The Papal Palace Draws Its Sword

After retesting Su Qi's soul power, Yue Guan recorded the details of the process without saying anything further.

Su Qi also remained silent. He lifted the curtain and admired the scenery outside the carriage.

After the carriage raced onward for two days, the outline of an incomparably grand city appeared at the end of the horizon.

Towering walls rose high, while black-patterned stone pillars pierced the clouds. The entire city exuded an imposing, sacred aura.

The hexagon-like city before them was Spirit City.

The carriage slowly came to a stop. Yue Guan got down first and turned sideways, making an inviting gesture.

"Child, come with me to the Papal Palace."

Along the way, they could see quite a few talented youths of the same generation who had been brought here.

After arriving in Spirit City, they were directly led away by stewards to settle into the dormitories of Spirit Hall's dedicated academy. They could begin cultivating at the academy the next day.

Only Su Qi's route was entirely different.

Yue Guan led him straight toward the most central building in all of Spirit City—the Papal Palace.

"The other children merely need to complete their academy enrollment procedures. But your Innate Level-Twenty Full Soul Power is far too unbelievable. The elders have no authority to determine your enrollment level."

As they walked through a white jade corridor, Yue Guan explained, "So you must personally meet the Pope and report the retest results face-to-face before your status within Spirit Hall, as well as your resource treatment, can be decided."

Su Qi obediently nodded. He had started out in Spirit Hall in his previous life, so he naturally understood its rules.

Thinking that he would soon meet some old acquaintances as a child, Su Qi could not help finding it amusing.

After passing through the double doors of dark iron, an immense, oppressive aura washed over them.

The vast and solemn main hall of the Papal Palace was dimly lit.

At the highest point of the hall stood the cold, luxurious Papal throne.

A breathtakingly beautiful woman in a purple-and-gold Papal robe sat quietly upon it.

Her purple hair fell over her shoulders, and her features were peerless. Yet an inescapable chill and sorrow lingered between her brows.

This stunning woman was none other than Spirit Hall's current Pope, Bibi Dong.

To the left of the throne stood two silent figures.

One had a withered complexion, with the aura of death swirling around him, making his true appearance difficult to discern. He was the Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei.

The other had snow-white skin, seductive features, and a graceful figure. She looked only fifteen or sixteen years old. She was Bibi Dong's personal disciple, Hu Liena.

Yue Guan bowed respectfully to Bibi Dong on the throne. "Reporting to Your Holiness, I have carried out my orders and brought back the child who awakened a top-grade sword martial soul. I have come to report."

Bibi Dong lowered her gaze, her indifferent eyes falling upon Su Qi beside Yue Guan. Her voice was cool and calm.

"How did the retest go? Chrysanthemum Elder, report truthfully."

"Reporting to Your Holiness, this child's martial soul is an unknown divine-grade sword martial soul. He possesses Innate Level-Twenty Full Soul Power!"

The instant those words fell.

The entire Papal Palace fell deathly silent.

Gui Mei, the Ghost Douluo standing beside the throne, had his pupils abruptly contract. The soul power throughout his body trembled slightly, his face filled with disbelief.

Hu Liena beside him froze in place. Her beautiful eyes widened sharply, and her face was filled with shock.

Innate Level-Twenty Full Soul Power?

A storm surged through Hu Liena's heart.

She had been hailed as a Spirit Hall prodigy since childhood. Possessing the top-grade beast martial soul, Demon Fox, and Innate Level-Nine Soul Power, her cultivation journey had been smooth all along. She had always been proud of her talent.

Yet this person before her possessed Innate Level-Twenty Soul Power!

A full eleven levels higher than hers?

Such cultivation talent had completely surpassed the category of genius. It could only be called monstrous!

What shocked Gui Mei was different from what shocked Hu Liena.

Since ancient times, only the martial souls of Spirit Hall's Six-Winged Angel lineage could possibly possess Innate Level-Twenty Full Soul Power.

