The Smell of Gunpowder

What family's Innate Full Soul Power could cultivate to level sixty-nine by the age of fourteen, nearly reaching the Soul Saint realm?

His student, Bibi Dong, was an Innate Full Soul Power genius. She was also fourteen this year, yet she was only a level forty-six Soul Ancestor, not far from becoming a Spirit King but still nowhere near the Soul Emperor level.

He did not believe that Spirit Hall's resources were inferior to those of the Silves Kingdom.

How could a tiny kingdom possibly be mentioned in the same breath as Spirit Hall?

As the Pope of Spirit Hall's only student, Qian Xunji had poured an enormous amount of effort into Bibi Dong. The resources she enjoyed were far beyond what ordinary Spirit Masters could ever receive.

Bibi Dong's cultivation speed was already extremely fast, yet now there was an Innate Full Soul Power genius who cultivated even faster than her. At the same age, the other party was about to become a Soul Saint. In Qian Xunji's view, that was complete nonsense.

That was why he concluded that Di Hong definitely did not possess Innate Full Soul Power.

"Yue Guan." His voice was not loud, yet it echoed throughout the entire hall.

"Your Holiness." A Spirit Master clad in golden armor appeared within the hall, his voice so effeminate that it hardly sounded like a man's.

After glancing at him, Qian Xunji withdrew his gaze and continued staring at the list.

"You and Gui Mei will keep an eye on the Heaven Dou Empire's Spirit Master team, especially that Spirit Master named Di Hong. But do not expose yourselves."

"Yes." Yue Guan respectfully bowed.

Although their Soul Power Levels were not high, they were valued by the Pope. Everyone in Spirit Hall knew that Yue Guan and Gui Mei would surely have boundless prospects in the future. They might even become elders, though their current Soul Power Levels were not yet sufficient.

As long as they could break through to become Titled Douluo in the future, there would definitely be elder seats for them.

But there was no need to consider such things for now. After all, they were merely Soul Emperor-level Spirit Masters, still far from becoming Titled Douluo.

Inside the hotel room.

Di Hong was cultivating when a knock sounded at the door.

"Hm?" Di Hong opened his eyes, confusion flickering in his crimson pupils.

He rose, walked to the door, and opened it.

Tang Hao stood outside, smiling as he greeted him. Tang Xiao and Tang Yuehua stood behind him.

The moment Tang Yuehua saw Di Hong, she shyly lowered her head, her pretty face flushed red.

"Do you need something?" Di Hong asked.

Tang Hao said, "Come on, let's go out and look around. They say Spirit City is the holy land in every Spirit Master's heart. We should take a proper tour."

"Uh..." Di Hong looked at Tang Hao strangely. He suspected that Tang Hao had been possessed. Was this really the Tang Hao he remembered? They were practically two different people.

He had just wanted to refuse when Tang Hao grabbed him and pulled him outside. Tang Xiao and Tang Yuehua followed behind at an unhurried pace.

After leaving the hotel, Tang Hao slung an arm over Di Hong's shoulders.

"Are you really only fourteen?"

"That's right." Di Hong nodded.

"Then how did you cultivate to level sixty-nine? Did you take drugs?" Tang Hao desperately wanted to know how he had done it. He was fourteen, not forty.

"No." Di Hong shook his head. There was no way he could tell Tang Hao that he had been born with level twenty Soul Power.

"Really? I don't believe you."

Tang Hao stared at Di Hong expressionlessly. Who was he trying to fool? How could one raise their Soul Power Level so quickly without taking drugs? Still, he was curious what kind of drug could increase a Spirit Master's Soul Power Level so rapidly.

Di Hong was utterly helpless.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Mm." Tang Hao nodded like a pecking chicken. He wanted to know very badly.

Di Hong leaned close to his ear, acting especially mysterious as though afraid someone else might overhear.

"Seeing how sincerely you asked, I'll reluctantly make this decision that goes against my ancestors. But I'll only tell you alone, so don't tell anyone else."

"Mm-hmm." Tang Hao's eyes lit up. He felt like he was about to learn something incredible.

"Actually, the reason my Soul Power Level rose so quickly is mainly because of a secret manual passed down by my Ancestor."

"What secret manual?" Tang Hao asked impatiently.

"Hard work."

With that, Di Hong laughed and left. Tang Yuehua and Tang Xiao behind him could not hold back their laughter either.

Tang Hao stood there, stunned.

"Hao, think about it. Even if he had some method to rapidly raise his Soul Power Level, would he tell you?"

Tang Xiao truly had no way to deal with his younger brother. He was too straightforward—he believed whatever others said.

"Big Brother." Tang Hao was not angry. There was not even the slightest expression on his face.

"What is it?"

Releasing his Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, Tang Hao shouted, "Don't stop me! Today, I'm going to make him understand the weight of the Clear Sky Hammer. He actually fooled me."

With that, he hefted the Clear Sky Hammer and prepared to chase after him. Today, he absolutely had to have a match with Di Hong.

Tang Xiao hurriedly stopped him.

"Be more composed. This is Spirit City; private fighting isn't allowed here."

Tang Yuehua walked over as well and said, "Second Brother, you're far too impatient. He played you like a fiddle—you really need to change that."

After saying that, she hurried off in the direction Di Hong had left. Tang Hao had been stopped, his anger with nowhere to go, so he could only suppress it.

After catching up with Di Hong, Tang Yuehua apologized to him.

"I'm sorry. Please don't take my Second Brother seriously. That's just how he is; he didn't mean it."

"Huh?" Di Hong smiled.

"You didn't think I was angry, did you?"

"Weren't you?" Tang Yuehua asked doubtfully.

Di Hong laughed. "How could I be? Your Second Brother is quite interesting."

"Since we're already out here, let's take a look around Spirit City."

"Mm." Tang Yuehua nodded with a smile.

The two of them began strolling leisurely through Spirit City.

Under the sunlight, their shadows on the ground gradually overlapped and intertwined.

Tang Hao was somewhat stunned as he watched the two of them chatting and laughing ahead.

"Isn't their relationship progressing a little too quickly?"

"And doesn't it seem a bit inappropriate for the two of us to be following them?"

"She's our little sister, after all. We have to vet him properly," Tang Xiao said calmly.

"That makes sense. I'll definitely find a chance to fight him," Tang Hao said, patting his chest.

"Enough, enough. I'm not talking to you anymore. Is fighting the only thing on your mind?"

Tang Xiao truly had nothing more to say.

Spirit City truly deserved its reputation as the holy land of the soul master world. Soul masters could be seen everywhere, along with shops selling items for soul masters. Even Soul Tools that were precious elsewhere were not so rare here. With the Soul Master Exchange Meet about to begin, Spirit City had become a mixed bag of all sorts. However, with Spirit Hall patrols present, no one dared cause trouble.

Even soul masters with high Soul Power Levels would not dare make trouble.

Otherwise, the only thing awaiting them would be punishment from Spirit Hall.

The lodgings of the Star Luo Empire's soul masters were not far from those of the Heaven Dou Empire's soul masters, so it was easy for the soul masters of both sides to run into each other. Freelance soul masters were fine, but the soul masters affiliated with the Two Great Empires—especially those from the Royal Academy—would turn the atmosphere tense the moment they met.

However, neither side intended to make a move.

Before the exchange meet had even begun, the smell of gunpowder was already thick in the air.

Both sides were itching for a fight, waiting only for the exchange meet to begin so they could show what they were capable of.