"Your Holiness."
By then, the gravely wounded Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had returned to Spirit Hall.
Xi Zhao had shattered their Martial Soul Fusion Skill by brute force, damaging their martial souls. Unable to fight again anytime soon, they could only return to their headquarters and decide what to do next.
"Hmph!"
Looking at the pale-faced Chrysanthemum Douluo, Bibi Dong snorted. "Useless! You dare come swaggering back here? How will you answer for your failure?"
"Your Holiness, I acknowledge my guilt. Please punish me."
Chrysanthemum Douluo knelt on one knee, bitterness filling his eyes. Both of them had returned wounded because of Bibi Dong's orders.
Yet now she neither asked after their injuries nor offered any comfort, instead immediately calling them to account. Chrysanthemum Douluo could not help feeling chilled to the heart.
"Hmph!"
Bibi Dong snorted and gave them a contemptuous glance. To think such useless men were her trusted aides—she must have been blind back then.
"Since you admit your guilt, go receive your punishment at once. I don't want to see either of you. Get out!"
"...Yes."
Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded, pulling Ghost Douluo along as he left the Pope's Palace.
"Yue Guan, I can't stomach this."
At that moment, Ghost Douluo, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly blurted out those cryptic words.
"Neither can I, but there's nothing we can do."
Chrysanthemum Douluo gave a bitter laugh. "The Martial Soul Fusion Skill we took such pride in was broken in an instant, and our martial souls were suppressed as well. We truly had no way to fight back."
"That's not what I meant."
Ghost Douluo raised his head, anger flashing in his eyes. "I meant Pope Bibi Dong."
"Old Ghost, watch your words!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo immediately warned him in a low voice. "You must not speak carelessly about His Holiness the Pope."
"I'm just a little angry."
Ghost Douluo spoke so softly that only the two of them could hear him. "We've braved life and death for her, bent our backs and exhausted ourselves in her service, yet this is how she treats us every time."
"What else can we do?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo shook his head. "We can only rely on her, and we have no choice but to do so.
"Everyone knows Spirit Hall is divided into two factions: the Pope's faction and the Great Enshrined's faction. We can't get into the Great Enshrined's faction. Only by following her can we secure a place for ourselves."
Chrysanthemum Douluo sighed softly. "If we don't rely on the Pope, how are you and I supposed to maintain our footing in Spirit Hall?"
"Then what if we weren't in Spirit Hall?"
Ghost Douluo raised his head and stared intently at Chrysanthemum Douluo.
At those words, Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression changed drastically, and he immediately stopped Ghost Douluo. "Old Ghost, those words must stay between you and me. No third person can hear them. Understand?"
"I understand, but we brothers need to find ourselves a way out, too."
"..."
For a moment, Chrysanthemum Douluo fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.
"Ling'er, is it really all right for us to come out like this?"
Qiu Ling'er pulled Bei Ming Feng along toward the nearby woods.
"What's there to fear? Don't forget, I'm a master of space. Even if I can't beat them, surely I can outrun them?"
Qiu Ling'er pointed proudly at herself. Although her martial soul allowed her to see space, it had no offensive power whatsoever, nor could it assist anyone else.
On the Douluo Continent, this would undoubtedly be a trash martial soul. It had neither offensive nor defensive power, only the ability to see space.
To this bunch of illiterate country bumpkins, it was a trash martial soul, not even worth a glance.
But things were different on the Northern Underworld Continent. Making soul tools, especially space soul tools, depended heavily on talent.
Eyes like Qiu Ling'er's, capable of seeing space, practically made her a born prodigy for creating space soul tools.
Being able to see space meant being able to analyze and understand it, which was an enormous help in making space soul tools.
Soul tools capable of spatial transportation and storage, in particular, were essential strategic supplies, making her value grow beyond measure.
"All right, but if we encounter any danger, we have to leave immediately."
Bei Ming Feng spoke solemnly. "Your safety matters more than anything."
"Hehe, Feng, you're the best!"
Ling'er giggled, stepped forward to kiss his cheek lightly, then skipped on ahead.
"Ling'er, I finally have the power to protect you."
Bei Ming Feng froze at her sudden kiss. Then he smiled and followed her.
"Those two probably aren't from the Douluo Continent."
In the shadows, three figures quietly watched Ling'er and Bei Ming Feng.
They were Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, who had followed Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo here to attack Xi Zhao.
"I know that guy."
Xie Yue pointed at Bei Ming Feng behind Ling'er. "I saw him on the Sky Screen. He's one of the sacred relic holders, someone from the Northern Underworld Continent."
"Then that's perfect!"
Yan immediately began flexing his wrists eagerly. "Let's snatch that guy's sacred relic right now!"
"It's not that simple."
Hu Liena kept her eyes fixed on the pair. "Have you forgotten what the people from the Northern Underworld Empire said? Anyone who possesses a sacred relic has their talent enhanced in every respect.
"In other words, possessing a sacred relic turns you into a genius who's one in ten thousand.
"We don't know when he obtained his sacred relic, nor do we know how strong he actually is."
"Then what do we do?"
Yan was reluctant to give up. "Are we just going to stand here and watch him get away?"
"Of course not."
Hu Liena smiled and lightly touched her cherry-red lips. "Yan, we're counting on you next. Go on."
"Huh? Me?"
Yan pointed at himself, bafflement written all over his face. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Test how strong he is, of course."
As her older brother, Xie Yue immediately understood his sister's plan, which was rather unfair to Yan but highly effective. "You'll lead the charge, and we'll launch a surprise attack from the front and rear."
"Why do I have to go?"
Yan pointed at himself, still unwilling.
"Because my brother and I can fuse into Demon Charm, which makes us stronger. Besides..."
Hu Liena immediately put on a pitiful expression. "Surely you don't want a weak girl like me to lead the charge?"
"Of course not!"
Seeing Hu Liena like that, the lovesick lapdog Yan immediately thumped his chest and promised, "I'll go gather information for you right now!"
"Then I'm counting on you, Brother Yan~"
Hu Liena deliberately adopted a helpless, pitiful look, sending Yan's protective instincts soaring. He charged out without looking back.
"Ah~ pitiful. Pathetic."
Watching poor Yan being played in the palm of Hu Liena's hand, Xie Yue shook his head helplessly. She would probably have him firmly under her thumb for the rest of his life.
Just as Ling'er and Bei Ming Feng were chatting and laughing, Yan suddenly blocked their path.
"You two, stop right there!"
"Are you... a robber?"
Ling'er paused in surprise, then smiled. "Is the Douluo Continent really this primitive? You still have such lowly professions as banditry?"
"What did you say?"