The Pope's Plan

The Pope's Plan

Inside Papal Hall, the candlelight burned bright.

Yue Guan gave Bibi Dong a complete report of everything he had seen at Grand Dao Internet Cafe the day before.

He went into great detail.

From the shop's rules blocking a Titled Douluo's pressure, to Hu Liena repeatedly dying in the game without suffering any real-world injuries, to the insights from Basic Staff Momentum, Fox Charm Movement, and the strange drinks and food.

For a time, the great hall was deathly silent.

Bibi Dong sat high above, with little expression on her face.

Her fingers lightly stroked the top of her scepter, but her gaze grew deeper and deeper.

After Yue Guan finished, Gui Mei added, "That shop cannot be explained by ordinary Soul Tools. The rules inside are more like some kind of domain, yet there are no Soul Power fluctuations a domain should have."

Yue Guan nodded.

"I tested it. The pressure vanished before it even reached the shop owner. It was neither neutralized nor rebounded. It was denied by the shop itself."

Denied.

That word made Bibi Dong's eyes shift slightly.

On Douluo Continent, power came in different levels.

Soul Masters, Spirit Rings, Spirit Bones, domains, Divine Inheritances—each level suppressed the one below it.

Yet no matter how powerful something was, it rarely manifested through the word "denial."

That implied a gap at the level of rules.

After a brief silence, Bibi Dong asked, "How is Hu Liena?"

"Her Holiness has indeed improved."

Yue Guan said, "It is not an increase in Soul Power, but her combat style has become more agile. The Fox Charm Movement she acquired fits her martial soul extremely well. If she is given a few more days to adapt, she should produce unexpected results in the finals."

Bibi Dong finally showed a trace of interest.

She was determined to win the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

This was not merely a matter of academy honor.

It was also Spirit Hall's chance to display its strength to the two great empires and Soul Masters across the land.

The Golden Generation had to win.

If this internet cafe could truly improve Hu Liena and the other two's combat abilities in such a short time, then it could not be handled carelessly.

"Who is the shop owner?"

Gui Mei answered, "His name is Lin Chuan. He has no Soul Power fluctuations and no registered identity. It is as if he appeared in Spirit City out of thin air."

Appeared out of thin air.

Those four words made the atmosphere in the hall turn even colder.

Spirit City was no ordinary city.

It was difficult for someone without an identity to gain a foothold here, much less quietly open a shop.

Yue Guan said, "I suspect someone stands behind him."

Bibi Dong said coolly, "Or perhaps what stands behind him is not human."

Yue Guan did not respond.

They had not failed to consider that possibility.

There were far too many unknown inheritances on Douluo Continent.

Especially now that Bibi Dong had come into contact with a higher level of power, she understood better than anyone that a Titled Douluo was not the true end.

If Grand Dao Internet Cafe was connected to a god, things would become complicated.

Yet strangely, the aura displayed by that shop did not resemble any known Divine Inheritance.

It was far too commonplace.

It was too much like an ordinary business.

Bibi Dong suddenly asked, "Has he refused entry to anyone outside Spirit Hall?"

Yue Guan shook his head.

"No. The shop owner's exact words were, 'I'm open for business. All who come are guests.'"

Bibi Dong smiled.

The smile was faint, and cold.

"Interesting."

If the shop served only Spirit Hall, then it would be a tool that could be controlled.

But if it was open to everyone, then it would be an unpredictable variable capable of upsetting the balance.

Especially during the finals.

The Tian Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and all those academy teams would enter Spirit City.

Once they learned the value of that shop, they certainly would not remain indifferent.

Bibi Dong disliked variables beyond her control.

But she was not in a hurry to destroy it.

At least, not yet.

"Do not touch that shop for now."

Yue Guan was slightly startled. "Your Holiness?"

Bibi Dong said calmly, "Let Hu Liena and the other two continue going there first. How much they can improve will depend on their own abilities."

Gui Mei asked, "What if other forces enter the internet cafe?"

"Let them in."

Bibi Dong's answer surprised both Titled Douluo somewhat.

She continued, "Since the shop owner says all who come are guests, then let everyone become his guests. Only by watching more people enter can we see this shop's true rules clearly."

Yue Guan quickly understood.

If only Spirit Hall's people entered, the intelligence they gained would be limited.

Letting other forces enter would instead allow them to observe the changes different Soul Masters underwent in the game.

More importantly, if there truly was danger, it would not fall upon Spirit Hall alone.

Bibi Dong looked toward the dossiers at the side.

The list of teams entering the finals lay there.

Her gaze settled on the words "Shrek Academy" and lingered for a moment.

"When will Shrek arrive?"

"At the earliest, this evening. At the latest, tomorrow morning," Yue Guan answered.

Bibi Dong's gaze darkened slightly.

Tang San was among Shrek.

Tang Hao's son.

And that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

She had already arranged her plans for after the finals, but the appearance of Grand Dao Internet Cafe had added a chess piece of unknown origin to the board.

What would happen if Tang San and that soul beast also entered the internet cafe?

Bibi Dong could not judge for the moment.

That was precisely what unsettled her.

"Keep an eye on them."

She said, "Especially Tang San and Xiao Wu. Do not make a move inside the internet cafe, and do not let the Holy Maiden clash with them head-on."

Yue Guan and Gui Mei accepted the order at the same time.

"Yes."

Bibi Dong added another sentence.

"Also, arrange for several ordinary deacons to try it. Do not use Spirit Hall's identity to pressure anyone. Pay normally and use the computers normally."

Yue Guan smiled. "Your Holiness wants to see whether ordinary Soul Masters can receive rewards?"

"I also want to see whether that shop owner treats ordinary customers equally."

After Bibi Dong finished speaking, her gaze returned to her scepter.

Spirit Hall had reached its current position not merely through strength.

It had also done so by reaching for opportunities faster than others once they were discovered.

If this internet cafe was a trap, then they would find the boundaries of that trap.

If it was an opportunity, then Spirit Hall had to gain the most from it.

Meanwhile, not long after Grand Dao Internet Cafe opened, Hu Liena entered the game once more.

Xie Yue and Yan arrived one after another as well.

None of the three mentioned Papal Hall's arrangements, yet all of them were more serious than they had been the day before.

Lin Chuan noticed it, but did not expose them.

He knew Spirit Hall would certainly pay attention.

But as long as they were willing to pay, everything was negotiable.

Around noon, two ordinary deacons arranged by Yue Guan entered the shop.

On the surface, they said they had heard about it from friends and wanted to try it out.

Lin Chuan took their money and turned on their computers without asking another question.

A system notification immediately appeared.

[Total customers: 5.]

[Simultaneous online users: 4.]

[Task 1 completed.]

[Reward: Internet Cafe Expansion Card x1.]

Lin Chuan was delighted.

But before he could inspect the expansion card, a commotion suddenly rose outside the shop.

At the end of the street, a team slowly entered Spirit City.

Their academy uniforms were not flashy. They could even be called somewhat plain.

Yet the bearing of several among them was difficult to ignore.

At the front was a steady-faced young man, with a lively young girl beside him.

Lin Chuan glanced through the doorway, and immediately understood.

Shrek had arrived.

Tang San and Xiao Wu had arrived as well.

At that moment, the system displayed a new notification.

[Key plot characters detected nearby.]

[Host is advised to actively recruit them.]

Lin Chuan's mouth twitched.

"Your suggestion really loves stirring up trouble."

[The host needs customers.]

Lin Chuan looked at the Shrek group in the street, his expression gradually turning serious.

Customers were customers.

But these two customers were genuinely troublesome.