After finishing the spirit battle for the day, Wu Qi did not return to the academy immediately.
After parting ways with Changkong at the entrance of the Great Spirit Arena, he headed alone toward the Crown Prince's residence.
During this trip to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he had obtained a special immortal herb, the Radiant Heavenly Glory Herb.
This herb was extremely beneficial to light-attribute Spirit Masters and was most suitable for Qian Renxue, who possessed the Six-Winged Angel martial soul.
As for Qian Daoliu, his potential had already reached its limit. Even with an immortal herb, his strength wouldn't improve further, nor would it help him inherit a divine position.
The faster Qian Renxue's strength grew, the less likely Qian Daoliu's eventual downfall would mirror how complete and abrupt it had been in the original timeline.
Why did Wu Qi want to build his own force? Precisely because Qian Daoliu was unreliable.
The man was indecisive, always seeking balance, and in the end allowed Bibi Dong to act freely, leading the entire Spirit Hall toward ruin.
With a force of his own, Wu Qi wouldn't be left helpless when Qian Daoliu fell.
If Qian Daoliu managed to withstand the pressure, this force could act as a proxy for the Worship Hall. Otherwise, it could serve as a reserve power to oppose Bibi Dong.
Moreover, Dugu Bo and the Feng, Shui, and Huo factions all had little affection for Spirit Hall. Directly recruiting them would not only be difficult but might also lead to Bibi Dong intervening and taking them first.
Wu Qi firmly believed that one should hold their fate in their own hands, not rely on someone as indecisive as Qian Daoliu.
Lost in thought, he soon arrived at the Crown Prince's residence.
Thanks to prior instructions from Xue Qinghe, the guards did not stop him, allowing him to proceed straight to the study.
Sensing his presence, Xue Qinghe set down his brush and looked up, carefully observing him.
"Your Highness, it's been a while." Wu Qi cupped his fists in greeting.
Xue Qinghe nodded slightly and gestured for him to sit.
After a moment, he asked, "I'm quite curious. In just one month, how has your spirit power increased so quickly?"
"You said you went out training with the Poison Douluo. Did you obtain some kind of opportunity?"
The only explanations Qian Renxue could think of were a Spirit Bone or a divine trial.
If it were a Spirit Bone, Dugu Bo wouldn't have handed it over so easily. That left only the possibility of a divine trial.
Unaware of his thoughts, Wu Qi explained, "It was an immortal herb…"
He then repeated the explanation he had prepared earlier.
He wasn't sure how closely Qian Renxue was connected to the Worship Hall, so it was best not to reveal the existence of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well for now.
After listening, Xue Qinghe showed a hint of disappointment.
If Wu Qi had truly obtained a divine trial, it would have greatly strengthened Spirit Hall.
Since the immortal herb was Wu Qi's personal opportunity, he chose not to press further.
"By the way, what's your situation with Poison Douluo? The three education committee members mentioned that you get along quite well. Didn't he give you trouble over Dugu Yan?"
Wu Qi shook his head. "Due to some special circumstances, my relationship with Senior Dugu has improved. He may not join Spirit Hall, but he has promised not to oppose it."
That alone was already a good outcome.
As for Prince Xue Xing, that matter would need to be handled gradually.
After a pause, Wu Qi gave a subtle signal. Xue Qinghe understood immediately and ordered the two hidden guards, Snake Spear and Thorn Blood to seal off the entire study.
Once everything was secured, Wu Qi took out an immortal herb radiating pure light from his storage device.
Xue Qinghe could clearly sense that the herb resonated with the Six-Winged Angel martial soul.
It felt as though absorbing it would bring about a qualitative leap in strength.
"What is this?"
"The Radiant Heavenly Glory Herb. It's extremely beneficial to light-attribute Spirit Masters."
Xue Qinghe took a deep breath. "This is one of the immortal herbs you mentioned?"
Wu Qi nodded. "I still have a few more. I plan to invite my teacher to come to Heaven Dou City and take them back for my elders to absorb. It might help them break through their long-standing bottlenecks."
"However, I won't be able to provide one for the Grand Worship. Light-attribute immortal herbs are extremely rare. Having even one is already fortunate."
Xue Qinghe nodded seriously and accepted the letter from him. "I'll explain this matter to Grandfather personally. Don't worry, he's not narrow-minded and won't blame you over this."
"On the contrary, you've made a great contribution this time. Grandfather intends to designate you as part of the Golden Generation. Now there's finally a proper reason."
"Huh?" Wu Qi blinked in surprise.
After all that, he had somehow become part of the Golden Generation?
He had been talking about dealing with the Golden Generation all along wasn't this like turning on himself?
What kind of situation was this?
Xue Qinghe smiled faintly and explained, "The Pope's side has already nominated candidates for the Golden Generation, but Grandfather has been holding off on approving it. He wants to add you and Changkong's names."
"With the merit you've earned this time, whether for the sake of her disciple or to get Grandfather to loosen his stance, that woman will have no choice but to compromise."
However, Wu Qi and Changkong's status as members of the Golden Generation would not be made public for the time being. It would only be announced within the upper ranks.
Once they stepped onto the stage of power within Spirit Hall, this title would be revealed to the public along with their achievements.
With that, Wu Qi no longer had any concerns.
After explaining how to use the immortal herbs, he took his leave.
"Wait." Xue Qinghe called out to him, a faint smile on his face. "Little Wu, thank you."
As he spoke, he lightly patted Wu Qi's shoulder. "If you need anything in the future, I will always support you. Grandfather and the others aren't rigid traditionalists. As long as you don't harm the Hall's interests, they won't oppose you."
Wu Qi nodded, expressed his thanks, and disappeared into the night.
From the shadows, Snake Spear Douluo and Thorn Blood Douluo stepped into the study.
"Since you've come out, what are your thoughts?" Xue Qinghe leaned back against the desk.
Snake Spear Douluo pondered for a moment before saying, "Young Master, that boy acts too unpredictably. His relationship with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is also unclear. I'm worried he might expose your identity and cause your entire plan to collapse."
Xue Qinghe was well aware of this.
He knew Wu Qi was intelligent, his dealings with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect must have a purpose and might not be a bad thing.
Besides, he had just said he would support him unconditionally. Changing his stance now would be too quick a contradiction.
"His matters are his own to decide. There's no need to bring this up again," Xue Qinghe concluded.
He then quickly wrote a letter and instructed Snake Spear Douluo to have it delivered overnight to Spirit City.
After leaving the Crown Prince's residence, Wu Qi began considering how to recruit the Feng, Shui, and Huo families.
Now that he had returned and revealed his strength, Feng Xiaotian would certainly report back, prompting discussions among his family elders.
At the earliest, tomorrow, the heads of the Feng and Huo families would invite him for talks.
This negotiation would be crucial, and he needed to prepare thoroughly in advance.
During the discussions, they would undoubtedly try to take advantage of his youth and set traps at every turn.
Wu Qi knew his own limitations. The only thing he could do was hold firmly to his bottom line.
Before that, clearly defining those boundaries was essential.
Note: From now on, while in disguise, the name "Xue Qinghe" will be used. Only when the disguise is removed will "Qian Renxue" be used.
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