Clouds Gather

Hals took one last careful look around the place he had lived for the past decade. In the end, he resolutely shut the door and turned to leave.

Hals's room was only one wall away. Once outside, he had less than ten steps to go. Before long, he was standing in front of Bibi Dong's door.

Looking at the familiar door, Hals felt a trace of fear and hesitation despite having already told Bibi Dong he was leaving and rehearsed this moment countless times in his mind.

Hals trembled unconsciously. This hand had been stained with untold blood and taken countless lives; it had never trembled, not even the first time he killed someone. Yet now it began to shake.

Hals raised his left hand to the Lantern, forcing himself to stop trembling, but it did little good. He could not worry about that now. Better a short pain than a long one. He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked.

To Hals's surprise, before his hand could reach the door, it opened.

Through the crack, Hals saw Bibi Dong, looking a little haggard.

Hals opened his mouth, only to find he could not put together a single complete sentence.

By comparison, Bibi Dong seemed to handle it a little better. She brushed back her hair and smiled, though the strain showed.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Mm."

"..."

Silence fell.

Hals felt he could not put it off any longer. He was afraid that if he did, he might lose the courage to leave. He clenched his right fist, then held out the box he had been carrying in his left hand.

"Master, I prepared a few pieces of jewelry for you. You must keep them with you at all times. I fused a small portion of my soul into them, and they also possess spatial powers. I can use them to teleport to your side. You only need to activate them with your Soul Power..."

Ignoring Hals's sudden rambling, Bibi Dong stared blankly at his right hand, hidden beneath his robe, with half a finger accidentally peeking out.

"Y-your hand?" Bibi Dong seemed stunned, then quickly came to her senses and reached for his right hand to inspect it.

At Bibi Dong's cry, Hals hurriedly tucked his right hand farther beneath his robe. But he could not resist her, and in the end, she pulled his hand out.

"Y-your hand... How did it become like this?" Bibi Dong's eyes grew red.

Seeing Bibi Dong look as if she were about to cry again, Hals felt his head start to ache. He hurriedly stretched out his right arm, waving it around freely and even making a few difficult movements. As he kept moving his hand, he explained:

"No, no, it's fine. I turned my arm into the jewelry I made for you. I couldn't help it—my arm has spatial powers, and it's also the best match for my soul. When I come back, I can reattach it. You've seen how quickly I recover, haven't you? Right? See...?" Hals explained at top speed.

After hearing his explanation, Bibi Dong's expression finally eased.

"But even if I can't reattach it, I think this soul hand is pretty nice..." Hals muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow and snapped, pretending to be fierce.

"N-nothing!" Hals hurriedly shook the jewelry box in his left hand, the one Bibi Dong was not holding, and begged for mercy. "I didn't say anything. I was just talking to myself."

Bibi Dong glared at Hals. "Remember, everything you have belongs to me. Without my permission, no one—not even you—is allowed to hurt you. Do you hear me?"

Hals nodded repeatedly.

"Absolutely. Absolutely."

Only after hearing Hals agree so readily did Bibi Dong let him off the hook and drop the subject.

Hals inexplicably felt a weight lift from his shoulders and changed the subject.

"Master, you must remember to be wary of Qian Xunji. His intentions are unclear, but he is definitely targeting you. I won't be by your side, so don't pick fights if anything happens. He can't just come after you without finding some excuse. I'll do everything I can to send a report to the hall each month. As long as he knows I'm still alive, he'll have to think twice. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it after I return."

"Mm." Bibi Dong fell silent again.

In the quiet, Hals did not know what else to say.

After a moment, Hals finally looked up, staring at the flames flickering in her eyes and gazing at her lovely face. His lips moved, and he finally said, "It's getting late. I should be on my way."

Only then did Bibi Dong lift her head and look at Hals. A hint of tenderness seemed to show in her eyes. She raised a hand, lifted his hood, and caressed his face, her voice gentle.

"Take care on the road. Come back soon."

Hals nodded and placed his left hand over the one Bibi Dong had resting on his face, feeling her warmth.

"Go back inside."

Hals lowered Bibi Dong's hand, squeezed it gently twice, then turned resolutely and walked into the distance.

"Hals, take care!"

Bibi Dong's voice came from behind him, choked with tears. Hals did not look back.

And so he walked on in silence.

"As you command, my... master..."

His murmur soon drifted away into the cool air...

Star Luo City was the imperial capital of the Star Luo Empire, as well as its largest city.

The ruling power belonged to the Dai Family, a colossal clan. Alongside them, the empire was governed by the noble Zhu Family, which also possessed its own fiefdom—the Alpha Kingdom.

The Dai and Zhu Families shared a close bond. Since ancient times, the Dai Family had produced the emperors of the Star Luo Empire, while the Zhu Family had produced the Star Luo Empresses.

According to Spirit Hall intelligence, the reason the two families had maintained such close ties was that every member of both families could use the Martial Soul Fusion Skill. This was what had cemented their dominance.

As the largest city in the Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City was both its political and economic center. At the first hint of dawn, the roads outside its gates were already bustling. Many farmers carrying baskets of their crops were lining up to enter the city.

It had been nearly a month since Hals left Spirit Hall. Traveling day and night, he had managed to reach Star Luo City within the month.

A month of sleeping rough and eating on the road had left no trace on Hals. All along the way, he had been considering how to infiltrate the Star Luo Empire. After much thought, he decided that his identity as a Soul Douluo was what he could make the best use of.

Hals looked at the city walls and thought for a moment. He did not try to hide; instead, he walked straight up to the city gate.

The guards saw the strange figure in a robe approaching and were startled. They quickly snapped to attention, watching Hals as he walked toward them.

Clatter, clatter. The guards at the gate drew their spears, their points angled toward Hals.

"What are you doing here?" the head guard roared, glaring at Hals with an arrogant expression.

Beneath his hood, Hals's face darkened. Even among the Soul Masters of Spirit Hall, no one had dared speak to him like that. How did an ordinary person dare?

"Are you speaking to me?" A hoarse, unpleasant voice rang out ominously. Hals slowly raised his head, a Green Flame blazing in his right eye.

"Ah... Aaaah!"

Hals did not even release his pressure, but his soul was far beyond his opponent's. A single glance was enough to injure the guard's soul.

The guard collapsed to the ground, the area beneath him already wet with an unidentified liquid.

The guard's voice turned hoarse and shrill, almost like a woman's.

"Hurry, send the signal!!!"