Hanhai City — the only coastal port city in the western region of the Heaven Dou Empire, built right along the sea.
This massive city rose along the coastline, or rather, was constructed atop the coastal cliffs. No matter how the tides rose or fell, they could not shake its foundations in the slightest. Its thick city walls were absolutely of main-city grade. Even before entering, one could already smell a faint, salty sea breeze.
After passing through the city gates and stepping into Hanhai City proper, the salty air became even stronger. Qian Xunji scanned the surroundings and quickly noticed that the people here looked somewhat different from those inland. They were generally shorter in stature and had noticeably darker skin.
Lining both sides of the streets were countless shops and street stalls, most of them selling goods related to the sea. People bustled through the streets in a constant flow.
Qian Xunji soon arrived at the Spirit Hall sub-branch in Hanhai City. As the most powerful force on the Douluo Continent, Spirit Hall had branches everywhere — from the capitals of empires down to even the smallest towns. The information about Sea God Island had come from this very branch.
Upon arrival, Qian Xunji immediately ordered people to inquire about whale gelatin, and instructed the branch's hall master to send a letter he had written about Sea God Island to Qian Daoliu with all possible haste.
While Spirit Hall members were out purchasing the whale gelatin, the process went surprisingly smoothly. No petty villains tried to pick a fight, no chaotic incidents escalated to tragedy — within a short time, the Spirit Hall members returned with a lump of golden whale gelatin.
Golden whale gelatin was a product of a thousand-year-old soul beast. As for ten-thousand-year-grade gelatin, unless you killed the beast yourself, it was nearly impossible to obtain.
Along with the gelatin, however, they brought back two beautiful twin girls, both with no soul power fluctuations.
"What is the meaning of this?" Qian Xunji took the gelatin in hand and eyed the two girls suspiciously. What puzzled him even more was how the twins were staring at him, faces full of innocent infatuation, as if full of anticipation.
One of his subordinates, a Soul Emperor, seemed confused by the question. To him, the Pope's desire for whale gelatin — a well-known aphrodisiac — had a very obvious implication.
"Your Holiness, they are both virgins. The arrangements have already been made. No one will talk."
"I don't need them. Get out!" Qian Xunji waved angrily.
He now understood his subordinate's intent — to pair him with two girls for a night simply because of the aphrodisiac properties of the thousand-year gelatin. Did they really think he was that desperate? As Pope, he ought to act with the dignity of his position.
"Yes, Your Holiness." The Soul Emperor, clearly disappointed, took the girls away.
Whale gelatin was a rare delicacy that required intense flame to soften before it could be consumed. Once softened, its aphrodisiac effects became quite potent. Huo Yuhao had once eaten a piece of ten-thousand-year whale gelatin and ended up stripping in front of Ma Xiaotao, later becoming the butt of jokes.
Qian Xunji summoned his soul power, and blazing angelic flames enveloped the gelatin. Although the flames of the Angel Martial Soul were not quite the legendary "Extreme Fire," they came close. With his powerful rank-84 soul power, the gelatin soon melted into golden liquid, which he drank down.
The gelatin entered his stomach, and a wave of heat surged into his chest before settling in his lower abdomen — almost instantly, it caused a... noticeable reaction.
Qian Xunji hurriedly circulated his angelic soul power to suppress the heat. As the sacred energy flowed through him, the lustful fire seemed to be purified, vanishing without a trace. Unbeknownst to him, his body had grown stronger — the effect was roughly equivalent to absorbing a few centuries' worth of soul ring pressure.
"So that's how it works…"
Feeling the evil fire disperse, Qian Xunji let out a long breath. He finally understood why Qian Daoliu had waited until he was seventy to father children. Ordinary soul masters indulged in worldly pleasures as early as age twelve, but the divine soul power of the Angel Martial Soul naturally dispersed impure thoughts and desires. Add in Qian Daoliu's failure to find true love and his inability to pass on the Angel God's inheritance — he had no choice but to carry on the family line through marriage.
"Looks like I'll have to hunt the ten-thousand-year whale myself."
Three days later — the Hall of Worship
Qian Daoliu received Qian Xunji's letter.
Sea God Island — said to enshrine the legendary Sea God.
Golden Crocodile Douluo asked, "Big Brother, is what the Pope wrote really true?"
"Even if it isn't, I have to investigate," Qian Daoliu said solemnly. To him, gods were the highest existence. As the servant of the Angel God, he revered that god above all, though other deities still deserved respect.
"This brat is becoming more and more of a disappointment," Qian Daoliu sighed. "He's only been in Hanhai City for three days. Considering travel time, he must've written this letter not long after arriving. How could he have already discovered something as significant as the Sea God's shrine? I'm starting to regret passing the Pope's title to him so soon."
"Golden Crocodile, protect Spirit Hall well."
"Don't worry, Big Brother. As long as I live, Spirit Hall stands. If I fall, Spirit Hall falls with me!"
As he spoke, nine soul rings lit up beneath Qian Daoliu's feet — two yellow, two purple, five black. He had yet to complete the eighth Angel Trial, which would grant him an upgrade to one red ring. Not because he couldn't, but because he intentionally avoided it — he wanted to face Tang Chen in a fair duel. If he fought with eight black and one red, even victory would feel dishonorable.
Author's note: Yes, I know there are plot holes. If Qian Daoliu had eight black and one red ring, the Clear Sky Sect would surely realize Spirit Hall had a god inheritance. This is the only way to make sense of it.
A massive six-winged angel spirit rose behind him — its size several times that of Qian Xunji's.
Qian Daoliu transformed into a beam of golden light and vanished from Spirit Hall in the blink of an eye. In the skies, only a golden orb of light could be seen streaking into the distance.
Clear Sky Sect, Sect Master's Hall
A man with long grey hair, standing over two meters tall, with bronzed skin and bulging muscles — appearing in his early thirties and exuding an aura of absolute dominance — stood in the hall.
This man was none other than the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect and currently the strongest person on the continent — Tang Chen.
Sensing something, Tang Chen looked toward the west. "That direction... where is that old man Qian Daoliu going?"
Far across the ocean, tens of thousands of meters away from Hanhai City, the massive corpse of a whale-type soul beast floated on the waves. A dark soul ring shimmered around it.
"Finally found one. Those three days weren't wasted."
Qian Xunji cracked open the head of the ten-thousand-year soul beast. A black crystal-like object fell into his hand — ten-thousand-year whale gelatin.
The Hall Guardian Douluo trailing behind looked at him with even more disappointment. What is the Pope even doing? Wandering around the sea for three days just to hunt down some aphrodisiacal whale gelatin?
Spirit Hall is doomed.
(End of Chapter)
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