Chapter 44: Lingyuan Douluo
Hearing this, Jingni, who was nestled in the crook of his arm, seemed to understand something. She looked up, her sharp, analytical mind, honed by years as an assassin, cutting straight through his political maneuvering. "You and the Supreme Pontiff," she stated, her voice a soft murmur, "your only true conflict is the Holy Maiden. So you brought me back?"
Her gaze was intense. "As long as you have a wife in the eyes of outsiders, as long as you are 'spoken for,' it means you automatically lose the qualification to pursue or marry the Holy Maiden. In that instant, you will once again return to being that 'small character' in the Supreme Pontiff's eyes. The kind he disdains to deal with, the kind not worth his personal attention?"
Qin Xuan, who had been enjoying the silence, was genuinely surprised by her astuteness. He laughed softly and pinched Jingni's chin, tilting her face up to his. "Smart. You are very smart... but you only guessed half right."
Jingni's eyes, dark and intelligent, held his. "What's the other half?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"The other half," Qin Xuan said, his voice low, "is that I truly, deeply, crave your body."
He didn't wait for a reply. He lowered his head and kissed her, a deep, possessive kiss that left no room for argument, a silent declaration of ownership that was both a reward and a brand.
A long time later, Qin Xuan looked at his spoils of war—the woman beside him, her face flushed and her breath unsteady—with a slight, satisfied smile on his lips. He embraced her tightly, pulling the luxurious, high-quality silk sheets of the Elder Palace over them, and closed his eyes.
Since recovering his past life's memories, it had been a long, long time since he had slept so peacefully. The constant danger, the paranoia, the stench of blood in the City of Slaughter... it had all kept him on a razor's edge. But here, in the absolute, secure fortress of the Elder Palace, with his enemy's rage fueling his own power, he finally, truly rested.
"After tonight, it will be seven months full."
Jingni's voice, muffled against his chest, was weak but sharp. She lay bonelessly in his arms, yet still found the strength to glare fiercely at him.
With a look that said, 'I don't believe a word you say, you sweet-talking bastard,' she reminded him bluntly, regardless of whether he was asleep.
Her only answer was Qin Xuan's deep, muffled snoring.
But Qin Xuan wasn't truly asleep. He was pretending, his consciousness already sinking into his mind. He silently opened the system. A system light screen, visible only to him, immediately appeared in the darkness.
"Qin Xuan—"
"Age: 20"
"Spirit: Changming Sword (Suzaku)"
"Cultivation: Level 68 (Spirit Emperor)"
"Spirit Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Black, Black, Black"
"Physique Level: Spirit Douluo (Mid-Tier)"
"Mental Force Level: Spirit Douluo (Mid-Tier)"
"Spirit Bone: Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull (60,000-Year), 100,000-Year Suzaku Left Leg Bone"
"Domain: Slaughter God Domain, Suzaku Domain"
"Talent: SSS"
"Self-Created Spirit Ability: Longitudinal and Horizontal Swordsmanship, Ghost Valley Breathing Technique, Sword Control Technique (Unrivaled Sword Casket)"
"Emotion Value: 447,992"
"Blind Box: Bronze Blind Box × 1, Silver Blind Box × 1"
"Lottery Chances: 0"
He analyzed the new data, a cold, fierce satisfaction spreading through him.
His Spirit was no longer just the 'Changming Sword'. The parentheses now read '(Suzaku)'. The 50,000-year+ inner core of the 10-headed Fierce Yang Serpent had been a gamble, but it had paid off. The immense, pure Yang fire, combined with his own Vermillion Bird bloodline, had acted as the final key. It had shattered the ancient seal on his Spirit, unsealing its true, divine form.
His 100,000-year adaptive left leg bone had also responded, inheriting the unsealed name. It was no longer just an 'adaptive' bone; it was now the Suzaku Left Leg Bone, perfectly synergistic with his Spirit.
With this unsealing came a new, second Domain: the Suzaku Domain. He could feel it lying dormant within him, a power of regality, purification, and terrifying, divine fire.
