Hurry Up and Send Them Away

Early the next morning, As the sky was just beginning to brighten, The stone door of the top-secret basement in the Pope Hall was blasted open. Several solemn-faced female knights walked in and, without a word, Directly "escorted" the Star Luo Empress, Zhu Wanying, who had not slept all night and looked haggard, out of the room. They shoved her into an inconspicuous carriage and packed her off out of Martial Soul City that very night.

Standing on the high terrace of the Pope Hall, Qian Xunji felt the cold morning breeze and let out a long sigh of relief as he watched the carriage disappear into the distance.

"Damn it, better to get her out of here. If I kept her locked up any longer, I'm afraid this glorious and righteous persona of mine would truly crumble."

Yesterday, he had almost failed to restrain himself from crossing that final line.

He had to admit, the genes of the Zhu family of Star Luo were truly the finest in the entire continent.

Last night, the sight of Zhu Wanying—filled with humiliation and despair yet forced to submit—paired with that figure so hot it was practically a crime, made her a lethal enchantress.

Qian Xunji stretched, thoroughly shaking those lascivious thoughts from his mind, and turned to walk into the main assembly hall.

At this moment, the hall was already blinded by a brilliant, golden radiance.

"Reporting to Your Holiness the Pope!"

A cardinal in charge of finances was so excited his voice was trembling. He held a thick stack of gift lists and knelt on the ground with a thud:

"We've struck gold! This time, our Martial Soul Hall has truly made a fortune!"

"Look at how little ambition you have." Qian Xunji sat on the papal throne and picked up a teacup to moisten his throat.

"Speak, how much 'protection money' did those sects send over?"

"Replying to Your Holiness, after the battle at Jialing Pass yesterday, from last night until now, Every faction that signed that joint letter has delivered their tribute at the first possible moment. Some even used flying spirit beasts to air-freight them overnight!"

The cardinal swallowed hard, flipped open the gift list, and read aloud:

"Every second and third-rate sect that participated sent at least five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, along with various rare ores and medicinal herbs.

As for the two great empires, they each sent ten million Gold Soul Coins and the ten-year mining rights to two large spirit beast forests."

Qian Xunji raised an eyebrow: "And the Upper Three Sects?"

"The Clear Sky Sect sent fifteen million Gold Soul Coins and the transfer deeds for two refined iron mines. As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan..."

At this point, the cardinal's eyes were practically popping out of their sockets:

"Those two families truly bled themselves dry. Not only did they send mountains of Gold Soul Coins and heavenly treasures, But... but they each sent a complete spirit bone of the ten-thousand-year level."

Listening to the cardinal's report, the smile on the corner of Qian Xunji's mouth could no longer be suppressed.

"Hahahaha, those two old foxes, Ning Zhen and Yu Yuanzhen, they're guilty as thieves and are just spending money to avert disaster!"

"Accept it! Put it all into the treasury for this Seat!" Qian Xunji waved his hand grandly. "

Take half of those Gold Soul Coins and continue to invest them into subsidies for civilian spirit masters and the printing of the General Theory of Martial Souls. This Seat wants the prestige of the Martial Soul Hall to completely overshadow this group of so-called nobles!"

Sure enough, as the news of the battle at Jialing Pass spread across the continent like it had grown wings, Coupled with the frenzied fermentation of the General Theory of Martial Souls, the reputation of the Martial Soul Hall reached the highest peak in the history of the Douluo Continent within just a few days!

Civilian spirit masters revered Pope Qian Xunji like a god, and many spirit masters from small sects were even clamoring to leave their sects and defect to the Martial Soul Hall.

Walking on the streets of Martial Soul City, even the low-level deacons and guards held their heads high, walking with a swagger, wishing they could carve 'I am the best in the world' onto their foreheads.

However, looking at this flourishing, prosperous situation, Qian Xunji sat in the Pope Hall, his deep eyes becoming increasingly calm.

"Pass down the order: convene a general assembly of all cardinals and high-ranking officials!"

At the meeting that day, Qian Xunji did not praise a single person; instead, he acted out of character and slammed the table.

"All of you, tuck your tails in for this Seat!"

Qian Xunji's icy gaze swept over the flushed, self-satisfied cardinals below, his level-95 pressure making everyone unable to breathe.

"Do you think the Martial Soul Hall is now invincible? Do you think that wherever you go, others must act according to your whims? Fools!"

Qian Xunji shouted sternly: "Things turn into their opposites when they reach the extreme; prosperity leads to decline! Once prestige reaches its peak, the abyss lies just below!

Every faction on the continent now fears and hates us. They may offer gifts and submit on the surface, but who knows how they are sharpening their blades in the shadows!"

"From today on, the Martial Soul Hall will implement military-grade iron laws.

Anyone who dares to use the Martial Soul Hall's name to act arrogantly, bully others, or tarnish the glorious image I have worked so hard to build..." Qian Xunji sneered, "There will be no need for outsiders to act. This Seat will personally skin them, pull out their tendons, and hang them at the entrance of the Judgment Tribunal to dry!"

To be a perfect arch-villain, one must not only have the strength to crush everything but also a flawless, righteous mask that leaves no room for anyone to find fault.

Under this iron-fisted order, the entire Martial Soul Hall became like a precision instrument, putting away all arrogance and wildness, becoming increasingly profound, rigorous, and unshakable.

A few days later, Star Luo Empire, Imperial City, Emperor's bedchamber, The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt as if it could drip water.

Lying on the sickbed, the Star Luo Empire Emperor Dai Tianfeng had finally regained consciousness, though his chest remained wrapped in thick bandages.

The humiliation of having his Hell White Tiger crushed under the foot of Qian Xunji at Jialing Pass, coupled with the death of the Guardian Douluo and the astronomical indemnity paid out just days ago, had left the Emperor's expression terrifyingly grim.

Yet, what made him even more furious—to the point where his eyes were bloodshot—was the Empress, Zhu Wanying, who stood before his bed, having just been safely returned by a Martial Soul Hall convoy.

"Your Majesty... Tianfeng, you've finally woken up. Thank goodness you're alright..." Zhu Wanying looked at her husband, her eyes reddening as tears streamed down her face, and she reached out to take Dai Tianfeng's hand.

"Get away!!!"

Dai Tianfeng swung his arm violently, smashing the medicinal soup on the bedside table to pieces, splashing the liquid all over Zhu Wanying.

"Tianfeng? You..." Zhu Wanying froze in place, looking in disbelief at the husband who had shared life and death with her for so many years.

"Do not call my name! Imperial We find it disgusting!"

Dai Tianfeng stared fixedly at Zhu Wanying's flawless, beautiful face, his eyes turning blood-red from extreme jealousy and suspicion:

"You were abducted by that bastard Qian Xunji and spent a day in Martial Soul Hall, and he just let you return without a single hair out of place?"

"Do you take Imperial We for a three-year-old child? What kind of man is Qian Xunji?

He is the most arrogant Pope on the entire continent! He took you away, a man and a woman alone in the same room—do you expect Imperial We to believe he did nothing?"

Dai Tianfeng pointed at Zhu Wanying, his voice hoarse with rage:

"Speak! What base, lowly methods did you use to please him to buy back your life? You have dragged the face of the Star Luo royal family through the mud!"