By the time Lin Ze'an passed through layer upon layer of guards without hindrance and reached Yue Guan, it was already night.
But the cultivation room's doors remained tightly shut. Clearly, Yue Guan had yet to emerge.
That made sense. Titled Douluo were different from him; it was perfectly normal for them to go into seclusion for several years.
His master was probably absorbing the Immortal Herb and using the opportunity to break through to a higher Soul Power Level, right? It had been so many days already. He should be nearly done.
At the thought, Lin Ze'an gently raised a hand and summoned several supple vines.
In the next moment, the vines began to weave and entwine, quickly forming a comfortable, sturdy hammock.
Lin Ze'an added a few fragrant flower petals, decorating the hammock and making this little resting spot even more pleasant.
After all, Yue Guan's palace was some distance from where he lived. He didn't want to run back and forth, so he might as well wait here.
"This should do it." He nodded in satisfaction, then lay down and gradually relaxed, surrounded by the plants' sweet fragrance.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, a powerful surge of Soul Power suddenly erupted from inside the cultivation room!
"Boom—"
Even the hammock Lin Ze'an was lying in swayed slightly under the wave of Soul Power.
He sprang awake and leapt off the hammock, looking eagerly toward the cultivation room.
Before long, the door to the cultivation room slowly opened, and Yue Guan's familiar figure appeared in the doorway.
His face brimmed with a smile unlike any he'd worn before, and he looked radiant from head to toe.
"Good disciple, have you been waiting long?"
At that, Lin Ze'an hurried forward with a smile. "Not long, Master. I just got here."
As he spoke, Lin Ze'an suddenly bowed solemnly. "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Master. Your strength has reached a new level!"
Yue Guan paused, then quickly helped Lin Ze'an back to his feet, patting his shoulder with a sigh. "You don't need to stand on ceremony with your master. Without your Immortal Herb, I wouldn't have been able to break through."
Then he looked Lin Ze'an up and down, surprise filling his eyes. "Disciple, you've changed quite a bit lately."
Had he consumed an Immortal Herb? He was already at level thirty?
Soon, Lin Ze'an recounted everything that had happened over the past while to Yue Guan.
After hearing Lin Ze'an's account, Yue Guan's expression shifted from surprise to relief, then he sighed. "That's good. This way, besides your master, at least there's someone else who can protect you."
As his master, he understood just how complicated Spirit Hall was within. Though Ze'an was exceptionally talented, he was still young and already shouldering far too much.
Now that he had the Worship Hall's protection, especially with the connection to Golden Crocodile Douluo, at least the boy would have steadier footing on the road ahead.
Just then, Lin Ze'an suddenly remembered something. Turning his right hand over, he took the fifty-thousand-year-old skull Soul Bone out of his Soul Tool.
Yue Guan froze at the sight. "Is that... a Soul Bone?!"
Lin Ze'an nodded and held out the Soul Bone to Yue Guan in both hands. "Master, please absorb this fifty-thousand-year-old skull Soul Bone."
Yue Guan hesitated, staring at the Soul Bone Lin Ze'an had offered him, shock flashing through his eyes.
Even a Titled Douluo would go mad for a Soul Bone like this.
"Don't be foolish!" Yue Guan abruptly pushed it away, sending the Soul Bone back toward Lin Ze'an.
Then he said sternly, "Disciple, do you know how precious a Soul Bone is? This is something you can only stumble upon by chance. It could greatly benefit your cultivation in the future!"
He rose to his feet and looked at Lin Ze'an with a grave expression. "I know you always think of me when you have something good, but this is nonnegotiable. Take it back!"
In the end, Yue Guan only accepted the Soul Bone after learning that Lin Ze'an had another skull Soul Bone.
With Yue Guan's help, Lin Ze'an also successfully hunted an Ancient Tea Tree just over ten thousand years old and obtained his third Soul Skill, Leaves Fall to the Other Shore.
The remaining energy from Lovesick Heartbreak Red, combined with the boost from a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, sent his cultivation soaring to level thirty-four.
A month later, Spirit City saw its liveliest moment in years.
At Lin Ze'an's request, Spirit Hall was to hold a public trial before the entire continent, putting Mai Xuanfeng and the others, along with the evil Soul Master who had been captured and brought back, on trial.
All the forces across the continent had been invited by Spirit Hall to send representatives to Spirit City and witness this unprecedentedly grand trial for themselves.
This was not only to give Lin Ze'an justice, but also to declare to the entire continent: Spirit Hall would never tolerate evil Soul Masters running rampant!
Though in Bibi Dong's eyes, there was only one reason this trial existed: Lin Ze'an.
Before the Pope Palace, numerous Palace Guard Knights stood in neat formation, maintaining order.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Bibi Dong stood on the dais and spoke in a dignified voice:
"Representatives from the various forces across the continent, today Spirit Hall will judge evil here, to uphold justice and protect peace across the continent."
At her words, the evil Soul Master who had harmed Lin Gang and Mai Xuanfeng were brought forward under escort by the Palace Guard Knights.
Behind them, several hundred deacons and bishops were also escorted forward. Like Mai Xuanfeng, their crimes had been uncovered, and they were about to face judgment.
The representatives of the various forces below exchanged puzzled looks.
What was going on with Spirit Hall? Why hold such a grand public trial?
For a moment, the atmosphere before the Pope Palace grew unbearably tense. Though everyone kept silent on the surface, they were all speculating about Spirit Hall's motives.
Just then, the sky suddenly blazed with light.
Everyone looked up and saw the cloudless sky split apart beneath a dazzling golden radiance.
Immediately afterward, the enormous phantom of a Six-Winged Angel slowly appeared, its entire body radiating holy light. Its six enormous wings unfurled, spreading over the Pope Palace.
Normally, Bibi Dong alone would have been enough to preside over this trial.
But for Lin Ze'an's sake, Qian Daoliu had decided to show him some respect and make an appearance.
After all, the Six-Winged Angel's presence would show just how seriously Spirit Hall took the trial.
At the same time, everyone present stared in a daze at the Six-Winged Angel that had suddenly appeared.
"This... this..."
"The Six-Winged Angel! That's..."
Though this Martial Soul had not appeared on the continent for many years, the great powers still remembered it vividly.
They just didn't know what its return to the world meant this time...
Then golden light poured down like a waterfall, illuminating the area before the Pope Palace and the criminals held there.
Whether evil Soul Masters or other serious offenders, they all fell to their knees beneath the holy light, writhing in agony.
Seeing this, Bibi Dong glanced up at the Six-Winged Angel in the sky, a trace of disdain in her eyes.
Then she addressed the crowd below. "Under the holy light of the God of Angels, Spirit Hall will never show mercy to evil."
"After the trial, all of them will be sent to Slaughter City and imprisoned there for eternity, never to leave!"
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