Douluo: Qian Xunji's Joyful Life

Chapter 9: A Transaction with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan

Between Heaven Dou City and Wuhun City, inside Jialing Pass at the Wuhun Main Hall, the Red-Robed Bishop was in a state of extreme anxiety because several important figures had arrived: Pope Qian Xunji, two Hall-Guardian Douluo, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's Sect Master Ning Zhiping, and the clan's consecrated expert, Qitian Douluo Qi Jie. Any one of them was enough to place immense pressure on him.

Right now, Qian Xunji had only just ascended to the Papal throne, and his prestige was still zero. He had yet to gather true power, and the two Hall-Guardian Douluo at the Pope's Palace were left behind by Qian Daoliu. If they learned that Qian Xunji was about to hand over a super-genius—twin martial souls with innate full soul power—to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan in this donkey-brained deal, they would surely report it to Qian Daoliu, who would then rush to put a stop to it and scold him soundly.

Hence, Qian Xunji had changed the transaction site, relocating it to this Wuhun Main Hall at Jialing Pass, on the route Bibi Dong had taken from her village to Wuhun City.

In a quiet chamber of the Main Hall, Qian Xunji and Ning Zhiping sat drinking tea, with Qitian Douluo Qi Jie standing guard beside Ning Zhiping. One of the Hall-Guardian Douluo was also present to protect Qian Xunji, but his expression was extremely grim. Only upon arriving here and meeting Ning Zhiping did he learn that Qian Xunji planned to trade Bibi Dong to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. He hadn't even had time to argue with Qian Xunji—much less inform Qian Daoliu.

Qian Xunji smiled calmly. "Sect Master Ning, you're well aware that since this is a transaction, both parties must bring suitable terms."

"Your Holiness, of course I understand. What do you want?" Ning Zhiping responded with the same cultured and affable smile he used in all his dealings with the soul master world and the nobility circles.

"I want the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's secret technique: Distraction Control."

Qian Xunji tapped his finger lightly on the table, smiling as he looked at Ning Zhiping.

"That's all?" Ning Zhiping was momentarily taken aback.

"Distraction Control" refers to the ability to simultaneously guide different soul skills to take effect. This style of control is useful for any soul master, but its impact on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan stands out even more.

Ordinary soul masters expend more soul power on more powerful soul skills. For the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, however, each soul skill at a given rank costs the same amount of soul power—whether it's gained from a hundred-year or thousand-year ring. That's because those rings simply break through the "bottlenecks" of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda; the actual skills themselves come innately with the martial soul.

When a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda soul master is at Grandmaster rank (20s), two skills consume the soul power of a second ring; at Soul Elder (30s), three skills use the consumption of a third ring, and so on.

Thus, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda needs Distraction Control to precisely specify on whom, and for how long, each skill is applied, requiring them to observe the battlefield and multitask. The technique has five tiers: the Three Apertures Controlling Heart, Four Apertures Eternal Heart, Five Apertures Dispersing Heart, Six Apertures Wishful Heart, and Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart. Each tier represents the number of soul skills that can be simultaneously activated and the number of targets that can be precisely assisted. The Three Apertures Controlling Heart, for instance, means simultaneously handling three soul skills across three targets for precise support.

In the general perception of the soul master world, Distraction Control's worth is limited, as most soul masters expend varying amounts of soul power for different soul skills, and their total soul power usually can't cover casting them all at once. Over time, this technique was mostly lost, surviving only in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. But from Qian Xunji's viewpoint, it was laughable to call that perception "shallow." In truth, Distraction Control is priceless. Beyond unleashing multiple skills at once for intense burst power, it even perfects one's ability to multitask—an extremely powerful technique. Just like how Xiaolongnu once needed help combining swords to defeat Jinlun Fawang, yet later on she could hold her own solo.

"Of course, that's not all. I also want the three most luxurious commercial streets in the business quarters of Heaven Dou City and Star Luo City to be fully transferred to the Wuhun Hall."

"Your Holiness, that might be pushing it." Ning Zhiping's smile disappeared, and his voice took on a deeper tone. "Those six commercial streets bring our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan over fifty million gold soul coins in profit each year. The lifetime cost of nurturing a genius—even accounting for cultivation resources and soul bones—would be only two hundred million gold soul coins."

Qian Xunji gave a slight smile. "Sect Master Ning, you're well aware whether it's truly too high a price. A genius with innate full soul power is rare enough once in a hundred years, and a genius with twin martial souls and innate full soul power is practically unheard of in a thousand. Such a figure is almost guaranteed to reach Titled Douluo, securing your clan for a century or more."

"Moreover, with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's ability to appraise treasures, money will always be just a number to you."

Ning Zhiping frowned slightly, as though in deep thought. Qian Xunji wasn't worried; he knew perfectly well that Ning Zhiping was an old fox. This pondering was just a performance to see if he could squeeze out a bit more profit.

When it came to acquiring someone like Bibi Dong, a twin-martial-soul genius with innate full soul power, Ning Zhiping would empty his coffers if he had to. After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had hundreds of core family members spread across the continent specifically for treasure appraisal and investment.

Moments later, Ning Zhiping held up five fingers. "One billion gold soul coins, Your Holiness. I'll offer one billion and teach you Distraction Control in exchange for Bibi Dong."

Qian Xunji pretended to sigh. "Sect Master Ning, do you really think I'm that easy to fool, having just ascended to the Papal throne?"

"Your Holiness, a genius is only a genius if they grow up safely. Surely you understand that."

"Sect Master Ning, you should likewise understand that if Bibi Dong grows to her full potential, she can guard the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan for the next hundred years. And more than that, her Death Spider Emperor and Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor will take root in your clan—top-tier martial souls that can produce other prodigies."

After some intense haggling, they settled on a deal: five hundred million gold soul coins, ownership of three major luxury commercial streets in Heaven Dou City, plus Distraction Control in exchange for Bibi Dong.

Qian Xunji was quite satisfied, and so were Ning Zhiping and Qi Jie. But the two Hall-Guardian Douluo were near the point of vomiting blood. Bibi Dong was a priceless treasure—no amount of gold soul coins could measure her worth. How could Qian Xunji just give her away?

That so-called notion that "a genius is only a genius if they can reach maturity" meant the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would naturally spare no effort to keep Bibi Dong safe and help her achieve Titled Douluo. In their eyes, Qian Xunji was essentially creating a future enemy for the Wuhun Hall.

The two Hall-Guardian Douluo closed their eyes in near despair, already envisioning the eventual decline of the Wuhun Hall under Qian Xunji's leadership.

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