Qian Daoliu froze, catching her expression. His stern old eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but he chose not to rebuke her. Instead, he coughed again—
"Cough, cough, cough…"—pretending it was nothing but his age showing.
Qian Daoliu cleared his throat and pressed on, forcing himself back into the role of a teacher.
"Her control over sea was unparalleled. With a single thought, she could summon tidal waves that could drown entire fleets. Her divine martial soul, Poseidon, blessed her with abilities to manipulate the ebb and flow of tides, the pressure of the deep sea, and even the very will of the ocean."
His eyes flickered again, dimmed by the weight of memory.
"That woman… Bo Saixi was beautiful in every sense of the word. To us, she was untouchable.. Tang Chen and I… we were nothing more than foolish men chasing after a star we could never reach."
The atmosphere grew quiet. For a brief moment,
Then Qian Renxue tilted her head, and said,
"So, Grandfather… you lost to Tang Chen in love and in battle? That's… pitiful."
Qian Daoliu's lips twitched violently. He glared at her, his dignity as an elder nearly crumbling before his granddaughter's merciless tongue.
"You little brat!" he growled, but there was no real anger in his tone, only exasperation and the faint helplessness of someone who could not win against her sharp wit.
Renxue only giggled softly, satisfied.
---
Qian Renxue sighed softly. She had teased her grandfather enough for today. If she pushed him further, he might shut his mouth entirely and right now, information was more valuable than her little amusements. She folded her hands and said gently,
"Grandfather, I think you forgot to mention someone… Ren Xuan."
Qian Daoliu's aged eyes narrowed slightly, then curved into a small, knowing smile.
"I did not forget about him, Renxue. I kept his story for last."
Qian Renxue's lips pursed. If her grandfather had deliberately left this man for last, it meant either he had more to say, or… he himself was uncertain of the truth. Her purple eyes sharpened, ears perking up as if she were a hunter stalking prey.
But the first words that came out of Qian Daoliu's mouth puzzled her deeply.
"I don't know where he came from."
Qian Renxue blinked, stunned. For someone like Qian Daoliu, who had lived nearly a century at the peak of the Douluo Continent, to say he did not know was almost inconceivable.
Seeing the doubt flash across her face, Qian Daoliu's expression hardened, voice solemn.
"Yes. I truly do not know. After my duel with Tang Chen in front of Bo Saixi had ended, this man appeared suddenly."
Qian Daoliu's tone grew heavy with memory.
"He looked old, older than Tang Chen and I at that time, with sharp eyes and a hooked nose. In all my years, even after I became a Peerless Douluo, never had I heard of such a man."
His hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.
"Ren Xuan declared that he too wanted to pursue Bo Saixi, and demanded to join the duel. Hot-blooded as always, Tang Chen agreed instantly."
Qian Renxue's eyes flickered with cold amusement.
'Of course Tang Chen would. A battle maniac like him would never refuse… and you, Grandfather, probably didn't dare say no either.'
Qian Daoliu continued, his voice low.
"When Ren Xuan released his martial soul, he called it the Xuan Yuan Sword. But… contrary to its grand name, I did not feel the same crushing pressure that came from the Clear Sky Hammer or my Seraphim. To my eyes, it was inferior, perhaps only slightly stronger than an ordinary soul."
His brows furrowed.
"That is why I was shocked. How could a man with such a martial soul can reach level 99?"
Qian Renxue's lips curved in thought.
'Indeed. Without top tier martial soul, it is indeed difficult to break through to Level 99.'
Qian Daoliu's voice dropped as if recalling the clash right before his eyes.
"The duel began. At first, Tang Chen had the upper hand, but soon… Ren Xuan's strange sword style overwhelmed him. He called it 'Dugu Nine Swords.' His attacks were formless, unpredictable, breaking down every defense Tang Chen raised. Strike by strike, he pressed Tang Chen back. I… had never seen such a technique before."
Qian Renxue's eyes widened slightly.
'Dugu Nine Swords…?I'm sure this technique does not belong to Douluo Continent …'
She recalled reading something similar in some wuxia novel in her past life.
Qian Daoliu's fists tightened, knuckles pale.
"During the clash, Ren Xuan said something to Tang Chen. I was too far to hear it clearly. But whatever it was, it enraged Tang Chen to the point of madness. He directly used the Exploding Ring Technique—six rings at once! A suicidal gamble."
The old man's face grew grim.
"The land shattered. The shockwaves destroyed everything within miles. Ren Xuan could not dodge. Tang Chen struck him down, though in doing so, Tang Chen nearly crippled himself. His body was broken, bloodied, yet he still stood."
Qian Daoliu's eyes darkened.
" While we were focused on saving Tang Chen , Ren Xuan fled. His body was also heavily injured, but even so, he escaped."
He exhaled heavily, a shadow passing across his face.
"When Bo Saixi and I asked Tang Chen what Ren Xuan had said to provoke him, he refused to speak, his expression was dark. From that day on, he never mentioned Ren Xuan again."
The chamber fell into silence.
Qian Renxue lowered her gaze, concealing the sharp gleam in her purple eyes.
' A sword style from wuxia world, a mysterious origin .Ren Xuan, this person might truly be a reincarnator.'