Chapter 21: Level 59
Bang!
Inside the opulent Supreme Pontiff Palace, a priceless, centuries-old jade teacup shattered into a dozen pieces on the polished marble floor.
"Preposterous! What is that... that insect, Qin Xuan, to dare call himself my 'brother' with a mere 5 spirit rings? He's practically courting death!"
Bang! Crash! Another round of smashing porcelain echoed through the hall.
Qian Xunji's mood, which had been foul ever since the confrontation in the Elder Palace, finally improved a little as he vented his fury. He centered his thoughts on the fact that Qin Xuan was, at this very moment, being sent to the living hell of Slaughter City. That was a death sentence.
One of the personal guard Titled Douluo beside him spoke cautiously, "Your Holiness... it seems that young man is more valued by the High Priest than we imagined. He even received..."
"Hmph. He's just a dying man, why bother with him?" Qian Xunji coldly snorted, cutting him off. His rage subsided, replaced by his usual, chilling arrogance.
"As for that Spirit Bone... it is wasted on a corpse. Once I ascend to the pinnacle of this World, I'll simply have the Slaughter King send it to me willingly. A gift for his new sovereign."
He walked to the window with his hands behind his back, his face a mask of evil, handsome indifference, looking out over his Spirit City.
The conflict between Qin Xuan and Qian Xunji stemmed from Bibi Dong.
Before this, Qian Xunji, as the Spirit Hall Pope, had been quite optimistic about this promising rising star. The boy had good talent, a powerful Spirit, and loyal teachers. He was a perfect asset.
It was just that he shouldn't have... coveted... something that belonged to Qian Xunji.
The two personal guard Douluo exchanged glances and, very sensibly, flattered him. "Your Holiness is brilliant and far-sighted."
"Hmm." Qian Xunji thoroughly enjoyed being complimented. He nodded contentedly, his good mood partially restored. He then suddenly asked, "How is the Holy Maiden doing?"
Another personal guard Douluo stepped forward and replied, "Her Royal Highness the Holy Maiden possesses unprecedented talent, far surpassing even Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect in his youth. Her spirit power has already reached Level 68."
"We believe she will break through to Spirit Saint within 2 years. It's just…"
"Just what?" Qian Xunji suddenly turned around. Half his face was shrouded in the window's shadow, making him look extremely gloomy.
"During this time... Her Royal Highness the Holy Maiden seems to have been in... overly close contact with a librarian," the personal guard Douluo said hesitantly.
"A librarian?" Qian Xunji was puzzled. The official guardians of the Spirit Hall's library naturally had high cultivation, with some being Spirit Douluo.
But the librarians... those were all low-level Spirit Masters with poor talent, basically synonymous with waste. They were failed disciples given menial, unimportant jobs.
Would his genius disciple, Bibi Dong—a woman so proud that even the talented Qin Xuan had to grovel before her—be in "overly close contact" with a waste?
It was simply too preposterous.
The first personal guard Douluo who spoke added:
"That person also seems to have another identity. He was once a disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The second son of the current clan head, Yu Yuanzhen."
"It seems he was ostracized from the family because of a Spirit mutation, with only half a level of innate spirit power."
Upon hearing this, Qian Xunji immediately chuckled. A playful, mocking smile appeared on his face. "Oh, so it's that waste. The one who awakened a pig Spirit."
As the number one Spirit Master organization on the Douluo Continent, Spirit Hall constantly needed to monitor other forces to ensure its transcendent position.
Once a Spirit Master appeared who could threaten Spirit Hall, the Elder of Judgment would be dispatched.
This was one of the reasons why Titled Douluo over 100 years old were rare on the Continent, and wild, unaligned Titled Douluo were even rarer.
It was also why Spirit Hall gathered most of the Titled Douluo on the Douluo Continent.
Once someone broke through to Titled Douluo, if they didn't have a family backing them, they would either join Spirit Hall, enter the Elder Palace, and enjoy special honors...
Or they would be hunted down, like Yue Guan would do to Dugu Bo in the future.
This system, he felt, was perfect. It greatly restrained the criminal behavior of Spirit Masters and fundamentally eradicated the menace of evil Spirit Masters.
It was not until Tang San destroyed Slaughter City and annihilated Spirit Hall that they would resurface, but Qian Xunji could not know that.
As one of the Upper Three Sects, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan naturally received high attention from Spirit Hall.
And among their younger generation, only two types of people could attract Qian Xunji's attention.
One type was peerless geniuses like Tang Xiao and Tang Hao, who became famous on the Continent at a young age.
The other type was waste. And not just any ordinary waste. It had to be someone who was useless to an exemplary extent.
