New An hour ago
The Pope's Hall.
Qian Daoliu stood tall and imposing, clad in radiant golden armor and wielding the Pope's scepter. His shoulder guards bore the shape of six angelic wings, and like Qian Xunji, his long hair was a brilliant golden hue, shimmering in the light. Towering over two meters, his presence was both dignified and divine.
"F-Father…" Qian Xunji greeted somewhat reluctantly. Though he hadn't fully accepted everything yet, after ten days in seclusion adjusting to his new reality, this word—father—still had to be said.
"Jier."
Ji…er…
Qian Xunji's facial muscles twitched slightly. Why had Qian Daoliu given his son such an oddly modern-sounding name, almost a decade ahead of its time?
Surprisingly, Qian Daoliu didn't scold him for failing to report immediately after leaving seclusion. Instead, he spoke warmly: "Jier, don't let my tone from before weigh you down. Though your progress may be subpar among our Angel Clan, with your innate talent, you can still reach level 96 without relying on the divine inheritance. That level already surpasses over 90% of the continent's Title Douluo-level geniuses."
"I understand, Father."
Qian Xunji sighed inwardly. Clearly, Qian Daoliu had misunderstood the fluctuations in soul power from his closed-door training, assuming he had been sulking over the harsh truth he was told before. In truth, the original Qian Xunji probably did take it hard, his extreme reaction likely influenced by Qian Daoliu's words.
With a wave of his hand, two figures suddenly appeared. Both were clad in golden armor and looked nearly identical—twins. One wore a blue headscarf and had a calm, composed air; the other bore a hint of unruliness on his face, though even he stood respectfully in front of Qian Daoliu.
"Qian Jun, Jiang Mo," Qian Daoliu commanded, "escort the young master to the Star Dou Forest to obtain his soul ring."
"At once, Your Holiness," the twins replied in unison.
Qian Jun and Jiang Mo were twin brothers, both currently at Rank 91. Their martial spirit: the Coiling Dragon Rod. In the original story, their formal appearance wouldn't come for another fifty years.
Upon obtaining their ninth soul rings and advancing to Title Douluo, their martial spirits developed a rare domain—one that activated during the use of their ninth soul skills, doubling their effects. Only the most elite martial spirits could unlock such a domain.
Through years of near-perfect teamwork, their strength had already surpassed the sum of its parts. With their top-tier martial spirits and masterful synergy—including a powerful combined soul skill—they could even take on Rank 95 Title Douluo with elite spirits in a head-on battle.
As the sole heir of the Six-Winged Angel lineage, Qian Xunji's protection had to be airtight. If something happened to him, Qian Daoliu would be forced to go back to training a successor from scratch.
At the gates of the Pope's Hall, seven soul rings appeared around Qian Xunji—two yellow, two purple, and three black. Two pairs of wings unfurled from his back.
The moment his martial spirit—the Six-Winged Angel—materialized, Qian Jun, Jiang Mo, and all the palace guards kneeled on one knee. Their eyes were filled with reverence and fanaticism. The Six-Winged Angel wasn't just the inherited martial spirit of the Spirit Hall; it was the core of their faith.
While others fixated on his radiant angelic form, Qian Xunji glanced awkwardly at his seven very average soul rings. He wasn't looking down on them from some protagonist's sense of superiority. It's just that, for someone with a top-tier martial spirit, innate power exceeding level 10, and access to the best cultivation resources, these soul rings were just too… plain.
Even if his fourth ring couldn't be black due to mental strain, couldn't the second one at least have been purple?
He sighed lightly again and took to the skies toward the Star Dou Forest, with the two Douluo close behind.
---
The Star Dou Great Forest.
One of the three most famous soul beast habitats on the Douluo Continent. Its size rivaled that of the Barak Kingdom, stretching across the borders of both the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires—two-fifths in the former, three-fifths in the latter. A vast, primordial woodland, its terrain was treacherous—wetlands, swamps, and more. The deeper one ventured, the stronger the beasts became. Even hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts dwelled there. Any soul master, given enough strength and luck, could find their ideal soul ring in that forest.
Landing at the forest's edge, Qian Xunji, Qian Jun, and Jiang Mo descended.
No one knew how many ten-thousand or even hundred-thousand-year soul beasts lurked within. Beasts that had lived that long were intelligent—some nearly human—and most harbored deep hatred for soul masters. Barring a few exceptions, they all desired to kill humans on sight.
If Qian Xunji flew through the skies radiating the angelic glow of his martial spirit, it would be like lighting a beacon for danger—sure to attract a horde of ten-thousand-year beasts. Even with both Douluo escorting him, they couldn't guarantee his safety in a siege.
"Young master, please wait here," Qian Jun said respectfully, glancing pointedly at his brother. "Jiang Mo, don't get distracted—keep the young master safe."
Jiang Mo waved him off. "I know, big brother. Go and come back quickly."
With that, Qian Jun transformed into a streak of blue light and vanished before their eyes.
Qian Xunji recalled from memory: Qian Jun was likely going to find a soul beast, beat it near death, and toss it back for Qian Xunji to kill—standard procedure for high-status clans. No risk involved. In contrast, ordinary soul master hunting parties risked their lives; many returned with casualties—or not at all.
An hour later, Qian Jun returned, dragging a soul beast over six meters long, barely breathing, its bones crushed, and in an unrecognizable state.
"This soul beast is 65,000 years old," Qian Jun reported. "It's a top-tier species, ideal for your eighth soul ring. Kill it and begin absorption."
Qian Xunji thought for a moment. "Elder Qian Jun, find one that's 75,000 years instead. I want to finish it myself."
"But young master, absorbing a 75,000-year soul ring might be dangerous!" Qian Jun protested. For an eighth ring, 70,000 was near the upper limit—even slightly over could prove fatal. That number had been paid for in countless lives.
"I understand, Elder," Qian Xunji said resolutely. "But I've made up my mind. If, with a divine martial spirit and top-tier cultivation resources, I can't exceed what normal people do—what right do I have to call myself the Spirit Hall's heir?"
If it worked, great. If it didn't, Qian Jun and Jiang Mo could interrupt the absorption process—though his body might be crippled as a result. Still, that wasn't the end of the world. He could live the carefree life of a privileged noble, a second-generation freeloader, producing little angels for the family line. Even Qian Daoliu would probably welcome that outcome.
Seeing his resolve, the two elders had no idea how to convince him otherwise.
Qian Xunji conjured his soul power into a golden holy sword and struck down the beast, hoping it might drop a soul bone.
It wasn't wasteful—far from it. The creature was so mangled by Qian Jun it was beyond healing. Better to maximize its value than let it rot or be eaten by other beasts.
As it died, a pitch-black ring rose from its corpse, swirling with a thick aura of soul beast resentment—and then, a brilliant blue light glowed from its head.
Qian Xunji's, Qian Jun's, and Jiang Mo's eyes all l
it up.
A soul bone! And not just any soul bone—a skull soul bone!
(End of Chapter)
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