The Outside World Really Was Wonderful

"Saintess! Were you injured?" the captain of the guards asked anxiously.

"I'm fine." Bibi Dong quickly composed herself, restoring the Saintess's poise and authority. She pointed at the corpses on the ground. "The criminals have been executed. Search them carefully and see whether you can find any clues."

"I will return to the hall first."

"Yes! We obey the Saintess's command!" everyone answered in unison, immediately beginning a cautious search of the scene.

Bibi Dong did not linger. She turned and departed gracefully, the moonlight casting a long shadow behind her.

In the distance, the shadows at the street corner squirmed like living creatures.

The figures of Ghost Charm and Yue Guan silently emerged.

"Old Ghost... that kid... was actually this formidable?" The face that usually carried a trace of lazy charm now held only gravity and shock.

"In just an instant... one Soul Douluo and two Soul Saints, with their Martial Soul Avatars activated... were all wiped out?"

He unconsciously touched his neck, as if he could still feel that bone-piercing chill. "And those Soul Rings of his... I've never heard of anything like them!"

Ghost Charm did not answer. Only after a long silence did he slowly speak. "Yue Guan, remember this."

"That boy... is destined to stand at the pinnacle of the continent."

"For someone like him, we can only do everything in our power to befriend him. We absolutely must not make an enemy of him."

"What sort of power stands behind him, we have no way of knowing, nor do we need to know." Ghost Charm paused, his tone more solemn than ever.

"Because based on the strength and potential he has displayed alone, he is already... a force not to be provoked lightly!"

"Old Ghost, you mean..." Yue Guan seemed to understand something.

Ghost Charm's figure began to fade soundlessly. "As for the Saintess going out with Zhao Linchuan tonight, you are to act as though you know nothing."

"As for his Soul Rings, you must keep that buried in your stomach. Do not mention it to anyone."

"From now on," Ghost Charm's voice drifted through the air like a ghostly breeze, leaving behind one final, clear warning, "you must also be especially careful with how you address him and treat him..."

"So that's how it is..." Yue Guan gazed at the spot where Ghost Charm had vanished, thoughtfully stroking his chin. A knowing, bitter smile appeared on his face. "I understand... Hm?"

"Old Ghost!"

"You did it again!" he complained helplessly toward the empty shadows.

After returning to the inn and washing up, Bibi Dong lay on the soft bed without the slightest desire to sleep.

A smile she had not even noticed lingered on her lips, while her fingertips seemed to retain the faint numbness left behind by the Sword Light from the fierce battle.

"The outside world... really is wonderful..." she murmured softly. Closing her eyes, she replayed Zhao Linchuan's stunning Sword Light, his Soul Rings that defied all common sense, and the dazzling azure Light Wings that had appeared when he departed.

Tonight's experience had been perilous, thrilling, shocking, and eye-opening, with a faint stirring of emotion mixed in. Its brilliance had long surpassed the calm, rigid life she had lived as the Saintess for the past decade.

This was destined to be a night she would never forget for the rest of her life.

Late at night, deep within a Spirit Beast forest along the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, dense canopies blocked out most of the moonlight, leaving only mottled fragments of shadow on the ground.

A heavy Bloody Scent filled the air.

Two tall, burly figures stood before the corpse of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that had just been slain.

One of them was using bloodstained hands to carefully peel a skull bone emitting a faint blue glow from the Spirit Beast's split-open head.

"Brother Hao, our luck was truly good this time. It actually dropped a Soul Bone." The speaker was Tang Xiao, one of the renowned Clear Sky Twin Stars.

Ever since his younger brother Tang Hao had returned from that hellhole known as the City of Slaughter, Tang Xiao had descended the mountain under the orders of their father, Tang Ri.

Nominally, he had been accompanying him on training, but in truth, he was watching over his younger brother, whose killing intent filled the air and was difficult to control, to prevent him from harming innocent disciples within the sect.

Tang Xiao's gaze remained fixed on the Soul Bone. Its blue glow was clear as water, flowing endlessly through the darkness as though it contained the power of stars.

"Judging by the clear, flowing blue light of this skull, its quality is extremely high. It must be a rare Wisdom Skull formed from concentrated Spiritual Power." A trace of barely concealed desire flashed through his eyes. This Soul Bone tempted him greatly.

"No, I can't take it." Tang Xiao took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the desire in his heart, his voice turning steady. "Brother Hao, you need it more. Absorb it."

"Elder Brother..." A touch of emotion appeared on Tang Hao's rugged face as he looked toward his elder brother beside him.

He knew how precious Soul Bones were, and he understood his elder brother's intentions even more clearly.

"I already have five Soul Bones. You should absorb this one."

"No." Tang Xiao firmly shook his head and Pointed To the blue-glowing skull. "You only lack this one to complete a full set of Soul Bones."

"And this is a top-grade Wisdom Soul Bone!"

"Once you fuse with it, it will certainly raise your Spiritual Power by a tremendous level. It will greatly help you suppress your killing aura and control your own power!"

Tang Hao fell silent for a moment, then stopped refusing. "Then thank you, Elder Brother."

He bent down and completely removed the Wisdom Skull, warm and jade-like to the touch, yet faintly cool.

Then he sat Cross-legged, took out a specially made cushion and placed it beneath himself. Holding the Soul Bone before his forehead with both hands, he slowly infused it with Soul Power, preparing to fuse with it.

Seeing this, Tang Xiao immediately got to work, beginning to set up camp nearby.

The reason the two brothers dared to remain so calmly in the depths of the Spirit Beast forest was that they had long since "cleared out" this forest—Spirit Beasts over ten thousand years old had almost all been slaughtered.

Over the years, the Clear Sky Twin Stars had traveled across Spirit Beast forests everywhere under the pretense of training. Wherever they went, high-level Spirit Beasts nearly vanished.

Two years ago, they had caused too much trouble while "training" within the Star Luo Empire, provoking the Star Luo Emperor's fury and pressure.

Sect Master Tang Ri had no choice but to write a letter rebuking them on the surface, but the brothers both knew perfectly well that it was merely for show.

After all, their grandfather Tang Chen was the ruthless man who had once smashed Qian Daoliu, Spirit Hall's Pope who was said to be closest to a god, down from his pedestal.

Only when the letter mentioned that even the Clear Sky Sect's younger disciples were beginning to be affected in acquiring Soul Rings did they reluctantly give him some face and change course for the Heaven Dou Empire.

In Heaven Dou, they received an even more "enthusiastic welcome."

The Heaven Dou Great Emperor was deeply worried and practically offered them immense benefits in the manner of a bribe, begging them to show mercy.

The Heaven Dou Empire had always been weak in national strength, and its Soul Masters were generally not very powerful.

If the Clear Sky Twin Stars were allowed to slaughter all the high-level Spirit Beasts within its borders, then in the future, when Heaven Dou Soul Masters wanted to obtain their Fifth Soul Rings,

they would have no choice but to risk venturing deep into the perilous Star Dou Great Forest, where Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were rumored to dwell.

This was a risk the Heaven Dou Empire could not bear.

In response, the Tang Xiao and Tang Hao brothers calmly accepted every benefit. As for the Heaven Dou Great Emperor's request?

Naturally, they ignored it completely.

The desperate Heaven Dou Great Emperor had once sought help from Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

However, this Sect Master Ning, who had returned forcefully a year ago with the Sword and Bone Douluos and reclaimed control of the sect, was currently devoting all his efforts to advancing the grand plan of "the Upper Three Sects standing united."