Crisis on All Sides

Lucy nodded. "Gu Chen, since that's the case, my advice is the same as Gu Yuena's. First, every day, you must go to the Great Soul Arena in Spirit City for a one-on-one battle. You may not use your martial soul or that gun. You can only fight with your physical strength, or use only that gun without relying on any other means. This will hone your combat ability."

"Second, I also suggest that you spend at least five hours every day cultivating at the Dragon Valley Mimic Cultivation Ground. Your martial soul is the Golden Dragon, and Dragon Valley is likewise the place best suited to you."

"I understand." Gu Chen nodded.

Afterward, Lucy took Gu Chen to test his maximum speed and maximum strength. The results were astonishing: whether in speed or strength, Gu Chen was infinitely close to a Soul Douluo!

If he had a single weakness, it was probably his insufficient spiritual power. Even so, Gu Chen's spiritual power could completely crush those at the same realm.

After the afternoon's practical combat training ended, the students of Heaven Character Class One dispersed on the spot.

Gu Chen and Gu Yuena wandered around Spirit Academy for a while before returning to their respective dormitories.

Most of the others also returned to their dormitories, except for Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan.

The three gathered within Spirit Academy's Secluded Forest Mimic Cultivation Ground.

"We are all loyal to the former Saintess, Bibi Dong. But Gu Chen and Gu Yuena, those two from Qian Xunji's faction, are undoubtedly our greatest obstacle," Xie Yue said calmly.

"But with their monstrous talent and strength, we have no way of defeating them at all!" Hu Liena said dejectedly.

Yan had a somewhat hot temper. "Nana, isn't your teacher a level ninety-eight Peerless Douluo? Why not ask her to act and kill Gu Chen and Gu Yuena? Otherwise, the future Spirit Hall will certainly become their personal domain!"

"But will Teacher agree?" Hu Liena asked worriedly. She also understood that, as an opposing faction, so long as Gu Chen and Gu Yuena remained, they would inevitably be forced out of Spirit Hall.

After all, those who are not of our kind must have different hearts. Eliminating dissidents had always been what they did.

"Sister, this is our only chance. You saw it too—Teacher Lin, a Soul Saint, couldn't even injure Gu Chen. I'm afraid only an expert at the level of a Title Douluo can kill him!" Xie Yue said.

Hu Liena's gaze became resolute. "Mm, I'll speak to Teacher."

The former Saintess Bibi Dong loathed Pope Qian Xunji, so naturally she could not possibly reside in the Pope's Palace. Bibi Dong lived in a Spirit Hall branch not far outside Spirit Academy.

After Xie Yue and Yan arrived at the entrance of the branch hall, they consciously stood to either side. Hu Liena, as Bibi Dong's disciple, strolled into the Spirit Hall branch.

"What is it, disciple?" A voice rang out. The speaker was a woman dressed in purple robes and wearing a purple crystal crown. She was none other than Bibi Dong.

"Master, Qian Xunji has recruited two twelve-year-old children from somewhere. Their talent is extremely high, and they may affect our future influence in Spirit Hall. Your disciple begs Master to eliminate them!" Hu Liena spoke words that sent chills down one's spine in a gentle voice. Her words carried not the slightest respect due to the Pope, nor did she fear the many eyes and ears within this Spirit Hall branch.

Naturally, all of Qian Xunji's confidants and those loyal to him had been secretly eliminated from where Bibi Dong lived. Everyone who remained in this branch hall was a soul master willing to be loyal to Bibi Dong.

Since Qian Xunji had ordered that Gu Chen and Gu Yuena's strength be kept secret within a limited circle, Bibi Dong knew nothing of their existence. She merely sneered. "What kind of genius could that bastard possibly recruit? They're probably born fools."

Seeing that Bibi Dong did not care at all, Hu Liena grew anxious. "Teacher, Gu Chen is only twelve, yet he already possesses the strength of a level forty-one Soul Ancestor. His Spirit Ring Configuration is even more unbelievable. His first spirit ring was a thousand-year ring, and from his second spirit ring onward, they were ten-thousand-year rings. His fourth spirit ring was black with red mixed into it—clearly, it had a cultivation of ninety thousand years!"

