Qian Gu Zhangting stood in front of the huge monitoring screen, surrounded only by the low hum of the instruments in operation.
On the screen, Huo Yuhao's figure leaps and attacks through the forest, his movements so concise and fluid that they are breathtaking. Ordinary hundred-year-old soul beasts could hardly last a single move against Huo Yuhao.
As for those thousand-year-old soul beasts that would make a team of soul masters of the same level take them seriously, he could always defeat them after a bit of effort, thanks to his extraordinary mental control and combat intuition.
Almost half of the energy generated from killing the soul beast was absorbed by the gray bead in the sea of consciousness. Therefore, the number of spirit beasts that need to be killed will naturally double if Xiao Yin wants to successfully advance to a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
This wasn't a big deal for Huo Yuhao; it just meant he'd need to spend more time, and he already had more time than others.
Seeing that the color of Huo Yuhao's spirit rings was gradually deepening, Qian Gu Zhangting knew that breaking through ten thousand years was only a matter of time.And this time probably won't be long!
Qian Gu Zhangting frowned, his expression somewhat solemn.
Having followed Huo Yuhao for so long, Qian Gu Zhangting has always witnessed his progress.
Just when Qian Gu Zhangting thought he had seen through his limits, Huo Yuhao would always bring him unexpected shocks, making Qian Gu Zhangting realize that he had made a mistake!
Qian Gu Zhangting's eyes turned completely cold, and he slowly exhaled.
"Shut it down."
He gave the order in a calm voice, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
The operator paused for a moment, then turned off the screen as requested by Qian Gu Zhang Ting.
Qian Gu Zhangting then turned around and walked towards the outside of the monitoring room.
...
"Grandfather!"
Qian Gu Zhangting's voice echoed in the empty office, carrying the deep-seated respect ingrained in the family's tradition.
Before him, behind a large, dark wooden desk, the current master of the Spirit Transmission Tower, Qian Gu Dongfeng, had his gaze fixed on a file in front of him, without looking up.
"Zhang Ting has arrived."
Qian Gu Dong Feng's voice was calm and even, revealing no emotion: "What is it?"
Qian Gu Zhangting took a deep breath and said directly, "Grandpa, Huo Yuhao has just entered the Spirit Ascension Platform."
"Judging from the energy absorption pattern and soul fluctuations, he should be helping his first soul break through the ten-thousand-year limit."
"Moreover, his accumulated soul power... is probably not far from the bottleneck of level 30."
The soft rustling of turning the pages of the archives ceased, and the ancient east wind slowly raised its head. Those eyes, weathered by time and seemingly able to see through everything, now resembled a calm, deep sea, resting on the grandson's solemn face, which even showed a hint of tension.
"What?" Qian Gu Dong Feng's tone remained calm, yet it was like an undercurrent flowing beneath the ice.
"You...are you afraid?"
"I..."
Qian Gu Zhangting felt as if something was blocking his throat; he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a complete syllable.
He subconsciously avoided Qian Gu Dong Feng's sharp, knife-like gaze, and slowly lowered his head. His hands, which were hanging by his sides, suddenly clenched tightly at this moment, and his knuckles turned slightly white from the excessive force.
The fingernails dug deep into the palm, bringing a sharp sting, but it did nothing to alleviate the mixed feelings of resentment, frustration, and an indescribable sense of unease in the chest.
The silence felt like a real weight, pressing down on him so much that he could hardly breathe. Finally, he practically squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, his voice low and trembling slightly.
"Grandpa… when I was his age..."
He paused for a moment, as if using all his strength to utter the second half of the sentence: "...I was not his match."
After he finished speaking, the office fell into a deathly silence. Although he didn't admit it, Qian Gu Zhangting knew in his heart that he was indeed afraid!
It's not that I'm afraid of Huo Yuhao's current strength, but rather his unfathomable potential and his trajectory that overlaps too much with that of a legend!
Qian Gu Dongfeng's gaze calmly fell on his grandson's face. The silence lasted for a full ten breaths, so oppressive that Qian Gu Zhangting could almost hear his own heart pounding like a drum.
