After returning to the Consecration Hall, Qian Daoliu convened an internal meeting with the other worship elders.
As they examined the transcribed contents of the Douluo Heart Method, along with the appended formulas for medicinal powders suited to Spirit Scholars and Spirit Master levels, the elders found themselves deeply impressed.
It wasn't just the groundbreaking nature of the method that astonished them—but also the sheer selflessness Chen Ming had shown in sharing it.
"If I were the one who created such a method," Glowing Feather Douluo said seriously, "even if I intended to make it public, I would wait until I had reached the level of a Titled Douluo before even considering it. In fact… I might never release it at all."
"For a child to create something like this and choose to share it…" the oldest among them, Golden Crocodile Douluo, spoke with a complicated expression. "It's both a testament to his talent and a blow to ordinary people. At the same time… it also feels a bit naïve."
He glanced around at the others, then at himself, his meaning clear.
"So what do you think, Big Brother? Should we bring this kid into the Spirit Hall… or something else? From what I've heard, he doesn't currently have a true master. His connection with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Dugu Bo is more like that of senior and junior. Perhaps…?"
A talent like this—exceptionally gifted, of clean background, and unaffiliated—was the ideal candidate to recruit. Especially since he had already shown goodwill and trust toward the Spirit Hall, bringing him into their ranks would be the best possible outcome.
Moreover, Golden Crocodile Douluo's Martial Soul, the Golden Crocodile King, was a top-tier sub-dragon species derived from the Golden Dragon lineage. In terms of attributes and classification, Chen Ming would be perfectly suited to become his disciple.
"Xue'er has mentioned this child to me before," Qian Daoliu said, referring to Qian Renxue. "She spoke highly of him—called him the number one genius within the Heaven Dou Empire."
He went on to recount Chen Ming's various achievements within the empire.
Upon hearing that Chen Ming had made notable accomplishments not only in mechanical constructs but also in medicine—and that this was not the first time he had freely shared his inventions—the elders began to form a clearer image of him.
Highly talented. Exceptionally intelligent. Yet still young, inexperienced in the ways of the world, and carrying a certain naïveté.
"Currently, he is nominally attached to the Crown Prince's residence as a study companion," Qian Daoliu continued. "Although he has never actually gone there—likely hiding away somewhere to cultivate—he is, in name, someone Xue'er has already drawn in."
"So, Big Brother, what should we do?" Fifteen Ton Douluo asked with interest.
"This child's talent is undeniable, but his understanding of human nature is still lacking," Qian Daoliu said after a moment's thought. "No matter how one looks at it, he will become a valuable asset to the Spirit Hall in the future—perhaps even one of Xue'er's most important supporters."
"To prevent someone like him from straying onto the wrong path, or falling prey to those with ill intentions…"
He paused for a long moment, then made his decision.
"In a few days, Sixth and Seventh, the two of you will go and bring him to the Spirit Hall. I will personally hold a public ceremony for him—grant him an official honorary position. Let the entire continent know that this child is under my protection."
"Big Brother… is that really necessary?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked, somewhat stunned.
Ever since the death of Qian Xunji, Qian Daoliu had grown disheartened, retreating entirely into quiet cultivation within the Consecration Hall. Nearly ten years had passed, and some across the continent had even begun to speculate whether he had died from grief.
If Qian Daoliu personally stepped forward to vouch for someone—granting them his recognition—then that person's status would rise to extraordinary heights. The higher the level of the Spirit Master, the more they would fear and respect him.
After all, Qian Daoliu's most important attribute wasn't his status as the Grand Worship Elder, but his "Invincible Under the Sky" strength as one of the two peaks of the Spirit Master world.
In the absence of a combatant of the same level like Tang Chen, even if the elders and sect masters of the current Seven Great Sects were gathered together, Qian Daoliu could slaughter them all single-handedly.
"The Spirit Hall was founded for the sake of all Spirit Masters," Qian Daoliu said with a quiet sigh, closing his eyes. "Though it is no longer as pure as it once was, and though I myself can hardly claim an unblemished legacy… I still wish to do what I can."
There was a saying: if one could not obtain something, one would destroy it.
But destruction usually came only when acquisition was impossible. As long as something could still be secured, any rational person would not choose to ruin something of value through reckless means.
And yet, to prevent Chen Ming from being destroyed by those who lacked such rationality, Qian Daoliu made his own choice.
In his life, he considered himself to have only two stains. The greatest was fathering Qian Xunji. The second was supporting Qian Renxue in her plans concerning the Heaven Dou Empire. Beyond that, his life had been largely without fault.
In truth, even that second stain could be seen as an extension of the first.
If he were honest, it was not what he wanted—but circumstances had left him little choice.
...
While the Spirit Hall began mass-printing the Douluo Heart Method, the Sixth and Seventh Worship Elders—Fifteen Ton Douluo and Falling Devil Douluo—quietly departed from the Consecration Hall. Together with Chrysanthemum Douluo, they headed for Heaven Dou City, intending to find Chen Ming before the method was officially distributed.
Inside the library of Heaven Dou Emperial Academy, Chen Ming—who had been absent for a year—sat just as he had a year ago, calmly reading through the collection of books one by one.
Without warning, three figures suddenly appeared beside him.
"Greetings, Senior Fifteen Ton. Senior Falling Devil. Greetings, Chrysanthemum Douluo."
Chen Ming set down the book in his hands and cupped his fists respectfully.
"Oh? You recognize us?" Fifteen Ton Douluo asked, clearly surprised.
At over a hundred years old, both he and his brother were figures of an older generation—even someone like Chrysanthemum Douluo or Dugu Bo could be considered juniors before them. Very few people could recognize them, and among the younger generation, it was almost unheard of.
"I once read a set of notes written by a Spirit Master fifty years ago," Chen Ming replied truthfully. "It described the two seniors in detail—how your Coiling Dragon Staff dominated the world, unmatched in combat, and how the combined strength of Fifteen Ton and Falling Devil could withstand an army of a million. I have long admired you both."
He was not lying. Within the academy's library, there truly existed such a record.
The author had been a Spirit Douluo who, in his youth, had once been thoroughly beaten by the two brothers. In his notes, he had meticulously recorded their appearance, their Martial Souls, and their combat tendencies.
Since powerful Spirit Masters could maintain a youthful appearance, and because the two had reached the Titled Douluo rank relatively early—slowing their physical aging—their current appearance was still nearly identical to what had been recorded decades ago.
"I see…" Falling Devil Douluo nodded, his expression unchanged, though a trace of pride flickered in his heart.
Withstanding an army of a million was surely an exaggeration—but the strength of the two brothers was unquestionably real.
Their Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul was inherently domineering, imbued with the essence of a Golden Holy Dragon capable of breaking through all things.
Individually, both possessed formidable combat power. In their youth, they had often defeated opponents of higher cultivation within the same rank.
As twin brothers, they shared an almost instinctive understanding of one another, and when they joined forces to unleash their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, their might was unparalleled.
Now at Level 96, the two of them working together could even hold off Qian Daoliu for a time.
In their prime, when they roamed the continent, their combined presence had been so overwhelming that it left their contemporaries struggling to breathe. Countless prodigies had seen their pride shattered beneath the blows of their Coiling Dragon Staffs.
Though they had long since withdrawn from public life to focus on secluded cultivation, hearing a young junior recognize them at a glance still filled them with a quiet sense of pride and satisfaction.
...
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