After a moment of recovery, Chen Qingling pulled herself together again.
"If I don't kill them, they'll plot against me."
"Killing them is eliminating harm for the people and preventing others from suffering the same fate."
With this self-persuasion, Chen Qingling felt much better.
Immediately after, her cultivation realm began to drop, returning to level thirteen Soul Master.
"Ah? Was it only temporary?"
"I thought I could become a Soul Saint in one go."
A twelve-year-old Soul Saint was an incredibly explosive existence on the entire Douluo Continent.
Chen Qingling leaped over the blood pool that was unbearable to look at, and without stopping, she left the dead-end alley, quickly finding an inn to stay in.
After dealing with dinner, Chen Qingling lay directly on the soft bed.
"So soft…"
Although the inn's conditions were not as good as those of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they were still several times better than a thatched hut.
Just then, a screen as large as a television suddenly appeared before Chen Qingling's bed.
"What… what is this?"
"Could it be haunted?"
The next moment, a familiar figure appeared on the screen, and Chen Qingling's eyes widened as she exclaimed.
"Daddy!"
"What… what is this situation?"
"This is just a small trick of Daddy's, not worth mentioning."
"Oh~" Chen Qingling pouted, not surprised.
Her father was truly omnipotent, always able to come up with some new trick.
"Hmph, you bold girl! You dare to run out alone, aren't you truly afraid of encountering danger?"
Chen Qingling made a playful face and said with a giggle, "Qingling is very brave! I crossed the Star Dou Great Forest without encountering a single soul beast and luckily met the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"Daddy, I'll tell you, I have two masters, Chen Xin and Gu Rong, and a close friend, Ning Rongrong!"
"Dangerous… hee hee hee, isn't Daddy here to protect me?"
"What's there to be afraid of."
Listening to Qingling's endless chatter, Chen Shenggge fell silent.
He roughly understood what she was saying, but one point surprised him.
So they were in the Star Dou Great Forest! Even more unexpectedly, Qingling had incredibly good luck, not encountering a single soul beast. Throughout history, only Qingling could achieve this.
Truly his daughter!
Chen Shenggge felt genuinely proud of Qingling.
"Good, good, good!"
"I can protect you for a while, but not forever."
Chen Qingling pouted her small lips, looking wronged. "Oh dear, I know. I'll work hard to get stronger, and then I won't need Daddy to protect me anymore."
"I'll protect Daddy and Mommy instead!"
Chen Shenggge pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly.
"Girl, I know you're eager to find your mother's whereabouts, but it's too difficult for you."
"Daddy, please don't say any more. No matter how difficult, I will find my mother."
"Girl, have you ever considered… your mother has a very significant background, and your strength is too weak to even come into contact with it."
His words completely shut down the conversation.
Chen Qingling looked at him with a wronged expression. Although she wanted to retort, she realized her father's words made a lot of sense.
"Then… what should I do?"
Chen Shenggge thought for a moment.
In fact, he had considered whether to let Qingling follow the original plot, but he had never been able to make up his mind.
There were advantages to following the plot.
But following the plot would also relatively limit Qingling.
Wait!
She could follow the plot, but not entirely!
"Qingling, listen to me. Daddy suggests you go to Nuoding City and join Nuoding Academy as a work-study student."
"Why?"
Chen Shenggge fell silent. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't exactly say it was to follow the plot, could he?
"Uh… that's a place I've been before," Chen Shenggge lied smoothly, his face unblushing.
"Really?!" Chen Qingling's eyes lit up. She was very curious about her father's true self, and she never expected Nuoding City to be a place her father had passed through.
"Okay, Daddy, I'll listen to you. I'll go to Nuoding City and join Nuoding Academy!"
"I want to walk the path Daddy walked and become a strong person like you!"
"At that time, I'll be qualified to search for my mother's whereabouts!"
"As expected of my daughter."
After saying this, Chen Shenggge immediately turned off the celestial screen.
"When did I, a mere Soul Master, become a strong person?"
Puffed up by his daughter's praise, Chen Shenggge's old face flushed.
He had no idea that he had already been imagined by several people as a reclusive powerhouse.
"Alas…"
"Girl, I really didn't want to lie to you, but I can't bear to have you wandering alone. I hope you can understand my good intentions."
Chen Shenggge was truly afraid of losing his only daughter.
The next morning.
Chen Qingling ate breakfast and paid one hundred gold soul coins before leaving the inn.
Standing on the bustling street, she hailed a carriage.
"Where are you going, customer?"
"Nuoding City."
"Nuoding City? That's a very small city, belonging to the Barack Kingdom."
"Please hold on tight, customer."
The coachman didn't ask any further questions and drove the carriage towards Nuoding City.
People who could live in Heaven Dou Imperial City were all very noble, and he, a mere coachman, couldn't afford to offend them.
The journey was arduous and took a full two and a half days to reach their destination, Nuoding City.
"A guest has arrived."
"Thank you." Chen Qingling replied politely, handing ten gold spirit coins to the coachman.
"You've given me too much, guest. I only need one gold spirit coin; I can't accept more."
"Please take it."
Chen Qingling got off the carriage. The coachman had a difficult journey.
The payment for the trip was only one gold spirit coin, and she felt bad.
"Thank you, thank you so much." The coachman was overwhelmed with gratitude. He hadn't expected to get such a generous guest.
He had elders at home and children to feed, and they were always hungry. With these ten gold spirit coins, he could finally improve their lives.
Chen Qingling nodded and walked towards Nuoding City.
Looking at the city, which was half the height of Heaven Dou Imperial City, Chen Qingling realized that not all cities were like Heaven Dou Imperial City.
Entering Nuoding City, she saw many pedestrians on the streets. The vast majority were ordinary people without spirit power; Soul Masters were rarely seen.
Is this where Father started?
"Excuse me, which way is Spirit Hall?" Chen Qingling asked a random passerby.
"Uh… just keep going west, and you'll see Spirit Hall."
"Thank you."
Chen Qingling took small steps towards the entrance of Spirit Hall.
The Spirit Hall in Nuoding City was a massive domed building.
Its front width alone exceeded a hundred meters, and it was twenty meters high, spread across three floors.
The Spirit Hall's emblem on the center of the main entrance was just a long sword.
"Halt, little one. This is Spirit Hall; you can't just barge in." As soon as Chen Qingling arrived at Spirit Hall, she was stopped by the guards at the entrance.
"I am a Soul Master. I wish to have my spirit power level tested."