For example, Yu Xiaogang.
Born into nobility, son of a Titled Douluo, and pampered for 6 years. Then, his Spirit mutated, his innate spirit power was only half a level, and he awakened a pig.
Yet, he was restless. He liked to stir up trouble, posturing with "theories" and making his clan a running joke.
In a sense, Yu Xiaogang had also gained a unique kind of fame in the highest circles of the Spirit Master's world. It was hard not to pay attention to him.
"Your Holiness, should I…" The personal guard Douluo who had previously suggested killing Qin Xuan made a subtle throat-slitting gesture.
Qian Xunji was indifferent. "No need. The Holy Maiden is naturally arrogant. She won't truly take a liking to that kind of waste."
He saw Qin Xuan as a threat because Qin Xuan had the capital to be a rival—talent, looks, and power. This Yu Xiaogang? He was a pathetic fool. Bibi Dong was likely just amusing herself with a pet.
"However," his voice hardened, "if he dares to try to eat swan meat like a toad, then I don't mind having one more corpse added to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's ledger."
"From today onwards, arrange for two Spirit Douluo to secretly protect her at all times. I don't want similar incidents like Qin Xuan's to happen again."
...
Boom—!
Far away from the Supreme Pontiff Palace, inside a resplendent, sealed room within the Elder Palace's domain, a muffled explosion of power erupted.
Vast, fiery-red spirit power, thick as magma, blasted outwards, turning the entire sealed room into a furnace. A high, clear phoenix cry echoed off the walls, transforming into a massive Vermilion Bird phantom that soared in circles.
On the ground, Qin Xuan, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes. They glowed with crimson light, and a second, cooler, spiritual light pulsed from his forehead.
The Quirky Nimbus Chrysanthemum had been fully digested. His meridians felt as wide as rivers, and his physique had been reborn. The Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull had fully integrated, flooding his spiritual sea with cool, clear, and incredibly potent mental force.
"Level 59."
Qin Xuan sprang to his feet, the immense spirit power converging on him instantly, flowing back into his body as if it were a sheath.
The Vermilion Bird phantom dove, transforming into the strange, crimson Changming Sword. It circled once in the air, enveloped in terrifying high temperatures and flashing red lightning, before returning to his outstretched hand.
He willed his system panel open.
[Qin Xuan]
[Age: 19]
[Spirit: Changming Sword]
[Cultivation: Level 59]
[Spirit Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black]
[Physique Level: Spirit Emperor]
[Mental Force Level: Spirit Douluo]
[Spirit Bone: Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull]
[Talent: SS+]
[Self-Created Spirit Abilities: Longitudinal and Horizontal Swordsmanship, Ghost Valley Breathing Technique]
[Emotion Value: 77992]
[Blind Box: None]
"My spirit power only increased by 5 levels," he muttered, frowning.
"My physique is at the Spirit Emperor level, and my mental force is at the Spirit Douluo level. After absorbing both the Quirky Nimbus Chrysanthemum and the Wisdom Skull, the improvement is even lower than I expected."
"And this talent… the gap between top-tier twin spirits and single Spirits is truly ridiculously large. I've consumed an Immortal Herb and cultivated the Ghost Valley Breathing Technique, yet I still can't reach Bibi Dong's SSS-level."
Qin Xuan held his sword in his left hand and flipped through the system panel, complaining in a genuinely sour, humblebragging tone.
Just think of that Xiao Bie San.
[Inorin's Note: "Xiao Bie San" (小瘪三) is a derogatory Shanghai dialect term, roughly meaning "little bastard," "bum," or "punk." It is the protagonist's contemptuous nickname for Tang San.]
At Level 40-something, after absorbing this exact same Wisdom Skull, his mental force also reached the Spirit Douluo level.
At Level 50, he obtained his Blue Silver Emperor innate spirit ring, and its lifespan was 25,000 years, meaning at Level 50, he already possessed a physique no weaker than a Spirit Emperor.
Although, Qin Xuan admitted, that little bastard had consumed the Looking Through Autumn Water Dew Immortal Herb beforehand.
Although he had cultivated the Purple Demon Eye, which could enhance mental force, since he was 2 years old.
Although he had the Ice and Fire Forging Body from the two herbs.
Although he had the Eight Spider Lances external Spirit Bone.
Qin Xuan admitted he was a bit sour.
Compared to him, his own improvement was nothing! At Level 59 spirit power, he barely matched him in physique and mental force.
He couldn't get the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... for now.
It seems he would have to diligently cultivate the Ghost Valley Breathing Technique to open up his meridians even further. Otherwise, even if he obtained the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent inner core, his body wouldn't be able to enjoy all of its benefits.
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