"And that Gu Yuena has the same level as Gu Chen. Her spirit rings are two thousand-year rings and two ten-thousand-year rings. With the two of them around, there will be no place for us in Spirit Hall in the future! Liena begs Teacher to get rid of them!"

"What?!" Bibi Dong was stunned, and her gaze turned grave. If such powerful figures were allowed to grow, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Nana, find an opportunity tomorrow to lure those two out of Spirit Academy. I will act personally and make certain to eliminate them!" Bibi Dong said coldly.

Hu Liena nodded forcefully.

The next day, Gu Chen's dormitory door was knocked upon. Gu Chen rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked outside.

Hu Liena stood there with her head lowered, her small hands held before her chest, her index fingers poking at each other. Her delicate face was filled with a pitiful expression.

"Gu Chen, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mocked you yesterday. Can you forgive me?" To lure Gu Chen into the trap, Hu Liena did her best to act like a child who had made a mistake, her beautiful eyes full of pleading.

Gu Chen was expressionless. "I wasn't angry. If there's nothing else, please go back." Gu Chen was furious. His perfectly good sleep-in had been ruined by Hu Liena.

"Well, my brother, Yan, and I agreed to invite you and Sister Gu Yuena to Wangqing Pavilion, a high-end restaurant outside Spirit City, for a meal as an apology," Hu Liena said pitifully.

"There's no need, is there?" Gu Chen was somewhat surprised. He eyed Hu Liena suspiciously, trying to discern something from her expression.

But whether Hu Liena's act was simply too flawless or Gu Chen's spiritual power was not strong enough, he could see nothing from the surface.

"We'll all be classmates in the same class from now on. Consider this meal a welcome banquet for you. You can't refuse!" Hu Liena said.

Gu Chen did not know what she was planning, but since he was already here, he might as well take things as they came. He could only nod in agreement and called Gu Yuena along.

"Unsolicited kindness hides either treachery or theft. There's definitely something suspicious about this." After leaving Spirit Academy, on the road out of Spirit City, Gu Yuena frowned and transmitted her voice to Gu Chen.

Gu Chen spread his hands and transmitted his voice back. "I don't know what they're trying to do either. Let's watch for now."

Before long, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, Gu Chen, and Gu Yuena passed through Spirit City's gates.

Not long after leaving the city gates, Gu Yuena's powerful spiritual power detected that something was wrong. Her amethyst-like eyes became alert as she transmitted her voice to Gu Chen. "Something's wrong! I can sense four people following us. Their auras are extremely powerful. With only four seals released, I can't determine their exact cultivation."

"But I can be certain that all four have reached the level of Title Douluo!" Gu Yuena transmitted.

"What?!" Gu Chen was greatly alarmed. He did not know whether these four Title Douluo were friends or enemies. If they were enemies, they had surely been sent by Bibi Dong's faction.

To ambush and kill two Soul Ancestors like himself and Gu Yuena, they had actually dispatched so many Title Douluo! What an extravagant move!

Gu Chen's gaze sharpened as he looked toward Hu Liena and the others. If he was forced to release all his seals because of this, throwing his entire plan into disarray, then Hu Liena and the others, along with those Title Douluo, would all be buried alongside his plan!

Feeling Gu Chen's piercing gaze, cold sweat streamed down Hu Liena's back. She knew she had been discovered, inwardly crying that things were bad. She secretly sent out a strand of Soul Power—this was the signal she had left for Bibi Dong!

Boom!

An incomparably terrifying pressure locked onto Gu Chen and Gu Yuena. The aura of death descended, carrying extreme danger.

A figure appeared behind Gu Chen. Powerful Soul Power restrained his body, leaving him nowhere to escape, while a pitch-black sharp claw stabbed toward his heart from behind!