"It's just… the Angel God has given a new command."
Qingluan Douluo's expression changed slightly, and he knelt without hesitation.
"What command does the Angel God give?"
"Grand Priest, please deliver the divine oracle."
Grand Priest Qian Daoliu cleared his throat. His deep, magnetic voice echoed solemnly:
"All elders of Spirit Hall, prepare yourselves."
"When the Angel's successor returns, he must challenge every one of you, in turn."
"You are not to hold back. Attack with full strength. Let him experience real tempering—only that way will he develop the wisdom and will of a god."
Then, Qian Daoliu stepped forward and placed his hands gently on Qingluan's forearms, helping him to his feet with a warm smile.
"Qingluan, you know this already."
"I'm often busy, and Golden Crocodile… well, he's not exactly the best at arranging things."
"The day-to-day operations of the Worship Hall are best left to you. I trust you more than anyone."
Qingluan Douluo suddenly felt a headache coming on.
From the moment the divine oracle was announced, he had felt something was off. This didn't concern him directly—why was he the one kneeling to receive it?
Now he understood.
These two old foxes were pushing the dirty work onto him! Compared to them, he still lacked a few tricks.
Qian Daoliu turned serious again.
"A fledgling eagle must learn to soar on its own."
"Xiaofeng is my grandson. I can't bring myself to go all out against him."
"So I'm entrusting this to you. Make sure you fight him with everything you have—temper him in every possible way."
Qingluan's face darkened. He didn't even know how to respond for a moment.
So, because you can't beat up your grandson, I'm the one who has to play the villain?!
Still, he could only respond through gritted teeth:
"Understood!"
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Spirit Hall…
Bibi Dong slumped lazily in the Pope's throne, idly playing with strands of her violet hair. Her expression was full of gloom.
"So… the two of you went after him."
"And didn't manage to kill him?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yueguan's expression changed dramatically. He immediately dropped to his knees and explained:
"Your Majesty, we would never dare to truly kill the Second Young Master!"
"Besides, his strength… is far greater than we imagined!"
A trace of fury flashed across Bibi Dong's face.
"Oh? So I ordered you to kill him, and you didn't—is that treason?"
"And what do you mean by 'stronger than expected'?"
"What—stronger than you, Yueguan?"
"The Angel Spirit counters stealth and illusion. Even at level 70, it can hold its own against Gui Mei's ghost-type spirit. So I'll overlook Gui Mei's failure for now."
"But you—your Chrysanthemum spirit has no excuse."
Yueguan collapsed from one knee to both, wearing an utterly wronged expression.
"Your Majesty, the Second Young Master is truly far stronger than we ever imagined!"
"The moment he struck, I could feel it—his soul power far surpassed mine!"
"I can't say for certain what level he's reached, but… It's not below Rank 97!"
"And with the Angel Spirit… even if Gui Mei and I used our spirit fusion technique, we might not be his match!"
Gui Mei also knelt beside him, clasping his fists in solemn agreement.
Indeed, the Second Young Master's strength was no weaker than what Bibi Dong had ever shown to them.
If they had tried to go all out… they truly might have lost.
Bibi Dong sighed deeply. Her purple eyebrows furrowed again.
If I didn't have to split my focus between the God Trials, I should've dealt with this threat immediately…
That boy had shown signs of dual god inheritance from the very start—he was never simple.
I should have taken the risk and eliminated him back then! He's progressing far too quickly!
Still… it wasn't too late.
"Come, let's go see for ourselves what kind of strength this little brat has!"
On the streets of Heaven Dou City, Qian Renfeng strolled, humming a tune, heading back toward his courtyard.
Although Tang Yuehua hadn't given him the answer he wanted today, eliminating two major threats still left him feeling quite satisfied.
At the very least, most of the potential chaos in this world has already been strangled in the cradle.
Qian Renfeng had no intention of playing out some heroic showdown with Tang San.
If not for the Angel God's restriction, he would've drawn the Shura Demon Sword and hacked them to pieces already!
Vendors lined the streets, hawking food and wares. Qian Renfeng casually grabbed some street snacks and tossed them into his mouth—this was his dinner for the night.
He left behind plenty of gold coins. Each casual purchase covered days of a merchant's earnings.
At the end of the alley, several shadows flashed.
Qian Renfeng's gaze flicked over but paid them no mind. He simply kept walking.
As soon as he turned the corner, the figures behind him picked up speed, trying not to lose him.
But in the blink of an eye, Qian Renfeng suddenly appeared behind them, his tone playful:
"Wow. You underestimated me, huh?"
"Come on, spill it. Who sent you? If you don't talk soon, I might lose interest."
The blue-robed youths exchanged glances.
Even just standing there, this man was unreadable—his presence terrifying.
One of the braver ones swallowed hard and shouted:
"Don't be afraid! We out number him six to one. He's just one guy!"
"We're the same age—what are we scared of?!"
With that, they released their martial spirits.
As expected of those bold enough to talk tough—each had talent to match.
Though they looked only fifteen or sixteen, their soul ring configurations were optimal.
Five of them were Soul Exalts (three rings), and one seemed close to breaking into that level.
In Heaven Dou City, they were considered top-tier prodigies.
Qian Renfeng rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm… blue robes, noble aura, elite youth... Ah, you forgot to take off your Moon Pavilion badges."
His words made all six of them instinctively lower their heads to check their chests—only to find them bare.
Tricked!
Qian Renfeng's smirk deepened. These greenhorns had a long way to go in the world of scheming.
"Alright, since your cover's blown—just tell me why you were following me."
"I'm not in the mood to keep guessing."
The youths, realizing they'd been thoroughly played, flushed with anger.
"Attack! Beat him up!"
Qian Renfeng shook his head at their hotheadedness.
"Typical reckless cubs."
One of the boys summoned a ferocious tiger shadow behind him. His third soul ring flared—and he lunged straight at Qian Renfeng.
But Qian Renfeng didn't even summon his spirit.
He simply raised his right hand and threw a single punch toward the youth's chest.