Calling Them to Account?

Spirit Hall, a side chamber in the Pope's residence.

Warm golden light streamed through the carved window lattice. The chamber was quiet and elegant, filled with a faint, delicate fragrance.

Ever since Qian Lingye had exceptionally broken through to level ten and awakened his Martial Soul, Bibi Dong had devoted all her spare time to her youngest son.

When an ordinary Soul Master broke through to level ten, they needed only a compatible Hundred-Year Soul Ring to advance. But Qian Lingye's black Martial Soul was far too unusual; ordinary Soul Rings could not fuse with it at all.

In recent days, Bibi Dong had mobilized all of Spirit Hall's intelligence and search forces to scour hidden corners across the continent, selecting more than a dozen high-quality Thousand-Year Dark-type Soul Beasts with pure attributes.

Throughout the Soul Master World, Thousand-Year Soul Rings were treasures countless Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings dreamed of obtaining. Selecting one as the First Soul Ring for a newly advanced level-ten Soul Scholar was extravagance in the extreme. Across the entire continent, only Spirit Hall had the resources and boldness to do such a thing.

At this moment, more than a dozen Soul Power crystals containing the sealed origins of the Soul Beasts were neatly arranged on the table. Each surged with pure Dark Soul Power and gave off a profound, ancient presence. Qian Lingye had not even needed to hunt them himself; in Bibi Dong's eyes, the Soul Master World's so-called ten great theories and eight great rules were no different from bullshit.

But no matter which crystal lit up and tried to resonate with Qian Lingye's Martial Soul, the dark Martial Soul within him remained still as water, giving no response whatsoever. Each attempt vanished like a stone sinking into the sea.

After several tries, every attempt had still ended in failure.

Qian Lingye stood quietly to one side, a smile on his youthful face. He cooperated silently throughout, without a trace of impatience.

Bibi Dong gently put away all the Soul Power crystals, a helpless look on her exquisitely beautiful and dignified face. "It's all right, Ye'er. There's no hurry."

"The Soul Rings I found still aren't of a suitable enough grade to match your peerless Martial Soul. I'll send people to search again. Even if I have to scour the whole continent, I'll find you the most suitable, finest Soul Ring."

As a Level 99 Limit Douluo, she commanded the vast Spirit Hall and looked down upon the shifting tides of the continent. Yet when facing her son, her heart was full of nothing but tenderness and favoritism.

Thousand-Year Soul Rings that others could only dream of obtaining were worthless in her eyes if they were not worthy of Qian Lingye.

Qian Lingye looked up at his mother's gentle face and nodded firmly. "I'm not in a hurry, Mother. I can take my time cultivating. You don't need to work so hard for my sake; just attend to your own affairs first."

Not long ago, the system had already told him what made his Martial Soul special.

His dark-origin Martial Soul transcended all the conventional systems of the Douluo Continent and was entirely different from the usual rule of Soul Masters hunting Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings.

He did not need to hunt any Soul Beasts, nor did he need to rely on Soul Rings from outside sources.

By fusing his own dark origin, the power of his exotic beast contract, and the power of the Seven Deadly Sins Seal, he could independently form his own exclusive Soul Rings.

This ability was similar to the Soul Rings generated by Lan Xuanyu's bloodline in a later age, but his Soul Rings were even more special. They possessed dark divinity and the potential to evolve without limit, far surpassing every native Soul Ring tier on the Douluo Continent.

His only priority now was not to fixate on a mere First Soul Ring, but to unlock the Seven Deadly Sins Seal and gather all the tokens!

With that thought, Qian Lingye asked softly, "Mother, I recently heard a storyteller in the city mention something called the Earth Vein while telling strange tales. What is it?"

Bibi Dong was slightly taken aback, then gave a little laugh. "You child, all you ever like to hear about are these bits of gossip and curious tales from the world beyond."

