Before Spirit Hall, Ultimate Pressure

Three days later.

Spirit City, one of the most prosperous and majestic cities on the Douluo Continent. As the headquarters of Spirit Hall, every inch of this city was steeped in the aura of power and strength. The towering city walls were constructed entirely of massive white stones, carved with various martial soul patterns that symbolized Spirit Hall's dominance over all soul masters in the world.

At the city gate, two squads of soul masters clad in bright silver armor stood ramrod straight. Each of them radiated a formidable ripple of soul power, with the lowest among them being at the Soul Ancestor level. Passersby and merchants lowered their voices and quickened their pace as they passed through the gate, terrified of drawing the attention of these guards.

At this moment, a slender white figure was walking slowly toward the gate.

It was Yi Chen.

He had changed into a clean white robe with a silver belt cinched at his waist. His long, raven-black hair was tied loosely behind his head, with a few stray strands falling across his forehead, making his already peerless, handsome face appear even more ethereal and otherworldly. His gait was composed and his expression indifferent, as if he were merely a tourist out for a stroll rather than a madman coming to challenge the most powerful force on the continent.

"Halt!"

A guard captain blocked his path, looked him up and down, and said in a deep voice, "To enter the city, you must present proof of identity or state your purpose."

Yi Chen stopped and gave him a faint glance.

Just one glance.

The guard captain felt as if he were being stared at by an ancient, ferocious beast. His back was instantly drenched in cold sweat, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat constricted by an invisible hand, unable to utter a single word.

"I am here to find someone," Yi Chen said, withdrawing his gaze, his tone flat. "I am looking for your Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong."

As soon as these words were spoken, all the guards present were stunned.

Looking for Her Majesty the Pope?

And calling her by her name directly?

Is this brat tired of living?!

"Presumptuous!" another guard shouted sternly. "Is the name of Her Majesty the Pope something you can utter so casually? Men, seize him—"

Before the words had even faded, a terrifying, extreme pressure suddenly descended!

BOOM—!!!

The entire Spirit City shook violently at that moment!

The guards at the city gate felt as if a massive mountain had fallen from the sky, crushing down heavily upon their shoulders. Everyone's knees buckled, and they all collapsed to the ground, unable to even lift their heads. Pedestrians on the street swayed and stumbled, looking toward the source of the pressure in terror.

It was a trembling that came from the depths of the soul!

It was a suppression on the level of life itself!

Before this pressure, Soul Kings, Soul Emperors, Soul Saints... they were all as insignificant as ants!

Inside Spirit City, within a magnificent palace.

Bibi Dong was sitting on the papal throne, reviewing the files in her hands. She wore a luxurious black robe and a purple-gold crown. Her expression was dignified and majestic, and she radiated the powerful aura of someone in a position of authority.

Suddenly, she jerked her head up, her pupils constricting!

"This is..."

She felt that pressure!

The pressure was so strong that even she, a level 97 Super Douluo, felt a palpitation of the heart!

"Who is it?!" Bibi Dong rose abruptly, her figure flickering as she appeared directly on the plaza outside the palace.

At the same time, several formidable auras erupted from within Spirit Hall—Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, Demon Bear Douluo... Title Douluos flew out from various locations and gathered in the plaza, their faces etched with gravity and shock.

"Your Majesty the Pope!" Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan hurried to Bibi Dong's side, his expression tense. "This pressure... it is at least level 98! No, it might even be... level 99!"

"A level 99 Limit Douluo?!" Ghost Douluo Gui Mei's voice was filled with disbelief. "When did such a person appear on the continent?"

Bibi Dong did not answer; her gaze was locked firmly in the direction of the city gate.

There, a white figure was walking slowly toward them.

He did not walk fast, but with every step he took, it felt as if he were treading upon the nodes of the world's rhythm. The surrounding air pulsed with his movements, and even the light seemed to warp.

The moment he stepped into Spirit City, the entire city seemed to fall silent.

Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to him, as if he were the center of the world.

Yi Chen came to a stop in the center of the plaza, his gaze sweeping calmly over the Title Douluos before him before finally landing on Bibi Dong.

