There were two sides to every story. Over at Spirit City's Pope Palace, Bibi Dong had also received a report delivered by Snake Lance Douluo's men.
Spirit Hall had three centers of power: the Pope Palace, the Elder Palace, and the Douluo Palace.
The Douluo Palace was the highest-ranking place in Spirit Hall, and only deceased Titled Douluo could reside there. It was merely symbolic, so decision-making authority rested with the Pope Palace and the Elder Palace.
Aside from the seven worshippers whose Soul Power had reached level 96 or higher, the Pope Palace held the most authority.
Though Snake Lance was a Titled Douluo, he was not qualified to become a worshipper. The worshippers also generally kept out of Spirit Hall's affairs, so he was loyal to Bibi Dong. But since he had been ordered to protect Qian Renxue, who was the granddaughter of the Grand Pontiff, the level-99 Peerless Douluo Qian Daoliu, he moved between the Pope Palace and the worshippers, acting as a peacemaker and trying not to offend either side.
As an elder of Spirit Hall and a Titled Douluo, Snake Lance knew a little about Bibi Dong's past. Aware that Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong had history, he had cleverly prepared two versions of the report.
The report for Qian Renxue included information about Yu Xiaogang.
The other report, for Bibi Dong, skipped over Yu Xiaogang and only described how extraordinarily talented Lan Si was: he had Twin Martial Souls, was just over twelve years old, and at level 30 had managed to kill a two-thousand-five-hundred-year-old Soul-Eater Demon Spider on his own. He was now absorbing its over-limit Soul Ring.
"Twin Martial Souls: a Cyan Fire Lotus and a cone-shaped hammer no weaker than the Clear Sky Hammer, imbued with lightning. How intriguing."
In the spacious, brightly lit hall, Bibi Dong lounged on her broad throne, resting her cheek on one hand and holding the report in the other as she murmured to herself.
She was tall, clad from head to toe in a perfectly fitted golden gown. Its dazzling light shimmered across more than a hundred red, blue, and gold gemstones. The Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown atop her head blazed with radiance. A two-meter-long scepter, studded with countless gems, lay casually to one side. Her fair skin and near-perfect features made her stand apart, but it was the intangible nobility and holiness radiating from her that inspired people to kneel and worship.
A golden-haired girl, around seventeen or eighteen, entered the hall and bowed to Bibi Dong. "Teacher, what are you looking at?"
"Elder Snake Lance sent word. They encountered a genius with Twin Martial Souls in the Star Dou Great Forest," Bibi Dong replied with an amused smile.
"Twin Martial Souls? Then isn't he just like you, Teacher?" Hu Liena exclaimed, unable to believe it.
Bibi Dong nodded slowly, her noble face calm and composed.
"Teacher, will he join Spirit Hall?" Hu Liena asked gravely.
A genius with Twin Martial Souls was a double-edged sword. If he joined Spirit Hall, he would only add to its strength. But if he joined another faction or established one of his own, he could become a threat to Spirit Hall in the future. Geniuses had a powerful ability to rally others, and Douluo Continent had no shortage of factions hostile to Spirit Hall. Faced with a genius like this, they had to proceed with utmost caution.
"Whether he joins Spirit Hall can wait. The real question is whether he'll survive this trial. Do you know that he's currently absorbing a Soul-Eater Demon Spider nearly two thousand five hundred years old as his third Soul Ring?" A teasing smile tugged at Bibi Dong's noble face.
Long ago, Yu Xiaogang had used the records Spirit Hall had collected over many years to put together a summary of the limits for absorbing Soul Rings—no, a study.
First Soul Ring: 423 years;
Second Soul Ring: 764 years;
Third Soul Ring: 1,760 years;
Fourth Soul Ring: 5,000 years;
Fifth Soul Ring: 12,000 years;
Sixth Soul Ring: 20,000 years;
Seventh Soul Ring: 30,000–50,000 years;
Eighth Soul Ring: over 50,000 years;
Ninth Soul Ring: over 100,000 years.
Spirit Hall had never accepted this theory, but Bibi Dong was the exception.
She had obtained the Soul Rings for her First Martial Soul according to these limits. Her configuration was: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red.
Because Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were so rare, she had set the minimum age for hunting Soul Rings for her Second Martial Soul at over fifty thousand years. Aside from Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings, she absorbed whatever suitable ones she came across.
And yet Lan Si intended to break that limit. On top of exceeding the third Soul Ring's limit by nearly seven hundred years, reaching two thousand five hundred years, he was trying to absorb one of the most savage and violent Soul Beasts in the Soul Beast Realm: the Soul-Eater Demon Spider.
It was sheer wishful thinking.
Bibi Dong probably knew better than anyone how terrifying the Soul-Eater Demon Spider was. Her Second Martial Soul was its evolved form, the Soul-Eater Spider Emperor. The terrifying, violent energy contained in its Soul Ring was simply more than a level-30 quasi-Soul Elder could withstand.
"A two-thousand-five-hundred-year-old Soul-Eater Demon Spider?" Hu Liena cried out at Bibi Dong's words. Her eyes glittered with disbelief, and her small, rosy lips formed an O. "Teacher, didn't you say the maximum age for a third Soul Ring was 1,760 years? If he absorbs a two-thousand-five-hundred-year Soul Ring, isn't he risking his life?"
"Who knows? We'll have news soon. Then we'll find out whether he's alive or dead," Bibi Dong said with a smile.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. A Cardinal rushed in, knelt, and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope."
"Well? Is that boy dead?" Bibi Dong asked casually.
"Your Holiness the Pope, according to the message Elder Snake Lance just sent, Lan Si succeeded. He also obtained an External Soul Bone from the Soul-Eater Demon Spider—eight spider legs." The Cardinal raised both hands and respectfully presented a written message, his voice trembling.
"What?" At the Cardinal's words, even Bibi Dong couldn't maintain her composure. She instantly used the Teleportation skill of her Death Domain, appearing before him and snatching the message from his hands.
The message was clear. It bore the seal reserved for Spirit Hall elders, and it was indeed in Snake Lance Douluo's handwriting.
Snake Lance Douluo would never dare deceive her. That meant the news was real.
An External Soul Bone! This Lan Si, who possessed Twin Martial Souls, had obtained an External Soul Bone—and one from a Soul-Eater Demon Spider. If he fully matured, all would be well if he pledged loyalty to Spirit Hall. Otherwise, he would become an even greater threat to Spirit Hall than Tang Hao.
Just then, the Cardinal spoke again, trembling. "Your Holiness the Pope, there is one more matter I must report to you."
As he spoke, he glanced at Hu Liena.
Bibi Dong understood and waved her hand, signaling for Hu Liena to leave.
Hu Liena was very curious, but she did not dare go against Bibi Dong's wishes. She bowed respectfully and walked out of the hall.
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