After the joke, her expression grew somewhat serious. She lowered her voice, speaking with an uncommon solemnity. "The Earth Vein isn't some entertaining tale for storytellers. It's a true treasure of the world."

"On the entire continent, only the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects and the continent's foremost support sect, possesses it. It is the foundation on which the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was established, a sacred treasure at its core that has been passed down for ten thousand years."

"Very few people know this secret. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has remained firmly at the pinnacle of the support sects, its disciples cultivate faster and possess purer Soul Power than ordinary Soul Masters, and powerful figures have emerged in every generation-all because they rely on nourishment from the Earth Vein's origin. You could say that without the Earth Vein, more than half the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's foundation would collapse in an instant."

A glimmer flashed in Qian Lingye's eyes, and understanding dawned on him.

So that was how it was.

The Earth Vein named in the system mission was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's most treasured possession.

In that case, everything made sense.

He showed nothing on his face, maintaining the appearance of an innocent, curious child. He gave a soft "Oh," pretending to have just understood.

Looking at her well-behaved, thoughtful son, Bibi Dong was filled with emotion. She could not help taking his little hand and gently giving him a heartfelt warning.

"Ye'er, your Martial Soul used to be incomplete, and you couldn't cultivate. I only indulged you, hoping you would grow up safe, happy, and free from worry."

"But now you've awakened your Martial Soul and gained the qualifications to reach the summit of the cultivation path. I hope you'll cultivate diligently and grow stronger, one step at a time."

She gazed at the vast sky beyond the chamber, a trace of exhaustion and sharp resolve flashing through her eyes, too subtle for most to notice.

"You must remember: although I am the Pope of Spirit Hall and seem to hold power over the whole continent, enjoying limitless glory, my word is not absolute within Spirit Hall. Powers across the continent watch like tigers eyeing their prey, while factions crowd the hall itself and undercurrents surge beneath the surface. Countless struggles have never ceased."

"The world is unpredictable, and people's hearts are hard to fathom. Only your own strength can give you a firm foundation. If something truly goes wrong in the future, only strength of your own will allow you to protect yourself."

"Remember, in this life, you can rely only on yourself!"

These were a mother's most heartfelt hopes, and the truest lesson she had drawn from half a lifetime of political scheming and bitter struggle.

Qian Lingye listened quietly, understanding in his heart.

He knew better than anyone about the infighting within Spirit Hall, about Qian Daoliu keeping Bibi Dong in check and the Angel Lineage holding her back. He knew how hard it had been for her to tread cautiously at every step, enduring and bearing her burdens all these years.

He raised his head, his dark eyes clear and resolute, and spoke with utmost solemnity. "Mother, rest assured. I'll cultivate diligently and grow stronger as soon as I can."

"From now on, with me here, no one can bully you. If anyone dares cause you the slightest grievance, I'll make him pay a terrible price!"

His voice was youthful, but it carried an icy certainty that brooked no doubt.

Bibi Dong froze for a moment, then her expression softened, and a gentle, radiant smile rose to her lips. All the exhaustion and pent-up frustration in her heart were soothed away by those words.

She bent down and gently embraced Qian Lingye, smiling as she said softly, "My Ye'er has really grown up."

In her heart, she took it only as the comforting, childish words of a thoughtful, tenderhearted boy. She felt nothing but deep gratification and never took the fierce declaration to heart.

What waves could a nine-year-old child stir up, however extraordinary his talent?

But she did not know that the well-behaved, thoughtful youngest son in her arms had already buried an absolute resolve in his heart: to overturn the whole world and keep her safe.

Anyone, any power that dared offend her in the slightest would be made to pay.

Just then, an attendant's respectful, slightly uneasy announcement came from outside the chamber:

"Your Holiness the Pope, a special envoy from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has arrived and requests an audience. He has an important matter to inquire about."

Bibi Dong straightened, the gentle smile on her face vanishing instantly. In its place came the Pope's cold, imposing majesty, and the air around her abruptly congealed.

