Do You Still Know How to Come Back?

Do You Still Know How to Come Back?

Looking at the familiar Spirit City, Rota stood outside the gates and sighed. "Oh my, oh my, this old man is back~"

The Spirit Hall Knight at the gate spotted Rota and hurried over to salute him. "Elder Kizaru!"

"Oh dear, have you been doing well these past few days?" Rota returned the greeting.

The knight of Spirit City was so startled that he nearly jumped. He had never imagined that an elder of Spirit Hall would respond to him, much less greet him.

"Thanks to Your Excellency's concern, this lowly one has been doing very well these past few days!" The Spirit Hall Knight's voice trembled as he spoke, terrified of saying something wrong.

"Oh, right, Elder Kizaru. His Holiness the Pope instructed us to notify you to visit the Spirit Hall Sacred Hall as soon as we found you!"

Just as Rota had expected, Qian Xunjie was definitely looking for him.

"Alright, alright, this old man understands. Honestly~" Rota put his hands in his pockets and looked toward the majestic, resplendent Spirit Hall Sacred Hall in the distance.

Amid the astonished gaze of the Spirit Hall Knight, Rota turned into a flash of light and flew toward the Spirit Hall Sacred Hall.

"So amazing... Is that Elder Kizaru's strength?"

"Hey, what are you standing around for? Keep patrolling!"

"Oh, right, coming, coming!"

The Spirit Hall Knight had been left dumbfounded by Rota's display. If the other knights had not reminded him, he would have nearly forgotten that he was still on patrol.

"We should just do our own jobs properly instead of dreaming big all day!"

Within the Spirit Hall Sacred Hall, Qian Xunjie sat upon his lofty throne, with the two elders Ghost and Yue Guan standing beside him.

"Your Holiness the Pope, it is said that both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire have dispatched Soul Masters to search for the Soul Bone we lost!" A Spirit Hall deacon reported the latest developments to Qian Xunjie.

Qian Xunjie's brows were tightly furrowed, while the corners of his lips occasionally curled upward. He was in a very foul mood.

"So the two great empires have indeed set their sights on that Soul Bone. Have they made any progress?" Qian Xunjie asked imperiously.

"Reporting to Your Holiness, according to unofficial reports, the teams dispatched by the two empires fled from the Star Dou Great Forest in disarray. They presumably failed to find the Soul Bone!"

Only then did Qian Xunjie's expression regain a trace of calm. He would never allow anyone else to lay hands on what belonged to him.

"Very good. We sent people to retrieve the Soul Bone, and this failure should deal them quite a heavy blow."

As it happened, Rota, who had arrived outside the doors of the Spirit Hall Sacred Hall, overheard Qian Xunjie discussing the Soul Bone.

"Oh my, I didn't expect Qian Xunjie's information to be so well-informed!"

Rota had not expected Qian Xunjie to learn so quickly that the two empires had sent teams of Soul Masters to the Star Dou Great Forest to fight over the Soul Bone. It seemed Spirit Hall's intelligence-gathering capabilities were truly formidable.

In that case, Rota needed to change his strategy. According to his original plan, he intended to say that he had merely gone out for a stroll. Now, however, saying that would make it easy for Qian Xunjie to grow suspicious.

Since Qian Xunjie could learn that the two empires had competed for the Soul Bone, he might naturally be able to uncover information that Rota had gone there as well.

Since that was the case, he might as well tell the truth. In any case, Qian Xunjie could not do anything to him.

What Rota did not know was that Qian Xunjie had begun suspecting him the moment he left.

"Oh my, oh my, I heard such a frightening voice from Your Holiness the Pope the moment I returned. This old man is terribly scared~"

Hearing that familiar voice, Qian Xunjie instantly knew that Kizaru had returned.

"Elder Kizaru, you still knew how to come back? If you had not returned, this Pope would have almost stripped you of your elder position!" Qian Xunjie's tone was filled with suppressed fury.

Unlike Qian Xunjie, Ghost and Yue Guan, who stood beside him, were quite happy to see Rota return. However, with Qian Xunjie present, they could only pretend to be indifferent.

