Chapter 189: The Forgotten Vow of the Qianfeng Family
Mu Qingxue's words left Xiao Qiang momentarily confused. Ten thousand years had passed, and yet there were still retainers of the Angel Spirit?
"Ten thousand years ago, during the era of the Spirit Hall when the Angel Spirit stood at its peak, there were four families that had received immense favor from the Qian clan, the inheritors of the Angel Spirit. These families swore eternal loyalty to the Angel Spirit and altered their surnames—adding 'Qian' to the front as a sign of their undying fealty. Thus, Qian became the prefix to their original surnames, forming entirely new names that symbolized their family's lifelong devotion."
As Mu Qingxue explained, Xiao Qiang paused and frowned slightly.
"Wait—you're saying they placed 'Qian' in front of their original surnames? Then… was one of those families originally surnamed Gu?"
"How do you know that?" Mu Qingxue's expression shifted. "That's supposed to be a top-level secret… Even among Angel Spirit users, few know of it."
"Let's just say I have my own sources. But that doesn't matter. What does is whether these four families can still be considered reliable?"
In his mind, Xiao Qiang recalled the Qiangu Family—they were never true retainers of the Angel Spirit in Douluo Dalu's history. On the contrary, they were comparable in strength and influence.
Mu Qingxue shook her head slightly. "They're not reliable anymore. Not after all this time. The vows made ten thousand years ago were made by people long gone. Add to that the weakening of the Angel Spirit and the fall of the Spirit Hall, and it's no surprise that those old allegiances have eroded. Qianli, one of the four families, vanished into history along with the Spirit Hall. Qianyun, one of the greatest Spirit Hall elites, perished during the final battle."
She continued, voice calm but heavy with truth.
"The Qiangu family betrayed us. When they saw the tide turning, they allied themselves with Shrek and the Clear Sky Sect, helping them destroy the Angel Spirit. After the Clear Sky Sect vanished, the Qiangu clan survived by embedding themselves into Shrek. I'm almost certain there's a current Sea God Pavilion elder bearing the Qiangu name."
Xiao Qiang nodded, not surprised in the slightest. "So, three of the four families are gone or have turned traitor. Are you really sure the last one is still loyal?"
Mu Qingxue offered a wry smile. "Honestly? I'm not sure. Even if they once fought and died for the Angel Spirit, who's to say they still hold that loyalty after ten thousand years?"
Xiao Qiang remained silent, watching her carefully. He understood well—Mu Qingxue wouldn't have brought this up in the middle of the night if all four families had truly fallen.
Sure enough, Mu Qingxue soon resumed her explanation.
"The Angel Spirit didn't fall without a fight. Unlike the Clear Sky Sect, which surrendered before even resisting, the Spirit Hall fought until its last breath. That determination left an impression—even after defeat. After the fusion of the Sun Moon Continent and Douluo Continent, the patriarchs of the Qianfeng and Qianli families found the surviving members of the Angel Spirit lineage and made a promise: if anyone from the Angel Spirit bloodline could reach the eighth ring before turning thirty and possess two one-hundred-thousand-year soul rings, they would renew their allegiance."
Xiao Qiang raised a brow. "That's nearly impossible under normal conditions."
He was right. In an era before the concept of spirits and souls, acquiring even one hundred-thousand-year soul ring was difficult enough. Two was nearly unheard of—especially under the constant threat from Shrek and the Clear Sky Sect.
"It was meant to be impossible," Mu Qingxue admitted. "They weren't handing out loyalty—they were buying time. If such a miracle occurred, they knew the Angel Spirit would be worth following again."
Xiao Qiang nodded in understanding. "Even if it was just a theoretical promise, the fact that they bothered to make it… speaks volumes."
"And now I've fulfilled those conditions." Mu Qingxue's voice was steady, but there was a hint of pride beneath it. "I'm a level 86 Soul Douluo. I have two one-hundred-thousand-year spirit rings. Even though the Qianli family is long gone, the Qianfeng family is still around. I believe I can hold them to that ancient promise."
She hadn't expected much, but when Xiao Qiang told her the new organization would be called the Soul Hall—a deliberate echo of the Spirit Hall—something had stirred in her. Soul Hall wasn't built from old remnants, but from the rising talents of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy and the Mingde Hall. That gave her hope. That gave her the desire to rebuild.
Now, with her strength and ultimate fire abilities, she didn't need to beg. She could demand allegiance—by showing she was worthy of it.
"And what kind of strength does the Qianfeng family still possess?" Xiao Qiang asked.
"The patriarch and both elders are Soul Douluo. They also have eleven Soul Saints," Mu Qingxue reported. "A respectable force by current standards."
Xiao Qiang nodded thoughtfully. In this era, the influence of a Soul Douluo still carried weight—particularly outside the major academies.
"Good. Rest for the night. We'll leave at first light."
With their decision made, Xiao Qiang, Xiao Lan, Mu Qingxue, and Nana set off for the Qianfeng family's territory.
The journey was largely uneventful.
Until, by chance, a group from Shrek Academy arrived at the same hotel.