Qian Xunji didn't leave the Hall of Consecration. Instead, he directly swallowed the Whale Jelly, and instantly felt a surge of vigorous energy rising in his core. His body flushed with heat.
Recognizing the effects of the jelly kicking in, he immediately crossed his legs and sat down, activating the Angel Cultivation Technique—the unique cultivation method passed down exclusively within the Qian family—to begin absorbing the pure energy within.
From behind the Hall of Consecration, four figures stepped out. Three tall, one short—these were the remaining Worship Elders of Spirit Hall, aside from Qian Daoliu himself.
"Big Brother,"
The four saluted Qian Daoliu, then turned their attention toward Qian Xunji.
"Big Brother, Xunji has long passed his prime age for cultivation. Are you certain this Whale Jelly will be effective?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked hesitantly. It was common knowledge that a soul master's prime cultivation window was between the ages of six and twenty.
Beyond that, even the rarest heavenly treasures would have diminished effects.
Qian Daoliu gave a slight shake of his head. "Let's wait and see. Even if the effect is small, it's still better than nothing."
"Hehe, Big Brother, if this works, how about letting us head out for a bit? It's been ages since we've had any action."
Guang Ling Douluo plopped down on the middle steps, resting his chin in his hands, long lashes dusted with snow fluttering with each blink.
If this really did work, they could always gather more. Stockpile enough, and they could brute-force Qian Xunji past the bottleneck—even if the results were a bit diluted, it was better than being stuck at Rank 96.
After all, we're talking about the Six-Winged Angel, a supreme-grade Martial Soul with god-bestowed soul power. Being stuck at 96 was downright humiliating.
Even if no one else said it, someone as proud as Qian Xunji had to feel it deeply.
Qian Daoliu didn't respond. He simply clasped his hands together and faced the angel statue, offering a silent, solemn prayer.
"Sigh, Big Brother's gone all quiet again..." Guang Ling sighed when he got no answer.
"Fifth Brother..."
"Yes, yes, I know, I know,"
Azure Luan Douluo gave Guang Ling an exasperated glare, but before he could speak further, Guang Ling waved him off irritably. "Don't tell me again—'Worship Elders aren't allowed to leave Spirit City without permission'—you've repeated that line hundreds of times. My ears are growing calluses."
"Sigh..."
Azure Luan Douluo could only sigh in response.
"You've always been so playful, Fifth Brother," Mighty Lion Douluo said, rubbing his forehead with a shake of his head.
Guang Ling spread his small hands wide. "Can't help it. It's just how I'm wired."
"Enough, all of you. That's enough,"
Golden Crocodile Douluo finally spoke, and the others fell silent. As the second eldest, even older than Qian Daoliu himself, he held immense authority and had always looked after the others. His words carried weight.
Even Guang Ling quieted down, smacking his lips silently but saying no more.
Just then, Qian Daoliu finally ended his prayer. He turned around and looked at Guang Ling.
"Guang Ling, I know your lively temperament. It hasn't been easy for you, being cooped up here in the Hall of Consecration all these years. If you really want to get out for a while, I can give you a mission."
"What kind of mission?"
The moment Qian Daoliu spoke, Guang Ling stood up from the steps.
"We've received word from the Star Luo branch of the Spirit Hall. Several powerful evil soul masters have escaped from the Slaughter City—including one suspected to be a Titled Douluo."
"No problem. Where are they now? I'll take care of them."
Guang Ling's eyes lit up. Ever since joining the Hall of Consecration, he hadn't had a chance to stretch his limbs. Now, finally, there was an opportunity to show off his strength again.
"Fifth Brother, don't be careless," Azure Luan warned, then turned to Qian Daoliu and volunteered, "Big Brother, Fifth Brother's too impulsive. Let me accompany him."
Guang Ling immediately objected.
"Hey, hey, Third Brother! I may play around when things are calm, but I'm completely serious when it counts, alright?"
