A Troubled Xue Qinghe
The Heaven Dou City's Crown Prince's Residence City.
The Crown Prince's Residence Mansion is located on the east side of Heaven Dou City, covering a vast area with numerous pavilions and towers. The gardens inside the mansion feature artificial hills and flowing water, small bridges and stone paths, with beautiful scenery at every turn, revealing the owner's taste and refinement.
Xue Qinghe sat upright in the Crown Prince's study.
The bookshelves in the study were filled with all kinds of classic books, from illustrations of Soul Beasts to strategies for governing the country, covering a wide range of categories and varying in age.
The air was filled with the bitter scent of sandalwood, mixed with the fresh fragrance of bamboo leaves outside the window, bringing a sense of tranquility.
But at this moment, Xue Qinghe's heart was far from at peace.
Snake Lance Douluo She Long stood in front of the desk, bowing slightly, and reported the latest developments of the Spirit Hall to Xue Qinghe word by word.
"Young Master, news has come from the Spirit Hall that His Holiness the Pope has offered four Soul Bones as a reward for the champion of this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament."
The Snake Lance Douluo's voice was deep and resonant, "The news has already spread throughout all the major high-level Soul Master Academies. The Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empire Royal Academies are both preparing for battle urgently. The Five Elements Academy has also recently increased its training intensity, and other academies, large and small, are eager to get started."
Snake Lance Douluo paused, looked up at Xue Qinghe, and continued, "Her His Holiness the Pope's purpose is very clear; she believes that the Spirit Hall Academy's victory is a foregone conclusion."
"Those four Soul Bones, nominally a champion's reward, were actually tailor-made for the three members of the Golden Generation, as well as her disciple Zhang San."
"The Spirit Hall Academy is already exceptionally powerful, far surpassing other forces. His Holiness the Pope's actions are both a demonstration of the Spirit Hall's strength and an attempt to establish his absolute authority on the continent."
"The allure of these four Soul Bones not only boosted the momentum of the competition but also instilled in the Spirit Hall Academy Team an unwavering belief in victory."
Xue Qinghe's face was ashen.
That face, usually so gentle and refined, now lacked its usual composure and elegance.
His brows furrowed slightly, his lips pressed tightly together, and his eyes were filled with gloom and resentment.
According to information from the Spirit Hall, the Pope's disciple Zhang San has broken through to the Soul Ancestor at the age of thirteen and a half. He is one of the youngest Soul Ancestor in the history of the Spirit Hall, and has even surpassed his own record.
Such a cultivation speed is extremely rare in the history of the Spirit Hall.
He'll probably break through to Soul King in a few years; breaking through to Soul King before the age of twenty is no problem at all.
In that case, Zhang San would be established as Holy Son.
Xue Qinghe quickly calculated in his mind.
The Holy Son is the successor to the next Pope of the Spirit Hall, second only to the Pope in status, and wields immense power and influence within the Spirit Hall.
Once Zhang San is established as the Holy Son, his position in the Spirit Hall will face a huge challenge, or even be directly replaced.
He relinquished his identity, painstakingly infiltrated the Heaven Dou for over a decade, even having to slow down his cultivation—all to gain recognition within the Spirit Hall and ultimately return as its undisputed heir.
Bibi Dong is increasingly disregarding me.
Now, it feels like my house has been burgled.
Bibi Dong took in a disciple by chance and treated him like a treasure, even wanting to give him the position of Holy Son?
Aren't you afraid of things going wrong? Do you really have that much faith in your apprentice?
Since that's the case, then I'm going to go against you and utterly humiliate your disciples.
Let the whole continent see that your so-called Golden Generation, and your precious apprentice, are nothing but rubbish.
Xue Qinghe raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his golden eyes. He asked, "Elder She, have any outstanding geniuses emerged from the high-level Soul Master Academies within the Heaven Dou Empire recently? The kind who are confident of challenging the Spirit Hall Academy?"
Snake Lance Douluo remained silent for a moment, his brows furrowed, then he shook his head, his face showing difficulty.
"Young Master, in my humble opinion, it seems quite difficult at the moment." The Snake Lance Douluo's voice carried a hint of helplessness.
"The Five Elements Academies — Divine Wind, Blazing Fire, Skywater, Thunderclap, and Elephant Armor —while possessing considerable strength and producing several outstanding new talents each year, still lag far behind our Spirit Hall Academy."
"The Spirit Hall's Golden Generation — Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan—are all around level 48 or 49, nearing the Soul King level. Their teamwork is impeccable, their tactics are mature, and Hu Liena and Xie Yue's Martial Soul Fusion Skill is particularly astonishing. The strongest student in the Five Elements Academy is only in the early fortys; they are no match for them."
Snake Lance Douluo paused, then continued, "And the situation at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy has recently worsened. With Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling transferring schools at the same time, Heaven Dou Team One's strongest control and healing classes have both left, causing a significant drop in strength. Now, they might not even be able to beat the Five Elements Academy."
"The other academies, judging from the current situation, are all relatively weak, not even as strong as the Five Elements Academy. Her His Holiness the Pope has naturally considered this carefully, which is why she dared to offer four Soul Bones as the champion's reward. Because in her view, no one can take them away."
Xue Qinghe rubbed his temples, trying to relieve the throbbing pain.
The Spirit Hall Academy isn't just an academy; it's the face of the Spirit Hall. Those four Soul Bones are more like exhibits than rewards.
"There's not a single one who can fight?"
Xue Qinghe's voice carried an undisguised anxiety.
Snake Lance Douluo shook his head, looking troubled, and said nothing.
Xue Qinghe leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
The image of a certain person unconsciously came to mind again.
Although the boy had disappeared for four or five years, she had never forgotten him; on the contrary, he became clearer with the passage of time.
"Elder She," a hint of weariness flashed in Xue Qinghe's eyes, "What's the whereabouts of that Blue Silver Grass Soul Master named Li Si whom I asked you to inquire about before?"
Snake Lance Douluo shook his head, bowed slightly, and said with a hint of apology, "Young Master, that young man named Li Si has been missing for four or five years. He hasn't been seen since he defeated Yu Tianheng at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena."
"My subordinates have been searching in and around Heaven Dou City for a long time, but we haven't found any clues. It's as if he's vanished into thin air."
Snake Lance Douluo paused, then continued, "Young Master, you forbid me from using the Spirit Hall's intelligence network, fearing he'll be exposed to the Pope. We're at a loss as to how to gather information, and we still have no trace of him."
"In my judgment, his real Li Si. It's just a name he picked up randomly, like the 'Cyberpunk' he used when he participated in the Soul Fighting. They're all aliases."
His true identity, origins, and whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.
Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe frowned slightly.
"Haven't we heard of any powerful Blue Silver Grass Soul Masters lately?" Xue Qinghe asked, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "There's not another person on the entire continent who could cultivate Blue Silver Grass to that level. If he were still alive, there would be a lot of news about him."
Snake Lance Douluo bowed again. "This subordinate has failed in his duties; please punish me, Young Master."
Xue Qinghe waved his hand, a hint of helplessness flashing in his golden eyes. "Forget it, let's keep an eye on it. Several years have passed; maybe he'll come back to me on his own. You can go now."
Snake Lance Douluo takes his leave.
Xue Qinghe was left alone in the study, staring blankly into the empty room.