Spoiling Spirit Hall's Future

Qian Xunji and the others immediately began communicating through mental power.

Yue Guan said urgently, "Your Holiness, something's wrong. He has no Martial Soul or Soul Power. He shouldn't know about Douluo Continent unless Spirit Hall really overlooked him—or our earlier guesses were wrong."

Gui Mei said, "Your Holiness, could the name just be a coincidence?"

Bibi Dong joined in. "Right. He said it was a novel. Maybe he isn't talking about our Douluo Continent."

Qian Xunji said, "That makes sense. Let's ask more."

Lin Fan noticed nothing. He smiled and asked, "Why'd everyone go quiet? Have you read Douluo Continent too? No way. I thought mountain villages had no signal. I couldn't even make an emergency call."

Qian Xunji kept his expression steady and his tone as calm as possible. "No."

"Brother Lin Fan, this Douluo Continent novel you mentioned... what's the story about?"

"Oh, there's loads to tell." Lin Fan couldn't see, couldn't play on his phone, and was bored. Besides, Douluo Continent was one of his favorite web novels.

He launched into an enthusiastic explanation. "Spirit Hall, the Upper Three Sects, the Lower Four Sects, the Star Dou Great Forest, the two great empires..."

With every term Lin Fan mentioned, Bibi Dong and the others felt their hearts jump.

The Douluo Continent they lived on had everything he named: Spirit Hall, the seven great sects, the Star Dou Great Forest.

"The supernatural power in Douluo Continent is the Martial Soul. Everyone can awaken one. With a Martial Soul, you can cultivate. Cultivators are called Soul Masters, and they're divided into ranks. The lowest is Soul Scholar, and the highest is Titled Douluo."

Qian Xunji cut him off at once. "That's enough, Brother Lin Fan. You're going too fast. Give us a moment to sort this out."

Speaking to the others through a private mental transmission, Qian Xunji said, "We have our answer. The Douluo Continent in his novel is ours. Forget ordinary people—even someone who's just become a Soul Master might not know about the Titled Douluo rank."

Bibi Dong was quick-witted and soon caught on. "Teacher, are you saying our world was recorded in a novel long ago, and everyone in his world seems to know about it?"

Yue Guan could hardly believe it. "How is that possible? But what he described does match the way things are now."

Gui Mei said bluntly, "Your Holiness, should I kill him without anyone noticing? We can't control what he says."

Qian Xunji stopped him. "Not yet. Whatever the case, he's only an ordinary man. He can't escape. Let's hear the rest of his story."

Qian Xunji then said, "Dong'er, you ask him. Get the details."

Bibi Dong nodded, stepped forward, and asked softly, "The first thing you mentioned was Spirit Hall. Is it even more powerful than the two great empires?"

"Spirit Hall isn't just powerful. It's practically unbeatable. If not for the protagonist, Spirit Hall would've unified the continent." Lin Fan's voice rose without him realizing it.

How does he know Spirit Hall's future goal is to unify the continent? Qian Xunji asked grimly through mental power.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei shook their heads, just as baffled.

Bibi Dong pressed on. "Lin Fan, could you be more specific? What makes Spirit Hall so powerful?"

Lin Fan said, "Since you're interested in Spirit Hall, I'll start by giving you a proper introduction. After all, Spirit Hall plays the role of the final villain in Douluo Continent."

"Spirit Hall's strength comes from its Soul Masters. It has nearly twenty Titled Douluo—more than all the continent's sects combined. Spirit Hall splits them between two divisions. The first is the Elder Hall, mostly made up of those at levels ninety-one through ninety-five. The second is the Worship Hall."

"The Worship Hall is something else. To enter it, your Soul Power has to exceed level ninety-five. If I remember right, there are seven worshippers. Qian Daoliu, a level-ninety-nine Peerless Douluo, leads them. Second is Golden Crocodile Douluo at level ninety-eight!"

"Enough," Qian Xunji said.

His voice was calm.

But everyone in the room could hear what lay beneath that calm.

Lin Fan paused. "Village chief, what's wrong?"

Qian Xunji didn't answer.

Bibi Dong reacted quickly, smiling to smooth things over. "Lin Fan, Teacher just thinks you're exaggerating. Level ninety-nine? How could anyone be that powerful?"

"Exactly," Yue Guan chimed in. "Young man, you sure know how to spin a tale."

Lin Fan pursed his lips. "I'm talking about a novel, not real life. Why are you all getting worked up?"

"A novel..." Qian Xunji repeated with a smile. "Yes, just a novel."

"Go on, Brother Lin Fan."

"Right, I'll continue." Lin Fan nodded and picked up where he'd left off.

"Of course, that isn't even Spirit Hall's greatest strength. Its greatest strength is its pope."

"According to the novel, people in the Soul Master world say Tang Hao was the youngest Titled Douluo. But that's not true. It was Spirit Hall's pope. She became a Titled Douluo several years before Tang Hao, and by the time the story began, she had long since become another level-ninety-nine Peerless Douluo."

"Of course, that's only Spirit Hall's strength early in the story. Later on, Pope Bibi Dong and the new chief worshipper, Qian Renxue, each become a First-Level God: the Rakshasa God and the Angel God."

"What? Spirit Hall produces gods later on!?" Yue Guan cried, his voice turning shrill.

"Of course. How else could it be the final villain?" Lin Fan said with a laugh. "That's why I said Spirit Hall isn't just powerful. If it hadn't run into the protagonist, it would've unified the continent."

But Bibi Dong had caught something he'd said. "Wait. You said Pope Bibi Dong? Spirit Hall's pope is Bibi Dong?"

He means me. So I take over Teacher's position later? Bibi Dong thought.

"Yes, Pope Bibi Dong. Is there a problem?" Lin Fan asked, puzzled.

Qian Xunji's gaze sharpened as he looked at Lin Fan. "What was the name of Spirit Hall's previous pope?"

"Qian Xunji," Lin Fan replied with a smile. "He's Qian Renxue's father."

Qian Xunji pressed him. "So Qian Renxue, the one you said becomes the Angel God, is Qian Xunji's daughter?"

"Village chief, you're sharp. Just as you said, Qian Renxue is Qian Xunji's daughter and Qian Daoliu's granddaughter," Lin Fan confirmed.

Delight crossed Qian Xunji's face. His family would finally produce another descendant capable of becoming the Angel God.

"But speaking of Qian Xunji, he makes my blood boil." Indignation spread across Lin Fan's face.

"What happened?" Qian Xunji asked, confused. "What did Qian Xunji do to make you angry?"

"Hmph! Qian Xunji is a beast. He forced his own disciple Bibi Dong to give birth to Qian Renxue after what he did to her in a secret chamber!"

"Bibi Dong is one of my favorite characters in the novel. If that doesn't make him a beast, what does?"

At Lin Fan's words, everyone's expression changed abruptly.

Yue Guan nervously stepped forward and clapped a hand over Lin Fan's mouth.

"Brother, I'm begging you. Don't say things like that."