"Azure Luan, trust Fifth Brother. Let him go alone."
Qian Daoliu shook his head slightly. It was just a few evil soul masters—not serious enough to warrant dispatching two Worship Elders.
Even if one of them had reached Titled Douluo rank, they'd likely be no higher than Rank 95. A single Worship Elder, supported by the Angel Legion, was more than enough to suppress them.
Besides, he wanted to temper Guang Ling. The kid hadn't had a serious fight since joining the Hall of Consecration—this would be a good opportunity.
"But Big Brother—"
"My decision is final. No more discussion."
Azure Luan still wanted to argue, but Qian Daoliu waved him off. Seeing this, Azure Luan could only sigh and turn to Guang Ling, warning him seriously.
"Fifth Brother, this mission is not child's play. You absolutely must not let your playful nature get in the way."
"Yes, yes, I promise. No playing around—good enough?"
Guang Ling raised three fingers in a sincere vow, though in his heart, he was already grumbling.
"Seriously, Third Brother, you're usually this cool, silent pretty boy—and now you're nagging like an old nanny?"
"Hmph."
Azure Luan held his tongue. He knew if he pushed any further, Fifth Brother's rebellious streak would just flare up.
"Big Brother, do we know where the evil soul masters are headed?"
Guang Ling returned to business, his eyes serious now.
"There were five of them who escaped from the Slaughter City. One suspected Titled Douluo, one Soul Douluo, and three Soul Sages."
"We're not sure how they managed it, but they fled southeast along the Dragonblood River and are heading toward the Earth Dragon Mountain Range."
"The Earth Dragon Mountains... if I recall correctly, there's a city of a million people near there. They're probably targeting it."
Golden Crocodile Douluo frowned, having pieced together the likely motive of their escape.
"Heh. Doesn't matter what they're planning—time is of the essence. I'll head out immediately."
Guang Ling waved casually, holding a detailed map of the Earth Dragon Mountains in his hand.
"Very well. Go."
Qian Daoliu nodded, waving him off.
"I'm off."
With that, Guang Ling turned and left the Hall of Consecration, taking with him over a dozen Soul Sage–level members of the Angel Legion.
After Guang Ling left, Azure Luan turned toward Qian Daoliu, still looking worried. "Big Brother, are you sure Guang Ling can handle this alone?"
Qian Daoliu shook his head lightly, understanding how close the two of them were. He walked over and placed a reassuring hand on Azure Luan's shoulder.
"It's fine. Elder Devil Bear is stationed in that region as well. Besides, Fifth Brother is a Rank 96 Super Douluo. You need to have more faith in him."
Azure Luan opened his mouth to respond but eventually nodded. "Understood, Big Brother."
Yeah... how could I underestimate Fifth Brother like that?
After all, he was a Rank 96 Super Douluo. Only those of equal rank truly understood the struggle behind that kind of strength.
If he'd managed to climb so far, then when it really mattered, he wouldn't mess around.
At that very moment, Qian Xunji finally opened his eyes. A flash of delight shone within them.
"Father—it's working!"
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Pointers:
Guang Ling, alias 'Glowing Feather Douluo'. According to the chinese translator, he believes that it is an original character of this fanfiction. For me? I do think otherwise, I think it is the Glowing Feather Douluo from the original, so I will be using 'Guang Ling' for now.
Whale Jelly (鲸胶) is a rare spirit material. In this context, it's used like a tonic to help push soul masters past cultivation bottlenecks.
The Angel Cultivation Technique is a fictional, family-specific method that complements the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
The Slaughter City is a canon location in Douluo Dalu, infamous for brutal trials and housing many dangerous soul masters.
Qian Daoliu, Qian Xunji, Golden Crocodile Douluo, Azure Luan Douluo, and Lionheart Douluo are members of Spirit Hall's Worship Hall, the highest-ranking combat elders under the divine system.
The Angel Legion is Spirit Hall's elite combat force, directly under the command of those bearing the Angel spirit.