His cultivation, as he had predicted, had exploded. He had been a bottlenecked Level 60. The 100,000-year Spirit Bone had provided a massive surge of pure power. The 50,000-year+ spirit ring from the serpent's inner core had provided another. Combined with the year of cultivation he had stored up... he had leaped directly to Level 68. He was now a high-level Spirit Emperor, just two steps away from becoming a Spirit Saint.
His physique and mental force, thanks to the 100,000-year bone and the trials of the Hell Road, had both broken through to the Spirit Douluo level, far exceeding his Spirit Power.
And his new Self-Created Spirit Ability... the Sword Control Technique. He hadn't found the Unrivaled Sword Casket; the unsealing of his Spirit had awakened this knowledge within him, the technique named after the Legend of Qin's famous item. It was a true telekinetic sword art, a perfect companion to his Ghost Valley techniques.
Finally, his talent. It had been SSS-, just shy of the divine-tier SSS of monsters like Bibi Dong. Now, it was SSS.
Seeing his talent promoted to SSS, Qin Xuan was not surprised. After all, the Suzaku had been unsealed. He had gained a 100,000-year Spirit Bone and two new Domains. If all of that still couldn't bridge the gap to a top-tier Twin Spirit talent, then he might as well just die. He was finally on the same starting line.
It was just that the emotion value... that truly surprised him. In just a few hours since his return, it had soared to over 440,000 and, as he watched, it was still growing, ticking up by the hundreds every few seconds.
It seems Qian Xunji is truly anxious, he thought, a cold smile touching his lips. His rage and jealousy must be off the charts. Fortunately, I came directly to the Elder Palace. Otherwise, that old, cowardly fellow, not knowing Jingni's situation or my true power, might have jumped the gun and tried to have me assassinated.
However, the later that old fellow knows the truth, the better.
Thinking this, Qin Xuan closed the pop-up and voice functions of the system, embracing Jingni's warm, soft body and slowly, truly, drifting into a deep slumber.
Early the next morning, Qin Xuan groggily opened his eyes. The first thing he did was open the system. The emotion value had reached a staggering 970,000. Qian Xunji must have had a very sleepless night.
He looked at Jingni again, but the pillow beside him was already empty.
On the clothes rack beside the bed, only his own [Phoenix Fire] robe and [Thousand Gold Coat] remained. They had been washed and flash-dried with internal energy, and they still carried a faint, clean scent of camellia.
Qin Xuan put on the [Phoenix Fire] robe and, upon walking out of the bedroom, found Jingni sitting cross-legged on the living room sofa, meditating. She was cultivating her internal cultivation method from her old world, her face serene.
Seemingly sensing Qin Xuan had woken up, she quickly formed several strange hand seals to conclude her cultivation, her aura settling. She slowly opened her large, beautiful eyes, which were now clear and bright, free of the exhaustion from the previous day.
Qin Xuan did not activate the [Phoenix Fire]'s disguise skill to change the style of his clothes.
The luxurious, vibrant, form-fitting crimson long robe, though not yet tidied and slightly disheveled from sleep, combined with his impeccable handsome features and cascading black hair, inherently exuded a noble, regal, and somewhat dangerous aura.
Jingni looked at the handsome young man before her, slightly dazed for a few seconds. Then, very thoughtfully, she got up from the sofa and stepped forward to tidy Qin Xuan's collars and smooth the wrinkles from his robe.
"Breakfast has already been prepared by a servant," she said, her voice soft and professional. "Your teacher, Priest Qian Jun, came by half an hour ago. He told you to find him in the main hall after you finish breakfast."
"Mm." Qin Xuan didn't stand on ceremony. He stood still, allowing Jingni to tidy him, enjoying the simple, domestic intimacy.
Men, in the City of Slaughter, fight to the death for a year. What's wrong with enjoying himself a little?
The couple ate together in comfortable silence. In no time, Qin Xuan finished his portion of the food—a rich, nutritious, and high-energy meal prepared by the Elder Palace's kitchens.
Jingni, however, was still chewing slowly, her assassin's habits making her deliberate in all things.
