Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
The third elder expressed concern: "Do you think Spirit Hall will retaliate against us? The old sect master is gone, and the current sect master has only been a Titled Douluo for a few years."
Sitting on the sect master's throne, Tang Xiao reassured him: "Don't worry, Third Uncle. I trust Clear Sky's strength. As long as Qian Xunji is alive, Spirit Hall wouldn't dare act shamelessly against our Clear Sky Sect, unless they wish to humiliate themselves even further."
The second elder sighed. "Still, we'll need to aggrieve Xiao Hao for now. Xiao Hao injured Qian Xunji while protecting a soul beast, but in this matter, the Clear Sky Sect isn't in the right. If we bring Xiao Hao back, Spirit Hall will surely seize the opportunity to cause trouble. With Tang Chen missing, we simply don't have the strength to resist them."
Hearing this, even Tang Xiao couldn't help but nod in agreement. His eyes flickered with both pain and hatred—pain for Tang Hao and hatred for Ah Yin. He knew all too well that Tang Hao's hundred-thousand-year spirit ring came from Ah Yin's sacrifice.
"Ah Yin, big brother will train diligently. One day, I will settle this score with Spirit Hall!" Tang Xiao roared in his heart.
"Qian Renhan," the fourth elder suddenly mentioned. The atmosphere among the group grew heavier.
Tang Lie, however, dismissed it with disdain: "Fourth Brother, Qian Renhan only defeated Xiao Hu because Xiao Hu hasn't mastered all the sect's secret techniques yet. Once Xiao Hu and Xiao Long fully grasp our teachings and inherit the Vast Sea Hammer, along with Clear Sky's title, what is Qian Renhan to us?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. As for Qian Renxue, during the young generation's competitions and the meetings of the Upper Three Sects, she had been regarded as an equal threat to Qian Xunji. Now that Qian Xunji had been defeated by Tang Hao, they subconsciously dismissed her as irrelevant.
---
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
Qian Xunji's strength had recovered to that of a Spirit Douluo, and it was expected that he would regain his Titled Douluo status soon enough. Full recovery, however, would take much longer.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong had been acting as the interim Supreme Pontiff for two months. During this time, she had approached Qian Daoliu to request a celestial herb to lay the foundation for Hu Liena. However, Qian Daoliu had brushed her off with a lower-tier herb that barely qualified as extraordinary.
---
*Sword Training*
Qian Renhan was practicing his swordsmanship as usual, this time sparring with Qian Renxue.
"Xiaoxue, your swordsmanship is too impatient. What's troubling you?" Qian Renhan asked calmly. As a skilled swordsman, he could sense the emotions of his opponent during combat.
"Brother, you know about that fox spirit, don't you? That fox is always clinging to that woman, and the woman treats her so well, always smiling at her," Qian Renxue said bitterly, her eyes filled with jealousy.
Whenever Qian Renxue saw Bibi Dong now, she would only receive a strained, forced smile, if any. Most of the time, she got nothing. But Hu Liena always received the most radiant smiles, and Bibi Dong even went so far as to pick her up and lift her high into the air—an act of affection Qian Renxue could only dream of.
Qian Renhan asked indifferently, "Have you met that fox spirit?"
"I saw her yesterday," Qian Renxue replied.
Upon hearing this, Qian Renhan frowned slightly. That wasn't right. According to the original events, Hu Liena and Qian Renxue were never supposed to meet after Qian Renxue's failure and return to Spirit Hall. Was this a butterfly effect caused by his presence? Or perhaps it was because he had thrown the celestial herb to Qian Daoliu?
He thought further—Bibi Dong's repeated trips to the Elder Hall for the celestial herb might have increased her interactions with Qian Renxue, leading to more opportunities for her to act in front of Qian Renxue.
Qian Renhan sheathed his sword and said, "With a restless heart, how can you focus on refining your sword skills? Let's go read some books and calm your mind."
"Alright," Qian Renxue nodded, realizing that her resentment made her unfit for sword practice at the moment.
---
*Spirit City Library, Seventh Floor*
The seventh floor of the Spirit City Library was entirely different from the spacious lower floors, which were filled with bookshelves and seating areas. This floor was much smaller, comparable to an ordinary room in size. Its contents were limited, with most records stored on bamboo slips or silk scrolls, holding extremely important information.
This floor housed the most crucial knowledge accumulated by Spirit Hall over the centuries, such as records about the Dark Devilgod Tiger, a mythical god-level soul beast, and detailed accounts of the Seagod Island war. Even secrets about the innate soul power of the Angel Spirit and the function of the Angelic Armament were once stored here in a delicate box—though it had since been relocated.
The defenses here were incredibly tight. Two Spirit Douluos stood guard at the entrance twenty-four hours a day, ensuring that no one without sufficient status could enter. Trespassers would be executed without hesitation.
Qian Renhan selected a bamboo slip that piqued his interest and leaned against the edge of a bookshelf, quietly reading. Qian Renxue, on the other hand, picked up a book and immersed herself in its pages, calming her restless mind.
Not long after, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room. A little girl with flowing orange hair entered, spinning a golden token around her finger with a look of smug satisfaction. Upon spotting Qian Renxue, already present in the room, her expression froze momentarily.
Qian Renxue raised her head and immediately recognized the newcomer as Hu Liena. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a flash of jealousy appeared in her eyes. Qian Renhan, still leaning against the bookshelf, paid no attention to the newcomer, his gaze firmly fixed on the bamboo slip in his hands.
Hu Liena's focus was entirely on Qian Renxue and did not notice Qian Renhan's figure in the distance. Seeing the jealousy flicker in Qian Renxue's eyes, Hu Liena's lips curled into a smug smile.
"We meet again, Qian Renxue," Hu Liena said, her voice laced with satisfaction as she spun the token between her fingers. Her confidence was unshaken, even in the face of Qian Renxue, the so-called heir to Spirit Hall. After all, her teacher was the Pope—albeit the acting Pope, but still the Pope.
Qian Renxue closed her book and said coldly, "What are you doing here? Your status shouldn't qualify you to enter this place."
"Why I'm here? Didn't you notice the token in my hand? This is the token my teacher gave me to access this area and review materials," Hu Liena replied, her smile unwavering. She raised the token for emphasis, causing the jealousy in Qian Renxue's eyes to deepen.
What Hu Liena failed to notice was that Qian Renhan had quietly closed the bamboo slip he was reading.
Hands on her hips, Hu Liena continued, "Let me tell you, Qian Renxue, don't think that just because you're the heir to Spirit Hall, I'm afraid of you. My teacher is mine alone! I sleep beside her every night, and she even said that my talent will eventually surpass yours. When that day comes, I'll become Spirit Hall's new Holy Maiden!"
"You—!"
Qian Renxue clenched her fists, tempted to teach Hu Liena a lesson, but her principles prevented her from bullying someone younger than herself.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps broke the tense atmosphere. Hu Liena's gaze shifted past Qian Renxue to the approaching figure of Qian Renhan, his expression cold and indifferent.
The sight of him caused a flicker of excitement in Hu Liena's eyes. "White hair, pale skin, crimson pupils—is he really…"
Before Hu Liena could finish her thought or speak his name, the sole of a dusty shoe suddenly loomed large in her vision.
With a resounding "BANG!" Hu Liena was sent flying out of the library's seventh floor.
(End of Chapter)