Chrysanthemum Douluo's Regrets (Please Keep Reading)

Spirit City, the Pope's Palace.

"Your Holiness, Tang Hao escaped."

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had hurried back and reported their attempt to capture Tang Hao to Pope Bibi Dong at once.

Seated in the place of honor, Bibi Dong gave a cold snort. "You're good for nothing but making things worse."

"We cast a net across heaven and earth and even sent two additional Titled Douluo to help. Yet you still let Tang Hao escape."

At her tone, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan lowered his already bowed head even further.

Still, he defended himself. "Please calm your anger, Your Holiness. Tang Hao escaped with his son, but we did not come away empty-handed."

As he spoke, Yue Guan took a Soul Bone from his robes.

It was a right arm bone over ten thousand years old.

Holding it out, Chrysanthemum Douluo said, "Your Holiness, we took this Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone from Tang Hao's severed right arm."

"If Ghost Douluo and I hadn't acted in time, those people from the Worship Hall would probably have snatched it away."

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan felt secretly pleased whenever he thought about it.

The two Worship Hall members were indeed stronger than him and Ghost Douluo.

But the Martial Soul Fusion Skill he used with his old friend was no mere decoration.

It had given them the edge in this operation against Tang Hao.

"You two did well in this matter."

At the sight of the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone in Chrysanthemum Douluo's hand, Bibi Dong's manner softened noticeably.

She then channeled her Soul Power, drawing the bone through the air until it hovered before her.

The presence of Tang Hao's Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone meant he had lost his arm.

They had not killed Tang Hao and removed the threat for good.

But this was undoubtedly a heavy blow to him and to the Clear Sky Sect behind him, which had already withdrawn from the world.

What pleased Bibi Dong most, though, was something else.

Her people had seized the Soul Bone. Denying those people in the Worship Hall the prize was enough.

"That will be all. You may leave."

Bibi Dong's attention had settled on the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. She paid the two Douluo no more heed.

"As you command, Your Holiness." Seeing this, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo answered in unison, then left the Pope's Palace.

Neither showed any change of expression as they departed. They looked just as they usually did.

Only after they returned to their residence did Chrysanthemum Douluo sigh regretfully.

"Old Ghost, I thought this Soul Bone would be my first. Now it seems that's still impossible."

A faint, illusory sheen covered Ghost Douluo's entire body. He offered comfort in his usual low voice.

"Yue Guan, you've been luckier than me since we were children."

"Perhaps it won't be long before you find a Soul Bone that suits you out there, just as I did."

Unlike Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, who had no Soul Bones at all, Gui Mei had stumbled upon a ten-thousand-year-old right leg bone suited to him many years ago.

"I hope so." Yue Guan nodded, but his expression made it clear he held out little hope.

A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone was no ordinary stroke of fortune.

How could he expect to simply come across one? And one suited to him, at that?

The Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone severed from Tang Hao happened to suit his Martial Soul perfectly.

Yue Guan had not wanted to give up an opportunity that came only once in a hundred years.

That was why he had wanted to try persuading the Pope to bestow the Soul Bone on him.

So when he met with her today, Yue Guan had made a point of describing his contribution.

In particular, he had beaten the two Titled Douluo from the Worship Hall to the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone.

And what had come of it? Nothing at all.

"Old Ghost, do you think we were right to join Spirit Hall back then?" Yue Guan asked his longtime friend.

"I don't know. But I do know that we've borne Her Holiness's mark for more than a decade."

"It's too difficult to change sides now. Even if we humbled ourselves and tried to join the Worship Hall, I'm afraid they wouldn't have room for us."

In a calm voice, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei laid out the reality of their situation.

"Yes. You're right." Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan sighed.

He and Gui Mei had grown up together. They had been inseparable since childhood, and becoming Titled Douluo had changed nothing.

More than a decade ago, they had not yet joined Spirit Hall and had none of their present power or standing.

But at least they had lived comfortably.

After all, no faction wanted to provoke two Titled Douluo who possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Yet making their way without a faction behind them had been too difficult.

At their level, growing stronger was an extremely difficult task.

So when Spirit Hall extended an olive branch, the two of them had hesitated, then accepted.

At first, they served the previous Pope, Qian Xunji.

Their luck was poor, though. They had been with him only a few years when Tang Hao killed him.

And so they entered the service of the new Pope, Bibi Dong.

When Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo first joined Bibi Dong, they had been excited.

As they saw it, the new Pope's relationship with the Worship Hall was distant. Calling it hostile would hardly have been an exaggeration.

What was more, she had only just taken the throne and had few Titled Douluo under her command.

If they chose to follow Bibi Dong then and gave her their full support,

they would surely be richly rewarded once she had secured her position.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo believed that choice was far better than siding with the Worship Hall.

The Worship Hall already had so many powerful people. Even if they joined it, they would struggle to stand out among its other Titled Douluo.

But while their hopes of supporting Bibi Dong had been sweet, reality proved bitter.

It was true that Bibi Dong had entrusted them with important duties over the past few years.

The problem was that they had received no corresponding reward.

That was nothing like what Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had hoped to gain by siding with Bibi Dong.

But things had gone too far to change course. They were bound to Pope Bibi Dong's ship now and could only follow this path to its bitter end.

If I'd been able to see farther back then, would I have avoided making such a mistake?

Chrysanthemum Douluo raised his head to the sky and wondered in silence.

An elder of Spirit Hall sounded impressive and seemed to wield great power.

But for a Titled Douluo, strength was what truly mattered.