Qian Xunji

When Gu Chen opened his eyes, Gu Yuena's figure was the first thing he saw.

At that moment, Gu Yuena was holding a damp white towel and gently wiping his forehead. A faint mist of tears clouded her beautiful eyes.

The place he was in was no longer the carriage from before, but what seemed to be a room in an inn.

Seeing Gu Chen open his eyes, Gu Yuena asked happily, "You're awake?"

Seeing her like this, Gu Chen knew that he must have been asleep for a long time. "Na'er, where are we?"

"Brother Chen, you were unconscious for seven whole days. What happened to you? Why did you suddenly fall unconscious for no reason?" Gu Yuena asked anxiously.

Seeing how worried she was about him, Gu Chen could not help reaching out to stroke her cheek. "I obtained an inheritance. In order to inherit it, my soul went somewhere else, which was why my body remained unconscious."

Hearing this, Gu Yuena calmed down. She said, "An inheritance? It couldn't have been a godly inheritance. The only possibility is an inheritance left behind by an expert from another lower plane. I was too worried and forgot to examine your soul. Otherwise, I should have been able to notice."

In just a few words, Gu Yuena had guessed roughly what had happened, leaving Gu Chen secretly astonished.

Just then, the room door opened. Thousand Jun Douluo entered. Seeing that Gu Chen had awakened, he frowned and said, "I don't know why you were unconscious, but since you're awake, come with me to meet the Pope. Remember, do not slander the Pope behind his back!"

"What?" Gu Chen froze for a moment. "This place is?"

"This is Spirit City. You are currently staying at an inn within the city. Gu Yuena has already met the Pope and has agreed to pledge her loyalty to him," Thousand Jun Douluo said.

Gu Chen was somewhat surprised. In the plane of inheritance, he had lived through Yuan Ge's entire life. It had felt as though countless years had passed, yet only seven days had gone by here, and they had already arrived in Spirit City.

As for Gu Yuena pledging loyalty to the Pope, Gu Chen felt that she truly deserved to be the one who had inherited the Dragon God's wisdom. She had made a choice beneficial to them.

Gu Chen followed Thousand Jun Douluo out of the inn and all the way to the Pope's Palace.

Outside the Pope's Palace, Thousand Jun Douluo stopped and called loudly toward its interior, "Your subordinate, Thousand Jun Douluo, requests an audience with the Pope alongside Gu Chen!"

"Come in!" A voice carrying a hint of wickedness rang out, and the doors of the Pope's Palace opened by themselves.

Gu Chen followed Thousand Jun Douluo slowly into the Pope's Palace. It truly deserved to be the place Spirit Hall's soul masters yearned for. Its eight walls were forged from gold carved with exquisite patterns.

The ceiling of the Pope's Palace was decorated with multicolored glazed lamps made of multicolored glass.

A hundred-meter-long red carpet covered the floor. Upon closer inspection, one would discover how extraordinary it was—it was actually made from the fur of soul beasts!

Within the Pope's Palace's council hall, a magnificent throne-like chair stood at the very end. A man dressed in a black Pope's robe embroidered with golden patterns, wearing a Nine-Curve Purple-Gold Crown and holding a scepter embedded with countless Soul Power gemstones, sat quietly upon that throne-like seat.

The man's face bore a sickly pallor, while the smile at his lips appeared somewhat sinister. The purple-gold crown did not make him look magnificent; rather, on his head, it made him resemble Satan.

"Your Holiness the Pope!" Thousand Jun Douluo looked toward Qian Xunji. The sickly pallor on Qian Xunji's face was clearly the result of excessive indulgence. Although Thousand Jun Douluo looked respectful, deep within his eyes lay profound contempt.

"Mm." Qian Xunji nodded at Thousand Jun Douluo. Although he was the Pope of Spirit Hall, he still had to show the necessary respect to Thousand Jun Douluo, who likewise possessed the strength of a Title Douluo.

After all, ever since his battle with Tang Hao, during which he had suffered grave injuries, Qian Xunji's strength had repeatedly declined. He was now only level 91, scarcely any stronger than Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, known as "the weakest Title Douluo on the continent."

