The Saintess Palace Reports That... That She's About to Give Birth! (Please Keep Reading~)

Elder Hall, Angel Sanctuary.

Qian Daoliu sighed.

"She's pregnant, she's pregnant... I wonder whether the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul can awaken." Qian Daoliu murmured softly.

After the Supervision Hall was established, Yue Guan spent half a month training the descendants of the elders before sending them out.

Golden Crocodile Douluo's son, Jin Tao, was assigned to the Star Luo Empire region. The young man had inherited his father's fiery temper. With the Golden Crocodile Martial Soul, he looked like trouble wherever he went.

After arriving in Iron Rock City, Jin Tao did not rush to reveal his identity. He and his men disguised themselves as merchants and conducted a secret investigation for three days.

What they uncovered was shocking.

Han Cheng, the branch hall master and a level seventy-two Soul Saint, had colluded with local Star Luo Empire officials. He forcibly levied Soul Master taxes, embezzled awakening funds, detained children as laborers, seized homes and shops, and turned Spirit Hall's name into a tool for amassing wealth.

Merchant caravans that refused to pay had their goods and people detained. Any Soul Master who resisted had their Martial Soul crippled and was thrown out of the city.

After obtaining the evidence, Jin Tao did not follow procedure and report it. He led six men straight into the branch hall, slapped Han Cheng to the ground, and arrested him on the spot.

The next day, he set up a high platform at the branch hall entrance and read Han Cheng's crimes aloud to the common people, judging him before the public.

The crowd below burst into tears. Some knelt and kowtowed, while others rushed forward to beat Han Cheng.

Over the course of a month, the Supervision Hall inspected thirty-seven cities and uncovered twenty-two corrupt branch hall masters. Eleven received life imprisonment, while the rest were sentenced to varying prison terms.

As many as forty-three Star Luo Empire officials were implicated. All of them were dragged out and handed over to the empire for punishment.

Spirit Hall's reputation did not fall. Instead, it rose.

The common people did not care about the process. They only cared about the outcome.

A new Pope who could handle people his predecessor had not dared to touch was a good Pope.

After reading the summary report, Ye Xunfeng said only one thing to Yue Guan. "Expand the second round of inspections to sixty cities."

Nine months later.

Pope Palace, Spirit City.

Yue Guan stood in the hall, holding a thick stack of documents as he reported item by item.

"Your Holiness, the Supervision Hall's second round of inspections has been fully completed. A total of fifty-seven branch hall masters were found guilty. Nineteen involved in murder cases have been executed, while the rest received life imprisonment. Forty-two branch hall masters have been replaced across the regions, and thirty-one meritorious grassroots Soul Masters have been promoted..."

Ye Xunfeng leaned back in his chair, listening as he flipped through the report in his hands.

After nine months, the Supervision Hall's blade had truly been established.

That brat Jin Tao had already risen from regional director to deputy hall master. The other elders' sons were even fiercer than him. Several of them inspected twelve cities and arrested eight hall masters.

Young Soul Masters truly craved merit. Every last one of them charged ahead like they did not value their lives.

Of course, the main reason was that they genuinely loved Spirit Hall. They did not want Spirit Hall to be ruined by scum like these...

"How have the regions reacted?" Ye Xunfeng asked.

"Reporting to Your Holiness, most branch halls have cooperated. The few that resisted have also been suppressed." Yue Guan paused. "However, several nobles in the Star Luo Empire jointly lodged complaints with the Star Luo Imperial Family, saying Spirit Hall has overreached."

"What did the Star Luo Imperial Family say?"

"They did not accept them." Yue Guan smiled. "The Star Luo Emperor is no fool. Speaking up for those corrupt officials at a time like this would mean openly opposing Spirit Hall, wouldn't it?"

More importantly, if they truly stepped forward, it would prove that the Star Luo Empire had deliberately lured Spirit Hall members into betraying their faith...

Then the Star Luo Empire would lose all popular support.

Ye Xunfeng nodded and closed the report.

"Any news from Ah Yin?"

