Meeting

The immense pressure of Soul Power nearly drove the already weakened Yu Yuanzhen to his knees. He forced himself to remain standing, barely able to breathe, and glared at Qian Xunji.

"I hope Sect Master Yu will do us this courtesy. Spirit Hall means no harm. We merely wish to establish some rules for the soul master world, to make the continent more peaceful and stable and prevent another disaster like the one at Clear Sky Sect." Qian Xunji turned to Ning Fengzhi. "Wouldn't you agree, Sect Master Ning?"

Ning Fengzhi looked at Yu Yuanzhen's condition and swallowed. "Of course. The Eighth Worshipper makes a fair point. Sect Master Yu, please come with me."

Only after Ning Fengzhi spoke did Qian Xunji release the pressure. Yu Yuanzhen gulped down air. This man had put him under far greater pressure than either Qian Jun or Jiang Mo.

"Fine, I'll go! I'm doing Sect Master Ning a favor today!"

"Thank you, Sect Master Yu. Your Majesty, might you have time to tour the former Clear Sky Sect Ruins with me, resolve your dispute with my sixth and seventh brothers, and discuss the continent's future affairs?"

Dai Tianfeng hesitated. He glanced at Yu Yuanzhen's sorry state, then composed himself, looking all the more imposing.

"With such a momentous event on the continent and a New Pope ascending to lead Spirit Hall, it is only right."

"In that case, Your Majesty, Sect Master Ning, Senior Sword and Bone Douluo, and Sect Master Yu, please join me for a tour of Spirit Hall's Scenic Area."

"Oh, and Prince Xue Xing." Qian Xunji suddenly turned toward a massive boulder. It crumbled to dust, leaving Prince Xue Xing standing there awkwardly.

"Hi! Hello, everyone!"

In the Council Hall at the former Clear Sky Sect Ruins, Qian Xunji sat in the sect master's seat, with Qian Jun and Jiang Mo seated behind him on either side. Dai Tianfeng and his wife sat on the left with Prince Xue Xing. Ning Fengzhi, Sword and Bone Douluo, and Yu Yuanzhen sat on the right.

Even Tang Jingwei, Tang Hui, and the others had seats farther down the hall.

"Everyone, I have explained what led to the Clear Sky Sect incident. Spirit Hall sought only fairness and justice throughout. We had no other intentions. As long as someone is not one of Tang Hao's Accomplices, Spirit Hall has always been magnanimous. Mr. Tang Jingwei and Mr. Tang Hui are proof. After being abandoned, they promptly left the wrong side and joined the right one. They refused to follow Tang Hao and die for his senseless actions. Now they have joined Spirit Hall, and their prospects are ten thousand times better than they were at Clear Sky Sect."

"Yes, yes! The Eighth Worshipper is right. We suffered enough in Clear Sky Sect. They abandoned us and expected us to die for Tang Hao and that pack of cowards. They never cared about us, so we had no choice but to leave the wrong side and join the right one," Tang Jingwei said ingratiatingly.

"Waaah! The Eighth Worshipper and His Holiness the Pope are our saviors! We were oppressed for years within Clear Sky Sect, and then they wanted us to die for them. How could we not be heartbroken? Thankfully, the Eighth Worshipper and His Holiness the Pope saw the truth. Instead of blaming us, they gave us a way forward." Tang Hui could barely speak through his sobs as he wiped his nose.

"Alas, perhaps our former pope was rather forceful and strong-willed, and many of his actions were misunderstood. As everyone knows, Spirit Hall has always loved peace. We are committed to maintaining stability across the continent and working with the sects to govern soul masters on behalf of the Two Great Empires."

"And now, with our New Pope Bibi Dong taking office, we will embrace goodwill toward our neighbors, openness, and inclusivity. We will deal with other powers in a peaceful and prudent manner. In our dealings with them, we will uphold mutual respect, resolve differences through dialogue, and settle disputes through consultation. We will set aside confrontational thinking, neither initiating conflicts nor seeking to expand our influence.

"Yet goodwill does not mean yielding without limit, and moderation does not mean tolerating harm. If anyone infringes on our core interests or deliberately stirs up trouble, we will stand firm in defense of our position and legitimate interests, taking whatever measures are necessary to protect our boundaries.

"We hope all parties will meet us halfway, preserve an orderly and stable framework for relations, and work together toward lasting peace..."

After that long speech, everyone was a little lost.

What was all that? Who talks like that? It sounded like it said nothing, but somehow it also made sense. It felt a little perfunctory, yet a little sincere. Should I believe him?

Clearly, the people of Douluo had never heard a speech like that before. For a moment, they were stunned.

"Eighth Worshipper, do you mean... the New Pope will treat the various powers kindly and seek friendly relations with them?"

Ning Fengzhi asked hesitantly.

"Sect Master Ning is perceptive. That is exactly what I mean."

Only after hearing Qian Xunji's answer did the others nod thoughtfully.

They were not foolish enough to trust Spirit Hall just because of a few words. Still, those words had been spoken publicly by one of its representatives, which gave them some weight.

"Everyone, because of Tang Hao's personal relationship with that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the pope has been killed and the continent's foremost sect has suffered devastating losses. The continent faces a transformation unlike anything seen in a century. The danger far exceeds what we faced when Spirit Hall's Grand Priest, Qian Daoliu, was in power. The entire continent is unstable."

"News of these events has not yet spread completely. Once it does, ill-intentioned people may exploit it and plunge the continent into crisis and turmoil again. Spirit Hall is willing to bring the major powers together to safeguard the continent's peace and stability."

"Of course, if anyone wants to muddy the waters for their own gain, Spirit Hall would not mind testing their strength against them. Our New Pope and two elders have just advanced to Titled Douluo. This would be a fine chance for them to establish their authority," Qian Xunji said evenly.

What?! Spirit Hall has three more Titled Douluo? And one of them is the New Pope, Bibi Dong? Though Bibi Dong rarely appeared in public, they knew she possessed Twin Martial Souls. She had to be the first Titled Douluo with Twin Martial Souls in the continent's history. Had Spirit Hall solved the problem of cultivating Twin Martial Souls? It was terrifying!

"Today's meeting has given me the chance to present Spirit Hall's position to you all. I trust you can reach sound judgments, and together we can bring the continent a brighter future. Please come to Spirit Hall in a month for His Holiness the Pope's enthronement and the Titled Douluo ceremonies. We can settle the details then."

When the meeting ended, everyone left deep in thought, turning over everything Qian Xunji had said. For some reason, they found themselves wanting to believe him. There was something inexplicably compelling about his words.

Besides, there had been nothing improper about his conduct. He had reasons for everything. Clear Sky Sect had brought this on itself. After all, Tang Hao had killed their pope.

I should send someone to New Clear Sky Sect to see what happened there. Just how bad were their losses?