Contention

Ghost Leopard Douluo reached out and pointed forward, and in an instant, a terrifying surge of soul power enveloped the body of the Nine-Tails Black Flame Demon Fox.

Under Duan Fan's gaze, the Nine-Tails Black Flame Demon Fox was instantly shredded to pieces.

The moment the Nine-Tails Black Flame Demon Fox died, it dissolved into a cloud of black mist and drifted away.

"Not bad."

Ghost Leopard Douluo had lost count of how many times he had given Duan Fan such praise, and it came from the bottom of his heart.

"The combat power of this Black Flame Demon Fox of yours has far exceeded that of an ordinary two-thousand-year-old one; its strength is likely around twenty-five hundred years."

"Its physical constitution is the same."

"With such combat power, an ordinary Soul Exalt is no longer your match."

"If you were to summon all four Black Flame Demon Foxes, an ordinary Soul Exalt would undoubtedly die under their siege, and even an ordinary Soul Ancestor would find it difficult to resist."

"You are only a level twenty-four, two-ring soul master, yet you already possess such combat power. I am increasingly looking forward to seeing how you grow in the future."

Ghost Leopard Douluo's face was full of appreciative smiles as he flashed forward and appeared before Duan Fan.

"Alright, now that you have obtained your second Soul Ring, it is time for us to return."

With that, Ghost Leopard Douluo's large hand landed on Duan Fan's shoulder.

Before Duan Fan could react, his vision blurred.

He did not know how much time had passed, but when the scene before him returned to normal, he had already arrived at a small town near the Star Dou Forest.

He steadied himself and looked ahead; the inn where he had been staying was not far away.

By the light of the inn's entrance, he could vaguely see the figures of the siblings, Li Yi and Li Ruolan.

"Go tell them we are returning to Spirit City. If it weren't on the way, I wouldn't even bother with those two."

Ghost Leopard Douluo's voice came from the side.

Duan Fan nodded immediately and agreed, "Understood."

On the way back, Ghost Leopard Douluo had used his soul power to shield Duan Fan's body, so Duan Fan had not suffered the agony of extreme speed.

Now that he had landed, he did not need to readjust and immediately ran toward the siblings, Li Yi and Li Ruolan.

After Duan Fan spoke a few brief words to them, Ghost Leopard Douluo's figure appeared beside him like a ghost, his thin, bony hand landing on Duan Fan's shoulder before whisking him away.

Only Li Yi and Li Ruolan were left standing in the wind, looking completely bewildered.

It took a long while for the siblings to recover their senses.

"Elder Ghost Leopard is incredibly fast!" Li Ruolan exclaimed.

Li Yi's attention was entirely focused on the few words Duan Fan had just said, his face filled with excitement and agitation.

"Ah Lan, did you hear just now? Duan Fan successfully obtained his second Soul Ring—it was a fifteen-hundred-year-old Black Flame Demon Fox!"

"His second Soul Ring is a thousand-year one! It's simply unbelievable!"

"I didn't even get to ask about Duan Fan's second soul skill!"

Li Yi urged hurriedly, "Let's go, Ah Lan, we are returning to Spirit City immediately!"

Seeing Li Yi's excitement, Li Ruolan could only nod helplessly.

The two of them had waited from dusk until now, finally waiting for Duan Fan to return.

Before they could even say a few words, Duan Fan had been taken away by Elder Ghost Leopard again.

If he had to force Li Yi to rest for the night and return to Spirit City tomorrow, it would probably be more painful than killing him.

Li Ruolan was also excited and thrilled that Duan Fan had successfully absorbed a thousand-year Soul Ring, though not to the same extent as Li Yi.

Furthermore, Li Ruolan felt a strange sense of melancholy.

"After Duan Fan goes back this time, he probably won't stay in Junior Class Ten anymore, right?"

"It's rare for Junior Class Ten to welcome such an outstanding student. How much time has passed, and he's already leaving because he's too talented."

Spirit City.

Pope Palace.

Duan Fan stood in the great hall with Ghost Leopard Douluo by his side.

