The Pope's Palace was dimly lit, with only a few ever-burning lamps hanging from its pillars. Bibi Dong set down the document in her hands and interlaced her fingers on the desk as she watched Xiao Ran walk into the hall and stop.
"Speak."
Xiao Ran got straight to the point. "I want to hunt for my fifth Soul Ring."
Bibi Dong did not answer immediately. Her gaze shifted from Xiao Ran's face to his right palm. Faint silver-blue patterns of light were visible there, but they were clearly much dimmer than at full strength.
"Your Soul Power hasn't recovered."
"Another three days of rest won't bring me back to my peak," Xiao Ran said. "I might as well recover while fighting."
Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair, lightly tapping the armrest. The hall fell quiet for a moment. Hu Liena and the other two stood at the entrance, not daring to come in, and watched from afar.
"Do you know where to hunt for a fifth Soul Ring?" Bibi Dong asked.
"Deep in a Soul Beast forest, or..." Xiao Ran paused. "Sunset Forest."
Bibi Dong's fingers stilled for a beat.
"Sunset Forest." She repeated the name, her tone unreadable. "You know what's there."
"It has the highest concentration of Soul Beasts over fifty thousand years old. Ice Jade Scorpions, Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears, Soul-Eating Spiders—any of them might be there," Xiao Ran said. "I need one strong enough, preferably with a special attribute."
Bibi Dong was silent for a long time. The flame of an ever-burning lamp flickered between them.
"You're level forty-nine, your Soul Power hasn't recovered, and you want to hunt a fifty-thousand-year Soul Beast in Sunset Forest." Her voice was flat. "Do you think you'll come back alive?"
"That's why I wasn't planning to go alone."
The corner of Bibi Dong's mouth moved almost imperceptibly. Whether it was a smile or something else, Xiao Ran could not tell. She pulled a roll of parchment from the desk, unrolled it for a glance, then rolled it back up.
"Come see me tomorrow morning," she said. "I'll make arrangements."
Xiao Ran bowed slightly and turned to leave.
"Xiao Ran."
He stopped.
"As for Tang Hao," Bibi Dong said behind him, "you don't need to worry about him. If he dares set foot in Spirit Hall's territory, I'll teach him what rules are."
Xiao Ran did not turn around. He merely nodded and walked out of the Pope's Palace.
Outside, Hu Liena and the other two immediately came over. Yan still had half a steamed bun in his mouth as he asked indistinctly, "How'd it go?"
"We leave tomorrow," Xiao Ran said.
Xie Yue frowned. "Her Holiness agreed? Who's she sending with you?"
"I don't know. I won't find out until tomorrow morning."
Hu Liena did not ask. She studied Xiao Ran's expression, then suddenly said, "I'm going with you."
Xiao Ran glanced at her.
"You're only level forty-seven," he said.
"I'd already killed a fifty-thousand-year Soul Beast when I was level forty-seven." Hu Liena met his gaze with calm, foxlike eyes. "Besides, there's something in Sunset Forest you could use."
"What?"
"Illusion Fox Grass," Hu Liena said. "It's good for mental strength. You've had trouble using your third Soul Skill because your mental strength can't keep up."
Xiao Ran said nothing. Xie Yue thought for a moment, then began, "Then I'll—"
"You're staying," Hu Liena cut in. "Someone needs to keep an eye on Spirit Hall. The tournament just ended. Heaven Dou and the Star Luo Empire are bound to make a move."
Xie Yue opened his mouth, but in the end he only clicked his tongue and did not argue.
Yan swallowed his bun and patted his chest. "What about me?"
"You're staying too," Xiao Ran said. "You wouldn't be much help there. In a place like Sunset Forest, your flames would draw too much attention."
Yan was reluctant, but he did not argue. He knew his limits. He was strong by Spirit Hall's standards, but against Soul Beasts of that caliber, his firestorm might not be as useful as Xie Yue's Moon Blade.
That afternoon, Xiao Ran packed in his dorm room. It was small, with a bed, a desk, and a row of cards hanging on the wall—Ultraman Tiga, Taro, Agul, First Generation Ultraman, and Ultraseven. Each gave off a faint glow. He stood before them for a long time, then took only the Ultraman Tiga card and slipped it into his pocket. He left the rest where they were.
A knock sounded at the door.
Xiao Ran opened it. Hu Liena stood outside with a rolled-up map in her hand.
"A terrain map of Sunset Forest." She handed it to him. "I got it from Chrysanthemum Douluo. It marks the known Soul Beast territories."
Xiao Ran unrolled the map and took a look. It was covered in red and yellow dots, with several areas deep in the forest circled in black ink.
"What are these black circles?" he asked.
Hu Liena came in and sat beside the desk. "Chrysanthemum Douluo said even he hasn't ventured into those areas. Soul Beasts over fifty thousand years old are fiercely territorial, and they get stronger the deeper you go. He suggested we search the outer regions and stay out of the core."
Xiao Ran stared at the black circles for a while, then rolled up the map and stuffed it into his pack.
"See you tomorrow morning," he said.
Hu Liena rose and walked to the door. With one hand on the doorframe, she looked back at him.
"Xiao Ran."
"Mm?"
"What you said in the dining hall today, about worrying over the people behind Tang San—do you know Tang Hao will come?"
Xiao Ran leaned against the desk and was silent for a moment.
"If Tang Hao doesn't come, the Clear Sky Sect will," he said. "Tang San's loss to me wasn't just a blow to his own pride. After lying low for so many years, the Clear Sky Sect finally produced a genius with Twin Martial Souls, only for someone from Spirit Hall to stop him. They won't sit still."
"So you're rushing to break through before they make their move?"
"If Tang Hao comes himself, even level fifty won't be enough," Xiao Ran said. "But I need at least one trump card to protect myself."
Hu Liena watched him for two seconds. She did not press him further, and turned to leave.
Night seeped in through the window. Xiao Ran sat on his bed with the Ultraman Tiga card between his fingers, its silver-blue glow lighting the side of his face. The card grew faintly warm, as though responding to something.
He closed his eyes and began circulating his Soul Power.
The bottleneck at level forty-nine began to loosen.
The next morning, Xiao Ran woke before dawn had fully broken. After washing up, he stepped out to find Hu Liena waiting at the end of the corridor. They walked side by side toward the Pope's Palace.
Bibi Dong stood in the plaza before the palace. Someone stood beside her.
Xiao Ran spotted the figure from a distance and faltered.
The man wore a gray-white robe. His hair was graying and his face gaunt, but his eyes were startlingly bright. He leaned on a staff topped with a fist-sized azure gemstone that shimmered faintly.
Bibi Dong glanced at Xiao Ran and said evenly, "This is Ghost Douluo. He'll accompany you."
Xiao Ran froze for a moment. Ghost Douluo—a Spirit Hall elder and a level ninety-five Titled Douluo.
Ghost Douluo coughed, his voice hoarse. "Don't expect me to fight for you. I'm only there to pull you out when you're about to die. You'll have to hunt your own Soul Ring."
Xiao Ran collected himself and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Senior."
Ghost Douluo waved a hand and turned toward Spirit Hall's main gate. His pace was unhurried, but every step landed with rock-solid steadiness.
Xiao Ran and Hu Liena followed him. The morning mist rolled in again, and their three figures vanished beyond Spirit Hall's archway.
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