The inner city

[Early the next morning, daylight had yet to break, and the thin mist shrouding the city had not dispersed.]

[You finished washing, tucked the pale gold token into your robes, and pushed open the door to leave the inn.]

[There were few pedestrians on the central avenue. The farther north you walked, the fainter the bustle of the streets became, replaced by an almost solemn silence.]

[You followed the sparse stream of people to the boundary between the outer and inner cities.]

[The inner city walls stood a stretch taller than the outer walls. At the gate, two attendants in silver armor stood solemnly on either side, each wearing a Six-Winged Angel badge on his chest. Their Soul Power fluctuations were restrained and steady; neither was below the Soul Saint realm.]

[You stepped forward and presented the token.]

[The attendant in charge took it, brushing the pad of his finger over the golden chrysanthemum pattern on its face. His black eyes rested on your face for a moment, and his tightly set jaw softened a little.]

["Elder Ju gave instructions some time ago. Honored guest, please follow me."]

[You nodded slightly, took back the token, and followed him into the inner city.]

[The instant you passed through the gate, an invisible pressure surged toward you like a tide.]

[In stark contrast to the bustling prosperity of the outer city, the inner city was spacious and solemn.]

[Three broad avenues divided the hexagonal city into six fan-shaped districts, converging on a vast circular plaza in the center.]

[At the far end of the plaza, a hill rose from the ground. The three halls at the heart of Spirit Hall climbed its slopes in successive tiers, like a long stairway leading to divine authority.]

[You walked slowly along the bluestone avenue, flanked by buildings of austere, imposing design.]

[There were no shops or taverns, only gray-white stone buildings arranged symmetrically along the road. Reliefs of Six-Winged Angels in varying poses adorned their stone pillars, their forms dignified and solemn, as though silently guarding the peace of the entire continent.]

[Occasionally, figures in Soul Master robes hurried past, their steps brisk yet orderly, carrying a tension etched into the very rules they followed.]

[At the foot of the hill rose the most imposing hall of all. Built entirely of white marble, its soaring dome pierced the clouds; a gigantic stone angel stood before it, eyes lowered upon all living beings, sacred and majestic, permitting no affront.]

[Without slowing his steps, the attendant turned his head and introduced it to you in a low voice.]

["This is the Papal Hall." He raised a hand to gesture toward its entrance, keeping his voice extremely low. "His Holiness resides here and governs affairs, issues decrees, and oversees the promotion and demotion of Soul Masters and the assignment of duties. All such matters originate here. Every affair, great or small, concerning Spirit Hall's million Soul Masters ultimately comes here for a decision."]

["In front of the Papal Hall is a forecourt plaza large enough to hold tens of thousands. Every Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is held here."]

[At that moment, dozens of purple-robed attendants were drilling in formation on the plaza. Their Soul Power fluctuations interwove as purple radiance collided and surged against golden light, their momentum astonishing.]

[You did not stop, continuing up the mountain path.]

[Halfway up the hill stood a hall with a deep purple dome. Countless soul-guiding crystals were embedded in the dome, refracting hazy halos in the sunlight. Few people passed its entrance; compared with the Papal Hall at the foot of the hill, it instead held a deeper air of mystery.]

["This is the Elder Hall." The attendant paused briefly and raised a hand to gesture toward it. "More than twenty Titled Douluo elders are permanently stationed here, and Elder Ju also serves here. All major matters concerning the hall-penal law, external affairs, Soul Master deployment... are adjudicated here."]

[The mountain path forked here.]

[One branch extended upward, its ancient stone steps narrow and the woods deep on either side, as though leading to another world.]

[You raised your eyes and looked along that path.]

[At the very summit stood a majestic, ancient hall. Its gray stone walls were covered in the traces of passing years, and the bronze bells beneath its eaves hung soundless in the wind. There was no golden brilliance, no purple radiance, only a heavy, heart-quailing pressure.]

[Seeing you look toward the summit, the attendant's expression abruptly turned solemn, and an almost fanatical reverence kindled in his eyes. "That is Douluo Hall, the most sacred place in Spirit Hall. Enshrined there are the Angel God and the spirit tablets of Titled Douluo through the generations. At every grand ceremony, His Holiness the Pope goes there in person to pay homage."]

