Chapter 88: Green Tea Tactics
Golden Crocodile Douluo looked at Qin Xuan and Jingni with some surprise, and said in a deep yet respectful voice, "High Priest, what important matter do you need me for?"
Under normal circumstances, Qian Daoliu would not call him, the Second Offering, unless Spirit Hall was facing a life-or-death situation.
"Let me introduce you." Qian Daoliu gestured to Jingni, a rare smile on his face. "This is Xuan'er's wife, Jingni. Not long ago, with Xuan'er's help, she cultivated Twin Spirits, and her Spirit Power advanced to Level 97."
He paused, letting the weight of those words sink in. "According to Spirit Hall's rules, she will become one of us. An Offering. But her ranking..."
"No need to say more, High Priest. I understand the rules."
Although Golden Crocodile Douluo was arrogant and held the highest seniority in Spirit Hall aside from Qian Daoliu, he was also a person who strictly adhered to the ancient rules of the Elder Hall.
He interrupted Qian Daoliu and turned his massive, reptilian gaze to Jingni. His powerful mental force, second only to the High Priest, swept over her. He instantly confirmed the terrifying, stable, and deeply consolidated power of a Level 97 Peak Douluo.
Her terrifying height exceeded 2.5 meters, and coupled with her robust physique, she looked like a walking human tank, exuding dominance.
"Since my battle with the High Priest back then, I haven't encountered an opponent in nearly twenty years," Golden Crocodile rumbled, a hint of ancient battle-lust in his eyes.
"Twin Spirits, and her Spirit Power seems to have truly reached Level 97. Little girl, you're very good. And Xuan'er," he glanced at Qin Xuan, "you've found a good wife."
"The same to you, Senior Golden Crocodile. Your strength is also not weak," Jingni said in a clear, cold voice, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Haha, what big words! Come with me." Golden Crocodile was not angry at her words. He laughed heartily, a sound like shifting boulders.
He turned and walked out of the room. With every step he took, the entire Elder Hall seemed to tremble violently. Jingni gracefully followed behind him.
The two walked out of the main door, transforming into two long rainbows, one gold and one red, flying out of the Elder Hall and disappearing from Qin Xuan's sight.
Looking at the place where Jingni and Golden Crocodile disappeared, Qin Xuan sighed, "I hope it's not too much."
"Rest assured, Xuan'er." Qian Daoliu chuckled, standing beside Qin Xuan. "Although Golden Crocodile is arrogant, everything he does is for the benefit of Spirit Hall. Jingni is about to become an Offering, so Golden Crocodile won't harm her. This is just a formality, a test of strength to establish her rank."
"I'm not worried about Jingni," Qin Xuan said, shaking his head with a perfectly crafted expression of concern. "I'm worried about Senior Golden Crocodile."
Qian Daoliu's smile froze for a split second. He thought Qin Xuan was simply being an arrogant junior who didn't understand the profound gap between those at the same rank.
He smiled without speaking. Everything would be known once the results of their battle came out.
The two stood in silence for a moment, an comfortable quiet settling in the grand hall.
This was the moment.
Qin Xuan let the silence stretch, as if he were contemplating the match, before pretending to have just thought of something.
"By the way, High Priest," he said, his tone casual, "there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
"Speak," Qian Daoliu said, his attention returning to his grandson.
"Does the High Priest know about Sea God Island?" Qin Xuan did not directly mention Qianxun Ji. He started with an innocent, fact-finding question.
"Oh? You know about that place?" Qian Daoliu asked with some surprise upon hearing this.
Qin Xuan nodded and spoke nonsense with a serious face: "I've heard a little. When Jingni and I were sorting through her teacher's belongings, we found a handwritten note that recorded her teacher's experiences during his travels across the continent in his youth. Sea God Island was specifically mentioned in it."
"It is said that a Divinity similar to our Spirit Hall's Angel God is worshipped there. The island's High Priestess, Bo Saixi, was described as a woman of unparalleled talent. It was said that, many years ago, while not yet sixty years old, she possessed the same Level 99 Limit Douluo cultivation as you. Of course, these are all things from many years ago."
At the mention of the name, a hint of unguarded recollection appeared on Qian Daoliu's ancient face. "Bo Saixi... It has been a long time since I heard that name."
He sighed, a faint, imperceptible softness in his eyes. "To know 'Xixi', it seems Jingni's teacher was also an extraordinary person. Do you want to go and see that place?"
[Inorin's Note: In the original lore, Qian Daoliu was deeply in love with Bo Saixi (the Sea God Priestess, "Xixi"), but she loved Tang Chen. This is the source of his intense personal fury.]
"I have that thought, but definitely not now. The next matter is what I want to talk about," Qin Xuan said, his face turning "righteous" and "concerned."
"On my way back, I heard rumors that 'Big Brother' sent people to attack Sea God Island."
He paused, then added quickly, "I know Sea God Island has a Limit Douluo. I did not want to see Spirit Hall make unnecessary sacrifices, no matter how small the chance. So I came to advise the High Priest to have Big Brother withdraw his order, just in case the rumor is true."
