiangu Dongfeng couldn't help but sigh softly, his expression resigned.
"Grandfather, I'm sorry. I acted too impulsively," Qian Gu Zhangting said nervously, noticing Qiangu Dongfeng's expression and immediately admitting fault.
"No, you're not wrong!" Qiangu Dongfeng frowned and said sternly, "Zhangting, remember this—as the future head of the Qian Gu family, you must never admit fault lightly. Even if your decision is ill-timed, it is never a mistake!
Just like now—raging for a beauty may be reckless, but it still embodies the spirit of a Qian Gu man! That is good!
I only ask you one question: Are you confident you can defeat that Jing Shaoyu?"
"Of course I am!" Qian Gu Zhangting's nervousness transformed into confidence as he declared firmly, "Grandfather, Jing Shaoyu is ten years younger than me. At most, he's a Soul Douluo, while I'm already a Titled Douluo. Defeating him will be a piece of cake!"
At first, Qiangu Dongfeng was pleased by his grandson's confidence. But as he listened further, his smile froze, and he erupted in fury. "Fool! You dare issue a challenge without even understanding your opponent's strength? Utterly stupid! How can I entrust the family to you like this?!"
Qian Gu Zhangting was stunned, staring blankly at his grandfather's outburst. What was going on? A second ago, he was being praised—why was he now being called an idiot?
"I thought your challenge to Jing Shaoyu was a carefully considered decision," Qiangu Dongfeng said, slumping into his chair with exasperation as he observed Qian Gu Zhangting's reaction. "I never imagined you were truly blinded by rage!
Tell me, how much do you actually know about that Jing Shaoyu?"
"I know he's the disciple of Skyreach Douluo Yun Ming, the current dean of Shrek Academy, the master of the God of Battle Pavilion, and the leader of the Shrek Seven Monsters. A year ago, he was at the Soul Saint level," Qian Gu Zhangting immediately straightened up and obediently listed what he knew. "Oh, and he was once Aunt Leng's disciple too."
"So, your knowledge of him is still stuck a year behind?" Qiangu Dongfeng laughed, though his amusement was laced with resignation. "Then what exactly were you doing all day today?"
"I... I saw Nana go out, so I followed her, but lost track of her. Then I spent the day searching for her in the city," Qian Gu Zhangting muttered, clearly aware of how foolish his actions had been. He kept his head lowered the entire time, not daring to meet his grandfather's gaze.
Qiangu Dongfeng was at a loss for words. Staring at his twenty-nine-year-old grandson, whose temperament was still as childish as a boy's, he couldn't help but question his own educational philosophy over the years. Had he truly sheltered Zhangting too much?
"Jing Shaoyu is now at the same level as you—a Titled Douluo at rank 91!" Qiangu Dongfeng revealed the news he had learned that morning, his expression tinged with helplessness.
"What?!" Qian Gu Zhangting was stunned, his eyes widening as he stared at his grandfather. "How is that possible? How could anyone go from Soul Saint to Titled Douluo in just a year? Grandfather, how is that possible?"
"This is a fact verified by both Shrek Academy and the War God Hall." Qiangu Dongfeng understood his grandson's shock—he had reacted the same way when he first heard the news, if not more intensely.
Because he couldn't bear the thought of Shrek Academy producing yet another prodigious talent, much less one who had once belonged to their Spirit Transfer Pagoda! His resentment toward Yun Ming reached unprecedented heights, and he even felt a twinge of blame toward Leng Yaozhu.
If Leng Yaozhu hadn't sent Jing Shaoyu to Shrek Academy, such a genius would have been theirs—belonging to the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, to their Qiangu family!
"Grandfather, so what if he's a Titled Douluo too?" Qian Gu Zhangting, after all, was no ordinary person. He quickly regained his composure, his confidence unwavering as he declared, "When I was a Soul Douluo, I was unmatched among my peers. As a Titled Douluo, I will be just the same! Grandfather, don't worry!"
"Good! That's my grandson!" Qiangu Dongfeng was pleased to see Qian Gu Zhangting remain steady despite his earlier misjudgment. He stood and walked over, patting his shoulder. "Still, to ensure absolute certainty, I'll spar with you tonight and teach you the final three forms of our Qiangu family's Unyielding Staff Art!"
"Yes, Grandfather!" Qian Gu Zhangting's eyes lit up with excitement as he eagerly responded.
At the same time, in Leng Yaozhu's office at the Spirit Transfer Pagoda headquarters...
