Spirit City Welcomed Qian Daoliu Home; the Netherworld Underworld Was Announced in the Pope's Hall

The afternoon sunlight in Spirit City spilled over the square before the Pope's Hall like melted gold leaf.

The pure-white Angel Statue bathed in a halo of light, the patterns on its wings shimmering with a sacred glow. Beneath the gilded pillars on either side of the square, a waiting crowd had already gathered:

Qian Xunji stood at the forefront in his golden papal robes, his gaze fixed on the sky beyond the city. Beside him, Bibi Dong held the sleeping Qian Renxue. Her pale-purple fitted outfit accentuated her upright figure, while the little one in her arms slept uneasily, her brows faintly knitted and her tiny fists clutching Bibi Dong's lapel.

The six Enshrinements, including Golden Crocodile, Azure Luan, and Lion, stood shoulder to shoulder. The scales on Golden Crocodile's golden enshrinement robes gleamed dark gold in the sunlight.

Beside Guang Ling, the Starlight Unicorn, Xiao Guang, nuzzled his palm with his head. The Radiant Sacred Dragon, a size larger than Xiao Guang, lay nearby, its draconic eyes sweeping warily over the surroundings as it occasionally exhaled a warm breath.

Qian Jun and Jiang Mo stood together, talking quietly, while Jiang Mo toyed with a Soul Tool component. Gui Mei and Yue Guan stood a little farther away. A faint fragrance of pills lingered around Yue Guan, suggesting he had only recently finished refining them.

Beside Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan, who had just turned six, clutched the hem of her grandfather's clothes and stared curiously at the Radiant Sacred Dragon and the Starlight Unicorn, her little face filled with longing.

Lou Gao held a blueprint, occasionally sketching on it with a charcoal pencil, seemingly working out a new Soul Tool design.

Behind Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong, beside the Enshrinements, stood another little girl.

She wore a long white