A Vast Gap

"Level-Ninety-Seven. No, already very close to Level-Ninety-Eight."

At that moment, every powerhouse at Titled Douluo level or above in Spirit City clearly sensed that immense Soul Power pressure.

Papal Hall.

"His Holiness the Pope, that is..." One of the Pope's personal guardian Douluo gazed toward the Elder Hall through the skylight, his expression filled with shock.

The other guardian Douluo swallowed hard. "There's no mistake. That Soul Power fluctuation..."

"It seems one of my uncles has broken through. I just wonder whether it's Uncle Guang Ling, Uncle Qian Jun, or Uncle Jiang Mo. It should be Uncle Guang Ling. After all, he was the first among the three to break through Level-Ninety-Six."

Qian Xunji possessed the Angel Set's Head Soul Bone and was himself a Titled Douluo. Even among Titled Douluo of the same level, his Mental Power ranked near the top. He quickly made a rough assessment of the strength of that Soul Power fluctuation.

It had absolutely reached Level-Ninety-Seven.

Looking across all of Spirit Hall, and even the entire Douluo Continent, aside from Tang Chen of the Clear Sky Sect, who had been missing for many years, the only people whose Soul Power had reached Level-Ninety-Seven or above were the first four Offerings, including his father.

His father and the Second Worship had broken through Level-Ninety-Seven before he was born, but the breakthroughs of the Third Offering and Fourth Worship were still vivid in his memory.

They had been exactly like the scene just now.

No, it should be said that the scene just now was even more powerful than when the Third Offering and Fourth Worship had broken through.

Although the Offerings' authority could restrain the Pope.

Every one of them was loyal to Spirit Hall and to his Angel Lineage.

The stronger the Offerings became, the deeper Spirit Hall's foundation would be, and the more secure his position as Pope would be.

"Haha, come on. You two, follow me and offer congratulations."

Sensing that aura unique to a Level-Ninety-Seven Titled Douluo, Qian Xunji assumed that one of the Offerings had broken through.

He laughed heartily and strode out of Papal Hall.

The two personal guardian Douluo exchanged bitter smiles and hurried after him.

Amid their envy, their eyes could not help but carry a trace of reverence.

That reverence was not only for the Offerings, but also for the Pope and Spirit Hall.

With such a foundation, why worry that Spirit Hall would not flourish? Why worry that Spirit Hall would not grow powerful? Why worry that Pope Qian Xunji would not rule the world?

They knew of their Pope's "grand ambitions."

They were not limited to Spirit Hall and the two great empires, but encompassed the entire continent.

The Elders in the various rooms of the Elder Hall likewise believed that an Offering had broken through Level-Ninety-Seven.

Only because they had received the Grand Worship's orders beforehand did they refrain from going out to offer congratulations.

As for those below Titled Douluo level, this Soul Power fluctuation exceeded their understanding, and they could not determine just how powerful it was.

Inside the Elder Hall.

The Chrysanthemum Ghosts were already dumbfounded, staring blankly at the tall man in red before them, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Meanwhile, the six Offerings led by Qian Daoliu studied the man in red with curiosity.

The Third Offering, Azure Luan Douluo, gave a soft, feminine smile and murmured, "Not a bad Martial Soul Fusion Skill. A Soul King in his fifties can fuse with Jiang Mo and reach such a level. Even I feel considerable pressure. It seems we've struck gold."

"Mm." The Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, nodded in deep agreement. "Even this old man senses a trace of threat. Once that boy Qin Xuan advances to Titled Douluo, this Martial Soul Fusion Skill may very well reach the Grand Worship's level."

"Perhaps it will be even greater than that." The Grand Worship, Qian Daoliu, spoke words that made everyone present ponder deeply. He glanced sideways at the Chrysanthemum Ghosts and said in a grave voice, "After today, I do not wish for an eleventh person to know about this matter once you leave this door."

"Do you two understand what I mean?" Qian Daoliu narrowed his eyes. His expression no longer held its earlier gentleness and appeared exceedingly dangerous.

The Chrysanthemum Ghosts swallowed hard. Chrysanthemum Pass hesitated before asking, "Grand Worship, if His Holiness the Pope asks about it, we cannot tell him either?"

"I will provide an explanation to the Pope myself." Qian Daoliu fell silent for a moment. Taking into account his son's dignity and authority as Pope, he gave a tactful answer.

"Yes." The Chrysanthemum Ghosts replied respectfully and silently moved to one side. Their backs were soaked with sweat, and they lowered their heads without speaking. Since the Grand Worship had not allowed them to leave, they did not dare make any move.

"Jiang Mo, how do you feel now?"

Qian Daoliu withdrew his gaze, his usual gentleness returning to his face. He led the Second through Sixth Worships over to the man in red and asked with a smile.

"Uh... Right now, I feel like I could punch a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast to death. Not bad..."

The man in red held a spear in his left hand and clenched his right into a fist as he answered—in Qin Xuan's voice.

"That voice... you're Qin Xuan?" Qian Daoliu and the others were greatly shocked. They had never expected Qin Xuan to be the one leading this Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Did that not mean that Jiang Mo, a dignified Level-Ninety-Six Super Douluo, had lost to a Soul King while competing for control of the Martial Soul Fusion?

Just then, the voice of an Elder Hall guardian knight sounded from outside the doors. "Grand Worship, His Holiness the Pope and his two personal guardian Douluo have arrived."

Qian Daoliu glanced toward the doors without answering. He said to Qin Xuan, "Xuan'er, dispel the Martial Soul Fusion Skill first."

Because the Martial Soul Fusion Skill had succeeded, Qian Daoliu had changed how he addressed Qin Xuan, from Qin Xuan to Xuan'er. At present, only Qin Xuan's two nominal teachers called him that.

Though Qin Xuan found it rather awkward.

"Oh." Qin Xuan answered softly. A flash of white light appeared, and the man in red vanished. Qin Xuan and Jiang Mo Douluo returned to normal.

The difference was.

Qin Xuan's expression remained natural and composed.

Jiang Mo Douluo, however, had flushed bright red, his old face burning fiercely. He was a dignified Level-Ninety-Six assault-type Titled Douluo with the top-tier tool Martial Soul, the Coiling Dragon Staff, yet he had lost. Lost to a Soul King—and that Soul King was even his disciple.

Damn it, this was too humiliating.

He wished he could find a hole in the ground and crawl into it.

Golden Crocodile, Azure Luan, Lion, Guang Ling, and Qian Jun, the five Offerings, saw Jiang Mo's embarrassing state. Their lips curled upward as each revealed a teasing, schadenfreude-filled smile to varying degrees.

They were all Titled Douluo, and Offerings who stood above ordinary Titled Douluo. Their status was lofty, and they naturally carried an aloof bearing.

They rarely laughed, unless they truly could not hold it in.

If Qin Xuan and the Chrysanthemum Ghosts had not been present, and if Pope Qian Xunji had not been waiting outside the Elder Hall doors.

They would likely have been unable to stop themselves from bursting into laughter.

However, someone among them would soon be unable to laugh.

"Let them in."

Qian Daoliu waved at the two of them and looked toward the Elder Hall doors. Qin Xuan stepped over beside the Chrysanthemum Ghosts.

Jiang Mo Douluo, meanwhile, said nothing. Wearing a miserable expression, he stood beside his older brother, Douluo Qian Jun.

The two brothers both had the habit of keeping the Coiling Dragon Staff in hand at all times.

This was also why the two of them could join forces to contend against a Level-Ninety-Eight Peak Douluo.

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