Yue Guan froze for a moment before understanding. "Poison Douluo sent word last month that Miss Ah Yin has already broken through to level sixty-three. Her cultivation speed is extremely fast, and she is expected to attempt level seventy in about another year."

Chrysanthemum Douluo had never expected that, after arranging a fight with Poison Douluo, he would encounter that Pope's Miss Ah Yin.

No wonder His Holiness the Pope liked Ah Yin so much. That was Lovesick Heartbreak Red. Ah Yin had done that for Ye Xunfeng...

Ye Xunfeng fell silent for a moment.

One year.

"Understood." Ye Xunfeng slowly rose to his feet. Some of Spirit Hall's wounds had nearly been disinfected.

Ye Xunfeng's fingers tightened slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Have healing-type Soul Masters stand by at all times. Report to me the moment there is news."

"Yes."

Ye Xunfeng walked out of the Pope Palace, stood atop the steps, and looked up at the sky.

Nine months had passed.

The Supervision Hall had been established, more than half the rot in the branch halls had been cleared away, and Spirit Hall's reputation was slowly recovering.

And now, his first child was about to be born.

Ye Xunfeng withdrew his gaze and turned toward the Saintess Palace.

The bluestone slabs creaked beneath his feet, like the sound of some kind of countdown.

"Brother Xunfeng, you've already come four times today." Bibi Dong reclined on the soft couch, her belly already swollen high, a helpless smile on her face. "It's not like I'm going to run away."

Ye Xunfeng did not reply. He reached out to check the circulation of her Soul Power, then examined the child once more. Only after confirming that everything was normal did he withdraw his hand.

"That healing-type Soul Master said the due date is within the next few days." Ye Xunfeng sat beside the couch, his voice far softer than usual. "How do you feel?"

"Pretty good." Bibi Dong stroked her belly, a gentle glow appearing on her face. "It's just that this little one keeps kicking me lately, and it's quite strong. It'll definitely be a naughty child later on."

Ye Xunfeng looked at her and suddenly wondered whether his mother had once stroked her belly this gently while carrying him, speaking to him in a soft voice.

He lowered his eyes and did not let himself continue thinking about it.

"After you give birth, I'll have the side hall beside the Pope Palace cleaned up for the child." Ye Xunfeng paused. "It's close to you, so it will be easier for you to take care of the child."

Bibi Dong glanced at him and suddenly smiled. "You're so sure it'll be a daughter?"

"A son is fine too." Ye Xunfeng revealed a rare trace of a smile. "Either is fine."

Bibi Dong reclined against the soft couch and reached out to grasp Ye Xunfeng's sleeve, her voice softening. "Brother Xunfeng, tell me... can I be a good mother?"

Ye Xunfeng paused.

He remembered how his mother had raised him alone in that little wooden house. Even when her body was already completely exhausted, she still smiled as she cooked for him, smiled as she watched him practice with his spear, and smiled as she told him, "Mom will protect you."

Bibi Dong... Bibi Dong truly had not been a good mother in her previous life...

"You can." Ye Xunfeng's voice was slightly hoarse. "You're stronger than you think."

Bibi Dong's eyes reddened slightly. She said nothing more, only buried her face in his sleeve.

Three days later, at night.

Ye Xunfeng was handling the last few documents in the Pope Palace when Yue Guan suddenly rushed in, his face pale.

"Your Holiness! The Saintess Palace has sent word that... that she's about to give birth!"

The pen in Ye Xunfeng's hand fell onto the desk with a slap. He abruptly rose to his feet, knocking his chair backward. It crashed to the floor with a dull thud.

He did not stop to pick it up. He strode outside, then suddenly halted at the doorway and looked back at Yue Guan.

"Have they called the midwives?"

"They're there! The Saintess Palace prepared everything long ago!"

Ye Xunfeng nodded, drew a deep breath, then hurried toward the Saintess Palace.

He was supposedly walking, but he was moving faster than running.

Yue Guan chased after him until he was gasping for breath. By the time he reached the Saintess Palace entrance, Ye Xunfeng was already standing outside, utterly motionless, planted there like a pillar.