Chapter 20: Qin Xuan's Conjecture
Seeing that Qian Xunji was going to give Qin Xuan the Soul bone, Falling Devil Douluo was overjoyed. He stepped forward and laughed, "Haha, Your Holiness, let me thank you on behalf of Xuan'er. Xuan'er, quickly thank your brother." He patted Qin Xuan's shoulder.
Let's put aside Qian Daoliu for now. Although the other six great priests were arrogant, they were loyal and courageous, cherishing their old friendships. They had received favors from either Qian Daoliu or the Qian family, and as a result, they remained steadfastly loyal, dedicating their lives to the Spirit Hall. They were so loyal that, in the original novel, they were willing to sacrifice themselves to buy time for Qian Renxue's retreat.
Before this, Qin Xuan might not have felt any particular gratitude toward Jiang Long. Their master-disciple relationship had been established by Qian Daoliu's arrangement, with no deep affection between them. But now things were different. Thanks to Qin Xuan's "Crossing All Directions," the two had successfully performed a Martial Soul fusion technique. This allowed Jiang Long to feel the level 97 bottleneck, which he might never have reached otherwise. For someone like him, this was akin to being reborn. He now owed Qin Xuan a great favor.
"Thank you, brother," Qin Xuan said. He didn't know what Falling Devil Douluo was thinking, but with a simple thank you, he was able to obtain the Wisdom Skull, which had a 60,000-year history. It was a massive gain; only a fool wouldn't be grateful. Not to mention that Falling Devil Douluo had also provided him with more than 70,000 emotional points.
It wasn't long before Qian Xunji ordered the Wisdom Skull, which condensed spiritual power, to be fetched from the treasury. Then, he inquired about the fluctuations in Soul power. Qian Daoliu, believing that since the two had become sworn brothers, Qian Xunji wouldn't harm Qin Xuan, truthfully answered the query. However, Falling Devil Douluo stepped forward and claimed that he had reached the level 97 bottleneck and would likely break through within 5 years. He even gave Qian Daoliu a "clever" wink, as if to say, "Look, brother, I've done a good job of keeping your secret."
This made Qian Daoliu both laugh and cry. But rather than getting angry, he was relieved and happy that his silly seventh brother now had hope for further progress. Although Qian Xunji was a little confused, he didn't press further. There was no reason for Falling Devil Douluo to lie about such a thing. Besides, with his father, Qian Daoliu, around, he didn't have to worry about being deceived.
Meanwhile, the other five priests had strange expressions. Golden Crocodile, Azure Luan, and Lion were indifferent; even if Jiang Long broke through, they would still retain their positions. Guang Ling and Qianjun, however, were not so at ease. Guang Ling was the fifth priest, and his Soul power was the same as Qianjun and Jiang Long's. He had simply broken through earlier. Before this, people considered him to have the greatest potential to break through to level 97. But now, his progress seemed a long way off.
If Jiang Long broke through, he would likely become the sixth priest, and Guang Ling would have to call him brother. The gap in strength was difficult to accept. Qianjun, on the other hand, was slightly better off. Although his younger brother was about to surpass him, he was more happy than troubled. He was pleased with Jiang Long's potential breakthrough, and more importantly, he had found a way to break through himself. Since his brother had found an opportunity through fusion with the Everbright Sword Martial Soul, why couldn't he do the same with his Coiling Dragon Stick?
After exchanging greetings with the Pope, Qian Xunji offered his congratulations and quickly departed. Once again, the Elder's Hall returned to the silence it had before Qin Xuan's arrival. Only two people remained—Guang Ling Douluo and Qianjun—both staring at Qin Xuan as if he were a rare treasure.
Qin Xuan felt his scalp tingle under their gazes. "Uh... Guang Ling Douluo, Master Qianjun, is there something you need?" He was eager to return and refine the Soul bones and immortal herbs.
"Calling me a worshiper is too formal," said Guang Ling, who appeared like a child. He walked over and threw his arm around Qin Xuan's shoulders. "Call me brother."
Standing together, they truly looked like brothers—Qin Xuan as the elder and Guang Ling as the younger.
"Get lost, Guang Ling," Qianjun interrupted. "Xuan'er doesn't have a Martial Soul fusion skill like yours, so why are you hanging around here? If you have free time, you'd be better off cultivating. Otherwise, when Jiang Long and I break through to level 97, you'll end up as the seventh priest."
Without waiting for Qin Xuan's reply, the normally calm Qianjun stepped forward, pushed Guang Ling aside, and pulled Qin Xuan closer. "Come, good disciple, let's discuss Martial Soul fusion techniques in my room."
"Damn it, Qianjun, that's low," Guang Ling pouted, flinging his sleeves in frustration. He spread his icy wings and flew back to his room like an upset child.
Qin Xuan felt goosebumps rise all over his body. "Master, I think we should hold off on that discussion. After my last battle with Senior Chrysanthemum, my Soul power is nearly depleted."
With that, Qin Xuan fell deep into thought. Recalling the scene where he summoned a red fire dragon, he speculated that the Martial Souls of Qianjun and Jiang Long originated from the same source. Since the Heng Guan Ba Fang technique could grant the Coiling Dragon Stick's spirit to the demon-slaying technique, it could complete the Martial Soul fusion skill. Could the Hundred Steps Flying Sword work similarly?
"It's okay," Qianjun said. "Master will help you recover." Without waiting for Qin Xuan's agreement, he pulled him into his room to continue the discussion. (P.S.: Don't misunderstand—it was purely a discussion about Martial Soul fusion techniques.)
The result was predictable: though the fire dragon summoned by Hengguan Bafang was an improvement, it still fell short. Qin Xuan knew better than to reveal all his strength recklessly. His performance today had already been impressive enough. Claiming that "Crossing All Directions" was created by chance could barely fool people. But if the Hundred Steps Flying Sword were to be exposed, it would be hard to explain. At the very least, he needed to escape from Slaughter City first.