Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Qian Daoliu stood up and walked to Florian. He was half a head taller than Florian, looking down at the disciple he had personally trained.

"Florian, do you know why I'm preparing the soul beast for your fourth soul ring in advance?"

Florian thought for a moment and said softly, "Because light-type soul beasts are rare, finding them in advance can ensure the quality and compatibility of the soul rings."

“That’s only one aspect.” Qian Daoliu shook his head.

He turned away from Florian and looked toward the angel statues deep inside the hall.

"Florian, you are twelve years old this year. Twelve years old, level thirty-four, Light Unicorn Martial Soul, innate full soul power. Such talent, placed in any sect or empire, would be a peerless genius who would be nurtured with all available resources."

Qian Daoliu's voice echoed in the hall, calm yet carrying a heavy power.

"But in the Spirit Hall, you face not only cultivation, but also... choices."

Flori listened quietly, a hint of doubt flashing in her azure eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Teacher, you mean... the Papal Palace and the Sanctuary?"

“You’re very smart.” Qian Daoliu turned around and looked sharply at Florian.

"That's right, it's the Papal Palace and the Hall of Worship."

Qian Daoliu slowly walked back to his seat and sat down again.

"On the surface, the Spirit Hall appears to be a unified entity, but in reality, it has long been internally divided. Pope Bibi Dong holds the Papal Palace, controlling most of the Spirit Hall's administrative power, its branch halls across the country, and its spirit master legions. Meanwhile, the Hall of Offerings holds the Spirit Hall's most core heritage, the faith in the Angel God, and the qualifications for the Divine Trial."

Qian Daoliu's voice was calm, but every word struck Florian's heart like a heavy hammer.

“Over the years, Bibi Dong has been trying to weaken the influence of the Hall of Offerings, trying to gradually marginalize the faith of the Angel God, and trying to turn the Spirit Hall into her personal fiefdom. The Hall of Offerings must hold onto the last line of defense: the inheritance of the Angel God must never be broken.”

Florian pursed his lips.

He had actually noticed these things long ago.

During his years at the Spirit Hall Academy, he had witnessed many students privately discussing the conflicts between the Papal Palace and the Hall of Offerings, and he had seen some teachers clearly favoring one side. However, he had never thought about it deeply before, because in his view, these matters had nothing to do with him.

"Teacher, I..."

“Florian,” Qian Daoliu interrupted him.

"You are my disciple, Qian Daoliu, and this is something the entire Spirit Hall knows. From the moment you became my disciple, you were branded with the mark of the Hall of Worship. Whether you like it or not, you have been drawn into this power struggle."

Qian Daoliu's gaze was almost tangible, as if it could penetrate Florian's body and look directly into his soul.

"Therefore, I want you to understand your own position."

Florey was silent for a moment.

“Teacher,” he raised his head and looked directly into Qian Daoliu’s eyes.

"I never intended to get involved in any power struggles. I cultivate and become stronger only to protect those who need protection and to bring more light to this world."

His voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable power.

"If I had to choose a side, I would choose to stand on the side of justice, on the side of light, whether it is the Papal Palace or the Temple of Worship."

Qian Daoliu looked at Florian without saying a word for a long time.

Silence fell over the main hall.

After a long while, Qian Daoliu slowly exhaled, a rare smile appearing on his face.

"very good."

He stood up, walked over to Florian, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Remember what you said today, Florian. No matter what happens in the future, no matter which side you stand on, stay true to yourself and hold fast to the light in your heart."

“Yes, teacher.” Florian nodded solemnly.

"Go." Qian Daoliu waved his hand. "Go back and cultivate diligently, prepare to break through to level thirty-five. For your fourth spirit ring, I will have someone find a light-type spirit beast that is about ten thousand years old. Remember, your fourth spirit ring is crucial; it will determine the direction of your future development."

“I understand.” Florian bowed again, then turned and slowly walked out of the hall.

His footsteps gradually faded into the distance and eventually disappeared.

Qian Daoliu stood alone in the empty hall, looking up at the six-winged angel statue.

“An upright person…” he repeated the phrase softly, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, but more so a deep worry.

Florian is a good boy, kind-hearted and exceptionally talented. But it is precisely children like him who are most vulnerable to being hurt in the vortex of power struggles.

Bibi Dong will not let him go.

A disciple of the Grand Elder of the Hall of Offerings, a genius with the ultimate light attribute, a future pillar of the Hall of Offerings... Bibi Dong will do everything she can to either win him over or destroy him.

