The following morning, Xu Jiujiu woke up radiant and refreshed, but Qian Ran was already gone. However, he had instructed the maids to prepare a sumptuous breakfast for her.
"Qian Ran is such a spendthrift," Xu Jiujiu murmured, eating while staring absentmindedly at her ruined dress from the night before.
Even her simplest pair of stockings was made from the finest materials, each costing hundreds of gold soul coins. Qian Ran, however, had shredded them without a second thought. Though Xu Jiujiu was usually generous, even she felt a twinge of heartache at his wastefulness.
Why did he always insist on tearing a hole in her stockings? And why did he make her sleep in them just to indulge him?
Stockings… aren't they just socks?
Perhaps even the inventor of stockings never imagined they'd one day become tools of playful indulgence.
"Did you sleep well last night, Jiujiu?"
"Empress Sister, you're here?" Xu Jiujiu quickly straightened her posture, adjusting her demeanor back to her elegant, composed self.
"There's no need to be so formal with me," the Empress said, gently pressing Xu Jiujiu's shoulders to make her sit back down.
"Did Qian Ran reconcile with the Duke's Mansion? The Duke's family must have paid dearly for it, right?" the Empress asked curiously. In her eyes, Qian Ran was no ordinary man to deal with.
The more the imperial family learned about Spirit Sect, the more they realized its unfathomable depths. On the surface alone, it had two Ultimate Douluo and one Level 98 Super Douluo. Who knew what hidden strength it might still possess? The sect's links to the legendary Spirit Hall made it even more daunting.
Such a force, afraid of a mere Duke's Mansion? Impossible.
"They paid a heavy price, indeed," Xu Jiujiu replied hesitantly, recalling the suggestive look on the Duchess's face the day before. She hesitated, unsure if she should disclose such a scandalous detail.
If word got out, it would severely damage the Duke's family's reputation. Though she trusted the Empress wouldn't spread the news, the matter still felt too delicate to share outright.
"What is it, Jiujiu?"
"Well… I'm not sure if I should say."
"If it's something vital to Qian Ran or Spirit Sect's secrets, keep it to yourself. But if it's something amusing, feel free to share," the Empress encouraged.
She didn't want Xu Jiujiu to repeat her own mistakes. To win a man's heart, one must first gain his trust.
"It's not anything too serious… It's just that Qian Ran…"
Blushing, Xu Jiujiu quietly recounted how Qian Ran had asked her for stockings, revealing the underlying story about the Duchess. She trusted the Empress deeply, considering her like an older sister.
"He did what?" the Empress's face flushed crimson as her eyes widened in shock. Had anyone else told her this, she would have dismissed it as an outrageous fabrication.
The Duchess… so easily… by Qian Ran…
And all this while Dai Hao was outside and Dai Yueheng lay on the sickbed…
What an absurd behavior!
The most ridiculous part was that Dai Hao and Dai Yueheng seemed genuinely grateful to Qian Ran, with Dai Yueheng repeatedly thanking him. Even the Empress found herself wanting to laugh at the sheer irony of it all.
The Empress clicked her tongue softly, refraining from further comment. She simply listened as Xu Jiujiu continued recounting her interactions with Qian Ran.
Noticing the unintentional smile on Xu Jiujiu's face as she spoke, the Empress realized her sister had found her happiness. For members of the royal family, happiness was an incredibly rare luxury.
Qian Ran was truly remarkable.
In such a short time, he had won the complete devotion of this proud princess. In less than a day, he had even seduced the Duchess into his arms.
What kind of extraordinary man is he?
Sun-Moon Empire: Royal Battle Team Meeting
"It's confirmed," Ma Lao began, his expression grim.
"Qian Ran's martial soul is called the Six-Winged Angel. It's the inherited martial soul of Spirit Hall, and he seems to be associated with a powerful sect closely tied to Spirit Hall."
His words sent shivers through the room. Those familiar with the legends of Spirit Hall wore expressions of astonishment and dread.
"How terrifying could Spirit Hall have been? I've never even heard of it," a young soul engineer muttered, his brows furrowed. To them, Spirit Hall was an unfamiliar name.
"It was terrifying," Ma Lao continued. "It's not surprising some of you haven't heard of it. Spirit Hall disappeared from the continent 10,000 years ago. Before our Sun-Moon Continent merged with Douluo, Spirit Hall was the undisputed ruler of the soul master world. Even the two great empires of the time had to bow to its authority.
"A millennium ago, Spirit Hall nearly unified the continent, establishing the Spirit Empire, but it ultimately fell during the War of the Gods."
Pausing briefly, Ma Lao added, "We've cross-referenced historical texts, and Qian Ran's martial soul matches the descriptions perfectly—if anything, it's even stronger. His ties to Spirit Hall have caught the Empire's attention…"
He stopped short, realizing the rest was too sensitive to share with the students. What followed was classified information, involving matters of state secrecy.
The Sun-Moon Empire wasn't the only one alarmed. The traditional powers of the former Douluo Continent were in even greater uproar.
For Spirit Hall wasn't just a faction. It likely held the secrets to godhood.
Even in this era, where Ultimate Douluo were rare, the path to godhood seemed entirely severed. Legendary figures like Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui—a twin-martial-soul Ultimate Douluo and top-tier soul engineer—had reached the peak of mortal ability, yet godhood remained out of reach.
In the past, gods like Shura, Angel, and Sea God had left their inheritances, allowing those who passed their trials to ascend. But now, the path seemed permanently blocked.
It was as if the gods themselves had closed the gates to ascension. And who controlled these gates? The answer was obvious…
"Six-Winged Angel… how incredible," Meng Hongchen whispered, eyes alight with admiration.
She had always known Qian Ran's martial soul was extraordinary, but she hadn't realized it was tied to such a legendary heritage.
The other members of the Sun-Moon Royal Battle Team were similarly awestruck. The Six-Winged Angel was leagues beyond any martial soul they had encountered.
The traditional powers of the Douluo Continent already overshadowed the Sun-Moon Empire's soul masters, and now Qian Ran stood atop even them.
Their martial souls weren't just inferior—they were on a completely different level.
(Chapter End)