The Dujun Step In

Stepping out of the Elder Hall, the two ran straight into Yue Guan and Gui Mei.

Ling Yuan stepped forward, saluting and saying, "Greetings, Elder Ju, Elder Ghost."

The Elder Hall was divided into a main hall and an outer hall. The main hall was the core area of the Elder Hall, which could only be entered after becoming an elder of Spirit Hall.

The outer hall would periodically post some high-difficulty missions, and only powerhouses with levels reaching Soul Saint and above could enter the outer hall to accept missions.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei had extremely high seniority within the Elder Hall. Ling Yuan had once met the two outside the Elder Hall and had a very deep impression of them.

"So it's you. Hehehehe, not bad, your strength has improved again. I imagine it won't be long before the Elder Hall can have a place for you." Yue Guan glanced at Ling Yuan, then withdrew his gaze.

Ling Yuan possessed great talent and often came to the Elder Hall to accept high-difficulty missions. Although Yue Guan had some impression of her, he did not pay her too much attention.

Ling Yuan held her head high and her chest out, acknowledging Yue Guan's words.

One day, she would become an elder of Spirit Hall.

Qian Renxue gave a slight nod toward Yue Guan and Gui Mei without speaking too much, and led Ling Yuan outward.

This appearance, it looks like someone I've seen somewhere before.

Yue Guan's gaze fell upon Qian Renxue, faintly catching sight of the figure of an old friend from the other person.

"Wait a moment." Seeing that Qian Renxue was about to leave, Yue Guan stepped forward, blocking her path. "Little girl, may I ask what your name is?"

Right at that moment, an unfamiliar voice resembling that of a child reached Yue Guan's ears.

This aura... It's a patron of the Worship Hall... Yue Guan's expression changed abruptly.

Being in Spirit Hall as well, although Yue Guan had never personally seen the patrons of the Worship Hall, he knew the aura they carried.

The powerful aura before him, which far exceeded his own, was clearly one of the patrons of the Worship Hall.

Rumor has it that unless Spirit Hall suffers a catastrophic disaster, the patrons of the Worship Hall do not easily manifest. Could she be—

Yue Guan looked at the young girl before him once more. Amidst his shock, a guess formed in his heart.

He stepped back two paces, clearing the path, and then bowed slightly in salute.

"Elder Ju, Elder Ghost, Zong'er thinks very highly of you two. Don't let him down."

Qian Renxue did not pay it too much mind. After leaving those instructions, she walked toward the Pope's Mountain.

"Elder Ju, Elder Ghost, farewell for now."

Ling Yuan politely bid farewell and followed closely behind Qian Renxue.

"Chrysanthemum, do you know her?"

"She's likely the Young Hall Master of our Spirit Hall, the direct granddaughter of that person."

Gui Mei looked up toward Qian Renxue's retreating figure, feeling greatly shocked.

He had only heard that Spirit Hall had a Young Hall Master, and this was the first time he had laid eyes on Qian Renxue's true appearance.

"Old Ghost, the Worship Hall patron manifested just now. Do not speak of this matter to anyone in the future."

Recalling that tyrannical aura from moments before, Gui Mei nodded heavily. "Understood."

"Old Ghost, let's go. Once I finish the registration, I still need to find the Young Hall Master to complete His Holiness the Pope's mission."

Elders of Spirit Hall who went into seclusion or took long-term leaves all needed to register at the Elder Hall first.

"What a troubled autumn indeed," Yue Guan sighed.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei had always been inseparable. Yue Guan had wanted to spend more time with Gui Mei before the latter went into seclusion, which was why he had accompanied him over to the Elder Hall, never expecting to run into Qian Renxue and even be warned by a Worship Hall patron.

Still, having lived to his age, he naturally knew how to court fortune and avoid disaster.

What shouldn't be said, don't say.

What shouldn't be asked, don't ask.

On the other side.

Qian Renxue led Ling Yuan away from the Pope's Mountain, crossed a secret path, and arrived at the small alley behind the Martial Soul Library.

"Who goes there!"

