Clouds Surge

Hals took one last careful look around the place he had called home for the past ten years, then finally steeled himself, closed the door, and turned to leave.

Hals's room was only a wall away; after stepping out, it took fewer than ten paces before he stood before Bibi Dong's door.

Staring at the familiar door, even though he had already told Bibi Dong he was leaving and had rehearsed the moment countless times in his mind, now that the time had come, Hals still felt a trace of fear and hesitation.

Hals trembled involuntarily. This hand—one that had stained itself with who knew how much blood and taken who knew how many lives—had never shaken even when killing for the first time, yet now it began to quiver.

Hals raised his left hand to the lantern, forcing himself to stop trembling, but the result was far from satisfactory. He could no longer afford to dwell on it. Short pain was better than long suffering. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his hand to knock on the door.

To Hals's surprise, before his hand could even land on the door, it swung open.

Through the crack in the door, what met Hals's eyes was a slightly haggard Bibi Dong.

Hals opened his mouth but found he couldn't form a single complete sentence.

In contrast, Bibi Dong handled it a little better. She brushed her hair back, forcing a smile that was clearly strained.

"Leaving now?"

"Mm."

"..."

A stretch of silence.

Hals felt he couldn't drag this out any longer. He was afraid that if he delayed further, he might lose the courage to leave. Clenching his right fist, he held out the box that had been in his left hand to Bibi Dong.

"Master, these are a few pieces of jewelry I prepared for you. You must keep them on you at all times. I separated a small part of my soul and fused it into them, and they also contain spatial power. I can use them to teleport to your side. Just activate them with your spirit power when needed..."

Ignoring Hals's sudden rambling, Bibi Dong stared blankly at his right hand—half a finger of which had accidentally slipped out from under his robe.

"You... your hand?" Bibi Dong was momentarily stunned, then snapped back to reality and reached out to examine Hals's right hand.

Hearing Bibi Dong's exclamation, Hals quickly tried to tuck his right hand further under his robe, but he couldn't resist her, and she eventually pulled his hand out.

"You... your hand, how did it become like this?" Bibi Dong's eyes reddened.

Seeing Bibi Dong on the verge of tears again, Hals felt his head spin. He quickly stretched out his right arm, waving it freely and even making a few difficult gestures, all while explaining rapidly:

"No, no, I made my arm into the jewelry for you. I had no choice—my arm naturally carries spatial power and has the best compatibility with my soul. When I come back later, my arm can still be reattached. Haven't you seen my recovery ability before? Right? See?" Hals spoke at a breakneck pace.

After hearing Hals's explanation, Bibi Dong's expression finally improved.

"But even if it can't be reattached, I think this soul arm isn't bad either..." Hals muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow, putting on a fierce tone.

"No, no!" Hals quickly shook the jewelry box with his left hand—the one Bibi Dong wasn't holding—pleading, "Nothing, nothing, I was just talking to myself."

Bibi Dong glared at Hals and said, "Remember, everything about you belongs to me. Without my permission, no one—including you—is allowed to harm you. Got it?"

Hals nodded repeatedly.

"Absolutely, absolutely."

Hearing Hals agree so readily, Bibi Dong let him off the hook and stopped dwelling on the topic.

Hals inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief and changed the subject:

"Master, you must remember to be careful of Qian Xunji. His intentions are unclear, but he's definitely targeting you. With me not by your side, don't argue over anything. He can't just make a move on you without some excuse. I'll do my best to send one piece of intelligence to the hall every month. As long as he knows I'm still alive, he'll have some restraint. Everything—everything—wait until I come back."

"Mm." Bibi Dong fell silent again.

In the quiet, Hals didn't know what else to say.

After a moment, Hals looked up, staring at the flickering flame in the lantern, gazing at Bibi Dong's beautiful face. His lips moved, and he finally spoke:

"It's getting late. It's time for me to go."

Bibi Dong finally lifted her head, looking at Hals with a hint of tenderness in her eyes. She reached up, pushed back his hood, and gently stroked his face, her voice soft:

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

Hals nodded, reached out his left hand to cover Bibi Dong's hand on his cheek, feeling her warmth.

"Go back inside."

Hals lowered Bibi Dong's hand, gave it two light squeezes, then resolutely turned and walked off into the distance.

"Hals, take care!"

Behind him came Bibi Dong's tear-choked voice. Hals did not look back.

He simply walked on in silence.

"As you command... my... Master..."

The murmured words quickly scattered into the cool air between heaven and earth...

Star Luo City was the imperial capital of the Star Luo Empire and also its largest city.

Those in power were the colossal Dai Family. Sharing control of the empire with the Dai Family was the noble Zhu Family of Star Luo, though the Zhu Family also possessed their own fiefdom—the Alpha Kingdom.

The Dai and Zhu families had a deep bond. Since ancient times, the Dai Family produced the emperors of the Star Luo Empire, while the Zhu Family produced the empresses.

As for how the two families maintained this close relationship, according to Spirit Hall's intelligence, it was because all members of both families could use spirit fusion skills. This, in turn, cemented their position as overlords.

Star Luo City, the largest city in the Star Luo Empire, was not only the political center but also the economic hub. As dawn barely broke, the city gates were already bustling with people; many farmers carrying poles laden with their own produce lined up to enter the city.

Nearly a month had passed since leaving Spirit Hall. Hals had traveled day and night without rest, finally arriving at Star Luo City within that month.

A month of sleeping in the open and eating on the road had left no trace on Hals. Along the way, he had pondered what method to use to infiltrate the Star Luo Empire. After much deliberation, he still felt that his identity as a Soul Douluo was the most exploitable asset.

Hals looked at the city wall before him, thought for a moment, and chose not to hide. Instead, he walked openly toward the city gate.

The guards, seeing the strange figure in a long robe approaching, were startled at first but quickly snapped to attention, watching Hals warily as he strode forward.

With a clatter of metal, the city gate guards all drew their spears, their tips subtly aimed in Hals's direction.

"What's your business!" the lead guard barked, his face arrogant as he glared at Hals.

Beneath his hood, Hals's expression darkened. Even among the group of soul masters at Spirit Hall, no one had dared speak to him like that. How dare this ordinary man?

"You are addressing This Seat." A hoarse, grating voice sounded eerily. Hals slowly lifted his head, and in his right eye, a green flame blazed fiercely.

"Ah, ahhh!"

Hals didn't even release his pressure, but his soul level far surpassed that of the guard. A single glance was enough to damage the man's soul.

The guard collapsed to the ground, the area beneath his crotch already soaked with an unidentified liquid.

The guard's voice turned hoarse and shrill, as if it had become a woman's.

"Quick, quick, send the signal!!!"