Spirit City.
This city belonged to Spirit Hall. It stood on the border between the two great empires, independent of both.
Inside the columned Pope's Hall, a breathtakingly beautiful woman sat high upon the papal throne. She wore a sumptuous black robe embroidered with gold and the Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown upon her head. In her hand was a scepter nearly two meters long, studded with countless gems.
The Pope, Bibi Dong.
Below the throne stood two figures: a flamboyantly dressed man and a dark silhouette exuding an eerie, ghostly aura.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, the Pope's foremost henchmen-or lapdogs.
Bibi Dong's slender fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest. "Have you both read the report from the bishop of Skyfrost City?"
"A continent overseas, the Divine Realm Empire, Blood-Weeping Douluo, and even a delegation that looks the part?
"Heh. To think a country like that truly exists at the far end of the sea."
A trace of excitement shone in Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's eyes.
"Would you like us to go to Skyfrost City and verify their claims, Your Holiness?"
"Sea God Island is overseas too."
Ghost Douluo spoke little, and even then, he only said half of what he meant.
His point was that Sea God Island also lay isolated overseas, yet it had Titled Douluos of its own. This report could very well be true.
Besides, the local bishop had no reason to lie.
"They landed on the eastern coast." Bibi Dong's delicate finger traced across the map. "Sea God Island lies off the western coast, so they are unlikely to be its people in disguise. Moreover, according to the local bishop, they have 'enormous soul-powered warships.'"
When Bibi Dong received Bishop He Mian's report, she had also found a drawing enclosed with it. The warship upon the sea was enormous and menacing, forged entirely of steel. The sight sent a chill down her spine.
"Soul tools? Enormous?"
Neither Chrysanthemum Douluo nor Ghost Douluo could understand how soul tools could be made into enormous warships. Small submersible boats would have been understandable; many soul tools passed down from ancient times were of that type.
"If this delegation has anything worthwhile to offer in the field of soul tools, then this is an opportunity bestowed upon Spirit Hall by heaven." Boundless ambition and coldness swiftly surfaced in Bibi Dong's eyes. She slowly rose, planting her scepter on the floor with a thud.
"An opportunity?" Yue Guan and Gui Mei looked toward Bibi Dong, but Her Holiness the Pope offered no further explanation.
A slight smile curved Bibi Dong's lips. "Since the delegation truly does include a Titled Douluo, with four purple and five black soul rings at that... Yue Guan, make certain you invite them to Spirit City."
"Yes." Chrysanthemum Douluo bowed elegantly.
Ghost Douluo stood rooted to the spot like a wooden post, saying nothing.
Chrysanthemum Douluo had expected as much. After all, when it came to dealing with outsiders, if the Pope sent Old Ghost, he probably would not squeeze out so much as a fart in half a day.
"Old Ghost, you must take good care of my flowers and plants." A blush spread across Chrysanthemum Douluo's alluring face as he feigned bashfulness. "I can hardly bear to leave them."
"All right." Accustomed to Chrysanthemum Douluo's "charms," Ghost Douluo replied as though each word were worth its weight in gold.
Watching her two guardian henchmen leave, Bibi Dong hesitated. There was something else she had left unsaid:
That Titled Douluo was very likely someone with twin martial souls.
Aside from twin martial souls, Bibi Dong could think of no explanation for a soul ring configuration of four purple and five black.
"Still, it seems this expert bearing the title 'Blood-Weeping' has no way to resolve the strain twin martial souls place on the body either," Bibi Dong speculated. "Otherwise, why wouldn't he have absorbed nothing but ten thousand year soul rings for his second martial soul?"
Human knowledge set the ceiling of human thought. Whether it was viewing the sky from the bottom of a well or imagining an emperor wielding a golden hoe, the principle was the same.
Bibi Dong had never seen a soul spirit. She could never have imagined in her lifetime that four purple and five black soul rings were the optimal soul ring configuration in the Divine Realm Empire.
Heaven Dou City.
The city lay northeast of the Heaven Dou Empire's center and served as the heart of the entire empire.
