Bibi Dong's Decision

Spirit City, Pope Palace.

The doors to a side hall were tightly shut, and heavy curtains cut off all noise from the outside world.

Inside, a massive table large enough to seat dozens stretched across the center of the hall. It was already filled with people of every sort.

There were elderly men with white hair and beards, their eyes still gleaming with wisdom; middle-aged scholars in fine robes, their chests adorned with all manner of research insignias; and several powerful Soul Masters with concealed auras, clearly not mere researchers.

They were the foremost figures across the entire Douluo Continent in Soul Master theory, Martial Soul research, biological traits, ancient secrets, and countless other fields.

At this moment, these scholars, who were normally proud and aloof, wore varying degrees of gravity and doubt on their faces as hushed discussions buzzed through the hall.

"Spirit Hall suddenly issued its highest summons. What could this be about...?"

"I heard it has something to do with the recent disappearances of Soul Beasts?"

"That is right. I came because of that as well. The Soul Hunting Forest in the duchy where I reside has become completely devoid of Soul Beasts. It is truly bizarre..."

"I wonder what clues Spirit Hall has uncovered..."

From the moment they received the summons, they had vaguely guessed that this trip must be connected to the Soul Beast disappearance incident that had thrown the continent into an uproar.

After all, what else besides this major matter, one that shook the very foundation of Soul Masters, could make Spirit Hall gather all of them here from every corner of the land?

"Silence!"

A commanding voice rang out, suppressing all discussion.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan appeared at the head of the hall.

The hall fell silent in an instant, and every scholar's gaze turned toward him.

"Welcome, Your Holiness the Pope!"

Yue Guan and Gui Mei turned sideways at the same time and gave a slight bow toward the entrance behind the hall.

Amid soft yet distinct footsteps, Bibi Dong finally appeared before everyone's eyes.

She wore the Pope's robes, a violet-gold crown upon her head, and held a Scepter in her hand.

There was no expression on her breathtakingly beautiful face. Her gaze slowly swept over every scholar present, and her deep eyes contained an authority none dared meet directly.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"

Everyone in the hall rose to their feet in unison and bowed respectfully.

Bibi Dong walked to the seat of honor and lightly tapped her Scepter against the floor, producing a crisp sound.

"At ease. Take your seats."

Her voice was cold, yet every word reached each person's ears with perfect clarity.

Once everyone had sat down, Bibi Dong dispensed with needless pleasantries and spoke directly.

"All of you are the continent's foremost scholars, Grandmasters of theory, and leaders in your respective fields. Why Spirit Hall issued its highest summons and gathered you here, I believe you have already made your guesses."

Her voice paused as her gaze slowly swept across the hall, taking in every expression.

"That is correct. It is because of the disappearance of the Soul Beasts."

Upon hearing this, many scholars nodded, their faces showing that they had expected as much.

An elderly man with white hair and beard rose to his feet and cupped his hands. He was an honorary elder of Spirit Hall, named Yun Shuo.

An honorary elder was an elder highly accomplished in a particular field, yet not a Titled Douluo.

"Your Holiness the Pope, before coming here, I examined intelligence from many sources. This matter is indeed strange. In my opinion, our most urgent task is to find the root cause of the Soul Beasts' disappearance, as well as where they may have gone. I have several conjectures..."

"There is no need."

Bibi Dong coldly interrupted him.

Yun Shuo froze, while the scholars throughout the hall revealed puzzled expressions.

"I summoned you here today," Bibi Dong said without the slightest fluctuation in her voice, as if pronouncing a judgment, "not to discuss why the Soul Beasts disappeared, nor to deliberate on how to find them."

Her next sentence was like a massive hammer crashing into a still lake.

"It is to tell you the final confirmed result."

The entire hall became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Bibi Dong slowly raised her eyes. Within them seemed to be reflected a barren wasteland devoid of all life.

"After confirmation, the Soul Beasts did not disappear."

She spoke each word distinctly, her voice cold as ice.

"They have been completely exterminated."

"Star Dou Great Forest, Sunset Forest, Far North Ice Plains, Deep Sea Abyss... without exception. Plant-type Soul Beasts, animal-type Soul Beasts, marine Soul Beasts... the Soul Beast race has been completely erased from this world."

Boom—

Those words exploded in the minds of every scholar like thunder!

The entire hall fell deathly silent for a moment.

Then came an eruption after the pressure had been suppressed to its limit!

"What?!"

"Exterminated?!"

"Your Holiness the Pope, how... how is that possible?!"

"Impossible! That is absolutely impossible!"

A middle-aged scholar from the Star Luo Empire stood up in complete loss of composure, his voice cracking. "The number of Soul Beasts is enormous! Their distribution is vast! How could they all be exterminated overnight? There is no force in this world capable of doing such a thing!"

"Yes! Your Holiness the Pope, could there still be a possibility of error in this conclusion?"

"Perhaps the Soul Beasts collectively migrated to some hidden realm we have yet to explore..."

"Or perhaps there are other possibilities..."

The scholars spoke over one another, their voices filled with shock, doubt, and fear...

They could accept that the Soul Beasts had vanished, because disappearance still meant there was hope of finding them.

But extermination...

What extermination meant, these scholars who had spent their entire lives studying Soul Master theory understood better than anyone!

"Silence!"

Yue Guan stepped forward, and the oppressive force of his powerful Soul Power spread through the hall, forcibly suppressing the uproar.

Bibi Dong's face remained as cold as frost.

"I know you find this difficult to believe."

Her voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable weight. "But this is the truth. Spirit Hall would not joke about something like this."

Elder Yun Shuo slumped back into his chair, as though he had aged ten years in an instant.

"Exterminated... It actually... it actually means extermination..."

He muttered to himself, his eyes empty.

"I... I have spent my entire life studying the relationship between Soul Beasts and Martial Souls... If the Soul Beasts are exterminated, then the path of Soul Master cultivation..."

He did not finish, but everyone understood what he meant.

If the Soul Beasts were extinct, where would Soul Rings come from?

Without Soul Rings, how could Soul Masters break through their bottlenecks?

Wouldn't the path of Soul Masters be cut off forever?

Despair spread through the hall like a plague.

"Everyone."

Bibi Dong's voice rang out again, like a basin of cold water splashed over the scholars drowning in despair.

All eyes gathered on her once more.

"The Soul Beasts have already been exterminated. That is an unchangeable fact. Rather than wallow in useless shock and lamentation, consider where the future of the Soul Master world should go."

She slowly rose to her feet, her gaze sharp as lightning as it swept across the hall.

"Soul Rings are the key to a Soul Master's breakthroughs. Now that the Soul Beasts are gone, the path of obtaining Soul Rings from Soul Beasts has been completely sealed."

"But the path of Soul Masters cannot be cut off!"

Her voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable authority and resolve.

"I gathered you here to combine the greatest minds of the entire continent and find a new way forward for the Soul Master world!"

"A path of cultivation that can continue without Soul Beasts!"

The hall fell silent.

The scholars looked at one another, seeing shock, confusion, and a faint... spark of light ignited in each other's eyes.

Could cultivation truly continue without Soul Beasts?

Was that possible?

It was an iron law that had sustained the Soul Master world for tens of thousands of years, through countless generations!

Bibi Dong sat back down, her voice returning to its cold calm.

"I do not care how difficult this is, nor how long it will take."

"Spirit Hall will devote every resource it possesses and fully support your research."