After leaving Pope Palace, Hu Liena found herself more and more confused. Why had her originally kind teacher become so irritable ever since hearing that someone named Qian Renxue had returned to Spirit City?
And who exactly was this Qian Renxue? Why had she never heard that name before?
As she pondered this, Hu Liena spotted Yue Guan and Gui Mei, who had left before her. She hurried after them and called out,
"Elder Ju, Elder Gui, please wait."
Hearing her voice, Yue Guan and Gui Mei stopped and turned to look at Hu Liena as she approached. The two exchanged a glance, and both saw the same wistfulness in the other's eyes. They both knew why Hu Liena had stopped them.
When Hu Liena reached them, they asked,
"May we ask what the Holy Maiden needs from us?"
After saying this, Yue Guan and Gui Mei both thought to themselves that now that the Young Master had returned, Hu Liena's title as Holy Maiden would likely be undeserved.
Naturally, Hu Liena had no idea what Yue Guan and Gui Mei were thinking. She directly asked the two before her,
"Elder Ju, Elder Gui, you have both served Spirit Hall for many years, so I want to ask: who exactly is Qian Renxue? Why did Teacher react so strongly upon hearing that she had returned?"
Upon hearing this, Yue Guan glanced at Hu Liena before replying,
"Holy Maiden, Qian Renxue is the daughter of the former Pope. As for why the Pope reacted so strongly, we do not know."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei were no fools. How could they not know why Bibi Dong loathed Qian Renxue so deeply? The two of them were not only Bibi Dong's trusted aides; they had once served as Qian Xunji's trusted aides as well. They understood it perfectly.
But they did not dare speak carelessly, so they could only tell Hu Liena that they did not know.
Yet Hu Liena understood those words differently. She knew that Bibi Dong had once been the former Pope's disciple. Bibi Dong had also been the Holy Maiden before becoming Pope, while Qian Renxue was the former Pope's daughter. Thus, Hu Liena assumed that Bibi Dong disliked Qian Renxue because Qian Renxue wanted to compete with Bibi Dong for the position of Pope of Spirit Hall.
Moreover, Hu Liena had selfish thoughts of her own. In her eyes, her teacher had once risen from Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden to become Spirit Hall's Pope. Now, she herself was Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, and her teacher had cared for her like a daughter over the years. Why could she not set her sights on becoming the next Pope of Spirit Hall?
Thus, Qian Renxue immediately became an enemy in her heart. Not only did she want to fight her teacher for the position of Pope, but she would also affect Hu Liena's future. Hu Liena therefore came to resent Qian Renxue.
Thinking that she understood everything, Hu Liena said to Yue Guan and Gui Mei,
"Since neither of you knows, I will not disturb you any longer, Elders. I shall take my leave first."
Upon hearing this, Yue Guan and Gui Mei naturally replied,
"Then we shall be leaving as well, Holy Maiden."
After Hu Liena left, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Of everyone, she was actually the most furious about Qian Renxue's return. After making inquiries, Hu Liena learned that Qian Renxue was less than four years older than her.
She herself now possessed twenty-fifth-level Soul Power. She also had her brother Xie Yue and her friend Yan, whose Soul Power levels were not far from hers. More importantly, she and her brother possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Because Bibi Dong had never mentioned Qian Renxue in front of Hu Liena, Hu Liena naturally did not know that Qian Renxue's Innate Soul Power was level twenty. In Hu Liena's eyes, Qian Renxue was now thirteen or fourteen years old. Even if she possessed Innate Full Soul Power, she could at most be a Soul Elder. As for Tai Yi, whose Innate Soul Power of level twenty had been tested a year ago, he should be about the same as her now, a Soul Grandmaster in his twenties.
Thus, Hu Liena thought that if she brought along her brother Xie Yue and Yan, they might not necessarily lose to Qian Renxue and Tai Yi.
After thinking this, Hu Liena somehow found the courage to take people to find Qian Renxue and Tai Yi and teach them a lesson.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue and Tai Yi naturally had no idea about Hu Liena's absurd thoughts.
The two had now been brought to an artificial Spirit Beast Forest beside Spirit City. After all, when Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old were captured from Star Dou Forest, no one dared bring them into the city. If a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast broke free within Spirit City, it would turn the whole city upside down.
That was why such a place had been built beside Spirit City, to make it easier for people like Qian Renxue and Tai Yi to absorb Spirit Rings from Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old.
As they walked there, Tai Yi began to sense the Soul Skills of the two Spirit Bones he had absorbed.
The Soul Skills of the two Spirit Bones were actually quite simple. Though they were Divine Spirit Bones, they had only granted two Soul Skills.
Yet both Soul Skills were utterly overpowered.
They were also very similar to the Soul Skill of his third Spirit Ring, which made sense. After all, his third Spirit Ring had been condensed from energy extracted from the two Spirit Bones.
The Fire Dragon King's Spirit Bone Soul Skills were Dragon King Break and the Extreme Heat Domain.
The Ice Dragon King's were similar: Dragon King Break and the Extreme Cold Domain.
Dragon King Break was simple as well. By relying on Soul Power, it directly condensed either an Ice Dragon King or a Fire Dragon King for Tai Yi to command.
The Extreme Cold Domain and Extreme Heat Domain were naturally domain skills of Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Fire. The only difference was that the domains also contained attacks from ice dragons and fire dragons.
Feeling the Soul Skills of these two Spirit Bones, Tai Yi did not know what to say. A domain skill that others could never obtain in their entire lives—or could only acquire by placing themselves in immense danger—was something Tai Yi now possessed three of.
Thinking of this, Tai Yi felt that today's sunlight was especially brilliant.
Soon, Qian Renxue and Tai Yi arrived at the Spirit Beast Forest beside Spirit City. There, they saw Golden Crocodile guarding two Soul Beasts.
When Golden Crocodile saw the two arrive, he said to Tai Yi and Qian Renxue,
"Xiao Yi, Xiao Xue, come take a look at these two Soul Beasts. Second Grandpa specially caught them for you. We were lucky this time—I happened to encounter these two Radiant Divine Eagles. They are both exactly twenty thousand years old, and they are well suited to your Martial Souls."
Upon hearing this, the two looked toward the two Radiant Divine Eagles restrained by Golden Crocodile Douluo.
The appearance of two Soul Beasts matching their required age at once was indeed surprising. More importantly, these were top-tier Soul Beasts, top-tier fire-attribute and light-attribute Soul Beasts. They were already exceptionally suitable choices.
Before you continue