**Chapter 118: The Daughter Is Born**
While Gu Ziyi was contemplating how to win over the Elephant Armored Sect, a new development unfolded at the Martial Soul Hall.
It wasn't bad news but rather a joyous occasion.
"Ahhh...!"
"Aaahhh…!"
"Push harder, my lady, push…"
"Ah… it hurts so much…"
"Aaaaaah…"
From inside the room, a woman's cries of labor echoed intermittently.
"Why is it taking so long…?"
"Are they done yet?"
Outside the door, Qian Xunji paced back and forth anxiously.
"Calm down, this is how childbirth works! It's normal."
Qian Daoliu stood outside as well, trying to comfort his son when he saw how nervous he was.
But he knew his reassurances were futile. When Qian Xunji was born, he had been just as anxious.
"Uuuuu~"
Before long, the cries of a newborn baby filled the air.
"Your Holiness, the Pope!"
"Madam has given birth to a daughter. Both mother and child are safe!"
Soon after the baby's cries, the midwife came out of the room holding a baby girl wrapped in cloth.
"Good, very good!"
"Let me hold her. I want to hold her in my arms!"
Qian Xunji was so thrilled that his trembling hands quickly reached out to take his daughter from the midwife.
With golden hair and big, bright eyes, she looked absolutely adorable.
"Father, this is your granddaughter!"
Qian Xunji proudly held his daughter and presented her to his father.
"Well, give me my granddaughter quickly. I want to hold her too!"
Qian Daoliu was equally ecstatic, looking at the little one in his son's arms with immense joy.
"Father, be careful!"
Although Qian Xunji was reluctant to let go of his precious daughter, he carefully passed her into his father's arms.
Qian Daoliu was overjoyed as he held his granddaughter for the first time.
After a moment, he noticed that the newborn already had traces of Soul Power in her body, which excited him even more.
His granddaughter's talent seemed extraordinary!
"Ji'er, have you already chosen a name for my precious granddaughter?"
Qian Daoliu asked his son while happily cradling the baby in his arms.
"Not yet, Father. Please, come and name her!"
Qian Xunji showed great wisdom at that moment, not daring to compete with his father for the right to name his daughter.
"Very well, let's call her Qian Renxue. My precious granddaughter will be named Qian Renxue from now on!"
It was clear that Qian Daoliu had already thought long and hard about the name he wanted to give his granddaughter. He promptly declared the name of the child in his arms.
"Qian Renxue?"
When Qian Xunji heard the name his father had chosen for his daughter, his eyes lit up. He was very pleased with the name, finding it far better than the one he had originally thought of.
...
"Indeed, even though she was born earlier, the teacher's daughter is still named Qian Renxue, just like in the canon!"
Gu Ziyi, who was in Tiandou Temple, soon received news about his teacher's newborn daughter. At the same time, he also learned her name, and to his relief, it was still Qian Renxue.
This was the child of Qian Xunji and Xing Dailu.
Gu Ziyi was delighted with Qian Renxue's early arrival.
He had been concerned that this girl might disappear from existence due to the changes he had made to the storyline involving her older sister.
Gu Ziyi liked how Qian Renxue was portrayed in the anime adaptation.
She wasn't blindly infatuated with Tang San, though her personality was somewhat twisted.
Well... he mostly appreciated her appearance, not so much her personality and actions in the canon.
She had committed acts as dark as killing Xue Qinghe to take his place, but her character still leaned toward righteousness, which allowed Tang San to escape on more than one occasion.
Had she not been so fixated on justice, Tang San would have died long ago in the original work.
Moreover, she spent her time contemplating ways to subdue Tang San.
Did she not realize that Tang San's father was the one who killed her own father?
Qian Renxue, who initially didn't know the truth about her father's death, saw Tang San—the son of her father's murderer—as someone worth winning over.
All her missteps, in reality, stemmed from a lack of guidance.
Qian Daoliu had taught Qian Renxue during her early childhood, but she was sent to the Tiandou Empire at a very young age. Afterward, no one was there to mentor her or guide her through life.
After replacing Xue Qinghe, she learned to be an emperor, focusing primarily on profit and strategy.
To the Emperor of Tiandou, as long as the son of her father's murderer held any value, he could indeed be persuaded to join their side.
"The operation to disguise Qian Renxue—I don't know if it was Qian Xunji or Bibi Dong who gave the order—was an incredibly foolish idea!"
"With Qian Renxue's talent, any decision that delays her cultivation is inappropriate, let alone one that wastes so much of her time as a secret agent!"
"Did they assume her talent was so immense that wasting time posing as the emperor's son wouldn't matter?"
Gu Ziyi wasn't sure who had sent Qian Renxue undercover, but in his view, the decision-maker must have been severely lacking in judgment.
It would make sense if it were Bibi Dong. She didn't want to see her daughter, so it was plausible she wanted to send her away.
Qian Daoliu, aware of Bibi Dong's disdain for Qian Renxue, had simply let it happen. In his view, it was acceptable as long as someone was sent to protect his granddaughter and keep her and Bibi Dong apart.