Finally, that emotionless voice rang out again: "Fear is normal."
Qian Gu Zhangting looked up in astonishment at his grandfather's calm expression.
Qian Gu Dongfeng's gaze shifted slightly, seemingly piercing through time and space, his voice tinged with an elusive sense of reminiscence and awe.
"After all... that was the first Tower Master, Huo Yuhao, the Spirit Ice Douluo who truly ascended to the God Realm."
The next moment, his gaze sharpened, and he regained his composure. "The investigation lasted for two whole years."
Qian Gu Dong Feng lowered his voice: "We've used every available channel, but we still can't figure out where Leng Yao Zhu got this child from. It's as if he... appeared out of thin air."
"But without a doubt, whether it's the name, the martial spirit, or the appearance... they are extremely similar to the first tower master!"
"Once he truly grows up, he will pose a tremendous threat to our Eternal Family's rule over the Spirit Pagoda!"
The ancient clan, with its foundation of producing quasi-god level experts for generations, has long regarded the Spirit Pagoda as their own.
Upon hearing this, a ferocious look flashed across Qian Gu Zhangting's face. His eyes flashed with cold light, and he raised his right hand, making a clean, decisive slashing motion in front of his neck.
His voice was extremely low, yet carried a chilling, bloodthirsty edge: "Grandpa, since that's the case... why don't we... while he's still young and his wings aren't fully grown?"
He didn't finish speaking, but his gestures and the naked killing intent in his eyes conveyed his intentions perfectly. They're taking advantage of Huo Yuhao's young age and low strength to eliminate him completely and prevent future troubles!
Qian Gu Dongfeng's gaze lingered on his grandson's face for a moment, and the fleeting ruthlessness and restless eagerness in his eyes made him sigh silently in his heart.
My grandson has some talent, but his temperament... is far from good enough. They are afraid when faced with strength, and impatient when striving for it. Their actions tend to be ruthless and direct, lacking true vision and patience.
With such a mindset, one might be able to reach the level of a quasi-demigod in the future by accumulating resources, but reaching the threshold of a true demigod or even a quasi-god would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Even without Huo Yuhao's sudden emergence as a "variable," once he and the old tower master, both quasi-gods, passed away, the Thousand Ancient Pavilion alone would probably not be able to suppress the covetous eyes inside and outside the Spirit Transmission Tower.
The position of Tower Master... is likely to be lost to the ancient clan. Thinking of this, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Qian Gu Dong Feng's eyes.
He suddenly raised his voice: "No matter how similar they are, this Huo Yuhao is not the first Tower Master!"
His gaze was sharp as he looked at Qian Gu Zhang Ting: "A little pressure, a little uncertainty, and you're thrown into such a state of panic, so afraid, that you even have such lowly thoughts?"
"With such limited capacity and your current state of mind, how much of the true meaning of my family's secret Unyielding Staff Technique can you possibly comprehend?!"
"I'm sorry, Grandpa..."
Qian Gu Zhangting trembled from the sudden, stern rebuke. The color drained from his face, and he lowered his head again, his voice barely audible. The fierce aura from before had vanished, leaving only fear.
Qian Gu Dongfeng snorted coldly and warned in an unfriendly tone, "Keep your underhanded schemes to yourself. The Phoenix lineage is not to be trifled with!"
"You think you can easily get out of this mess after you've messed with Huo Yuhao?"
He waved his hand irritably: "Go back to your training! What's the use of daydreaming? Strength is the foundation of everything!"
"Yes! Your grandson takes his leave!"
Qian Gu Zhangting felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He dared not linger for a moment and left the office almost backwards, gently closing the heavy door behind him.
Only when that door completely separated the inside from the outside did Qian Gu Dong Feng's straight back relax almost imperceptibly.
He slowly leaned back in the wide chair and raised his hand to rub his temples.
After a long while, a soft sigh echoed in the empty office.
"Leng Yaozhu, what were you thinking when you brought this child to the Spirit Pagoda?"