Spirit City Shakes

Ten days later.

Outside Spirit City's southern gate, a convoy slowly approached along the main road.

The carriage at the very front flew the Holy Son Command Flag, its black-and-gold patterns striking beneath the sunlight.

The city gate guards saw the flag clearly and instantly straightened, their armor plates clashing with a metallic clang.

"His Highness the Holy Son has returned to the city—!"

The heavy city gates quickly opened, and the guards on both sides dropped to one knee at the same time.

But once the convoy drew near, the deacon in charge of guarding the gate froze.

Behind the Holy Son's carriage followed an old man with long dark-green hair. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his pace was unhurried, yet every step seemed to land on the hearts of the surrounding soul masters.

Though he had not deliberately released any pressure, the spears in the guards' hands still trembled lightly beyond their control.

The gate deacon swallowed and carefully walked to the side of the convoy.

"Your Excellency Seventh Worship, this is..."

Jiangmo Douluo did not even turn his head, his gaze still fixed straight ahead.

"Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo."

The breathing of the nearby guards instantly hitched.

Dugu Bo had a perverse temperament, had spent years alone, and had even clashed with Spirit Hall before. How could he appear in the Holy Son's returning convoy?

What made their scalps tingle even more was the position where Dugu Bo stood now. From beginning to end, he remained half a step behind the Holy Son's carriage.

"He is His Highness's man," Jiangmo Douluo suddenly added.

The gate deacon immediately lowered his head and no longer dared to ask another word.

The wheels rolled through the city gate, and the news seemed to grow wings, sweeping swiftly through all of Spirit City.

The Holy Son had left the city once, and had actually subdued a Titled Douluo!

Along the way, soul masters stopped in their tracks one after another.

After some recognized Dugu Bo, they subconsciously retreated to both sides of the road, afraid of brushing against Poison Douluo's deadly poison.

Dugu Bo paid no attention to those gazes. He simply followed the carriage ahead, walking all the way toward Pope Palace.

Inside Pope Palace.

Bibi Dong had already received the news in advance.

She sat atop the dais, gripping the scepter in her hand tightly. Only when the palace doors opened and Qian Renyuan walked in from outside did she release her hold on it.

"Mother." Qian Renyuan bowed slightly.

Just as Qian Renyuan finished his salute, Bibi Dong walked down from the dais.

She directly seized Qian Renyuan's wrist and sent a wisp of Soul Power into his body.

Only after repeatedly confirming that her son had not been left with the slightest hidden injury did the expression on Bibi Dong's stunningly cold face soften completely.

"I told you not to put yourself in danger." There was some reproach in her tone, but even more lingering fear.

"I made Mother worry."

Qian Renyuan did not explain the process of how he had jumped into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Bibi Dong looked at him for a moment. In the end, she did not question him in public. She only squeezed his palm, and after confirming everything was normal, she let go.

After doing this, her gaze finally fell on Dugu Bo.

"Poison Douluo."

Dugu Bo stepped forward and cupped his fists.

"Dugu Bo greets Your Holiness the Pope."

He maintained the proper etiquette, but he did not bow.

Bibi Dong was not surprised. Dugu Bo had always been solitary by nature, and in the past, he had not even paid attention to Spirit Hall's attempts to recruit him.

"What have you come to Spirit City for?"

"I came with my lord."

Dugu Bo answered very calmly.

The words "my lord" landed, and several attendants inside the hall sharply sucked in a breath, raising their heads in shock before hurriedly lowering their gazes again.

Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed slightly. She knew that Qian Renyuan had wanted to subdue Dugu Bo on this trip, but she had not expected Dugu Bo to truly address him as his lord.

"You have joined Spirit Hall?" Bibi Dong stared closely at him.

"No." Dugu Bo turned his head slightly, his gaze respectfully falling on Qian Renyuan's back. "The only person this old man is loyal to is my lord. It has nothing to do with Spirit Hall."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle yet vast golden aura came from outside the hall.