Just as Qian Renxue was about to activate the secret passage to enter the Martial Soul Library, Ling Yuan sensed someone tailing them, took a large stride forward to shield Qian Renxue, and instantly entered combat mode.

"Nice talent," Light Feather Douluo manifested in the alley, laughing as he commented. "Quite worthy of Zong'er."

"Who are you, and why are you tailing us?"

Ling Yuan circulated her Soul Power, the momentum around her surging violently as the presence of an 88th-rank Soul Douluo instantly enveloped the entire area.

Ling Yuan whispered a warning, "Young Hall Master, this person has some strength. I'll stall him, and you get back to Spirit Hall as quickly as possible."

Ling Yuan could not perceive the realm of the person before her, but her intuition told her that the person before her was extremely powerful.

Even so, there was not the slightest bit of fear in Ling Yuan's eyes; instead, a hint of anticipation quietly rose within her.

She loved fighting against powerhouses, as it made her blood boil and allowed her to feel the meaning of life.

Had Qian Renxue not been standing right beside her at that moment, she would have already attacked.

A fire-type Soul Master, in a word: just charge in blindly.

"With just the likes of you, you won't be stopping me."

Light Feather's playful nature flared up, and the mighty pressure of a Titled Douluo transformed into a visible shockwave, slamming toward Ling Yuan like a mountain peak.

"A Titled... Douluo..."

Ling Yuan stepped back two paces, deeply shocked in her heart.

Even so, she refused to give ground, a blazing fire burning in her eyes as her battle intent soared.

She channeled her Soul Power to protect Qian Renxue while positioning her body at the front to prevent Qian Renxue from being affected by the shockwaves of Soul Power.

"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!"

Ling Yuan released her Soul Skill, intending to make a desperate last stand.

"Not a bad perseverance."

Light Feather finished his praise and held back no longer, unleashing the full might of a 96th-rank Super Douluo.

"Fifth Brother, I've come to assist you."

As Ling Yuan prepared to use her seventh soul skill, Azure Luan, worried that things would get out of hand, walked out from the shadows, pressing down upon Ling Yuan with the overwhelming speed of a 97th-rank Peak Douluo.

"Another Titled Douluo..."

The sudden, powerful shockwave disrupted Ling Yuan's Soul Power, forcing her to abandon the release of her soul skill.

Furious, Ling Yuan gnashed her teeth. She once more redirected all the Soul Power in her body, forcibly withstanding the pressure of the two Titled Douluos to prevent the Soul Power shockwaves from reaching the rear.

Ling Yuan lifted her head with difficulty, her eyes bloodshot as she raged:

"Are you-all trying to start a war with my Spirit Hall!"

Facing two Titled Douluos, although Ling Yuan's body was suppressed, her momentum did not fall behind.

So what if they were Titled Douluos? This was Spirit City; Titled Douluos were not in short supply here.

As long as Spirit Hall noticed the commotion here, the two people before her would not be able to fly away.

Light Feather transmitted his voice: "Third Brother, this little girl is quite interesting. Let's step up the pressure."

Azure Luan replied: "Very well."

Light Feather and Azure Luan mobilized the Soul Power within their bodies, intensifying their assault.

Ling Yuan's teeth ground together with a creak. Soul Power had just surged from her body when, the next moment, it was forced back down by the joint suppression of the two Titled Douluos.

Even though her body ached agonizingly, she did not utter a single sound, stubbornly holding out against the pressure of the two Titled Douluos and repeatedly attempting to resist them.

Humiliation, utter humiliation.

Two sides pressing down, one side resisting, the three of them remained in this stalemate.

Suddenly, a drastic change occurred. Qian Renxue's figure vanished in an instant, and an even more powerful and profound pressure enveloped the momentum of Light Feather and Azure Luan, bearing down upon Ling Yuan.

"Boom!"

Under the high pressure of the three tyrannical auras, Ling Yuan's body felt light, and her Soul Power smoothly broke through to the 89th rank.

The three auras completely dissipated at that very moment.

At this very moment, Ling Yuan finally realized that the two Titled Douluos before her were not enemies at all, but were actually helping her break through her bottleneck.

The corners of Ling Yuan's mouth curled upward as she laughed uncontrollably.