"Your martial soul..."
Jin Peng appeared before Gui Mei in an instant, staring at him with burning eyes.
"A body martial soul? Your martial soul is yourself. No, wait... it's your soul!"
"And what if it is?"
Gui Mei's tone was flat, even carrying a trace of wariness.
Jin Peng seemed not to hear the coldness in his voice, his expression excited. "Your martial soul... is a one-of-a-kind soul body martial soul, its quality equal to the finest whole-body martial souls."
"Through all the generations of our Body Sect's heritage, we have never encountered anyone with a soul body martial soul!"
"Elder Gui Mei."
Chen Yuan also stood, his gaze burning as he looked at Gui Mei. "Do you know how terrifying your talent is? The potential of a soul body martial soul far exceeds your imagination."
"As long as you join our Body Sect, practice our exclusive secret methods, and undergo martial soul second awakening, your strength will make a qualitative leap!"
"Second awakening?"
Gui Mei was somewhat curious about what the two had said.
Yue Guan, however, had already steadied himself, his face full of coldness.
"What is the meaning of this, you two?"
Yue Guan stepped forward, shielding Gui Mei behind him. His singular velvet sky chrysanthemum martial soul solidified in his palm, and he did not back down even before Jin Peng, who was far stronger than he was.
"Gui Mei is an elder of Spirit Hall, and my closest friend."
"Poaching him right in front of me-aren't you showing far too little regard for Spirit Hall?"
Jin Peng took a deep breath to suppress his excitement, but his burning gaze remained fixed on Gui Mei. "The ancestral teachings of the Body Sect state that all who awaken a body martial soul are disciples of the Body Sect."
"Only the Body Sect can truly guide those walking the path of cultivating a body martial soul."
"We are already one family!"
Gui Mei fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Elder Jin."
"But I refuse."
Yue Guan's tense expression relaxed slightly, and he turned to glance at Gui Mei.
Gui Mei continued, "Yue Guan and I have been together for decades. From Soul Elders to Titled Douluo, we have shared life and death all along the way and served two successive Popes. We have long since become inseparable."
"However good the Body Sect may be, to me, it cannot compare to Spirit Hall."
"Do not bring this up again."
Jin Peng still wanted to say something. "But-"
"Old Jin."
Chen Yuan reached out to hold Jin Peng's arm and shook his head at him.
"Let it go. Gui Mei is a Titled Douluo, an elder of Spirit Hall, and a powerful man with a will of his own."
Jin Peng's lips moved, but in the end he let out a heavy sigh. The heat in his eyes slowly faded, though he remained very friendly toward Gui Mei.
"I was presumptuous."
Jin Peng cupped his hands in a salute to Gui Mei.
"No harm done."
The four sat down again, but the atmosphere was much more delicate than before.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei were noticeably more wary than when they had arrived. Yue Guan, in particular, watched Jin Peng with scrutiny and caution.
Jin Peng did not bring up recruiting him again. "Let's return to business."
Yue Guan set down his teacup and said evenly, "Since the Body Sect is willing to cooperate, let's discuss exactly how this cooperation will work."
"Simple."
Jin Peng held up three fingers. "As for pills, the Body Sect can provide three kinds: Body Tempering Pills, Soul-Nourishing Pills, and Barrier-Breaking Pills."
"Body Tempering Pills temper the flesh, Soul-Nourishing Pills nurture the soul, and Barrier-Breaking Pills help break through bottlenecks."
"If Spirit Hall needs them, the Body Sect can supply them regularly in exchange for cultivation resources-medicinal herbs, rare metals, or natural treasures."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance.
"Agreed."
Yue Guan nodded. "And the soul tools?"
Jin Peng said, "You don't yet understand the value of soul tools. How about this? Our Body Sect can provide a batch of samples first."
"What are your conditions?"
"We want a list of those who have awakened body martial souls." Jin Peng's stance was firm.
"Agreed."
Yue Guan pondered for a moment. "But for now, we will only provide a list of those who awakened body martial souls within the Heaven Dou Empire over the past twenty years."
"Good."
Jin Peng nodded in agreement, and the two sides discussed the details of their cooperation.
An incense stick's worth of time later.
"To a happy partnership."
"To a happy partnership!"
Yue Guan and Gui Mei rose to take their leave.
Jin Peng and Chen Yuan saw them off, then returned inside.
"With that martial soul of his, Gui Mei not joining our Body Sect is truly a squandering of heaven's gifts," Jin Peng said.
"We'll see in the future. Let's wait until the sect master comes out of seclusion."
"Mm."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei returned to Spirit City.
Inside the Papal Hall, Bibi Dong sat upright on the throne atop the dais, her purple-and-gold papal crown gleaming beneath the lights.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei gave a detailed report of their trip to Wulan City.
From the Body Sect's pills to its soul tools, from the pressure of the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring Jin Peng had displayed to the incident of his attempt to recruit Gui Mei and the refusal, they left out no detail.
Bibi Dong listened quietly, then lightly tapped her slender fingers against the throne's armrest.
"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring..."
Bibi Dong repeated the words softly.
"You two handled it properly. The Body Sect is stronger than expected, making it difficult to move against them. Since they are willing to cooperate, we will cooperate for now."
"Yes."
Yue Guan bowed as he answered.
"As for the pills, assign someone specifically to liaise with them. Be sure to inspect the quality and quantity. If they shortchange us, apply pressure where necessary. Once the soul tool samples arrive, the elders will appraise and evaluate them together."
Bibi Dong spoke evenly.
"As you command."
"As for the list..."
Bibi Dong paused. "There is no rush. Give it to the Body Sect when you meet in seven days."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance, then bowed in assent.
"You may leave."
"As you command."
Yue Guan and Gui Mei bowed and withdrew from the Papal Hall.
After they left, Bibi Dong sat alone in the empty hall, her fingertips gently stroking the Pope's Scepter, her gaze thoughtful.
"The Body Sect..."
Bibi Dong murmured to herself, "I hope you know what's good for you. Otherwise, I won't mind teaching you your place."
The Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, holding a secret letter.
It had just arrived from the informant he had planted in the Papal Hall and contained Bibi Dong's conversation with Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
"The Body Sect, soul tools..."
"Interesting indeed."
After saying those words, Qian Daoliu closed his eyes again.
With his strength as a rank ninety-nine Peerless Douluo, there were truly very few things in the world that could genuinely move him.
However strong the Body Sect was, as long as it had no Peerless Douluo, it amounted to little in his eyes.
Still, if the pills and soul tools really are good, I could send a batch to Xue'er, Qian Daoliu suddenly thought.
The Body Sect.
After Jin Peng and Elder Chen returned, they met Dugu Bo. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he took his granddaughter Dugu Yan to the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Xiao Yu, where exactly is my soul ring?"
Long Aotian was growing anxious.
It had already been seven days since they returned from the Sunset Forest, yet he still had not gone to hunt for a soul ring.
Vina, who had broken through at the same time, had already returned from the Star Dou Great Forest and leaped straight to rank fifty-four Soul King!
But he,
had remained in the sect all this time.
"Mm, it's about time. We'll leave tomorrow," Long Aoyu said, seeing that the cooperation between the sect and Spirit Hall had been settled.
"Oh?"
Long Aotian's eyes lit up. "Where are we going?"
"The Star Dou Great Forest? The Far North? Or out to sea?"
"None of those."
"Then where else could we go?"
The corners of Long Aoyu's mouth rose as he uttered the name, "Shrek Academy."
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