"How cruel, Your Holiness the Pope! This old man merely went out to handle something beneficial to Spirit Hall, yet I never expected you to see this old man that way~" Rota put on a sorrowful expression and let out a heavy sigh.

All the Spirit Hall members and deacons present covered their faces. Elder Kizaru was about to put on another acting contest with His Holiness the Pope.

"Oh? You say it was for Spirit Hall's benefit? Then let this Pope guess. You must have gone to search for the Soul Bone that Spirit Hall lost, correct?" Qian Xunjie smiled sinisterly, his face full of ill intent.

As long as Rota denied that he had gone looking for the Soul Bone, Qian Xunjie could make things difficult for him on the spot. If Rota refused to comply, he could proceed with his subsequent plans.

Unfortunately...

"Did Your Holiness the Pope also go to the Star Dou Great Forest? How come this old man did not see you?" Rota scratched his head and asked in confusion.

Rota's answer had already made it clear that he really had been searching for Spirit Hall's lost Soul Bone. It was precisely not what Qian Xunjie wanted.

"Oh... oh. Then, Kizaru, did you gain anything?"

Qian Xunjie could no longer continue making things difficult for Kizaru. After all, Kizaru had not acted according to his plan. Although Qian Xunjie wanted complete control over Kizaru, he could not simply make a move using some unconvincing excuse.

He could not exactly claim that Kizaru had malicious intentions and wanted to secretly take possession of the Soul Bone. That kind of evidence was far less reliable than what he had planned before.

"How should this old man put it? I did find the Soul Bone, but unfortunately, there were many Soul Beasts guarding it. Every one of them was like a monster, and this old man was completely no match for them~"

Ghost and Yue Guan nearly could not hold back their laughter. The funniest joke they had heard in years was Elder Kizaru claiming that he was afraid of Soul Beasts.

Ghost and Yue Guan both thought, As if we'd believe you, Elder Kizaru. You old bastard are rotten to the core!

After seeing Rota casually kill the Radiant Sword Fang Tiger in a single kick, Ghost and Yue Guan no longer believed any of the nonsense Elder Kizaru spouted.

Qian Xunjie was also covered in black lines, propping up his head speechlessly. Is it appropriate to put on an act right in front of me?

If Qian Xunjie did not know Kizaru's strength, he might actually have believed him. Unfortunately, Qian Xunjie had personally witnessed Kizaru's power. If you were going to make up an excuse, Kizaru, at least make it a better one!

Even a ninety-five-thousand-year Radiant Sword Fang Tiger had been killed in one kick. Even against a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, you, Kizaru, should have been capable of fighting!

"Kizaru, this Pope does not think you should be incapable of defeating a few Soul Beasts, should you?"

"Your Holiness the Pope has misunderstood this old man again. Although this old man is strong, that only applies to Soul Beasts below one hundred thousand years. This old man has no confidence in defeating Soul Beasts above one hundred thousand years~"

It was true that Soul Beasts underwent a qualitative transformation upon reaching one hundred thousand years. No matter how lowly a Soul Beast was, as long as it could cultivate to the hundred-thousand-year level, it would become extraordinarily terrifying.

"Your Holiness the Pope, we believe Elder Kizaru did the right thing. After all, Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are not so easily dealt with!"

Qian Xunjie's blood pressure spiked for a moment. What was going on now? Why was everyone starting to speak up for Kizaru?

There was nothing Qian Xunjie could do. These deacons and Hall members had never seen Kizaru's strength, so naturally they would speak for him. Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were not something one could provoke casually.

"Enough, enough. Since you encountered a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, Kizaru, let the matter of the Soul Bone end here!" Qian Xunjie said helplessly. Although he knew Kizaru was definitely fooling him, he had no way to expose him!

"This old man thanks Your Holiness the Pope. Please do not be angry in the future..."

Qian Xunjie thought Kizaru intended to show him some concern, but the next sentence left him stunned...

"This old man was terribly frightened today~"

"I..." Qian Xunjie truly wanted to curse Kizaru to the heavens, but with so many people watching, he could only give up.

Besides, if he cursed Kizaru and Kizaru suddenly kicked him, what then?