The Grand Worship of Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu walked straight into Pope Palace. He first glanced at Qian Renyuan, and only after confirming he was safe and sound did a faint smile appear on his face.

"Going out once, and you somehow brought back a Titled Douluo out of nowhere. It seems the waves you stirred up in Sunset Forest were even more astonishing than this old man expected!"

"Dugu Bo is mine," Qian Renyuan said, standing with his hands behind his back, his tone utterly casual.

Qian Daoliu looked at Dugu Bo, then at the way he remained half a step behind Qian Renyuan the entire time, and already understood everything. This Poison Douluo obeyed Qian Renyuan's orders alone.

The smile in Qian Daoliu's eyes grew even stronger.

Bibi Dong swept a glance over the attendants in the hall.

"Everyone, withdraw."

The attendants did not dare linger and quickly left the hall. The heavy palace doors closed again, completely cutting off the outside world's gaze.

Bibi Dong, however, turned her attention to the jade boxes that had just been brought into the hall.

"These are what you brought back from the Herb Garden?"

"Mature Immortal Grade Herbs." Qian Renyuan slowly walked up to the jade boxes, his fingertips gently brushing over the cool jade surface.

"Dugu Yan originally only had the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, and the poison in her body could have invaded her heart meridians at any time."

"After using two of them, her martial soul has already evolved into the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, and the backlash has disappeared completely."

Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu both lost their composure at the same time. They both knew exactly what Martial Soul Evolution meant.

If all the medicinal herbs in these jade boxes possessed similar effects, their value could no longer be measured in Gold Soul Coins.

"How many did you obtain in total?" Bibi Dong asked calmly.

"The list is still in my hands." Qian Renyuan did not answer directly. "At present, not a single one has had its ownership decided."

As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall, which had only just eased, sank into silence once more.

Qian Daoliu understood at once. Although this batch of Immortal Herbs had already been transported to Spirit City, the right to decide exactly how they would be distributed was still firmly held in Qian Renyuan's hands.

Bibi Dong did not speak up to force the matter either. She merely gave a faint order to the guards outside the hall, strictly forbidding anyone from touching those jade boxes.

"When it comes to rare flowers and unusual plants, Yue Guan is the true expert." The scepter in her hand lightly tapped the ground. "Summon Chrysanthemum Douluo."

The decree was immediately sent to Elder Hall.

Before long, Yue Guan arrived at Pope Palace in response to the summons.

"Your Holiness, Grand Worship, Your Highness the Holy Son."

Yue Guan greeted them in order, but the moment he stepped into the hall, his gaze was firmly drawn to the row of jade boxes. Even his usually composed steps came to a halt.

Though the lids were sealed without the slightest gap, he could still keenly smell the pure, hidden fragrance of plants and herbs within.

Yue Guan quickly stepped forward, and when he saw the characters written on one of the jade boxes, his pupils suddenly contracted.

—Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.

Yue Guan snapped his head toward Qian Renyuan, his lips moving, yet for a long while he could not utter a word.

He had immersed himself in this field for half his life, so how could he not know the weight behind the words Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum? Such a legendary Immortal Grade Herb existed only in a few tattered ancient texts. Even he had only heard its name and had never seen its true form.

"Open it and take a look," Qian Renyuan ordered.

Yue Guan took a deep breath, then slowly placed both hands on the sides of the jade box. Even when facing a Titled Douluo of the same level, he had never lost his composure like this, yet at this moment, his fingertips were trembling faintly.

The lid was pushed open inch by inch, and a flash of golden light suddenly spilled out from the gap. In an instant, an extraordinary fragrance filled the entire hall.

The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Martial Soul within Yue Guan's body seemed to receive some kind of intense summons and actually began to tremble violently beyond his control.

He stared fixedly at the radiant golden flower inside the box. His whole body seemed to have been struck by lightning, and he stood rooted to the spot in a daze.

"This, this is..."