Tang Hao's eyes turned bloodshot. He glared at Qin Chuan opposite him. A faint smile hung on that young face, and he stood steady, looking nothing like a man about to die.
"You..." Tang Hao forced the words through his throat. "...just wait!"
The trigger was pulled all the way back.
A gunshot thundered.
It was no ordinary gunshot. The moment the Rule Bullet burst from the barrel, the entire square shook.
Tang Hao's Soul Power was drained dry, and his body lurched backward.
All nine Soul Rings dimmed at once.
By the time his ninth, red Soul Ring went out, every last drop of his Soul Power as a Level 95 Titled Douluo had been drained away.
A radiance of rules lifted his body.
It was no gentle lift. He was violently hurled outward.
Tang Hao flew out from the round table, traced an arc through the air, and landed at the edge of the arena.
The round table vanished, and the purple mist dispersed.
Qin Chuan stood in the center of the arena. The revolver in his hand turned into purple light and scattered into the air.
A deathly silence fell over the crowd.
Among a hundred thousand people, not one made a sound.
The silence lasted three breaths.
Then Spirit Hall's formation erupted.
"He won!"
"He won! A Level 51 beat a Titled Douluo!"
"Qin Chuan! Qin Chuan!"
The cheers surged in wave after wave, engulfing the entire square. Some people wept, shouting through their tears as they pushed forward, desperate to see the face of the man in the arena.
Bibi Dong stood on the papal dais, watching Qin Chuan's back.
She withdrew the half-formed Rakshasa phantom in her hand.
When that final shot rang out, she had already been ready to act. If the rules failed, if Tang Hao broke free of his restraints, she would fly into the arena in an instant.
But there had been no need.
She watched Qin Chuan standing there, five Soul Rings slowly revolving around his body, their radiance several times stronger than before.
The wind lifted his tattered black robe, exposing the blood-crusted skin beneath.
Bibi Dong's lips moved slightly.
This man, at Level 51, had knocked a Level 95 Titled Douluo out of the battlefield.
At the edge of the arena, Tang Hao propped himself up with the Clear Sky Hammer and rose to his feet.
The hammer's handle wobbled twice in his hand, nearly slipping from his grasp. The rules had drained all his Soul Power; now he was nothing more than an ordinary man. He could not even maintain the Clear Sky Hammer for long. The light on its head flickered, ready to disperse at any moment.
He glared at Qin Chuan, his eyes frighteningly red. His lips moved several times, but no words came out.
The referee stood up from the corner of the arena, his legs still shaking. He cleared his throat, and his voice carried across the square. "The final victory belongs to the Spirit Hall team!"
The cheering in the stands rose another notch.
Bibi Dong turned to glance at Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
"Go clean up the battlefield. Take that man into custody."
"Yes!"
The two Titled Douluos leaped down from the papal dais, landing on either side of Tang Hao.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's golden chrysanthemum revolved in his palm, while Ghost Douluo's black cloak snapped in the wind. With his Soul Power drained, Tang Hao did not even have the strength to resist two Titled Douluos.
Tang San lay in the crater, still shouting, "Dad! Dad!"
Tang Hao closed his eyes.
Chrysanthemum Douluo grabbed Tang Hao by the back of his collar and lifted him like a chick. Ghost Douluo casually picked up Tang San as well, tucking him under his arm.
Carrying the Tang father and son, the two men leaped down from the edge of the arena and disappeared at the far end of the square.
In the arena, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing stood together.
Xiao Wu's eyes were still red, but she had stopped crying. Watching Qin Chuan stand there as a hundred thousand people chanted his name, she felt something she could not put into words.
She had lost the match. Shrek had lost.
But she felt she had won a truth.
Zhu Zhuqing stood beside her. She did not spare Dai Mubai a single glance, looking instead at Qin Chuan.
Everything had been done by the man before her.
Qin Chuan glanced at his Points Panel.
[Current points: 2347]
He mentally considered the items in the System Shop, and the corners of his mouth lifted.
Then he walked to the edge of the arena and addressed the hundred thousand people in the stands.
"Soon, I'll be opening a [Douluo Game Hall] in Spirit City. You can increase your Soul Power just by playing games. Everyone's welcome to come and play."
The spectators froze for a moment, then erupted again.
"Playing games can increase Soul Power?"
"Is that really true?"
"Those games he played just now really were something else..."
"I'm going! I'll be the first!"
Listening to the discussions below, Qin Chuan thought, That was some good publicity. A hundred thousand people watching an advertisement live-nothing works better than that.
His fifth Soul Skill: [Happy Cultivation].
As long as players played games with him, their Soul Power would increase ten to a hundred times faster than through meditation. Women received an additional twofold boost.
Qin Chuan, meanwhile, accumulated Soul Power through players' top-up points.
The next morning, Qin Chuan was brought to Spirit Hall's inner hall.
Chrysanthemum Douluo led the way, walking quickly without saying a word.
Qin Chuan followed behind, taking in his surroundings. Spirit Hall's emblem was carved into the walls, and the floor was paved with black gold stone tiles that made no sound beneath his feet.
Chrysanthemum Douluo stopped before a stone door.
"His Holiness the Pope is waiting for you inside."
Qin Chuan nodded, pushed the door open, and entered.
From outside, the private chamber looked unremarkable, but beyond the door lay a world of its own.
Hard stone walls, polished smooth, surrounded the room. A heavy, long blackwood table stood in the center, with a chair on either side.
A pot of freshly brewed tea sat on the table, with two teacups placed side by side.
A separate alcove had also been partitioned off to one side. Exceptionally spacious, it was intended specifically for resting and furnished with a warm, romantic touch.
Bibi Dong sat across the table.
Today, she wore no papal robes, having changed into a brilliant golden evening gown. Her long purplish-pink hair fell loosely over her shoulders. She had removed the Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown and placed it at the corner of the table. Without her scepter or crown, she looked considerably younger.
She watched Qin Chuan enter with a faint smile.
"Sit."
Qin Chuan sat down.
Bibi Dong poured him a cup of tea and pushed it toward him.
"You surprised me in yesterday's match."
Qin Chuan lifted the cup and took a sip without replying.
Bibi Dong continued, "Spirit Hall has nurtured you for so many years. To be honest, before yesterday, no one had paid you any attention. Mediocre results in the outer court assessments, a support type, no battle achievements."
She tapped a finger against the tabletop.
"But what you accomplished in that arena surpassed the entire Spirit Hall Golden Generation combined. Single-handedly, you turned the whole battle around, ruined Shrek's reputation, and stripped the Clear Sky Sect of every shred of dignity."
Qin Chuan set down his teacup. "Your Holiness didn't summon me just to praise me, did you?"
Bibi Dong nodded.
"Of course not. What I want to say is that, as long as you follow my arrangements from now on, I can grant any request you have."
Qin Chuan looked at her and thought for a moment.
"Really?"
Bibi Dong nodded. "Really."
"Shall we play a round of Truth or Dare to put that to the test?"
Bibi Dong's expression stiffened.
Her thoughts raced. Truth or Dare-she had witnessed its effects firsthand in the arena yesterday. Once the Honesty Lock activated, no words could remain hidden.
Had she meant what she had just said?
Yes.
She truly wanted to win Qin Chuan over. His value exceeded that of any young person currently in Spirit Hall.
The [God of Drama]'s power of rules was not restricted by level. He was only Level 51 now. How terrifying would he become at Level 90? She scarcely dared imagine it.
Bibi Dong firmly impressed the thought upon herself: Those words were true. I must keep them in the future.
Then she lifted her head, her expression returning to normal.
"All right."
Before you continue