On the Douluo Continent, only the capital of the Star Luo Empire could compare.
Inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Emperor Xue Ye sat with his eyes closed in thought, while his eldest son, Xue Qinghe, sat below him.
Father and son were both silent.
Emperor Xue Ye and Prince Xue Qinghe had received a confidential letter from the Heaven Frost Grand Duke and learned of the Divine Realm Empire's existence.
Compared with the report Spirit Hall's Bishop He Mian had written to Bibi Dong, the Heaven Frost Grand Duke had merely mentioned it in passing, perfunctorily fulfilling his duty.
He had mentioned neither the soul-powered warships nor Blood-Weeping Douluo's unusual soul rings.
After a long silence, Emperor Xue Ye sighed. "A continent overseas... Alas, why do all these overseas countries have Titled Douluos, while our Heaven Dou Empire has none of its own?"
Emperor Xue Ye attached little importance to countries overseas.
In his view, dangerous sea soul beasts prowled the vast ocean.
Even if those overseas countries were lucky enough to reach the Douluo Continent once, could they really make regular voyages and establish lasting ties?
One day, they might simply fall into the sea and become fish food.
Yet how could a country like that have a Titled Douluo?
My Heaven Dou Empire has tens of millions of subjects, yet not a single Titled Douluo.
"Father, regardless of anything else, the empire must show Blood-Weeping Douluo due respect."
Seated below him, Xue Qinghe was young and handsome. His spotless blue cloth robe lent him an air of composure.
A Titled Douluo's standing rivaled that of a mortal emperor.
Faced with a delegation led by a Titled Douluo, the Heaven Dou Empire could not afford to turn them into enemies under any circumstances.
"Visitors from overseas-whether they bring fortune or disaster remains to be seen." Wary of the Divine Realm Empire's Titled Douluo, Emperor Xue Ye offered Xue Qinghe another reminder. "But whatever the Divine Realm Empire's purpose, their arrival alone has already upset the balance between the two great empires and Spirit Hall."
"Yes." Xue Qinghe spoke in a steady voice, playing the role of a wise prince to perfection. "There are two things our Heaven Dou Empire must do now. First, determine whether they are friends or foes. Second, we must not allow Spirit Hall to monopolize contact with the Divine Realm Empire's delegation. If Spirit Hall colludes with an overseas power, the empires will have nowhere left to stand on this continent!"
Emperor Xue Ye looked at his eldest son with approval. Though Xue Qinghe's cultivation progressed more slowly than that of his deceased second and third sons, the political acumen he had shown over the Divine Realm Empire's delegation was quite commendable.
Emperor Xue Ye's complexion suddenly turned somewhat sallow. Breathing heavily, he said, "Exactly. The empire's foremost threat has always been Spirit Hall and its hidden ambitions. Especially since that woman Bibi Dong took power..."
"Father." The filial Prince Xue Qinghe immediately summoned an imperial physician. Taking the medicinal broth the physician brought for Emperor Xue Ye, he personally fed it to his father. "Please take good care of your health."
"It is nothing." Growing weary, Emperor Xue Ye instructed him, "If the Divine Realm Empire's delegation wishes to come, let them come. Qinghe, you will handle this matter. We need only show them a host's hospitality out of respect for their Titled Douluo."
Could the Divine Realm Empire possibly have anything worthy of the Heaven Dou Empire's attention?
Though the Heaven Dou Empire's military strength fell short of the Star Luo Empire's, it was still a venerable empire rich in resources. It even had several precious soul bones stored away.
"Yes." Xue Qinghe wore the expression of a man deeply concerned for his country.
Although Xue Qinghe had murdered the second and third princes a few years earlier, leaving no one to contest the throne with him, he still needed political achievements he could show for himself.
If a crown prince had no accomplishments, ministers would oppose him even if no other princes remained to vie for the throne.
As for the fourth prince, Xue Beng, who was only ten years old, Xue Qinghe paid him no mind.
He was nothing more than a spoiled wastrel.
Before you continue