[He paused, lowering his voice further. "The Great Enshrined and several pinnacle enshrined masters reside within all year round. Ordinary people are forbidden to approach."]

[You understood. This hall was also called the Worship Hall, Spirit Hall's supreme forbidden ground. Qian Daoliu presided there, wielding the ultimate authority to depose and appoint the Pope. Though it seldom interfered in worldly affairs, it was the true seat of Spirit Hall's highest judgment.]

[And Qian Renxue was there as well.]

[You withdrew your gaze and followed him down the other path-to the elders' residences halfway up the hill.]

[The residences occupied a considerable area. Rather than a single building, they consisted of dozens of separate courtyards staggered along the mountainside.]

[Bamboo groves and flower beds separated the courtyards, ensuring each elder's privacy without diminishing the solemn dignity of the whole.]

[You headed east along a bluestone path, the bamboo groves on either side growing ever denser.]

[Layers upon layers of bamboo leaves cut the sunlight into tiny flecks that fell upon the ground like scattered fragments of gold.]

[The air was filled with the crisp fragrance of bamboo, occasionally threaded with a barely perceptible hint of chrysanthemum. The farther you walked, the richer that fragrance became.]

[At the end of the path stood an elegant courtyard in silence.]

[Its low boundary was formed by a blue-gray bamboo fence covered in pale purple morning glory vines.]

[The courtyard gate stood ajar. A wooden plaque hung above it, bearing the words "Chrysanthemum Garden" in graceful, flowing calligraphy, conveying the solitary pride peculiar to that gentleman among flowers.]

[Upon reaching this point, the attendant paused briefly and gestured toward the half-open gate. "Elder Ju's residence is here. Young sir, you need only present your token and enter."]

[With that, he turned and left by the way he had come, without waiting for your reply.]

[You stepped forward and gently tapped the door knocker. Before long, a boy in pale gold robes answered and led you inside.]

[Within the courtyard lay a world of its own.]

[Unlike the solemn austerity outside, this was a meticulously tended garden.]

[Flowers of every color were planted in sections according to variety, from common Crimson Cloud and Jade Plate to rare ink chrysanthemums and Cyan Calyx, and even several unusual varieties you could not name, all vying in beauty and filling the air with rich fragrance.]

[Pebble paths connected the flower beds, dotted along their edges with ornamental rocks of varying shapes. Mottled moss covered the stones, a clear sign of their age.]

[Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan was crouching before an ink chrysanthemum, a small pair of silver shears in hand, carefully trimming its withered branches and leaves.]

[His head was tilted, and the way he pruned was like dressing a flower for its toilette. Before each snip, he would angle his face and use his fingertips to brush aside the intact petals nearby, afraid of harming even the slightest part of them.]

[At the sound of footsteps, he did not turn. He merely held the severed withered stem and gently rolled it between his fingertips before casually setting it in the bamboo basket beside him. His voice was soft, effeminate, and elegant. "You're here?"]

["This junior, Su Yi, pays his respects to Senior." You cupped your hands and bowed.]

[Only then did he put down the silver shears, rise, and brush the grass clippings from his sleeves. His pale gold eyes swept carefully over you, as though examining a newly acquired flower variety. Then he turned and walked farther into the courtyard, his sleeves brushing a clump of green calyx chrysanthemums beside the path and lifting several petals. "Follow me."]

[Without saying more, you followed him through several flower beds to a bamboo cottage.]

[The furnishings inside were simple: only a desk and a small table. Yellowed ancient books and hand-drawn illustrated scrolls covered the desk, while a celadon vase stood on the small table, holding several sprigs of newly blooming Winter Chrysanthemum.]

[Chrysanthemum Douluo sat behind the desk and raised a hand to indicate that you should sit on the meditation cushion opposite him.]

[He was in no hurry to speak. He merely took a gilded tea set from beneath the desk. With a light touch of his fingertip, a wisp of pale gold Soul Power warmed the water in the pot, which he poured into two white porcelain cups.]

[The tea was pale jade-green, with a few tiny chrysanthemum buds floating on its surface, its fragrance delicate and faint.]

["Have a taste." He pushed one cup toward you, his little finger slightly raised, as though supporting a petal rather than a cup. A trace of barely perceptible anticipation lay in his eyes. "I roasted it myself."]