Xu Tiansheng had reached his breaking point. He watched, paralyzed, as Zhangting bypassed the standard spirit tools and reached for the "Strategic Reserves."
"Stop! That's enough!" Xu barked, but Zhangting had already swiped several Ninth-Rank Fixed-load Soul Tool Cannon Shells.
These were not weapons; they were regional disasters. Strictly controlled by the Federation, they were capable of leveling entire mountain ranges. But Zhangting wasn't just thinking about the Yuanen family; he was thinking about Demon Monarch Wu Jie.
The Master Plan: Harvesting a Monarch
Wu Jie, a creature of pure malice with Limit-level combat power, was more than a threat—he was a resource. Zhangting calculated that if he could annihilate the monarch and his 30,000-strong legion, the Spirit Pagoda could claim the corpse. A Limit-level demonic corpse would provide his great-grandfather, the Battle God Douluo, with the inspiration needed to touch the divine, while the 30,000 souls would fuel decades of spirit research.
To ensure this went smoothly, Zhangting grabbed a "Cloud-Piercing Arrow" radar—a signal device that could summon every Spirit Pagoda branch within a thousand miles. Laden with enough firepower to restart a world war, the nine-year-old boy finally stepped out of the vault, leaving a hollow-eyed Xu Tiansheng behind.
Chapter 32: The Titan's Celebration
The Spirit Pagoda delegation, led by the towering presence of Qian Gu Dongfeng, arrived at the Yuanen family's mountain retreat just as the sun fully crested the horizon. Hidden in the crowd was the silent, unassuming figure of Great-Grandfather Die Ting, acting as the ultimate hidden trump card.
The atmosphere at the residence was unusually festive. This wasn't just a birthday for little Yuanen Yehui; it was a public declaration of acceptance.
The Family Dynamic
The Yuanen Patriarch, Yuanen Zhentian, had finally accepted his daughter-in-law, Ye Hui. Despite her status as a potential Evil Soul Master, her devotion to the family and the birth of a healthy daughter had softened the old Titan's heart.
"Today, you are the Clan Chief, Tiandang," Zhentian said, patting his son's shoulder. "I can finally retire and breathe."
But the peace was short-lived. Zhentian's eyes suddenly sharpened, looking toward the horizon. "Distinguished guests have arrived."
A Fateful Meeting
As the adults retreated into the hall for the endless cycle of political small talk, Zhangting slipped away. He wasn't there for the cake; he was there for the terrain. He paced the perimeter, eyes darting from ridge to ridge, mentally marking locations for his soul-guided cannons.
This ridge for the Ninth-Rank shell... that valley for the suppressive fire...
Suddenly, he felt a soft thump against his thigh. He looked down to see a small girl with fiery red hair and bright, dark eyes. She was chubby-cheeked and adorable, walking with the slightly wobbly gait of a one-year-old who had only recently mastered the earth.
"You bumped into me," the little girl said, puffing out her cheeks. "You have to apologize."
Zhangting squatted down, his cold, calculating eyes softening for a brief moment. "I apologize. I'm sorry."
He reached into his pocket and produced a lollipop—the universal currency of childhood. The girl snatched it and stuffed it into her mouth with practiced speed.
"Big brother, what's your name?"
"Qian Gu Zhangting."
Upon hearing that name, little Yuanen Yehui's eyes lit up like stars. She had heard the name whispered in the halls of her home for months—the boy genius of the Spirit Pagoda, the one her father said would change the world.
She didn't know that the boy standing before her had already mapped out the destruction of a demon army on her front lawn.
1,000-Word Detail Expansion: The Demon Monarch's Looming Shadow
The air in the Yuanen residence felt joyous, but to Zhangting, it felt like the calm before a hurricane. He knew the biology of the Yuanen family better than they knew themselves. Yuanen Yehui's mother, Ye Hui, was a ticking time bomb. As a high-level Soul Douluo, her soul power was reaching a critical mass. When she attempted her breakthrough to become a Title Douluo, the sheer intensity of her "Evil" soul energy would act as a key, tearing open a rift to the Demon Plane.
Zhangting's plan was cold and surgical:
The Bait: Allow the breakthrough to begin, drawing out the Demon Monarch Wu Jie.
The Lockdown: Use the Great-Grandfather to suppress the monarch's spatial retreat.
The Erasure: Trigger the Ninth-Rank Fixed-load shells to vaporize the 30,000-strong legion in a single, instantaneous burst.
By saving the Yuanen family from a disaster they caused, Zhangting wouldn't just be a guest—he would be their savior. He would hold their lives in his hand, and the Titan Giant Ape bloodline would finally be bound to the Spirit Pagoda, and more importantly, to him.
Next Chapter: The Demon Portal Opens — The Battle for the Yuanen Soul.
Expert Guide: Zhangting has the firepower and the manpower. However, if the Ninth-Rank shells go off, the mountain range will be permanently altered. Should he warn the Yuanen family and risk them refusing his "help," or should he keep the cannons secret and let the explosion be a "surprise" consequence of the demon invasion?