"I'll stop by Spirit Hall first." Ye Xuan didn't hide it.
"Spirit Hall? If I want to find you in the future, Big Brother Ye, can I come there?" Ning Rongrong asked.
"Of course." Ye Xuan didn't mind.
"Spirit Hall? Young Master Ye, you're not going to reveal anything about us here to Spirit Hall, are you?" Yu Xiaogang said ominously.
At his words, Zhao Wuji instinctively grew a little wary.
After all, he had killed quite a few people from Spirit Hall while making his way through the world.
If their identities and location were exposed, Spirit Hall would certainly not let him off.
Noticing Zhao Wuji's expression, Ye Xuan shot back, "Immovable Wisdom King, do you think I'd need such underhanded methods if I wanted to harm you? If I wanted to kill you, I could wipe you all out by myself."
After saying this, Ye Xuan turned his gaze to Yu Xiaogang and sneered, "Grandmaster, you're worried I might reveal this place to Spirit Hall. Shouldn't the people here also be worried about you, the Pope's old lover?"
"You..." Yu Xiaogang flew into a rage. Gritting his teeth, he said, "You're no ordinary person, after all. How did you learn these secrets?"
"Why should I tell you how I learned them?" Ye Xuan said disdainfully.
Zhao Wuji and the others now stared at Yu Xiaogang with strange looks.
What Ye Xuan had just casually said was truly earth-shattering.
The Pope had a lover? If anyone went around saying that, Spirit Hall might well drag them off and have them executed.
And who could have imagined that the Pope's lover was the Grandmaster standing right before them, a good-for-nothing in the Soul Master World?
Flender was now certain that Ye Xuan wanted to leave because he and Yu Xiaogang didn't get along.
He immediately said to Ye Xuan, "Young Master Ye, Xiaogang went too far just now. I hope you'll forgive him. Xiaogang, don't meddle in this."
He was afraid Yu Xiaogang would keep digging his own grave. If he truly angered Ye Xuan, Shrek Academy couldn't afford to provoke him.
"I'll head back first." Yu Xiaogang had lost all face and didn't want to stay any longer.
After Yu Xiaogang left, some time passed before Zhu Zhuqing returned with her luggage.
Ye Xuan took her with him, and the two left together.
Watching Zhu Zhuqing and the others leave, Ning Rongrong felt envious, but she couldn't be as carefree as Zhu Zhuqing.
After entering Shrek Academy, she had contacted her father and told him what was happening. Naturally, she couldn't just leave.
Xiao Wu, meanwhile, was thinking about what Ye Xuan had said.
Yu Xiaogang had once been the Pope's lover? She truly couldn't imagine it.
For years, Spirit Hall had been hunting Soul Beasts all over the place in search of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. Soul Beasts like them had a deep-seated hatred for Spirit Hall. If Yu Xiaogang really had such close ties to Spirit Hall, she would have to be especially wary of him from now on.
Not long after they left Shrek Academy, Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously, "Big Brother Ye, why are we going to Spirit Hall?"
"In your opinion, where in the world has the deepest understanding of Martial Souls?" Ye Xuan asked in return.
"Spirit Hall? So you want to go there and read books about Martial Soul research?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
"That's right!" Ye Xuan nodded.
It was only after talking with Yu Xiaogang that Ye Xuan had thought of it.
When Yu Xiaogang taught Tang San, he had once said that Plant-type Soul Masters used to be able to absorb only Plant-type Soul Beasts, while Soul Masters with beast-type Martial Souls could absorb only animal Soul Beasts.
He claimed that, based on his own research, Plant-type Soul Masters could also absorb the Martial Souls of beast-type Soul Beasts.
But was that really true?
Ye Xuan suddenly remembered that Qian Xunji had once been hunting Ah Yin and the others to take Ah Yin's Soul Ring.
Qian Xunji's Angel Spirit was certainly not a Plant-type Martial Soul.
That made Ye Xuan wonder whether Spirit Hall might have researched these things decades before Yu Xiaogang.
Perhaps Yu Xiaogang's research had been inspired by what Bibi Dong told him when they were together.
"Then are you planning to join Spirit Hall, Big Brother Ye?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't have any particular dislike for Spirit Hall.
Although Spirit Hall had been steadily expanding its influence in recent years, clearly threatening both great empires, that had nothing to do with Zhu Zhuqing at the moment.
"Let's go and see first," Ye Xuan said.
Suotuo City, Spirit Hall Main Branch.
Ye Xuan had come here once before to turn in a mission, so he knew his way around this time.
He entered Spirit Hall and went to the area where the deacons were stationed. When the white-robed deacon saw Ye Xuan, he froze for a moment.
The white-robed deacon remembered Ye Xuan vividly.
After all, someone so young who could bring in a Soul Emperor to claim a reward was hard to forget.
"Young Master, what mission reward have you come to claim this time?" the white-robed deacon asked politely.
"I'd like to see the bishop here. Sorry for the trouble, but could you inform him?" Ye Xuan said.
"You want to see the bishop?"
"What? Is that not allowed?"
"No, of course it is. Please wait a moment, Young Master. I'll go inform him right away."
How could the white-robed deacon dare refuse? Ye Xuan's gaze from last time was still fresh in his memory.
After the white-robed deacon left, Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously, "Big Brother Ye, that deacon seems afraid of you. Have you fought him before?"
"No, I've just been here once before," Ye Xuan said.
"Oh!" Zhu Zhuqing guessed that even if the man hadn't fought Ye Xuan, he must have witnessed his strength.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have feared him without reason.
They hadn't waited long when the white-robed deacon returned and said to Ye Xuan, "Young Master Ye, the bishop will see you."
"Please lead the way," Ye Xuan said.
The white-robed deacon led Ye Xuan and the others away, toward the rear of the main hall.
Before long, they arrived at a secluded courtyard.
A man in his fifties sat in the courtyard.
He wore a black bishop's robe. A pot of freshly brewed tea sat on the stone table beside him, steam rising from it.
Ye Xuan sensed the man's Soul Power. He was only at level 68.
In Suotuo City, that counted as formidable.
In terms of strength, he was second only to those few people at Shrek Academy.
"Young Master Ye is truly a remarkable young talent. I'd heard of your prowess before. I wasn't entirely convinced at the time, but now that I've met you, I see you really are extraordinary."
The black-clad bishop rose and greeted Ye Xuan with cupped hands.
"I'm Ye Xuan. My respects, Bishop. This is my friend, Zhu Zhuqing." Ye Xuan returned the greeting with cupped fists.
"I'm Sading. May I ask what brings Young Master Ye and Miss Zhu here?" the black-clad bishop asked.
"I know that Spirit Hall has the deepest understanding of Martial Souls in the world, so I'd like to borrow some books on the subject," Ye Xuan said.
"Borrow books from Spirit Hall?" Sading's brow furrowed, his expression growing especially grave.
"Bishop Sading, is that not allowed?" Ye Xuan asked.
"It's not that it's forbidden. Spirit Hall welcomes the talented from all over the world, and anyone who comes here is welcome to read these books. However, Young Master Ye would also have to do something for Spirit Hall," Sading said.
"What would you have me do, Bishop?" Ye Xuan asked.
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