Spirit City, Pope Palace.
The towering palace bathed in the afternoon sunlight, its golden dome refracting a sacred and solemn radiance.
This was the holy land in the hearts of Soul Masters across the continent, and the heart of Spirit Hall's power.
Inside the hall, a mural of Angel Descent covered the enormous vaulted ceiling. Six massive gilded pillars supported the lofty space, and at the far end stood a papal throne carved from a single block of obsidian.
Seated upon the throne was a woman dressed in a brilliant golden robe, a Nine-Curve Purple Gold Crown upon her head.
She looked to be only about thirty. Her skin was as white as snow, and her features were exquisitely beautiful, yet between her brows lay a dignified majesty that commanded respect without anger.
She sat there quietly, seeming to be the very center of the world, radiating an oppressive presence that no one dared look at directly.
She was Bibi Dong, the youngest Pope in Spirit Hall's history.
At that moment, Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena stood side by side at the foot of the hall, bowing together with respectful expressions.
"Greetings, Your Holiness!"
Bibi Dong's gaze swept slowly over the three of them, as if it could pierce through every illusion.
When her eyes fell on Yan, however, she keenly caught the fleeting unease and gloom between his brows.
She raised an eyebrow slightly. Her voice rang out like pearls falling onto a jade plate, cool and authoritative:
"Your trip to Sunset Forest seems to have yielded quite a lot. Xie Yue, level forty-two. Hu Liena, level forty-two. Yan, level forty-one. To reach the Four-Ring Soul Ancestor realm at just fifteen is an extraordinary talent anywhere on the continent. In the future, Spirit Hall may gain three more Titled Douluo—or even Super Douluo."
Her tone held a hint of praise, but more than that, it conveyed matter-of-fact certainty.
In her view, with Spirit Hall's resources and the training plan she had personally devised, such results from the Golden Generation were only to be expected.
However, the once-confident members of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation now felt rather uncomfortable in the face of her praise.
Unmatched talent? It didn't seem that way...
Bibi Dong's gaze settled on Yan, carrying an almost tangible pressure. "Yan, it seems... something is troubling you?"
Yan's body trembled slightly. He knew there was no hiding his unease from His Holiness.
He gritted his teeth, humiliation and resentment showing on his face, then stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
"Your Holiness! This disciple has failed. In Sunset Forest... I suffered a setback and tarnished Spirit Hall's reputation!"
"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes. She knew Yan's character: proud and conceited. For him to admit to a "setback," the matter was likely no small thing.
"Stand and speak. Tell me everything in detail."
Yan rose and took a deep breath. He recounted, from beginning to end, how they had encountered Ning Xiaochun, Shui Bing'er, and Dugu Yan in Sunset Forest.
Though he tried his best to hide it, when he spoke of being frozen into an ice sculpture by Shui Bing'er and forced to kneel and apologize to Ning Xiaochun, his voice still trembled with barely suppressed rage and resentment.
"That blue-haired girl's Martial Soul is an Ice Phoenix, with an incredibly pure ice attribute. It may have even reached the legendary level of 'Ultimate Ice'! I was careless and got suppressed by her Ice Seal!" Yan said through clenched teeth.
"And that black-haired boy called himself Ning Xiaochun. He's from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! He... he has Twin Martial Souls!"
"Twin Martial Souls?" At last, a flicker of emotion crossed Bibi Dong's usually placid face.
Twin Martial Souls were extraordinarily rare! She herself possessed Twin Martial Souls and knew all too well how terrifying their potential was. "Continue!"
"Both his Martial Souls are pagodas!" Yan's voice was tinged with disbelief.
"One is a Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, but... it has nine stories! The other is a pitch-black, nine-story black pagoda that gives off an eerie aura! I've never seen a Martial Soul like it! And... he can fuse the two pagodas and unleash a Martial Soul Fusion Skill unlike anything I've ever heard of!"
"What Martial Soul Fusion Skill?" Bibi Dong leaned forward slightly, her eyes flashing.
"Ring Reduction!" Yan practically ground out the two words.
"That skill... directly sealed my third Soul Ring and forcibly suppressed my Soul Power Level to twenty-nine! At the time... I couldn't fight back at all!"
"Ring Reduction?!" Bibi Dong sprang to her feet from the papal throne. The terrifying aura that erupted in that instant made the air throughout the hall freeze!
Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan found it hard to breathe, as though an invisible mountain were pressing down on their shoulders!
"Sealing an opponent's Soul Ring and lowering their Soul Power Level..." Bibi Dong murmured, repeating the words. Her eyes filled with incredulous shock—and a deep wariness!
She was an expert at manipulating Soul Rings and Martial Soul Fusion Skills; she knew all too well how terrifying this skill was! It was far more than a mere support ability. It was a strategic force capable of overturning the balance of a battlefield!
If the skill had no restrictions, wouldn't a high-level Soul Master from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect be able to cripple the enemy's strongest fighter single-handedly?!
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... nine-story pagoda... Twin Martial Souls... Ring Reduction..."
Bibi Dong slowly sat back on the throne, tapping the armrest lightly with her fingertips. The crisp sound rang out as a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.
"Looks like that old fox Ning Fengzhi has been hiding quite the Little Monster from me..."
She fell silent for a moment, then waved her hand. "You've worked hard. Go rest for now. I'll decide what to do about this."
"Yes, Your Holiness!" Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena bowed once more, then slowly withdrew from the hall.
As she left Pope Palace, Hu Liena glanced back at the towering building and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had almost mentioned that Ning Xiaochun could also use "Ring Elevation."
But for some reason, she chose to keep it to herself. Perhaps she felt a trace of curiosity and affection toward that remarkable boy; or perhaps, deep down, she thought this secret wasn't hers to reveal.
Inside the hall, Bibi Dong was alone.
She sat quietly on the throne, tapping the armrest lightly with her fingertips, her gaze deep as she seemed to ponder something. After a long while, she finally spoke, her voice carrying a chill.
"Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo."
Two figures appeared in the hall without a sound, like ghosts, and dropped to one knee.
The person on the left wore a golden robe. He had a handsome, ethereal face and skin as fair as a woman's, while his every gesture carried a feminine grace. He was Yue Guan, the ninety-fifth-level Titled Douluo whose title was "Chrysanthemum."
The person on the right was thin and gaunt, shrouded in a loose black robe. His face was hidden, and only a pair of eyes gleaming with a ghostly green light could be seen. A cold, eerie aura surrounded him. He was Gui Mei, the ninety-fifth-level Titled Douluo whose title was "Ghost."
"Your Holiness," they replied in unison.
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