Qian Daoliu, however, waved his hand dismissively upon hearing this: "This matter is purely groundless. As early as half a year ago, I already rejected Ji'er's proposal."
It was a joke. How could he send troops to attack his beloved Xixi?
This was the exact response Qin Xuan was waiting for.
Qin Xuan spoke nonsense again, his face a mask of 'confusion' and 'loyalty': "But I happened to hear a few Cardinals from the Supreme Pontiff Palace say that 'Big Brother' deployed the four Titled Douluo Elders: Devil Bear, Ghost Leopard, Giant Rhino, and Demonic Wolf."
"He also sent along 80 Cardinals and over 2,000 Spirit Hall Spirit Masters, led by the Holy Maiden herself, to attack Sea God Island. They also said..."
"What else did they say?" Qian Daoliu's expression finally changed. His benevolence vanished, and the temperature in the hall plummeted. He realized the seriousness of the matter upon hearing this.
Qin Xuan deliberately hesitated for a moment, as if afraid to speak, then said in a somewhat manipulative tone, "They also said that 'Big Brother' ordered this without your knowledge."
Boom.
Qian Daoliu's expression darkened instantly. An aura of pure, divine rage pressed down on the room. "Someone!"
As soon as he spoke, a Guardian Knight, fully clad in silver armor, appeared before Qian Daoliu, kneeling on one knee. "High Priest!"
"Are Ghost Leopard, Devil Bear, Giant Rhino, and Demonic Wolf still in the Elder Hall?" Qian Daoliu asked with a grim expression.
"Reporting to the High Priest, the four Elders left the Elder Hall a month ago," the Guardian Knight respectfully replied.
Hearing this, Qian Daoliu's golden eyes flashed with terrifying light. He already knew that the expedition to Sea God Island was likely true.
"Go," he commanded, his voice shaking with suppressed fury. "Call the Supreme Pontiff to see me. Now."
At this moment, no one knew how angry he was.
He even felt like killing someone.
Why didn't he just shoot Qianxun Ji, that wasteful, arrogant, good-for-nothing, onto the wall back then?
He actually dared! He dared to privately send people to attack Sea God Island, not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth!
He was allowing those Spirit Hall Spirit Masters to seek their own deaths!
Not only would Spirit Hall and Sea God Island become enemies, but his beloved Xixi, whom he cherished most, would also resent him because of this.
This was absolutely not what Qian Daoliu wanted to see.
"Yes, High Priest," the Guardian Knight respectfully left, practically fleeing the oppressive atmosphere.
As soon as the Guardian Knight left, Qian Daoliu successively called for the Third Offering, Qingluan Douluo, and the Fourth Offering, Xiongshi Douluo, ordering them to catch up with the expeditionary force to Sea God Island as quickly as possible.
Silence once again fell in the hall. Qian Daoliu inexplicably sighed, "Xuan'er, you did well in this matter. I have been too lenient with your Big Brother."
"High Priest, you are too kind. 'Big Brother' was just too anxious and acted impulsively for the good of Spirit Hall," Qin Xuan said with a righteous, magnanimous expression, defending his rival.
Qian Daoliu saw Qin Xuan's 'innocent' and 'righteous' heart and felt very gratified. He saw a true leader, unlike his vindictive, power-hungry son.
With the intention of not letting his son resent Qin Xuan, he encouraged him a few more times. Then he let Qin Xuan leave.
Qin Xuan also had no intention of staying longer, as his objective had already been achieved. He had fatally wounded his rival's authority using his rival's own actions, all while appearing to be the loyal, concerned party.
Not long after Qin Xuan left, Qianxun Ji rushed over in a hurry.
At this time, the news of Jingni cultivating Twin Spirits and becoming an Offering had already spread throughout Spirit Hall, thanks to Ling Yuan's notification.
Although Qianxun Ji was shocked and felt that Qin Xuan had gotten incredibly lucky, he didn't think much of it.
Because as long as his father was there, no one in Spirit Hall could threaten his rule.
He had originally thought his father wanted to discuss Jingni's anointing as an Offering, but who would have thought that as soon as he entered, Qian Daoliu started scolding him mercilessly.
Although Qianxun Ji was used to being self-important outside, facing his Limit Douluo father, he didn't dare to utter a single word and was thoroughly reprimanded.
Finally, Qian Daoliu issued an order that from then on, without his permission, the Supreme Pontiff Palace was not allowed to deploy any Titled Douluo Elder from the Elder Hall.
As punishment.
Only then was the matter dropped.
[Inorin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep translating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/InorinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
This translation is my full-time passion, and your support is what makes it possible for me to dedicate myself completely to bringing you this story. Thank you for reading!
As a special offer, I've opened a few limited-time tiers at a discounted price! You will get all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" (normally $25), but at a much cheaper rate.
These slots are extremely limited:
"The Dedicated Fan": $9.99 (Save 60% / $15.01) - Only 3 slots
"The Lore Diver": $14.99 (Save 40% / $10.01) - Only 7 slots
"The Founding Pillars": $19.99 (Save 20% / $5.01) - Only 15 slots
Grab your slot before they run out! Besides membership, you can also donate via Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/inorintl].
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]