Martial Soul Chamber of Commerce

On the Douluo Continent, being a Soul Master was the most prestigious profession, and Spirit City was the sacred land in the hearts of all Soul Masters. The Pontiff who ruled the Spirit Hall was someone before whom even the emperors of the two great empires had to bow. In the eyes of merchants, let alone building a connection with the Pontiff, even catching a glimpse of him was impossibly difficult. But now, a once-in-a-millennium opportunity lay right before them: the Holy Son.

In the eyes of ordinary people, the current Pontiff, Bibi Dong, had risen to power as a Holy Maiden. Since there was such a precedent, was it really impossible for the current Holy Son before them to become the next Pontiff?

Those merchants weren't fools. If anything, they were shrewd. In their eyes, this wasn't a business partnership at all—it was an investment in the next Pontiff. If the Holy Son weren't favored, how could the renowned Ghost Douluo be following him around as his bodyguard? Besides, the money wasn't going to be thrown away. As long as they were doing business, with their enormous resources, they were bound to make a profit no matter what. It was practically a sure thing. So, within just a few days, countless major merchant associations nearly broke down the door, continually raising their offers to buy shares. Some even had money to burn and wanted to buy up every share in one go, but Feng Xinglie naturally turned them down in the name of fair competition.

"These people's schemes are practically bouncing off their abacuses and smacking me in the face. Investing in the next Pontiff? Me? What a joke. Who knows if the Spirit Hall will even survive long enough for the next one to take the throne?"

Once he saw through the merchants' little schemes, Feng Xinglie couldn't help laughing wryly. But it worked out perfectly. Since they were thinking that way, he might as well take the chance to raise the price. One was willing to sell, and the other was willing to buy. Even after he carefully selected the merchant associations he'd accept, weighing everything from their size and business scope to their reputations, he still sold each one percent share for the astronomical price of seven hundred million Gold Soul Coins. Of course, some had their smaller affiliated associations buy shares first, then transfer them to themselves in hopes of gaining greater influence. But once they learned the Spirit Hall held fifty-one percent of the shares, they all regretted it bitterly. Still, after glancing at Gui Mei standing nearby, they could only hang their heads and admit defeat.

"Your Highness, the Holy Son, you truly have a way with things. With just ten thousand Gold Soul Coins in starting capital, you've leveraged hundreds of billions in capital."

Commercial trade on the Douluo Continent was still quite primitive. By a stroke of luck, Feng Xinglie's feat might not be without precedent in the future, but it was certainly unprecedented so far. After seeing the mountain of Gold Soul Coins, Gui Mei found himself addressing Feng Xinglie with considerably more respect, instinctively adding "Your Highness."

"This was all thanks to Elder Ghost's fearsome reputation. Without you backing me, how could a little kid like me stand a chance against that pack of old foxes?"

That timely flattery made Gui Mei beam with delight. The Martial Soul Chamber of Commerce now covered nearly every industry, and every association that had bought in was an elite at the very top of the pyramid. After sorting out their relationships and assigning their responsibilities, he set the formerly hostile associations to keep one another in check. Then Feng Xinglie and Gui Mei returned to the Spirit Hall to report back.

Only...

"Your Highness, weren't we supposed to return to Spirit City and report in? Where are we going?"

As the road grew more and more remote, Gui Mei asked in confusion.

"Don't be in a hurry, Elder Ghost. We're taking a little detour to Gengxin City. We might even be able to drum up some support."

"The Steel Capital? Does Your Highness want to bring that place under your control too?"

Gui Mei was a little surprised. In his mind, the most valuable thing in that city was the Blacksmith Association, but it was a neutral organization formed of its own accord, with practically no chance of bringing it into the fold. Still, when he thought of how Feng Xinglie had managed to gather such a terrifying amount of funds in such a short time, he understood. Maybe there really would be some unexpected gains.

The Blacksmith Association? They could forget about that for now. The leverage he had on hand wasn't enough to bring it under his control. This time, he was only after a minor character who appeared in the late stages of the story, serving as a stepping stone for the protagonist and a foil to Tang Buddha's noble character. But that little character could serve as a catalyst, making him crucial to Feng Xinglie's plans down the line.

Gengxin City, Martial Soul Branch Hall.

Though the debauched Miles was still only a Soul King, he had already taken the position of Bishop. A stock villain, he had contributed no real combat strength to the original story, serving purely to highlight the protagonist's nobility. Tang San had killed him instantly with the Eight Spider Lances before he could even use a Soul Skill. At that moment, he was lounging against the seat of honor, enjoying the dance of scantily clad beauties nearby.

"Hahaha! Keep the music playing! Keep dancing!"

He tossed a piece of fatty meat into his mouth, then rose with a lewd grin, intending to get a little closer to the fiery dancer.

"Heh, Bishop Miles certainly seems to be enjoying himself."

"Who's there?!"

The sudden voice startled Miles. He turned to look and saw only a child at the entrance, greeting him.

"You little brat, how did you get in here?!"

Though he was little more than cannon fodder, years in the position of Bishop had given Miles a certain degree of vigilance. He had long forbidden anyone from disturbing his revelry. How had this brat slipped past the guards and made it all the way here without a sound?

But caution aside, his Soul King strength left him unafraid. As he looked down at Feng Xinglie, he suddenly rubbed his eyes, thinking he must have seen wrong. Had the brat in front of him just... melted?

This move had even been recorded in Baki.

Just like when he absorbed his First Soul Ring, it was a technique that unleashed astonishing strength by making the body relax to its absolute limit. Its creator, after seeing the corpse of a cockroach, had been astonished to discover that the insect had no strong muscles or bones inside it, only fluid. From that, he grasped the technique of "dissolving" the body. It broke the physical rule that a runner had to accelerate gradually, letting the user reach top speed from the very first movement. Since it imitated a cockroach, people had jokingly called it:

Cockroach Sprint

Miles saw a blur before his eyes. The boy, who had been melting just a moment earlier, had appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye. Years of debauchery had left Miles so sluggish that even though he saw the fist coming toward him, he couldn't react in time. It wasn't until pain shot through his nose that he staggered back several steps, unable to withstand the force.

"Wh... ugh..."

As he tried to speak, Feng Xinglie drove the heel of his palm upward into Miles's throat. Pain and retching tangled together, forcing him to swallow the curse that had just reached his lips. He raised a hand to summon his Martial Soul, but a heavy blow struck his leg. He dropped onto his backside, only then noticing his two knees had been kicked out of place. Now facing the nearly same-height Miles, Feng Xinglie grabbed his hair and yanked him toward himself, then slammed a rising knee into his face. In the blink of an eye, Bishop Miles had been effortlessly taken down by Feng Xinglie.