Wind Rises

Qian Xunji was still talking to himself: "Hals, you know, I've always thought highly of you. But since this has happened, I have to do something—otherwise, it'll be hard to command respect."

That was pure nonsense. As the Pope, Qian Xunji's word was law in Spirit Hall; he never tolerated dissent.

Hals knelt on the ground, head bowed, saying nothing.

Qian Xunji glanced at Hals and continued: "Hals, if I'm not mistaken, you're already a Soul Douluo by now, aren't you?"

The soul flames in Hals's eyes flickered, but since his head was lowered, Qian Xunji didn't notice.

"Yes, Your Holiness."

A trace of wariness flickered subtly in Qian Xunji's eyes. He thought for a moment before speaking.

"In that case, Hals, I have a task for you now."

Hals still kept his head down, but his body bent a little lower.

"At your command."

The corner of Qian Xunji's mouth curled up, then he put on a serious expression and said solemnly: "I have a dream—to develop Spirit Hall into the most powerful organization on the continent. I want to spread my glory across the entire land."

"But on the path to success, there will always be stumbling blocks. Take the Star Luo and Heaven Dou Empires, for example. Our control over them is far too weak. I need someone to clear away those two obstacles."

Qian Xunji's fox-like intentions finally came to light.

"I want you to go to the Star Luo Empire, infiltrate and embed yourself, secretly observe and even influence the situation there."

Hals stiffened. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what Qian Xunji was really after. He felt a surge of irritation, his emotions slipping slightly out of control—after so many years, he had grown used to solving things with force and rarely bothered to think deeply.

If I go to Star Luo, what's the biggest impact? That's it—Hals understood. Once he left, his master would be left without protection. So the real target was still his master. But why was his target Bibi Dong?

The more he thought, the more confused he became, but what could he do? If he refused, setting everything else aside, his current strength couldn't protect his master anyway. So... he had no choice but to agree.

Qian Xunji waited a while, but Hals didn't answer. His expression soured slightly. He turned to look at Hals, about to say something, when Hals finally spoke:

"I understand. All for Your Holiness. Could you give me three days? I need a little time to prepare. Three days from now, I'll leave immediately."

Qian Xunji clearly hadn't expected Hals to agree so readily, but this suited him perfectly.

He showed great satisfaction with Hals, even rising from his throne to walk over and pat Hals on the shoulder. He offered a few hypocritical words of praise before letting Hals leave.

Walking along the path, Hals did something he hadn't done in a long time—he didn't transform into black mist and rush home. Instead, he strolled slowly, thinking about how to tell Bibi Dong.

He looked at the familiar corridor before him. The usually long path felt unusually short today. He didn't rush inside but stood silently outside Bibi Dong's door, the green flames in his eyes burning especially bright in the darkness.

After a long while, Hals let out a soft sigh and knocked on Bibi Dong's door.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Bibi Dong was lying on her bed, flipping through a book—still that book by Yu Xiaogang. Just as she was getting into it, the knock came. She had to put down the book she was so engrossed in, get up, and open the door.

"Hals?" Bibi Dong's face lit up with undisguised surprise, along with a hint of shyness.

Hearing Bibi Dong's voice, Hals said nothing. He simply bowed silently, opened his mouth, hesitated, and then said: "Master, there's something I need to tell you."

By now, Bibi Dong had noticed something off about Hals. Her expression calmed slightly, but she still opened the door wider and walked inside first.

"Come in. Whatever it is, come in first and tell me."

"Mm." Hals nodded, closed the door, and followed her in.

They sat in silence. Bibi Dong kept her head down, avoiding Hals's gaze. Hals, on the other hand, kept looking at Bibi Dong, but the flames in his eyes were dim, revealing a trace of worry and guilt.

"...So, you're leaving. You're leaving me." Bibi Dong spoke first, her voice low.

"No. I have no choice. I need to protect you, Master. Qian Xunji's real target is you. As long as I'm alive, he'll have to tread carefully. I asked him for three days. I'll use those three days to forge a protective item for you. At the same time, I'll go into seclusion to comprehend something, to find a way to return to your side as quickly as possible..." Hals's voice was agitated, his body trembling slightly.

Bibi Dong kept her head down and said nothing, but a single tear fell onto the bedsheet.

Hals panicked, stumbling over his words as he tried to explain: "No, it's not that—there's no other way. I don't want to leave you either, but..."

His words stopped abruptly. Bibi Dong suddenly stood up and hugged him.

Hals's mind went blank. His nose was filled with Bibi Dong's scent—a faint, gentle fragrance, not sharp at all.

Hals sat there frozen, not daring to move. Bibi Dong held him for a moment, then pressed her hands against his chest to push herself up. She wiped her eyes, looked at Hals's dumbfounded expression, and let out a laugh.

"Alright, alright. Go take care of your business. Don't worry—I can take care of myself. You need to become a Titled Douluo soon, then come back and help me.

Besides, you'll be developing things in Star Luo. After all, I'm the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall. My dream is also to develop Spirit Hall and build a Spirit Empire. So you're helping me too. Go on, don't worry." Bibi Dong clenched her small fist and bent her arm, striking a pose to show off her strength. "Don't worry—I'm not someone to mess with either."

Her playful words lifted Hals's spirits a little.

Bibi Dong got up, turned Hals around, and pushed him forward with both hands on his back until he was out the door.

Hals had been dazed from start to finish. He stared blankly at the closed door, only snapping out of it after a long time. He touched the spot where Bibi Dong had leaned against him, and a faint smile appeared on the face hidden beneath his hood—one that lingered for a long time...

Over the next two days, Hals stayed in seclusion, meditating and shutting out the outside world.

In the darkness, the flames in Hals's eye sockets burned without end. He lowered his head, extended his right arm in front of him, and carefully examined the runes on it.

"Space..."

After a moment's thought, without hesitation, the blood-red soul ring behind him flashed once. The power of icy frost coalesced into a sharp dagger in his left hand. With a swift motion of his hand, his right arm fell to the ground before him.

Hals's face twisted slightly, but he gritted his teeth and bore this extreme pain without uttering a single sound.

A few specks of green light drifted out from the lantern at his waist, but Hals, after deliberating several times, still withdrew those souls back into the lantern.

With a muffled grunt, a green light the size of half a fist floated out from Hals's body. His left hand ignited with flames, and as the green light slowly drifted down onto the arm, the flames also leaped up, engulfing the limb.

Hals glanced at the sky, which was beginning to brighten. He knew—time was up.

Hals turned around, instinctively reaching out with his right hand to pick up a bracelet and necklace lying before him, only to remember that his right arm had already been refined by him into those very items.

After a moment's thought, with a flick of his will, a large number of souls drifted out from the lantern, gathering at the wound on Hals's right shoulder and condensing into a solid, green, translucent arm brimming with soul energy.

After admiring the jewelry for a while, Hals glanced out the window and calculated the time. By now, Bibi Dong should have already risen.

The power of icy frost condensed into a small box. Hals casually placed the jewelry inside, took one last look around the room, and rose to leave. If the room had a soul, it might have known that its master would not return for years to come...