Leng Yaozhu leaned back in her chair, her bright eyes fixed on Gu Yue, who sat across from her. She remained silent, her expression distant and lost in thought.
"Speak quickly if you have something to say. Otherwise, I'm leaving." Gu Yue grew impatient under Leng Yaozhu's gaze and pursed her lips as she spoke.
"Tsk!" Leng Yaozhu finally spoke, clicking her tongue lightly with a teasing expression. "From now on, my title as the continent's most beautiful woman will likely have to step down for someone more worthy. After all, I've never incited the heirs of two major factions to fight over me, hehehe!"
"Did you call me here just to mock me?" Gu Yue was already irritated by Jing Shaoyu accepting Qian Gu Zhangting's challenge. Now, hearing Leng Yaozhu's ostensibly lamenting but implicitly sarcastic words, her mood soured further. "Is that all?" she said coldly.
"How could that be?" Leng Yaozhu chuckled. "You're my disciple. I'm counting on you to break the Qiangu family's monopoly and become the next master of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda. Actually, this situation works in your favor. At the very least, the Qiangu family will think twice before trying to recruit or suppress you. And if Qian Gu Zhangting loses to A Yuan, the position of the next Pagoda Master will undoubtedly be yours."
"Are you so certain?" Gu Yue's expression softened slightly at these words. In truth, Qian Gu Zhangting's actions had disrupted her plans, forcing her to adapt—hence her frustration. But Leng Yaozhu's words now presented another possibility.
"The Qiangu family has maintained control over the Pagoda Master position for centuries primarily because they produce top-tier powerhouses in every generation—from the previous generation's Qiangu Dieting, to this generation's Qiangu Dongfeng and Qiangu Qingfeng, and now the rising star of the next generation, Qian Gu Zhangting," Leng Yaozhu said softly, her gaze profound.
"The Qiangu family's upward trajectory, combined with the efforts of Qiangu Dieting and Qiangu Dongfeng, has kept everyone silent about their father-to-son succession. Now, with Qiangu Dongfeng clearly grooming his grandson, Qian Gu Zhangting's talent—reaching Titled Douluo at just twenty-nine—makes it easy to overlook their nepotism.
But if Qian Gu Zhangting loses to A Yuan, people will have grounds to oppose Qiangu Dongfeng's actions. At the very least, Qian Gu Zhangting won't be able to become the next Pagoda Master. At that point, you—someone of A Yuan's age and comparable talent—will become the focal point in the struggle against the Qiangu family.
All you'll need to do then is..."
"All I'll need to do is demonstrate my determination to claim the Pagoda Master position, and people will naturally rally behind me. Even the Qiangu family might try to recruit me. Right?" Gu Yue's eyes brightened as she spoke.
"Exactly!" Leng Yaozhu nodded in satisfaction. "The faction opposing the Qiangu family needs a strong banner to unite under—and you can be that banner."
"I understand!" Gu Yue said immediately, her face thoughtful.
Seeing this, Leng Yaozhu said nothing more. Gu Yue was clever; she knew what to do.
And indeed, Gu Yue was clever. While Leng Yaozhu assumed she was weighing the pros and cons of becoming the banner, she was actually considering how to leverage the opposition's support to become Pagoda Master—and then use the Qiangu family's power to crush the opposition.
Neither the Qiangu family nor their opponents realized Gu Yue's goal was never to side with either faction. What she wanted was to eliminate both at once!
At the same time, within Shrek Academy, the Elders led by Ya Li were also surprised upon hearing about the arranged battle between Jing Shaoyu and Qian Gu Zhangting. They summoned Jing Shaoyu to understand the full situation and share their opinions.
"Shaoyu, Qian Gu Zhangting is Qiangu Dongfeng's most beloved grandson and the most outstanding descendant of the Qiangu family in this generation," Ya Li said with concern. "So it would be best if you spare his life to avoid an irreconcilable conflict with the Qiangu family."
"Spare him? In my opinion, just slap him to death!" Long Yeyue said irritably. "I've long disliked the Qiangu family. They've repeatedly provoked us—it's high time they were taught a lesson!"
Everyone present couldn't help but smile knowingly at Long Yeyue's words, as this old lady was truly capable of such actions. In her youth, she had once stormed into the Spirit Transfer Pagoda headquarters alone to slap Qiangu Dieting. Now that she was older, she was even more fearless.
"Long Lao, let's not go that far," Zang Xin, the Titled Douluo of Love, said with a laugh.