Thus, Gu Ziyi believed that Bibi Dong was likely the one who made the decision to send Qian Renxue to impersonate the emperor's son.
If Qian Xunji had made that decision, Qian Daoliu would not have approved.
After venting about the poor decisions in the original story, Gu Ziyi decided not to dwell on them any further.
After all, such things were unlikely to happen this time.
He was now looking forward to seeing what kind of person Qian Renxue would grow up to be.
"Bishop Salas, I'd like to request your company for a visit to the Armored Elephant Sect!"
After setting aside the matter of Qian Renxue's birth, Gu Ziyi quickly sought out Salas and expressed his intention to visit the Armored Elephant Sect.
Having gathered current information about the sect, he already had an idea of how to approach the task of winning over the Armored Elephant Sect.
The current leader of the Armored Elephant Sect was not the future Hu Yanzhen but his father, Hu Yanbo.
A Rank 89 Douluo!
Hu Yanbo's situation was very similar to Tang Wei of the Clear Sky Sect—he suffered from old hidden injuries incurred in his earlier years.
The cause of Tang Wei's hidden injuries was unknown, but Hu Yanbo's wounds had been inflicted by Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
Of course, Gu Ziyi didn't plan to heal Hu Yanbo's injuries. He lacked the capability to do so unless he used one of the Immortal Herbs, but it wasn't worth wasting such a treasure on him.
Alternatively, he could use the Purification Curse Talisman on him for an extended period. Some of his own hidden injuries caused by excessive training had been repaired by his second spirit skill.
However, this required prolonged and continuous use of his spirit skill, and Gu Ziyi didn't have that kind of time to spare.
"What are you planning to do at the Armored Elephant Sect, Your Highness the Holy Son?"
"The Armored Elephant Sect doesn't seem to have any beauties, does it?"
Salas was suddenly curious when he heard that Gu Ziyi intended to visit the Armored Elephant Sect.
"I'm on a mission entrusted to me by my teacher; you'll know when the time comes!"
Gu Ziyi looked at Salas speechlessly. This old man could only ever associate his actions with beautiful women.
"So it's an order from His Holiness the Pope. Whatever Your Highness the Holy Son commands, I shall obey!"
Only then did Salas realize his misunderstanding and responded with a flattering smile.
With Salas and Yu Long for protection, Gu Ziyi set off directly for the Armored Elephant Sect.
With these two Douluo present, they were more than capable of ensuring his safety against any attack.
Moreover, the Armored Elephant Sect wouldn't dare harm him unless they wanted their sect to face destruction.
Even if the Armored Elephant Sect went insane and attempted an attack, Gu Ziyi wouldn't fear them.
With the abilities of his Peach Blossom Sword—Falling Petals and the control skill of his Golden Light Sword—his escape capabilities were quite high.
Using his Golden Light Sword's spirit skill, he could also fly on his sword.
Flight-related spirit skills were relatively rare in Douluo Continent. Except for Spirit Masters with naturally flying spirit abilities or those lucky enough to acquire one, only Titled Douluo could fly.
When Gu Ziyi and his party arrived at the Armored Elephant Sect, they were surprised to find the sect leader himself, Hu Yanbo, personally greeting them.
A burly man with silver hair, his face and body were brimming with muscles.
"Your Highness the Holy Son has graced my sect with your presence; it's truly an honor!"
"Your Highness, please come in quickly!"
Hu Yanbo didn't know the purpose of Gu Ziyi's visit but treated him with the utmost respect.
"Master Hu Yanbo, you're too kind. Thank you for your warm reception!"
Gu Ziyi smiled and followed him into the Armored Elephant Sect.
Yu Long and Salas, who were mainly there for Gu Ziyi's protection, remained silent behind him.
Hu Yanbo led the way, introducing the Armored Elephant Sect to Gu Ziyi as they walked.
Gu Ziyi maintained a friendly demeanor, and the two sides engaged in pleasant conversation.
"May I ask the purpose of Your Highness the Holy Son's visit to my sect?"
After ascertaining that Gu Ziyi came with a friendly attitude, Hu Yanbo directly inquired about the reason for his visit.
"Since Master Hu Yanbo has asked, I'll get straight to the point!"
When Hu Yanbo posed the question, Gu Ziyi's expression became serious.
"Your Highness, please speak!"
Hu Yanbo's expression remained unchanged as he calmly invited him to share his thoughts.
"Master Hu Yanbo, I'm here on a mission from my teacher."
Gu Ziyi prefaced his explanation by mentioning that it was Qian Xunji's assignment.
"His Holiness the Pope's mission?"
"Does this mission pertain to our Armored Elephant Sect?"
Hu Yanbo's eyes narrowed slightly, and his heart tightened at the mention of Qian Xunji.
When Gu Ziyi revealed that this was a mission from Qian Xunji, it carried far more weight than if he had come with a personal request.
If it were just Gu Ziyi asking for help, Hu Yanbo could assist where possible or refuse outright if not.