After returning to Spirit City, they had come directly here.

Duan Fan looked at the magnificent, golden hall before him, still feeling a bit dazed.

"When I was on break, I wanted to come visit the Pope Palace, but I was stopped by the Spirit Hall guards halfway up the mountain."

"I never expected that today I would be standing right inside this Pope Palace."

"It seems the influence of my Twin Martial Souls is truly significant."

"I'm about to meet the Pope, Bibi Dong. I'm a little excited."

Before coming to the Douluo World, Duan Fan had thought Bibi Dong was nothing special.

After arriving in the Douluo World, he finally realized that Bibi Dong stood among the very few at the pinnacle of this world.

Her status and position were set in stone; only a very small number of people were qualified to meet her.

The vast majority of people did not even have the right to set foot inside the Pope Palace.

Duan Fan was still imagining what Bibi Dong looked like when his peripheral vision suddenly caught a flash of golden light within the archway on the left side of the great hall.

He instinctively looked up, just in time to see Bibi Dong stepping out.

Her brilliant golden gown swept across the floor, and the shimmering light from the gems covering her body made the ceiling of the hall seem dim by comparison.

Her features were blurred by the radiance, but the overwhelming pressure she exuded surged forward like a tidal wave, impossible to meet head-on.

Duan Fan's throat tightened; the pressure of a superior was so intense that he couldn't help but hold his breath.

Suddenly, a large hand landed on his back, forcing him to bow.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"

Ghost Leopard Douluo said with a slight bow.

Duan Fan hurriedly followed suit: "Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"

Bibi Dong walked to the seat of honor and sat down, tapping her scepter lightly as her gaze fell calmly upon Duan Fan.

"You are Duan Fan?"

Bibi Dong's voice was not loud, yet it was filled with boundless majesty.

Duan Fan immediately nodded and replied: "Yes, I am Duan Fan."

Bibi Dong's tone suddenly softened: "Let me see your Twin Martial Souls."

"Understood."

Duan Fan replied as he released his Martial Souls.

The first one he released was his Fantasy Pen.

After absorbing the Soul Ring of the thousand-year Black Flame Demon Fox, Duan Fan's Fantasy Pen had undergone some subtle changes.

There were a few more red patterns on the shaft of the pen, which were difficult to notice unless one looked closely.

In addition, the Fantasy Pen had grown slightly longer, by about two centimeters.

Others could not see these details, but as the owner of the Fantasy Pen, Duan Fan was very clear about them.

Of course, none of this mattered to Bibi Dong, who was seeing Duan Fan's Martial Soul for the first time.

As the Fantasy Pen appeared in Duan Fan's hand, one yellow and one purple Soul Ring rose slowly from beneath his feet.

Upon seeing the purple Soul Ring on Duan Fan, Bibi Dong's gaze narrowed imperceptibly, but she quickly returned to normal.

After displaying the Fantasy Pen, Duan Fan proceeded to release the Soul-Sucking Battle Axe.

Bibi Dong's gaze merely swept over the Soul-Sucking Battle Axe before she nodded slightly: "Put your Martial Souls away."

Duan Fan retracted the Soul-Sucking Battle Axe and stood quietly.

At this moment, his heart had returned to a state of calm, and he was no longer as excited or nervous as he had been at the start.

The reason was that when he released the Soul-Sucking Battle Axe just now, it had instilled confidence in him.

This confidence helped him instantly dispel all the negative emotions in his heart.

It was as if, with the Soul-Sucking Battle Axe in hand, there was no target in the world he could not slay.

Even if the person standing before him was a Title Douluo-level figure, the high and mighty Pope Bibi Dong, it was all the same.

"You are very talented, and your future is limitless. Once you grow up, you will surely be able to carry forward the glory of Spirit Hall."

Bibi Dong spoke slowly, her tone returning to its initial majesty: "I am willing to take you as my disciple. Are you willing to acknowledge me as your master?"

Duan Fan was slightly stunned, not yet having had the chance to answer.

A hoarse voice suddenly echoed through the great hall.

"He is not willing."