"Your Holiness the Pope!"
Watching Ghost Leopard and Bear Demon Douluo arrive together, Bibi Dong wore an expression that was both relieved and awkward.
She was relieved because, after receiving the boost from the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking, both of their Soul Power Levels had now reached Rank 96.
According to Spirit Hall's unspoken rules, at this level they could leave the Elder Hall under Bibi Dong's authority and join the Worship Hall, where Qian Daoliu resided.
Just like Qian Jun, Jiang Mo, and the others.
In these circumstances, Ghost Leopard and Bear Demon were still willing to come see her at the Palace of the Pope, which showed that their loyalty was beyond question.
As for the awkwardness...
Looking at the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking's evaluation, then at the two men before her, Bibi Dong couldn't help but twitch her eyelids.
As her trusted subordinates, she really hadn't done much to cultivate them.
Special pills aside, other than the cultivation resources they received as a matter of course, the two of them didn't even have a single Soul Bone between them.
"You've... worked hard."
"Don't worry. The next time an elder dies and leaves behind an extra Soul Bone, it'll naturally go to you first!"
Why the next time?
Because this time's Soul Bones had already been earmarked for the Spirit Hall Golden Generation.
Especially the most precious Head Soul Bone, which was already Hu Liena's for the taking!
As for the ones from before, whether to raise her own strength or to face the Rakshasa God Trial, Bibi Dong had naturally absorbed them all herself.
That was why the Title Douluos on Bibi Dong's side were so poorly equipped with Soul Bones.
Although they knew perfectly well that their leader was dangling a carrot in front of them, the situation left them little choice. Ghost Leopard and Bear Demon knelt on the ground and cried, "Everything for Spirit Hall!"
That was what they said, but only they knew what they really thought!
Unlike the loyal Ghost Leopard, Bear Demon's eyes shifted a few times as soon as he knelt.
Before, there had been nothing to compare themselves to, so it hadn't mattered!
But now that the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking had appeared, what was the situation?
Snake Lance Douluo, ranked thirtieth on the Strongest Dragon-Tiger Ranking, wasn't a direct member of Spirit Hall like them. He was just a Title Douluo who'd joined later.
He'd once been a nobody, but after attaching himself to the Qingyun Sect, he'd made a name for himself and now counted as a powerhouse.
His Soul Power Level had soared, and his combat strength was even more impressive. Anyone could tell that his Self-Created Soul Skill, Heaven-Questioning Spear Art, was extraordinary.
Snake Lance Douluo's combat strength was so high that it even surpassed that of the two of them, who were nothing but blank slates.
As for Qin Ming, who was slightly weaker than them, there was even less to say.
As a direct member of the Qingyun Sect, Qin Ming's combat strength far exceeded his Soul Power Level, as the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking had made perfectly clear.
He was even further beyond the likes of two blank-slate Douluos.
The way things stood, as long as you chose the right person to follow, life became easy!
But then there were the two of them.
They'd followed Bibi Dong for years, done plenty of dirty and exhausting work, and gotten no benefits at all.
They'd finally finished supplying Bibi Dong, and had thought it would soon be their turn.
But what happened?
Once the All-Continent Soul Master Competition began, all three hard-won Soul Bones had been earmarked to build up the Golden Generation.
Forget getting a piece of the pie—they were about to lose even the chance to lick the bowl or catch a whiff!
"People can thrive by moving, but trees die if they're moved!"
"He's still young, and his cultivation potential hasn't run out. Especially now that the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking has appeared, before the winner's decided, who knows who'll be the dark horse?"
Thinking this, Bear Demon glanced at Bibi Dong's reflection on the spotless, gleaming floor and made up his mind.
Rather than keep working for a boss like Bibi Dong who only dangled carrots, he might as well switch to somewhere else!
Of course, Bear Demon still bore Spirit Hall's mark.
Compared to switching over to the Qingyun Sect or another sect, he would rather join the Worship Hall.
With Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu backing him, Bibi Dong wouldn't dare say a thing!
As for why Bear Demon had come here...
Partly, it was out of consideration for his good friend Ghost Leopard. And partly, he didn't want Bibi Dong to grow suspicious.
"Come to think of it, it's strange!
"My good friend's Ghost Leopard Martial Soul is practically synonymous with cunning and treachery, yet somehow he's incredibly loyal to Bibi Dong!
"I wonder what kind of bewitching potion she gave him!"
After grumbling to himself, Bear Demon Douluo was just about to make another attempt to secure his future.
The ranking finished, and the golden clouds began to churn once more.
[Strongest Dragon-Tiger Ranking 24: Ghost Douluo (Gui Mei)!] [Martial Soul: Ghost!] [Level: Rank 95!] [Power/affiliation: Spirit Hall!] [Soul Bone: Right Leg Bone (primarily boosts speed)] [Life story: Gui Mei's Martial Soul was extremely unusual. It was called Ghost and resembled a Body Martial Soul (soul). To a certain extent, it could render him immune to physical attacks! Gui Mei had died once in his youth, but after he swallowed a Soul Returning Grass, a twist of fate allowed his soul to return to his body. When his Martial Soul awakened at the age of six, it underwent an extremely unusual Martial Soul Mutation: it became Ghost. In a sense, his soul was his Martial Soul, while he himself was a living corpse! What Ghost Douluo feared most was the kind of divine light released by a Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul. That light was the bane of his Martial Soul. At the same time, because he had swallowed Soul Returning Grass, although Gui Mei's Martial Soul was unusual, it could resonate with other Immortal Herb Martial Souls and awaken a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!]
So that was how it worked!
That explained it. If that was the reason, then it made sense why Ghost and the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum—Martial Souls that had seemingly nothing to do with each other—could awaken the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Two Poles Stillness Domain!
What no one had expected, though, was that after Ghost Leopard and Bear Demon made the list, Gui Mei would be the next one on it.
If so, wouldn't Yue Guan, who was practically inseparable from Gui Mei, make the list too?
As expected of Spirit Hall. It had stayed off the rankings until now, but as soon as it appeared, it was already poised to dominate them!
As the people of Douluo Continent watched the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking and couldn't help but marvel, the next revelation left them stunned!
[Like Ghost Leopard and Bear Demon, Gui Mei was a direct member of Spirit Hall. Before becoming a Title Douluo, he had already served under Qian Xunji, the then-Pope of Spirit Hall, who relied on him as one of his right-hand men! He had been one of Qian Xunji's most trusted subordinates, and after breaking through to become a Title Douluo, his power and influence were even more formidable. However, after Qian Xunji learned from Tang Hao that the two of them had attacked Tang Hao and his wife alongside a group of powerful fighters, forcing the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Blue Silver Emperor to sacrifice herself, only for Tang Hao to seize the opportunity to break through and gravely wound Qian Xunji with the Great Sumeru Hammer—and then, after returning, to be assassinated by his own disciple Bibi Dong— Qian Xunji's death caused Qian Daoliu to despise Gui Mei. As a result, Gui Mei could only obey Bibi Dong, Spirit Hall's current Pope, who sheltered him!]
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