Soul Bones? Sorry, I'll Take Them All!

"Residual Dream... Shi Nian... C-could he be the dean of Canghui Academy who disappeared eight years ago?"

"Disappeared eight years ago? Wait, you mean... Shi Nian, whose martial soul was said to be unbeatable below the rank of Titled Douluo?"

"How is that possible? I remember that guy was only a Soul Emperor eight years ago, and he was already over fifty."

"With that kind of talent, he should have only barely been able to break through to Soul Douluo. How could he cross three major realms in just eight years and become a Titled Douluo?"

"Residual Dream martial soul... No, there's no mistake. I am Canghui Academy's current dean. Eight years ago, I took over Lord Shi Nian's position!"

Amid the heated discussion, a trembling figure gave a definitive answer.

He swallowed hard, his face still filled with disbelief.

He was Canghui Academy's current dean, and also Shi Nian's former subordinate.

Who could have imagined that his superior, who had vanished without a trace eight years ago, would suddenly reappear?

And... in such an overwhelming guise as a Titled Douluo!

"Gasp! It's actually true!"

With confirmation from someone in the know, everyone around them involuntarily sucked in a cold breath.

"Eight years! From Soul Emperor to Titled Douluo—th-this, this is simply..."

"Do you think... this could have something to do with the Star-Plucking Tower that suddenly appeared?"

"After all, everyone saw it. Shi Nian—no, Can Meng Douluo—seems to be taking orders from the Lord of the Star-Plucking Tower."

"This..."

For a moment, everyone's gaze turned toward Qin Shiyuan in midair.

Their eyes held shock, but even more than that... desire and greed.

In only eight years, going from Soul Emperor to Titled Douluo—how many people in the world could resist such temptation?

As the speculation below continued to ferment, Bibi Dong stood on the viewing platform before Spirit Hall, her expression grave as she had already realized the severity of the situation.

Faced with such temptation, Spirit Hall's authority would inevitably be challenged—perhaps in the future... or perhaps very soon!

But at present, there was something even more urgent.

At that thought, a glint flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes.

She then looked toward Qin Shiyuan, a smile impossible to distinguish as genuine or false rising to her lips.

"Lord of the Star-Plucking Tower, how should I address you?"

"Oh? Does Your Excellency the Pope have some business with me?"

Qin Shiyuan turned to look at the noble figure, showing not the slightest surprise beneath his mask.

"My surname is Qin. Your Excellency the Pope may call me Qin Jianjiu."

"Tower Master Qin, your title is certainly grand. Would you be interested in cooperating with Spirit Hall?"

Though Bibi Dong was asking, her tone was brimming with confidence, as if she had already decided Qin Shiyuan would not refuse.

"Since your subordinate is also a Titled Douluo, you must have noticed something unusual about that girl from Shrek, correct?"

"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast is treasure from head to toe. Aside from a Spirit Ring, it will also inevitably produce a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone."

"As long as you have your people cooperate with me to execute the Clear Sky Douluo here, I will give that Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone to you. What do you say?"

The person with the strongest reaction was not Qin Shiyuan.

"This is bad!"

On the other side, Tang Hao's face darkened, and his heart suddenly sank.

He had not expected Bibi Dong's determination to kill him to be so great.

She would rather give up a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, enough to drive the entire continent mad, than relent in her resolve to eliminate him.

Not to mention the two black-robed figures behind Qin Shiyuan who had yet to make a move.

Shi Nian alone was already giving him an enormous headache.

If Qin Shiyuan agreed, with Shi Nian's ability that Tang Hao had no way to resist at all—

Combined with the siege of seven Titled Douluo, Tang Hao would undoubtedly die here today!

Yet, just when everyone, including Tang Hao himself, thought Qin Shiyuan would agree without hesitation—

Qin Shiyuan's next words froze the expressions on everyone's faces.

"Heh heh, Your Excellency the Pope must be joking. The Star-Plucking Tower has no intention of colluding with Spirit Hall."

"Good! Tower Master Qin truly is... Hm? What did you say?"

Hearing Qin Shiyuan's still-relaxed words, Bibi Dong and the others thought they had misheard him, their faces full of astonishment.

As for the Shrek group, after their initial surprise, they all let out a sigh of relief.

Tang Hao and Tang San in particular, father and son alike, caught the implication that Qin Shiyuan was at odds with Spirit Hall, and delight appeared in their eyes.

"Father, this Star-Plucking Tower seems deeply dissatisfied with Spirit Hall as well?"

"Why don't we win them over? With their help, overthrowing Spirit Hall will only be a matter of time!"

"Then we can avenge Mother sooner too..."

Tang San's words struck Tang Hao directly at his most vulnerable point.

Listening to his son, a flame called hope ignited in Tang Hao's murky, lifeless eyes for the first time in years.

"It's worth trying!"

Tang Hao spat out the four words heavily, raising his head to look at Qin Shiyuan as emotions swirled in his eyes.

While Tang San's side was filled with thoughts, Bibi Dong's face on the platform had already turned completely grim.

Right before Spirit Hall's gates, and in front of such a massive crowd—

Qin Shiyuan's words were an outright challenge to her authority as the Pope of Spirit Hall.

As the continent's most powerful force, how could Spirit Hall tolerate such humiliation?

"Tower Master Qin, I came with sincere intentions to cooperate, yet you... Hmph! Aren't you going too far?"

A faint killing intent surfaced in Bibi Dong's eyes, and her tone had turned utterly cold.

As she spoke the latter half of her sentence, she fiercely slammed the Pope's Scepter in her hand against the ground.

The six Titled Douluo behind her all stepped forward in unison. Their Soul Power seemed to transform into sharp arrows, aimed directly at Qin Shiyuan in midair.

"Heh, sincerity?"

Even with the tension on the verge of erupting, Qin Shiyuan remained utterly fearless. He smiled faintly and added fuel to the fire.

"Forgive my poor eyesight, but I truly fail to see where Your Excellency the Pope's sincerity lies."

"Hmph! I am giving you a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone despite the pain it causes me. Does that not count as sincerity?"

"Heh heh, Your Excellency the Pope, do you even believe that yourself?"

Qin Shiyuan smiled disdainfully, his expression behind the mask filled with mockery.

"If I'm not mistaken, Your Excellency the Pope."

"You did not mention the Spirit Ring at all because a Spirit Ring can only be used by one person, while the Spirit Bone... can still be taken back from me, can't it?"

"You!"

At those words, something unusual flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes.

That was indeed what she had been thinking, but she had never expected Qin Shiyuan to see through her intentions so directly.

"Tower Master Qin, don't you—"

Bibi Dong had just begun to deny it when Qin Shiyuan interrupted her again.

"To tell the truth, even if you had not done this, I still would not have agreed to cooperate with you."

"Like Spirit Hall, the Star-Plucking Tower is not accustomed to sharing prey with others."

"So... the Spirit Rings and the Spirit Bones... I want them all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Soul Power suddenly surged from Qin Shiyuan's entire body.

As a sword case taller than half a man fell beside him, seven Spirit Rings as dazzling as blazing suns entered everyone's sight...