The Tang Sect had decided to open its secret realm to the Shrek Seven Monsters, and Zang Xin had come to inform Jing Shaoyu and the other five. Coincidentally, he encountered this matter and was thus invited by Ya Li to discuss countermeasures together.
"Shaoyu, how much do you know about Qian Gu Zhangting?" Cai Yue'er inquired. Although none of them believed Jing Shaoyu would lose to Qian Gu Zhangting, as the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry—despise the enemy strategically but take them seriously tactically.
"To be honest, I've never paid attention to this person before," Jing Shaoyu said helplessly, waving his hand. "I've only met him three times, and the first time was six or seven years ago."
"Hmm." Ya Li nodded. "No worries. The academy has his records, and we've prepared them for you. Here, take a look first."
Ya Li handed over the prepared documents to Jing Shaoyu.
Jing Shaoyu took the materials and began studying them intently.
As the young master of the Qiangu family, Qian Gu Zhangting's Martial Soul was, of course, the family's hereditary Martial Soul—the Coiling Dragon Staff.
The Qiangu family was a long-standing Soul Master lineage, tracing its origins back to the era of the Martial Soul Hall. Two of the Martial Soul Hall's elders during its decline 20,000 years ago—the Qianjun Douluo and the Fumo Douluo—were distant ancestors of the Qiangu family. Whether they were the family's founders, however, remains uncertain.
Of course, this wasn't the main point. The key was that the Qiangu family had produced outstanding talents across generations, with almost every generation boasting Titled Douluo-level experts. In recent generations, they had soared even higher, producing two Limit Douluo in succession and even securing the position of Spirit Transfer Pagoda's master. This directly elevated the Qiangu family to one of the top Soul Master families on the Douluo Continent, with hardly any others comparable.
The foundation of a Soul Master family lies in its Martial Soul. The Qiangu family's Coiling Dragon Staff was renowned as a top-tier Weapon Soul.
Legend has it that the ancestral Martial Soul of the Qiangu family was originally just an ordinary long staff. By chance, their ancestor encountered a dying dragon. To prolong its life, the dragon formed a contract with the Qiangu ancestor, merging its Dragon Soul with the ancestor's Martial Soul. This transformed the Qiangu ancestor's Martial Soul from a simple staff into the top-tier Weapon Soul—the Coiling Dragon Staff.
From then on, the Qiangu family's Martial Soul became the Coiling Dragon Staff.
This story was, of course, fabricated by the Qiangu family to better control the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, with extremely low credibility. However, the Dragon Soul mentioned within it was indeed real.
When a Coiling Dragon Staff Soul Master reaches the Soul Venerable level, a Dragon Soul will accompany them in battle. Upon reaching the Titled Douluo level, the Dragon Soul will even transform into a True Dragon, assisting the Coiling Dragon Staff Soul Master in combat. Therefore, Soul Masters of the Qiangu family often undergo two awakenings—one for their Martial Soul and another for their Dragon Soul.
What determines the talent of a Qiangu family Soul Master is not their Martial Soul but their Dragon Soul. This is because the Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul is inherently born with full Soul Power. As long as they cultivate step by step, reaching the Titled Douluo level is only a matter of time.
However, if one wishes to advance further, it depends on the strength of their Dragon Soul.
Qian Gu Zhangting's Dragon Soul is the Evil-Breaking Dragon, also known as the Heaven-Awakened Sacred Golden Dragon—the highest-tier Dragon Soul. It is the same as those of his grandfather Qiangu Dongfeng and great-grandfather Qiangu Dieting. This means that as long as he doesn't die prematurely, he will at the very least reach level 99 in the future. This is also why the people of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda tacitly acknowledge him as the heir to the position of Pagoda Master.
"Shaoyu, there's nothing particularly noteworthy about the Qiangu family. The only thing worth paying attention to is their ancestral staff technique," Long Yeyue said. "The nine major forms of the Unyielding Staff Art were refined over dozens of generations by the Qiangu family. It maximizes the advantages of their Martial Soul.
However, this staff technique is extremely profound. Even that old fool Qiangu Dieting and Qiangu Dongfeng failed to master the ninth form. This Qian Gu Zhangting is probably still stuck on the fifth form. Tomorrow, during the Soul Duel, use your teacher's Seven Forms of Sky Piercing to beat him up. Show them who truly reigns supreme among long-handled Weapon Souls!"
"Understood." Jing Shaoyu nodded in acknowledgment upon hearing this.
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