Chapter 193: Submission of the Qianfeng Family
When Mu Qingxue displayed her six black and two red soul rings, and released the aura of her ultimate fire, Qianfeng Lie—the current head of the Qianfeng Family—fell to his knees without hesitation.
As the patriarch of a clan boasting three Soul Douluo-level powerhouses, Qianfeng Lie had no intention of becoming anyone's subordinate again. The reason his ancestors had once sworn allegiance to the Qian family of the Spirit Hall was simple: weakness. The martial spirits of the Light Knights in their bloodline rarely allowed cultivation beyond the seven-ring Soul Saint stage. But with the emergence of the Sun Moon Empire's alchemical breakthroughs, their clan had managed to produce three Soul Douluo. Though still not among the elite, they could no longer be considered weak.
Thus, in Qianfeng Lie's mind, there was no justification for reverting to subservience.
When Mu Qingxue arrived, he was already prepared to reject the ancestral agreement—albeit with compensation. After all, now that his family had strength, they could afford to negotiate. He even planned to offer Mu Qingxue three unconditional services in the future as a token of compromise, hoping for a peaceful outcome beneficial to both sides.
But all such thoughts were shattered the moment Mu Qingxue revealed her ultimate fire.
A six black, two red soul ring configuration alone spoke volumes—it meant every one of her soul rings was at least ten thousand years old, and she possessed two soul skills at the hundred thousand-year level. Coupled with the Angel Martial Spirit, Qianfeng Lie still harbored a sliver of defiance, thinking perhaps he could reason with her. However, once Mu Qingxue declared she had fused with the ultimate fire from the Flame Starhorn Tree, all resistance in his heart disintegrated.
With the Angel Martial Spirit empowered by ultimate fire, Mu Qingxue's strength was clearly on par with a Super Douluo.
Three Soul Douluo and a cadre of Soul Saints might hold their ground against a standard Titled Douluo, but against a Super Douluo? They were lambs before a lion, without a shred of leverage.
If the agreement with a Titled Douluo was broken, there was still room for apology and compensation. But to anger a Super Douluo who could wipe them out without consequence—that was a risk Qianfeng Lie dared not take.
Mu Qingxue, unaware of the internal turmoil behind Qianfeng Lie's submission, merely saw a loyal retainer fulfilling an ancestral pact. His quick surrender only confirmed this in her eyes.
"Rise," Mu Qingxue commanded calmly. "Now, tell me the current strength of your Qianfeng Family—and tell him as well."
She raised her jade-like hand and pointed at Xiao Qiang.
Qianfeng Lie looked at Xiao Qiang and asked with slight hesitation, "This is…"
"The Lord of the Soul Hall," Mu Qingxue replied, "and my direct superior. I now serve as the Chief Worshiper of the Soul Hall's Worship Hall."
"Soul Hall? My Lord, is this the same as the Spirit Hall…?" Qianfeng Lie asked instinctively.
"It is not," Mu Qingxue answered. "But he has entrusted the Worship Hall to me. As long as nothing unexpected occurs, the position of Chief Worshiper shall forever belong to the Angel Spirit."
"I understand." Qianfeng Lie nodded solemnly. "My Lord, the martial spirit of my Qianfeng Family is the Knight of Light. Its innate spirit power is typically at level six or seven, though occasionally we produce individuals with level eight or nine. A full innate soul power only emerges once every few centuries."
"Myself and the two elders are all innately level eight. We are currently Soul Douluo. However, due to a lack of ability to hunt high-level spirit beasts, our eighth rings are all around forty thousand years old. My own spirit power is level 81, the First Elder is level 82, and the Second Elder is also level 81."
"In addition, our family has 11 Soul Saints, 37 Soul Emperors, 93 Soul Kings, and 321 soul masters who have awakened the Light Knight martial spirit. Furthermore, we have more than 500 slave soul masters. Among them, fewer than 30 have reached the Soul Sect level. Most of them are either first- or second-ring soul masters, with very few possessing three rings."
"You have so many retainers?" Xiao Qiang asked with a hint of surprise.
Mu Qingxue, however, remained indifferent. "This is quite normal. Back when the Spirit Hall existed, soul masters who reached level ten received one gold soul coin per month. That allowed even the poorest of soul masters to borrow money at high interest rates to hire protection and hunt spirit beasts—because that fixed income guaranteed a return."
"But after the Spirit Hall disappeared, so did that income. Now, a level-ten soul master with no backing either takes the risk of hunting in the Star Dou Forest alone—or sells themselves into servitude."
"And since fewer are willing to risk their lives alone, the soul master market shifted from a seller's market to a buyer's market. Hence the increase in slave retainers," Xiao Qiang added with a nod.
"Correct. But tell me," he asked Qianfeng Lie, "your Light Knight martial spirit seems quite potent. With decent innate power levels, why did your clan historically struggle to reach Soul Douluo without alchemy?"
Qianfeng Lie sighed. "My Lord, our martial spirit is indeed not weak, but it has a major flaw. Though it is that of a knight, it lacks any soul skills related to mounts. More than two thousand years ago, our first patriarch to reach Soul Douluo through medicine attempted to form a Thousand Wind Cavalry force. Yet, not a single one among them could summon a warhorse."
"A knight without a mount," Xiao Qiang mused, "is like a sword without a blade."
"Exactly," Qianfeng Lie said bitterly. "That flaw limited our martial spirit's growth and our strategic value. So while we carry the title of knights, we've long struggled to live up to the name in battle."