However, with Qian Xunji behind it, any decision to accept or decline had to be carefully considered.
"Yes, my teacher greatly admires the Armored Elephant Sect and hopes to establish some cooperation with your sect!"
Gu Ziyi nodded slightly.
"Oh? What kind of cooperation would that be?"
Hu Yanbo asked cautiously.
"Master Hu Yanbo, you are also aware that our Martial Soul Hall has grown increasingly powerful in recent years, but the number of Soul Masters is somewhat insufficient!"
"Therefore, the teacher hopes to cooperate with the Elephant Armored Sect and expects that our Martial Soul Hall can regularly recruit some Soul Masters from your sect."
"What do you think, Sect Master Hu Yanbo?"
Gu Ziyi said with a smile.
He didn't directly state that this was an attempt to subdue the sect but instead referred to it as cooperation.
Yet, in essence, there wasn't much difference between the two. Regularly recruiting Soul Masters meant asking the Elephant Armored Sect to provide some of their Soul Masters to the Martial Soul Hall on an ongoing basis, right?
"What?"
"Regularly recruit some of our sect's disciples?! Father, this is absolutely impossible!"
Before Hu Yanbo could speak, a strong middle-aged man standing nearby rejected the idea passionately.
"Zhen'er!"
Hu Yanbo glanced at his son, and Hu Yanzhen fell silent.
However, his expression remained resistant, and he glared at Gu Ziyi with a somewhat hostile look.
"Your Highness, the Holy Son, please relay to His Majesty the Pope our gratitude for the respect he has shown to my sect, but our Elephant Armored Sect cannot agree to this type of cooperation!"
Hu Yanbo then turned and spoke in a deep voice to Gu Ziyi.
"That's right! Our Elephant Armored Sect will not agree!"
After hearing his father also reject the proposal, Hu Yanzhen immediately reiterated.
Hearing this, Gu Ziyi couldn't help but glance at him. He genuinely hadn't expected that the Martial Soul Hall's most loyal lapdog from the original work would be so resistant to cooperating with the Hall in the beginning!
"Master Hu Yanbo, don't be too quick to refuse!"
"If your sect cooperates with us, we will certainly not treat you poorly. Can you imagine how much stronger your Elephant Armored Sect could become?"
"Without the support of our Martial Soul Hall, your Elephant Armored Sect will always remain inferior to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Don't you want to surpass the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect one day?"
"Right now, our Martial Soul Hall has researched many interesting things. If the Elephant Armored Sect cooperates with us, we are confident we can help your sect surpass the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect in the future!"
"Both sects are Beast Martial Souls, so why is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect stronger than your sect?"
"Does the Elephant Armored Sect want to continue being trampled underfoot by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect?"
Gu Ziyi knew it was impossible to make them agree with just one statement, so he began discussing the potential benefits of cooperating with the Martial Soul Hall.
"What?"
"Are you speaking the truth?"
"Could your Martial Soul Hall truly help us crush the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect?"
Upon hearing Gu Ziyi's words, Hu Yanzhen was obviously the first to react, impatiently expressing his interest in the proposal.
"Why should we believe what Your Highness, the Holy Son, is saying?"
Although Hu Yanbo was also quite excited upon hearing Gu Ziyi's words, he remained much calmer than his son.
If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect could truly be crushed, cooperating with the Martial Soul Hall wouldn't be out of the question.
If the Martial Soul Hall could destroy the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, then becoming their subordinate might even be worth considering.
It turns out that he won't easily believe the words that Gu Ziyi tells him.
As he knew very well how powerful the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect was, it wouldn't be easy for the Elephant Armored Sect to surpass them.
It was even more impossible to destroy the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. He believed that no matter how powerful the Martial Soul Hall was, they wouldn't dare to do so.
"Only because our Martial Soul Hall is strong enough!"
Gu Ziyi replied proudly.
He definitely won't say anything else now.
For example, many of the things that are currently being researched by the Martial Soul Hall's Research Institute based on the guidance he provided can improve the combat effectiveness of Soul Masters.
"I can only say that your Elephant Armored Sect will definitely not regret it if you decide to cooperate with us!"
Gu Ziyi continued.
After hearing his words, Hu Yanbo suddenly began to ponder.
In his heart, he didn't want to cooperate with the Martial Soul Hall, so what would be the difference between that and taking refuge in the Martial Soul Hall? Only if he could really crush the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect under our feet?
"Your Highness the Holy Son is now at the level of a Soul King, right?"
"Your Highness the Holy Son once managed to defeat Tang Hao, who had the cultivation level of a Soul King during the Soul Master Competition with his Soul Ancestor Level 40 cultivation. This caused a sensation in the Soul Master society!"
"My son Hu Yanzhen is now a Level 65 Soul Emperor!"
"If Your Highness the Holy Son can defeat my son, I will agree to cooperate with the Martial Soul Hall!"
Hu Yanbo watched Gu Ziyi remain silent for a long time and finally made the decision to let him and his son have a fight, to decide their cooperation.
…
(End of chapter)
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