In the Pope Hall, Pope Bibi Dong was handling official business in her office.
Though Bibi Dong was merely a woman, her ability to handle official affairs was undoubtedly among the finest of any ruler in history.
Under her leadership, Spirit Hall had reached an unprecedented peak.
But her plans did not stop there. What she sought was the entire Douluo Continent.
"Your Holiness."
A ghostly figure emerged from the shadows of the Pope's office.
It was Ghost Douluo, one of Spirit Hall's two Criminal Law Elders.
"Gui Mei, what is it?"
"Your Holiness, forgive my bluntness, but it was only a tiny grain of gold of life. Why exchange a precious soul bone for it?"
"If that boy really is Tang Hao's son, we should pull up the weeds by their roots."
Ghost Douluo frankly voiced his confusion to Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong gave a cold snort at his somewhat impertinent words.
Ghost Douluo's hair stood on end. He immediately clasped his hands and dropped to his knees, not daring to say another word.
"That boy has nothing but blue silver grass. Are you, the mighty Ghost Douluo, afraid he'll bind you to death with it?"
"Tell me, if Tang Hao, who already bears a bitter blood feud against Spirit Hall, were to lose his only son now, what would he do?"
Bibi Dong turned the question back on Ghost Douluo.
Ghost Douluo knew the answer perfectly well. That god of slaughter would surely wreak havoc.
And that could interfere with Spirit Hall's plans.
"As for why I gave him a soul bone, Spirit Hall has vast wealth and holdings. It's only a single soul bone."
"Na'er's martial soul underwent a beneficial mutation. That was the real prize."
Naturally, that grain of gold of life had gone to Hu Liena, the disciple Bibi Dong valued most.
After she absorbed and refined the gold of life, the potential of Hu Liena's Demon Fox Martial Soul had been awakened.
Not only had it become more alluring, but it had also grown a second tail, raising the heights Hu Liena could reach.
It was no longer limited to its former, singular ability to charm.
"That gold of life would have benefited Tang San's own blue silver grass even more, yet he chose to give it to Spirit Hall."
"Personally, I dislike owing favors."
Bibi Dong's explanation was somewhat strained, but Ghost Douluo could only accept it.
The Pope had a point. Even if that boy had an impressive background, so what?
Who would be afraid of blue silver grass?
Meanwhile, Grandmaster and Tang San were studying the right arm bone.
It was emerald green throughout, with over seventy percent of the skeletal structure intact, and felt slightly cool to the touch.
More importantly, it carried a rich aura of life. Judging by the birdlike markings on the bone, it most likely came from a thousand-year-old Emerald Swan.
The Pope had been a little devious: the storage bracelet contained no description of this soul bone, leaving Grandmaster and Tang San to speculate about its origins.
As for its accompanying soul skill, they would only learn that after absorbing it.
"Grandmaster, I don't plan to absorb this soul bone for now."
After some thought, Tang San announced his decision.
"Why?" Grandmaster did not immediately reject it, instead asking Tang San for his reason.
"I want to try using this soul bone to deepen my understanding of life force. Besides, have you forgotten the special effect of my First Soul Skill?"
Tang San summoned his martial soul and pointed to his first soul ring.
Energy Storage gave Tang San greater reserves of soul power and stronger life recovery capabilities. During this time, he and Grandmaster had also developed new functions together.
The first was that storage was no longer restricted to his soul ring. Tang San could designate up to three locations to store energy. One was his soul ring, and for another, he had chosen his heart.
Three container locations were the current limit of Tang San's mental control.
More importantly, however, this had led to a further development.
Energy Refinement.
It used the energy within a container to improve the container itself. In other words, Tang San could use it to increase his soul ring's age and strengthen his heart.
"You want to increase the soul bone's age as well?"
Grandmaster understood Tang San's idea, then shook his head. "That would be a little too slow."
"But..."
"Hmm... three years. In three years, we'll leave the academy and venture into the wider world."
Seeing that Tang San still wanted to insist, Grandmaster offered an acceptable time frame.
After all, Tang San himself felt no urgency. He wanted to work away slowly, like water patiently grinding stone. This was the cultivation method he had chosen for himself, and thus the one that best suited his nature.
Grandmaster agreed.
There was no world waiting for Tang San to save it now, and he himself wanted to take things slowly and witness all the varied facets of life.
Following his own inclinations-that was the best description of Tang San now.
"Yes!"
In the days that followed, Tang San rarely attended classes.
Instead, he stayed in Grandmaster's office, studying theoretical knowledge through one-on-one instruction.
At the same time, he did not neglect his smithing work or physical training.
Beyond that, Tang San made time every day to increase the ages of his soul ring and soul bone, as well as strengthen his heart.
As for Xiao Wu's whereabouts, Grandmaster told the academy that people from Spirit Hall had recognized her talent and taken her away.
No one had much to say about that, and they even intended to use the opportunity to advertise Nuoding Academy.
Xiao Wu's lackeys thought they were finally free, though they also felt a little empty inside.
None of this affected Tang San. He felt regret and sorrow over Xiao Wu's fate and what had happened to her.
But what of it?
He lacked the ability to make any deeper judgments or influence matters further, but a seed had nevertheless been planted in his heart.
To resolve the situation between soul beasts and humans, which knew nothing but conflict and hostility.
Then the world could become a better place, couldn't it?
While Tang San continued to improve with an almost impossible dream in his heart, Xiao Wu's story continued as well.
When that strange, effeminate man took her away, she knew her luck had turned rotten.
Her true form had been discovered, and that meant death was the only possible end.
Yet things did not seem to unfold as she had imagined.
Xiao Wu suffered no inhuman treatment. After being brought to Spirit City, she met several Titled Douluos and was nearly frightened into wetting herself.
Then she met a woman who introduced herself as Her Holiness the Pope.
But from the aura emanating from her, Xiao Wu realized that this woman was the murderer who had killed her mother.
Xiao Wu's agitation was plain to see, allowing the Pope to understand her origins. She could not help marveling at the curious twists of fate.
"Xiao Wu, is it? You want to kill me, don't you?"
Xiao Wu remained silent. She desperately wanted to nod, but the auras of the Titled Douluos surrounding her left her afraid to move.
All she could do was glare at the Pope.
But that was enough to make her answer clear.
"That is only natural. Avenging your family is as right and proper as heaven and earth. But according to my people's investigation, you hardly behaved like an avenger consumed by hatred in Nuoding City."
Bibi Dong smiled as she spoke, pointing out Xiao Wu's problem. The answer to that problem was simple.
"Your wild nature is hard to change. A beast is still a beast, and the instinct to satisfy your own desires always gains the upper hand."
"If no one knocks some sense into you about that, you'll probably spend your entire life as an ignorant, useless decorative vase."
"You're very lucky to have met me, Xiao Wu."
"Anyone else would see you as nothing but a soul ring and a soul bone."
"This may sound a little strange, but as your enemy, I intend to give you a proper education."
"Only then can I maximize the benefits."
"You'd best behave and do as you're told. Otherwise, you'll simply meet your fate as a soul ring and a soul bone ahead of time."
Xiao Wu did not understand. Why did the woman not simply take her life and obtain her soul ring and soul bone?
She could not make sense of it.
Afterward, Xiao Wu followed a tall, powerfully built, handsome middle-aged man around the city, broadening her horizons.
Several weeks passed like this. Xiao Wu witnessed all manner of human ugliness, but she also saw plenty of beauty.
Even so, she still had not figured out what the Pope intended.