After Yin Zhang and Qian Renxue entered the room and closed the door, Qian Renxue spoke first.
"I know you've been planning something big these past few years. You're Grandpa Golden Crocodile's disciple, so you should already know who I am. There's no need for me to explain how I know about your plan."
Yin Zhang nodded slightly. It seemed she had come specifically for this matter—otherwise there would have been no reason for her to seek him out in person.
He replied calmly, "Then what?"
"You didn't come to see me just to chat," he added.
Qian Renxue frowned faintly. "Of course not. I came to ask what you plan to do after you remove that woman and become the new Pope of Spirit Hall."
That's all?
Yin Zhang was genuinely surprised, and his gaze toward her became a little uneasy.
He had originally assumed that after learning of his plan, Qian Renxue would oppose it—or perhaps want the position of Pope for herself—and that she had come to force a compromise or for some other purpose.
"Well?" Qian Renxue asked. "Are you going to tell me or not?"
For Qian Renxue, the position of Pope held little appeal.
The father she respected most and the mother she despised most had both been Popes. Once her undercover mission ended, she would rather stay far away from the vortex of secular power, cultivate quietly, become an Angel God as soon as possible, and transcend the mortal world.
As for what came after—
Once she became an Angel God, she could use divine power to select suitable candidates from among the many families, transforming their martial souls from two-winged or four-winged angels into god-level six-winged angels.
What many people did not know was that Spirit Hall's Qian family was not limited to just Qian Renxue and Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu commanded an Angel Legion, whose members all possessed angel martial souls and all belonged to the Qian family. Spirit Hall had a long history, and the Qian lineage had existed since its founding.
Over time, many branches of the family experienced martial soul degradation, falling from six-winged angels to four-winged or even two-winged angels. Even so, these remained top-tier martial souls, powerful throughout the Douluo Continent.
They lived low-profile lives, and the Angel Legion was always firmly under Qian family control. This was precisely why Qian Daoliu could allow Bibi Dong to hold authority over Spirit Hall—its most elite forces were still in his hands. Even if she built her own power base, she posed no real threat so long as the Angel Legion and Spirit Hall's old supporters stood with him.
Qian Renxue knew that once her undercover life ended, her ascension to godhood was inevitable—it was only a matter of time.
She truly did not care about the position of Pope. Even if Yin Zhang occupied it for life, the papacy would still ultimately return to the Qian family after his abdication.
Seeing no reason to hide his intentions, Yin Zhang spoke plainly.
"My plan is to lead Spirit Hall to destroy both empires and establish a Douluo Continent ruled solely by Spirit Hall. After that, Spirit Hall itself must change—absorbing the systems of the two empires, keeping what works, discarding what doesn't, and building a better Douluo Continent."
Qian Renxue nodded. "Go on. What about the sects?"
Yin Zhang smiled faintly. "Simple. We absorb them all. Only by joining Spirit Hall can their elders hold positions within it—becoming titled elders or even enshrined elders. We'll integrate these sects completely, until our interests are inseparably intertwined. Of course, this is just an initial framework. The details will inevitably evolve."
Qian Renxue looked at him thoughtfully, her phoenix eyes glinting with interest.
After a moment, she nodded and said, "My people have reported that several marshals within the Heaven Dou Empire army seem to have realized something and are harboring ulterior motives. I want you to remain in Heaven Dou City to help me stabilize the situation. Once you return to Spirit Hall and seize the position of Pope, I can also help you take over Heaven Dou and make Spirit Hall formally acknowledge your authority—fully consolidating your status."
She continued, "Xue Ye doesn't have much time left. Most of the nobles in Tiandou City are opportunists. If the city remains stable, I'll arrange for a group of so-called 'rebel troops' to enter and create controlled chaos, using the opportunity to purge nobles who are fiercely loyal to the empire and whose lives are corrupt and depraved. Help as much as you can. After that, we'll do the same in the other kingdoms under Heaven Dou."
Qian Renxue harbored deep disgust—甚至 loathing—toward many of those nobles.
It wasn't that she despised all nobility indiscriminately, but rather that Spirit Hall and the two great empires operated under fundamentally different systems.
Spirit Hall followed meritocracy. As long as a Soul Master was strong and capable, advancement was natural.
The empires, however, relied on inherited status and mutual protection. If your family declined, others propped you up; when theirs declined, you returned the favor. Officials shielded one another. Acting together—even in wrongdoing—became easy. With networks on all sides, even blatant crimes could go unpunished.
And this was not the exception, but the norm—most nobles differed only in how far they went.
Yin Zhang did not refuse. He had originally planned to return immediately, but staying to assist Qian Renxue in stabilizing Tiandou now seemed worthwhile.
"Alright," he said with a slight nod. "I'll help you."
Qian Renxue nodded in return. Before leaving, she paused and looked at him.
"I'm two years older than you. From now on, I'll call you Xiao Zhang. You can call me Sister Xue."
Sister Xue?
Yin Zhang was a little surprised by her sudden familiarity, but he didn't dislike it.
His own teacher still called Qian Daoliu "Big Brother." With the seniors close, it was only natural for the juniors to follow suit.
He nodded. "Alright. Take care, Sister Xue. Come visit anytime."
Qian Renxue froze for a moment, then realized he was being serious. A soft smile appeared on her lips.
"Alright. I'll come when I have time."
Yin Zhang watched her departing figure in silence.
I was just being polite… did you really take it that seriously?
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