At the entrance, a maid led a little girl into the hall. The girl had short, light pink hair styled into a neat and pretty fashion. Her skin was fair and tender, and her delicate features resembled a porcelain doll—extremely cute. Her large, round eyes blinked curiously as she took in the grandeur of the Wuhun Hall's architecture.
It was easy to imagine that this little girl would grow up to be a breathtaking beauty.
"Dong'er, come here," said Ning Zhiping, his face beaming with joy at the sight of the girl. To him, she represented the future stability of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for the next hundred years.
"Uncle, who are you? Do you know me?" asked Bibi Dong, standing in place timidly.
Ning Zhiping walked over and gently patted her head. "Yes. From now on, Uncle Qi and I are your family. You're one of us—part of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Moments later, Ning Zhiping took Bibi Dong by the hand. "Your Holiness, I'll take the child now. In three days, the five billion gold soul coins and ownership of the commercial district in Heaven Dou City will be delivered."
Qian Xunji gave a slight nod, watching as Ning Zhiping and Qi Jie left with Bibi Dong.
Once they were gone, the two Temple Guardian Douluo could no longer contain themselves. "Your Holiness, how could you make such a foolish decision?"
"Do you have any idea what it means to hand over a twin martial soul prodigy with innate full soul power? She will at least reach level 95 and become a Titled Douluo. If she manages to overcome the backlash of her twin souls in the future, she might even reach the rank of Second Worship. With the advantages her twin martial souls give her in soul ring compatibility, even a Second Worship might struggle to defeat her. You've just created a formidable enemy for our Spirit Hall!"
The two Douluo sighed heavily. If word of this spread, the entire continent would mock Qian Xunji's foolishness. No one in Spirit Hall would understand or accept it.
Qian Xunji didn't bother to explain—he couldn't. Love-struck behavior existed across the continent, sure, but a princess falling for a clueless beggar? That sort of thing had never once been recorded in history.
"I have my reasons. Time will prove whether I was right."
Outside Jialing Pass, in a luxurious carriage headed for Heaven Dou City, Ning Zhiping had stocked up on snacks, desserts, and toys for Bibi Dong. She was playing gleefully in one of the carriage's compartments.
Coming from the mountains, Bibi Dong was completely illiterate. Her hairstyle had been done by an older sister at the Spirit Hall after her awakening. She had never seen such fun or delicious things in her life.
In another room, Ning Zhiping and Qi Jie were drinking tea and discussing how to raise Bibi Dong.
First was her status. Upon returning to the sect, Ning Zhiping would adopt her as his goddaughter, granting her the status of princess within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She would be treated with utmost care—her cultivation resources maximized, access to rare theoretical texts unrestricted, and her training overseen personally by Titled Douluo Qi Jie.
When she needed soul rings, she'd be escorted into the Star Dou Forest by a high-level team of Soul Douluo, Soul Sages, and Soul Kings. Her safety was absolutely paramount.
Eventually, the conversation turned to Bibi Dong's future marriage.
"Sect Master, Dong'er's talent and beauty are exceptional. With our personal guidance, none of the sect's disciples will be able to match her."
The logic was simple: Those outside the clan are not to be trusted. Ning Zhiping and Qi Jie could not allow her to marry outside—especially not into another major sect or noble clan. Internal matches were necessary. Even civilian-born geniuses posed risks—ambitious ones could try to seize control of the sect from the Ning family.
If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect didn't rely on recruiting powerful outsiders due to its auxiliary martial souls, it would be just like the Clear Sky or Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clans, where only family members reached Titled Douluo rank.
Spirit Hall was similar in a way—if not for the Angel Legacy and the unbroken line of level 99 experts from the Qian family, it might have long since been renamed "Angel Sect."
Ning Zhiping smiled, "I've already thought it through. Dong'er will become the future Sect Master's wife."
"Our Ning family may not be strong in battle, but we excel in strategy. Dong'er's talent is unmatched on the continent. The only way to win her heart is through intellect."
"A good idea," Qi Jie chuckled. "So, have you decided who the next Sect Master candidate will be?"
"I have full trust in you, so I won't hide it," Ning Zhiping said. "Feng Zhi is excellent—gifted and methodical. The business he manages for the sect has been steadily growing."
Qi Jie looked concerned. "Feng Zhi is promising, but he's already engaged."
Ning Zhiping didn't mind. "A capable man can have multiple wives. Dong'er will always be his primary wife. The others will only be concubines."
Back at Spirit Hall's Worship Hall, the walls trembled slightly. A powerful, sacred soul force rippled through the palace.
"Qian Xunji!!"
Qian Daoliu had learned that Qian Xunji had traded away Bibi Dong. The sheer absurdity of such a decision made him furious—he was ready to give Qian Xunji the kind of childhood he clearly missed.
The Guardian Douluo had foreseen Bibi Dong's future accomplishments—how could Qian Daoliu not? It was like selling off the next Golden Crocodile Douluo. Not even someone kicked in the head by a donkey would make such a mistake. He could already picture Tang Chen mocking him for raising such a foolish son.
With a stomp, Qian Daoliu vanished from his chamber and reappeared outside the Worship Hall, where a Guardian Douluo bowed respectfully.
"Where is that disgrace now?" Qian Daoliu asked angrily, abandoning all decorum.
"Your Holiness, His Majesty the Pope has departed for Hanhai City with Elder Yuxiao."
Qian Xunji knew full well that Qian Daoliu would "correct" his upbringing upon return, so he preemptively left for Hanhai City—not only to gather intelligence on Sea God Island but also to buy whale glue.
In this era, soul masters didn't understand the true effects of whale glue. They saw it as a common tonic for men, but Qian Xunji knew better. Its value was no less than the rare herbs grown at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Whale glue had powerful restorative effects. It strengthened the body, muscles, bones, and meridians, enhancing endurance and helping soul masters absorb higher-year soul rings—ultimately boosting their strength.
(End of Chapter)
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