Pope Bibi Dong's Suspicions

"Eight Extremes Collapse!"

A cold, sharp shout suddenly rang out from a small grove on the Back Mountain of Nuoding Academy.

A black-clad figure leaped nimbly through the trees, sonic booms sounding beneath his feet from time to time. The dense thorns throughout the grove seemed to pose no obstacle to him at all.

The next instant, the figure abruptly stopped before a tree half a meter thick. Leaning his body at an angle, he drove a fist into its trunk.

Bang!

A tremendous, muffled crash rang out, sending wood chips flying. Spiderweb cracks appeared across the trunk, then rapidly spread.

Creak!

A moment later, the tree swayed with the sound of splintering wood, then finally crashed helplessly to the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust.

Just as the tree fell, the figure darted back like an agile monkey, then landed atop a massive blue-gray rock.

"After these past few days of practice, I'm getting better and better at using Eight Extremes Collapse. I need to make the most of my time training so I can keep myself safe when I head out to search for Heavenly Flames." Xiao Yan licked his lips, drew in a sharp breath, and muttered to himself.

"I still don't know what this second martial soul of mine is good for." Xiao Yan flicked his left hand. As he poured in soul power, black light surged, and a massive Black Ruler slammed into the ground, sending dust flying.

It was an enormous jet-black sword-or rather, a thick, massive iron ruler with neither a point nor an edge. Faint, strange patterns covered its pitch-black surface, extending all the way to the hilt and spreading across almost the entire blade. Together with its ancient-looking black finish, they gave it a deeply mysterious appearance.

As he slowly closed his hand around the Black Ruler, Xiao Yan discovered that it was extraordinarily heavy. The soul power circulating inside him also began to slow.

"This thing seems to have the remarkable ability to suppress soul power?" Staring blankly at the enormous black ruler, which was as long as he was tall, Xiao Yan swallowed. "It's incredibly heavy, and it suppresses the circulation of soul power. If I strap it to myself while training, then take it off when I fight someone later, my strength should rise to another level."

With that, Xiao Yan exerted a little force through his wrist, swung the Black Ruler behind him, and secured it to his back. He tried taking a step forward, and his foot immediately kicked up a cloud of yellow dust.

Xiao Yan turned slightly and glanced at the enormous Black Ruler behind him from the corner of his eye. A trace of shock instantly surfaced in his eyes.

He had never imagined that his second martial soul would be so terrifying. Not only did it suppress his swiftly flowing soul power until it crawled along like a tortoise, but its outrageously heavy weight also made it difficult for him to take even a single step.

"Never mind. I'll train like this for now."

After continuing forward for several hundred meters, Xiao Yan finally found himself unable to hold out much longer. Panting heavily, he dragged his feet, which felt as though they weighed a thousand pounds, toward the shade of a tree beside the path.

Upon reaching the tree, the boy flopped onto the shaded grass. Lying faceup, he pulled a water flask from inside his clothes and gulped down mouthful after mouthful.

Meanwhile, in Spirit City, at the Pope's Hall.

After passing the soul master inspection and entering the city, a cardinal did not pause for even a moment. He headed straight for Spirit Hall's highest seat of authority-the Pope's Hall!

"Halt!" Two Papal Hall Knights clad in golden armor reached out to block the cardinal's path. "No one may enter the Pope's Hall without a summons from His Holiness the Pope. Trespassers will be killed on sight!"

Faced with the two Papal Hall Knights, the cardinal raised his hand and displayed his bishop's token. "I am the bishop of Fasinuo Province. I have an urgent matter to report to His Holiness the Pope. Please let me through."

Hearing this, the two Papal Hall Knights exchanged a glance and stepped aside.

Inside the spacious, brightly lit Pope's Hall sat a woman whose beauty could topple cities and kingdoms. Holding a cup of fragrant tea, she lounged on her throne, with a golden scepter roughly two meters long casually set aside nearby.

The woman was exceptionally tall, with extraordinarily fair skin. A Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown rested on her head, and a brilliant golden formal gown clothed her from head to foot. Jewels gleamed across the gown; a closer look revealed that it was set with over a hundred gemstones of different shapes.

The noble, sacred aura she exuded made others feel an irresistible urge to prostrate themselves in worship.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the main chamber of the Pope's Hall. A cardinal strode inside, then knelt before the woman and said:

"Your revered Holiness, I am the cardinal of Fasinuo Province. The Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City under my jurisdiction has sent back a document reporting a child with innate full soul power and an unusual flame martial soul. These are his details. Please review them."

With that, the cardinal lowered his head and presented the document with both hands.

In nearly a hundred years on the Douluo Continent, only two people with twin martial souls had appeared, while nineteen had possessed innate full soul power. Rarity made things precious, and Spirit Hall paid close attention to soul masters with innate full soul power. Any discovery would invariably be reported.

"Oh? Let me see." Bibi Dong paused slightly at his words, then opened her fair hand. A powerful suction surged forth, instantly drawing the document from the cardinal's hands into her own.

Opening the document and reading it carefully, Bibi Dong drew her delicate brows together. Her previously rather indifferent expression also changed slightly.

Name: Xiao Yan.

Age: six.

Born in Holy Soul Village, Fasinuo Province, Heaven Dou Empire.

Martial soul: an unusual flame.

Soul power: innate full soul power upon awakening; level fourteen when registering as a soul master.

Currently enrolled at Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy. The Nuoding City branch invited him to join Spirit Hall to study, but he refused!

There was another page behind it. Bibi Dong gently turned the page and discovered a second soul master with innate full soul power.

Name: Tang San.

Age: six.

Born in Holy Soul Village, Fasinuo Province, Heaven Dou Empire.

"Holy Soul Village as well?" Bibi Dong paused slightly and murmured to herself.

Martial soul: Blue Silver Grass.

Soul power: innate full soul power upon awakening; level thirteen when registering as a soul master.

"His surname is Tang? His martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, and he has innate full soul power?" Bibi Dong's purple eyes shifted slightly. She seemed to have noticed something and formed a suspicion. Slowly rising, she said calmly, "You may leave. Have Elder Ju, Yue Guan, come to see me."

"Yes, Your Holiness." The cardinal bowed and backed out of the Pope's Hall.

A few minutes later.

The space in one part of the Pope's Hall rippled slightly, and a man wearing golden armor and heavy makeup appeared there without a sound.

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Everyone, please don't save up chapters to read later. The first round of recommendations starts tomorrow, and your continued reading determines whether I can advance. I won't slack off this month-at least two chapters every day. Let me kowtow to you all. Bang, bang!