However, Holy Soul Village probably wouldn't be seeing Master Su Yuntao from Spirit Hall tomorrow.
Because Qian Renyu, who was in the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City, suddenly remembered Tang San. He had Innate Full Soul Power—though that might have been an illusion caused by cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill before his Martial Soul Awakening. But after taking Yu Xiaogang as his teacher, he'd obtained his First Soul Ring by killing a four-hundred-year-old Datura Snake with that good-for-nothing's—no, with Great God King Tang's own hands—and become a true Soul Master.
Spirit Hall provided subsidies to Soul Masters below the rank of Soul Elder.
A Soul Master could collect one Gold Soul Coin a month.
A Soul Grandmaster could collect three Gold Soul Coins a month.
There was no age limit, either.
Take that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang. His Soul Power would never get past level twenty-nine, yet he could collect subsidies for the rest of his life.
Wasn't that just exploiting a bug?
Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Yu Xiaogang were all future enemies of Spirit Hall. How could he fund the enemy?
Besides, Spirit Hall had been around for ten thousand years, and many of its practices had become outdated.
There were also plenty of people using Spirit Hall's name to bully the common folk and throw their weight around.
Those were all problems. And problems needed fixing.
So Qian Renyu planned to return to Spirit City and ask Qian Daoliu to convene a meeting to reform Spirit Hall.
But Qian Renyu didn't want to miss Great God King Tang's Martial Soul Awakening ceremony, so he ordered the Martial Soul Sub-Hall in Nuoding City to put off the awakening ceremony in Holy Soul Village, where Tang San lived.
They would hold it after he returned.
As for whether the people at the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City agreed, that didn't matter.
Worship Hall, Spirit City
Qian Renyu slowly pushed open the doors to the Worship Hall. "Old man, I'm back."
"Why are you back so soon?" Qian Daoliu asked.
"Did something happen?"
"Something did. It's about Spirit Hall."
"Oh." Hearing that it concerned Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu grew serious.
"Here's the thing. During my travels, I realized that some things in Spirit Hall have become outdated. Some petty crooks inside Spirit Hall use its name to bully the people and throw their weight around."
"So I've come up with some preliminary ideas for reforming Spirit Hall."
As he spoke, he handed Qian Daoliu a document.
Qian Daoliu took the document from Qian Renyu. When he'd finished reading it, he drew a deep breath.
His grandson was like a bird that soared to the heavens as soon as it took flight, and made a stunning debut as soon as it opened its mouth. This reform was truly a bold undertaking.
Still, Spirit Hall did need to change.
"But first, please send people to conduct a general investigation within Spirit Hall and see who the bad apples are," Qian Renyu said.
"No need." Qian Daoliu took a document from the table beside him. "It's all here."
Seeing it, Qian Renyu was surprised. "Old man, what's this?"
Qian Daoliu spoke slowly. "Spirit Hall is, after all, the Qian Family's Spirit Hall."
"Tomorrow, I'll convene a meeting of the elders."
When Qianjun Douluo returned to Spirit City, he didn't even stop to catch his breath. He went straight to the archives and dug up every record about Su Yuntao. He was determined to find out just who this Master Su Yuntao was.
But it turned out that Su Yuntao was a nobody.
Spirit Hall had indeed grown stronger under Bibi Dong, but its reputation had steadily declined.
Though perhaps that had been intentional on Bibi Dong's part.
The next day, the elders' meeting was convened.
The seat of honor in the conference room naturally belonged to the Pope, but Spirit Hall's current Pope, Bibi Dong, hadn't arrived yet.
To be honest, Bibi Dong was very displeased about this meeting.
First, the Pope Palace and the Worship Hall had already been at odds.
Second, the meeting had been organized by the Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu, without informing her beforehand. She, the Pope, had merely been notified to attend.
Whatever else, she, Bibi Dong, was still the Pope of Spirit Hall.
Qian Daoliu had gone too far.
The seats on the left side of the conference room were for the enshrined ones, but none of them had arrived yet.
The seats on the right were for the elders, and quite a few had already come.
Demon Bear Douluo Mo Dengxian, Ghost Leopard Douluo Gui Linshan, Flame Hawk Douluo Yan Qingyi, and Spirit Kite Douluo Ling Lingqi were among those already there.
Some elders hadn't arrived yet, though. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, Snake Lance Douluo She Long, and Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue were all still absent.
Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo were in the Heaven Dou Empire protecting Qian Renxue, so naturally, they couldn't attend this meeting.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei were the Pope's right-hand men. Usually, wherever the Pope was, they were there too.
Then the enshrined ones from the Worship Hall began to arrive.
The first to enter the conference room were two people who looked exactly alike: a pair of twins.
They were none other than the Sixth Offering, Qianjun Douluo Qiangu Chongyang, and the Seventh Offering, Xiangmo Douluo Qiangu Chongqing.
When the elders saw the Sixth and Seventh Offerings arrive, they immediately stood and bowed. "Greetings, Sixth Offering. Greetings, Seventh Offering."
Qianjun Douluo and Qianjun Douluo gave the others a slight nod, then each took his seat and closed his eyes to rest.
The conference room door opened again, and a childlike figure bounced inside. Even after entering, the person couldn't sit still, looking around in every direction.
The person was none other than the Fifth Offering, Guangling Douluo An Yi.
The elders saw the Fifth Offering, Guangling Douluo, and stood to bow again. "Greetings, Fifth Offering."
"Greetings, greetings. Haven't you all already greeted this old man? Why keep saying it over and over?"
As he spoke, Guangling took his seat, playing with his Martial Soul, the Guangling Divine Bow, while his little legs swung back and forth beneath the table.
After the elders had finished greeting Guangling Douluo, they'd barely lowered themselves onto their chairs when the conference room door opened yet again.
The newcomer was burly, with a piercing gaze. He wore golden armor and strode in with the imposing air of a tiger.
It was none other than the Fourth Offering, Mighty Lion Douluo Xiong Tiankuo.
The elders had no choice but to lift their bottoms from their chairs and stand to bow again. "Greetings, Fourth Offering."
Mighty Lion Douluo nodded slightly, took his seat, and closed his eyes to rest.
The elders were suffering inside.
Couldn't the enshrined ones all come in together? Why did they have to enter one by one?
They could at least wait a few minutes between arrivals.
Every time the elders' bottoms had just touched their chairs, they had to get back up again.
Perhaps that was what "a brief taste" meant.
As the elders were thinking this, the conference room door opened yet again.
The person who walked in had a handsome face, skin as pale as paper, and bright, lively eyes. He gave people the feeling of a spring breeze.
How did that poem go again?
"A gentleman on the road, as beautiful as jade; unmatched beneath the heavens."
Yes, that was it.
It was none other than the Third Offering, Azure Luan Douluo Qing Yu'an.
This time, the elders didn't have to get up from their chairs, because they knew there were still a few enshrined ones to come. They hadn't sat down at all; they were still standing.
"Greetings, Third Offering."
Azure Luan Douluo nodded slightly, then took his seat and closed his eyes to rest.
The elders stood there for a while longer, but no one else arrived.
They'd miscalculated. That couldn't be right. Why hadn't anyone else come?
They waited a little longer, but still no one came.
The elders looked at one another. Maybe they should sit down and rest for a while.
Just as their bottoms touched their chairs, a sharp voice rang out.
"His Holiness the Pope has arrived!"
Before you continue