"If we had a Grade 9 Soul Engineer, we wouldn't need to go to all this trouble."
"A Grade 9 Soul Engineer... Jing Hongchen could do it, but we still need to make contact with him. Xuan Ziwen is Grade 8... We can bring him here in the future, but right now, we urgently need a Grade 9 Soul Engineer... A Grade 9 Soul Engineer..."
Qin Chuan slapped his palm and picked up the list of Holy Spirit Cult members on the table. Laughing, he said, "We've been searching high and low, only to find him without any effort at all. The Holy Spirit Cult's Third Elder, Thunder Nether Douluo, is a Grade 9 Soul Engineer. If we bring him here, won't that solve our problem?"
Bibi Dong's eyes lit up. "That's right! I can control him and make him obey me completely. Then all we need is a Grade 9 Soul Engineer to teach Nana and the other Spirit Hall disciples. And since Soul Tools haven't appeared in our world yet, there's no shortage of rare metals. Mining and purchasing them will be a piece of cake."
Qian Daoliu nodded in agreement with Qin Chuan's idea, then asked, "That does sound like a good plan. But how are we going to bring that Evil Soul Master here?"
Qin Chuan smiled. "That's simple. When he was young, the Holy Spirit Cult's Third Elder, Thunder Nether, was involved in a love triangle with the Earth Dragon Sect's leader in Dragon City. In the end, she chose someone else, so he held a grudge and became an Evil Soul Master. We just need someone to pretend to be Nan Shuishui, the Earth Dragon Sect's leader, then go fishing near the Demon Forest. Do you think Thunder Nether Douluo could resist showing up?"
As soon as he finished speaking, almost everyone turned to look at Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong waved a hand and sighed. "All right, I'll do it this once. Back in Dragon City, I'd considered wiping out the Earth Dragon Sect, but Nan Shuishui was only a Soul Douluo. She wasn't much of a challenge."
"Good thing I happen to have a portrait of Nan Shuishui with me. This past year has been quite the ordeal."
Bibi Dong took out a portrait of Nan Shuishui. The elegant, beautiful woman in the picture had delicate features and a dignified air. With the help of Qian Renxue's Angel Soul Bone, Bibi Dong disguised herself as Nan Shuishui, looking stunning and still voluptuous.
Qin Chuan immediately spent one hundred Snow Hatred Value to open another space-time tunnel to the main world ten thousand years in the future.
After Qin Chuan and Bibi Dong left, Qian Daoliu used the catalog of rare metals provided by Qian Renxue and Ye Guyi to secretly order a search for them across the entire continent. Gengxin City, the City of Metals, was a top priority.
He also sent powerful experts to survey the ley lines and locate the continent's rare metal deposits. Any discoveries were to be reported immediately.
The Spirit Hall sprang into action. Many disciples who received the orders had no idea why, but they still hurried off in every direction. With Spirit Hall branch temples all over the continent, they actually managed to find quite a few rare metals.
Reports came in one after another.
Five days later, in Pope Hall.
A black hole suddenly appeared. When the dust settled,
Qin Chuan, Bibi Dong in her original appearance, and Thunder Nether Douluo—who looked bewildered yet awestruck—returned to Spirit Hall together.
"Master, where are we?" Thunder Nether Douluo asked, utterly confused.
For five days, Bibi Dong had taken on Nan Shuishui's appearance and shown herself in cities throughout the Sun Moon Empire. Each appearance caused a sensation.
The mature beauty Nan Shuishui was simply too alluring, drawing plenty of attention.
Naturally, word reached Thunder Nether Douluo. While traveling outside Dongyang City one day, the Holy Spirit Cult's Third Elder finally couldn't resist making his move.
They hadn't seen each other in over twenty years, and Nan Shuishui was even more alluring and charming than before. She even made Thunder Nether Douluo, who had lost the ability to father children, feel as if he'd found a second youth.
And then... Bibi Dong captured him alive and brought him under the control of the Rakshasa God's mark.
Just as Bibi Dong had said, as the Rakshasa God's inheritor, all the Evil Soul Masters of the future were her descendants. She was the ancestor of every Evil Soul Master. That was no exaggeration.
The Rakshasa God's mark stirred up the deepest evil in a Soul Master's heart. For an Evil Soul Master steeped in wicked thoughts, it was practically made for him.
"This is Spirit Hall," Bibi Dong said calmly.
But to Thunder Nether Douluo, her words were like a thunderclap. He looked around the unfamiliar Pope Hall, then at the grand, ancient furnishings. His eyes filled with disbelief.
"Spirit Hall?! The strongest force on Douluo Continent ten thousand years ago? Wasn't it destroyed? How is this possible?"
"Master, this is Spirit Hall, so who are you?!" Thunder Nether Douluo stared at Bibi Dong in terror, stunned beyond words.
"My name is Bibi Dong, and I'm Spirit Hall's Pope."
Thunder Nether Douluo could no longer keep his composure. He stared blankly at Bibi Dong, his breathing growing ragged as his mind descended into chaos.
He could hardly believe it. The legendary empress of the Spirit Hall Empire from ten thousand years ago—the Bibi Dong who had ascended to godhood—was standing right in front of him, alive and well, and she had captured him.
"Thunder Nether, I need you to serve me."
"..." Thunder Nether Douluo forced himself to swallow, then dropped to one knee. "Please give me your orders, Master."
"You're a Grade 9 Soul Engineer. I need you to teach Spirit Hall's disciples how to make Soul Tools and help them integrate Soul Tools with their soul skills."
"Your subordinate will obey any order you give, Master."
"Good. Come with me."
Qin Chuan went ahead to notify his grandfather, Qian Daoliu.
Then, numerous Titled Douluo elders gathered in Pope Hall.
Bibi Dong stood before them with her hands behind her back and said calmly, "I've summoned you all to discuss Spirit Hall's direction for the future."
At this, the elders' expressions tightened, and they all grew serious.
"Before we begin, I'd like to ask you all: what is a Soul Master's greatest advantage?"
Yue Guan was the first to answer. "Your Holiness the Pope, a Soul Master's greatest advantages lie in their Soul Power Level and their distinct abilities. There are Power Attack System, healing, food, defense, and Agility System Soul Masters. Every Soul Master has their own strengths."
"Very well put."
Bibi Dong praised Yue Guan, who smiled smugly.
Then Bibi Dong changed tack. "But is it possible for a healing Soul Master to defeat a Power Attack System Soul Master? Or for a food-type Soul Master to defeat an Agility System Soul Master?"
Everyone thought the Pope had gone mad. Even children at a beginner Soul Master Academy knew such basic facts. What was wrong with her today?
"Your Holiness the Pope, we don't believe it," they all said in unison.
"Good. Since none of you believe it, come with me."
With that, Bibi Dong walked toward the entrance of Pope Hall.
As the doors swung open, Bibi Dong's figure vanished into the blinding sunlight.
Though they didn't know what was going on, everyone followed her out.
Before you continue