At the auction house entrance.
Ye Qiong casually slipped a black-and-gold card into his pocket.
He hadn't expected the treasury of the Star Luo Imperial Palace to be so rich.
He'd only sold a few things on a whim, yet earned over ten million Gold Soul Coins.
The auction house had immediately treated him as an honored guest and given him a black-and-gold card.
Aglaea and Cipher had already been sent back by him.
It was nearly dusk, yet the streets of Heaven Dou City were unusually quiet.
Ye Qiong was about to return to the academy when he glanced around and suddenly caught sight of a distinctive figure.
She was a woman who looked about seventeen or eighteen.
She had a slender figure and wore an understated, dark purple outfit. Her brown hair was tied in a high ponytail.
She hadn't noticed Ye Qiong nearby,
and walked straight into the tall building opposite the auction house.
The Spirit Hall Branch of Heaven Dou City.
At the sight of this, Ye Qiong's expression shifted in surprise. He immediately stepped aside and hid behind a wall.
The moment the woman reached the entrance, two guards dropped to one knee and greeted her respectfully:
"Welcome, Saintess!"
Saintess?!
At the title, Ye Qiong's eyes narrowed slightly.
It was Hu Liena.
The Saintess of Spirit Hall, and Bibi Dong's personal disciple.
What was she doing in Heaven Dou?
Ye Qiong had no intention of investigating. He simply memorized Hu Liena's appearance, then turned and left.
Once he'd reached the corner,
Ye Qiong frowned in thought.
Someone of Hu Liena's stature wouldn't pass through Heaven Dou City for no reason.
Bibi Dong could only have sent her.
And there was only one recent development in Heaven Dou City that might have drawn her here—
his Omphalos Academy.
At the thought, Ye Qiong's mouth twitched.
It seemed Spirit Hall had its eye on him too.
So Ye Qiong decided to wait and see what they were after.
For nearly half a month, Ye Qiong acted as if nothing was amiss, while secretly keeping an eye on Hu Liena.
Hu Liena was indeed discreet.
Whenever she went out to investigate, she never wore Spirit Hall's conspicuous uniform.
She always moved through Heaven Dou City in plain clothes, sometimes stopping at a teahouse, sometimes pausing by a street vendor. She looked like an ordinary young woman.
But Ye Qiong knew what she was doing.
Before long, he had pieced together most of her movements.
On the first day, she spent the entire afternoon at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Fighting Arena, watching Omphalos Academy's students compete.
She watched intently, occasionally making notes in a small notebook.
Later, she went to the West City Archives Department and looked up information on Omphalos Academy, as well as on its dean, Ye Qiong.
Hu Liena investigated him thoroughly.
But she was careful, too.
She never came within three hundred paces of Omphalos Academy, like a fox circling a grape trellis, waiting for the fruit to ripen.
Since Hu Liena was only investigating and made no move, Ye Qiong wasn't in a hurry. His daily routine went on as usual.
After all, he knew Hu Liena would eventually come to him.
Sure enough.
One morning, half a month later, a carriage stopped outside the academy.
The curtain lifted, and Hu Liena stepped down, accompanied by just two attendants.
"May I ask if Dean Ye Qiong is here?"
When the guard at the entrance came to report,
Ye Qiong was in the courtyard, watching Phainon and Mydei compete in the high-temperature bath.
After hearing the report, he told the guard to show her to the reception room, then ambled over at his leisure.
After Ye Qiong left, Phainon finally collapsed, unable to take it any longer.
Mydei was still the winner in the end.
Inside the reception room.
Hu Liena sat upright on a wooden chair, a cup of hot tea in front of her.
When Ye Qiong pushed open the door, she quickly stood and gave him a perfectly measured smile:
"Dean Ye Qiong, I've heard much about you."
Ye Qiong sat down opposite her and smiled as well:
"Saintess Hu Liena, your arrival has made my humble place shine."
Hu Liena didn't waste time with pleasantries. She got straight to the point and slid a letter across the table to Ye Qiong.
"This is a letter His Holiness the Pope wrote to you personally. Please take a look."
Ye Qiong opened the letter and skimmed it.
It wasn't long, but every word was precise.
In short, Spirit Hall was willing, in all sincerity, to invite every student of Omphalos Academy to enter the advanced Soul Master Academy in Spirit City without taking an entrance exam. They would receive the benefits of core disciples and, after graduation, be allowed to participate in decision-making among Spirit Hall's leadership.
As for Ye Qiong himself, he could receive the title of Spirit Hall guest elder, ranking just below the Pope and enjoying the benefits of a Titled Douluo-level offering.
After reading the letter, Ye Qiong picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"These are generous terms."
Hu Liena gave a slight nod.
Her gaze rested on Ye Qiong's face, searching for some hint of what he was thinking.
But when Ye Qiong put down his teacup, he still wore that half-smile, revealing nothing.
"Please thank His Holiness the Pope for his kindness."
Hu Liena waited for him to continue.
Instead, Ye Qiong pushed the letter back toward her.
"My academy has only just opened, and I have barely more than a dozen students. They trust me. They followed me from Heaven Dou City to Star Luo and back again. I can't hand them over halfway through the journey."
"And as for becoming a guest elder, no. I've always been a free spirit. I wouldn't be comfortable sitting in a grand hall."
Hu Liena didn't stand right away.
She studied Ye Qiong for a couple of moments, her smile fading a little.
"His Holiness says that how far an academy can go has never depended on its students' talents alone. Dean Ye Qiong, I believe you understand that."
Ye Qiong merely smiled.
"I understand that perfectly well."
Seeing that Ye Qiong wouldn't be swayed, Hu Liena decided not to linger. She rose, gave him a parting smile, and left.
After Hu Liena was gone,
Ye Qiong leaned back in his chair and traced a circle around the rim of his teacup with one finger.
Just as he'd guessed.
Bibi Dong had sent her to recruit him and the people of Omphalos.
Ye Qiong figured that since this recruitment attempt had failed, Bibi Dong would surely resort to other methods.
As he was thinking, a system panel appeared before him:
[New Mission: Withstand External Pressure.] [Description: After the recruitment offer is rejected, Spirit Hall will exert external pressure on the academy in various ways over the coming period.] [Mission Objective: Ensure the academy continues to operate normally during this time, without outside interference disrupting its teaching or development.] [Reward: Based on the results of your resistance, approximately 1,000–6,000 Star Jade.]
Ye Qiong studied the mission and rubbed his chin.
Spirit Hall was going to suppress him?
What a joke. He wasn't afraid.
He'd gladly take those 6,000 Star Jade.
Spirit City.
Pope's Palace.
Hu Liena knelt on one knee in the center of the hall. Bibi Dong sat on the lofty throne before her.
The vast hall was utterly silent.
After hearing Hu Liena's report, Bibi Dong had fallen silent, her face as still as water.
"What exactly did he say?"
Hu Liena lowered her head, not daring to look at Bibi Dong.
"He said the academy had just opened, and that the students trusted him, so he couldn't hand them over halfway through.
"He also refused to become a guest elder, saying he was used to being a free spirit."
At that, Bibi Dong's fingers, which had been tapping the armrest, paused for an instant.
She lifted her head and fixed her gaze on Hu Liena.
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