What Qian Daoliu can do is pave the way for him and clear away the obstacles before he grows up.

Including... that ten-thousand-year-old light-type soul beast.

"Someone come here," Qian Daoliu said again.

Another golden figure appeared at the entrance of the palace.

"Send the order to the Eye of Light team to speed up the search and find several suitable ten-thousand-year-old light-type soul beasts as soon as possible, the higher the quality the better."

"Yes, High Priest!" the guard replied, disappearing in a flash.

Qian Daoliu sat back down in his chair and closed his eyes.

His spiritual power spread out like an invisible tide, crossing the high walls of the Hall of Worship, passing through the streets of Martial Soul City, and finally stopping in the direction of the Papal Palace.

There, a cold, dark aura, filled with resentment and hatred, lurked like a venomous snake, ready to devour anyone it might.

“Bibi Dong…” Qian Daoliu silently murmured the name in his heart.

He won't lay a hand on her.

Not only because she was Qian Renxue's mother, but also because... he felt guilty towards her.

Chapter 297 Hu Liena

Senjiro knew everything that Senjiro had done.

But he didn't stop her, because at that time he also believed that a Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall should not be entangled with a useless Soul Master.

He was wrong.

That's completely wrong.

That incident ruined the future of a gifted young girl and also created the twisted and dark pope we know today.

But guilt is guilt, and bottom line is bottom line.

If Bibi Dong dares to attack Florian, dares to attack Bai Xue, dares to attack the very foundation of the Spirit Hall...

Qian Daoliu opened his eyes, a sharp, sword-like golden light flashing within them.

So even if he bears the infamy of killing his daughter-in-law, he will end it all himself.

……

When Florian left the temple, the sun was already high in the sky.

Golden sunlight streamed down the wide streets of Spirit City, bathing the magnificent buildings in a dazzling glow. The streets were bustling with people: ordinary citizens, spirit masters in various costumes, and deacons and guardian knights in Spirit Hall uniforms.

Everything looked so calm and orderly.

But Florian knew that beneath this calm lay a turbulent power struggle, a conflict that could erupt at any moment.

He walked slowly along the street, the words Qian Daoliu had just said echoing in his mind.

“You are my disciple, Qian Daoliu… From the moment you became my disciple, you were branded with the mark of the Hall of Worship.”

"Whether you like it or not, you have been drawn into this power struggle."

Florian sighed softly.

He truly never intended to get involved in any power struggles. He came into this world with the Radiant Unicorn Martial Soul and was taken in as a disciple by Qian Daoliu.

It all seemed like it was all arranged by fate.

But he has his own mission.

Through the system, he knew that his purpose in being summoned to this world was to gain reputation points and help Lin Wan complete a larger plan.

The best way to gain reputation points is to shine in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

The next competition will be held in three years.

At his current cultivation speed, reaching the Soul Master realm in three years will not be a problem.

Furthermore, with a bit of luck and some special opportunities, it's not entirely impossible to break through to the Soul King level.

The problem lies in the number of participants.

As the top-tier Soul Master academy on the continent, the Spirit Hall Academy experiences far more intense internal competition than any other academy.

This place gathers the most outstanding young soul masters within the entire Spirit Hall's sphere of influence, with countless Soul Masters under the age of twenty-five.

Not to mention the three geniuses hailed as the "Golden Generation": Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan.

All three of them have now reached the Soul Master realm. At their cultivation speed, they will definitely all break through to the Soul King level by the next competition.

Although Florian was quite talented, he was a few years younger than them and had been cultivating for a shorter time.

The difficulty of catching up with or even surpassing them within three years and obtaining a valuable competition spot is self-evident.

“I need more reputation points…” Florian muttered to himself.

Over the past six years, he has gained some prestige in Wuhun City.

From the sensation at the time of his awakening to the glory of becoming a disciple of Qian Daoliu, and his outstanding performances time and time again within the academy, all of these have brought him prestige.

But not enough.

In the system interface, his reputation points had accumulated to a considerable number, but he was still far from being able to exchange them for treasures that could truly and significantly enhance his strength.

He needs a larger-scale showcase, he needs more people to know him and remember him.

The Soul Master Competition is the best stage for this.

Florian knew that his other summoned companions shared the same thought.

With their talents, Cinderella and Tang San are at Shrek Academy in the Heaven Dou Empire, and it's almost certain that they will participate in the next Soul Master Competition.