"I asked the serving maid," she said quietly, not looking up from her plate. "Today, all the High Priests, all the Titled Douluo Elders... and even the Supreme Pontiff... will be here. It is a formal inspection of your trial."
She paused, then looked up at him, her dark eyes serious. "The opponents... will be arranged by the Supreme Pontiff Palace. Be careful."
"Don't worry," Qin Xuan said, a faint smile on his lips. "I'll be careful."
He wasn't worried about encountering any real danger.
Not to mention his absolute confidence in his own strength; he didn't fear a common Spirit Douluo.
But even if a Spirit Douluo truly did come, the High Priests, especially Qian Daoliu, wouldn't allow it. A Spirit Douluo against a Spirit Emperor, even one who had passed the Hell Road? Do they have no shame?
Most likely, a Spirit Saint would be arranged. A high-level Spirit Saint, perhaps, to test his limits.
And as for that old fellow Qian Xunji... Qin Xuan had already thought of a way to deal with him.
After finishing breakfast, Qin Xuan was not in a hurry to go down. He waited patiently until Jingni had finished her own breakfast. He watched as she cleared the dishes with the quiet efficiency of someone unused to being served, before they left their quarters together.
He headed straight for the first-floor main hall of the Elder Palace.
The first-floor hall of the Elder Palace was a vast, cavernous space, its ceiling held up by massive golden pillars, its air ancient and still.
Unlike the profound quietness when Qin Xuan had arrived yesterday, at this moment, it was full.
All the High Priests and Titled Douluo Elders in the hall, regardless of whether Qin Xuan had seen them or not, were almost all present. The only one missing was the Seventh Priest, Jiang Mo Douluo, who was still in deep seclusion, breaking through to the 97th rank.
The six remaining High Priests—Qian Daoliu, Gold Crocodile, Qingluan, Xiongshi, Guang Ling, and Qin Xuan's own master, Qian Jun—still stood in their customary places before the towering angel statue, their backs to the hall.
Below them, the Titled Douluo Elders, all those below the 96th rank, stood in two orderly, silent rows to the left and right, their combined presence creating an oppressive, mountain-like pressure.
Some of these people might have already learned the details from Qian Jun Douluo. Seeing Qin Xuan—this genius who spent only one year to break out of the City of Slaughter and whose spirit power had subsequently exploded to the 68th level—they all showed benevolent, appraising gazes.
Qin Xuan naturally dared not neglect them. He straightened his body, bowing slightly to the assembled Titled Douluo, and then to the backs of the High Priests.
At a silent signal from Qian Daoliu, Qin Xuan stood to the side, beside the only female Titled Douluo present.
This person appeared to be in her early thirties, though her true age was likely much greater. She wore sleek, black armor with a golden eagle pattern emblazoned on the chest, and her shoulder pads were shaped like layered, metallic feathers.
Beneath her ear-length, dark short hair, which was swept elegantly to the left, was a delicate, fair, and maturely beautiful face.
A faint, warm smile always graced her face, as if it could warm people's hearts, giving one the disarming feeling of an older sister next door.
Of course, these were all just superficial. This warmth was based on the premise that Qin Xuan was a colleague, a prized asset of Spirit Hall. If he were an enemy, she could, and would, turn him to dust without a second thought.
And she was precisely the female Titled Douluo from the original work, Lingyuan Douluo.
She was the one who, along with Snake Lance Douluo, Porcupinefish Douluo, and Devil Bear Douluo, jointly ambushed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Her Spirit was the Fire Spirit Iris, a top-tier, fire-attribute, eagle-type Spirit. Her true age was unknown. Her real name was unknown.
She had been promoted to Titled Douluo only last month, a new and powerful addition to the Elder Palace's roster. When Qin Xuan had returned to Spirit City, this news had already been spreading.
The female Titled Douluo was clearly very interested in Qin Xuan, this new celebrity of the Elder Palace. She turned her head slightly, winked at him, and whispered, her voice charming and low, "Little brother... daring to face that kind of fear and surviving that hellish place... you're quite handsome."
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