"A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty the Pope." He bowed slightly, his tone neither servile nor overbearing. "I am Yi Chen. Please forgive my presumptuous visit."

Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the young man before her.

He was too young.

He appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen, yet his unfathomable cultivation made even her, a Super Douluo who had cultivated for decades, feel a chill. Furthermore, she could sense that the other party had not yet used his full strength—the pressure from just a moment ago was merely something he had done casually.

"Who are you? And what business do you have with my Spirit Hall?" Bibi Dong suppressed the shock in her heart and asked in a deep voice.

Yi Chen smiled slightly and got straight to the point: "I want to cooperate with Spirit Hall."

"Cooperate?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow. "Cooperate on what?"

"To promote a game," Yi Chen said. With a flip of his palm, a card glowing with golden light appeared in his hand. "Its name is—Battle of the Golden Spatula."

The plaza fell into a dead silence.

The Title Douluos looked at one another, their expressions somewhat strange.

A game?

A level 99 Limit Douluo, running all the way to Spirit Hall to propose a partnership to promote a game?

This sounded utterly preposterous!

"Are you playing us for fools?" Demon Bear Douluo, known for his volatile temper, was the first to speak up, unable to contain himself. "A game? Is that really worthy of Spirit Hall's involvement?"

Yi Chen glanced at him but said nothing.

He merely raised his hand slightly.

Hum—

An invisible force instantly locked Demon Bear Douluo in place! The level 92 Title Douluo discovered with horror that he couldn't even move a single finger! The soul power within his body felt as if it had been frozen, completely unresponsive to his will!

"This... how is this possible?!" Demon Bear Douluo's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his brow.

Seeing this, the other Title Douluos' expressions shifted, and they instinctively took a step back.

One move!

A single move!

He had subdued a Title Douluo!

And they hadn't even seen how he had attacked!

"Now, can we have a proper talk?" Yi Chen withdrew his hand, his tone remaining as calm as if he had just performed a trivial task.

Bibi Dong fell silent.

She stared deeply at Yi Chen for a long time before slowly speaking, "What do you want?"

"It's simple." Yi Chen held up a finger. "I join Spirit Hall as an honorary elder, and in return, Spirit Hall uses its resources and channels to help me promote Battle of the Golden Spatula. As compensation, I can provide Spirit Hall with some... minor technical support."

"An honorary elder?" Bibi Dong's eyes flickered.

This status was neither too high nor too low. An honorary elder held no real power and did not participate in the daily management of Spirit Hall, yet they enjoyed the treatment and status of an elder. For a powerhouse like Yi Chen, this identity served more as a symbolic mark of cooperation.

"Are you certain?" Bibi Dong gazed at him. "With your strength, you could easily go it alone. Why come to Spirit Hall?"

Yi Chen smiled.

"Because I'm lazy."

"...What?"

"Because I'm lazy." Yi Chen repeated, shrugging his shoulders. "Promoting it by myself is too much trouble. Finding people, handling publicity, organizing tournaments... just thinking about it gives me a headache. Spirit Hall already has the channels and connections, so why shouldn't I make use of them?"

This reason...

Bibi Dong was momentarily speechless.

A level 99 Limit Douluo, coming to partner with Spirit Hall simply because he found other things too troublesome?

Who would believe that if it were told to anyone else!

Yet, the man before her spoke with such righteous conviction, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

"Besides," Yi Chen added, a meaningful smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "I believe Your Majesty the Pope is a smart person. You should be able to see that the value of this game goes far beyond just being a 'game'."

Bibi Dong remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"Very well, I agree."

"Your Majesty the Pope?!" Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exclaimed in unison, wanting to dissuade her.

Bibi Dong raised a hand to stop them, her gaze fixed on Yi Chen. "I grant you the position of honorary elder. You may call upon the resources of Spirit Hall. But I have one condition."

"Please, go ahead."

"I want to see for myself what is so special about this 'Battle of the Golden Spatula' you speak of."

Hearing this, Yi Chen's smile deepened.

"No problem."

He reached out, and a golden card appeared out of thin air between his fingers, which he held out toward Bibi Dong.

"Your Majesty the Pope, please."