The reason Qian Xunji could sit securely in the Pope's position was still due to his father, Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu, and his strength as a level 99 Limit Douluo.

"You are Gu Chen, correct? I have already seen your sister's spirit rings. She truly is an unprecedented genius. Now, release your spirit rings as well," Qian Xunji said as he looked at Gu Chen.

Gu Chen nodded. The Golden Dragon King possessed him, and four spirit rings—one purple and three black—slowly rose, stirring the hearts of all who saw them.

"What a monster. As far as I know, you are only twelve years old, aren't you? At twelve, you already possess the strength of a Soul Ancestor, and with such an outrageously superior Spirit Ring Configuration." Though Qian Xunji had heard of Gu Chen's spirit rings, seeing them in person still made him marvel.

"However," Qian Xunji paused, his gaze turning sharp. The Six-winged Angel underwent Martial Soul Possession, and nine spirit rings slowly rose as the aura of a Title Douluo swept through the surroundings. "Are you willing to pledge loyalty to Spirit Hall? Or rather, are you willing to pledge loyalty to me?"

"Ding!"

"Your current circumstances have been detected. A plot choice has been activated:

A. Pledge loyalty to Qian Xunji and secretly win over the experts of Spirit Hall.

Assistance: five original Yuan Ge puppets (from the tier-three mythological plane 'Honor of Kings'), 500 System Points.

B. Pledge loyalty to Bibi Dong and gain the support of Spirit Hall's opposition forces.

Assistance: Secret Technique: Finish Him (from the tier-three mythological plane 'Honor of Kings'), 500 System Points."

I choose A, Gu Chen silently thought.

"Ding!"

"Choice successful! The original Yuan Ge puppets and System Points have been deposited into the System Backpack. Please check them."

Gu Chen met Qian Xunji's sharp gaze, dropped to one knee, and slightly lowered his head in respect. "I am willing to pledge loyalty to Your Holiness the Pope!"

Seeing this, Qian Xunji laughed. "Hahaha! I have gained two unprecedented geniuses in succession. Spirit Hall's revival is within sight!"

"You are quite good. Sixth Enshrined, take him and Gu Yuena, who arrived earlier, to complete the procedures for joining Spirit Academy. Arrange cultivation resources for them as well. Give them resources at three-quarters of the Holy Son's standard," Qian Xunji said, giving Thousand Jun Douluo his orders.

Thousand Jun Douluo nodded and led Gu Chen away.

After leaving the Pope's Palace, they saw an old man waiting outside. This old man was Demon Subduing Douluo.

"Now, you are also members of Spirit Hall. Once we return to the inn, I will tell you some matters requiring attention regarding Spirit Hall," Demon Subduing Douluo said, taking the lead toward the inn.

After returning to the inn, Demon Subduing Douluo summoned Gu Yuena and said to the two of them, "Spirit Hall has complicated internal relationships. First, I will explain the relationships between its factions."

"The faction represented by Pope Qian Xunji is the Qian Clan's faction. The Great Enshrined, Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo, Third Guardian White Armor Douluo, Ghost Leopard Douluo, as well as Demon Subduing Douluo and I, all belong to this faction. Since you and Gu Yuena have pledged loyalty to Qian Xunji, they can all be considered allies."

"Additionally, there is the faction formerly led by Saintess Bibi Dong. Those loyal to her include Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo, as well as Snake Lance Douluo, Porcupine Douluo, and Demon Bear Douluo. They are hostile to our faction. You must remember this well and must not grow close to them. Otherwise, our suspicious Pope may come to suspect you."

Gu Chen and Gu Yuena listened very seriously, nodding from time to time.

After all, their goal was to take control of Spirit Hall, so they needed to understand these necessary relationships.

Thanks to Luo Chen, Di Luo_Xing Chen, Chang Da Hou Jia Ci, balabala_, Shi Yi, Xiaoyao Yinggai, and Vast Starry Sky for their rewards.

Little Bai offers unified thanks here!