Qian Lingye tactfully stepped aside. "Go ahead and take care of your official business, Mother. I'll play over there for a while."

With that, he skipped over to a screen at the side of the chamber and pretended to amuse himself by fiddling with the ornaments. All the while, he quietly pricked up his ears, listening to every word spoken inside the chamber.

The attendant hurried in, bowed, and reported in a low voice, "Your Holiness, the Heaven Dou envoy has come to inquire about the exotic beast in Star Dou."

"The envoy spoke obliquely, implying that when the exotic beast previously caused chaos in the Star Dou Great Forest and stirred up trouble on all sides, the continent's major sects and imperial powers all took action to restrain it. Spirit Hall alone, despite possessing top-tier combat strength, stood by and did nothing throughout."

"This time, Bone Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was gravely injured by the exotic beast through a moment's carelessness and has gone into seclusion to recover. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has already put pressure on the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. Unable to restrain it, the imperial family has turned its spearhead toward Spirit Hall. They claim to have come to inquire, but are in fact covertly seeking to hold us accountable, accusing Spirit Hall of standing by while the continent faced a crisis and failing in its duty to safeguard the world."

The moment she finished listening to the report, a bone-deep chill filled Bibi Dong's eyes. Soul Power surged faintly around her, her anger concealed beneath the surface.

What a sanctimonious Heaven Dou Imperial Family!

What a fine job of twisting black and white and making snide insinuations!

Bone Douluo had been gravely injured because his own strength was lacking and greed had gotten the better of him. It had nothing to do with Spirit Hall.

Now that he had been defeated and wounded, his losses outweighing his gains, they were unable to hold the exotic beast accountable and did not dare provoke unknown dangers. So they turned around and heaped all their resentment and blame onto Spirit Hall, which had never joined the fray.

They did not dare face the Ferocious Beast directly, but only dared wag their tongues, coming here to make snide insinuations and call her to account!

It was simply ridiculous, pitiful, and utterly brazen!

Beside the screen, Qian Lingye, who appeared to be playing, went cold in his dark eyes, a bone-chilling gleam flashing through them.

He had heard every detail clearly, and sneered inwardly without end.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Family possessed the foundations of a great nation, with numerous sects under its command and countless powerful experts, yet they were nothing but a bunch of good-for-nothings who bullied the weak, feared the strong, and put the cart before the horse.

They had once tried to sit back and reap the rewards, greedily seeking to seize the treasure. Now, having suffered a crushing defeat and taken losses, they did not dare seek revenge on the giant beast, and had come to Spirit Hall to trouble his mother instead, twisting black and white and covertly demanding accountability!

You bunch of lazy bastards, I didn't provoke you, yet you dare provoke me? You even dare blame my mother?

You don't know what's good for you!

Since you insist on courting death, don't blame me for showing no mercy.

Qian Lingye's gaze was icy, and he had already made his decision.

It was time to settle this score with the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The instant that thought settled, two terrifying disturbances erupted in distant places!

Thousands of miles away, deep beneath the Star Dou volcano, within its endlessly churning lava.

Golza, who had lain dormant in silence, steadily absorbing the volcano's origin to stabilize his evolved cultivation, abruptly opened his enormous eyes. Crimson firelight pierced layer upon layer of magma.

He sensed his master's anger. Without needing any further command, his massive body lunged into motion, bursting through the scorching lava and racing east!

Meanwhile, at the other end of the continent, in the heart of a dark mountain range stretching for ten thousand miles.

Rumble-!

The earth split violently, rock strata turning outward as a deep underground fissure spread for a thousand miles.

A long, immense black tentacle covered in hard, horny plates burst from the ground. Like the whip of the god of death, it casually coiled around a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast fleeing in panic and dragged it into the endless darkness underground.

The beast's piercing cry cut off abruptly. Immediately afterward, a terrifying roar that shook mountains and rivers rang out across the entire sky!