Refusing Spirit Hall

At the entrance of the auction house.

Ye Qiong casually tucked a black gold card into his pocket.

He hadn't expected the treasury of the Star Luo Imperial Palace to be so wealthy.

He had only casually put up a few items and already earned over ten million Gold Soul Coins.

Just like that, the auction house had immediately treated him as a VIP and gifted him a black gold card.

He had already sent Aglaea and Cipher back.

It was nearly dusk, yet the streets of Heaven Dou City were sparsely populated.

As Ye Qiong was planning to return to the academy, his gaze swept across the street and suddenly caught a peculiar figure.

It was a woman, appearing to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.

She had a slender figure, wore a low-key deep purple combat outfit, and had her long brown hair tied into a high ponytail.

She did not notice Ye Qiong not far away.

She walked straight into the tall building opposite the auction house.

The Spirit Hall Branch of Heaven Dou City.

Seeing this, Ye Qiong's expression shifted in surprise, and he immediately stepped aside to hide behind a wall.

Just then, as the woman reached the entrance, two guards simultaneously knelt on one knee, bowing with faces full of reverence:

"Welcome, Holy Maiden!"

Holy Maiden?!

Hearing this title, Ye Qiong's eyes narrowed slightly.

It was actually Hu Liena.

The Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, the direct disciple of Bibi Dong.

Why had she come to Heaven Dou?

Ye Qiong had no intention of investigating further; he simply committed Hu Liena's appearance to memory and turned to leave.

Walking past the street corner, Ye Qiong frowned in contemplation.

Someone of Hu Liena's status would not pass through Heaven Dou City without a reason.

It could only be that Bibi Dong had sent her.

And there was only one variable that had occurred in Heaven Dou City recently, And that was his Omphalos Academy.

Thinking of this, the corners of Ye Qiong's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

It seemed that Spirit Hall had also set its sights on him, this piece of fat meat.

Thus, Ye Qiong decided to first observe the other party's intentions.

For the next half month, Ye Qiong remained calm on the surface, but secretly, he kept a close watch on Hu Liena's movements.

Hu Liena was indeed very low-key.

Every time she investigated, she never wore that conspicuous Spirit Hall uniform.

She always walked around Heaven Dou City in casual clothes, occasionally sitting in a teahouse or stopping for a while in front of street vendors, looking just like an ordinary young woman.

But Ye Qiong knew what she was doing.

So, he quickly figured out the gist of Hu Liena's activities.

On the first day, she spent an entire afternoon at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Fighting Arena, sitting in a corner and watching the soul fights of the Omphalos Academy students.

She watched very intently, occasionally taking notes in a small notebook.

Later, she went to the West City Archives Department to review the materials on Omphalos Academy, as well as the files on him, the Dean, Ye Qiong.

Hu Liena investigated his background very thoroughly.

Yet she was very restrained.

She never approached within three hundred paces of Omphalos Academy, much like a fox circling a grapevine, waiting for the fruit to ripen.

Seeing that Hu Liena was only investigating and delaying her next move, Ye Qiong was not in a hurry, and his daily life continued as usual.

Because he knew that Hu Liena would eventually come to him on her own.

Sure enough.

One morning, half a month later, a carriage stopped at the academy gate.

The curtain was lifted, and Hu Liena stepped down, followed by only two attendants.

"Excuse me, is Dean Ye Qiong in?"

When the guard at the gate came in to report, Ye Qiong was in the courtyard watching Phainon and Mydei compete in the high-temperature hot spring.

Upon hearing the report, he ordered the guest to be shown to the reception room before strolling over at a leisurely pace.

After Ye Qiong left, Phainon finally collapsed, unable to endure any longer.

The ultimate winner was, as always, Mydei.

Inside the reception room, Hu Liena sat upright on a wooden chair with a cup of hot tea placed before her.

Seeing Ye Qiong push the door open and enter, she stood up immediately, offering a perfectly measured smile:

"Dean Ye Qiong, I have long admired you."

Ye Qiong sat down across from her and smiled as well:

"Your arrival, Saintess Hu Liena, truly brings splendor to this humble place of mine."

Hu Liena did not beat around the bush; she went straight to the point and pushed a letter toward Ye Qiong.

"This is a letter written personally to you by Her Holiness the Pope. Please, take a look."

Ye Qiong opened the letter and scanned it once.

The content was brief, but every word was precise.

In short, Spirit Hall was willing to extend its full sincerity to invite all students of Omphalos Academy to enter the high-level Soul Master Academy in Spirit City without examination, while enjoying the status of core disciples and the opportunity to join the upper echelons of Spirit Hall to participate in decision-making upon graduation.

As for Ye Qiong himself, he would be granted the title of Guest Elder of Spirit Hall, ranking just below the Pope and enjoying the treatment of a Title Douluo-level consultant.

After finishing the letter, Ye Qiong picked up his teacup and took a sip:

"These terms are quite generous."

Hu Liena nodded slightly.

Her gaze rested on Ye Qiong's face, trying to read something from his expression.

But when Ye Qiong set his cup down, his face still wore that same half-smile, revealing no flaws whatsoever.

"Thank Her Holiness the Pope for her kindness on my behalf."

Hu Liena waited for him to continue.

However, Ye Qiong pushed the letter back in front of her:

"My academy has just opened, and there are only a dozen or so students in total. They trust me and followed me from Heaven Dou City to Star Luo and back again; I cannot just hand them over halfway."

"As for the Guest Elder position, forget it. I am used to being free and easy; I am not suited for sitting in the great hall."

Hu Liena did not stand up immediately.

She looked at Ye Qiong for a moment, the smile on her face fading slightly.

"The Pope says that how far an academy can go has never depended solely on the talent of its students. Dean Ye Qiong, I believe you should understand that, right?"

Ye Qiong smiled faintly:

"I naturally understand that point."

Seeing that Ye Qiong was impervious to both soft and hard tactics, Hu Liena did not intend to stay any longer. She offered a polite smile, turned around, and left.

After Hu Liena departed, Ye Qiong leaned back in his chair, his finger tracing the rim of his teacup.

He had guessed correctly.

Bibi Dong had sent her specifically to recruit him and the others at Omphalos.

Ye Qiong surmised that since this recruitment had failed, Bibi Dong would inevitably resort to other means.

Just as he was thinking this, a system panel popped up before him:

[New Mission: Counter External Pressure.]

[Description: Following the rejection of the recruitment, Spirit Hall will exert external pressure on the academy through various means over the coming period.]

[Mission Objective: Ensure the academy continues to operate normally during this time, without teaching or development being interrupted by external interference.]

[Reward: Settled based on the results of the resistance, approximately 1000~6000 Star Jade.]

Ye Qiong looked at the mission details and stroked his chin.

Suppression from Spirit Hall?

How laughable; he was not afraid.

He would gladly accept this 6000 Star Jade.

Spirit City.

Pope's Palace.

Hu Liena knelt on one knee in the center of the grand hall, while Bibi Dong sat upon the high throne before her.

At this moment, the entire hall was vast and silent.

After hearing Hu Liena's report, Bibi Dong did not speak, her expression as calm and cold as still water.

"What were his exact words?"

Hu Liena kept her head bowed, not daring to look at Bibi Dong.

"He said that since the academy has just opened and the students trust him, he cannot hand anyone over halfway through.

"He also refused to become a guest elder, claiming he is too accustomed to his own loose and wandering ways."

Hearing this, the fingers Bibi Dong had been tapping against her seat paused for a fleeting moment.

She raised her head, her gaze falling upon Hu Liena.