Yet the youth before him was not a member of the angel clan, but possessed the same talent.

There was only one answer.

This unknown sword martial soul might truly be the divine-grade sword martial soul Yue Guan claimed it was!

Bibi Dong, seated upon the throne, wore a far more complicated expression than either Gui Mei or Hu Liena.

The moment she heard Innate Level-Twenty Full Soul Power, intense hatred flashed through her eyes!

Because Innate Level-Twenty Full Soul Power was the unique talent of the former Pope Qian Xunji, who had once raped her, and Qian Renxue, the daughter who should never have existed.

Hearing of such talent again inevitably brought back those unbearable memories.

After restraining the hatred in her eyes, Bibi Dong discovered that the Rakshasa divine power hidden within her had begun to stir and recoil uncontrollably.

It instinctively felt fear and the urge to submit.

At the same time, a faint, almost imperceptible strand of supreme divine killing intent slowly spread from Su Qi's body.

This killing intent was fierce and tyrannical, carrying the divine might to judge all living beings.

It resembled the Rakshasa killing aura she had painstakingly cultivated for many years, yet completely surpassed it.

Her own killing aura was utterly suppressed before this strand of divine killing intent!

A god's blessing? A god's inheritance?

Bibi Dong's heart sank, and her wariness reached its peak.

This child named Su Qi had definitely received the favor of some supreme god. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to possess Innate Level-Twenty Full Soul Power like the Six-Winged Angel lineage!

The entire hall remained silent for three full breaths.

Bibi Dong slowly concealed all hatred and wariness in her eyes. Looking down at Su Qi, she ordered, "Release your martial soul."

At her words, Yue Guan flashed away, opening a distance of ten meters between himself and Su Qi.

Gui Mei, Hu Liena, and Bibi Dong all focused their gazes on Su Qi.

Bibi Dong in particular sat on the throne with her purple eyes fixed tightly on Su Qi, unwilling to miss even the slightest change in his expression.

She wanted to witness with her own eyes what kind of terrifying sword martial soul this child, who could make Rakshasa divine power instinctively fear, wielded!

Gui Mei's expression turned solemn. He silently circulated his soul power, ready for any sudden development.

Hu Liena held her breath, her jade-like hand unconsciously clutching the hem of her dress. Her heart was filled with disbelief.

Innate Level-Twenty Soul Power had already overturned everything she knew.

She truly could not imagine how terrifying this divine-grade sword martial soul was.

Yue Guan, now standing at a distance, was likewise filled with anticipation.

With all eyes upon him, Su Qi showed no trace of panic.

He raised his immature right hand, his gaze calm, and softly replied, "All right."

The next second, blood-red soul power erupted from his palm.

Bzzzt—

A piercing sword cry suddenly exploded, penetrating the entire Papal Palace.

There was no holy golden light, nor any warm spiritual radiance.

There was only an utterly dark blood-red mist, crazily sweeping out from Su Qi's palm.

In an instant.

Coldness, slaughter, judgment.

Killing intent, pure to the extreme, instantly filled every corner of the hall.

A long, narrow demon sword, dark crimson throughout and engraved with ancient divine patterns, silently appeared in Su Qi's hand.

Its blade was incomparably sharp, its cold gleam bone-piercing. Every flow of its divine patterns carried divine might that struck terror into all who saw it.

The Asura Demon Sword!

A Transcendent Divine Artifact that truly governed slaughter throughout the world and judged all living beings now appeared before mortals in the form of a martial soul.

Boom!

Icy killing intent erupted.

Every light in the hall went out at once. The temperature plummeted, and coldness pierced straight into their bones.

Hu Liena, standing at the front, shuddered from head to toe. Her legs weakened, and she nearly fell to her knees.

The soul power around her was directly suppressed and sealed. She could not move, and her mind trembled violently, as though she were facing the most terrifying purgatorial killing intent in the world.