Indeed, everything that had unfolded up to this point had always been within Qian Jue's calculations. Ever since he was captured and woke up, he had been pondering how they could possibly break free from their current predicament.
Yes, both he and Dai Mubai were strong—among their peers, they rarely encountered anyone who could match them. But what of it? Now they were facing a Spirit Ancestor above level 40 and at least a Spirit Emperor above level 60.
If it were only against Fan Hong, the Spirit Ancestor, then perhaps by fighting desperately side by side, he and Dai Mubai might still grasp a sliver of hope. But against Gu Lan, the Protector of this Evil Spirit Master organization, they truly had no chance at all.
And so, Qian Jue had been unable to find a way out.
Until—until he caught sight of Gu Lan's amused expression when Fan Hong moved in to strike. At that very instant, a thought finally sparked in his mind.
Talent! Yes, talent!
What was his greatest strength? Without question, it lay in his unparalleled talent. So long as he was given time, he could trample the vast majority of this world beneath his feet.
And since Gu Lan was a Protector of an Evil Spirit Master organization—well, if there was an organization, then it naturally required new blood. Especially so for Evil Spirit Masters, who could not recruit talent through normal means. Their only way was to cultivate their own from youth, or to abduct gifted children and raise them from an early age. This was the most common way such groups strengthened themselves.
After all, for an already-grown Spirit Master—someone like Fan Hong, already advanced in age—joining an Evil Spirit Master organization would never be for belief, only for benefit. But bonds forged through benefit could never compare with those forged through faith.
Thus, Qian Jue's true aim had never been to rely on his meager strength to escape—that was nothing but wishful thinking. What he really sought was to showcase his and Dai Mubai's talent. Whether they won or lost against Fan Hong was meaningless. What truly mattered was whether they could capture the interest of that Evil Spirit Master named Gu Lan.
And now, it seemed they had succeeded.
"Little one, have you decided yet?" Seeing Qian Jue remain silent, Gu Lan pressed him.
"I don't belong to any power," Qian Jue replied after a pause, rephrasing his identity. "I only arrived in Soto City yesterday. I came here to enroll in a more advanced Spirit Master academy. Mubai is here for the same reason."
He deliberately left out the name of Shrek Academy. In his eyes, the identity of a Spirit Master academy student would be quite palatable to Gu Lan—after all, an academy was merely a school for nurturing talent, not an actual faction. It would not cause too many complications.
Yet Qian Jue still worried. If Flender and the others rushed over later but failed to eliminate Gu Lan, then should this Evil Spirit Master organization truly value the two of them too much, they might dispatch experts to abduct them outright. A single Protector was already at least a Spirit Emperor; if this group truly had a Title Douluo among their ranks, Flender and Zhao Wuji would be powerless to shield Shrek Academy. Such a disaster could spell the academy's end. He had to answer with extreme caution.
"Haha, indeed. At your age, studying at a Spirit Master academy is only natural. Now—show me your martial spirit. I'm very curious what kind of spirit you possess to have achieved all this."
Gu Lan's reaction confirmed Qian Jue's judgment—the academy identity pleased him greatly. Yet his curiosity was piqued even more, and he demanded to see Qian Jue's spirit.
In truth, Gu Lan had already begun suspecting the two from the moment he captured them. By touching their bones, he had gauged their true ages, and when Fan Huan later exposed their Spirit Grandmaster-level strength, Gu Lan's interest deepened. Ten-year-old Spirit Grandmasters were indeed extraordinary talents.
But talent alone was nothing. If one failed to grow, then "genius" was but an empty title. At first, Gu Lan had only intended to absorb the two into his organization. If they refused, he would simply kill them. A dead genius was nothing more than a fool.
Yet what followed shocked him deeply. Two Spirit Grandmasters, working together, had actually defeated Fan Hong, a Spirit Ancestor. That was no small feat. Especially Qian Jue—if he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that a nine-year-old child could accomplish such a thing.
By this point, he had already resolved to bring Qian Jue back to Death Soul City for special cultivation. Whether or not Qian Jue was willing was irrelevant. Such talent would greatly bolster their Sacred City, giving them more confidence in standing against Spirit Hall.
Still, before that, he needed to understand exactly what spirit these two children possessed. That way, he could be prepared.
Upon hearing Gu Lan's words, Qian Jue did not hesitate. He released the concealment of Kindred's Hidden Veil, allowing his Wolf Spirit to manifest for the very first time before anyone other than the Grandmaster and Tang San.
This was long planned. Since his battle with Fan Hong inevitably required the Wolf Spirit, then here, before Evil Spirit Masters, he would simply present the Wolf Spirit as his martial spirit. That was why he had never once displayed his true martial spirit—not even the lamb-mask form of the Sheep Spirit during possession.
"This is my martial spirit—the Qian Jue Wolf Spirit. It's a special type of spirit with two abilities: invisibility and pain amplification. When I first awakened this martial spirit, the people from Spirit Hall told me it was a top-tier spirit. My innate soul power was innate full soul power, level 10."
"So he truly is only a Spirit Grandmaster…"
Fan Hong, who had been silently staunching Fan Huan's bleeding with soul power, finally laid eyes upon the very spirit that had tormented him through the night. After their fight, he had been convinced that Qian Jue could not possibly be just a Spirit Grandmaster. How could someone of that level battle him to such an extent? He had believed that Qian Jue only looked young, but was in truth older, perhaps a Spirit Elder or even a Spirit Ancestor.
Yet now, with his martial spirit revealed—Qian Jue truly was only a Spirit Grandmaster! That someone could achieve such feats with mere Spirit Grandmaster strength was beyond belief.
Bitterly, Fan Hong shook his head. He had lost, and lost utterly convinced.
Gu Lan too stared in shock at the Wolf Spirit hovering in the air—that ghostly wisp of smoke, its pupils glowing with eerie blue flame. But what stunned him most was the second Spirit ring beneath it, gleaming with violet light.
"A thousand-year second ring… You actually absorbed a thousand-year Spirit ring as your second ring?" Gu Lan's eyes shone as though gazing upon a priceless treasure. He stepped closer, excitement brimming to the point of overflowing.
"Child, can you tell me how you managed this?" He clutched Qian Jue's shoulders, his voice quivering with urgency.
"Mm. It's because of my martial spirit—the Qian Jue Wolf Spirit, emissary of death. Spirit beasts slain by my spirit bear no lingering resentment within their rings. Thus, when I absorb a ring, it's far smoother than for most people. That should be why I could absorb a thousand-year ring as my second."
"Emissary of death…" Gu Lan muttered, almost dazed.
Suddenly, he raised his head, eyes blazing. "Child, do you know the name of our organization?"
"Sacred City…?" Qian Jue asked tentatively, recalling what he had heard during exchanges between Fan Hong and Gu Lan.
"No. Our organization is called 'Death Soul City'. The deity we revere is none other than Death itself. And your spirit is an emissary of Death! Tell me—is this not the will of heaven? Child, will you come with me? Will you join Death Soul City? With your talent and your unique martial spirit, you may very well become our next City Lord!"
Qian Jue gazed at the overly-excited Gu Lan, mind racing over how to respond. Refusal was impossible—but nor could he truly join such a place. Compared to even Spirit Hall, Death Soul City was utterly untrustworthy. Spirit Hall might be split between Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu, each scheming against the other, but at least their ultimate goals were clear, and they remained the official Spirit Master organization, overflowing with resources. But to join Death Soul City? To side with a group that preyed upon innocent civilians? That was something Qian Jue could not accept.
"Very well. But may I first make a request?" Qian Jue asked cautiously.
…